What’s Coming in 2023? New Slots in the Pipeline!
Online casino content had a lively year in 2022, and the calendar was nearly over. Attention was shifting to the games expected to arrive in 2023.
More than 1300 new casino games launched in 2022, giving online casino players a sizable new selection. The review anticipated at least as many in 2023, and possibly more. It also pointed to the year-over-year improvement in video slot quality as another reason to watch for upcoming releases.
Several upcoming titles were already attracting attention. This preview picked out five of the best new video slots then expected to reach online casinos in the months ahead.
Pinatas & Ponies (Red Tiger Gaming)
Red Tiger Gaming was behind one of the first anticipated releases, Pinatas and Ponies. This high-variance game has 6 reels and 6 rows, with wins determined by scatter pays: 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)
Scheduled for early 2023, Pragmatic Play’s Lucky Fishing Megaways brings the developer’s fishing theme to another game. Its earlier Big Bass slots had already made that style familiar to players. This title uses a 6+1 Megaways layout, where +1 refers to a horizontal reel above the main reels. The layout allows up to 117,649 ways to win per spin.
Features described for this high-variance slot include 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 riffs on Copacabana, but its money-themed setting is New York during the swinging 40s. Play’n Go was expected to release Cash-A-Cabana sometime in January 2023. The preview looked forward to the developer’s familiar focus on graphics and gameplay quality.
The game was described as a 5-reel, 3-row slot with 20 fixed paylines and medium to high volatility. Wilds can expand across an entire reel and multiply wins by 2x. Its free-spins round has a global multiplier, and each time the ‘Host’ symbol lands on the reels, 2 extra spins may be awarded.
- 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’, making its next release one for slot fans to watch. Scatter Monsters was presented as a potential hit for the iGaming studio, with a mischievous cartoon world of vampires, zombies and demons.
Scatter Monsters also uses scatter pays: matching symbols can form wins wherever they appear on screen, then disappear as replacement symbols fall into place for another possible payout. Its main feature is the Soul Meter. Collecting souls fills the meter, which then 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 featured twice in this five-game preview, reflecting the note that the provider regularly released at least 5 new slots a month. Mammoth Gold Megaways was another title expected in January 2023. The preview compared its gameplay with the provider’s Muertos Multiplier Megaways, described in the article as a major hit in 2022.
The game has 6+1 reels, each of which can show a random number of symbols. The number of ways to win therefore changes from spin to spin, reaching as many as 117,649. The preview listed wild multipliers, free spins with a multiplier that carries over without resetting, and a buy bonus.
- RTP: 96.03%
- Variance: High
- Max Win: 10,000x
Looking Ahead to 2023?
These five titles were among the releases expected in early 2023, with their first launches just a few months away at the time. Whether they would match or outdo some of 2022’s releases remained to be seen. The preview ended on an optimistic note, hoping they would kick off another promising year for slot gaming.
Evan Carrington brings more than 12 years of experience in the iGaming industry, specializing in online casino reviews, slot game analysis, and player safety assessments. Their expertise includes casino licensing, RTP, volatility, bonus terms, and withdrawal policies. Combining hands-on reviews with independent research, Evan provides clear, evidence-based coverage to help players understand gambling platforms, their features, and possible risks.
