Slots for Millenials: What are the most popular slot features for Gen Y?

If there is one particular demographic of people that have been extremely difficult to interpret and understand in terms of many facets of their life, it has been millennials.

We are often told that their habits and behaviours are very different to those of different generations and of course, that can make it difficult to engage them or catch their interest with a product you want to sell or service you want to offer.

Half of that problem could well be that the millennial generation is perhaps the most diverse generation of consumers there has been for some time. It can cover a massive range of people with different personal, social and economic situations, so a 'one size fits all' approach tends to only have limited effect when trying to engage with the group.

However, it is crucial that companies that wish to thrive and survive do precisely that. We have often heard it said that many businesses rely on attracting the millennial market and the casino industry is absolutely no different to that. The question that they are asking themselves continually is "what kind of casino games and features attract millennial customers?"

So in this article, we are going to take one popular aspect of casino gaming, slot games, and then look at the individual features that we feel will attract millennial players, and we will then give you an example or two of a slot game that offers players precisely these features.

Our target group

Before we bring you our list of features, what do we know about the millennial demographic? Well we know that this particular generation of people have grown up with technology, they are likely to be au fait with mobile tech, have had access to mobile phones and tablets for the majority of their lives and to be both accepting and regular users of this technology.

We also know that they are a generation that likes immediacy. Whether it is their social life, gaming or similar, most of the time they can get what they want at the touch of a button, or by sending a message or making a call.

We also know that they are fickle, if something falls short this generation won't stick around to keep using it as there will be a better option elsewhere. The amount of choice they have in most aspects of their life means that there is always another option available to them.

We also know that their interests are changing from traditional entertainments, to more modern emerging markets such as the eSports industry, social media, online gaming and the like.

However, we also know that in terms of income there is a very wide range of people within the group, some with very modest means, others that have a lot more to spend.

So with that in mind, what kind of slot features are going to appeal to this type of player? Here's some of our suggestions.

1. Progressive Jackpots

There are a number of progressive jackpot games to try nowadays, Mega Moolah, Major Millions, Treasure Nile and King Cashalot being just four of the 16 Microgaming progressives. The promise of a sizeable jackpot prize is always a big motivating factor to play these games and the fact that you could spin and win a life-changing amount of money is certainly going to appeal to the typical millennial.

One thing to note too is that many of these games are now available on mobile devices and as such, are on a perfect platform for millennials to enjoy.

Games to try - Mega Moolah on mobile

With a choice of four progressive jackpots available, including a massive Mega Jackpot prize that is always more than 1,000,000 and is often far in excess of that amount, this is a mobile game that will be hugely attractive to millennials.

2. Rolling Reels

Another feature that will certainly hold appeal for millennials is the Rolling Reels feature. This comes with many different names (Cascading Reels, Avalanche Reels and more, depending on the game) but in essence, it is the same bonus. Symbols fall down from above onto the reels and if they form a winning pay line, they flash and disappear and are replaced with new symbols dropping down from above.

Of course, this has the potential to trigger additional wins from the same spin and it is this part of the game that should appeal to cash-savvy millennials given that it offers players a chance to land multiple wins from a single spin.

Games to try - Jungle Jim El Dorado

An exciting new slot in the Jungle Jim series of slots from Microgaming, this slot not only features Rolling Reels but also a fantastic Multiplier Trail bonus, which increases in value with every Rolling Reel win triggered. Read our Jungle Jim El Dorado review and the sequel announcement.

3. Win Both Ways

If we are saying that millennials tend not to want to wait for their bonuses, then without doubt games that offer Win Both Ways across the reels are going to be a popular choice for them. Win Both Ways means that for each pay line on the slot, you can win in the standard fashion (from left to right) across the reels, but also win from right to left across the reels too.

On some slots, it is even possible to win across the three middle lines of the slot, these slots are called Win All Ways to differentiate them from Win Both Ways slots.

The great thing about these slots is that if you don't hit a win on the first couple of reels landing, the spin is not over as you can still land a win when the last couple of reels land. This keeps you interested in each spin for longer, plus your bet tends to cover only the number of pay lines in play and with you being able to win both ways across those lines, you feel like you are getting excellent value for money when you spin.

Games to Try - Banana Odyssey

This brand new chimp and space themed slot offers Win Both Ways gaming across the reels and a fantastic Free Spins round too which really does take the gaming up a notch or two. Read our game review.