The Best Casino Games We’ve Seen So Far This Year

With new online casinos appearing on an almost daily basis, it can be hard to keep up with the latest goings on in the world of remote gambling. Unless, of course, you are paid to trawl the internet and review a wide range of table games and slots, which is kind of what we’re paid to do!

During our research, we came across lots of great new games, but fell in love with some old classics as well along the way. To find out which games have put a big smile on our faces this year, read on…

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Live Dealer Blackjack

Typically, blackjack is a social, interactive game, whether that’s striking up a conversation with the dealer or developing a rapport with your fellow players. That social aspect of the game is something that the online sector has been unable to provide until recently.

The advent of live dealer blackjack toward the end of the 2010s was heralded as a landmark moment for the gambling industry. In the years since then, lessons have been learned with the technology and gameplay, making for a far better user experience.

This year, we were tasked with reviewing the best live dealer sites and absolutely fell in love with the game. Not only is it great to be able to have a bit of a laugh and a joke with your fellow players and the dealer, but it’s also a really immersive experience that makes you feel like you’re not just playing in your living room.

Blackjack requires some strategic thinking, like sports betting, so if it’s your favourite game, make sure to try out the live dealer variety the next time you play online.

Goblin’s Cave

This is the name that colleagues jokingly gave to our office when we were researching slots earlier this year, and, as luck would have it, it’s the name of the slot that we got the most enjoyment out of. Created by Playtech, this classic 3-reel slot is based on a treasure-hoarding goblin theme and has a real old-school theme to it. The majority of the best new online casinos on review sites like Casino.org have it readily available, highlighting just how much it’s in demand right now.

The thing that kept us coming back to this game more than any other, though, was its incredibly high 99.3% RTP. For us, that combination between a high RTP and a good, playable theme is exceptionally hard to come by, which is why we just couldn’t stop thinking about this one.

Book of 99

Sticking with slots for the time being, Goblin’s Cave sent us on somewhat of a trip down memory lane and one game that really got the nostalgia juices in full flow was Book of 99 by Relax Gaming. The Book of…series will be instantly recognisable to slots fans, with Book of Dead and Book of Ra Deluxe being particular fan favourites.

This variation of the game is based on the theme of Greek mythology which, outside of work, is a topic we’ve gotten fairly invested in this year – a combination that makes this slot the ideal pick personally.

In terms of gameplay, it’s got a similarly high RTP to Goblin’s Cave, coming in at an impressive 99%.

(A look at some of the features on Book of 99.)

Poker

Blackjack is a mixture of laid-back strategy and socialising, whereas slots are the ultimate, brain-off escapism. At the other end of the spectrum altogether, you have the almost scientific game of poker, which we have really gotten back into this year.

Not for work reasons, though. At the beginning of 2025, we stepped back into the fictional world of Red Dead Redemption 2 with Arthur Morgan, Dutch and the gang. In between repeated hunting trips to the wilds and skirmishes around Valentine, we ended up playing poker in bars and train stations throughout the virtual world.

That then spilled over into the real world with signing up to an online site and playing on a semi-regular basis. Whilst the skill level was a lot higher in real life than on the video game, it was still a hugely enjoyable experience.

Like blackjack, our personal preference was for live streaming sites where we could interact with the dealer and other players.

(Red Dead Redemption 2 got our poker juices flowing once again this year.)

Tell us your favourite games of 2025… Gaming is a hugely personal affair. Whilst there are some games and websites that are obviously terrible, there are plenty of seemingly ‘bad’ games that people end up falling in love with and lots of ‘good’ slots that fade into obscurity.

With that in mind, be sure to share with us in the comments section below which games have really captured your imagination this year and those that have failed to live up to the billing.

I (AKA CatBurg) have a lifelong passion for sports, especially football and basketball. I enjoy the thrill and excitement of sports betting and everything in between. My teams are (Packers #GoPackGo) and who I am betting on!