ABOUT ASH GAMING
Ash Gaming is a developer of online casino games established in the year 2000. It’s one of the oldest casino game developers and has managed to build up an excellent reputation for itself thanks largely to the way it produces games making them creative, innovative and edgy. The London-based developer has primarily focused on creating slots, though they’ve added a number of other casino game types to their portfolio over the years, including table games, video poker games and scratch cards. It has placed a lot of effort to ensure that its games are both profitable for the operator and enjoyable for the player.
Playtech acquired the developer in 2011 in a deal that was reportedly worth $30 million. Since this acquisition, Ash Gaming has been able to operate as it did before, continuing to release high-quality casino games that are very well received by Ash Gaming Casinos and the online gaming community. All of the developer’s new titles continue to be published under the Ash Gaming Brand name, albeit reaching a much more significant audience thanks to the acquisition with their availability present at most Playtech and Ash Gaming Casinos.
STRENGTHS
Ash Gaming has a clear edge when it comes to the development process of creating casino games, ensuring that all games are impressive, worthwhile and enjoyable to play. Compared with games by other developers, Ash Gaming’s releases are known for being particularly creative and innovative especially regarding their theming and gameplay features. The games’ high-quality graphics and sound effects have also received praise from players.
The developer’s slots, in particular, come in a broad range of themes, and there are also a few IP-based options among its portfolio. Examples of these include Little Britain X Factor, Life of Brian, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and Britain’s Got Talent. All of the IP-based slots, including those based on original concepts, are known for their originality and creativity, especially when it comes to the bonus features. With Ash Gaming, the focus is very much on the quality of the games, with just over 100 games released by the developer. Though its collection could in no way be considered the most substantial given the length of time they have been around, it’s a very respectable collection nonetheless due to the attention to detail deployed on each title.
WEAKNESSES
Ash Gaming has mostly focused on creating slots but has released a small number of other Ash Gaming Casino options, such as table games and instant win speciality titles. Some might say that this is a weakness of the developer, that it can quickly create more non-slot games, yet continues to focus predominantly on this area. This shouldn’t be considered a genuine weakness - some developers chose to focus on specific areas where their core experience and competencies lay, but even so, its portfolio is still more diverse than with plenty of others.
The company has also been accused of creating games that some would consider a bit simplistic compared with other developers while failing to recognise that many players and Ash Gaming Casinos prefer games that are straightforward and easy to play.
KEY INFORMATION
Ash Gaming has a gambling license from the UK Gambling Commission. All casino game developers need to have a license from a regulatory authority, as this shows the developer has been reviewed and given the go-ahead to operate legally.
The developer won the award for Best SME (Small or Medium-Sized Enterprise at The National Placement & Industry Awards in 2011. This is an award usually given to companies with fewer than 250 employees; Ash Gaming has around 40. This is a more general, business-oriented award; the developer doesn’t appear to have won any significant awards to do with its online casino gaming content.
Most of the developer’s games are designed to be fully compatible with a range of smartphones and tablets that run newer versions of the iOS or Android operating systems. They’re intended to have fast loading speeds, smooth gameplay, and easy usability thanks to their straightforward interface.
FINAL VERDICT
The online gambling industry is exceptionally challenging and growing more competitive by the day. Innovative games are frequently released with new casinos arriving online every week. What’s so great about Ash Gaming is that it doesn’t feel the pressure to simply churn out game after game, instead choosing to takes its time and focus on the game development process, ensuring that the titles it produces are of exceptional quality.
For a developer that’s been around for nearly 20 years, its games collection is on the smaller side for sure, but the games themselves have been praised for their high standard of graphics and sound effects, exciting bonus features, original storylines, and entertaining gameplay. Their attention to detail is what separates Ash Gaming from the crowd. The branded slots based on TV shows and films do an excellent job of bringing the world of the TV to life, while the original slot titles immerse players in an imagined world, with fleshed-out characters and engaging storylines.