Casino software providers at new online casinos

What a studio does

Studios build and certify games, then license them to casinos through aggregators. The casino hosts the game in its lobby but cannot change its maths beyond choosing among the RTP versions the studio offers.

Main kinds of software

• Slot studios: Pragmatic Play, Play'n GO, NetEnt, Hacksaw Gaming, Nolimit City.
• Live dealer studios: Evolution, Ezugi, Pragmatic Play Live, Playtech Live.
• Asian-market studios: JILI, PG Soft, Fa Chai, for slots and fish games.
• Crash and instant games: Spribe and others.

Are studios fair?

Major studios have their games tested by independent labs and certified for the RTP stated. Check the RTP in the game's info screen; our RTP guide explains why it can differ between casinos.

How to choose a game studio

A game studio decides what you can play. The casino decides how the money moves. Game studios therefore matter most when you already know the game type you want. Slot players should look for studios with deep slot catalogues. Live dealer players should look for studios that run their own broadcast studios. Our guide to choosing games explains how to match a game type to your budget and your patience.

• Check which studios the casino lists before you register.
• Open one game from each studio and read its info screen.
• Try the demo version first, if the game has one.
• Prefer a lobby with several studios over a lobby with one.

Older and newer game studios

Playtech was founded in 1999. Play'n GO was founded in 2005. Evolution was founded in 2006. Pragmatic Play was founded in 2015.

Studio age shows track record, not quality. Older studios have a longer history of audited games and live operations. Newer studios often move faster on formats such as crash games and Megaways-style slots. A new casino usually mixes both. The top new NetEnt games show how an established studio keeps releasing fresh titles.

Studios, instant play and mobile

Game studios build most modern games in HTML5. HTML5 lets a game run in a browser on a desktop, a tablet or a phone. Studios design the game screens for touch controls as well as a mouse. The casino supplies the app or the mobile site around the game. Our mobile versus desktop guide compares the two ways to play.

Demo play and limits

A demo lets you play a game with play money. A demo shows the studio's layout, bonus features and pace of play. A demo does not show how a casino's bonus terms work, so read those separately. Set a deposit limit before you switch to real money. Our responsible gaming page explains the limit tools. Casino games can lead to losses, so play only with money you can afford to lose.

Studios and withdrawals

A game studio does not process withdrawals. The casino handles each withdrawal after its own identity checks. Studio choice affects the games you play, not the speed of a cash-out. Two casinos with the same studios can pay out at different speeds. Compare the casino's withdrawal terms and methods instead of its lobby.

How aggregators connect game studios to new casinos

A new casino rarely signs a separate contract with every game studio. Many casinos connect to an aggregator, a platform that bundles the catalogues of many studios behind one integration. The aggregator handles the technical link and the reporting between the casino and each game. This is how a new casino can open with a large lobby quickly. The studio still owns the game and its maths, and the aggregator only delivers it. A casino that lists a studio may therefore reach that studio through a third party instead of directly. Players do not see this layer, but it explains why the same studio appears at casinos that have no other link to each other.

RTP versions: why the same studio game differs between casinos

Return to player, or RTP, is the share of stakes a game is designed to pay back over a very large number of spins. Some studios publish several RTP versions of the same slot. The casino picks one version when it adds the game. Two new casinos can therefore run the same slot with different RTP values. The studio sets the available versions, and the casino chooses among them. The game's info screen shows the version in use, so open it in each lobby before you decide where to play. An RTP figure describes the long run and does not predict a single session.

How independent testing shows that studio software is fair

Independent test labs examine a game's random number generator and its payout maths. The lab checks that outcomes are unpredictable and that the game pays back the RTP the studio states. A regulator may ask for this certificate before a casino can offer the game. The certificate belongs to the studio's game and not to the casino. A licensed casino still writes its own bonus terms and withdrawal rules, and the lab tests do not cover them. Treat studio certification as one check among several, and read the casino's licence details separately.

Live dealer software: what a studio provides

Live dealer games run on a different model from slots. A studio operates a broadcast studio, trains dealers and streams the table to the player's screen. The software also handles bets, timers and results in real time. Evolution is a leading live dealer studio, and the Evolution Gaming page lists the new casinos that carry its tables. Live games need a stable connection, so players on slow mobile data may prefer RNG table games. Table limits are set by the studio and the casino together.

Slot software: volatility, features and Megaways

Slot studios set their games apart through volatility and features. Volatility describes how often and how large the wins tend to be. Low-volatility slots pay smaller amounts more often. High-volatility slots pay larger amounts less often. Studios also build mechanics such as free spins, multipliers and Megaways reels, which change the number of ways to win on each spin. Pragmatic Play is listed above as a slot studio, and the Pragmatic Play page shows which new casinos carry its slots.

Crash and instant games from newer studios

Crash and instant games form a third group of studio products. A crash game shows a multiplier that rises until it stops, and the player must cash out before that point. Rounds are short, so stakes can pass through your balance quickly. The studio designs the round and the casino only hosts it. Set a stake limit and a time limit before you start. Treat these games as entertainment with a cost.

What Filipino players should check about a studio

Filipino players can check three things about any studio. First, confirm that the casino lists the studio on its games page. Second, open a demo of one game to see the layout and the stated RTP. Third, confirm that the casino accepts players from the Philippines and states its licence. The studio decides none of these points. Players must be 21 or older, whichever studio built the game.

Studio pages

See Pragmatic Play, Evolution, Play'n GO, Playtech and N2-Live.