Modern casinos are driven by software that provides bettors with an immersive visual and sound experience, whether they are playing on a smartphone, computer, tablet, or in person at a casino. Since none of the games gamblers know and love would exist without the developers behind them, let’s explore some of the biggest casino software providers, their histories, and recent developments.
Hacksaw Gaming
Hacksaw Gaming is a relatively young company that started in 2018. Early on, Hacksaw focused on making digital scratch cards, which offered the perfect combination of an easy and beautiful presentation on a vertical mobile screen while offering big prizes. Since then, they have focused more on slot games, including Wanted Dead or a Wild, which provided the biggest payout that popular gambling streamer Roshtein ever received at $18.7 million.
Several major happenings occurred within Hacksaw that spurred its global expansion. The company is working on partnerships and obtaining licences for places like the Netherlands, New Jersey, and Michigan as they continue growing their presence in Europe and the United States.
The Hacksaw team and CEO Marcus Cordes have also continued to build upon relationships with Betsson Group to make their games available in several more South American and European countries in the coming months and years.
If you’re curious about Hacksaw’s latest offerings, make sure to check out an up to date list on their games.
Microgaming
Microgaming has been around for a long time, having started in the gambling business back in 1994. Some even call Microgaming the godfather of slots, and frequent gamblers might be familiar with their popular release, Mega Moolah, which offers a fun safari theme paired with a low starting bet and progressive jackpots. The gaming library outside of Mega Moolah is enormous, with more than 850 titles available.
One key focus that has sparked Microgaming’s growth and longevity is a design language that ensures punters recognise and remember their gaming experiences on all devices. The result is that Microgaming has become one of the world’s biggest gambling software companies, with more than 210 million bets placed daily.
Evolution
Evolution began producing games in 2006 and hasn’t looked back. The company remains best known for delivering high-quality and immersive live video casino content for players who want to feel like they are at a casino without physically being there. Evolution’s impressive expansion has much to do with its acquisition of partners and competitors like NetEnt and Big Time Gaming.
Evolution’s popularity and audience came from bigger hits like Crazy Time, which features a main game and mini-games, including a coin flip, cash hunt, and virtual pachinko. Many say Crazy Time is as fun to play as it is to watch, and the game has attracted many viewers for YouTube streamers who play it. Crazy Time stems from the ever-popular DreamCatcher, Evolution’s first live game show title, a relatively easy title with simple number-based betting.
With a net profit growth of 27% last year, Evolution is doing well in the live video casino business. The company also continues to grow through acquisitions, including the recent purchase of Livespins, which connects bettors, live streamers, and influencers for social gambling. We look forward to seeing the intriguing ways Evolution will work with Livespins.
Play’n GO
Frequent bettors have surely heard of Rise of Olympus and Legacy of Dead, two of the company’s more popular games. Play’n GO is one of the oldest companies on our list, having opened its doors in 1997. Compared to larger competitors, it offers a smaller list of games, with about 300 in total. However, punters consider Play’n GO special because of its unique ability to deliver beautiful table, slot, and multiplayer games, all featuring its distinctive design language. In 2023, their games saw a significant increase in digital traffic, with an impressive 250 million rounds played across their library of titles in a single day.
And the company is growing, having recently started a new product called Play’n GO Music, which intends to bring in new and old artists to create outstanding background music that keeps players nostalgic and engaged in their games. We can’t wait to listen to how they improve the music within their games to make them even better.
Playtech
Playtech’s portfolio of more than 600 games is nothing to scoff at, but their ability to deliver them is more impressive. The company is known across the UK and many other parts of the world for having a retail presence with tablets and gaming cabinets at key locations so that bettors can gamble on the go. This is fantastic progress for a company that started focusing primarily on offering virtual poker. Today, some of Playtech’s most popular titles are Buffalo Blitz, American Roulette, and Live Football Roulette, all attracting millions of players yearly.
Playtech has also been busy building its portfolio through acquisitions and mergers. Over its history, the company has spent over $2.5 billion on other companies, with its last purchase involving a minority stake in Hard Rock Digital.
Conclusion
The above are some of the larger casino software companies behind the gambling games you might play frequently. Expect continued acquisitions and mergers as these businesses explore new products and services that satisfy gamblers, including live video casinos and social gambling. We look forward to more interactive titles in the future, whether delivered by smartphone, tablet, or newer frontiers like VR gambling.
