2023, what's coming? New Slots in the Pipeline!
After a lively year for online casino content in 2022, the calendar was nearly at its end. The focus now turned to the titles expected to arrive during 2023.
More than 1300 new casino games arrived in 2022, adding a substantial batch of options for online casino players. The original review anticipated at least a similar number in 2023, and possibly more. It also observed a steady year-over-year improvement in video slot quality as a reason for interest in the releases ahead.
Several upcoming games were already on the radar. This preview highlighted five of the best new video slots then expected to reach online casinos over the following months.
Pinatas & Ponies (Red Tiger Gaming)
Red Tiger Gaming was behind one of the first anticipated releases, Pinatas and Ponies. This high variance game uses 6 reels and 6 rows, with wins determined through a scatter-pays system: 10+ matching symbols anywhere on the grid qualify for a payout. Its listed bonus features include multipliers, free spins and a buy bonus option.
- RTP: 95.72%
- Variance: High
- Max Win: 2,172x
Lucky Fishing Megaways (Pragmatic Play)
Set for early 2023, Pragmatic Play’s Lucky Fishing Megaways brings the developer’s fishing theme to another release. Its earlier Big Bass slots helped make that style familiar to players. This game uses a 6+1 Megaways layout, with the +1 denoting a horizontal reel above the main reels. That arrangement allows for as many as 117,649 ways-to-win on a spin.
The feature set described for this high variance slot includes tumbling wins, multiplier free spins, a risk game and the option to buy a bonus round.
- RTP: 96.55%
- Variance: High
- Max Win: 5,000x
Cash-A-Cabana (Play’n Go)
The title plays on the name Copacabana, while its money-focused setting is New York in the swinging 40s. Play’n Go was expected to release Cash-A-Cabana at some point in January 2023. The early preview anticipated the developer’s familiar attention to graphics and gameplay quality.
The game was described as a 5-reel, 3-row slot with 20 fixed paylines and medium to high volatility. Wild symbols can expand across a full reel and multiply wins by 2x. Its free spins round features a global multiplier, with 2 extra spins possible each time the ‘Host’ symbol lands on the reels.
- RTP: 96.2%
- Variance: Medium to High
- Max Win: 10,000x
Scatter Monsters (Quickspin)
The 2022 IGA Awards named Quickspin ‘Slots Provider of the Year’, so its next release was one for slot fans to watch. Scatter Monsters was presented as a potential hit for the iGaming studio, with a devilish cartoon world featuring vampires, zombies and demons.
Scatter Monsters also uses scatter pays: matching symbols can form a win wherever they appear in view, then vanish as replacement symbols fall into place for another possible payout. Its central feature is the Soul Meter. Gathering souls fills the meter; once full, it awards modifiers such as upgraded symbols, free spins or symbol removal.
- RTP: 96.08%
- Variance: Medium
- Max Win: 1,493x
Mammoth Gold Megaways (Pragmatic Play)
Pragmatic Play appeared twice in the five-game preview, reflecting the note that the developer regularly released at least 5 new slots each month. Mammoth Gold Megaways was another title expected in January 2023. Its play was compared with the provider’s Muertos Multiplier Megaways, which the article described as a major 2022 hit.
The game uses 6+1 reels, each able to display a random number of symbols. As a result, the number of win-ways varies by spin and can reach 117,649. Features outlined in the preview include wild multipliers, free spins with a multiplier that carries forward without resetting, and a buy bonus.
- RTP: 96.03%
- Variance: High
- Max Win: 10,000x
Looking forward to 2023?
These five titles were among the releases the article expected in early 2023, with the first launches only a few months away at the time. Whether they would match or surpass some releases in 2022 remained to be seen. The preview closed with optimism that they would make a promising start to another year of slot gaming.
With 12+ years of experience in the iGaming industry, Evan specializes in reviewing online casinos, analyzing slot games, and evaluating player safety. Their expertise covers casino licensing, RTP, volatility, bonus conditions, and withdrawal policies. Through hands-on testing and independent research, Evan delivers transparent, fact-based reviews to help players better understand gambling platforms, their features, and potential risks.
