Casino Software Providers

Early casinos often only offered games from a maximum of one or two game providers. But that was back then, and today, the number of software providers available at top online casinos is easily more than 50, and the experience is much more advanced than it used to be.

There's a lot to grasp about the many different software companies providing these games, and there's a lot to keep in mind when choosing a casino operator. However, this guide to casino software providers and gambling platform providers will cover it all to help you widen your knowledge and authority so you always have the best games to play.

The Difference Between a Casino Operator & Software Provider

If you're looking to play online casino games, it's essential to understand the foundations of an online casino. We mean the difference between a casino operator and a casino software provider. When you sign up and deposit with a casino operator, they are not usually the company that will have made the games and slots they offer. This part comes down to the casino software provider. Many casino operators enter partnerships with various casino software providers, so they have a great game library to offer their customers.

Whilst these partnerships vary from casino to casino, it's not uncommon for casino operators to work with over 50 software providers. In turn, this usually offers an eclectic range of games available, suitable to all types of players. In rarer cases, some casinos develop their own software, known as proprietary software, but most, if not all, use third-party providers, as highlighted on this page.

Top Casino Software Providers

Casino software providers play essential roles in the makeup of online casinos. For online casinos to keep up with the times and offer HD and diverse gameplay, they will offer games from the cream of the crop.

The best part of playing at the best casinos and new slot sites today is that there will be many choices. Most software providers bring something different and unique to the table. Some may offer the most prominent progressive games and boast distinct USPs such as higher-than-average RTP percentages and way-out bonus features. Some may offer branded games designed in partnership with a household name.

Further to this, the best casino software companies never standstill. Take Netent, for example; they have long been considered the pioneers of online casino games and slots. Netent consistently creates innovations and new concepts for "wow" gameplay. There's always a new game on the horizon, consistently delivering on high expectations.

The top casino game providers don't have to be the most extensive or established because you'll often find that newer, smaller game studios have honed their craft. They may make fewer games and have a smaller portfolio, but each of their games will be unique and categorically stand out from the crowd. Thunderkick, Hacksaw Gaming and No Limit City are great examples of this. Gambling software providers can only do so much, though. To enjoy the best casino experience, you still need to be signed up and playing at the best online casino sites to enjoy the games in their essence.

List of Top Casino Software Companies

Whilst we haven't listed them all (yet), we have listed the best casino software providers that licensed their games to UK casino operators and platforms below. Keep in mind that if you play at a casino that's part of a platform, the chances are you will find the same list of software providers available at each casino on the platform (though there can be an exception to the rule). Additionally, if you opt to play at a standalone casino, you may benefit from an entirely unique choice of games from specially selected gaming providers.

We have provided top lists of online casinos that offer their games for each developer, with more detailed information about the company and their products. Click "Read Review" on the game tiles below to find out more about a particular software company.

How We Rate Gambling Software Providers

Generally, we'll only review and list online gambling software companies on our website if we believe they offer premium games that stand out and those that are third-party tested to ensure fairness. (I.e. gambling software providers licensed and approved by the UK Gambling Commission).

On top of that, there are a few points we look out for during the review process that help us understand a company and how it fits into the UK casino marketplace. To help you make your own informed decisions later down the line, the criteria we look for include the following:

Licensing

We briefly touched upon this above; however, it's important, so we'll say it twice! The best casino software companies are those that are licensed and regulated. We always ensure the companies we recommend are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission because this means their games are subjected to 3rd party tests and multiple checks to ensure 100% fairness. This means that their games won't be rigged and are of premium quality. Most UKGC-licensed software companies are third-party examined by reputable testing companies such as iTechlabs and eCOGRA.

Company History 

A benchmark of a reliable software provider, aside from UK licensing, is one that's been around the block a few times. That's not to say newer software providers aren't good; it's just those with a solid reputation of consistently churning out new and top-of-the-line games, which are usually better all around.

