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For online casinos to operate, they need to partner with casino game developers to build up their games library. Without such a partnership, there would be almost no gambling platforms available. As part of CasinoGuide’s mission to help you make better casino choices, we’ve prepared this article to help you play games by the best gambling software providers.
Find the Best Providers in these Casinos
Major Casino Software Providers for NZ
There are over 100 casino game providers whose creations are available in New Zealand. From pokies to live table games, these developers offer a wide range of themes, game mechanics, and potential payouts.
Here are some of the best casino game developers in the country:
Evolution
Evolution is one of the world’s biggest and broadest casino game providers. As a game brand, Evolution Gaming provides an extensive range of live casino games. However, the company that owns this brand is also the owner of other notable gambling software. This company was launched in 2006 and has won numerous awards, including Best Online Casino Supplier at the Global Gaming Awards for three consecutive years.
NetEnt
NetEnt is another award-winning provider of online pokies and table games, offering a catalogue of over 200 titles. It was launched in 1996 and was acquired by Evolution Gaming in 2020. Since its inception, NetEnt became one of the best casino game developers to offer animated and 3D pokies which provide an entertaining video game experience in combination with the possibility of winning high-value payouts.
Playtech
Playtech was launched in 2001, and by 2021 had released over 600 casino games. Its creations are enjoyed by millions of players worldwide and include everything from pokies to live dealers and virtual sports. As you would expect from one of the best casino game providers in NZ, Playtech has won an impressive number of industry awards, including the 2020 Casino Platform Provider of the Year at the EGR Nordics Awards.
Microgaming
Microgaming is one of the oldest gambling software providers as well as one of the largest. The brand was established in the Isle of Man in 1994 and its 200-person team has released over 850 games, including hundreds of pokies themed after Hollywood movies and renowned tv shows. Microgaming has won numerous awards, however, its most notable achievement is successfully partnering with over 450 global casino operators.
Play’n Go
Play’n GO is another top-rated Swedish creator and was launched in 2004. With around 300 games, this brand has chosen to focus entirely on quality, rather than quantity. Its library includes a small number of table and other games, but it’s video pokies that Play’n GO does best. They are one of the reasons why the brand has won Best Casino Supplier of the Year at the 2019 Malta’s iGaming Excellence Awards.
Betsoft
Betsoft is a smaller and niche gambling software provider that specialises in cinematic and 3D pokies. The majority of this brand’s creations feature entertaining and animated characters with colourful themes. Betsoft launched in 2006 and is based in Malta. With a strong presence across New Zealand, Australia, and the US, this brand has won several global awards, including Best Gaming Provider at the 2017 Login Casino Awards.
Pragmatic Play
Pragmatic Play is another Malta-based gambling software provider that is known for its 200+ online pokies and other casino games. This well-rounded developer excels in providing jackpot pokies as well as mobile-friendly games. It launched in 2015 and just a few years later, set up Pragmatic Live to offer a range of live dealer games, including Blackjack and Roulette.
Wazdan
Wazdan is one of the younger casino game developers on this list. It was established in 2016 and is yet another game creator that is based on the Island of Malta. As with many other niche brands, Wazdan’s 100+ games are almost entirely pokies, though you can also find Blackjack, Poker, and Roulette games powered by Wazdan. The brand has won several awards, including Online Casino Innovator at the 2018 CEEG Awards.
Pokie Machine Developers
Online pokies remain the single most popular genre of casino games in New Zealand. As a result, casino game providers compete aggressively with each other in order to make it to the top of the leaderboard. This category of casino games showcases some of the most creative use of technology and features a broad range of graphics, soundtracks, and winning combinations.
If you would like to try some of the best pokies in NZ, we recommend NetEnt’s Gonzo’s Quest, Play’n GO’s Book of Dead, and Microgaming’s Immortal Romance.
Live Casino Developers
Live casino games offer an ultra-realistic and immersive Vegas experience to players from the comfort of their home computer or smartphone. They include a range of popular table and live-action games, including Blackjack, Roulette, Baccarat, and Poker. These games are hosted by professional dealers or hosts and let players chat with one another and with the dealers.
Evolution is one of the best providers of live casino games, offering an immense choice of classic games as well as numerous variants. Some of their best games include Live Baccarat Squeeze, First Person Craps, and Lightning Blackjack. You should also experience their live-action collection, including Gonzo’s Treasure Hunt and Dream Catcher.
