A Guide To Crash Games For UK Players

Crash games are a relatively new type of casino game that is becoming increasingly popular with UK players.

They are based round a simple concept of making a bet on a round and then timing when to cash out before the “crash” happens. This means they are interactive in a way that most other casino games aren’t. It’s a very high risk and high reward type of game, as the longer you stay in the game the higher the payout will be, but the more likely it is that you will crash and lose your stake.

• The appeal of crash games
• Crash games – how they work
• Crash game strategies
• The history of crash games
• Crash games at UK casinos
• Where to play crash games
• Final thoughts

The appeal of crash games

Crash games at online casinos are on the rise, and with good reason. You will see many of them available at UKGC online casinos. Let’s delve into the reasons why they are so popular these days.

• Instant Gratification.  Crash games play quickly, you win or lose in a matter of seconds and can start another game shortly afterwards.
• Simplicity.  Unlike other online casino games with multiple features and bonus rounds, crash games are simple to learn. Sure there are crash game strategies, which we will touch on later, but the premise of the game is simple. All you need to do is choose your time to cash out, before the crash happens and you lose your stake.
• The Social Factor.  Many crash games have a chat feature where you can chat with other players while playing. This can enhance the playing experience making it more immersive and fun. Players can share tips and strategies or simply chat with others while enjoying the fast and furious action.
• Higher RTP.  One of the draws of crash games is that they often have a higher return to player (RTP) percentage than other titles (assuming that you play with optimal strategy).  For example, Cash or Crash Live from Evolution Gaming has an RTP of 99.59%, Aviator by Spribe has RTP of 97% and Spaceman by Pragmatic Play has RTP of 96.5% or 95.5% depending on where you play.  

  The Return To Player of slot games can change and may not be the same at all casinos. Please check the in-game documentation before playing for the correct RTP figure.

• Entertainment Value. Crash games are popular due to their high-risk and high-reward factor. For any player, the risk factor and quick decision-making regarding cashing out or letting it ride add to the excitement of the games.

Crash Games – how they work

All crash games at online casinos have much the same gameplay. While different crash games have different variations, the premise is the same. Before a round starts, you must set a stake for that round. When the round begins, you’ll see some kind of visual representation as the multipliers of your original stake steadily increase. The basic premise is that in a round the  multiplier, will continue to increase until the game “crashes.” Basically, the longer you wait to stop and cash out, the higher the multiplier gets and, therefore, the better your potential payout will be.

You begin the betting round at a 1x multiplier and will increase until the game crashes or you decide to cash out. In the popular crash game Aviator, it is a plane that takes off and the multiplier will continue to increase in the betting round until it crashes. You can cash out any time or let it ride with the multiplier increasing. When you cash out, the round is over for you, and you will receive the multiplier payout at the time you cashed out. If the game crashes before you cash out you will lose your initial stake. For example, if you bet £1 for a round and you cash out when the multiplier gets to 3.20 you would win £3.20. However, if it crashes before you cash out you will lose your stake of £1.

When you play crash games you also need to know the various features of that specific game. You will frequently encounter the auto-cashout feature, where you can set your cash out level when you place your bet, and it will automatically cash out when you hit a specific multiplier. For example, if you set the auto-cashout feature to 3x, then when the betting round hits that multiplier, it stops with you getting paid out 3x your stake. However, you will lose the original stake in any round where the game crashes before the 3x cashout.

Not all of the crash games you will find at UK casinos are fully interactive.  With LaunchX, for example, you have to pick your auto-cashout point when placing your bet and can’t change it later.

Crash Game Strategies

Crash games are just like all other games at online casinos, and while there are no surefire strategies that increase your chances of winning, there are strategies that can help you stretch your bankroll.

Small bankroll betting is a crash game gambling strategy that minimises losses and helps extend playtime. Again, while the strategy does not increase win chances you will get more chances for wins by playing longer. While the wins are not as significant betting smaller amounts per round you will not blow through your bankroll in a quick manner. This betting strategy is good for players who are new to the game or do not have a big bankroll.

A rule of thumb when using a small bankroll is betting no more than 1%- 5% of your gambling budget for each round. Again, you will not rake in big wins when betting smaller amounts, but you can stretch your bankroll, and you will not be wiped out if you hit a losing streak.

