We’re intrigued by the bonus offers. We’re drawn in by the ease of registration and log in. We’re comforted by the security levels and banking options.
But we stay for the games.
No matter what you prefer or where you’re playing from, the only reason any player spends more than a passing hour or two at an online casino is the games on offer. International online (and mobile) casinos are built to offer more than a land-based casino can possibly bring to the table – thousands and thousands of top quality, thrilling, mesmerising games.
So, where do all these fantastic online casino games come from? While there are hundreds of online and mobile casinos that cater to the needs of the millions of international online gambling fans out there, the games are not actually developed, or even owned, by them. That particular asset is controlled by the game providers.
Online and mobile casino game providers – also known as game studios – are the super clever and creative folks who design, programme, develop, distribute, and control all your favourite online casino games. Think of them as the movie studios of the gaming industry. The online casinos are like the movie houses or cinemas where you get to watch the movie that that the studio produces and releases. The online casinos give you the chance to play the games that are created by the providers.
Most online casinos license the different games for their players but there are a few casinos who actually have their own in-house studios to create games that are only available at their casino. But these are rare.
An online casino is a portal that grants players access to the games. The online casino games are not held on the casino’s servers, they are held by the providers and the casino give the players permission to play the games.
A player logs in to the online or mobile casino. Once verified, the player can choose any game that is being offered by that casino. Once a game is chosen, all play and instructions are sent via the casino’s servers to the provider’s servers and the results are sent back to the casino’s servers and ultimately displayed for the player.
While this may seem a tad labour-intensive, the marvels of modern technology ensure all this happens in microseconds.
Why the complicated to and fro? Security for one. By keeping control of the online casino game, that provider ensures that all players can gamble safely, securely, and with fair play in mind. Nobody can tinker with the game.
A second, just as important aspect is the RNG – the Random Number Generator. The RNG is what tells the game when to stop the reels or what card will be dealt next and is crucial to the online casino world. Because it generates millions of random numbers every second, it is (to all intents and purposes) impossible to affect an RNG and thus makes every online casino game a true game of chance and a game that cannot be hacked and biased.
An online casino is only as good as the games it offers. The more games, the more choice, the more players, the more time the players spend at the casino.
Some online casinos are licensed to one specific provider (e.g. Playtech) while others – the bigger, more popular international online casinos – have thousands of games from a wide variety of providers. Personally, the CasinoPlay.com crew prefer the casinos that have more variety, but we do appreciate that those casino with a sole (or maybe two or three exclusive providers) do also offer consistent quality, if not the most exciting of options.
To be clear: we are talking about the BIGGEST players in the industry, not the BEST. Although, size does matter when it comes to the financial power and technical expertise to develop the most innovative and immersive online casino games to date.
One of the (if not THE) original online casino game developers, Microgaming has a long and impressive history in the online casino world.
Founded in 1994, Microgaming claim to be the developers of the first true online casino software – a claim that has never been challenged so there’s that. Based on the Isle of Man, they are one of the biggest providers of online casino games and software and are innovators and leaders in the industry. The online progressive jackpot slots game Mega Moolah, and all its variations, has paid out the biggest jackpots in online slots history, and has made more multi-millionaires than any other game since the first slots hit the internet.
Most popular Microgaming online casino games:
Founded in 1996 (although with a much longer history starting back in 1963 as AB Restaurang Rouletter and supplying physical equipment to traditional casinos), NetEnt is another powerhouse in the online casino world. Developers of perennial Top 10 online casino slots games like Starburst and Gonzo’s Quest, this Stockholm, Sweden based studio is becoming a major innovator in the world of Live Casino games. And, like their rivals Microgaming, has one of the biggest record-breaking progressive slots around: Mega Fortune.
Most popular NetEnt online casino games:
Scientific Games has a finger in every major aspect of the casino world, from lottery tickets and equipment to card shuffling machines and everything in between. Founded in 1974, Scientific Games created the world’s first secure instant lottery game and has only grown since then. Through various mergers and acquisitions, Scientific Games is the owner of casino game studios and companies like Bally, WMS, Barcrest, and Shuffle Master, allowing SG to bring innovations like the first multi-card shuffling shoe, the first internet lottery game, the first linked multi-state game, and the first iPhone mobile app for lottery games to the market.
