Slots Software Developers

Software providers are the bread and butter of remote gambling, delivering a steady stream of new exciting slots and casino games for players to enjoy. The online gambling industry is already jam-packed with suppliers but new game development companies continue to emerge all the time.

So which are the best ones? You can find them all on this page where we highlight all the heavy hitters in the field of slot development. We have also made room for the up-and-coming slot suppliers that show the greatest potential.

How We Compare Major Slot Game Developers

With over a hundred software providers on the market, finding the ones that develop the best online slots can be a rather challenging task. The good news is we at SlotsMove have put in all the legwork to spare you the hassles of having to conduct any painstaking research on your own. A software studio must tick all the boxes listed below for us to add it to our list of top slot developers.

● Game Selection

The leading software providers featured on this page boast highly versatile catalogs of premium online slots that cater to a diverse range of preferences and gaming styles. Big hitters like Microgaming, Pragmatic Play, and Play’n GO launch new releases on a weekly or monthly basis, ensuring spinners always have access to fresh content.

● User Interface and Graphics Quality

The user interface is crucial for playability as it impacts how reel spinners navigate and interact with the games. Leading developers like NetEnt, Microgaming, and Playtech create slots with crisp graphics, slick animations, and a highly intuitive interface that allows both novice and experienced players to easily find their way around.

● In-Game Features

We expect more from software suppliers than plain vanilla gameplay and boring win lines. The best providers in the industry deliver highly innovative slots with original payout engines and lots of in-game features that keep spinners invested in the gameplay. Think cascading reels, dynamic multipliers, interactive bonus games, and multiple rounds of free spins.

● Cross-Compatibility
With mobile gaming on the rise, cross-compatibility is key for the success of any software studio. More and more providers are adopting the mobile-first approach, developing their games in HTML5 to ensure they perform effortlessly across all smartphones and tablets.

● Language and Currency Options

Renowned slot developers cater to the needs of the global reel-spinning community with multiple language options, ensuring all players can understand the paytables even if they are not fluent in English. To give you an example, the slot games developed by high-end studios like Pragmatic Play and Red Tiger Gaming are available in more than thirty languages. Their slots support the currencies of all markets these developers operate on.

● Payout Percentages

Return to Player (RTP) percentages are beyond important since they indicate how much money players can expect to win back in the long run. Some game developers like Hacksaw Gaming, Nolimit City, and Play’n GO offer variable theoretical return percentages, allowing the casino operators they work with to choose from different payout rates within a specific range. Others like Yggdrasil and BigTime Gaming offer fixed payout rates that are impossible to adjust based on the casinos’ preferences.

● Licensing

The leaders in the field of online slot development are licensed to distribute their games in multiple markets, ensuring their creations reach a greater number of players. Play’n GO, for example, provides its spectacular catalog of slots to gambling operators from more than 25 regulated jurisdictions.

Who Audits the Games of Major Slot Developers for Fairness?

All slot suppliers featured on our listing submit their gaming portfolios for regular testing in the interest of fair play. The random number generators their slots run on are independently reviewed so that fairness should never be a concern for you. External testing agencies like those covered below perform millions of trials to ensure the games produce unbiased outcomes and perform in line with their advertised payout percentages.

Major slot developers are typically certified by one of the following auditors:

● eCOGRA has been providing independent software testing services since 2003. The agency has obtained accreditation in 33 regulated markets across Europe, Asia, South and North America.

● BMM Testlabs is one of the oldest gaming certification agencies in the world, boasting over forty years of experience in the field of external game testing. Its fairness certificates are recognized in more than 400 jurisdictions, including Canada, Spain, Italy, South Africa, Australia, and the US.

● Gaming Associates is an internationally recognized testing facility with accreditation in
over 30 jurisdictions. It provides different services, including game certification, information security assessment, random number generator, platform, and integration testing.

● Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) works with gambling regulators, casino operators, and software suppliers in 480 jurisdictions worldwide. It has been helping to preserve the integrity of the gambling industry for more than thirty years.

● iTechLabs is a leading testing and certification facility that has been in operation since 2004. Its extensive list of clients includes online slot developers like Habanero, Booongo, NetEnt, Tom Horn Gaming, Eyecon, and Genesis Gaming.

Common Features in Online Slots by Major Game Developers

Online slots come with a multitude of special features that increase their winning potential and improve the overall gaming experience of players. You will find them in the games crafted by all leading software developers, including big hitters like Playtech, Microgaming, and NetEnt. What follows is a list of the most widespread features you will encounter in modern online slots, along with some suggested releases that offer them.

