The 5 Best Online Slots for Sports Lovers and Bettors

min read
A football player in uniform screaming with excitement in front of a laptop while playing online slots and winning a big payout.
BetMGM Mar 17, 2021, 2:37 PM

For most people, watching โ€” and playing โ€” their favorite sports brings huge waves of excitement, thrills, and spills, but some like their source of pride and drama to color their enjoyment of life in other areas, too โ€” including when playing slots online.ย If youโ€™re looking to explore some of the best online slots for real money to amuse sports lovers, youโ€™ve come to the right place. BetMGM Casino is full of sports-themed slots, from basketball to football slots and everything in between. Explore five of the best online slots for real money with a sports theme below, including their RTPs (return to player values), bonus features, maximum wins, and more.

1st Down

Software Provider Inspired Gamingย 
RTP 96.5%
Volatility Medium
Jackpot Type N/A
Paylines 30
Reels 5
Max Wager $100
Max Win 2,500x

If you leap out of your seat, arms raised in victory, when your favorite football team scores a touchdown, you should check out the excitement on offer with 1st Down.ย 

The first thing that will undoubtedly come to your attention when playing this great sports-themed game from Inspired Gaming is the ability to pick one of eight exciting teams, including the Bobcats, the Diablos, the Stormers, or the Hawks. While none of these teams will affect your chances of winning, itโ€™s still a nice cosmetic touch and adds an extra layer to the game.

When it comes to the actual slot itself, this title is a 5-reel, 30-payline game that offers you an RTP of 96.5%. You can take advantage of the wilds on reels 2, 3, and 4 to boost your chances of winning.ย 

The other feature bound to excite football fans is the eponymously named โ€œ1st Downโ€ bonus game, triggered when you get five golden coins. During this bonus game, youโ€™re treated to video footage of different football plays, which can help you increase your chances of winning big if luck is on your side.

If you get excited about football, 1st Down’s action-focused gameplay and atmosphere are bound to hit your sports and slots sweet spot.

11 Champions

Software Provider Microgamingย 
RTP 95.93%
Volatility Highย 
Jackpot Type N/A
Paylines 20
Reels 5
Max Wager $50
Max Win 5,000x

Does the sound of cheering soccer fans bring a smile to your face? Then tie up the laces on your soccer boots, grab your lucky ball, and get ready for 11 Champions.

This soccer-themed slot comes from well-established game publisher Microgaming. Just like 1st Down, the game welcomes you into a stadium packed with fans, and it allows you to customize the look and feel of your team. Unlike 1st Down, though, it doesnโ€™t let you pick an actual team, but at the very least, you can choose the color of your squadโ€™s uniform.ย 

Where 11 Champions stands out compared to other sports-themed slots is the introduction of an actual player who performs various soccer moves on the reel โ€” again, a nice little visual touch that helps immerse you in the soccer theme.

But what about the actual slot itself? This 5-reel, 20-payline slot themed on sports has a maximum win of 5,000x your initial wager, with other smaller jackpot prizes being 200x, 40x, and 15x. With an RTP of 95.93% and high volatility, you shouldnโ€™t expect regular wins โ€” but when you do get lucky, itโ€™s likely to be in a big way.ย 

The game features the usual wild and scatter symbols and two exciting features: The Action Reel and the Blazing Wild Streak Feature. The Action Reel sits atop the regular reel and occasionally causes the soccer player to perform an action, such as a dribble or a pass. If youโ€™re lucky enough to land the โ€œshootโ€ action, youโ€™ll get the multiplier linked to it, as well as the respin and wilds, which are part of the Blazing Wild Streak feature.

The great atmospheric touches seen throughout 11 Champions make this soccer sports slot one of the best slots on BetMGM. They really add to the gameplay experience and help recreate the feeling of actually standing in the bleachers as you cheer on your team.

Basketball Star

Software Provider Games Global
RTP 96.45%
Volatility Mediumย 
Jackpot Type N/A
Paylines 243
Reels 5
Max Wager $50
Max Win 2,400x

If the high-pitched squeaking of sneakers on the basketball court is all it takes to get you pumped up for an exciting game of b-ball, Basketball Star will definitely be a slam-dunk for you.

This top online casino slot by Games Global welcomes you to courtside seats for a thrilling basketball-themed online slot experience. Again, youโ€™re surrounded by cheering crowds; all this slot needs is some commentary to really make you feel like youโ€™re at Madison Square Garden or Staples Center. Even without this little finishing touch, the game still creates a great sense of anticipation as you get ready to play.

