Most online slot innovations happen as they develop, progress, and improve with time, as new technology allows game studios to expand their limits and try new things.
However, ground-breaking innovations are rare.
One of the few innovations that have significantly impacted the online casino industry is the Megaways mechanic from Big Time Gaming.
This doesn’t stop other game studios from experimenting but instead encourages them to try to find their own revolutionizing mechanics that can change how we play online slots.
PopWins is not as revolutionizing as the Megaways were when it was first introduced.
Still, PopWins slots have become very popular recently, so we want to give you some proper information about them.
What is PopWins?
PopWins is a game mechanic that adds an exciting layer to slots.
What happens in the PopWins slot is that the winning symbols pop and disappear when a win occurs. Two new ones, then replace a winning icon.
The reels will expand to fit the new symbols and increase the number of ways to win.
Several PopWins slots also offer Increasing Multipliers, Gamble Wheels, and Free Spins.
Who makes the PopWins slots?
In cooperation with Yggdrasil Gaming, the Hong Kong-based game studio AvatarUX is the PopWins mechanic inventor.
AvatarUX has been the leading game provider of PopWins slots; however, they offer other game studios the option to use the trademarked feature on their slots for a fee.
Which slots offer the PopWins feature?
Some popular slots that offer the PopWins mechanic include titles like CherryPop, PopRocks, PiggyPop, and HippoPop.
If you are interested in slots with a high max win potential, check our Top 10 highest-max wins PopWins slots list.
Why would you play PopWins slots?
Like the Megaways mechanic, PopWins slots offer players something different than experienced on traditional slots.
The PopWins feature is also activated quite often, as it usually has an average base game hit rate of 21.8%, meaning you will enjoy the PopWins feature more than twice every 10 spins.
PopWins slots offer thoughtful designs that are playable on any device of your choice and include fun features like increasing multipliers, Random Wilds, and Free Spins.
Many PopWins slots often re-use the same features, but some games like BountyPop offer something more unique, like a Mystery and Multiplier Wheel.
Many PopWins slots have a fair average Return To Player (RTP) percentage of around 96% but be aware that Avatar UX has started to release several different RTP versions of their games.
Does the PopWins mechanic affect the slot RTPs?
The PopWins mechanic doesn’t affect the RTP percentages in one way or another, as the general maths and average payouts include all the slot functions and features, including the PopWins mechanic.
However, you need to keep an eye on the various RTP versions of PopWins slots that we expect to be rolled out by Avatar UX to different online casinos, as this can affect your chances of winning.
To ensure that you always play on the best average RTP versions, check our slot reviews as we list the different RTP percentages and guide you toward the best RTP versions.
If you are interested in the Best RTP PopWins slots, look at the Top 10 best-paying PopWins slots list.
Is it profitable to play PopWins slots?
On average, playing casino slots will never be profitable long-term as the casinos will always have the edge over the players.
Hence the RTP percentages.
For example, with an average RTP of 96%, the casinos will have a long-term win margin of 4%, while players are paid back 96% of all the wagered amounts.
The same applies to PopWins slots as they follow the same RTP setup as in other casino slots.
While some PopWins slots can offer max win potential of up to 55,000x, 72,000x, or even 107,573x your bet, as seen in HippoPop, in the long run, the casinos are the only sure winners.
Some players can get lucky and hit some decent or even massive wins, but it’s not possible to claim that playing PopWins slots or any other slot (or other casino games, for that matter) will be profitable in the long run.
To improve your chances of winning, you can choose the online casinos that offer their players the best RTP versions of PopWins slots.
This is something that CasinoWizard specializes in and helps you with.
Will we see other game studios using PopWins?
We have to wait to see if other game studios try out the PopWins mechanic on their slots.
We have seen this phenomenon with the Megaways mechanic as previously popular slots like Gonzo’s Quest, Piggy Riches, and more have all been re-released as Megaways versions.
Will the other game providers decide to explore the same options with the PopWins mechanic?
Probably not by the more prominent and established game studios like Big Time Gaming, NetEnt, Play’n GO, and Push Gaming, but maybe through some of the smaller ones.
We can say that Avatar UX has struck gold with the PopWins feature, and it’s very popular today.
Only time will tell if they continue to expand their popularity to even more players.
The PopWins slots are a lot of fun, but we hope they find new ways to diversify their slots instead of getting lazy and using a copy-and-paste method to get more similar titles out there.