RTP %  & Variance

The best slots providers will offer games with fair/ better than average RTP % figures and games with varying volatility. Naturally, the higher the RTP percentage, the more favourable the game will be for player returns. Most slots software companies offer competitive RTPs %'s, so there is no need to ever worry about playing games with low RTP % rates. Thunderkick.com were the original pioneer of higher-than-average RTP % slots. However, most of the time, you'll find the best slot software providers will offer a good choice of moderate and high RTP % slots in their game portfolio.

Range of Games 

For software providers to appeal to online casinos and their players, they must offer a wide range of games. A developer that produces regular slots, jackpots and table games is far more beneficial to an online casino than one that only creates slots and intermittent game releases. Most of the time, casino software providers produce all types of games and release a few new titles every month. The exception to the rule is live casino game providers. This is due to the sheer size of operation needed that live casino games require. This is a clear reason we can forgive Evolution Gaming for concentrating only on live dealer casino games. They make the best live casino games in the market and focus on their core product - much to acclaim and success.

Mobile Usability

It is no surprise that mobile gaming has become a big business in recent years. It's estimated that over 60% of real money casino players prefer to play games on their mobile devices rather than sitting down and playing on a desktop computer. Many of the bigger game studios saw this coming a few years ago and have since then successfully adapted their entire game portfolio to be mobile-friendly.

Mobile compatible games are now one of the fastest-growing areas of the online gambling industry. This rapid growth is thanks, in large part, to the development of new mobile technology like HTML5, which allows smooth streaming of video and games within mobile web browsers. HTML5 has provided a significant breakthrough for casino software developers and online casinos alike. Players can now enjoy casino games and slots on a mobile device without sacrificing valuable memory by downloading an app or casino client. 

Live Dealer Software Providers

A common misconception is that live casino games are broadcast from the online casino itself. In all the years that we've been reviewing online casino sites, we've yet to find a casino that offers its own live casino games. Live dealer games are supplied by third-party vendors - the same as RNG games and online slots are.

You will notice that not all gambling software suppliers have the functionality and means to provide casinos with live dealer games. The reason is that providing live dealer casino games is a mammoth task in itself. Many companies simply don't have the resources to offer games as good as those that already do. On the notion of that, you'll also find that live dealer casino software companies don't make regular RNG and online slot games either.

While the number of live casino software providers is much lower than those that make regular RNG casino games, there are multiple live casino companies that bring vastly differing backgrounds and casino experiences to the table. Differences are usually most noticeable in the game's décor and visual styles. This means that the live games are fundamentally the same, though each company will offer its own unique variant that reflects the company that created it.

With a few exceptions, the rules of classic table games like blackjack, roulette and baccarat remain the same across various live casino providers; however, live game shows are where live casino software providers are starting to make their mark in the industry. When we review live dealer casino game providers, we look out for the following criteria to ensure they're of the highest quality for the best online casino experience:

Most Trusted Software Providers 

Some software providers, such as Microgaming, Yggdrasil, Play N Go, Evolution or NetEnt, need no introductions as these are the leading providers for many top online casinos and gambling sites. However, here is a breakdown of just a few of the top casino software providers we rate and recommend for the quality of games, game uniqueness and overall fun their games bring to your screen.
TABLE

Which Casino Software Company Is The Best?

This question is the same as asking, "Which online casino is the best?" and the simple answer is - there isn't one. Each casino software provider has many different strengths, and we would suggest you consider what appeals to you the most when playing at an online casino.

Various software providers will appeal to you more than others. For example, some customers look for the most thrilling online slots or those with the highest RTP %. Some customers prefer to play branded video slots or traditional slots. Other players want to go all-in for a big Progressive Jackpot regularly, while others want to play new releases frequently. On this note, we recommend reading up on the many different providers above to see which ones will cater to your preferences the best.

The great thing about the choice of game developers is that you'll find plenty that you'll like, plus others that may fill that unique niche that'll add some excitement to your gameplay. After a while, you will get used to specific providers and know what to expect from them. However, we also advise checking out newer game studios as they often offer something different from the rest.