Microgaming Online Casinos
Microgaming offers a huge selection of online casino games
Do you love Microgaming casino games and Microgaming slots? Probably not, but possibly. If you love electronic online video slots then you almost certainly know the company better than you know. The identification with brands in capitalism is a complicated subject for discussion elsewhere, but the fandoms in online casino gaming is most often with specific games or styles of games rather than with manufacturers. Microgaming though step across all barriers of style, genre, and game type. And they also do a whole lot of things that even quite keen online video slots players may have no interest in. Things that you never see, but which are crucial to your experience at an online casino site.
So some players will seek out Microgaming slots, and they will also seek out the best Microgaming casino sites. They will do this if they enjoy the games and get a good experience from the sites. There is no need for the casual player to operate in this way, and we recommend that you play games you enjoy at sites you trust. However, it can be useful to know who is running what. In one way it’s quite eye-opening to see how much branding on sites is essentially just window dressing for sites that don’t really differ in their operation. The choice is limited!
So let’s look at this giant of this system, the huge company with the tiny name:
What is Microgaming?
Microgaming are based in the UK. Just. Their headquarters are in the Isle of Man, which is sort of part of the UK but has a different tax and regulatory regime than the rest of the country. Nonetheless, they are in a hugely robust regulatory system that is regarded as one of the best in the world. They are a private company, and they claim to have released the first real online casino software in 1994, and the first casino software for mobile use in 2004. Among the companies that use Microgaming operating systems are 32Red, Palace Group, Fortune Lounge Group, and Carmen Media Group.
Microgaming casino sites will over more than 600 games as a standard. These won’t be just slots, but also video poker and table games like blackjack and roulette, which are available to be played on streaming websites and also as downloadable games. Most games are now developed in HTML5. Microgaming make their own games, but they also work with other companies, notably in their progressive jackpot games. Progressive jackpots work across a whole network of sites in order to build up massive prizes, and Derivco from South Africa have helped to make some of these games.
MPN is the Microgaming Poker Network’s new name (also known as Prima Poker in the past). This is a real-time gaming network that plays players against players.
If you aren’t a keen casino news fan then you may well have heard of Microgaming in relation to Mega Moolah. This is a multiple record-winning progressive jackpot game that has three times held the world record for the largest ever online slot win. Whole websites are devoted to Mega Moolah, and it is a genuine phenomenon in the online casino world, whenever you see a Microgaming site that has the rights to the game, you’ll always see this game somewhere front and centre. Microgaming are now so big that they even own their own subsidiary game development company, Quickfire Games. This makes games to release through other companies and at what are called “white label casinos” which we’ll discuss a little later on. The latest news from Microgaming has taken online video slots into a whole new dimension, with the launch of VR Roulette using the Oculus Rift tech.
Microgaming Today
The company confirms all this on its own website, saying, “We supply award-winning online gaming software to the leading operators worldwide.” Among the company’s products in 2019 are: casino software, casino games, poker, bingo, sports betting operations, live dealer games, real-world slots, and online slots. The company has a ton of tie-in titles, including with Playboy, Jurassic World, and Game of Thrones. They also hold the Guinness World Records title for the biggest jackpot from an online slot, with The 2015 Betway UK pay-out of €17,879,645.12 on a 25p bet on Mega Moolah.
The company also takes part in eCOGRA (e-Commerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance), an industry body that says it supports “fair, responsible gaming”. (We’re not immediately dismissing that claim, by the way, but that’s what all industry bodies say. You can bet, the trade association for the World Federation of Torture Equipment would say that it promotes “fair, responsible torture”.)
The company has a tower block HQ in Douglas, the capital of the Isle of Man, that is called Sixty Two. It opened in the summer of 2017, which is a good measure of the boom in online gambling that has taken place over the last few years. Derivco Isle of Man, who are a Microgaming partner company, also have their HQ in the same building. Beyond their membership of industry bodies, Microgaming also takes part in local charity initiatives around its home, and even makes some very positive noises about its corporate culture. Again, this is what all businesses say, but we don’t dismiss it. If you’ve got the skills, it looks like a nice place to work.
Microgaming Products
Let’s have a look at the Microgaming Products range then. These are: Bingo, casino, land-based, live dealer, multi-player, poker and sports book. It’s all software though.