SG is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Most popular Scientific Games online casino games:
Despite not having a history as long as Microgaming or SG, Playtech – founded in 1999 – has fast risen to become one of the leading online casino games providers worldwide. There are hundreds of online casinos that are dedicated to the Playtech offering, and the Playtech Live Casino is rated as the best in the world. This Isle of Man-based provider is a leading innovator in the industry, continually bringing new and exciting changes to online casino games.
Most popular Playtech online casino games:
Play ‘n GO have a reputation for providing high quality and high RTP slots games that can be found in premium online casinos around the world. Based in Vaxjo, Sweden and launched in 1997, this provider offers a great selection of slots and table games but is renowned for being one of the first casino games providers to truly embrace and optimise the mobile casino experience. Their games are exciting, and they continually develop new and innovative ways of engaging with international players (they offer games in over 30 languages, for example). Blackjack is one of the outstanding online casino games that Play ‘n GO have pushed the boundaries on, with amazing variants to the classic game that fans of the King of Card Games will absolutely love.
Most popular Play ‘n GO online casino games:
Evolution Gaming, based in Sweden, is one of the online casino game providers making big waves. Standing apart from the rest of our big providers list, Evolution is the front runner when it comes to Live casino games, the undisputed leader in this exciting and future-focussed online gambling option. Since their founding in 2006, the Evolution Gaming Live casino studios can be found in almost every premium online casino in the world. They have dedicated studios with expert camera crews, impeccably trained and presented dealers, and top-class equipment in multiple countries including Spain, Belgium, Malta, Romania, Georgia, across the United States, and more. From the initial offerings of Live Dealer blackjack and roulette, Evolution has … evolved … to bring some of the most innovative and fun in person online casino games to players.
Most popular Evolution online casino games:
Novomatic began life in 1980 as an importer of pinball machines – and has since become a major presence in the land-based and online casino markets. Under the brand name Admiral, Novomatic owns and operates supply chains of casino equipment worldwide as well as owning and operating traditional casinos in multiple countries. Novomatic’s global headquarters are in Gumpoldskirchen, Austria but they have offices around the world.
Most popular Novomatic online casino games:
Big Time Gaming is an Australian online casino games provider who made possibly one of the most monumental changes to how people play slots games (and, in our opinion, created one the greatest versions of online slots game ever) – Megaways™. This Sydney, Australia-based online casino software and games provider shook up the online slots world when they released the first Megaways™ title – Dragon Born – and, since their founding in 2011, have become synonymous with slots innovation and excellence. Megaways™ is licensed to pretty much every big provider and you can now find the incredibly thrilling gameplay being adapted for some of the most venerated slots games in the world, like Gonzo’s Quest. Still, the original BTG offerings are certainly the ones to play regularly, and the studio continues to bring big changes to the online casino industry – Megaclusters and Megaquads, for example.
BTG was acquired by Evolution in 2021 and this should lead to even bigger things for this superb studio.
Most popular BTG online casino games:
Blueprint Gaming were founded in Georgia, USA in 2001, headquartered in Newark, based in the UK, and owned by a German group (Gauselmann Group). Thankfully, this convoluted corporate structure but have headquartered themselves in UK headquartered Blueprint Gaming have built a stellar reputation since their start in 2000. With a core focus on online slots games, Blueprint have been bringing some of the top rated and top themed titles to international slots players. Names like Ted, Rick & Morty, The Pig Wizard, and King Kong Cash are all well-known to any player who has spent time at a premium online casino. And Blueprint really do seem to have a premium presence with their offering generally indicative of a quality casino, especially with their progressive jackpot slots. They really do go all out to provide quality games with multiple languages and multiple currencies supported to bring the thrills to a global market. Blueprint have an undertaking to provide at least 20 new online slots game per year and, so far, these have all been huge hits.
