Top Casino Games Developer that has every niche covered
ABOUT PLAYTECH
Having been established back in Tartu, Estonia in 1999, Playtech is among the longest-established online casino game developers. It’s a huge company and offers just about every type of online casino gaming content imaginable, from slots and table games to poker rooms, scratch cards, bingo games, sports betting, fixed-odds arcade games and live dealer casino games. It launched its first gaming product in 2001 and has since enjoyed very steady growth. Nowadays, it has offices in no fewer than 17 countries and has over 5,000 employees. The company has been listed on the London Stock Exchange since 2012, and with share prices reaching their highest value yet in April 2017.
The aim of Playtech is simple: to provide casino operators with the best services and products across all types of gaming platform. It wants to help all of its clients to enjoy steady growth and differentiate themselves from the many other casino operators vying for success in the industry. While focusing on creating its gaming content and casino operation solutions, Playtech has made a large number of notable acquisitions and deals over the years. In 2017, for example, it made the most significant contract for branded slots ever in the online gambling industry - as a result of this multi-year licensing agreement with Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment, Playtech has the rights to create and launch slots themed after DC Comics characters, TV shows and movies.
STRENGTHS
What’s so great about Playtech is that it works in pretty much every area of the online gambling industry and it excels in each of those areas. When it comes to the developer’s games, they’re incredibly impressive thanks to their bonus features, imaginative theming, and considerable attention to detail, with every aspect of the game brought in line with the central theme to make for an immersive gaming experience. New titles have been very well received and have helped Playtech establish itself as a market leader in multiple countries throughout the world. There are over 600 games that have been released by Playtech so far, and they are so diverse in their themes and gameplay features that players of pretty much every persuasion should be able to find plenty of Playtech games to enjoy. The developer’s progressive jackpots, in particular, are worth mentioning - its Age of Gods slot series is one of the most popular available at the online casino today, thanks in part to the fact that it has four different progressive jackpots to be won.
WEAKNESSES
Finding a definitive weakness to Playtech is quite the challenge indeed. Some may criticise the developer’s modus operandi of continuing to make acquisitions, mergers and deals with many other companies. This is because, essentially, Playtech is in a prime position as one of the top companies in the online gambling industry, and yet it shows no signs of slowing down. In many industries, there are concerns about companies becoming too powerful and having too much of an influence. Some would say Playtech, in making so many partnerships, is trying to grow too dominant, which can result in other brands being unable to compete.
Another point to address is that Playtech has more of a hands-off approach when dealing with casino operators. That is to say that it supplies content but lets the operator get on with managing that content in their own way and doesn’t try to interfere. The bad thing about this is that not every operator is trustworthy and with Playtech not taking a stand, these operators are free to carry on potentially ripping players off and deceiving them. There have been some reports online of casinos acquiring Playtech content and not using it correctly. While it’s not necessarily Playtech’s fault, the developer could do more to ensure those it supplies content to act appropriately.
KEY INFORMATION
- Any company working in the online gambling industry has to have active gambling licences covering all regions of operation. Playtech has acquired a large number of gambling licences to cover its services in the many territories. Some of the organisations that have supplied the developer with gambling licences include the Malta Gaming Authority, the UK Gambling Commission and the Government of Gibraltar.
- Playtech has won some prestigious industry awards over its years of operation. One of the most noteworthy was the award for Best Digital Industry Supplier at the Global Gaming Awards 2016. At the 2017 EGR B2B Awards, the developer won several awards, including Multi-Channel Supplier, Platform of the Year, Poker Network and Poker Software.
- There’s no doubt that the most impressive innovation by Playtech is its Omni-Channel. This is a platform designed to encourage people to play games in multiple ways on different devices - it incentivises this by offering rewards for playing in different ways. The first Playtech game that launched on the Omni-Channel was Tiki Paradise, a Polynesian-themed slot that was released in February 2017. You can play this slot in land-based casinos and gaming venues, on your home computer and your smartphone or tablet while out and about. Switch from one type of device to another, and you’ll be rewarded.
- Another critical innovation worth mentioning is Playtech ONE. This essentially enables people to play the developer’s games across all devices using a single wallet and a single account. It simplifies the act of playing on several devices, making it a whole lot more convenient for players to switch from one type of device to another while playing.
- Many of Playtech’s games are available on mobile devices and are fully compatible with a broad range of both smartphones and tablets. You’ll find the developer’s mobile games run smoothly and seamlessly on any device.
FINAL VERDICT
One of the biggest, most recognisable names in the online casino games development industry is Playtech. This is because the developer hasn’t just set about creating its own collection of impressive games, it’s also built up a vast number of partnerships with other companies to broaden its offerings and extend its reach.
What’s unique about Playtech is that it offers just about everything, from high-quality games in pretty much every category, to a full range of solutions for casino operators and more. There’s no denying that Playtech is a big brand name in the industry since its gaming content can be played at many online casinos. The developer’s progressive jackpots, in particular, are worth trying out. You should easily find Playtech games at plenty of online casinos as a result of the developer’s hands-off approach with casino operators.
