Microgaming

Every industry has a pioneer, a path-breaker. As I see it, in the online casino software industry the company that has held up the torch from the first days of the industry, literally launching it as it were, is Microgaming.

Microgaming Casinos and Bonuses for UK Players

With all that it has achieved and the impact it has made on the industry, it was only natural for me to get Microgaming on my list of top casino software providers. I have reviewed this software outfit and also compiled a list of the top Microgaming casinos for UK players. All the casinos on this list leverage the power of the Microgaming brand to provide a surreal online casino experience. I update this list regularly so you get to know of the latest Microgaming casinos that are worth checking out.

Microgaming was established in 1994 and that single event probably changed the way the world gambled. The company, with a team of tech wizards and amazing visual experts, brought out software that set the bar really high. What makes it spectacular is that even today, more than 2 decades later, it continues to be an industry leader in its own right.

Today, Microgaming offers software across multiple platforms:

• Downloadable games
• Flash-based instant play games
• Mobile games
• Multi-play games

It has a massive range of casino and mobile games that are available in over 45 languages. Microgaming’s software supports more than 25 payment methods and is used by more than 450 brands worldwide.

Microgaming History

Microgaming was established in the Isle of Man in 1994. The company set to work and launched its first online casino, Gaming Club. One simple fact underlines the power of the Microgaming brand and why it is considered one of the undisputed leaders of the industry: Gaming Club is still around, still using Microgaming software, and still popular among players today, 20 years later!

Its software was already great when it first came out; things only became better after it released Viper in 2002. Viper became an instant hit and still remains a benchmark for what high quality online casino software should be like.

Over the years Microgaming has forged a magnificent path, making significant strategic alliances that have allowed it to develop licensed content and using its team of experts to develop proprietary content of unquestionable quality. A classic example of this is its association with Quickfire, which brings to you amazing games for both the desktop and mobile platforms.

About Microgaming’s Games

I have played at Microgaming-powered casinos and the one thing that immediately struck me was the phenomenal range of products and solutions. The numbers speak for themselves; today Microgaming has:

• More than 850 casino games
• More than 1200 variants
• Over 350 mobile games
• Over 35 multi-player games
• More than 40 progressive jackpots

You get some of the biggest games in the industry from Microgaming. The software provider has been able to put together a huge assortment of games that include:

• A huge cache of video slots
• Classic slots
• Table and card games
• Progressive jackpots
• Live casino games
• Bingo
• Poker
• Quickfire games
• Multiplayer games
• Sportsbook
• Land-based casino games

There are also business solutions available as well, which help operators control important elements of the overall play experience like:

• Game management
• Player support
• Marketing and incentives
• Business intelligence

Microgaming’s Relationship with Quickfire

As I had mentioned earlier, Microgaming has expanded its presence in the market with alliances and acquisitions with strategic players. One such alliance that Microgaming has is with Quickfire. Quickfire is relatively new in the industry and was launched in 2010.

Quickfire’s platform is powered by Microgaming. Because of the alliance between the two operators are able to access Microgaming’s game range on the Quickfire platform itself on the Flash and mobile platforms. Quickfire launched its mobile platform in the month of August, 2012. Games are developed in HTML5, which makes it easy for integration with the two platforms we mentioned – Flash and mobile.

I have played at a few casinos with Quickfire and they are good, really good. The numbers again tell the tale of the success of the Microgaming-Quickfire relationship:

• 500+ casino games
• 120+ operators using their offerings
• 300+ casino brands powered by them
• 45,000 players accessing their games daily
• 50 million or more bets a day, or 1.5 billion bets a month

Operators get numerous advantages through this alliance, including access to:

• Hundreds of high quality games on the Flash as well as mobile platforms.
• Games of the highest quality, which is what all Microgaming games come with.
• Multi-lingual and multi-currency support.
• A network of 40+ progressive jackpots

It is not just that operators take advantage of the Microgaming-Quickfire relationship; aggregator platforms use it too. Some of the aggregators who use this include:

• EveryMatrix
• Oryx Gaming
• ProgressPlay
• CoinGaming
• Aliquantum Gaming
• SoftSwiss
• ComTrade Gaming

Legal and Licensing

Microgaming and Quickfire are licensed in the licensing jurisdictions of Isle of Man, the Government of Gibraltar, and the Alderney Gambling Control Commission. These are the standard licensing jurisdictions where they hold licenses from. Online casino operations in the UK now require a license from the UK Gambling Commission too.

Third Party Auditing

Microgaming is committed to integrity, safety, reliability, and credibility. Its attempts to introduce credibility into its offerings is by getting its software audited by independent third party auditors like Technical Systems Testing (TST), which is now part of Gaming Labs International (GLI), a reputed independent testing and certification agency.

Microgaming is a founding member of the E-commerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance (eCOGRA), a self-regulatory body that is empowered to keep online gambling operators in check. It has been awarded eCOGRA’s Certified Software Seal in recognition of its fairness and reliability. It is also a co-founding member of the Interactive Gaming Council (IGC) and a member of the Remote Gaming Association (RGA) and also the Manx eGaming Association (MEGA).

Its attempts to introduce transparency in the market are apparent through some of the features it has introduced into its software, including:

• PlayCheck
• CashCheck
• Payout Percentage Reports
• Game Reports

Typical Operators

So who is a typical Microgaming operator? This was a question that intrigued me when I initially set out to review the software provider. This is what I found: the beauty of Microgaming’s software is that it can be used by any operator who is looking for a quality product. Operators across the industry recognize the power of the Microgaming. It is immediately apparent to a player – when he sees a new casino powered by Microgaming – that the casino is serious about online casino gambling and is keen to provide a powerful, exciting, and transparent casino experience to its players.

Microgaming’s operators span the entire range of the online casino spectrum. It is only natural to find some of the big names and powerful entities in the business using software from Microgaming. However, you will also find Microgaming’s software being used by operators who are individually licensed. The association with Quickfire further adds to the allure of being a Microgaming-powered operator.

Progressive Jackpot Network

One thing that I always look for in a software provider: does it have a progressive jackpot network? If it does, in my opinion that takes the software provider to another level. Microgaming’s position in the industry is underscored by the range of progressive jackpots it has.

It launched the first-ever online progressive jackpot back in 1998 and today has the longest-standing progressive jackpot network among all. It has paid out over €487 million to players globally. There are more than 40 high-powered progressive jackpots from Microgaming, including:

• Mega Moolah
• Cash Splash
• The Dark Knight
• King Cashalot
• Major Millions

I decided to dig a little and see how many people had won a Microgaming progressive, and if there were any big winners. The answer to both the questions was a resounding yes. I have listed out a few big winners of Microgaming progressives:

• Jonathan Heywood: He won £13,213,838.68 on Mega Moolah at Betway casino on 6th October 2015. The exchange rate on that date makes the win amount €17,879,645.12, one of the biggest in the world.
• Mark A: He won €5,375,695.08 on Mega Moolah on a mobile device on 9th April, 2015.
• Klaus E: He won $5,556,753.68 on Mega Moolah at Blackjack Ballroom in April 2008.
• John Orchard: He won £5,883,044 on The Dark Knight at Butler’s casino in December 2012.
• Georgios M: He won €6.3 million on Mega Moolah at River Belle casino in March 2009.