Microgaming Bingo Software
Bingo is one of the dark horses of the online gaming world. It’s tended to live in a ring-fenced world of its own away from the rest of the casino world. There’s no reason for that, other than the different groups of people who tend to play these games. Bingo has been traditionally enjoyed in bricks-and-mortar settings by working-class women. Often older women. That’s a vast over-simplification of course, but it contains something like the truth, and it’s why bingo has been branded in a different way from most parts of the gambling world, whose market is much more male. Microgaming produces bingo both as a stand-alone offering and as what it calls Casino-in-Bingo (or CIB) software, that allows players to play bingo as a side game on casino sites. They use loyalty schemes and bonuses to keep players interested, and offer to their clients* lots of operating systems that encourage “player acquisition, conversion and retention” with tools that “help to maximise lifetime value.”
Sites that use Microgaming software, can brand their own bingo rooms. Microgaming have another world record in their bingo portfolio, the 2012 biggest jackpot of £5.88 million that a 30p game won one lucky player. You can play 90-ball, 75-ball, 75-ball variant, and 75-ball pattern bingo (these games are sometimes divided into British (90 ball) and US (75-ball and patterns) types).
You’re the Product
In writing this guide to Microgaming we have to make one thing clear. As we’re describing the company’s products. You’re not the customer here. If you play online video slots with these companies you’re really part of the product. So when Microgaming talk about “acquiring” “converting” and “retaining” players they’re talking about you – they want to tempt you to visit the site, persuade you to give them some money, and then they want you to stay. And when they talk about “player value” they mean the value of the player to the site. That is, how much money you will lose.
Microgaming is a big, valuable company. They make money by selling a product to casino sites. They sell games and they sell casino software. Casino companies buy that product because it makes them money. The money they make is your money. And they’re pretty sure they’re going to get their hands on it. In fact, the products are designed to deliver it. There’s nothing illegal in any of that. (We’ll leave morality to your personal preference.) And Microgaming and the companies they work with are being completely straight and honest with you when they say their games are fair and honest. They are. And you have the same chance as anyone else of winning a big prize. However, the mathematics mean you’re massively unlikely to, and these games are returning a reliable profit to companies because they are designed to do so and to continue to do so. That out of the way, on with the products!
Microgaming Casino Software
Nowhere is this truth more obvious than when companies talk to their actual clients – the casino companies – about the software that they sell to run casinos. A load of casinos are run by people who have no particular skill, interest, or passion for gambling games. They buy what are called “white label” operations, where a casino software company gives them pretty much everything they need to run a profitable casino. This will include games and all the machinery that is needed to make a site accessible and usable for players. So, money transfer systems, promotions, loyalty schemes and so on.
These white label casinos are then free to brand themselves as they like – though presumably, a reputable company like Microgaming will have some rules and regulations about decency and so on. This means that players can find themselves signing up to what they think is an exciting new brand, only to find that, to all intents and purposes, Kangaroo Casino (for example) is exactly the same as Wallaby Slots.
This doesn’t make exploring these new sites useless. New sites always have bigger promotions in order to attract new players, and these can be worth cashing in on. And branding, design and experience aren’t anything. Playing at a site you think is ugly and uncool is soon going to feel ugly and uncool. But knowing what you can expect is also useful, so look out for Microgaming casino lists if you find you like – or dislike – the Microgaming experience. Microgaming casino software allows sites to run the whole set of Microgaming games. A system called iQ is how the games are managed to “extend lifetime value” – again, this is your value to the site remember.
Land-based Slot Games
The lines between the online slots world and the land-based casino scene are blurring. Many, many players are getting their first introduction to slots not in a local pub or arcade, but through big casino websites. That naturally means that when they do want to do some real-life gambling they’re keen to see familiar favourite titles on the menu. Microgaming supply their games in land-based cabinets. They’re still networked. And the company offers cloud storage and back up to supply the whole experience to shop or casino owners. They also allow people who run the games to manage them via a remote management system.
They offer 100 games to land-based operators currently, but this figure can only go up, and with so much of the gambling world shifting online it’s likely that companies like Microgaming will only continue to increase their hold on the whole market, both off- and online.
Microgaming Live Dealer Casino Software
Live dealer games are another exciting new innovation. These games turn casino games from a simulation into a real-life, fully interactive and often immersive experience. We have super-fast internet streaming to thank for this. The reality is probably not as glamorous as it appears on the screen. (In fact, nothing is, so that’s just life.) The games are dealt in a studio somewhere – probably in a relatively low-wage economy – and filmed for players around the world to tune in to, while they make decisions about their side of the game.
Microgaming live dealer casino games currently offer roulette, baccarat, blackjack, sic bo and casino hold’em. Their software is used by more than 100 sites, so you’re likely to see these games all over the place. The plus points are many. They have high-definition video feeds. You can play games in many languages, and you can play a number of games at once. The streaming is backed up with a high-quality interface with lots of features for players, like auto-betting and stats on the game. The Playboy Live Dealer studio is a particular selling point with Microgaming.
