Top Casino Software Providers in South Africa

Since the internet knows no borders, you can enjoy the latest innovations from online software providers from anywhere in the world. South African casinos use the best online software providers to ensure that you get a truly world-class gambling experience. 

We have created a guide to the top providers preferred by players and operators around the world in 2020. Let’s take a look, shall we?

Below you will find the best performing software companies and the fastest growing game providers.

NETent is a leader in this industry providing premium solutions to some of the world’s most successful casinos. They are constantly working to provide the best solutions to casinos to ensure they are at the top of their game.

Revenue: $186.1million in 2019

Number of Games: 140+

Markets: Alderney, Belgium, Gibraltar, Malta, New Jersey, Romania, Spain, UK, USA

Real Time Gaming is considered to be one of the most prominent software developers in the industry. Being renowned for a plethora of slot machines delivering random jackpots, Real Time Gaming also offers a multitude of other casino games, such as Poker, Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, Keno and more.

Revenue: NA

Number of Games: 210+

Markets: Malta, Curacao, Antigua, British Virgin Islands, Costa Rica,  Cyprus,  Kahnawake, The Phillippines (Cagayan)

Playing at Playtech casinos brings security and confidence due to completely safe and protected transactions. You can choose from a full range of casino games including slot machines, table and video poker games.

Revenue: $1.79 billion in 2019

Number of Games: 700+

Markets: Malta, UK, Spain, France, Italy, Denmark, Serbia, Netherlands, +12 more

Betsoft has built a worldwide recognition for the games developed so far. The number of casinos employing their solutions is growing along with the popularity of their products among the players.

Revenue: NA

Number of Games: 120+

Markets: Malta, Curacao, Romania, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, and others

Pragmatic Play is one of the fastest-growing software providers of desktop and mobile digital casino games for online gaming having a portfolio of over 150 games, which brand new games getting added on a regular basis.

Revenue: $100 million in 2019

Number of Games: 150+

Markets: Malta, UK, Curacao, Romania, The Phillippines, and others

Cryptologic has a few years on its competition and is currently the 2^nd biggest provider of online games. That’s not to say that the company is simply sitting back and enjoying its success, as they are constantly working very hard to add more than twenty new games to their suit each year.

Revenue: $26.4 m

Number of Games: 100+

Markets: Alderney, Belgium, Gibraltar, Malta, New Jersey, Romania, Spain, UK, USA

Rival Gaming is committed to meeting the high requirements by gaming industry sets and such as placing the customer at the heart of the origination by promoting and publishing the latest games.

Revenue: $561,000

Number of Games: 150

Markets: Alderney, Belgium, Gibraltar, Malta, New Jersey, Romania, Spain, UK, USA

There are anywhere from 50 to 80 or more software providers currently active in the online casino gaming market. Understandably, there will be a wide variance in quality in such a crowded pack. 

But finding a good, reliable software provider is not too hard. After all, the internet does not offer companies any good hiding places! Here are some factors you can use to assess if a specific casino software provider is good enough to be trusted with your time and money:

✅ Reputation

Players tend to extra-cautious when dealing with software providers whose names have been tainted by scandals and controversies. Many brands have been forced to close in the past because they failed to treat their customers with fairness and integrity. The most popular software providers will generally have a clean and positive reputation online.

✅Variety of games

The size and diversity of a games catalog will tell you several things about a software provider. Larger catalogs indicate that they are an experienced company, probably with a bigger staff and more resources. For instance, only the top brands like Netent and Playtech can offer you everything from slots to table games, jackpots, video poker, and the rather expensive live dealer games. 

✅Interactive Gaming

Continuing the last point, interactive/live dealer/live casino games are an indicator of the financial and technical ability of a software provider. It takes considerable resources to setup live streaming casino game studios. Delivering interactive content in real-time requires cutting edge tech.

✅Creativity & Design

Gaming online is an audio-visual experience. A great casino game is one that can keep you blissfully engaged for a long time without tiring or boring you out. The themes, graphics, images, and other design elements play a huge role in the amount of fun you have with a game. It is something that separates good gaming software developers from the truly great ones.

✅Technology & Security

Casino gaming is constantly evolving at a fast pace. This has advantages, in the form of better visual experience, play anywhere with mobile, and so on. But it also brings challenges related to online security from hackers for example. Top providers are ones that harness the latest technologies to provide innovative yet safe gaming experiences. 

Have you ever been to an offline casino? You may have noticed a ton of equipment there – gaming tables, cards, dice, roulette tables, and of course, large slot machine cabinets as well. The casino is a venue that houses these things – they do not manufacture it themselves as that would be too complicated and expensive!

In the same way, an online casino is a virtual venue that gives you a chance to play real money games. For the best gaming experience, you need as many games as possible. And to make that happen, you need specialized and skilled software providers to create these games!