Most popular Blueprint Gaming online casino games:
Betsoft, surprisingly, have only been around since 2006. We say surprisingly because they have a huge presence and a huge reputation for a relatively recent studio with ‘only’ 150-odd games on offer. Headquartered in Malta, this is a studio with a serious rep for trustworthiness and reliability. And innovation – they are world renowned for their 3D slots. While online and mobile slots make up the majority of the Betsoft inventory they do often world-class table games (blackjack, pontoon, rummy, red dog, and craps are a few), and localised progressive jackpots (not quite as world-changing wins as wide area progressive jackpots Mega Moolah or Mega Fortune). Betsoft list over 500 online casinos as partners in bringing their games to players worldwide.
Most popular Betsoft online casino games:
Is there any name more synonymous with slots than Bally? All the way back in 1936, Bally began building and supplying the casino industry with the machines that soon began dominating the casino world. Since those early days, Bally has become a rather complicated web of divisions, sub-divisions, partnerships, and holdings. Bally’s Corporation owns a bunch of casinos and hotels. Bally’s Manufacturing seems to build traditional slot cabinets and casino equipment. Bally Technologies Inc is the part that we are interested in though, and they are a big deal in the online slots game. With a home base in Nevada, USA, Bally has been acquired by Scientific Games (as of 2014) but owns and operates several popular online slots games.
Most popular Bally online casino games:
Like Bally, Barcrest began as a supplier of physical equipment to land-based casinos. And, like Bally, this brand that began life in the 1960s is now a part of Scientific Games. This venerable company, instantly recognisable to any British punter, is based in Oldham, UK and has moved from the old slots cabinet business into the fast-paced world on online and mobile slots. While many of their games can now be found under the Scientific Games brand, Barcrest still has enough of a reputation to stay a recognisable and trusted provider in the new world of virtual gambling.
Most popular Barcrest online games:
That iconic snarling red tiger motif that opens up whenever you play a great online slots game is the property of Red Tiger Gaming, a relative newcomer to the online slots world (founded in 2014). While being a ‘spring chicken’ on the scene, RTG have certainly not the bigger players have all the fun and their reputation for action-packed games and fun features has seen them becoming a major force to be reckoned with. The saying ‘never catch a tiger by the tail’ is certainly apt for this Isle of Man-based studio and their attention-grabbing games have led to a 2019 acquisition by industry leaders NetEnt. Not surprising that such an illustrious company would set their targets on this disruptive studio, especially with acquisitions being a big focus of the really big players in the industry over the past 10 years or so, and it’s great to see that NetEnt are giving them the freedom to continue developing their own games as well a collaborate on NetEnt games. Apart from their incredible attention to details like quality graphics and sound, thrilling gameplay, and unusual features, RTG also offer their partners Smart Spins mechanics, regular tournaments, and the Daily Drop Jackpot.
Keep an eye out for 1942: Sky Warrior set to release on Nov 25, 2021. It looks like it’s going to be a game that sets the sky as the limit!
Most popular Red Tiger Games online casino games:
Not quite as young as RTG, Yggdrasil began life in Sweden in 2013 and have become a name that is the epitome of innovation and creativity, Now headquartered in Malta, the studio has lost none of its Scandinavian sense of quality and style. While a small studio (in terms of the rest of the juggernauts on the list), Yggdrasil is proving that size doesn’t matter when it come to creating enthralling and riveting online casino games. With a major focus on online and mobile slots, but with a growing side hustle in tables games, Yggdrasil are bringing life to the online casino industry with a special flavour of fun.
Most popular Yggdrasil online casino games:
This is just a taste of who the international online casino games providers are and what they bring to our heavily laden gambling tables. There are more big-name providers out there (IGT, Williams Interactive, Aristocrat) and a slew of superb indie studios making the news (Spinomenal, Booming Studios, and more), and the list of studios allied to or partnered with other studios and operating under there umbrella is truly staggering…
But
… these are some of the CasinoPlay.com crew’s favourites. In our opinion, the games make the casino, and these providers bring the power and the perks whether through innovative features, incredible bonuses, amazing design, or creativity that just makes us sit back and revel as the reels spin or the cards fall.