The Megaways Payout Mechanic

Slots with this innovative payout mechanic allow for hundreds of thousands of possible combinations per spin. They use a special reel modifier that changes the number of symbols appearing on the screen each time players set the reels in motion. This creates a wealth of winning opportunities on every round, which often comes at the expense of higher volatility.

Our Top 3 Recommended Megaways Slots

★ Spicy Meatballs Megaways by BigTime Gaming (up to 117,649 winning ways)

★ Spartacus Megaways by WMS (up to 1,000,000 winning ways)

★ Gorilla Gold Megaways by Blueprint Gaming (up to 470,596 winning ways)

Special Symbols

The online slots crafted by the industry’s top developers are packed full of special icons that assist players in creating more winning combinations and unlocking the bonus games. They feature a whole host of wild symbols, including expanding, shifting, sticky, and walking wilds. Scatters serve a two-fold function as they usually trigger the bonus features and award payouts in any position on the reels. Some developers like Pragmatic Play also incorporate special money symbols in their slot releases that reward players with instant cash prizes.

Our Top 3 Recommended Slots with Special Symbols:

★ Rise of Olympus 100 by Play’n GO (wilds, conversion symbols)

★ Cavalera Crush by Yggdrasil (wilds and scatters)

★ Hot Pepper by Pragmatic Play (wilds with multipliers, bonus symbols)

Bonus Games

The best online slots on the market typically feature some sort of a bonus game in addition to the round of free spins. This can be a picking-style bonus where players click or tap on different items to uncover the instant cash prizes they contain or a wheel-based game with guaranteed payouts and win multipliers. The imagination of the industry-leading slot suppliers really knows no boundaries.

Our Top 3 Recommended Slots with Bonus Games

★ Wheel of Fortune Triple Extreme Spin by IGT (mini wheel bonus)

★ Street Fighter II: The World Warrior by NetEnt (character selection, car-smash bonus game)

★ Fluffy Favorites by Eyecon (toybox pick-me bonus)

Free Spins

All software developers incorporate batches of free spins into their creations, giving players the chance to land extra payouts at no cost. The feature normally triggers when two or three scattered symbols hit the reels simultaneously. There is usually the option to retrigger more bonus rounds by landing the same bonus combination.

Some slots like Reel Banks by Pragmatic Play offer free spins with guaranteed prizes. More and more providers are adopting the practice of allowing players to buy their way into the free spins round rather than triggering it manually. The exact cost is game-specific, however.

Our Top 3 Recommended Slots with Free Spins

★ Buffalo Blitz by Playtech (up to 100 free spins)

★ Immortal Romance by Microgaming (4 different free spins rounds)

★ Moon Princess by Play’n GO (up to 20 free spins with progressive multipliers)

Gamble Feature

Games with the gamble feature give players the chance to double or quadruple their profits on winning spins by guessing the suit color or the exact suit of hidden playing cards. Another version of this functionality requires you to draw a card of a higher value than that of the house. There is usually a ceiling on the maximum number of times players can gamble their winnings.

Our Top 3 Recommended Slots with a Gamble Feature

★ Golden Catch by BigTime Gaming

★ Good Girl, Bad Girl by Betsoft

★ Rise of Merlin by Play’n GO

Meet the Most Popular Slot Game Developers

Most of the software companies featured in this section have been developing premium online slots ever since the remote gambling industry was in its infancy. Studios like Microgaming, Playtech, and NetEnt have become household names in the online gaming community, and rightfully so. They deliver truly breathtaking games that are tough to match in terms of quality, playability, and engagement.

Microgaming

Microgaming is the first software company that started developing slots for online casinos, and its vast experience in this field truly shows in the quality of its games. The studio has contributed enormously to the iGaming industry over the past twenty years. Microgaming was the first provider in history to craft a mobile game, and it also launched the first-ever branded online slot.

Additionally, the Isle of Man-based studio is responsible for the release of the first customizable slot on the internet. The company stands out from the crowd with a robust catalog that comprises over 800 premium slots across all categories imaginable. It operates the largest progressive jackpot network in the world (Mega Moolah) that comprises multiple titles linked across all Microgaming-powered casinos.

NetEnt

In business since 1996, NetEnt abides by the motto ‘Better Gaming’ and it is impossible to argue the slots it develops perfectly reflect this slogan. The Swedish software company has accumulated dozens of trophies since it first launched, including Slot Provider of the Year at the 2015 EGR Awards. Its branded slot Jumanji was also voted Casino Product of the Year at the 2019 Global Gaming Awards.

NetEnt slots enjoy undying popularity as they stand out with exceptional graphics quality, tons of original features, and superior return percentages. The company also delivers rather attractive progressive jackpots and even made it on the Guinness Book of World Records after its Mega Fortune game dropped the biggest jackpot ever won in an online slot back in 2013.

