Our Big Predictions for the Slot Industry in 2026

More Focus on Soundtracks

One big way in which we're already seeing this industry evolve is through the soundtracks on new releases.

Whilst we don't necessarily think that sounds used to be an after-thought, it really has only been in recent years that they've become such a talked about topic.

Thanks to the hard work of studios like ELK Studios and Nolimit City, soundtracks are one of the biggest elements of a release now, with many studios even adding their tracks to platforms like Apple Music and Spotify.

We expect the love for soundtracks to continue to grow in 2026, and perhaps more studios licensing well-known songs like Big Time Gaming and Play'n GO have done in the past.

Personalised Gameplay

Next up is AI and personalisation, which we believe will have a massive role to play in the slot industry by 2026.

Advanced AI and personalisation is set to become a larger part of shaping a player's experience and shaping the design of slots, alongside perhaps being introduced to more and more of the best casino sites, allowing them to design bonuses tailored to each individual player's needs.

Difficulty adjustments within new slot releases are another exciting prospect.

The idea is that players can tailor a game to their specific presences, adjusting things like volatility, maximum wins, or even how much extra to pay per spin for a better chance of a bonus.

We think players will find a more compelling gambling experience as AI and personalisation improve and become commonplace within the industry – the releases below have already been met with positive feedback thanks to their personalisation.

Gamification

Gone are the days of the faithful ‘One-Armed Bandit’ slots – now players expect to be entertained by the whole experience and not just the reels in front of them.

Enter gamification.

Our prediction is that next year game studios will be striving for narrative-driven experiences that feature stories that the player can advance through, introducing new characters, new settings, and even new character arcs through sequels and prequels.

Additionally, there's a chance we could see greater emphasis on the social side of playing online slot and live casino games, taking players on various challenges and missions as a group – or alongside their favourite streamers.

Mobile-First

Our next prediction is one that we're already seeing in action, although only a few studios so far risen to the challenge.

As more and more players use their mobiles to play the latest releases, we think more studios will be looking towards a mobile-first approach in their gaming.

We've already seen this with PG Soft – a popular mobile-first studio that design all of their games with the mobile phone in mind. Recently, we've also seen Pragmatic Play try this approach.

The trade-off is that the desktop experience isn't the best – particularly for streamers – but perhaps we'll see a solution next year that gives us the mobile experience without compromising elsewhere.

More Risk Taking

You heard it here first – 2026 is about taking risks.

Next year is bound to throw up some new and exciting studios, who hopefully make use of some pretty risky themes – like Nolimit City, Hacksaw Gaming, and the more recent Shady Lady have done.

However, we think risk taking won't just appear to us through fun themes, but also through mechanics controlled by players.

There has been a recent rise in releases that allow players to buy extra spins, take some pretty huge gambles, and even risk it all in crash style games.

These are gaming aspects we think will continue to grow in popularity, meaning we'll see lots of them next year – there's plenty of room of risk-taking in 2026.