Following the euphoria of European qualification a couple of years ago, Newcastle United came back down to earth with a bump last season, as they barely avoided crashing out of the Premier League. The clubs fanatical fans will be hoping for much better next season, and many will no doubt already be putting bets on them to qualify for the Champions League – or at least the Europa League – next season. But with the pre-season bookmakers odds already out there, are Newcastle considered a good bet for this, or more likely to be involved in another relegation battle?

Well at the moment you can get odds of around 9/1 on Newcastle to finish in the top six – and secure a return to the Europa League – next season, although most observers will feel that the team needs strengthening if they are to achieve this. The odds will certainly attract some football betting fans, but it would seem likely that securing a striking replacement for Demba Ba will be necessary.

On the other hand the bookies currently have Newcastle at around 10 or 12/1 to go down, and again some fans may be tempted by these odds – although it could make sense to wait and see how the team fares in the early part of the season before placing a bet, as there are football themed games at online casino sites to keep you amused in the meantime.

One of these is Game On, a football slots game which features animated animals in their own football tournament, complete with the sound effects of cheering crowds and the presence of a commentator intended to be similar to John Motson.

Game On is just one of several football slots games in recent years, and they are leading more football fans to investigate these sites as an alternative to standard sports betting – especially since mobile casino apps made them available via phones. Like most slots, Game On combines its fun football theme with cheap game play and a fine jackpot – in this case $10,000.