Playtech

Playtech has been developing best-of-breed games ever since its inception over 23 years ago. The company commenced operations in 1999 and quickly established itself as a leader in the field of game development. Playtech has now extended its massive reach to over 170 licensed online casinos across 30 regulated jurisdictions.

The Isle of Man-based supplier boasts one of the most extensive slot portfolios in the industry, delivering over 600 state-of-the-art titles. Playtech is held in particularly high regard for its progressive games and branded slots like The Walking Dead, Man of Steel, and Gladiator. The studio offers a varied range of progressive jackpot suites, including the Kingdoms Rise, Sports Legends, Age of the Gods, and Fire Blaze series.

Pragmatic Play

Pragmatic Play boasts an extensive selection of over 250 premium slots to suit a range of player preferences and demands. The company is one of the fastest-growing suppliers of quality slots in the online gambling industry, consistently releasing newer and better games each month. Its multi-award-winning portfolio is available in 33 languages to players from more than 20 jurisdictions.

The ambitious software studio never ceases to innovate, consistently incorporating better and more original features into its creations like the PowerNudge™ and Connect & Collect™. In early 2020, it launched the unique Drops & Wins promotional incentive that rewards players via a series of weekly tournaments and daily prize drops across the studio’s top-performing slot releases.

Play’n GO

Established in 2005, Play’n GO was among the first online slot developers to recognize the massive potential of mobile gaming. The Swedish company has grown from strength to strength over the years and is currently considered one of the largest slot suppliers out there. Play’n GO provides an unmatched catalog of innovative titles to licensed casino operators in more than 25 regulated jurisdictions, including Canada, Italy, Colombia, Spain, Portugal, the UK, and Belgium.

The company demonstrates a firm commitment to excellence that shows in all aspects of its games. Play’n GO is particularly well-known for delivering quality grid slots that lack conventional paylines. Instead, winning combinations are formed whenever five or more matching symbols form horizontal or vertical clusters on the reel grid.

Younger Software Studios to Pay Attention to

The younger software studios featured in this section may lack the vast experience of industry dinosaurs like Microgaming but have already taken the reel-spinning community by storm. Contenders like BigTime Gaming are already leading the pack when it comes to playability and innovation. Their cutting-edge creations blow the competition out of the water as they boast tons of novel features that greatly boost their win potential and improve players’ experience.

Red Tiger Gaming

Red Tiger Gaming is a relatively new arrival on the online gambling scene with less than ten years of industry experience up its sleeve. The award-winning studio is responsible for several major innovations, including the introduction of trademark features like the ClusterBuster™ mechanic, Daily Drops Jackpots™, and Power Reels™. This incredibly prolific company has already launched over 250 exciting slots but continues to expand its ever-growing portfolio on a weekly basis. Players can find the studio’s bespoke games at more than 170 online casinos.

Top 3 Slot Releases by Red Tiger Gaming

★ Rocket Men (96.12% RTP)

★ Hoard of Poseidon (95.71% RTP)

★ Dragon’s Luck Deluxe (95.77% RTP)

Endorphina

Endorphina is an aspiring gaming studio with ten years of market experience, multiple industry awards, and hundreds of partnering casinos. The company specializes in developing feature-rich online slots that stand out with spectacular 3D graphics, enticing bonus features, and original themes. Endorphina’s portfolio currently comprises a hundred or so releases, with new titles being launched each month.

Top 3 Slot Releases by Endorphina

★ Mystery of Eldorado (96.05% RTP)

★ Kamchatka (96.08% RTP)

★ Solar Eclipse (96.04% RTP)

Fantasma Games

Fantasma is a Stockholm-based game developer that debuted on the online gambling scene in 2016. It focuses on delivering a superior experience to smartphone and tablet players from over 50 countries. The company achieves this by adopting a mobile-first approach, which allows it to craft highly scalable games that perform equally well across all portable devices. The studio prioritizes quality over quantity having released 24 online slots thus far.

Top 3 Slot Releases by Fantasma Games

★ Golden Castle Titanways™ (96.34% RTP)

★ Hades River of Souls (96.56% RTP)

★ Flower Fortunes Supreme (95.88% RTP)

BigTime Gaming

BigTime Gaming (BTG) revolutionized slot development in 2015 when it released Dragon Born, the first-ever game with the studio’s trademark Megaways™ mechanic that unleashes hundreds of thousands of possible winning combinations on every spin. Rival software companies quickly took notice of the engine’s success and started incorporating it into their own slots under licenses from BTG. The Australian studio continued to innovate in the years to follow with more cutting-edge features like the MegaTrail™, MegaStacks™, and MegaQuads™, among others.

