The online casino industry is positively booming. There are loads of exciting and innovative companies striving to take iGaming in new directions. This competition creates a dynamic industry that’s evolving rapidly. Here are our top five of those very online casino game providers that brought us some of last year’s most popular games.
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NetEnt
As one of the most recognisable names in the gambling industry in 2020, it’s no surprise to see NetEnt taking our number one spot. The provider has created some of the most well-known and best-loved titles over its 24-year stint in the industry. These include the popular and ethereal Starburst, as well as the highly-innovative-for-its-day Gonzo’s Quest.
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However, the company did not earn its place on our list for either of these titles of yesteryear. Rather, it’s for the likes of Wings of Riches, Finn’s Golden Tavern, the rocking Ozzy Osbourne slot, and the spooky The Wolf’s Bane that we’ve decided to put NetEnt at the top.
As well as these innovative and exciting slot machines, the developer made tweaks to its live casino offerings last year. The changes give greater scope to the casino operators themselves to customise NetEnt Live games. We also saw NetEnt launch its Auto Roulette live casino product – which combines three of its other products in an innovative new package.
Evolution Gaming
If you know anything about the live Online Cricket Betting ID section of the iGaming industry, you should already be familiar with Evolution Gaming. The much-celebrated company is easily the biggest focusing predominantly on live casino gambling on the internet.
Last year was yet another big for Evolution Gaming. The company was recognised at a load of award shows around the world. It received the Innovation in Casino Entertainment award at the SBC Awards 2019 and was named Casino Supplier of the Year at the EGR Italy Awards. Meanwhile, Evolution’s Monopoly Live was honoured at the EGR Operator Awards later in 2019. It was named Game of the Year at the event.
The company also expanded its product offerings last year too. New games have been added to both its RNG and live catalogue. These include what is claimed to be the world’s first 24/7 game show – Deal of No Deal Live.
Finally, Evolution Gaming forged some pretty impressive partnerships in 2019. Big deals went down with UK stalwarts of the industry Paddy Power and Betfair, and the company was chosen as the operator of choice in new US markets and existing European ones.
Playtech
Playtech is another company that’s as close to a household name as they come in the online gambling industry. Last year was another great one for the long-serving iGaming firm.
Perhaps the biggest news from Playtech was that it released Buffalo Blitz – the industry’s first live slot. The title introduces community spins that allow players to take punts together in a much more collective experience than previously associated with slots. The Playtech live casino saw other fresh titles, including American Roulette, Hi-Lo, Spread-Bet Roulette, and Stud Poker too.
Last year wasn’t just about Playtech’s live offerings, however. The veteran iGaming company added some more traditional titles too. These included the slots Sky Queen, Bowling Frenzy, Space Digger, Blue Wizard, and Kingdom’s Rise. The year also saw the firm release its first title with an innovative new spin option complete with enhanced bonus features. AP McCoy: Sporting Legends is an homage to the much-celebrated jockey and is yet another example of Playtech bringing fresh ideas to the industry.
The company was also celebrated at various award ceremonies and was fast to launch into the newly-regulated Swedish market. Finally, partnerships, such at that with GVC to launch a large new live iGaming studio, expanded the firm’s ability to deliver its quality Cricket ID gambling experiences to greater numbers of punters than previously possible.
Play ‘n’ Go
Also having an exceptional 2019 was Play ‘n’ Go. The year was all about new releases from the industry veterans. The company launched the following titles and more in just 12 months: Raging Rex, Wild Falls, Queen’s Day Tilt, Contact, Phoenix Reborn, Sabaton, Mahjong 88, Rise of Merlin, The Sword and the Grail, Firefly Frenzy, Rich Rails, Demon, and Ankh of Anubis. It wasn’t just the firm’s slot catalogue that saw new releases. Play ‘n’ Go also added a range of video bingo games, thanks to a deal with RCT, as well as 3 Hand Casino Hold’em to its offerings.
Play ‘n’ Go received a few awards and plenty of nominations during 2019 too. It picked up the Slot Provider of the Year 2019 award at the International Gaming Awards and Legacy of Egypt was voted Slot of the Year at the AskGambler’s Awards by the general public. Additionally, the company’s compliance officer, Alex Dumitrache, received the Compliance Officer of the Year at the GamblingCompliance Regulatory Awards.
Play ‘n’ Go was even able to expand into new markets between new releases and awards. The company managed to secure certifications to provide content to Peruvian and Portuguese operators.
Microgaming
Finally, with its own host of partnerships, entries into new markets, awards, and exciting new titles, it’s Microgaming. Another absolutely massive name in the iGaming industry, it should hardly be a surprise to see the veterans included in this top five.
Microgaming started 2019 with a bang, launching a range of products in Sweden early on and later in the Czech Republic. Amongst many exciting new releases from the company over the year were slots such as The Great Albini, Village People: Macho Moves, Shogun of Time, Banana Odyssey, Zombie Hoard, Ancient Fortunes, Rockabilly Wolves, Magic of Sahara, and 9 Masks of Fire. Elsewhere, One Time Poker went live on Microgaming’s poker network and the company released a new version of the classic Roulette and European Blackjack.
The year also saw the company partner with 888 Casino, Ascensus Interactive, Mansion, BGO, SKS365, and Rootz Ltd. Finally, the company celebrated a rather massive milestone with its progressive jackpots having reached a total of €1 billion!
