Where do slot machines come from? It’s a question that players rarely ask. After all, the answer doesn’t matter much to the average casino visitor: all that matters is that when they show up to play, there are fun and exciting (and potentially lucrative) games there for them to try out.
In reality, though, these games don’t just magically appear on gaming floors. Instead, they are the work of development teams that specialize in creating games for casinos, both in the physical world and on the Internet. Casino software providers create countless new games every year, and each company in the industry has their own style, strengths, and weaknesses. This means that Canadian players who get to learn more about these groups can quickly find that there are a few creators that make games they particularly enjoy, which means they can look to play at sites or resorts that offer games from those companies.
We've compiled an exhaustive list of online slot developers below. The number in green to the right of each indicates the number of games we have from that software provider. Simply click your favourite slot maker and get instant access to their full list of slot machines.
The following groups aren’t all headquartered in Las Vegas, but they all have strong connections to the most iconic city in the casino world. These casino software companies tend to have a strong reputation throughout the industry, and many of them have proven to be nearly as successful on the Internet as they previously were in brick-and-mortar locations.
Bally is mostly known for their extensive live casino operations, which date back to the late 1970s. However, they have started to offer online games as well in recent years.
Formerly known as International Game Technology, IGT is almost certainly the biggest name in casino manufacturing and has created some of the most slot machine names in the world for both live and Internet casinos. Such games include the Cleopatra slot, White Orchid, and Siberian Storm.
Also known as Williams, you can find this online casino software company’s games at sites around the world – particularly in the United States – as well as at many regulated gambling sites.
High 5 Games are another huge Vegas firm who often release games in conjunction with IGT and Bally. Their games are most popular at land-based casinos in the US, though they are also a hit at social casinos too.
While Las Vegas might be the center of the gaming development universe, there are plenty of other casino software companies around the world that are also in the business of creating great games. Many of these firms are equally active in both the brick-and-mortar and virtual markets.
Ainsworth is an Australian developer known for their brick-and-mortar games, as well as their online social slots.
Perhaps the largest and most important of the Australian development companies, Aristocrat has published numerous games for markets around the world, both online and live. The Buffalo slot is one of their most iconic, and they’ve also turned this into a family of games including titles like Buffalo Diamond, Buffalo Chief, and Buffalo Ignite.
Founded in 1968, Barcrest was once the only name in live UK machine play, and now offer a handful of their games over the web as well. They provide many games for fixed odds betting terminals in UK bookies and are part of the Scientific Games Group which also includes Bally and Shufflemaster.
Euro Games Technology (also known as EGT) is based in Bulgaria, but supplies games to casino around the world, and also offers online gaming products through its interactive wing. The names of their slot machines are becoming known in Canada.
This Japanese company is known for many things in the gaming world: everything from gaming machines to console video games. They are still primarily a land-based firm when it comes to producing slots, though they have made some limited forays into the online world.
Formed in 1980, this Austrian company has been particularly successful in Europe and Asia, and has now moved many of their games to the best slot sites.
One of the largest Internet slot developers since 1999, Playtech is now also a player in the land-based gambling world, making them a major player in the overall gaming industry.
In the past two decades, casino sites have become a huge part of the gaming industry. The following companies operate exclusively at the best online casinos in Canada, eschewing land-based products.
Based in the UK, Ash Gaming offers a small number of games that are particularly popular in their home market.
This online casino software company was founded in 1999, but has only became a major player over the past decade, following the release of their now famous 3D slots.
Since 1996, Cryptologic has been developing software for virtual casinos, making it one of the true founders of the Internet gaming industry.
Primarily known for their social games, Gamesys has also made a number of slots that can be played for real money, particularly in Europe.
A smaller casino software developer based in Argentina, Leander’s game collection is small but highly regarded throughout the industry.
Once the single most dominant name in online gaming, Microgaming is still one of the industry leaders, offering several hundred top slots to their clients and producing new titles every month.
This Swedish firm has created a mix of original and licensed titles that have proven extremely popular, including some of the biggest progressive jackpot machines in the world. Starburst, one of the provider’s most iconic games, is often featured in Canadian no deposit slots bonuses.
This online casino software developer is based in Australia, and has been successful not only in creating their own games, but also in porting other companies’ titles to the Internet market.
Mostly known for their mobile casino games development, Play’n GO games have been showing up more and more at new Canadian slots sites in recent years.
Rival Gaming is one of the smaller companies on this list, but while they only offer a small number of titles, their games tend to be fairly innovative and popular on the sites at which they can be found.
Also known as RTG, this firm has been in the gambling business since 1998, and have licensed their software and games to countless Internet casino sites. They are best known for their Real Series games, which have retained their popularity for many years now.
While they are very new (only being formed in 2013), Yggdrasil has distinguished itself by creating games with a distinctive style and beautiful animations that truly stand out from the crowd.
As well as all of the above, there are a large number of other slot manufacturers who run smaller shops but are attempting to grab market share in an increasingly competitive space. There are also casino software developers who make slots exclusively for Bitcoin casinos. Last but not least, there are platform providers such as Openbet, NYX and Odobo who offer games from a number of different companies all built into a single platform.
One thing is certain - it's a good time to be a slots player and one is unlikely to get bored any time soon given the multitude of games, themes and formats that are available in Canada.
Which casino software online companies make slots?
There are hundreds of software providers that make online slots. The best way to keep track of the active slots providers right now is to check our full list of software provider reviews with free-to-play games for every single one so you can figure out which companies you like.
Why should I care about casino software providers?
For lots of reasons! Playing slots online is about having fun, so it’s important that you know which software providers make the slots that you really enjoy. When you check out different online casino software providers, you’ll judge them based on graphics, theme, reel-and-payline options, game and bonus features, and min and max betting limits. These criteria are even more important if you want to play slots for real money. If you’re spending money to gamble, then the experience should be exactly what you want.
Which software providers are the most popular?
Some of the biggest names have been around for decades and include names like IGT, Aristocrat, Bally, WMS, Ainsworth, NetEnt, and Microgaming – but there are so many more that you can explore. Many newer slot providers like Yggdrasil and Thunderkick are just as good as the old-school online casino software providers and offer a unique gameplay experience. At the end of the day, if a provider is getting the spotlight at online casinos, it means they’re probably doing something right.
Where can I play slots of my favourite providers?
At VegasSlotsOnline, you can play free online slots by every single software provider. We have 16,000+ games and we’re always adding new free slots to our lobby. Playing free games is the best way for you to test out different software providers and figure out which ones make the games that you like best. Enjoy thousands of classic and modern slots with all kinds of features and configurations.
How can I tell if a slot provider is good?
Reading our software provider reviews is the easiest way for you to get a professional opinion of any slot provider. However, there are a few tell-tale signs that you can use to evaluate slot providers. A slots company should have games that load well on mobile, have good graphics and fun themes, and have reasonable min and max betting limits. Games by good software providers will have high RTPs and will test positively when audited for fairness. The rest is subjective. Do you like progressive jackpots, low or high volatility games, a certain number of reels/paylines or specific game features? Test out a few casino software providers online and you’ll soon find your top options.
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