How Rock n’ Roll Became Part of Casino Culture

Rock n’ roll has been a staple of casino gaming around the world since the days of Elvis Presley, who was arguably the first mainstream rocker to hold down lucrative residencies in Las Vegas hotels and casinos..

While Presley is widely regarded as one of the trailblazers when it came to taking rock n’ roll music to casinos, he was far from the first musician to have performed live in the vicinity of a gaming floor.

Jazz, undoubtedly one of rock n’ roll’s biggest influences, was often either played live by artists like Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday, or recordings were played to gamers via casino sound systems.

However, once Presley came onto the scene in Las Vegas, the city and its casinos never looked back. They adopted rock n’ roll as its unofficial soundtrack, and other casino hubs around the world followed suit.

Hard Rock Café Hotels and Casinos

Perhaps one of the biggest purveyors of this cultural shift in the casino industry was the Hard Rock Café brand, which although it didn’t see the light of day until the 70s, realised the power that could still be harnessed by connecting people to the roots of Las Vegas gaming, music, and dining, wherever they might find themselves on the planet.

Today the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas remains one of the most iconic venues on the strip, despite having only opened its doors to the public in 1995. Because the franchise was first founded in the UK by two American entrepreneurs, its casino in Las Vegas boasts the best of both UK and US rock n’ roll.

Modern Rock Residencies Compete with Pop and Dance Music

Today the rock n’ roll landscape in casinos around the world is jumbled, as casinos look to diversify their music offerings and entertainment packages, attempting to appeal to as wide an audience as possible.

This means that the top Las Vegas casino residencies tend to be taken up by DJs like Calvin Harris and pop acts like Adele.  This is not to say that rock n’ roll does not still have a place in Las Vegas casinos, although the acts given top billing tend to be those with a few years on the clock like Aerosmith, Carlos Santana, and Sting.

Rock n’ Roll Slots are Big Business

Aside from music still being integral to most major casino operations, be they online or offline, there is another obvious way that rock n’ roll is impacting casino gameplay.

That is in the number of slots which have been released, particularly online, bearing the names and branding of some of the world’s most iconic rock bands. These days it is almost a rite of passage as a platinum selling band to see your name up in lights as part of a fresh new slot title.

This means that most casino players can usually find a slot named after their favourite band, just as long as they are willing to look hard enough among the correctly themed slots titles. Let’s take a look at some of the top titles available and what makes them stand out.

These Slots Rock

There are many slot themes that work and many that don’t (no names mentioned). However, musical slots and in particular Rock ‘n’ Roll slots, most definitely do. And if you don’t believe us, take a look at these classic hits.

Electric Rocks

Electric Rocks by Inspired Gaming will have you rocking all the way to Electric Avenue in search of gem symbols. And with icons like guitars, microphones, and drumsticks, Electric Rocks feels like you’re at a rock concert rather than playing a slot game.

Vibrant colors and rock-inspired graphics are used in the game’s design to create a live concert-like feel. Although the graphics are striking, they are balanced so they don’t overpower the gameplay.

Players can choose how many ways they want to win with Electric Rocks’ 5×3 reel layout and adjustable paylines, which typically range from 10 to 20. Both novice and expert players who desire simple gameplay with bonus potential will enjoy it because of its user-friendly interface and mechanics.

Gods of Rock

The Gods of Rock lineup doesn’t feature Hendrix, Bonham and Mercury were afraid. However, rocking it out is Thor, Medusa and Lucifer on lead vocals! The graphical work in Gods of Rock is excellent, and the portrayal of some of the Gods in their Rock ‘n Roll attire is both entertaining and funny.

The Gods of Rock slot game has four rows, six reels, and 466 interconnected paylines. Landing three or more matching symbols on adjacent reels from left to right, beginning on reel 1, will result in winning combos. The symbols 9, 10, J, Q, K, and A have the lowest payouts. The singing Lucifer is the highest paid symbol, followed by Medusa, Anubis, Athena, and Thor. The game’s wild symbol, the recognizable sign of the horns, contributes to the creation of more winning combos.

The Gods of Rock slot enhances the action with a variety of unique in-game elements. Every spin is a possible hit song in a rock band’s repertoire, from the chorus of special symbols to the encore of bonus rounds, guaranteeing a memorable slot experience.

Banana Rock

Although this sounds like an Elton John classic, it is in fact a superb slot game. Banana Rock has a 5×3 grid with 10 paylines and features five monkey musicians and their singer playing their best hits on the reels. You’ll find Rock n’ Rollin’ Respins and Free Spins as you continue to rock out, culminating in an Encore Spin that has the potential to multiply your winnings by up to 25 times.

It has a neon aesthetic from the 1980s, complete with vivid colors and images. At its core, nevertheless, it is immediately recognized as a Play’n GO slot because of its unique control panel and generally recognizable Play’n GO features.

In addition to wilds, scatters, and expanding symbols, the Banana Rock slot’s most notable basic game feature is the “Respins” feature, which is activated when two or more rock n’ rollin’ wild symbols appear on any reel. During the respin, the triggering wilds remain in place. The rightmost wild symbol connects with other wilds by moving leftward during the respin. It creates winning combos and the possibility of a wild line by moving first vertically and then horizontally, leaving a trail of wilds across non-wild symbols.

No casino slot is more rock ‘n’ roll than Banana Rock.