Online casinos are essentially websites showcasing products sourced by 3rd party software studios, aka casino developers or slot makers. Graphics, bonuses and promotions, customer support, and the like are all bells and whistles to enhance the user experience while offering instant play access to slots and virtual table games.
Some casino devs like RealTime Gaming and Microgaming also develop APIs providing those who can pay with both the games and a functioning website ready to take customers. In this guide, though, my focus is on the numerous casino developers competing to create unique slot games that will captivate players. The ones you are likely to encounter most often at gambling sites – Hacksaw Gaming, Pragmatic Play, Nolimit, BGaming, and Red Tiger Gaming.
Bonus1 slots software providers picks
All studios we review below create slot machines and other casino games for distribution in legal online gambling markets. They hold licenses from the world’s most robust gaming authorities, including the UKGC, MGA, Ontario, US state bodies, etc. On top of that, they have been consistently reaching millions of users with their unique slots and explosive features.
Hacksaw Gaming
Hacksaw Gaming is my personal favorite casino developer. All of their games use the same interface enabling autospin with three speed settings and stakes ranging between $0.1 and $100.
The company initially began with cartoon-themed slots with comical twists, check out SixSixSix for reference. Newer slots by Hacksaw are very detailed and play around all sorts of themes, always delivering their unique take that clearly stands out. After playing a couple of Hacksaw Gaming titles, you can instantly recognize their other releases.
Hacksaw has created over 120 games, the most popular being Le Bandit, Chaos Crew, and Dead or a Wild. All titles we’ve checked provide above 96% RTP, although not by far. Volatility ratings are on the higher end, with a dozen on the medium scale and a handful offering lower-risk game sessions.
What we love about Hacksaw is that their games provide unique bonus features depending on the number of scatters you land. Several bonus buy options ensure all players can afford instant access to free spin and hold and win bonuses, or increased chances to enter per round.
Pragmatic Play
Pragmatic Play has been in business since 2016. They go from strength to strength since their establishment and are widely considered the best online casino game studio. Pragmatic Play slots feature mostly high volatility, 96.5% RTPs, Ante Bet and Bonus Buys, bets ranging between $0.2 and $250, and free spins. Of course, Pragmatic’s 500+ strong library of games covers all sorts of game styles and math models. The above description is valid for the company’s most popular and latest releases.
Gates of Olympus, Sweet Bonanza, The Dog House, Big Bass Bonanza, and Wolf Gold are all titles by Pragmatic. The company has countless hit slots under its belt, and it launches over 5 games on average monthly. My only complaint is that Pragmatic Play doesn’t seem to take their games a step further, sticking to a standard but fun special feature in each when other vendors fuse several to create epic slot games.
Nolimit
Speaking of epic slot games, Nolimit is known for creating online slots with quirky themes for mature audiences mostly. The titles are well-thought-out and designed to match the theme perfectly during all game modes. For example, Mental slot takes place in an underground psychiatric hospital with low-paying symbols represented by human parts and high-paying symbols by patients undergoing torture. The top feature is called Lobotomy Free Spins, so you get the idea.
The company covers edgy themes through its creations. Signature Nolimit titles include The Loner, Karen Maneater, Kenneth Must Die, Folsom Prison, and Fire in the Hole. 90% of Nolimit slots are extremely high risk, with over 10,000x max wins, and 96% RTPs. Online casinos often limit the company’s max bet to $1 or $2 per spin, to avoid having to payout astronomical jackpots. Some Nolimit games exceed 120,000x for selected combos.
Beginners will struggle to understand how each game works since Nolimit continually comes up with original reel structures, payline systems, and special features. Trademarked mechanics include xNudge, xWays, and xBomb, which often coincide and can lead to epic wins.
BGaming
BGaming is similar to Pragmatic Play, although less recognized. The gaming studio develops 3 or more new games monthly, most of which cover classic themes and formats. 10 – 25 fixed paylines, 5×3 reel structure, and a couple of special features – usually free spins and Hold & Spin bonuses. What I like about BGaming slots is that you know what to expect going into the game. Despite the high volatility of the majority of the company’s slots, most features pay their weight (100x) or better.
