Have you noticed that Irish culture is all over slot machines nowadays? Leprechauns, rainbows, clovers: they’re everywhere. If a developer wants to be really in-depth with the theme you might even see a Celtic cross somewhere. Slot machines, streamed game shows, and even real world casinos feature Irish iconography.
But where does this fascination come from? Why are slot and other iGaming developers always reaching for the Irish culture to create a theme? Well, some of it is obvious. The Irish are stereotypically friendly, light-hearted, and, most importantly, lucky. But is there more to it? We break down why “The Luck of the Irish” is one of the most used concepts in online casinos.
Where does the Luck of the Irish come from?
There isn’t any definite idea of where the phrase “the luck of the Irish” came from, however there are theories. It might be a bigger myth than leprechauns, but far more longstanding.
The most prominent theory is that the first Irish immigrants to America soon gained a reputation for themselves as “lucky”. It was something of a consolation prize. They faced constant discrimination and hardship, but “at least they were lucky”. As though people needed to give themselves a justification for notoriously bad treatment.
But it’s not like they said it with no merit. The Irish displayed a surprising upward mobility and accumulated wealth in a variety of ways, which is a little reductive. This upward mobility wasn’t down to hard work, good ideas and making the best of a situation. No, it was luck.
Today, that stereotype has lasted, causing the iGaming industry to embrace the Celtic culture as their calling card, which is ironic, since historically the Irish have been relatively puritanical when it comes to gambling.
The friendly brand marketing
The Irish, for the most part, are stereotypically looked upon well. They’re friendly, they’re nature lovers, they’re whimsical, they’re funny, and they’re lucky, verging on magical. This luck and magic element comes from Celtic traditions and folklore that have managed to last into the 21st century and are celebrated to this day. This is very useful to iGaming brands.
Not only are casino games usually heavily based on luck, if not entirely by law, but they tend to not have a very friendly reputation. The negative effects of losing iGaming games, plus the issue of problem gambling, gives iGaming a bad rap. The use of Irish iconography and culture can allow iGaming developers to put forward a more friendly brand. By leveraging Irish themes and imagery, online casinos can project a more light-hearted, friendly, and magical personality to the masses.
What are the most popular Irish icons?
Irish slots online with 2000+ games can be found on casinos.com, and they all are associated with luck and fortune. For instance,
– Rainbows
Rainbows are not only a gorgeous thing to look at that will instantly upgrade any slot machine, but they represent a prize… “at the end of the rainbow”. We all know the story of following the rainbow to find a pot of gold at the end, which is why it’s apt for slot machines and iGaming in general.
– Leprechauns
And what is usually accompanying that pot of gold? Itself an iconic symbol? A leprechaun. The cheeky chappy little dancing creature was historically more of a menace, but nowadays they’re seen as a more friendly character with an instantly recognisable outfit. This makes them a great option for any slot game’s mascot.
– Four leaf clovers
Four leaf clovers aren’t exactly plentiful, but they’re not a myth either. It’s one of the most recognisable lucky symbols around the world, perhaps because unlike a bird giving you an unwanted gift, it doesn’t need to be unpleasant to be lucky.
They’re also very simple and instantly recognisable, which means they’re easy to add to graphic designs like slot backgrounds, banners, and reel icons.
– Green
And to go even further with the concept, we’re going to look at colour theory. If you’ve seen the New York St Paddy’s Day parade or simply wandered the streets on the 17th of March, you’ll know that the most identifiable aspect of the Irish culture is the colour green. Green, in the Irish flag, is supposed to represent Catholics, with the orange Protestants on the other side united by white, or peace.
But in the rest of the world, particularly the iGaming world, green means money. So it’s easy to see why game developers might want to implement it all over their slot machines, as it implies that you might gain money from playing it.
Conclusion
There is a lot to love about the Irish, so it only makes sense that every iGaming developer has an Irish-themed slot machine or table game. And if it offers the player a little bit of luck to get them to win big in their slot game, we’re not going to ask questions!
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