What’s great about the online gambling industry is that it’s both huge and diverse. When it comes to game production, there are over 350 software developers that are cranking out slots, table games and other casino games for players around the world to enjoy. Some of these have been around since the first online casinos were launched in the late 90s. Others are even older, having first specialised in creating games for land-based casinos. Then there are lots of newer ones that have only been working for a few years.

The hundreds of developers have released over 16,000 slots among them. It’s safe to say that there are many slots that are similar to one another. While slots do come in a wide range of themes and have lots of different features, it’s not difficult to find some that aren’t that different from one another.

So what makes certain developers stand out? While many have become successful because of the quality of their gaming content, it’s innovation that really makes a company earn recognition and stand apart from the rest. Some play it safe and stick to the tried and tested slots formula – they focus on consistent quality, rather than trying new things. Developers that have a back catalogue of land-based slots concentrate on adapting these for the online market. Aristocrat, IGT, Novomatic and Barcrest are a few examples of developers that create high-quality online slots, but don’t really push things forward.

Developers I Prefer

There are several developers that stand out because they push boundaries. They introduce new features to online slots and make them more varied and compelling than before. If it weren’t for developers introducing new innovations, slots would be the same and that would be boring. Thanks to innovations, the world of online slots is exciting and unpredictable – you can never guess what big new feature is going to be unveiled next. Here’s a run-down of several preferred developers that have made waves in the industry for introducing exciting new features.

• Big Time Gaming. Back in 2016, Big Time Gaming took the online slots world by storm when it released the mining-themed slot Bonanza. This slot introduced a brand new concept: Megaways. The way this works is as follows: the slot has six reels and on every spin, each reel can have two to seven symbols on it. You win by landing matching symbols on consecutive reels left to right. Every spin of the reels can give you thousands of ways to win. If all six reels have seven symbols on them, there are a huge 117,649 ways you can win. Big Time Gaming has launched several Megaways slots and has licensed the feature for other developers to use. It’s soon launching a similar feature: Megaclusters. This has all winning symbols replaced by four separate reels each, giving you even more chances of winning.
• Microgaming. Microgaming is widely credited with launching the world’s very first online casino software. It’s also responsible for the very first mobile slots and is behind the world’s biggest-paying progressive jackpot slot: Mega Moolah.
• BetSoft. What makes BetSoft stand out is its focus on the graphical presentation of its slots. The developer’s most recent slots are designed with immersive, eye-catching 3D graphics. They’re a lot more cinematic than other slots and are highly detailed, with well thought out storylines and fleshed out characters, not to mention plenty of special features.
• NetEnt. NetEnt is an all-round developer that produces practically every type of online casino game. In 2016, it released the Hawaiian-themed slot Aloha! Cluster Pays. What this slot introduced was the Cluster Pays mechanic – instead of winning on paylines, you win by forming clusters of nine or more matching symbols that are touching horizontally or vertically.

Summary

There are loads of developers creating slots. The ones I prefer are those that try to do something new, whether it’s improving the visual quality of slots or introducing exciting new gameplay mechanics. These innovative providers help keep slots interesting and are worth following. With technology advancing so much these days, you never know what certain providers have hidden up their sleeve waiting to unleash to the world.