Online Casino Software
Playing slots is one of the most popular forms of online entertainment globally – but where do slots originate? Who are the creative minds behind the reels?
This page will seek to address those questions, explain how game developers stand out from one another, and explore the key features of selected providers.
If you’ve ever wanted to find out more about the companies behind your favourite games, then this is the page for you as we’ll explore their top slots, their themes, their goals and, most importantly, what leads them to create some of the iGaming industries top online casino games.
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What Does a Casino Software Provider Do?
If you stripped all casinos of their games, you’d be left with barren and boring websites filled with nothing but terms and conditions. Casino software providers, therefore, provide the most integral parts of the online casino experience – the games and the fun!
But wait, if the casinos are taking in cash from players how do these game providers make money? Well, casinos often pay for the privilege of hosting these games and, in other scenarios, there’s even a split in revenue made by the casino and provider.
Popular gaming providers are a vital consideration for players signing up for a new casino. Some developers go further than merely building new slots to play – they can include platforms to play slot tournaments, big win competitions, and random prize drops.
No one provider is the same – each has a distinct feel, design, and gameplay mechanics. NetEnt slots, for example, can trigger the free spins bonus round much more quickly than that of Big Time Gaming. However, the latter’s volatility is more significant than NetEnt’s. Play’n Go are famous for their advanced graphics, whereas Microgaming slots are more renowned for their classic layout.
Game Developers From A to Z
Betsoft
A granddaddy of gaming providers in terms of experience, Betsoft was established in 1999. They are renowned for their loud visuals and powerful themes – although the big-win potential of their games does pale in comparison to that of their competitors. Betsoft has produced over 100 games – many of the slots’ themes focus on recreating classic characters from mythical tales. The gameplay interface across all of their slots is straightforward and they are a popular fixture at many an online casino.
Top Three Games:
- Chillipop Slot
- Ogre Empire
- Good Girl, Bad Girl.
Big Time Gaming
One of the most popular slot providers of all time, Big Time Gaming is particularly famous for its industry-leading innovation. The Australian-based provider was responsible for the Megaways game mechanics, which allows for hundreds of thousands of ways-to-win.
Big Time Game bonus rounds tend to be explosive and packed with potential. They were one of the original proponents of the progressive multiplier feature, which increases a win-multiplier by one for every win a player manages to trigger.
Top Three Games:
- Bonanza
- Opal Fruits
- Lil Devil
ELK Studios
This Swedish gaming provider is relatively new to the industry, putting their creative minds to work as recently as 2012. Known for innovative gaming mechanics and strong game themes, their most stand-out development is the Betting Strategy feature implemented in all of their slots. It is a tool to help players stick to various online slot strategies, such as The Leveler, which raises the stake after five losing spins in a row.
Top Three Games:
- Wild Toro
- Tahiti Gold
- VooDoo Gold
Evolution
Until recently known as Evolution Gaming, this company dominates the gambling market when it comes to live casino, focusing all its efforts in this area. The developer has deals with most major casinos and recently purchased rivals NetEnt to further consolidate their powerful position.
Top Three Games:
- Lightning Roulette
- Mega Ball
- Monopoly Live
Habanero
A hot hot hot provider with a raft of spicy games on their roster, but are they truly great games? Habanero often sacrifices quality for quantity, it seems, and its games often lack any volatility across the board. Its game selection can best be described as varied and comprehensive and often makes use of the classic Asian theme in many of their titles – including with the likes of Koi Gate, Ways Of Fortune, and 5 Lucky Lions.
Top Three Games:
- Arcane Elements
- Roman Empire
- Dragon’s Throne
Microgaming
An industry giant, Microgaming were established in 1994. They are credited with creating the first-ever progressive jackpot slot back in 1998 titled Cash Splash. These days, they boast a vast assortment of slots – ranging from the classic five-reelers to expanding symbol bonus features and everything in between. At the time of writing, the biggest slot win of all time came from their jackpot game Mega Moolah – one lucky player scooped a whopping €18.9million Mega Jackpot back in 2018.
