What are the Best Online Casino Software Providers?
Last Updated on by James King
Did you know that online casinos and slots sites do not create the games that they host? Instead, games are developed and launched by regulated software providers. This is why you find popular games hosted at hundreds of different casinos.
You see, as the software provider will license the game to the casino, this makes it a seamless process for platforms to offer thousands of games. With that being said, if you’re wondering which online casino software provider is the best – there really isn’t a hard-and-fast answer to this question.
Crucially, it depends on what you mean by the ‘best’. For example, are you looking for the best software provider that offers progressive jackpot games, or are you more concerned with finding developers that install the highest RTP (return-to-player) percentages?
In this article, we list the best online casinos software providers based on their strongest characteristics.
NetEnt – Best Software Provider for House-Edges
In the world of online gambling, your long-term chance of winning on a game is based on the title’s house-edge. This is the statistical advantage that the casino has over you, so naturally – the higher the house-edge, the less chance you have of walking away a winner.
The process works largely the same with online slots, but in reverse. This is because online slots utilize an ‘RTP’ system. As such, the higher the RTP, the more chance you have of winning.
Taking this into account, the best software provider for house-edges and RTPs is NetEnt. In fact, the developer currently provides 7 of the 10 highest RTP titles in the online slots space.
At the forefront of this is Mega Joker, which offers a huge RTP of 99%. After that, you have the likes of Jackpot 6000, Blocksuckers, and King of Chicago, which pay 98.8%, 98%, and 97.9% – respectively.
Microgaming – Best Software Provider for Huge Payouts
When it comes to choosing a software provider for the largest payouts, look no further than Microgaming as many of the top casino sites around the world use this provider. Launched in 1994 and based on the Isle of Man, the developer is behind hundreds of slot titles. However, it’s the provider’s ever-growing progressive slot range that makes the developer stand out.
For example, the likes of Mega Moolah has turned hundreds of players into overnight millionaires. As the game is hosted at most online casinos, this allows the prize pot to grow at unprecedented speeds. As such, Mega Moolah will often pay a new million pound+ jackpot each and every week.
It is important to note that Microgaming is behind a number of other popular progressive slot titles, too. This includes Major Millions, King Cashalot, and Treasure Nile.
Novomatic – Best Software Provider for Reputation
On the one hand, all software providers must be regulated by the Gambling Commission if they wish to have their games played by UK punters. This ensures that the online gambling space remains a safe and secure environment for all.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for a software provider with the greatest reputation in the space, we would argue that this feat goes to Novomatic.
The firm was first launched in 1980 – long before online gambling became a thing. As such, it started its software development journey by supplying land-based casinos with slot and video poker games.
Fast forward to 2020 and the developer now has a major presence in the online space. Crucially, with offices in more than 43 countries worldwide, Novomatic is a highly trusted software provider with an average turnover of £4 billion annually.
Playtech – Best Software Provider for Slots
If you’re an avid online casino player that is looking for the best software provider for slots, we would argue that Playtech sits at the top of the tree. Launched in 1999, the software developer is behind a huge library of slot games. This includes everything from video slots, classic slots, themed slots, and bonus slots.
On top of offering an extensive number of slots, we find that Playtech always provides an innovative end-to-end gaming experience for players. Not only does its slots possess cutting-edge graphics and sound effects, but most come jam-packed with bonuses, features, and in-game specials. This ensures that you are constantly kept entertained.
Evolution Gaming – Best Software Provider for Live Dealers
For those of you that are looking to replicate a land-based casino experience in the comfort of your own home, look no further than Evolution Gaming. The established developer is behind the vast bulk of the live dealer space, with games ranging from blackjack, roulette, and baccarat.
This allows you to have your blackjack cards dealt – or roulette wheel spun, by a real-world croupier. Evolution Gaming does this by hooking-up its regulated casino floor with HD cameras. As such, every time you make an on-screen decision (such as asking for another card in blackjack), the dealer in question will personally initiate this in real-time.
James King is an iGaming journalist with over a decade worth of expierence. Having worked as part of varous online casinos digital content team, he moved into journalism covering the latest news and devlopments in the iGaming world.