Top 5: The Best Pokies Inspired by the World of Football

As football fans, we do not mind switching from the TV to the computer or smartphone from time to time to play games online. But then we, quite obviously, prefer football-themed games. Luckily, there are plenty of them, and some of our favourites are the online pokes that resemble some of the world’s top football leagues in one way or another.

What are Online Pokies?

Let us not get ahead of ourselves. Before we continue, we may need to define online pokies. In short, pokies are Australian slang for slot machines, that is the online equivalent of the traditional one-armed bandits that adorn brick-and-mortar casinos all around the world.

When we talk about football-themed pokies, we are referring to specific games found at the majority of today’s online casinos, where you simply click a button to spin the reels and wish for a profitable combination to appear on the screen.

On Cherryred casino, you can compare and review a wide variety of pokies with different payback percentages until you find one that suits you. The advantage of comparing these games before you decide is that you can see where the best gaming experience is offered in terms of graphics and bonus features, but also the payback percentage which can be crucial to your potential winnings.

The 5 Best Football-Themed Pokies

1. NetEnt’s Football: Champions Cup

Our absolute favourite football-themed pokie is the Swedish game manufacturer NetEnt’s Football: Champions Cup. Launched just before the 2016 European Championship held in France, the pokie lets you choose your national team. Once settled, it is up to you to navigate your way through the reels and bonus rounds until you finally win the Champions Cup trophy. The pokie has a payback percentage of 96.82 and consists of five reels, three rows and 20 fixed paylines. NetEnt is one of the world's biggest casino software providers, so we expected nothing less than such a fantastic pokie.

2. MicroGaming’s Football Star Deluxe

As a sequel to its acclaimed Football Star pokie, Microgaming released its Deluxe version with five reels and five rows where you can choose to play with 18, 38, 68 or 88 paylines! On the screen, you see four talented footballers showing off their skills. Other football-themed symbols set the mood and the soundtrack is an amazing match. With a payback percentage of 96.88, this is a definite favourite among the myriad of sports-inspired games at online casinos today.

3. NextGen Gaming’s Foxin’ Wins: Football Fever

Foxin’ Wins: Football Fever from developer NextGen Gaming is a very festive pokie that is appreciated by most gamblers, and not just football fans. This colourful five-reel, three-row, 25-payline pokie was launched on the occasion of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, making it a new and fresh addition to the market. When the handsome fox, Foxin’, appears in a striped referee’s jersey, he is representing the wild symbol, and can thus substitute for all regular symbols on the screen to complete winning combinations!

4. Dreamtech’s FIFA World Cup

In 2020, Dreamtech also released a fantastic pokie based on the beloved FIFA World Cup. This realistic pokie allows you to choose one of the many favourite football players and then spin the five reels in the hope of generating some of the 25 possible paylines. If you manage to get three football scatters on the reels, you will also activate five Free Spins during a bonus round where the reels go absolutely crazy. The game’s payback percentage is 96.01 and has a top payout of 10,000x, which is pretty amazing compared to many competing titles.

5. iSoftBet’s Hot Shots

Let us not forget iSoftsbet’s popular Hot Shots, where football is played in a slightly different way than we are used to. In this game, animals have replaced human footballers on the pitch, but that does not mean the pokie is any less amazing! In fact, it is the uniqueness, amongst other things, that makes Hot Shots one of our favourites. Hot Shots consists of a traditional grid with five reels and three rows, but the number of paylines and the high payback percentage sets it apart from many other pokies. There are 243 ways to win and the payback percentage is as high as 97.15!

Summary

Pokie is another name for slot machines and refers to a type of game that is readily available at online casinos today. They usually consist of five reels, multiple paylines, special in-game features and bonus rounds that give players several different opportunities to win. As football is the most popular sport in the world, it is no wonder that there are many poker games inspired by the sport. Nothing beats NetEnt's Football: Champions Cup, although there are some competing titles that do it really well.