The perfect fusion of two thrilling games – Slingo slots combine the very best aspects of bingo with the fun online casino game slots. Slingo has now been available to play for almost three decades and as new ideas for the game are tested, and the technology behind it develops further, Slingo continues to evolve and grow in popularity.
But where did this great innovation in casino gaming come from? We look at the background of the game, from its conception and its journey to the present day.
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Slingo: Where it all began
It wasn’t a game designer or software developer that first developed the slot and bingo hybrid, it was in fact a real estate agent named Sal Falciglia. Around 1994, Falciglia and his business partner Dave Lyons put their heads together to work on creating an idea for a new game show.
Together they decided to combine a 5 x 5 grid of numbers, similar to what one would see in bingo, with a spinning slot wheel. Players would need to spin the slot wheel and would mark off the numbers that correspond with the reel on the grid.
The idea was first drafted on paper and then the pair tested out the game by taking apart and adapting an old fruit machine. Later, a computer version of the early Slingo game was commissioned as an idea to show to television executives for a show.
However, in an unexpected turn of events, the potential for Slingo to be an online game was realised and it was developed for that purpose in the mid-1990s. The world wide web was still in its infancy at this stage and the game was basic compared with today’s choice, yet it quickly developed in popularity.
In 1995 the chat service AOL hosted the game, which quickly became one of the service’s top social games. Colourful backgrounds and bright graphics made this game look visually appealing and helped entice new players.
Different developers had their own take on the Slingo game and it soon became available to play on other internet sites.
Slingo makes its way to mobile
Slingo made its way to mobile way earlier than you might think. In 2005, the company SuperHappyFunFun was able to port the game to mobile phones. This mobile phone version, known as Slingo 2 Go, had both single and multiplayer modes and included a chat function for players to interact with one another during gameplay.
While the game may have been a little more clunky compared to the Slingo played on today’s modern smartphones, it was still highly rated and players enjoyed the convenience of being able to play away from their desktop computers.
Over the last couple of decades, the role of social media in our lives has evolved significantly. Social platforms are now an integral part of daily life for many of us, we socialise with friends and family, consume entertaining and informative content and play games on these sites and apps.
In 2012, the company Zynga was responsible for first introducing Slingo to one of the leading social media platforms, Facebook. The game remained on the platform for around 18 months and was praised for its mechanics and the social leaderboard that enabled players to share their success with their friends and followers. It also paved the way for the success of other Zynga games.
There is now a huge selection of Slingo games online
It soon became clear that there is significant demand for this exciting hybrid game online. Since the early versions of the game were released, many new iterations have made their way to online casino sites and apps.
There was now a variety of online Slingo games with different themes and features, including the likes of Deal or No Deal Slingo, Book of Slingo, Slingo Extreme and Slingo Centurion. Avid gamers looking for a throwback can also enjoy Slingo titles themed around their favourite retro games with Tetris Slingo and Slingo Space Invaders.
For those new to online casino gaming, Slingo is a fun and simple game to begin with. Low minimum bets make the game feel approachable for those that lack experience in this gaming genre. Many players have previously enjoyed playing bingo and are looking for something new and a little different.
The future of Slingo…
The game Slingo has evolved significantly since the 1990s and continues to do so. Given its success, it is clear that Slingo will remain online for many years to come and new releases will grace our screens on a regular basis. Technological trends are likely to influence the development of future versions of Slingo. For example, we may see virtual reality (VR) being incorporated into the game soon.