Well, the year isn't over just yet so it'd be a bit premature to say I ended up on a solid minus - I am spinning as we speak, and if I could just hit three or four 5.000 x's over the next few hours, I'd be pretty much right at RTP for 2022.
But yeah, it was another year of donating my hard earned to the casinos. If only they were charitable, there would at least be some kind of tax return... That said, I find it to be great entertainment value in playing the slots and it's my favourite recreational activity by far. You go into it knowing the odds are against you, but that only makes the rush of hitting those big wins even heftier - and I've had a few: a 4200x comes to mind, a 3,300x too, as well as 20-25 wins in the 1000x - 2500x range, so I definitely feel like I've gotten my money's worth.
Over the entire year, I don't think I have gone even 2 weeks without playing. My spin stakes are somewhere between 0,25 and 0,50 EUR on average, so I feel as if there is some kind of damage control in place for when I inevitably encounter the cold slots. It does all add up though. I mostly play with deposit bonuses and to beat the wagering req is in itself a fun challenge and one I am surprised at how many times I've accomplished with a decent balance remaining! However, once I actually have some real money to spend, I tend to blow it all on ridiculous feature buys (looking at you, John Hunter!), so a new year's resolution for me will certainly be to hit that 'Whitdraw' button on a more regular basis!
Slots of they year, for me, would be Great Rhino Megaways and Mustang Gold. They aren't new at all, but are on my most played list, and I find them great for bonus wagering. Other favourites of mine are Buffalo King MW, Madame Destiny MW, Wild West Gold MW, or any John Hunter slot (besides Book of Tut - the sound is terrible!) - all from Pragmatic. Gonzo's Quest and Narcos from NetEnt. Also an honourable mention to Booming Games and Stakelogic whose games I more and more often end up playing. I also quite enjoy the BGaming slots and I'd happily vote for Elvis Frog Trueways as slot of the year! Another one I'm real fond of is Aztec Magic MW, while Big Atlantis Frenzy is somewhat amusing. All BGaming slots play out the exact same for me though, offering amazing wins in the start only to later on go into a balance eating mode seemingly without end. I've played a great deal of Blueprint games throughout the year but frankly, they are horrible and I'm sick of going 500 spins for a 30x bonus.
I've tried out a lot of different casinos, but like I said earlier, I tend not to whitdraw so I couldn't give a full verdict. I do find the crypto ones to offer a lot of action though, and most of them seem to run on max RTP. However, with crypto being so volatile, you might find yourself in the absurd situation of the slots being good to you but your balance when compared to "real money" is still decreasing!
As for RTP, it has been very disappointing to see how many casinos opt in for the lower version ones. I think we should vote with our wallets, and simply boycott them, because the difference between a 96% and a 94% is actually quite significant and will dramatically reduce your play time. At the very least, the casinos should compensate with far more attractive bonus offers than what has become the norm nowadays, to at least mask their greediness a little bit.
Finally, I wish you all only the best for the year to come! May your screens be full of whatever symbol it is you crave!