The world of gambling was forever changed when Microgaming launched the first-ever online casino in 1994. InterCasino, as it was known, unknowingly started a software development industry that is now valued at tens of billions of US dollars.
As more online casinos hit the scene and the popularity and accessibility of online play increased, software providers such as Playtech and NETENT emerged from the woodwork. They were joined each year by dozens of studios trying to stake their claim. Many of these, such as Nolimit City, Pragmatic Play, and Yggdrasil Gaming, launched unforgettable hits and forced the industry to evolve. Betsoft and Yggdrasil even proved crucial to the emergence of mobile gaming in the early 2000s. As the early 2000s gave way to the 2010s, live dealer games, such as those from Evolution Gaming, started appearing. While the industry was trying to catch up and fill this niche, another one appeared this time in the form of blockchain and cryptocurrency solutions.
However, the fun did not end there. VR started taking the video game industry by storm, which meant that online gaming was on the eve of yet another revolution. SlotsMillion seized the initiative with their VR casino in 2016, but they were quickly followed by other developers.
The online casino software development industry has seen hundreds of developers come and go over the years. Some were washed away by poor financial decisions, while others simply lacked the skills and ambitions to make a mark. Check out the following breakdown of crucial characteristics of great modern casino software developers:
Casino platforms have experienced a real revolution over the last 20 years. They went from browser exclusives to dedicated desktop and mobile applications. As game developers rush to produce bigger and better titles, other companies, name casino platform developers, need to build the frameworks that allow such gems to shine. You will often find that large developers have departments that solve both issues, but that is not necessarily the norm.
However, our experience has shown that the best casino platforms excel at security, game variety, user-friendly UIs, mobile compatibility, payment options, customer support, bonuses, promotions, responsible gambling tools, quick payouts, reliability, language support, and currency options.
The great thing about modern online casinos is the plethora of game genres that you have at your disposal. You can play anything from slots, blackjack, roulette, craps, and baccarat to Sic Bo, keno, and bingo. While the biggest developers produce games in every genre, smaller ones focus on just a few or even just one subset.
Game providers can generally be split into three categories. Providers such as Microgaming, NETENT, Playtech, Big Time Gaming, Yggdrasil, and Pragmatic Play, excel at the art of slot gaming. Companies such as Evolution Gaming, Playtech, Ezugi, NETENT, and Betsoft, compete for the card game market. The last category, table games, is shared by Evolution Gaming, Playtech, Microgaming, NETENT, and Betsoft.
The name of the online casino game is atmosphere. This simple word has incentivized developers to produce countless solutions that allow punters to partake in a live casino from the comfort of their homes. The latest in streaming technology, video cameras, audio equipment, and broadcast optimization has allowed for live dealer casino games to reach every household.
The combination of professional live dealers, real cards, real dice, real tables, a handy interactive chat, complete transparency, multiple camera angles, and a large variety of casino games has revolutionized the online casino industry. Developers such as Evolution Gaming and Ezugi have been honing their craft. Some live casino game providers even boast dedicated studios from which real live games are streamed.
The mobile gaming industry started off with dedicated casino apps that users had to install onto their phones. These downloads proved to be annoying, so HTML5's appearance was godsent. The latter allowed developers to produce mobile-friendly casino website solutions that adjusted to various screen sizes.
However, few titles were designed for small screens. This eventually shifted as designs became more responsive. Moreover, mobile payment options began appearing, which naturally led to the emergence of mobile bonuses and promotions. The final nail in the coffin of dedicated applications seems to be PWA or Progressive Web Apps. These are relatively straightforward to develop, especially in React, and take up less space than traditional native apps.
Virtual reality technology has been around since the 1950s. However, it only became commercially viable in the 2010s. As Oculus Quest, HTC Vive, Valve Index, and Sony PlayStation VR started gaining popularity, companies the likes of SlotsMillion, Microgaming, NETENT, and others began experimenting with VR casino software.
The incredible levels of immersion and fun that arise from teleporting yourself into a virtual reality environment cannot be matched by live casino or conventional casino games. We believe that the market share of VR casinos is destined to increase as headsets become more financially accessible.
Modern online casinos boast enormous game libraries that cover every imaginable genre. This unprecedented level of choice is possible due to the tireless efforts of online casino game software providers, which strive to satisfy every pallet. Moreover, it is great for choosing niche titles with bets that cater to your wallet. Some of the most popular online casino game variants are:
Slots These classic one-armed bandits are the favorite of punters the world over. You will find them in countless variations, covering every imaginable theme and unique feature that you can imagine. What is more, you can find special offshoots such as classic, video, 3D, live, and progressive jackpot slots. Check out our slots reviews to learn more.
