If variety is the spice of life, then some of these unusual casino games are definitely keeping things interesting! Outside of the regular live dealer casino’s games, slots and the vast number of online casino games that are available to us, here are some of the more unusual options out there. Some are only played in particular territories, while others are more popular and are played around the world.
If you’re not certain where to start or what games to choose, have a look at our beginner’s guide to online casino games.
1. Belgian Birdsong
This is about as random as it gets and is, perhaps happily, restricted mostly to Belgium. There is nothing more to it than betting on which among a selection of caged birds will sing the sweetest and longest song. A pleasant enough pass time, but without any real excitement (unless you’re Belgian.)
2. The Chicken Challenge
Staying with our feathered friends, who knew that a chicken could be trained to play tic tac toe. It seems that within a month, chickens become highly proficient at the game, so if you fancy pitting your wits against a chicken, you heard it here.
3. Rodent Roulette
From birds to rodents and a new version of roulette featuring a variety of small rodents, often a gerbil. The rodent replaces the more customary ball and is placed in a box on a wheel. Eventually, it hides in one of the other many numbered boxes, and if it’s in the box you picked, you win.
No animals were harmed in the writing of this piece.
4. War
If playing against animals isn’t to your taste, you can go one on one in live dealer casino games in the simple, quick-draw game of War. Found in many casinos and generally played with six decks of cards, it’s easy to understand and involves beating the dealer on the turn of a card. Whoever has the card with the highest value (aces are high) wins. The game’s complexity and your chances of winning change when there is a tie or when the number of decks in play varies.
5. Sic Bo
Popularized in Asia but played around the world, Sic Bo is a game in which players bet on number combinations, totals and odd and even numbers in the throw of the dice.
6. Money Wheel
Round and round she goes, where she lands, nobody knows. This is a simple game of spin-the-wheel and whichever section the dial points to when the wheel stops determines your winnings. If you’re looking for something a little more challenging, perhaps consider more skill-based games.
7. Pai Gow
A variation on one of the world’s favorite casino table games – poker – Pai Gow is played with two hands – one of two cards and one of five. Just like poker, the objective is to beat the house.
8. Dreidel
A traditionally Jewish pastime played during Hanukkah, Dreidel is a game of spin the top, featuring a four-sided top. Nothing complicated about this one.
9. Andar Bahar
This game originated in India but is now one of the most popular games in Southern Asia as well as being offered by a number of online casinos. Players wager on one of two boxes – the Andar box or the Bahar box – betting into which one the joker card will be dealt. The dealer simply deals, alternating cards between the boxes, until the joker makes its appearance. If you bet on the correct box, you win!
10. Pachinko
Pachinko is extremely popular in Japan. Special pachinko parlors, which are light and bright (and extremely noisy!) exploit a loophole in a country in which gambling for cash is illegal. Players buy small steel balls and feed them into a machine which is something of a cross between a slot and pinball machine. The balls either fall into a hole and are lost or into a slot that activates a game in which further balls can be won. At the end of the game, balls are exchanged for gift tokens in the parlor, but the tokens are then commonly traded outside, where they are bought for cash. The enterprising buyers then sell the tokens back to the parlor for a modest profit. That’s what we call a win-win situation!
Play Online Casino Games at BetMGM
Some of these games have migrated from land-based casinos to become online casino games, though not all translate online quite as well as others. We don’t think Belgian Birdsong has made it onto the best online casino list of games, for example, and we don’t think the rodent idea works for the online roulette casino version. Any live dealer online games, including War and Pai Gow, work perfectly, so look out for those on your favorite online site. Although online slots and jackpot slots aren’t themselves unusual, there are plenty of versions with fantastical themes, amazing graphics and some very unusual characters.
For these games and more, register to play at a casino online.
