Online Casino Software
Discover the most recognizable names in casino software
To introduce you to our casino software guide we have a great piece of news for you. YOU DON’T NEED TO KNOW ANY OF THIS STUFF! Really. We’re glad you’re here, and we think our guides are great. But the truth is that you can have a perfectly good, safe, secure, fun and even profitable time playing on online casinos without knowing a single thing about casino software. However, if you want to get deeply into casino playing, knowing about casino software might help you to have a better, safer, more secure, more fun and perhaps more profitable time at your favourite casino sites. Plenty of people do want to know more about the software that their site uses. It’s a good way to see whether a site is of good quality, and it’s a shortcut to finding out that a site might have your favourite games because most of the companies that produce casino operating software also produce slot games and casino games and the like. So we’ll take a look at casino software in this guide.
Top-Rated Online Casino Software Providers
Online casino software and consumer choice
Casino sites are popping up quicker than people President Trump didn’t really know all that well despite employing them for several decades. Weird. New sites are usually good news for players. Lots of choice means you can shop around and look for somewhere new to go if you don’t like the service you’re currently getting. However, capitalism being capitalism, there is a tendency for things to be not quite as simple as they may seem. You may feel like you have a lot of choices, but the truth is that a great many sites are essentially run by the same small group of companies but branded differently.
This doesn’t just mean that these companies directly own and operate these sites, but because the suppliers of online casino software are relatively few in number, they supply a lot of end users. That doesn’t mean that these sites are fakes or sham in any way, and you might like the branding and feel of them, but they will probably operate in a very similar way to sites in the same networks and offer you very similar games, experience, and promotions. Do a bit of research when you sign up to any site. Lots of players have a favourite operating system, so finding that at a site that has great branding and offers is a win/win for you.
A history of online casino software
While there are limits on the choice you’ll find in the online casino world, the number of providers is growing. The online gambling industry is booming, particularly the mobile gaming sector, and players are flocking by their millions to gambling sites. That means lots of customers to go around. Players know that there is good technology out there, and they’re looking for the online casino software developers to match the sort of quality they see in the gaming world. Things were very different when the online casino software world was born. Not with a great flash, but with the launching of Microgaming’s first online casino in 1994. The site was called The Gaming Club and is still operating today.
It’s arguable that this wasn’t really an online casino software breakthrough at all, because it has an awful lot to do with the passing of a law in Antigua and Barbuda. The Free Trade and Processing act allowed online transactions to be made funding online gambling possible and Microgaming and CryptoLogic were soon through the gate with the first casino sites. You wouldn’t waste your time with those sites now, as software has grown in complexity and sophistication. Now, they host thousands of online video slots, rooms full of table games and live streaming games, and might link you into a sports gambling site too. That started out in 1996, with Intertops offering online bookmaking. In 2000 Betfair pioneered peer-to-peer gambling, and it remains the market leader today.
Planet Poker was the first online poker site, and this area of the industry has also expanded enormously in size and sophistication, taking in poker rooms, social poker, as well as live-play tournaments. When in 2003 a player called Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker after earning his place at the table via the PokerStars site everyone wanted a piece of the online poker action. The 2006 US Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act threw a big spanner in the works for online gambling, and poker in particular, although law reform in America now seems to be recognising that online gambling is here to stay. The world into which Microgaming launched its first online casino software has changed beyond all recognition, but Microgaming keeps on keeping on. It is now one of the biggest names in the business, offering around 1,000 slots games of its own as well as table games, and supplying casino operating software to hundreds of sites.
But there are other big names now in the casino software business: NetEnt, Playtech, Play n Go and many more can be found offering not just games but also whole systems. In fact, if you find you love the games and get interested in the business, you’ll find it’s surprisingly easy to set up your own casino using off-the-shelf packages from many of these big online casino software developers.
Mobile Casino Software
We are now going mobile in our millions. More than half of casino players now play their games on portable platforms. So, online casino software developers need to provide a good mobile platform or they’re going to die! That means you should be able to use an online casino whatever platform you have – the commonest are Android and iOS, and most casinos and most slots and most table games now offer a fantastic experience on these platforms. Older games may not play on all platforms though, as they use Flash, which may not be compatible with all devices. The switch to HTML5 as a gaming language has made these games compatible across the board.
