Online casino gaming has become one of the main ways in which adults spend their leisure time on the web. Aside from the draw power of top online social media sites such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, signing up with a leading online casino is very much on trend right now.
The remarkable upswing in its popularity flies in the face of a number of analysts, who predicted that online casino gaming would eventually peak and possibly even stagnate. Not only is online casino gaming more popular than ever, particularly with millennials who have come of age, new online casino sites are launching every month.
One of the biggest factors driving the significant growth within the online casino gaming niche, is the exponential increase in smaller, more specialised casino gaming software brands. In its infancy, the online casino industry relied on less than a handful of software providers. Top dogs in the early days were Microgaming, Playtech and Net Entertainment. However, only Microgaming can rightfully claim to be the software brand that helped light the match which sparked the virtual casino big bang.
Challenging the big hitters
So who are the new kids on the block that are pushing online casino gambling into new territory and, at the same time, creating a fresh new market?
There are, perhaps surprisingly, quite a few smaller casino software developers currently supplying a wide range of online casino brands with high quality software. Many of these smaller brands can also be characterised as specialists, focusing on specific niche areas within the larger scope of online casino gaming. A great example of this is Evolution Gaming, who do produce a wide range of virtual gaming options but are more known for their Live Dealer (live casino) platforms.
Swedish gaming brand Yggdrasil is another great example of a specialist in action. Yggdrasil tend to focus on producing incredible animated 3D video slots, aimed squarely at the new generation of online slots fans, these games feature Pixar-quality animations, quirky characters and superb graphics.
It’s important to also mention that not all of the smaller software brands are new. In fact, one of the strongest challenges to the Microgaming and Playtech gaming Godzilla’s, happens to be one of the oldest casino gaming developers in the world.
Australian Aristocrat Leisure Limited was established back in the early fifties and produced its very first casino slot or ‘pokie’ in 1953. The Aristocrat gaming brand is the second largest land-based gaming brand in the world, just a hair behind the US-based International Gaming Technology.
While Aristocrat are best known for their land-based casino games, the brand have made significant headway in the online casino niche. In fact, Aristocrat are one of the few casino game developers that operate within both spheres. Their virtual slots are sought after by experienced online casino players and are also now available to play on mobile devices.
Other small software providers taking on the big guns
Aristocrat count themselves in great company as the pool of small, specialised gaming software providers begins to get a bit deeper. Quickspin, for example, are a fairly small Swedish-based firm that specialise in developing a range of unique slots for the real money casino market as well as the play for free social market.
Betsoft is another perfect example of a small yet formidable software brand. Betsoft’s most unique selling point is their innovative and often ground-breaking 3D video slots. Betsoft develop one-of-a-kind platforms accompanied by unique and lovable characters, turning the standard online video slot into a self-contained adventure world. Titles like Greedy Goblins and A Night in Paris have won the brand accolades and a slew of loyal fans the world over. According to CasinoCanuck, there are plenty of up and coming small sized software brands to look out for, including the likes of Blueprint Gaming, NYX, and Play’n Go among many others. It is a good time to be the small guy.
Further reading on gaming software