Mobile Game Developers
The use of smartphones and tablets to play online casino games is steadily increasing in New Zealand, and this has led casino game providers to update their creations to be optimized for mobile gameplay. In most cases, you’ll be able to access the entire game catalogue from your device, without needing to download any additional software.
Some of the most popular mobile games available in NZ are Wolf Gold by Pragmatic Play, Safari Sam by BetSoft, and Mystery Jack Deluxe by Wazdan.
Other Casino Games
In addition to the game genres listed above, casino game developers offer several other game variants. From video poker to bingo, keno, and scratchcards, you can enjoy playing these games at online casinos. Even if you’ve never played these games before, you’ll be able to try them for free before playing with real money.
If you’re looking for other casino games to play, Playtech is the best brand to look out for. From online Bingo to dedicated Poker platforms, this single game developer offers hundreds of alternative casino games that are easy and fun to play.
How We Rate the Game Developers That We Recommend
Before we list casino game developers on our leaderboard, the research team at CasinoGuide carries out extensive research and analysis. Here are just a few of the factors that we consider in order to pick the best providers:
Range of Games
Naturally, one of the key criteria for a software provider to rank amongst the best is game selection. We consider both the number and varieties of games available. This is why our list includes both large game providers, such as NetEnt and Red Tiger, as well as niche brands, such as Wazdan and Betsoft.
Quality and Diversity
Quantity alone does not impress us, as we look beyond the numbers and focus on the overall game experience. This is why we celebrate gambling software providers that are able to offer quality games across multiple genres. Top providers, including Playtech and Skywind, manage to do just that.
Awards
Industry awards and nominations are a great way to understand whether a game developer is truly one of the best. Each year, there are several notable award ceremonies where top game developers, including Pragmatic Play and Evolution, win numerous awards for their games, use of technology, and overall experience.
RTP
The Return to Player (RTP) percentage is commonly used to gauge the likelihood of winning a payout from a particular casino game. Whilst offering no guarantee, games with higher RTPs are statistically more likely to return most of the player’s wagers through payouts. This is why providers with high RTP games, including NoLimit City, are so popular.
Graphics and Sound
Online casino games are increasingly designed to offer a realistic video game experience to players. Online pokies provide some of the best ways to experience masterful visuals and immersive sound effects. However, even table and other game providers, including Quickspin and Microgaming, are delivering games with impressive graphics and sound.
Animations
To step up their game, several gambling software providers include 3D animations to up the entertainment factor. Numerous games by NetEnt, iSoftBet, and other providers begin with an animated intro and continue to feature animations throughout, especially when a bonus is unlocked.
Types of Software Available
Online casino game software is one of the most technologically-advanced forms of gaming and is available in a number of different formats.
Whilst the industry was one of the first to embrace mobile app technology, it is increasingly shifting towards a mobile-optimised web environment that is accessible across devices and operating systems. This instant play option is only possible through the use of HTML5 in creating casino games.
Nevertheless, you can still find casino game software that you can download onto your Android, iOS, or Windows devices. It is also possible to find dedicated platforms that you can download to play Poker, live casino games, or other specialised game categories.
Key Points for Choosing a Software Provider
Online casinos in NZ often feature hundreds or thousands of games powered by 10+ casino game developers. Before choosing which provider and game to play, you should keep the following in mind:
- Reputation – Always play games from reputable casino game providers that are fair and honest. These developers normally engage independent test labs to verify that games are truly random and unbiased.
- Game Variety – You should only choose software providers that offer the categories of games that you would like to play. There’s no point in using a provider that doesn’t offer online Blackjack if that’s what you’re eager to play.
- Simple Rules – If you’ve just started playing online casino games, it’s best to pick providers that offer simple and straightforward games, such as pokies. All of our featured developers include game rules and paytables in their menu.
- Limits – Whilst some casino game providers offer games that can accommodate a broad range of bets, others, such as Betsoft and Wazdan, are more focused on either the casual player or high rollers.
Safe, Fair, Legal Casino Software
One of the most important factors when choosing an online casino game provider is to ensure that it offers safe and fair gaming. There are several ways to check whether a software provider is reputable and trustworthy, including checking reviews and CasinoGuide suggestions.
The game providers we’ve featured in this article are all licensed and regulated by at least one jurisdiction. Some, such as Evolution and Playtech, hold multiple licenses in order to reach global markets.
It is also a good idea to play games on reputable online casinos in New Zealand. These operators would only feature software providers whom they have vetted and checked for fairness. Together with these providers, casino operators engage independent auditors to verify that games and their payouts are fair, safe, and random.