On this, we have a couple of thoughts. Sex always has and always will be used to sell things. We know our readers aren’t idiots, and we know they know this is what is being done, not just with live dealer games, but also with numerous slots that show pretty girls and handsome boys. The link between gambling and show-girls and the sex industry are long established and certainly weren’t invented by internet gambling companies.
However, gambling is not quite the same as other products because it is possible to get addicted to gambling. It is with that in mind we always remind our players to be especially cautious around games that use attractive dealers as a way to get you involved. Please still remember to play safely with financial and mental health in mind when you play with live dealers. They aren’t going to fall in love with you, they’re trying to take your money. Accept that time at live dealer tables is entertainment and needs to be paid for – and you will be paying most of the time – and you’ll have a great, fun time.
It is a sad fact that anonymity online allows people to be abusive and feel that there are no consequences. Live dealers – and any online casino staff – are people just like you doing a job, and they deserve to be treated with the same respect, dignity, and decency that you would like to be treated with. Never be rude or disrespectful to people doing a job that is probably not all that fun and not very well paid.
Multiplayer Games
Playing against other players introduces a whole new dimension to casino play. There can be something isolating in playing games at home, alone, so we welcome anything that adds a social and communicative edge to online video slots and other casino games.
Microgaming Multi-player is the brand for this. They allow casinos to offer tournaments and community games with a number of slot titles. Chat software allows players to talk to each other while they play – please be respectful, as ever – to compete and cooperate in the battle for bonuses and league table places. Casino, bingo and slots can be played in this with Microgaming casinos. This is an exciting part of the industry and it’s only going to grow as people demand more community from all their online experiences.
Online Poker
Poker is the granddaddy of casino games, even online. That was the first game that people wanted to play when they realised they could connect with almost anyone in the world! However, playing poker online is full of technical difficulties. It is the most interactive of all the common casino games because pretty much all of the decisions are in the hands of the players. For a long time, many online players had to make do with casino poker simulations and video poker. Really, those are poor substitutes if you want to play the real game.
Microgaming have been poker innovators for a long time. Their MPN network launched in 2003 and is still going today. At MPN you can play in many languages and should expect to receive a quite developed consumer experience with lots of promotions. You can also enjoy poker as a side game while looking at other casino games. Of their titles, the company says that the Blaze Poker (fast-fold) variant is among the most popular. Poker is a demanding game, and it’s one that really repays a lot of studies. Don’t be afraid of playing poker, but do some homework before you do. Playing free poker is a brilliant way to learn the decks before you start betting too much cash, so look for demo games and promotions that allow you some free play.
Sports Gambling
Sports betting is inextricably linked to the rest of the industry, and it’s only natural that Microgaming would be one of many online video slots companies that also offer players a lot of opportunities to gamble on sports. Microgaming’s offering has been on the market since 2006. We don’t specialise in sports betting, but we can report that Microgaming’s betting shops are very high quality and offer a really full experience. You can bet on football, horse racing and tennis, but also a large number of more niche sports – if you need to get a bet on the pool tournament, then you can!
You should expect to see a lot of cross-selling in these operations. That is, while you’re thinking about how many goals Manchester United will lose by next weekend – we can only hope! – you’ll be tempted to play poker, bingo, slots or casino games. Sports betting is gambling in the same way that all casino games are, so we urge you to bet responsibly even if the feel is slightly different and you are betting on real-world events that have a more genuinely random set of possible results.
Microgaming Slots
It’s ridiculous how many slots Microgaming has. Seriously, they are everywhere and they come in every shape and size and style. A comprehensive Microgaming slots list would go on for pages and take days to read. We’re happy to say that you can trust Microgaming slots to give you an honest experience and a very high-quality one. The company releases at least a couple of new slots every month. In March 2019, for example, they added these titles to their roster: Bookie of Odds, Zombie Hoard. They list dozens of themes, running from action and adult to western and winter and covering all the classic slots styles.
In Conclusion
The Microgaming experience is a legitimate and entertaining one. The company’s games are good quality and enjoyable, among the best in the world, and a casino site on a Microgaming casino lists is likely to offer you an all-round experience – taking in slots, casino games, live dealer games, and sports betting – that offers lots in the way of quality, customer service, promotions and interaction. Microgaming are industry giants and there’s nothing to suggest they won’t go on to even further dominate the sector. Log on in confidence and enjoy the experience.