Top 3 Slot Releases by BigTime Gaming

★ Extra Chilli Megaways (96.15% – 96.82% RTP)

★ White Rabbit (97.24% – 97.77% RTP)

★ Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (96.27% RTP)

Hacksaw Gaming

Hacksaw Gaming provides over a hundred high-quality online slots and instant-win games to more than 250 partnering casinos across 18 regulated markets, including Denmark, Great Britain, Latvia, and Sweden. The online slots crafted by the Malta-based company sit comfortably with a wide demographic of players thanks to their sophisticated concepts, solid themes, and innovative features like Stack’n Sync™, EchoSpins™, and DualReels™.

Top 3 Slots Releases by Hacksaw Gaming

★ Undead Fortune (96.29% RTP)

★ Pug Life (96.25% – 96.30% RTP)

★ Gladiator Legends (96.31% RTP)

Software Companies that Adapt Landbased Slots for Online Play

Unlike the studios discussed so far, the companies to follow had their roots in the landbased gambling industry before they crossed over to the online gaming realm. They have pioneered various leading-edge technologies that remain in use to this day. Perhaps you are familiar with some of them if you have previous experience with landbased slot cabinets.

WMS

WMS originally specialized in the manufacturing of video arcades and pinball machines before it entered the landbased slot cabinet market in the mid-1990s. The company introduced Reel ‘em In, the first multi-payline slot with a secondary bonus feature and followed up its success with various branded cabinets based on blockbusters like Men in Black and The Wizard of Oz. It started to transition to online game development in 2010 and was eventually acquired by Scientific Games.

Top 3 WMS Landbased Slots Adapted for Online Play

★ Black Knight (94% – 97.75% RTP)

★ Amazon Queen (95.94% RTP)

★ Montezuma (95.86% RTP)

IGT

IGT’s history dates back to 1975 when it started manufacturing slot machine cabinets for landbased casinos. The Nevada-based company is responsible for the launch of Megabucks, the first wide-area progressive slot in the world whose base jackpot started seeding at the impressive amount of one million dollars. IGT made its first steps in the emerging online gaming market in 2005 through the acquisition of WagerWorks.

Top 3 IGT Landbased Slots Adapted for Online Play

★ Wheel of Fortune on Tour (92.50% – 96.60% RTP)

★ Wolf Run (92.50% – 94.98% RTP)

★ Cleopatra (95.02% RTP)

EGT

Based in Bulgaria, EGT (Euro Games Technology) manufactures gaming terminals and equipment for landbased casinos in more than fifty markets. After achieving considerable success on local soil, the company expanded its reach to other countries like Romania, Russia, Hungary, Denmark, and Latvia. Its online division EGT Interactive recently rebranded as Amusnes Interactive as part of the efforts to drive new growth across the remote segment.

Top 3 EGT Slots Adapted for Online Play

★ Amazon’s Battle (96.12% RTP)

★ 40 Burning Hot (95.93% RTP)

★ Age of Troy (96.01% RTP)

Frequently Asked Questions about Slot Developers

Which slot developers provide the biggest progressive jackpots?

Industry leaders like Microgaming and Playtech operate the biggest progressive networks in the world, including Mega Moolah and Age of the Gods. Their jackpots accumulate across multiple slot releases and online casinos, which allows them to grow to massive proportions.

How often can I expect new releases from top-performing studios?

The best studios in the online gaming industry are committed to constantly expanding their portfolios and typically release new slots each week. In the worst-case scenario, you can expect new releases on a monthly basis.

What other casino games do leading software suppliers provide?

The biggest software developers in the industry do not restrict their creative genius to online slots only. Frontrunners like Microgaming, NetEnt, and Playtech cater to a broad range of demands and preferences by offering randomly generated table games and live dealer tables, allowing reel spinners to experiment with casino classics like roulette, baccarat, and blackjack.

The slots of some suppliers won’t load for me. Why is that?

There are several reasons why you cannot load the games of certain suppliers. Perhaps you are using an outdated device or operating system that is not compatible with the studios’ latest releases. Another possible explanation is that you are trying to access the games from a jurisdiction in which the studio is not licensed to distribute its portfolio.

Do I have to install any additional software to load the slots of the best developers?

No, the industry’s best developers build their games using the HTML5 technology, which renders them accessible via a broad range of mobile and desktop browsers. There is no need to install any add-ons or special software to play. However, we recommend you update your browser as frequently as possible to ensure a smooth gaming experience at all times.