The Popularity of Crash and Instant Win Games Explained

by James Gibson, 14 January 2026

While slots, table games and live dealer games will always be mainstays of online casinos, in recent years some new game types have grabbed players’ attention. Crash and instant win games have taken off thanks to their gameplay mechanics and quick wins.

Looking at the success of crash and instant win games. © nightowl, Pixabay

Games at Online Casinos

Visit any online casino and most of the games you’ll come across belong to one of the following categories: slots, table games and live dealer games. Slots are by far the most common of the three.

Many casino sites have a small number of other games that don’t belong to any of these three main categories. These can include single-player versions of bingo and keno, along with scratchcards.

Then there are crash and instant win games, which can be found at a growing number of UK casino sites. The demand for these games has grown in recent years thanks to their satisfying gameplay and compelling features.

What Are Crash Games?

So what exactly are these games and how do they work? Looking at crash games first, they typically involve a multiplier that starts at 1x and constantly increases once a game round begins.

You have to ‘cash out’ before the multiplier stops growing. To do this, you simply click or tap a particular button (there’s also an autoplay option that lets the game cash out automatically at a multiplier value of your choice).

If you cash out before the multiplier stops, you win. Your payout is equal to your bet times the multiplier’s value when you cash out. The longer you wait, the bigger the potential win, but the greater the risk.

The catch is that if you fail to cash out before the multiplier stops, you lose your bet. Crash games are designed in such a way that the growing multiplier ties into a themed concept of some sort.

A common one is a plane taking off. You’ll watch as the plane takes off and as it rises, the multiplier increases. When the multiplier stops, the plane either flies away or crashes, bringing the round to an end.

Some crash games allow you to place multiple bets per round, which enables you to put betting strategies into practice. You can, for example, set one to cash out early and try to win a larger multiplier with another.

Many crash casino games are designed to a pretty good standard and are well themed. Others are very basic and just have a multiplier rising up a graph with no themed elements at all.

A common feature of crash casino games is their Provably Fair checks. When a game is Provably Fair, it uses a special algorithm involving cryptography to determine outcomes. Players are able to check these themselves and verify each individual outcome.

What Are Instant Win Games?

As for instant win games, these are so-called because they can give you very quick wins. They’re straightforward games that don’t involve complex strategies or decision-making processes. You usually just have to pick something or complete an action.

After doing this, you either win or lose, with the outcome determined by a random number generator. This is a piece of software that online casino games use to make all outcomes unpredictable and fair.

When you play an instant win game, a typical round lasts just a few seconds. This makes the instant win format ideal for people who are searching for short bursts of excitement and those who want simple gameplay experiences.

Instant win games are all about luck. There’s nothing you can do to influence the outcome in any way. All you can do is carry out whatever actions are necessary, then hope you’ve scored a win.

Scratchcards count as instant win games, though they’re sometimes presented in their own sub-category. Keno is another example, as are games where you tap once or spin a wheel to possibly win a prize.

Why Crash and Instant Win Games Are So Popular

There are a few reasons why crash and instant win games have been successful. With regard to crash games in particular, the fact that they’re Provably Fair makes them stand out from other online casino games.

Some people aren’t too keen to spend real money gambling online. The fact that they can verify outcomes themselves makes them feel more confident at playing crash games. After any round they want, they can obtain proof of its fairness.

Then there’s the gameplay. With crash games, you’re not just trying to win a prize that the game determines. You have a greater amount of control because it’s up to you to determine what multiplier you go for.

Many players like that when they play crash games, it’s on them to choose the prize amount and hopefully win it. Of course, there’s still an element of risk, as there is with every online casino game.

Another factor of crash games that makes them appealing is their stripped-back gameplay. When you play one, all you have to do is cash out in time. The games are easy to both understand and play.

Finally, there’s the social side of things. Many crash games let you see what other players have won and let you communicate with them using a basic messaging system. This makes the gaming experience more immersive and interactive.

As for instant win games, they’ve gone down well with players because of how quick to play there are. A single round can last just seconds, which players who prefer fast gameplay prefer.

Some people enjoy games that are over in no time; they also like simpler games as a break from longer, more complex ones. Instant win games are also ideal for players who are new to online gambling.

They serve as a stepping stone to games such as blackjack, slots, roulette and baccarat. These aren’t massively complicated by any means, but they have more features, betting options and gameplay mechanics.

Try Your Luck at Crash and Instant Win Games

If you fancy playing a game where you get to decide how much you win, consider giving some crash games a go. If you’re after fast-paced entertainment with very basic gameplay, have a go at some instant win games.

Many of the best casino game providers have created games belonging to either or both of these categories. Some examples of these include Pragmatic Play, Playtech, Scribe, BGaming and 1x2Gaming.

To find crash and instant win games, head to the games lobby and look at the categories and sub-categories. If these games have their own sections, you’ll find them there.

If not, look at similar sections such as Casual Games and you should find some ready to be played. You can always use the search field to quickly locate particular games and the filter (if there is one) to narrow down your options.

Choose crash games for an enjoyable, fresh way to gamble online. Pick instant win games for some of the quickest gaming experiences available online today. Both these game types can be enjoyable, so long as you remember to play sensibly.