It’s almost 130 years since Bram Stoker put pen to paper and wrote Dracula, the gothic horror novel that has become so synonymous that Dracula is now the prototype for many a vampiric work.
The Count has inspired art, literature, film and TV, so visceral is his image and backstory, while video game developers have also used Dracula as the main character of their creations.
How Dracula Became a Pop-Culture Icon
Stoker tore up the script when it came to generic vampires in fiction; rejecting the hideous, undead-like figures of Eastern European literature and instead making his Dracula a handsome, charismatic aristocrat able to seduce would-be victims with his charm. He’s the ideal lead character then, which explains why so many areas of culture have been so keen to produce Dracula-inspired content of their own.
Dracula has also found a home in online casino gaming, with several titles bearing his name and/or image. Players looking for something that matches their taste for gothic horror can type “Dracula” into the search bar of a gambling platform and usually find several options.
Some of these games can also be played with bonuses provided by online casinos. New players should check whether any Dracula-themed slots count towards the welcome bonus wagering requirements, while existing players often have access to ongoing rewards. Platforms like https://legalcasino.uk/bonuses/free-spins-existing-customers/ review these promotions in detail, expertly explaining how to claim the latest deals. These rewards may suit horror-themed games too, but make sure you check the rules beforehand.
So, if you want to combine a love of all things vampiric with an enjoyment of online slot gaming, here are just three Dracula-inspired titles that you can try at the leading UK licensed casinos.
If you dare…
Dracula (NetEnt)
NetEnt, one of the premier slot game developers, have gained the upper hand by simply calling their title ‘Dracula’.
The tagline ‘he’s the original vampire, the stuff of nightmares – now you can meet him across the reels’ sets the scene nicely, with Dracula acting both as the lead character in the game and its highest-paying base game symbol.
Suitably gothic visuals, plus an ominous soundtrack, sets Dracula apart as one of the best slots bearing the name, while the presence of stacked symbols – including wilds – helps to facilitate this low/medium volatility game that bears an RTP of 96.58%.
The bat feature is one of the most impressive elements, with Dracula transforming into a cluster of bats when triggered – these then land on your reels, before turning into a random symbol.
And with a free spins feature included, the slot offers enough variety for those who prefer horror-themed games to return to it from time to time. However, the graphics may feel a little dated, as the game was released roughly a decade ago.
Dracula Awakening (Red Tiger)
Dracula Awakening is one of the quirkiest slots featuring Bram Stoker’s eponymous vampire, with the action split into ‘day’ and ‘night’ spins.
The daytime mode is effectively the base game of this Red Tiger slot, with traditional gameplay and payouts based upon landing combinations of the same symbol on a payline.
But at night, Dracula really comes out to play. He can appear as a full reel wild, biting the neck of the beautiful lady symbol when she appears on your reels to turn her wild, too.
The eclipse symbol, meanwhile, unlocks the free spins feature in Dracula Awakening, which is a high volatility game bearing 30 paylines and an RTP of 95.72%. The RTP sits slightly below the market average, and it can vary between versions, dropping to around 94.73% in some cases, which counts against the slot.
Although not the spookiest of Dracula slots, the dramatic orchestral soundtrack certainly brings plenty of atmosphere to a game in which the Super Dracula wild is the main star.
Brides of Dracula (iSoftBet)
There’s a cult 1960s movie called the ‘Brides of Dracula’, which is both eminently watchable but also curious in that the film mainly focuses on Dracula’s brides, not on him.
This iSoftBet slot bears the same name and, while not directly inspired by the film, does also make the female characters the stars of the show.
The vibe here is more cartoonish than the traditional horror stylings of Dracula lore, with colourful visuals and top-tapping audio helping to relax the player – rather than have them on the edge of their seat (or hiding behind the sofa) in other iterations of vampiric slot games.
There’s still plenty to like about Brides of Dracula though, with the Hold & Win mechanic at large. This awards five respins, with sticky scatter symbols and enhanced multipliers worth up to 1,000x.
Although the look and feel of Brides of Dracula won’t appeal to all horror fans, the game’s set up – medium volatility, 95.5% RTP, maximum win of 6,040x – won’t have you reaching for the garlic to keep this vampire away.