Top Three Games:
- Mega Moolah
- Break Da Bank
- Wild Scarabs
NetEnt
The true pioneers of the modern video slot, NetEnt’s roots stem as far back as the 1960s. Responsible for hundreds of titles, the Swedish company released Gonzo’s Quest in 2010 to high acclaim. Based on the adventures of conquistador Gonzalo Pizarro, the game was the first of its kind to use cascading symbol mechanics. They continue to set the benchmark for new slots to this day.
Top Three Games:
Nolimit City
One of the newest providers on the scene, Nolimit City was launched in 2013 and has already made a big impression! They are the proprietors of xWays and xNudge mechanics, which, when combined, can yield monstrous wins. Their big-win counter is almost as exciting – it ticks up gradually at first, before exploding when the mega wins land. Nolimit City slots boast strong themes and unique graphics and are rightly considered among the most exciting games on the circuit.
Top Three Games:
- Book Of Shadows
- Milky Ways
- Barbarian Fury
Novomatic
The Austrian-based NOVAMATIC was founded way back in 1980 and is considered one of the world’s largest gaming companies, with offices in 50 countries worldwide.
Originally a leading supplier of land-based slots – NOVOMATIC has since bloomed in the online sphere, with the mass appeal of its fun games proving to be consistently popular with both land casino players, as well as those who play online.
NOVOMATIC has a roster of over 320 games that are well known for having traditional spin music, two-dimensional graphics, and strong themes.
Top Three Games:
- Book Of Ra Deluxe
- Lucky Lady’s Charm
- Dolphin’s Pearl Deluxe
Play’N Go
A provider with an extensive suite of slots, Play’n Go is a staple at most online casinos. They are among the most prolific providers, with hundreds of original titles. Since its inception back in 2005, the developer has won multiple awards and is responsible for one of the most popular online games of all time – Book Of Dead. You can expect immersive graphics and big-win potential on the majority of their games.
Top Three Games:
Pragmatic Play
Pragmatic Play is a multi-platform, multi-functioning provider with a focus on video slot competitions and tournaments. Their slots are primarily mobile-focused but perform just as well on desktop and tablet. Many of their games require free spins symbols on reels one, three, and five to trigger the bonus rounds, which differs from the standard three scatters anywhere on the reels rules in most slot games.
Top Three Games:
- The Dog House
- Starz Megaways
- Great Rhino Deluxe
Push Gaming
If high volatility was the feature a slot gamer was searching for, Push Gaming would be the provider that first came to their mind. Push’s game library is an impressive rollcall of games that brim with mega-win potential. This game provider has re-defined big wins with releases such as Jammin’ Jars. The fruity grid game employs progressive multiplying wild symbols to offer up a max win potential of over 10,000x your spin-stake in its bonus round and base game.
Top Three Games:
- Jammin’ Jars
- Razor Shark
- Shadow Order
Quickspin
Established in 2011, Quickspin was one of the first developers to freshen up the industry, introducing a fresh twist to the video slot with innovative gameplay and stand-alone graphics. Its status as a disruptive newcomer has wained recently as more new providers announced themselves on the scene.
Top Three Games:
Red Tiger Gaming
A gaming behemoth, Red Tiger is responsible for the broadest range of progressive jackpots in the industry. The Maltese-based firm offers up hourly, daily, and weekly guaranteed jackpots on selected slots. Established in 2014, they are licensed in all betting jurisdictions and are considered a leading, trustworthy developer.
Top Three Games:
- Mystery Reels
- Reel Heist
- Rocket Men
Relax Gaming
A supplier of casino, bingo, and poker games, Relax Gaming is a leading provider perhaps best known for its propensity for exploring a range of game mechanics, design, and themes. Their partnership with some competitors, such as Big Time Gaming, has allowed them to widen their offering and create a medley of original and interesting games.
Top Three Games:
- Money Train
- Money Train 2
- Who Want To Be A Millionaire Mystery Box
Light & Wonder
Regarded as a global gaming leader, Light & Wonder, which used to be known as Scientific Gaming, transferred their understanding of land-based slots into the online sphere. Their history stretches back to 1973, where they claim to have invented the first instant secure lottery ticket. Nowadays, they are a fertile breeding ground for reliable video slot games with huge potential.