Casino games can be broadly broken down into X main categories – video slots, table games, video poker, live dealer, progressive jackpots, and miscellaneous arcade/bingo/lotto games. These games largely reflect the different types of games offered at regular land-based casinos. 

If you prefer spinning reels and fun themes, video slots are what you need. For lovers of authentic card games like blackjack, poker, or baccarat, the table games section has everything. For a more “real” experience with real cards/dice/roulette machines, live dealer games are perfect.

How do these games work?

Casino games work on a system called Server Based Gaming. The software controlling the games is hosted on a central system. The bigger software providers create and maintain their systems, which are called Remote Gaming Server, or RGS. Modern RGS systems are designed to store games from many different providers, allowing online casinos to offer thousands of games.

When you connect to an online casino and click on a game, it will load the main graphics and sound files on your device. But the controlling software remains on the RGS – it will decide the outcome of each bet and send the information to your device, via the online casino connection. 

Online Casinos Software Requirements ✔

Modern online casino games and software use the HTML5 language. It is popular because it is what all websites on the internet use. Since there are many different computers, tablets, mobile phones, and other devices that connect online, using a single code architecture allows websites to be opened on any platform.

Using HTML5 allows online casino games to be opened on any Windows PC, Mac, iPhone, or Android device. Software requirements are limited to a modern HTML5 compatible browser – all browsers like Chrome/Safari/Firefox fit this requirement. 

Random Number Generators

All casino games promise 100% random outcomes on all bets you place on the game. They make this happen using complex math algorithms called Random Number Generators or RNG. You will find them hosted on the remote gaming server we explained in a previous section.

An RNG system continuously spews out numbers non-stop, in no specific order. You cannot predict these numbers accurately – the game uses these numbers to decide the outcome of a bet. Since they are so important for casino games to be fair, RNG is kept highly secure and tamper-proof.

The top casino software providers tend to be jacks of all trades – they have the resources to create all sorts of games and software. These can include the following: 

1. Casino (table games & slots) 

2. Sportsbetting

3. Live Games 

4. Other

• Bingo

• Scratchcards

• Lotto (lucky numbers – betting on the lottery)

But even then, they remain the masters of a few niche categories – they will be best known for a certain category of games. For instance, Netent is readily recognized for their excellent video slots, while RTG has a huge selection of video poker. 

As we venture towards smaller providers, this specialization becomes even clearer. Smaller companies do not have the resources to focus on all types of games. Usually, they will try to develop video slots as those games are the most popular among online casino players. . Elsewhere, some brands like Evolution and Ezugi are focused entirely on live dealer games.  

All casino software providers worth mentioning in 2020 are also into mobile gaming. With millions of new players opting for mobile gaming, it is the future of the industry. So, there is no need to make an arbitrary distinction between mobile casino software providers and PC casino software providers.

And they all use HTML5 for online instant play – you can open the casino in a mobile browser and start playing immediately, no downloads required. Casino apps are rare, used only by the biggest gambling companies in the world, in regulated markets. For the vast majority of small/medium-sized online casinos, instant online is the preferred option.

Android Mobile Casinos

You can play any modern online casino in 2020 on your Android mobile using the Chrome browser. As long as you have Android version 5 or above, you are fine. Software developers create games in HTML5 so they work smoothly on the Android platform.

Apple Mobile Casinos

iOS versions 10.1 and above are considered ideal for players who want online casino gambling on their Apple devices. Like in Android, use your Safari browser to open a casino and play the games. 

Fairness is an important concept in gambling. If the odds are rigged artificially high against you by the casino/house, there is no fun involved as you would keep losing money. It is also illegal under most casino betting regulations. 

Luckily, gambling authorities have laid out clear rules regarding fairness for both online casino operators and their software providers. Operators have to follow certain quality standards to ensure that players get a safe, legal gaming experience. But for the most part, ensuring fairness is in the hands of the software providers. 

What fairness procedures do these providers have to follow?

Casino software providers are the ones who create the games and the RNG software that controls these games. If the RNG is 100% random and secure as advertised, the casino game will be fair, simple as that. 

A licensed software provider has to get their RNG and games tested periodically at independent labs. There are several such certified and reputed labs in the online casino industry that perform tests on casino games to ensure that they are 100% fair and random. GLi and iTech are two well-known examples.  

The best software providers also provide transparent information about the details of casino games – things like volatility, RTP, and other features help you understand the odds against you in that game.

“Online Casinos Online takes these reviews very seriously to ensure the best of casino software providers that place the players at the heart of the games. We prioritize player’s safety, fairness, and security whilst bringing you the most enjoyable games. Our reviews to help you play.”