Real-Money Casino Games on The Internet Since 1994
The first company to create real-money online casino games was Microgaming in 1994. Since these early days, the number of casino games providers has exploded. Currently, an average online casino can have over 1000 slots games alone from more than 20 providers (just check out the over 1100 slots at Dunder!).
These casino software providers go from niche online slots providers like ELK Studio to giant multi-billion dollar companies like Scientific Games, which provides games to everybody from lotto companies to Las Vegas casinos (under its Bally subsidiary).
Microgaming is legendary real-money casino game provider in the industry.
Best Online Casino Software Providers
The world’s best casino software providers. We have listed the world’s best best casino game providers in Canada below. Netent has amazing video slot games (like Gonzos Quest), Evolution Gaming is the best live dealer casino game provider, and Microgaming has created legendary progressive jackpot slots.
Here are top 5 casino game providers below:
- Microgaming: Microgaming started the whole real-money online casino industry. They’ve created many of the world’s most played online gambling games, including jackpot games like Mega Moolah and popular table games like European Gold Roulette and Vegas Blackjack.
- NetEnt Casino Software: Originally Net Entertainment, was the first one to create a Flash-casino in 2001. Before then, you’d always have to download and install a casino on your computer. But Netent figured it’s easier to play through your web browser and changed the casino business for good.
- Big Time Gaming: Big Time Gaming is the hottest company of 2020. They created Megaways slots with never-before-seen slot mechanisms. These are currently the hottest slots at most online casinos, especially since other slot providers have licensed the Megaways technology.
- Evolution Gaming: Evolution Gaming changed the online casino world by making live dealer games a huge thing. These online games are played live at a real-life brick and mortar casino, and you can get in on the action by betting on your phone or computer. These live casino games are hugely popular, and Evolution Gaming is the biggest company behind them with hit games like Monopoly Live, and 2 Hand Casino Hold’em.
- Playtech Casino Software: Playtech is the software provider for the largest online gaming companies, like William Hill. What makes it stand out from the other providers is that Playtech specializes in government-run gambling sites, providing games for local gambling companies all over the world.
Full list of Casino Game Providers
Here is a full list of the most important game vendors of 2020. These are the 30 most important providers behind the top real-money games at the biggest online casinos, like LeoVegas and Dunder.
| Provider | Founded | Popular Game |
|---|---|---|
| 1X2 Gaming | 2002 | Vampire Hunters |
| Ash Gaming | 2000 | Adventures in Wonderland |
| Bally | 1968 | Monopoly Heights |
| Betsoft Gaming | 2006 | Fruit Zen |
| Big Time Gaming | 2011 | Bonanza |
| Blueprint Gaming | 2001 | Buffalo Rising Megaways |
| Cryptologic | 1995 | Kanga Cash |
| Elk Studios | 2012 | Ice Wolf |
| Evolution Gaming | 2006 | Dream Catcher |
| Lightning Box | 2004 | Fortune 8 Cat |
| Genesis Gaming | 2008 | Golden Children |
| IGT | 1990 | Cleopatra |
| Leander Games | 2007 | Kraken Conquest |
| Microgaming | 1994 | Mega Moolah |
| Merkur Gaming | 2001 | Extra Wild |
| NeoGames | 2005 | Fruity Friends |
| NetEnt | 1996 | Starburst |
| NextGen Gaming | 1999 | Medusa Megaways |
| Novomatic | 1980 | Bat Stax |
| Play`n Go | 1997 | Book of Dead |
| Playtech | 1999 | Buffalo Blitz |
| Pragmatic Play | 2015 | Wolf Gold |
| Quickspin | 2011 | Sakura Fortune |
| Rabcat | 2001 | Castle Builder |
| Red Tiger | 2014 | Dragons Luck |
| Thunderkick | 2015 | Divine Lotus |
| Yggdrasil Gaming | 2013 | Age of Asgard |
| iSoftbet | 2010 | Lost Boys Loot |
As you can see from the list, most of the providers are from the nineties or the last ten years. There’s a couple of older companies, like Scientific Games (owner of Bally) and Novomatic, that predate the internet.
Why Casino Game Providers are Needed
Casino game providers are a necessary part of online gambling. In the early days (pre-2000), online casinos made their games mostly by themselves. This was not a well working arrangement, as the fairness of the game depended on the casino. The quality of the games also left a lot to desire.
