Slotsoo on ICE London 2024 – New Trends and Key Takeaways

Last week, Slotsoo took part in ICE, the biggest B2B-event for the European online casino industry. It is exclusively for professionals and this was the final time it was held in London. From 2025 ICE will be arranged in Barcelona instead.

While each of the over 70 game providers that participated were showing off their newest releases, we have decided to focus on more general level news in this report of ICE. What trends can we see that will change the game for slots players in 2024?

Play Slots the Quick Way with Nolimit City’s Action Spins

If you are a traditionalist slot player who enjoy seeing the reels spin and listening to the sounds they make, then Nolimit City’s new feature might be quite chocking. Action Spins, that was launched just before the new year, let’s you play slots without actually watching the rounds. It just tells you how much you won. Almost like watching the game history in real time.

But then again, if you enjoy classic slots, Nolimit City is probably not your first choice, considering the studio’s borderline offensive game themes. During ICE 2024 they showcased their upcoming slot releases, with titles such as D-Day, Loner and Kenneth Must Die (not quite as mental as Mental, though).

Offensive or not, these new slots get 10/10 in originality. Sadly, some game providers at ICE were just trying to re-invent the wheel by releasing look-a-likes of Gates of Olympus, Big Bass Bonanza and other favorite slots by Pragmatic Play. And just like last year, we saw a good amount of Book of Dead copycats too.

Skill-based Slots and Dice Games from Air Dice

Traditionally, slots have been purely based on luck, and there is no strategy element to increase your winning chances (apart from comparing online casinos and their RTP settings for different slots). The Finnish company Air Dice wants to revolutionize online casino gaming by introducing the skill factor to slot gaming.

By making the smartest choice available, you increase your odds to win. For example in their Wild Shifter slot the return to player can be anything from 83,8% to 97,8%. This is also evident in their dice games, where a good strategy boost the return to player with 1%.

Ezugi Brings Real Claw Machines Online

Somewhere in Europe, in a top-secret location, there is a hall full of claw machines, that are being controlled remotely, with their movements being recorded by their own set of cameras. Let us introduce you to Magic Claw Live by Ezugi.

This single player live casino game lets you play the claw machine from your phone or computer. The machine has four different colored balls and each one has a different max multiplier (10x, 20x, 50x, 100x). only one person can play at a time, but those in the queue can spectate while they wait.

We think Ezugi won the innovation prize in the non-slots category this year. Evolution also showcased their new live dealer games during ICE London 2024, with the Lightning Storm lucky wheel getting the big spotlight. Combining two of their popular game series seems like the safe bet, but lets not forget that Ezugi is a part of the Evolution Group nowadays.

New Information from the License Authorities

If you have been following Slotsoo’s news reporting, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Curacao casino license is in process of being reformed. By visiting their booth, you could receive the latest updates. On Monday February 5^th, the day before the start of ICE, the first three casino operators received direct licenses from Curacao Gambling Control Board. Such an historic day!

Kahnawake Gaming Commission was also present at the exhibition. During our discussion with them, they shared that operators have shown more interest in their license ever since Curacao’s new license system was introduced.

We also visited Malta Gaming Authority’s stand and were given access to MGA’s latest annual report.  The license authority received 133 applications during the year so we can expect a steady flow of new MGA casino 2024!

Any New Fast Payment Methods on the Horizon?

On the payment front we don’t have any big news to report. Most EU-targeting operators still choose to be Trustly casinos, even though there are other Pay N Play alternatives such as Brite and Zimpler. And no disruptor was seen during ICE 2024 so we thing that the current status quo will remain in the instant banking sector.

Cashlib, Jeton and Astropay were all at the event showcasing their e-wallets and online voucher options. Deposits are just as quick as bank transfers, but when it comes to withdrawal speed they leave room for improvement.

ICE Barcelona 2025 Next Up for the Industry

The thing that makes ICE special is that it is not just for the rich and famous. Anyone in the business can join and the event is completely free for visitors. The only requirement is that they are 18+ and that they somehow work in the casino industry (for example as a freelance writer, casino streamer or influencer).

The event is strictly for business people only, so regular players are not welcome. The next edition of ICE will be held in new premises in Fira de Barcelona from the 20^th to the 22^nd January 2025.  We highly recommend anyone in the industry to visit the exhibition if they live nearby or are planning to travel to the city for other reasons next winter.

The first day of the event tends to be both the best and the busiest, because that is when the gaming companies give out most goodies (pens, candies, socks, t-shirts and other swag). There are also free slot tournaments and other competitions that visitors can join for a chance to win real-money prices, such as a Playstation 5 or Amazon giftcards. Not to mention all the free food that is offered by the exhibitors.

But all days are equally good for those who want to get to know different game providers and test their newest game releases – or if they just want to be a part of the extravagant celebration of the gambling industry. Slotsoo will make sure to attend ICE 2025 too so that we can update you players on the latest developments!

ICE Barcelona 2025 Quickfacts