Top Three Games:
- Black Knight
- Montezuma
- Raging Rhino
Thunderkick
Out of all the operating developers, Thunderkick is probably the provider with the most robust brand identity. Its games boast brilliantly sharp graphics and excellent original soundtracks, which are on par with the triple-A video game industry, to create an enjoyable and immersive gameplay experience.
Top Three Games:
- Wild Heist At Peacock Manor
- Midas Golden Touch
- Riders Of The Storm
Yggdrasil
A leading player in the industry since 2013, Yggdrasil was at the forefront of developers bringing through innovative games. Its slots were among the first to introduce “pick ’em” bonuses, which gives players the chance to select random symbols to add free spins and reel modifiers to boost their winnings.
Top Three Games:
- Golden Fishtank
- Vikings Go Berzerk
- Cazino Cosmos
What Makes a Good Gambling Software Provider?
We’ve provided you with a list of the best gaming providers out there that offer players the most fun and potentially fiscally rewarding experiences, but what distinguishes the top of the ladder from the bottom of the gutter? What do the best developers have in common?
Game Features
The most significant selling point of a slot is its base game and bonus features. These are the elements that stick in a player’s mind after they finish spinning those reels.
Each provider has its unique bonus mechanisms! For example, Big Time Gaming invented and employed the Megaways™ feature on all their games. The Megaways mechanic offers players up to 117,649 ways-to-win and combines well with other bonus round features, such as the progressive multiplier.
Here are a few examples of other game features:
- Sticky Wilds: Wilds remain on the reels for the duration of free spins.
- Respins: Some games give you another stab at landing the third scatter if only two lands on the reels.
- Random Wilds: Added randomly, on any spin, to help create winning lines.
- Wild Reels: Full reels transform into wilds.
- Mystery Symbol: Added to the reels before revealing itself as a matching symbol.
Graphics & Sound
General gameplay contributes an essential element to slot play. The evolution of technology means developers can focus on improving your overall gaming experience as a player. These elements are also great ways for providers to create their own specific brand. You will always know when you’re playing a Thunderkick game, for example, because the graphics are so unbelievably fine-tuned.
Random Number Generators
How does a slot guarantee fairness? It’s a reasonable question – you’re the one pumping your money into the game, and you need to know you’ve got a fair chance of winning.
Each slot has a Random Number Generator (RNG) algorithm, which cycles through thousands of numbers per second. The number that lands will transmit to the reels to create a unique spin. Each game is virtually trialled through millions of spins before being released and the results of these spins are often published and advertised, showing that the games are completely devoid of manipulation.
That’s not the only requirement developers must meet. Every slot in existence has to pass stringent regulatory tests before it is exposed to the player. Licensors test games over millions of spins to establish the Return To Player (RTP) percentage, which guides you on how much you can expect back from playing the game over a long period of time and ensures you that the gameplay is safe and any kinks in the slot have been ironed out.
Bonuses
Are you claiming a casino bonus? Be wary – some casinos don’t allow bonuses to be used on some slots, usually because of their high win potential. Always be careful and read a bonus offers terms and conditions before playing so you know which games to play and which to avoid.
Adaptability
The vast majority of today’s online casino games are available for mobile play, thanks to HTML5 technology. You can play them on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices, with no discernible difference in gameplay quality.
Payouts
The average RTP for a slot hovers around 96% – that means that were you to spend €100 on a slot, you could expect a return of €96. Don’t take it as read, though! The RTP is a guide, not an absolute. Playtech is the developer with the highest RTP slot in the industry – Goblin’s Cave commands a mammoth RTP of 99.32%. NetEnt’s game Mega Joker is next on the list, with an RTP of 99%.
Frequently Asked Questions
This page has provided an in-depth overview of the brands that create the biggest and best casino game releases. However, as a curious player you will no doubt have follow-up questions; we have you covered below with some of the most popular.
Any software provider with accreditation from the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) or Curacao Gaming Control Board is a safe bet. In many cases, software providers will hold licenses from multiple jurisdictions. On any provider’s website, simply scroll down to the footer to find all the information on the licenses they hold.
There are too many leading contenders to choose from – but NetEnt, Play’n Go, and Big Time Gaming are all considered leading providers.
Many developers dabble in producing Live Casino tables too – NetEnt employs a full suite of roulette, blackjack, and baccarat tables.