A good mobile casino software provider shouldn’t serve you games that you can’t play and will pick up the platform you are using automatically. These days you have enough choice to make it possible to go somewhere that will provide that service if you’re not getting it at a particular site. Now, casino software providers are, like game developers, going mobile first. That’s a stance that does exactly what it says, and considers the function and look of a mobile as its first priority. NetEnt Touch, for example, is a mobile-first platform.
Mobile casino software online or download
Turning up at an online casino of any sort used to mean making a choice. Were you going to download the software needed to play the games or not. These days desktop players almost never face that choice. There are some download games and download casinos, but the vast majority of sites stream their games online. The same is not true for mobile players, who are often offered the choice of downloading an app to their home-screen which they can tap and play. These apps cover a very broad range of functions. Some of them aren’t much more than bookmarks that will take you to a mobile website; some of them are full-functioning apps with a sophisticated user experience.
So should you download an app or use a casino site online? There are pluses to both. Apps are convenient and quick. If you like a site and are happy to keep playing there then there’s nothing better than having an app on your home screen that will let you know when there’s a new offer or a new game. However, apps come with a lot of negatives too. Some security experts are even warning that we should delete all the apps from our phones because they record so many details about our browsing and even our life. We will say that you should always read the small print and you should always read the permissions you allow whenever you download an app. One of the main problems we see with apps is that they might stop you from being an active consumer who uses a number of sites or who looks for the best site each time they play games online.
Choosing casino software developers
It is inevitable that different casino software developers will develop their own styles. This being the case, it is inevitable that you will probably prefer one of them. As you shop around you will only find the right casino software for you if you know what you want from your casino site. Fortunately, for most of us, that is very simple: we want a load of good games that we like, we’d like good quality banking with a range of options, we’d like excellent help services, and we’d like a site that looks and feels good to us.
You may add a couple of your own preferences to this list. Fortunately, for most us, casino software developers know that’s what we want and they are trying to give it to us. The only issues you may have, are around game choices. Where a casino software developer is also a game developer they are going to want you to play their games. You’re unlikely to come across a completely closed shop because casinos know that players value choice, but it’d be naïve to assume that the games at the top of some lists on a site you visit, or some promotional offers aren’t slightly slanted towards promoting the games of one developer. That being said, if you want to download then just make sure you continue to shop around once you have done. Don’t get trapped into making a quick tap without thinking.
Top Casino software developers
We’re going to have a quick look at the top casino software developers.
Microgaming casino software
The first into the market and still one of the biggest and best casino software providers it’s very likely that you’ve played at Microgaming software casinos or games without even knowing it. They have around 700 games to their name, including Mega Moolah, the multi-record breaking machine that’s responsible for the two biggest payouts in online gaming history. They have a ton of other big-name games, including tie-ins like Game of Thrones, and Terminator 2, as well as titles in every genre you can imagine. Casino games are also on the Microgaming casino software menu, and you can play all your favourite table games with roulette software, blackjack software and so on from Microgaming. Many big-name casinos use Microgaming casino software, including 32Red and Unibet.
NetEnt casino software
What is in the water in Sweden? The country keeps churning out fantastic games design studios, and one of the reasons for its thriving gaming sector is probably the presence of NetEnt, one of the biggest casino software providers in the world, in the country. NetEnt is everywhere, and the company picks up so many awards they’ve probably had to build a new wing on their HQ to hold them all. Mega Fortune, a massive progressive jackpot machine, Gonzo’s Quest, a great story game, and Jack Hammer, with its innovative 15-reel set up are favourite NetEnt titles, and they’re known for setting new standards in graphics and gameplay. They were founded in 1996, and Since 2000 they’ve been producing whole casinos, and you can now play all sorts of table games, including live-dealer games with their casino software. Since 2018 they’ve been in partnership with another casino firm, Gamesys, who are stocking their games at their many, many online casinos. Mr Green, Paf Casino, Vera & John and many more casinos operate on the basis of on the best casino software developers on the market.
Cryptologic casino software
Cryptologic was formed in Canada but is now based in the low-tax environs of Dublin in Ireland. It dates back to 1996 and is now owned by Amaya, a very big Canadian gambling conglomerate. Cryptologic are payment and casino software specialists, rather than game developers who got into the business of running casino software. Their first casino was called InterCasino and has since rewarded its players with record-breaking wins.
The company does now produce games, including hit titles like Chili Gold and Oktoberfest, and the video game, movie tie-in Street Fighter II. The company also produces baccarat software as part of its range of table games, which include live-dealer games. You can use Cryptologic casino software by logging in at InterCasino and VIP Casino.
