Demo mode slots at online casinos give players the chance to test-drive games. These are available to players who just land on the gaming website and aren’t even signed up with the platform. But dig a little deeper and it’s also common to see that not all games have a demo mode version.
At many top online casinos, you can play a slot in demo mode. Even on sites with low deposit limits, where you can make a £5 deposit or even less, it’s always nice to try out a game without putting real money down at all.
However, some online casino sites go as far as not having any demo play available at all. But if some do it, then why is it not common practice across the board? What advantage could be there for a site not to provide players with access to demo versions of popular slots? Here we explore why some online casinos can be far more “stingy” in this area than others.
The Purpose of Demo Games
Having games open for demo play, which can be played by site visitors, is a way for online casinos to attract new customers. It’s a very basic tool because the operator will hope that someone drops by, tries out a game, likes it and signs up for an account.
Just trying a game and seeing how interactive a slot is, while getting hands-on experience of enjoying the different features, can tempt players to want to try their luck at the real thing. It’s also a good exercise in building trust between the platform and the player.
If a prospective new customer has a good experience playing a demo game, it will just make them feel that much more secure about going ahead with registration and depositing money to get the full experience. It’s a great way for casinos to show players that they deliver quality content.
Why Don’t All Casinos Do It?
While it all sounds great from the online casino’s perspective, not all of them provide demo games. But why? The main reason why some online casinos don’t, is because of concerns about those demo games taking away from real-money investments into the platform.
With active demo play, players can just spend some casual time on the site, for sheer entertainment value and not gambling purposes. That’s the last thing that an online casino wants, as their main target is revenue, so it may just actively be discouraged in the hope that people will just take the plunge and sign up to play if they are already on the site.
Cutting Costs
Demo versions of slot machines can also be costly from the point of view of taking up bandwidth during busy times, which could, in theory, slow down experiences for paying customers. Having demo games run alongside the actual game can be a resource-intensive enterprise, so to save money, demo games may simply not make the cut.
Marketing Strategy
Online casinos that choose not to operate demo games could do so as a direct marketing strategy. There could be the feeling of exclusivity about a site that doesn’t offer demo games, as it may give the impression that it’s a little too professional to dip their toes in those gimmicky waters.
So no demo games could just be a conscious choice, forcing players to sign up for an account to get any kind of play. While there are different reasons why demo games may not be found on a platform, by not offering them, online casinos miss out on that lure of giving players a chance to explore the volatility and features of titles.
Is Demo the Same as Real Play?
Demo versions of casino games are not necessarily entirely representative of what the full-game experience is going to be. They can be much leaner, stripped-back versions of the full game, where bonus features for example have been omitted. It’s also worth noting that some jurisdictions, like Australia, prohibit demo games being offered.
What Players Can Get From Demo Games
Players who are perhaps hesitant about getting into online gambling at casinos may first want to try out casino games. A player may be expecting a highly-skilled and complex experience only to be pleasantly surprised from simple demo play.
Players can use the experience of online slots demos for getting a feel of different mechanics from different games, and they are a good idea to try out in that regard. Ultimately that demo experience may well make them more inclined to sign up, but demo versions of slots are not available on all platforms.