Microgaming originally ran its own casinos. Soon it realized, along with Netent (founded in 1996), it’s a better arrangement that they just make games for casinos owned by other companies and charge a casino for a fee. Now it’s up to the gaming companies to keep the games fair (the casinos can’t meddle with them). Its also in the game providers’ best interest to make great casino games that the players love.
Bonuses for Game Providers
You can receive a casino bonus for any of the top game providers. Online casinos have welcome bonus offers for any slots provider you happen to like, as you can see from the table above. Even the biggest provider in the world, Netent, can be enjoyed with a good deposit bonus.
There are subtle differences between different casino game developers when it comes to bonuses:
- Play N Go: Best for free spins, Book of Dead is the free spins game of many Canadian casinos
- Microgaming: Top deposit bonus offers, you can get up to $1600 from sites like Jackpot City
- Netent: Starburst is often the video slot of choice when casinos hand out loyalty bonuses
- Big Time Gaming: Massive welcome bonuses and free spins offers you can use to play your favorite slots
- Playtech Casino Sites: There aren’t that many options available
The other providers are best accessed with deposit bonuses. Top software for bonuses, besides the ones listed above, is Blueprint Gaming, whose Megaways casino slot machines are often prominently featured at top casinos. Casino sites also have special offers for live dealer casino games.
With hits like Reel Rush and The Wolf’s Bane Netent is the most popular game provider right now
Jackpot providers
If there’s one thing casino game providers love to compete on its jackpots, whoever has the biggest jackpot has bragging rights. Online progressive jackpots have been around since the late 90s, and by now, all the major casino vendors have one.
The biggest jackpots and providers:
- Mega Moolah / Microgaming Jackpot Network
- Mega Fortune / Netent
- Beach Life / Playtech
- Millionaire Genie / Random Logic
- Millionaires Club / Cryptologic
Mobile Casino Game Providers
The first major game provider to fully go mobile was Netent in the early 2000s. While Microgaming had created a few mobile games as early as in the 1990s, it and other companies still relied on downloadable gaming platforms.
Netent changed mobile gaming in around 2002 by creating instant play games that load in your web browser. This Swedish company has created two of the most played virtual slot machines ever, Starburst and Gonzos Quest. This ensured that you can play its on a computer, Android phone, or iPhone. Netent was also the first to understand that touch screen devices are actually better for casino games than computers, and it created its patented Netent Touch technology that makes it easy to play slots and table games on phones and tablets.
Once Netent had figured out the mobile technology, rest of the casino industry followed. Nowadays all casino software development aims for a perfect mobile gaming experience and each provider has its own mobile gaming platform (like Microgaming with QuickFire). Many of the companies, like ELK Gaming, have actually been founded by former Netent employees, so mobile gaming is very familiar to them.
Safety & Security
Online casinos are licensed and regulated by the authorities of their home countries. The same logic applies to casino games. Selling (licensing) a real money gambling software requires a license and to acquire one you need to show that your software runs fair. For example, a common requirement by licensing authorities is that the game plays the seame in play money and real money modes.
The biggest and most trusted authority to license gaming providres is the UK Gambling Commission. UK Gambling Commission’s Remote gambling software license ensures that a software company adheres to the commission’s standards, ensuring the software, be it a slot game, roulette or other gambling, is fair and safe to play.
Casino Game Platforms
Besides just casino game providers, there are also casino platforms. These platforms combine games from many different providers, as well as different kinds of games like casino, betting and poker. Well-known casino platforms include:
- Relax Gaming
- Nyx Gaming
- White Hat Gaming
- Microgaming Quickfire
- Softswiss
- Every Matrix
- SkillOnNet
- Inoru
Being aware of casino platforms existense is useful in the sense that casinos running on the same platform will have the same games and a very similar experience overall. For example, Wunderino and Casino Cruise both run on EveryMatrix and are very similar.
Casino Game Provider FAQ
- What are the most popular casino game providers?
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NetEnt and Microgaming are probably the most popular casino vendors integrated into online casino CasinoEngine. They've been in the industry for decades creating legendary slots. Evolution Gaming is the top choice for live casino games.
- Can I play Microgaming slots with my casino bonuses?
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Yes, that's possible at some online casinos. We've listed the best Microgaming casinos in Canada. When you claim a Microgaming bonus via our site, you can enjoy your favourite slots with more!
- Are online slots rigged?
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Absolutely not. Real money slots are regularly tested by third party gaming authorities (Malta Gaming Authority, the UK Gambling Commission, Kahnawake Gaming Commission) to secure fair casino gaming for online gamblers.
