I have been playing online pokies and virtual table games since RealTime Gaming and Microgaming were the scant few iGaming software providers. Today, many online casinos feature 150+ casino developers in their lobbies, highlighting a clear shift in the market towards quantity over quality. But are there really so many casino developers out there?
The companies behind the games we are playing matter, and I created this article to update you on the business side of things related to pokies makers.
A Closer Look Into Today’s Online Casino Gaming Studios
Online casino studios (aka developers) create games that online casinos lease for a fixed monthly fee or buy for life. Traditionally, an online casino would feature about 200 games from a single developer like RealTime Gaming or Microgaming. Over time, more independent casino developers were established and gambling sites moved towards websites that featured thousands of games from many companies.
Until five years ago, you could find 1,000 games at a casino with various bonus features, game mechanics, graphics, interfaces, progressive networks, etc. Now, casinos we review at Pokies Bet often feature 10,000+ games from over 100 studios. This change is not necessarily bad – it translates to a larger variety of games and innovative trademarked features like Megaways, Tumbling Reels, xWays, Gigablox, etc.
However, I decided to take a closer look into the operations of some of these studios since I often encountered new brands at casinos. My research indicated that most of these are owned by larger companies as a result of the following:
- The parent company created separate studios to focus on a gaming niche
- Larger corporations purchased smaller or upcoming iGaming studios to acquire their games and trademarked features
- Smaller studios preferred to be part of a larger group to acquire their licenses and enter new gambling markets
This shift started taking place shortly after BTG created the Megaways system, which all casino studios began leasing to implement in their games. This practice cut into their profits, making early buyouts of new talent a more practical move.
The 3 Largest iGaming Software Groups
You might be wondering what mergers, buyouts, and large iGaming dev groups I am talking about. It might seem hard to believe, but the following 3 companies own all of the respective studios I’ve listed below.
Note: The following casino studios weren’t purchased overnight. The parent corporations appear to slowly eradicate the competition by simply buying it out.
Evolution
- Evolution Gaming
- NetEnt
- Red Tiger
- Ezugi
- Big Time Gaming
- Nolimit City
- DigiWheel
- Livespins
Games Global (former Microgaming)
- Alchemy Gaming
- All For One
- Almond Gaming
- Area Vegas
- Aurum
- Barstruck
- Blue Ring Studios
- Buckstakes
- Circular Arrow
- Coin Machine Gaming
- Flip Five Gaming
- Foxium
- Gameburger Studios
- Gold Coin Studios
- Half Pixel
- Hammertime Games
- Highlimit Studio
- Infinity Dragon Studios
- Ino Games
- Just For the Win
- Nailed it Games
- Neko Games
- Neon Valley Studios
- Northern Lights
- Onair Entertainment
- Oros Gaming
- Pear Fiction Studios
- RealDealer Studios
- Slingshot
- Snowborn
- Spinplay Games
- Stormcraft Studios
- Switch Studios
- Triple Edge Studios
- Wishbone
Yggdrasil (YGG Masters)
- 4ThePlayer
- Jelly
- Bulletproof Games
- Reflex Gaming
- Peter & Sons
- AceRun
- BangBang
- ReelPlay
- SpinOn
- Avatarux
- G.Games
- HungryBear
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Many of the above names are unknown and have only released a handful of games. Notably, Evolution has bought out some of the most prominent developers in the iGaming industry, including NetEnt and BTG. The good thing is that it still allows them to create their own games under the new ownership.
Nonetheless, other companies that operate standalone or with a couple of partners appear to do better among players. The following studios are extremely popular among gamers at online casinos in Australia and worldwide.
- Pragmatic Play (Pragmatic Live & Reel Kingdom associated studios)
- Relax Gaming
- Playtech (has distinct brand names for poker, bingo, live casino, etc.)
- RealTime Gaming
- Hacksaw Gaming (Backseat Gaming and Bullshark Games also collaborate with them)
- 3 Oaks Gaming
- Push Gaming
- Play’n GO
- BGaming
To me, it appears as if the little guy that works without outside influence and sticks to its principles fairs better in the casino developing world.
My Thoughts on the Current iGaming Software Landscape
Online casino studios make gambling fun for us, and they pocket a hell lot of money in the process. That’s fine with me, as long as their games are fair and engaging. Over the last couple of years, Pragmatic, Relax, Hacksaw, Push, and other independent iGaming developers set the standard for online pokies.
Legacy providers like Microgaming, Playtech, and NetEnt struggle to make a game that will engage players. Yggdrasil’s features are unique, but they are yet to make a breakthrough despite owning 10+ independent studios.
As far as I am concerned, I would have preferred if larger corporations left the little guy in peace to create their own games and bring a fresh take to online pokies. Given the current variety of pokies, it’s truly challenging but some companies have managed to pierce through the noise.
Push Gaming is a great example, bringing unique titles month after month. The opposite was the case with Livespins, a company which came up with the unique bet with streamers niche. Evolution purchased it and we haven’t seen any major breakthroughs since.
Ultimately, I understand smaller studios, too, which give away their rights to acquire access to a larger audience and hopefully make more money faster. Capitalism it is, and hopefully this blog has shed some light on the ever-growing list of casino developers at online gambling sites.
- About the Author
- Affiliate Disclosure
Michael has reviewed and verified all information on this page. Having worked in the iGaming industry for over 8 years, he is the most capable person to help you navigate online casinos, pokies, and the Australian gambling landscape.
