Why Familiarity Beats Novelty for Most Regular Casino Players

Online casinos constantly add new games. There are literally hundreds of thousands online. New slot mechanics and live casino formats are constantly more elaborate, and developers always try to give players something they haven't seen before. Novelty obviously has value because people like trying new things.

But regular casino players also tend to return to games and formats they already know. Once you know how something works, where everything is, and what to expect from each round, it takes less effort to play. Read on to find out more.

Familiarity vs Novelty For Casino Players

A completely new casino game needs explaining. Paytables and information sections are great for that, but some people don't read them. The same goes for any online game. Sometimes, it's easier to just click and play.

You need to learn what you're betting on, what the symbols or betting areas mean, what triggers different features and what happens when you win. If we compare that with roulette and you've played for years, another standard European roulette table isn't exactly going to blow your mind with originality. But you already know where straight-up bets go, what red and black mean and what happens when the ball lands. It’s a template that many people wouldn’t change.

Novelty can make a game interesting at first, especially if there's a new bonus feature or a slightly different way to play. Familiarity makes it easier to come back later without having to relearn everything.

That research isn't specifically about casino games, but the general idea of familiarity having value isn't particularly surprising.

Familiarity Has Real Value

Knowing a game doesn't improve your odds, and playing blackjack 500 times doesn't suddenly change the house edge. Knowing exactly where the spin button is on a slot also definitely doesn't make the next spin more likely to win. The value is in understanding what you're doing.

With a familiar favourite game, you probably already understand things like:

• How much you're betting
• How long a round usually takes
• The available betting options
• What different symbols or features mean
• How wins are calculated
• Where to find important game information

That can make it easier to decide whether you want to play and how much you're comfortable spending. With something completely new, you're still working all of that out.

Why Gamers Love The Simplicity of Games

Sometimes people just want something simple. Casino games are based on relatively simple mechanics, and not every gaming session needs a tutorial, progression system, ten different bonus currencies and a screen full of buttons you don't understand. Roulette is a good example. You choose a bet, the wheel spins, and there's a result.

Slots can be similar at the most basic level. Choose your stake and spin. Bonus features might run underneath everything, but the basic interaction is incredibly easy to understand. If you've got 20 minutes, you might not want to spend ten of them working out what a new game is asking you to do.

New casino games aren't going anywhere, and regular players will obviously keep trying them. And novelty isn't automatically better. Sometimes knowing exactly what you're getting is part of the appeal.