Speaking of playing, this is a 5-reel basketball casino game with 243 paylines and a great RTP of 96.45%. Itโ€™s rated as a medium-volatility game and has wild and scatter symbols, as well as Rolling Reels and Wild Shot features. The first of these triggers after each winning payline and offers you another chance to win if the correct symbols appear. The Wild Shot feature appears at random, during which 2 reels become wild.ย 

So, if youโ€™re in the mood for some basketball but canโ€™t get to a court, be sure to check out the edge-of-your-seat excitement offered by this basketball-themed online slot.

Football: Champions Cup

Software Provider NetEnt
RTP 96.82%
Volatility Medium to high
Jackpot Type N/A
Paylines 20
Reels 5
Max Wager $100
Max Win 1,000x

This NetEnt classic (and part of the NetEnt Touch series) was originally released to coincide with the Euro 2016 football tournament and quickly became a perfect example of why the sports slot theme is so popular. While the Euro 2016 tournament is long gone, this game is still packed with appeal, including a well above-average RTP of 96.82% and some fun-filled features.

As in 1st Down, you get to choose a team to support before starting the game by clicking the respective flag in the country selector. During play, watch out for wilds, substituting for other symbols (except the scatter and bonus symbol) to help you create those profitable winning combinations. Along with regular wilds, Football: Champions Cup also has overlay wilds, where two to five extra wilds can appear randomly on the reels during the main game, increasing chances of winning.

The best part of this top online casino slot is the penalty shootout bonus, triggered when you land at least three bonus symbols on the grid. You get to choose where to shoot and save penalties to win coins and multipliers.ย 

If that wasnโ€™t enough, thereโ€™s also a free spins tournament triggered by three scatter symbols. During this round, youโ€™ll compete in a knockout tournament of free spins, with the chance to win up to 500x your bet for winning the final. Winning rounds progress to the next stage and award more free spins, and scoring wilds helps you score goals during the tournament.

Ice Ice Hockey

Software Provider Wizard Gamesย 
RTP 94.21%
Volatility Medium to high
Jackpot Type N/A
Paylines 40
Reels 5
Max Wager $40
Max Win 17,916x

Ice Ice Hockey is another slot to play online and a firm favorite for players who choose their slots based on the maximum win โ€” this Wizard Games creation has 17,916x your bet up for grabs.ย 

While the RTP is on the lower side, this game makes up for it with its bonus features. For example, the Wild Puck feature knocks some excitement into the grid. When this feature is active, wild symbols with multipliers are randomly shot onto the reels during any spin, potentially increasing wins โ€” and multipliers can stack if multiple wilds land on the same payline.

Thereโ€™s also a free spins bonus round, awarding up to 15 free spins instantly. Wilds that appear when triggering free spins or during the feature via Wild Puck become sticky for the remainder of the free spins for more opportunities to win big.ย 

Not keen to wait for the free spins to trigger randomly? The Buy bonus lets you buy it at any time during the base game to get the action started immediately. In short, this sports-themed slot will have you frozen to your seat with every spin โ€” well worth a try for ice hockey lovers.ย ย 

Go for the Win With BetMGM

Regardless of whether youโ€™re a sports fan who loves to watch games or you like to ramp up the excitement by placing sports bets on nail-biting games, you can try these and other blood-pumping sports slots at one of the best online casinos, BetMGM.ย 

Play slots online in your own time and based on your own bankroll and preferences. Not crazy about sports? Why not look for that elusive pot of gold in Finn and the Swirly Spin? Or bring home the bacon in Oink Farm? You can also try your luck with Wheel of Fortune Elegant Emeralds. No matter what you like, there are great online casino games for everyone at BetMGM.

Register with BetMGM and grab your Deposit-Match Welcome Bonus to start playing slots online, explore casino table games (there are plenty of sports-themed table games, too), or place sports bets. Remember, BetMGM Casino is only available and legally active in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and West Virginia.ย 

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Our BetMGM editors and authors are casino experts with a wealth of knowledge of the online casino industry at all levels. Their coverage includes company news, game reviews, how-to instructional articles, strategy guides, and editorials showcasing BetMGMโ€™s superior product and game library.

Our BetMGM editors and authors are casino experts with a wealth of knowledge of the online casino industry at all levels. Their coverage includes company news, game reviews, how-to instructional articles, strategy guides, and editorials showcasing BetMGMโ€™s superior product and game library.