Online Casino Software Providers - The Major Players

The first thing you need to know to pick a new casino is a little bit about the software providers. There are hundreds of online casinos but, if you've have played at a few of them, you probably already know that very few casinos have their own software, they license it. Some of the software providers are very careful about who they give licenses to and they will even step in and shut a casino down if they aren't paying players. They want to maintain a good image with players so they can charge larger licensing fees to the casinos. But other software providers take a hands-off approach and will not step in. As long as someone has the money to pay, they will license them. Below, we have listed the main software providers and a brief description of each, so you have an idea of which category they fall into.

Aqua Online - They have a fair number of casinos but they are all relatively small. Their graphics are slightly below average but there doesn't seem to be too many complaints about their casinos.

Boss Media - One of the larger software providers. They charge a very large start-up fee and watch over their casinos fairly well. The graphics are well done and the games play well.

Chartwell - They only have a hand full of casino but they are a higher-end supplier. One of their casinos went out of business recently with unpaid players but otherwise they have had a pretty good reputation.

Future Bet - They do not seem to screen licensees very well and they take a hands-off approach. Many of their casinos have had problems and it is best to avoid them.

Gambling Federation (iCrystal) - The Gambling Federation is different, they are a white label casino. They do not license casinos, they provide a generic casino for people to advertise to players. The Gambling Federation does all of the payment processing and deals with the players. The casino "owners" receive a percentage of the profit from the players they refer to the casino. Having said that there is nothing wrong with them and their 10-hand video poker is a favorite of many players.

Grand Virtual - They are fairly small. There are rumors of them being partners with less than respectable companies and a fair amount of dissension amongst players as well. It is best to avoid their casinos.

Microgaming - They are the biggest software provider on the internet. They charge a very large fee to start with - around a million dollars - and they keep tight control over of any casinos who stop paying players.

Net Entertainment - They have five casinos which they own themselves. They have a good reputation for dealing with players and they offer unique software.

Odds On - They currently have nine casinos. Most of them are owned by the software provider themselves and they have a solid reputation. However, one of their licensees has just went out of business and owes players money. Until this situation is dealt with I would recommend against going to any Odds On casino or gaming site. You should note that Odds On also owns Big Bet Poker and English Harbour Poker. I would recommend avoiding them until this is cleared up as well.

Playtech - They are one of the top 4 or 5 software providers but their reputation has suffered the last few months. A few of their casinos have had some problems but many of them are still well regarded.

Random Logic - There are two casinos who use them, Casino On Net and Reef Club. They are a well-respected company and have not had any major issues. Casino On Net has had some controversy over their advertising tactics, so Reef Club may be a better choice.

RTG - Real Time Gaming has some of the nicest looking software and their video poker games are a favorite of many players. Unfortunately, they do not police their casinos and some of them have very bad reputations. If you are going to play at an RTG casino, you have to know who pays and who doesn't before you choose. They are not a good choice for someone just looking to pick the first casino they go to.

WagerLogic (CryptoLogic) - They are a relatively large company with some of the biggest casinos on the internet. They have a solid reputation.

Notes: - There are a few software companies not included here. Most of them should be avoided unless you know they are good. As well, we haven't included casinos with proprietary software because there are simply too many. However, some of them are amongst the best in the industry. A couple of good ones are Lasseters and Slotland. Both of them are very solid and have good reputations.

If you are having trouble finding out who the software provider is, check our software directory or email us.

by Stephen Erickson,   BorntoBet.com