Online casinos offer all sorts of different games. You have Blackjack, Roulette, Baccarat, pokies – these are just the basics, and within each game category, there are hundreds of variations. To make sure they have everything, online casinos work with software providers, which are sometimes called game providers or developers. The providers make it their business to design games that players like, and the online casino will focus on providing the design, customer service and organising promotions. It’s quite common nowadays for casinos to work with multiple providers for a more extensive gaming portfolio. It might work with NetEnt and Microgaming – both leading software providers – so that players can enjoy their very popular pokies all under the same roof. While there are many developers out there, the business is dominated with a few big names. These industry leaders not only ensure there are new games to be played, but also invest heavily in new technology, pushing the boundaries of online gaming.
Microgaming
Established in 1994, Microgaming is one of the largest and most reputable software providers. It’s most famous for its progressive jackpot Mega Moolah, which holds the world record for largest jackpot payout ever. In addition to pokies and table games, Microgaming also has a Poker network (MPN) and live dealers up its sleeve.
NetEnt
NetEnt, or NetEntertainment, is a Swedish software provider that started in 1996. It’s known for its gorgeous, fun and innovative animations, often raising the bar in production standards. It also has a famous progressive jackpot – Mega Fortune, which competes regularly with Microgaming’s Mega Moolah for record payouts. Since its humble beginnings, NetEnt has become a publicly traded company on the Stockholm Stock Exchange.
Playtech
Marvel Comics progressive jackpots are what Playtech’s best known for. This company often makes pokies with comics and movie themes. The company was founded in 1999, and is now respectably traded on the London Stock Exchange today.
Aristocrat
Coming out of Australia, Aristocrat has been in the gaming industry for over 50 years. That’s right, these guys started off making pokies land-based casinos, before expanding to the internet. The company now also has offices in the UK and South Africa.
888
888 is one of the few examples where a casino is developing its own software. That means the games are exclusive to 888 and you won’t find them anywhere else. It’s won several awards over the years. And even though 888 develops its own games, 888 Casino also has games from other providers so that players won’t miss out.
The Online Casino Business Model
The companies mentioned above are the main software providers and developers in the online casino business. You’ll find their games at casinos recommended here. From table and card games, live dealers, video pokies and progressive jackpots, developers make them all. However, that’s all that software providers do – make games and sometimes the supporting technology behind it. The casino chooses a main software provider that provides, in addition to games, the technical platform for payment processing, security, as well as the license required for operation. In short, software providers make money by licensing their games, and in some cases also the backend CRM technology, to online casinos, who in turn promote the games to players. The providers then get a percentage of the revenue generated by their games at a casino. There are certainly more established software providers, which we’ve discussed below, but there are often smaller developers coming up the horizon providing some groundbreaking casino games. Usually, these smaller game providers will simply add their games to an online casino’s existing portfolio, but not all casinos are quick to pick up games from these new developers. So our tip is to check out different casinos regularly to stay on top of new gaming trends. Online casinos on the other hand are the public facing side of this set up. It is the casino that chooses which games players have access to, what the platform looks like, and what kind of promotions are available. It’s a competitive business, and Welcome Bonuses are now an expected part of the deal, and some casinos have daily and weekly promotions as well as tournaments with extra prizes to retain their customers.