You can also bet a fixed amount per round regardless of your bankroll. Betting a fixed amount ensures that you are consistent in your bets and will keep you from making impulsive decisions that may cost you. To that point one strategy to always follow is never chasing losses. Chasing losses is betting more on the next round or rounds after a loss to try to recoup your money. Chasing losses is the quickest way to drain your bankroll, and that is why you need to be careful with popular gaming strategies, which we will touch on shortly.

Learning the probability of crash games will lead you to more informed decisions when playing. In crash games, the probability is how likely it is the multiplier will crash before cashing out. Regarding probability, start betting small to get to know the game and its crash curve. Also, it is a good idea to set cashout points, and when you do this, you must first determine your risk tolerance. The cashout point will allow you to set a point to cash out to lock in a win or minimise a loss. For example, you can set the cashout point to 2.00x for somewhat consistent wins and 1.50x to play it safer.

There are also other gambling strategies that deal with the bets you make and a couple of the more popular ones are the Martingale and anti-Martingale strategies. In the Martingale strategy you increase your bet 2x after a loss and reduce your bets by half after a win. The thought behind this strategy is to recover losses and protect wins. However, this strategy can quickly drain your budget, as by doubling your bet after each loss you can get in a hole quickly if you experience a losing streak and you can also hit the maximum stake level and be unable to continue with the strategy.  There is also the anti-Martingale strategy, where you double your bet after a win and reduce it by half after a loss.

Two other gambling strategies that can be used for crash games are the Fibonacci strategy and the D’Alembert strategy. The Fibonacci strategy has a sequence of bets, while the D’Alembert strategy is simpler in that you do not double down on wins or losses but decrease your bet by one unit after a win and increase it by one unit after a loss.

With any of the four strategies above, when it comes to crash gambling, you will need to change your bet amount from round to round within the available range of stake sizes.

History of Crash Games

Crash games are heavily linked with cryptocurrencies and crypto casinos.  This dates back to 2014 when Eric Springer created the first crash game of MoneyPot, which was played on the forum Bitcointalk. In 2015, MoneyPot transitioned into a game with a provably fair algorithm, gaining popularity among players. That same year, the game was sold to Ryan Havar, who renamed the game BustaBit.

From 2015-2017 BustaBit continued to rise in popularity, and other crash games were created. Often they were integrated with crypto wallets allowing players to get the funds right off the bat with every winning round.

Crash games went mainstream in 2018 when Aviator by Scribe was launched. From 2021 to 2023, many crash games became available at regulated online casinos, and the modern versions of the game have custom features, such as chat and auto cashout, that create more exciting gameplay. Nowadays, crash games are very popular and are available at many online casinos the world over, including the UK.

Crash Games at UK Casinos

Crash games were slow to arrive at casinos with a UK licence, largely because of their roots in crypto.

UK licensed casinos do not accept cryptocurrencies because it would not be possible for them to comply with AML (anti money laundering) and KYC (know your customer) requirements on crypto deposits, and that means none of the games that are integrated with cryptocurrencies can be included. And it’s not just that – in the UK, the games are regulated as well as the casinos.  Games have to undergo independent testing of the RNG which is not possible in the case of provably fair blockchain based games. So you won’t be seeing Bustabit at a UK casino any time soon and probably not ever.

In 2020 Spribe acquired a UKGC Gambling Software licence and this opened the door for Aviator to be brought to UK players.  It’s still the best known and most popular crash game but over the last five years, several other game providers have launched crash games in the UK market.  Live dealer versions such as Cash or Crash were given prominence in live casino lobbies and this has helped bring crash games to a wider audience.

Some of the popular crash games you can play at UK casinos are:

• Cash or Crash Live (Evolution Gaming)
• Stock Market Live (Evolution Gaming)
• Big Bass Crash (Pragmatic Play)
• Spaceman (Pragmatic Play)
• Astronaut (Red Tiger)
• LaunchX (Games Global)
• Miner Donkey Rider Crashback (PlayNGo)

Where to Play Crash Games

Here are some of the best UK casinos with good selections of crash games that are easy to find in the lobby (look for Instant, Arcade or Crash lobby areas)

Final Thoughts

All in all, crash games offer a unique type of gambling at online casinos. The premise is simple in picking when to cash out before the crash happens, and the longer you wait to cash out, the higher the payout will be, but the more likely the crash will happen, and you lose your stake. There are several reasons for the popularity of the game and some strategies you can implement when you play.

There are many fun and exciting crash titles and you will have no problem finding them at UKGC online casinos. Crash games are a blast to play, so have fun and always remember to gamble responsibly when you do play.