The traditional manufacturers of so-called terminals have meanwhile ported their games to online casinos. With the boom of the internet, however, a number of completely new manufacturers have emerged since the 1990s that have developed exclusively slot machines for the internet. In addition to a few large developers, there are also around 50 medium-sized to smaller studios.
Microgaming – the largest selection of games online
Logo of the online developer MicrogamingOne of the oldest names in the business is Microgaming. The company is based on the Isle of Man and, due to its long-standing market presence, can boast a game range of over 800 titles. This has also led to a very wide distribution among online casinos, as there are several hundred providers who rely on the software and games of this manufacturer. Especially the large number of slot machines and blackjack variants are unrivalled in the industry, take a look at our review of Euro Palace. However, the large selection of games also has a small disadvantage. Many of the games developed since 1996 no longer look so modern. Some classics are still very popular, but many slot machines have outdated graphics and sounds and cannot offer any of the newer features like bonus games.
The current record for the biggest online jackpot was set on the Mega Moolah machineBut Microgaming is not resting on its laurels, of course, and continues to develop new games. Examples of this are 3D games such as Hot as Hades or Dragons Myth. In addition, there are many licensed games such as Terminator 2, Jurassic Park or Battle Star Galactica. Microgaming is also at the forefront when it comes to jackpots. Of the 20 or so jackpot games, the Mega Moolah slot stands out in particular. This is a so-called pooled jackpot and is not only connected to several games such as Mega Moolah Isis, but also among all Microgaming casinos. This leads to the fact that the jackpot can be built up very quickly by very many players until, most recently, a new Guinness World Record for the largest online jackpot was set at Mega Moolah with 17.9 million dollars.
Playtech – largest software developer in the industry
Another major software developer in the iGaming industry is Playtech. This company has been active since 1999 and has not limited itself to casino games alone. Today, the company from Douglas, also on the Isle of Man, also offers solutions for bingo online casinos, online poker casinos, sports betting or even forex trading platforms. In the casino area, the provider offers download software as well as a good range of games with over 200 titles. The majority of these are slot machines, which enjoy a good reputation among players because of their good graphics and high payouts.
However, the Age of the Gods slot machines are a special feature. Several different titles have been created around the ancient gods like Zeus and Poseidon and all of them are connected with a pooled jackpot. This jackpot is divided into four individual jackpots that increase at different speeds and are also hit at different speeds. Another special feature is that you don’t have to meet any specific requirements to win one of the jackpots. Every single spin on one of these machines can trigger the bonus round and you have the chance to win the highest of the four jackpots with the minimum bet. As soon as the bonus round starts, you are already sure of winning a jackpot, it is only decided in the bonus game which of the four you crack. However, the higher the stakes, the greater the chance of winning the bigger jackpots.
NetEnt – state-of-the-art games with many innovations
In addition to software producers, slot machine manufacturers have also established themselves that specialise exclusively in instant play in the browser. Since more and more casinos offer the game directly in the browser in addition to download software, access to casino games has also become easier for many players – especially for mobile devices. One of the pioneers of these no-download games is NetEntertainment (NetEnt for short). The manufacturer from Sweden has already put a selection of over 100 slot machines on the net and convinces above all with super graphics and sounds as well as innovative game features. So if you are looking for something different from the usual 5-reel slot machines with free spins, you should take a look at games like Reel Rush, Dazzle Me or Aloha. In addition, the provider also scores with many licensed games such as Guns’n Roses, Dracula, Jimi Hendrix, The Invisible Man and many more. Many players consider the NetEnt slot machines to be the best machines currently available.
Other manufacturers of online slots
As already mentioned, there are many more manufacturers on the internet, but most of them are rather small and insignificant. In addition, larger providers such as the NYX Interactive Gaming Group have taken over several of these manufacturers and thus united them under one management. Other well-known game developers in the industry are, for example, NextGen, Aristocrat, Cryptologic, 1×2 Gaming, Realistic, Ash Gaming, IGT, Leander, Bluberi, Play N Go, Random Logic, WMS Gaming, Rival, GTech or Yggdrasil – but there are many more.
All of them have their own games and at modern no download casinos you can find the most diverse combinations of all these games. However, there is no provider that has all games of all manufacturers in its programme. But as a rule, the game selection is much larger than with download software, which only contains the games of the respective provider.