As well as designing the slot games we love to play, there are several companies who provide complete software gaming platforms, which power particular online casinos. You might have seen some of these names before, and each of them offer something different and have their own unique selling points. To help you understand a bit more about them, we’ve put together a list of what we think are the 5 biggest platforms in the UK industry.
5. Betsoft
Betsoft is a relatively new player in the online slots world. They tend to focus on 3D cinematic games and mobile slot games. Since 2005, Betsoft has strived to provide a full cinematic experience in their games that focus on character development and entertainment. Since the early days, with games such as Monkey Money, they have used great audio backing, and included cool features, bonus rounds and compelling on-reel characters. They say that their highest priority has always been “the innovation and quality of our games”. They consider themselves to have paved the way for the new wave of 3D games that has spread throughout the gaming industry. They also pride themselves on keeping up to date with the latest innovations in technology. Almost 250 different sites use Betsoft, and their platform is popular with online slots fans, as they utilise wilds, multipliers, scatters and bonus rounds within their games. They don’t have as many licensed games as some, but it’s all about quality rather than quantity for them, and they still have a large library of feature-rich games, filled with top notch 3D animation. Some of their best known storyline-driven slot games include: Good Girl Bad Girl, Greedy Goblins, Whospunit?, The True Sheriff, At the Copa, and After Night Falls.
4. Gamesys
Since it was founded in April 2001 by Noel Hayden, London-based Gamesys has become a huge name within the British iGaming world. Having started off with Jackpotjoy as their sole venture, they now operate some of the world’s best gaming sites and apps, and the titles are widely available on PC, Mac, iOS and Android. Gamesys use a variety of coding languages for their game builds, including Flash, Java, Apache Camel, Microsoft .NET technology, which enable both desktop and social media play, and also HTML5, which means that the games can still be enjoyed in a high quality format on mobile and tablet.
They pride themselves on inventing games to thrill their 25 million players, using innovative cutting-edge technology. They’ve become famous for their bingo games and they’ve developed several classic 90 and 75-ball bingo titles. They are the software company behind Mecca Bingo, Virgin Bingo and Sun Bingo sites. They tend to not be as creatively adventurous as some of their competitors, but the simple graphics and easy gameplay make them a solid choice, especially for newer players. They have created some exciting slots offerings, like The Godfather and Secrets of the Phoenix, as well as scratch cards games such as Bejeweled and Deal or No Deal. Their mission is to be the best games developer and gaming operator in the industry, creating well-loved products. They employ a multi-award winning team of over a thousand talented designers, developers and operators. In the past, Gamesys have scooped the Bullet Business Awards, Best Online Bingo Promotion prize, EGR Operator Awards, and Which Bingo’s Site of the Year, Best Online Site, Best Online Bingo Chat Team and Best Online Bingo Software.
3. Playtech
Founded in 1999 in Tartu, Estonia, Playtech gained their first casino licensee in 2001, and have since grown to a size where they are world’s largest online gaming software supplier traded on the London Stock Exchange Main Market. Their headquarters are in the Isle of Man, UK, and they currently boast over 5000 employees across 14 countries. They are considered to be the number 1 challenger to Microgaming’s position within the industry, and their wide list of slot and casino games have become so popular that they have made the transition from online casinos to land based gaming venues. The Playtech vision is to “remove the barrier of technology for our partners, while keeping them at the forefront of innovation”, and they’ve certainly made it easy to play casino games on mobile phones and tablet devices, as well as desktop. Their extensive range of products includes: Casino, Poker, Bingo, Live Games, Sports Betting, Mobile, Social Gaming, Lottery, Server-supported Terminals, as well as Casual and Fixed Odds Games. Playtech powers some of the big names in the iGaming world, such as William Hill Casino, Betfred, bet365, Betfair Mobile and Mansion Casino, as well as being a major player in the land-based gambling industry too. Some of their most popular games include: Gladiator, Man of Steel, White King, Pink Panther, and Monty Python’s Spamalot. Their licensing agreements with big name movie and entertainment brands, such as MGM, NBC Universal and HBO allow them to create games with mass-market appeal that not only tap into current trends, but help them to reach new audiences.
2. NetEnt
Founded in 1996, NetEnt launched their first casino in 2002, and have since grown to serve over 170 of the world’s most prominent casino operators. They employ what they term a “rapid growth culture”, which means that they aim to continue growing at the same rate as they have been doing over the last five years. They believe that this is enabled by a strong corporate culture, as well as the constant drive to adapt to the ever-changing iGaming environment, to challenge the industry, and to create innovative work. Their talented team of over 1,000 people take pride in producing products that are unique, informed and ahead. They now boast a catalogue of 200 thrilling games, that have become staples of the online casino world. They have won numerous awards for their achievements and bagged the Digital Gaming Innovation of the Year award from the Global Gaming Awards for their Aliens 3D slot game, as well as EGR, IGA and WIG awards. They’ve even managed to get a mention in the Guinness Book of Records as one of their progressive slot games paid out the biggest ever progressive jackpot won online! You’ll no doubt have seen NetEnt partnering with well-respected brands such as 888.com, LeoVegas, bet365, Ladbrokes, William Hill, Sky Vegas, Casumo, Betfair, Mr Green and Bet Victor. They offer a range of brilliant slot games, and particularly excel at 3D slots. You have probably seen, if not played, one of their popular games, such as Gonzo’s Quest, Starburst, Dracula, Aloha! Cluster Pays, Jack Hammer, Spinata Grande, Jack and the Beanstalk, Koi Princess and Copy Cats. Some of these have now become modern classics and the icons of the games are instantly recognisable.
1. Microgaming
Isle of Man-based Microgaming are the world’s leading supplier of online gaming and created the world’s first proper online casino, back in 1994. They also boast being the provider of the first gambling software to accept real cash wagers on the Internet. Their products include Casino, Multi-player, Mobile, Poker, Bingo, Land-based, Sportsbook, Live Dealer, Business Solutions and Quickfire games. To date, they’ve created over 850 unique casino games and release new titles monthly to constantly expand their impressive portfolio. They have also been at the forefront of mobile development to produce games that are just as playable on phones and tablets as they are on desktop. Their mobile range now exceeds 350 games and they have developed the first online slot for the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch. They offer both a downloadable gaming platform and a no-download, Flash powered platform too, to suit a range of audiences. They also offer their players a range of betting options to allow for a more tailored gaming experience, as well as a tabbed browser to make it easy to play more than one game at a time. They are famously known for having the software that generated the biggest online bingo win in history at £5.88 million. Plus, they have also set the record for the “largest jackpot payout in an online slot machine game”, which came in at a massive £13.2 million! Their online progressive jackpot network is the largest in the world and they’ve paid out over €574 million during their history. However, they’re not just about the numbers. They also strive to make the gaming environment fair and responsible. They are founding members of eCOGRA (e-Commerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance) and the IGC (Interactive Gaming Council). They also support the local community through their Microgaming PlayItForward scheme.
Each online slots software package has its advantages and drawbacks for the player, but whichever games you decide to play, the main thing is to keep it fun and play it safe!
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