What Horror Movies and Online Gambling Have in Common


Believe it or not but horror movie and online gambling intersect in a big way. How, you may well ask? Slots is the answer. There is a whole genre of horror-movie inspired slot games known simply as ‘horror slots,’ which have a wide fan base globally. Some horror slots are scarier than others that are more tongue-in-cheek.

But what they all have in common is they’re designed to titillate, amuse and scare you a little while you spin their reels and negotiate their high-paying features and bonus rounds. In fact, so popular is this category of virtual slots that most of the leading online casino software vendors i.e. the firms that design and develop online slots have a few horror slots in their respective portfolios, the best of which are highlighted below.

Paranormal Activity Slot
This 5 reel, 243 ways to win video slot by iSoftBet was inspired by the hit 2017 American film of the same name.

In that film, a young couple set up video cameras in their house to capture whatever it is haunting them, and that footage makes up the basis of the film. Notably, the film was made on a shoestring budget of $15,000 and yet grossed over $190 million worldwide.

Like the film, Paranormal Activity slot has symbols related to paranormal activity such as Ouija boards, video cameras, creepy outstretched bloody hands, chandeliers, spooky glowing triangles, and the pale, dark-eyed, unkempt ghost girl, who is at the key to all the paranormal activity. If the game’s top-end game graphics don’t stiffen the hairs at the back of your neck, its eerie soundtrack will. Be warned.

The spooky girl is aptly the game’s wild symbol which substitutes for all other symbols (except the scatter) to make winning combinations. The bloody hand is the scatter. Land three or more anywhere across your hands and you’ll trigger a slew of free spins. Best of all, the game has three free spins options - Paranormal spins (unlimited free spins until you rack up 5 wins), Possessed spins (10 free spins with extra stacked wilds) and Demon spins (15 free spins with a Demon wild).

The game also has a novel bonus wheel you can trigger by landing bonus symbols on reels 1, 3 and 5. You either be awarded up to 3 free spins on the stone bonus wheel or you’ll earn yourself an instant win. With a maximum pay out of 120,000 coins, this video slots is frighteningly worthwhile.

The Vampires Slot
This 5 reel, 25 pay line video slot from Endorphina, and while there are many vampire / Dracula-themed slots based on countless films, this is one of the best. The game’s illustration-style graphics are engaging as are its eerie music and sound effects.



It should be mentioned, however, that Count Dracula of Transylvania looks like a mix of Liam Neeson and George Lazenby (the one-time 007), but that shouldn’t be held against him. At his side are his trusty brunette, redhead and blonde ‘vampirettes.’

The bat is the game’s wild (which substitutes for all other symbols except for scatters and bonus symbols, while the ‘Dracula biting a young lady’s neck’ symbol is the scatter. Get three or more of these across your reels and you’ll unlock 10 free spins. Other game symbols include the hammer & stake, the pistol and holy water & cross set, and the blood-filled chalice, which is also the slot’s bonus symbol. Land three or more bonus symbols (in succession from left to right) and you’ll trigger the Necropolis Bonus game where you’ll get to win generous cash prizes by invoking the dead.

This vampire-themed virtual slot game also has gamble feature where you can choose to take a chance to double up your winnings up to 10 times. The way it works is that you must choose one card from four face down cards. If your selected card is higher than that of the dealer, you win. If it draws, you get another shot. If it’s lower, you lose, and if you get a joker, you automatically win. This ‘horror slot’ accepts a minimum bet of 1c and a maximum bet of $250 per spin, so it’s ideal for low or high budget players.

So if you want to get your spook on then this is the right place to be.

Spooky Family Slot
This 5 reel, 20 pay line  video slot has absolutely fantastic graphics. This is not surprising considering it hails from iSoftBet, a casino game vendor renowned for producing games with high quality and striking graphics and animations.

And although this game was clearly inspired by US cartoon, TV and film franchise The Addams Family, it has more than enough charm to hold its own. Set in the grounds of a spooky house, game symbols include the moustache-bedecked father, the mother, the son, the daughter and not forgetting the Frankenstein monster-esque butler.

The game’s wild is the skull, which can replace any other symbol except the bonus or scatter. Unlike a regular wild, this wild can travel in multiple directions to double up and help you make winnings combinations. The way he laughs every time is priceless. The scatter symbol is the hypnotic spinning black and white spiral. Land 3, 4 or 5 of them anywhere on the reels and your bet will multiplied by 5x, 10x or 25x respectively.

The Bonus game is activated when you land three bonus symbols (the haunted house), where you must spin the wheel to choose what gruesome and odd morsels to feed the family pet. Spin wisely and you could net yourself a small fortune. Then there’s the Random bonus. The ‘darkness’ can appear at any time and reward you with up to 10,000 coins in one fell swoop – no winning combination required. With a 1x minimum and a $100 maximum bet, this game offers equal opportunity ‘spookiness.’

The Last Nail
All of the horror film-inspired slots above are big hits among players all over the world. That said, a few other horror video slots you should check out include Day of the Dead from IGT, Full Moon Fortunes from Ash Gaming and Horror Castle from World Match.