Playtech casino software
Since 1999 Playtech has been serving up games and casino software online. They’re a big international business, with offices in 12 countries, and claim to be the biggest online casino software developer in the world. Based in the Isle of Man, Playtech is famed for their tie-in with Marvel, whose games they produce, including some very big progressive jackpots. Those titles include Iron Man 2, The Fantastic Four, and the Incredible Hulk, and they’re great games to play even if you don’t snag a big win.
Loads of other offerings include bingo software, roulette, blackjack and poker software. You can play live casino games with Playtech online casino software. There are a load of Playtech casinos including all the big UK brands, like Paddy Power Casino, Coral Casino, Betfred and many more.
Real Time Gaming casino software
RTG, as they are commonly known, are an American-founded company, who rode out the ban on online gaming in America to come out the other side with a lot of big titles and casinos using its casino software. RTG has been involved with some controversies in its history, but its sites are seen as legit and you should be safe and secure playing their games. It has big progressive slots and popular titles in every genre of online video slots, including Triple Twister, T-Rex, and Aladdin’s Wishes. They also supply table games, like poker, baccarat, roulette and blackjack. Sun Palace Casino, Manhattan Slots Casino and more use RTG casino software.
Evolution Gaming casino software
These guys are the go-to operator for live casino streaming games and have been in the business since 2006. Immersive Roulette software is the game that is really attracting attention in 2018, but they’ve been winning plaudits throughout their history, really pushing the boundaries on the life casino scene. They’re trustworthy enough to have won one of the very few US gambling licences, from the authorities in New Jersey. Every type of online casino game is available from Evolution, and you’ll find their live streaming casino software at 888casino, Leo Vegas, Bet Victor and many more.
There are other companies out there, but these companies are all well-established and trusted. It’s useful to know who provides the casino software to a site because once you’ve decided which of these companies is, in your opinion, the provider of the best casino software then you can look out for those sites – we’ll help you find them.
Casino games and live casino games software
A lot of our focus so far has been on slot games, but one of the most exciting areas of online casino software development these days is in the area of casino games and live casino games. Of course, real-world bricks and mortar casinos are absolutely packed with big-money slot machines – and if your mental picture of Las Vegas is of many glamorous table games then you will be surprised to encounter the walls of video slots when you arrive there. So when we refer to casino games we mean those games that are played on a table or with a dealer – generally speaking.
The most popular ones are roulette (which is very slot-like), blackjack, baccarat and keno. All can be played both as simulations or as live-dealer games, where a real person plays the game online in front of a camera, this is streamed to the player, who interacts in real-time with the game. Some of these games will be available with a casino software download, but most can now be played without downloading anything – even an app to your mobile – and simply by browsing to your favourite casino site. We can’t list all the casino sites offering live casino games, because basically, it’s now all of them pretty much.
We offer an extra word of warning with playing live casino games. They’re all legit and safe if they have all the right licensing, and you’ve checked out the site to your satisfaction. However, we always tell our readers to make sure they’re following safe gambling rules too, and a new element has entered the gaming world with live casino software.
Sex
Sex has always been used to sell, but it’s become a much bigger thing in the online casino world with live-dealer games. Just be aware of that, and don’t allow yourself to make bad decisions based on the look of someone who is running a game – and, remember, is probably thousands of miles away from you and doing a not very fulfilling job. (We also always tell our readers to be very polite and respectful of all live casino staff.)
Once you know you’ve got your head on your shoulders and are thinking straight, you can go ahead and download your baccarat software or whatever and get on with your games. Gameplay shouldn’t be any different than with simulators, but it might be worth using them first as you can pause things and use free play more easily than with live dealer online casino games.
Online Bingo Software
Finally, we’ll mention a specialist area of the online casino world, bingo! For historical reasons bingo has existed in a slightly different online space to slots and casinos, though it is considerable – and growing – a crossover between the markets. So you may find bingo available at a standalone site or in the context of a more general online gambling site. Bingo is unusual because there are more sites with their own software, but a few big names still dominate the market. Names you see that you can trust include, Cozy, Dragonfish, Gamesys, and our big friends from the online casino software market, Microgaming, and Playtech.
Online Casino Software – Final Words
Whether you download casino software or head to a site to play on it, you have a right to enjoy a safe, secure service and to get good value for money and excellent customer service. Never accept any less, and we’ll help you find out how to get that and more!