Elvis Frog in Vegas is the most evident example of the company’s speciality. A frog takes a trip to Vegas disguised as Elvis, handing out 6 free spins during which the 3 middle reels are stacked. 6 or more coin symbols trigger the respin feature, and filling the screen pays out the grand prize equal to 2,500x the wager.
Other popular games by BGaming include Lady Wolf Moon Megaways, Snoop Dogg Dollars, Wild Cash x9990, and Bonanza Billion.
Red Tiger Gaming
Red Tiger is often passed by as a less popular casino software studio. That’s because they don’t have many big hits of their own, but mostly slot remakes produced in collaboration with other studios.
For reference, Piggy Riches Megaways and Gonzo’s Quest Megaways are both extremely popular hits created by meshing the original NetEnt titles with the Megaways feature developed by Big Time Gaming. Although one could blame them for lacking creativity, the end products are excellent visually and bring tons of fun.
Red Tiger Gaming slots come with different RTP settings ranging between 94 – 97% for the same slots, and it is up to the casino to select their preferred version. Several titles by the company share the Jackpot King network too, which pays out stunning progressive pots through an interactive bonus round.
Prominent online casino game makers (list)
The above trending casino companies haven’t always made it to top lists like the one curated for this guide. That’s because most experts have been familiar with land-based casino software companies like Aristocrat and IGT, or old-school online casino devs like Microgaming and NetEnt.
These studios might have set the benchmark for what a good slot should look and play like, but they haven’t created any memorable game for years now. Still, they deserve a reference, alongside smaller or similar-caliber slot game pioneers.
- Aristocrat
- IGT
- Microgaming
- NetEnt
- Playtech
- Big Time Gaming
- Push Gaming
- Quickspin
- Fantasma Games
- Yggdrasil
- Pariplay
- Leander
- Blueprint
- Merkur
- Mr Slotty
- NetGaming
- KA Gaming
- Play’n GO
- Playson
I could keep going, but this list should provide you with several prominent casino game studios to check out. If you care to know my top 5 picks, they are Nolimit, Hacksaw, Pragmatic, Push Gaming, and PG Soft.
Top casino game studios and their signature features
A feature we all know and have enjoyed extensively in online slots is BTG’s Megaways engine. Most companies have leased it to develop games with varying number of reels per round for up to thousands of winning ways.
Other studios create features for their exclusive slots. Hacksaw Gaming came up with the FeatureSpins mechanic, which typically costs 3x the wager for much higher chances to trigger the bonus round. The Ante Bet is how Pragmatic Play has branded a similar but more subtle addon. Likewise, Yggdrasil’s ‘Giga’ mechanics and Nolimit’s ‘x’ features are found on most of their slots and give them a unique twist.
Other popular mechanics relate to how a slot machine pays out instead of utilizing classic paylines – cluster pays, scatter pays, ways to win, or similar. Tumbling reels, cascading wins, explosive wins, and relatable names signify the potential for consecutive wins from a single good spin.
Unless there is a ‘™’ identifier in a mechanic, other companies can utilize it as well. In any case, a lot of innovation takes place within casino software companies, and we are on our toes looking for the next unique iteration.
Recognizing legit online casino developers
Readers who stick with our recommended online casinos don’t have to worry about the games’ safety and fairness. Licensed online casinos operating in regulated markets are only allowed to partner with companies holding similar licenses.
To verify the fairness of a casino developer you can also visit their website, grab their license number, and verify its validity on the issuing authority’s website. The best casino studios take extra steps to reassure their players, reaching out to independent online casino game testers and auditors who in turn subject their titles to random, extensive test runs. Official seals of casino software testing bodies like BMM Labs and eCogra signify a clean house.
Games powered by legit casino software developers communicate their RTP, hit rate, jackpot, risk, etc. This way you can set your expectations straight in advance, and only have luck to blame when things go sideways.
Casinos powered by a single or multiple companies? Our closing thoughts
Players who stick to the same old slot releases by Microgaming, RealTime Gaming, and Rival Gaming should search for operators powered by them exclusively. This will guarantee all bonuses apply to your favorite online slots.
On the other hand, if you are like me and enjoy changing games every 10 minutes, you should search for online casinos powered by a minimum of 10 popular casino studios.
Most online casinos collaborate with 40+ studios nowadays, packing thousands of online slot games under the same roof. The choice is yours, just make sure that you only play at casinos with licensed and legit online casino studios like the ones we cover here.