The Game Creators and their Game

Just as important as the casino operator (the website you play on) are the software providers – the companies that actually develop the casino games, either we’re talking about slots, poker or live dealer games. These are the names you will see when a game is loading: like NetEnt, Microgaming, Playtech, Evolution, Pragmatic Play, IGT, Play’n GO, Yggdrasil, Betsoft, and many more.

Sooo many more. We’re talking dozens of new providers coming to digital life in the past years. And that's good, we enjoy diversity. These companies are the ones writing the code for the games, designing the math, and supplying them to casinos. Let’s look at a few of the biggest and how they uphold fairness and transparency:

• NetEnt (Net Entertainment): A Swedish company famed for slots like Starburst, Gonzo’s Quest, and Mega Fortune. NetEnt has long been respected for its high-quality graphics and player-friendly games. Most NetEnt slots have RTPs around 95–97%, and the company publicizes these figures in its game info . NetEnt takes certification seriously – all NetEnt games go through independent testing and certification before release, and they explicitly state that operators cannot tweak the RTP or game settings on their own . NetEnt’s RNGs are certified by labs and meet strict regulatory standards globally .

In fact, NetEnt often gets multiple certifications because each jurisdiction (UK, Malta, Sweden, etc.) might have its own requirements. NetEnt games are known for fairness and have rarely (if ever) been involved in any scandal regarding rigging. They have even published FAQ for players clarifying that “slots are completely random” and debunking myths about beating the system . NetEnt was acquired by Evolution in 2020, but its slots continue under the NetEnt brand with the same ethos.

• Microgaming: A pioneer in online gaming, Microgaming (based on the Isle of Man) claims to have launched the first true online casino in 1994. They have a massive portfolio including the famous Mega Moolah jackpot slot. Microgaming was instrumental in establishing eCOGRA in the early 2000s (as a self-regulatory initiative) , which shows they were ahead of the curve on independent oversight. Their games also undergo rigorous testing.

Microgaming’s RNG and software have been certified over decades. A lot of online casinos have what’s called the “Microgaming Quickfire” platform which aggregates many games – all those run on certified software. Microgaming’s RTPs vary by game, but they often have a “theoretical RTP” section in game rules. They also were one of the first to publish payout reports (back in the day, Microgaming casinos would publish monthly payout percentages verified by eCOGRA). That tradition of transparency continues on many of their partner casinos.

• Playtech: Another giant (founded in 1999, Isle of Man-based), known for slots like Age of the Gods series and lots of licensed titles (movies, superheroes). Playtech provides both RNG games and live dealer games. They operate in many regulated markets and thus their games go through multiple lab certifications. Playtech is actually listed on the London Stock Exchange, which adds another layer of scrutiny to its operations.

They can’t afford a fairness scandal. Historically, Playtech has provided theoretical RTP info and has offered high-RTP games. Some of their older slots allow operator-adjustable RTP ranges, but any adjustments are clearly documented and must be within certified limits. Playtech also has its own labs and quality assurance, but still uses third-party labs for official certs.

• Evolution Gaming: Evolution is synonymous with live dealer games.They don’t do RNG slots (aside from the fact they bought NetEnt and Red Tiger, which are slot studios, but Evolution’s core business is live casino streams). If you’ve played live blackjack, roulette, baccarat, or game-show style games like Crazy Time or Monopoly Live, chances are it was Evolution (they dominate this sector). Evolution’s fairness assurance comes from a different angle: they use real equipment and dealers, so to ensure fairness they rely on procedures and physical device integrity.

They use professional grade card shufflers, real cards that are replaced frequently, and roulette wheels that are precision-made. They have multiple cameras on each game to provide transparency (players can often see the shoe being shuffled, etc.). Still, randomness is randomness – in live games it’s physical, not algorithmic. These studios are audited by regulators just like RNG games. For example, the Malta Gaming Authority licenses many live dealer studios (Evolution has big studios in Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, etc.).

Regulators and labs will test things like: does the automatic shuffler truly randomize the cards? Is the roulette wheel correctly balanced? They even audit the dealer procedures. According to Slotegrator, certification agencies verify live dealer staff training and that all equipment meets standards . Evolution’s stellar reputation (they serve almost all major online casinos for live games) is built on trust – any hint of rigging and their business would collapse, so they maintain tight security and surveillance.

• Pragmatic Play: A newer actor in the game creation, which rose quickly, Pragmatic offers both a large slot portfolio and, more recently, live dealer games. Pragmatic’s slots are known for being feature-rich and often high volatility. Many of their games have customizable RTP settings – for instance, a slot might have a version at 96.5% and an alternate version at 95% or even lower. Reputable casinos using Pragmatic usually stick to the highest RTP version and disclose it.

Pragmatic games are certified in numerous jurisdictions, including by GLI and similar labs for RNG. They’ve gained licenses in places like the UK, Malta, and others, meaning their software was examined by those regulators’ approved labs.

Pragmatic also run their own live studios (in Europe) for games like live blackjack/roulette; those follow the same fairness practices as Evolution’s. Pragmatic’s reputation is generally positive, though experienced players sometimes critique when casinos choose lower RTP versions (which is more of an operator choice than Pragmatic’s fault per se). As with others, if you’re playing Pragmatic games on a licensed site, they’ve been tested and approved. Pragmatic often publishes the max exposure (max win) and RTP in their game help files, which is good transparency.

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• Others: There are many other providers – Play’n GO (popular for Book of Dead, etc.), IGT (a veteran, big in land-based slots, also in online), Novomatic (famous for Book of Ra in Europe), Red Tiger (now part of Evolution like NetEnt), Betsoft (known for 3D slots), Big Time Gaming (inventor of Megaways slots), Scientific Games (now Light & Wonder), and so on. All these companies, when operating in regulated markets, must get their games certified.

Many have pages on their websites describing their commitment to fair play and listing the jurisdictions they operate in. For example, game studios often hold licenses themselves as suppliers (NetEnt, Play’n GO, etc., have supplier licenses from MGA, UKGC, etc. – meaning those regulators have vetted the company). This multi-level vetting (supplier and operator) double ensures fairness.

Providers like NetEnt, Microgaming, Play’n GO have long track records of trust – players generally know their games behave as expected and pay the stated RTP. Evolution and Playtech are trusted for live games (Evolution had a spotless record until a minor controversy in 2021 where they had to address certain jurisdictional streaming issues, but not fairness issues). Pragmatic, Red Tiger, Yggdrasil and newer slot studios have earned trust by getting certified everywhere and delivering consistent games.

However, the volatility differences and game structures can make one feel harder than another. A high-volatility slot might feel “unfair” on a dry spell, but it’s behaving as designed. The important thing is all these reputable providers ensure their RNGs and outcomes are fair within the boundaries of their game design, and those designs are made public (in terms of RTP, paytables, rules). When in doubt, checking the game info section will usually tell you the RTP and maybe volatility. You can trust that because regulators require accuracy – a provider can’t lie about an RTP in the info screen and then not adhere to it.

One more angle: open source and community testing. While game source code is proprietary (understandably, as it’s their IP), academics and interested experts sometimes analyze game behavior. There have been extremely few instances of any big provider failing tests. In fact, years ago, an informal test by a mathematician on tens of thousands of online slot spins from various providers found no evidence of bias – the results fell in line with expected randomness. And when rare bugs are found (e.g., a software glitch that causes an unintended outcome), providers fix them and usually compensate players if necessary. The ecosystem of providers and independent auditors forms a robust safety net.