It was just a few years ago that the world got swept up in the Netflix documentary series, Tiger King.
Well, thanks to Red Tiger Gaming, the battle between Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin lives on.
The Malta-based gaming creator has a pair of online slot games available at Michigan online casinos featuring each of the documentary’s stars.
Between titles “Joe Exotic” and “Big Cat Rescue MegaWays,” who takes away bragging rights in the online gambling world?
A closer look at Joe Exotic
The Joe Exotic slot title was released in June of 2021, just over a year after the Tiger King documentary was released.
This 5×4 grid game features 20 paylines and you can wager anywhere from 20 cents to $100 per spin.
True to the documentary, Joe Exotic’s symbols include memorable members of the show, including Joe Exotic himself, Jeff Lowe, Erik Cowie, Allen Glover and James Garretson. Baskin is nowhere to be found.
Joe Exotic also includes three humorous bonus features that will keep players entertained:
- Tiger Bounty: Joe makes an offer to Glover that he randomly accepts (your winnings) or asks for a new offer to grow the value of your winnings. This is presumably an offer to kill Carole Baskin, the reason Exotic was ultimately sent to jail.
- Exotic Spins: You win free spins with a Joe Exotic Wild icon taking up the middle column. A growing multiplier for the winnings grows throughout the free spins.
- Vote Joe: Joe finds himself in an election against Lowe, Glover and Garretson. God have mercy on the town forced between those options. Select different badges until one of the options gets three votes. Each candidate contains a different reward value, with Joe leading the way.
Unfortunately, Joe’s memorable music is not included in the game.
A closer look at Big Cat Rescue MegaWays
Released in May of 2022, Big Cat Rescue MegaWays is a tribute game to Baskin, who runs Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, FL.
In true Baskin form, the introduction to the game let’s you know a portion of the proceeds from the game goes to her “not-for-profit” sanctuary.
This game features a 6×7 grid that allows for up to 117,649 ways to win. You can wager anywhere from 20 cents to $100 per spin
Big Cat Rescue uses five different logos of jungle cats, as well as a cat paw symbol and standard online casino symbols of a heart, club, spade and diamond.
Baskin makes an appearance as the “Free Spins” logo. Get three of those in any spin and trigger the lone bonus of the slot game. From there you spin a bonus wheel to win up to 22 free spins and a multiplier up to x10.
The game also features full column-length wild cat symbols that range from x2 to x7.
A unique aspect of the game is any winning line immediately disappears, allowing more symbols to drop for a chance to build on your win.
What’s missing from the game is Carole’s third husband (the one that isn’t legitimately missing like Don Lewis), Howard Baskin. That seems like a real missed opportunity.
Tiger battle: Is Joe Exotic or Big Cat Rescue Better?
So, which game is better? Let’s break it down a little bit.
Return-to-Player
Funny enough, Baskin gets the slimmest edge here.
Joe Exotic features a RTP of 95.7%. Big Cat Rescue then came in with a RTP of 95.71%.
Gameplay
Not surprisingly, both games have a similar speed and tempo. Both offer a turbo option and the rates at which you can wager are the same.
Still, Joe Exotic feels a little smoother. While Big Cat Rescue has winning symbols disappear to potentially add to your win, it also slows down the pace of play.
Entertainment
Joe Exotic takes this one by a mile.
Big Cat Rescue doesn’t offer much to remind you of the documentary, while Joe Exotic will likely make you laugh.
Just the bonus feature alone where you negotiate a bounty with Allen Glover shows that even contract killing is not off limits for online gaming.
Longevity
In my brief time playing, I feel like Joe Exotic has the brand longevity advantage.
People remember both characters, but Baskin isn’t embracing the lunacy of the show with her game.
Joe Exotic is as crazy a slot game as the documentary was. Big Cat Rescue is Baskin’s attempt to pass herself off as the angel she wants look like, though we know better.
Overall
Joe Exotic wins this battle.
The slot game featuring a big chunk of the Tiger King staff is what brings some fun to online gambling and is a title that can stand out for its unique features.