Blackjack The eternal card game of “21” takes multiple forms in online casinos. While most excel at innovative themes and graphics, some take the cake with amazing features, such as live dealers, side bets, multi-hand gameplay, strategy charts, and onscreen tips.
Craps Hollywood movies love to portray craps. A punter tosses a few dice in the company of gorgeous damsels, and they bounce to the tune of thousands of dollars. However, most gamblers are unaware that online craps offers vital quality of life improvements, such as auto-roll, which takes care of rolling and expedites your wagering.
Roulette The sound of a ball rolling around a roulette wheel is infamous. Online casinos offer multiple variants of roulette, including live dealer, VR, and fully digital ones. However, the biggest benefit to playing roulette online is the countless variants with varying odds, such as European, American, and French roulette.
Video Poker The lovechild of slots and poker is video poker, whose features borrow from both infamous game genres. The entire game is based on five-card hands, whose strength determines the size of your payouts. One great feature of online video poker is auto-hold, which suggests the best cards to keep in real-time.
Baccarat This two-hand game is a thrilling duel between a player and the banker. Both strive to land nine points, with bets covering every possibility. Online baccarat boasts roadmaps and scoreboards which display historical results and trends. The latter allows you to spot patterns and make informed decisions.
Poker The online gaming industry adores poker, with variants such as Texas Hold’ Em, Omaha, Seven-card Stud, and others taking center stage. The game revolves around a mixture of skill and luck, which most punters love. Its unique online feature are easily accessible tournaments and freerolls.
Keno Punters that like lottery games will adore keno. All you have to do is pick numbers and hope that they match the drawn ones. Online players will love the quick pick option, which automates number selection.
Sic Bo This incredibly popular Asian dice game focuses on the outcome of three dice rolls. There are multiple betting options that focus on specific dice combinations. Online casino game players will have the ability to use turbo mode to accelerate the gameplay and reduce waiting times.
Progressive Jackpot 
Game developers excite the gaming public by either diving into new themes that tell a riveting story or by developing exciting features that occasionally completely change the industry. Check out the following exciting features that have taken the industry by storm:
Progressive Jackpots The concept behind these is simple. A game starts with a seed amount and increases with each wager or spin. Most progressive jackpots link multiple games or casinos, making the payout potential enormous. They are usually connected to slots, video poker, and various table games.
3D Games These graphical gems used to be all the rage when most titles were limited to the 2D stage. They increase immersion, have enhanced graphics, realistic sound effects, and unmatched storytelling.
VR Games Virtual reality games are a relatively new phenomenon that is exploding with the emergence of financially accessible VR headsets. Dive into virtual casino environments with the most realistic virtual settings yet.
Live Dealer Games The lack of human interactions can cause a lot of anxiety, especially when you have no one to voice your frustrations to. Live dealer games take care of this issue by hosting real human dealers that handle actual cards, slots, dice, and more.
TV Games Online casino software developers have emulated the incredible platforms of The Price is Right, Deal or No Deal, Monopoly Live, and Wheel of Fortune. Their TV games offer a unique gaming experience, especially thanks to energetic hosts.
Virtual Sports Games Betting on sports is amazing, but it is tied to tournaments, leagues, matches, and other limited events. Partake in virtual sports games and enjoy betting on horse racing, soccer, basketball, and other sports all year round.
Social Games These titles make wagering a fun social activity that brings together groups of friends. The most famous games of this genre are Zyga Poker and Slotomania.
That depends if you are thinking about casino platform software or casino game software. In any case, giants such as Microgaming, Playtech, NETENT, Evolution Gaming, IGT, Novomatic, Betsoft, Yggdrasil, Quickspin, and Pragmatic Play produce top-notch casino software.
Casinos that partner with industry-leading software developers tend to have the best software. Your chosen casino will probably proudly display its software partnerships.
Casino game software is the brains of any casino site or app. Glitchy software will lead to unexpected interruptions, false outputs, and a nightmare of other technical headaches.
Online casino sites do not run on your machine, so you need not worry about those. Dedicated casino applications can only be installed on compatible devices, so those are not a concern either. Make sure that your browser is updated, and you should be good.
Not necessarily. A casino is only as expensive as you choose to make it, i.e., how much you are willing to deposit and wager.
That is incredibly difficult to say since small developers often license software from giant developers. What we can say is that the casino sites that we have reviewed and ranked have some of the best casino game software in the game.
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