Playtech Slots & RTP List

Having been around for two decades, software developer Playtech has become arguably the biggest publically traded iGaming software provider. That is a hefty title to have to live up to and it comes with a lot of expectations. For one, it means that there has to be a very wide range of products on offer. For another, these products also need to be of outstanding quality. There is also the fact that these products need to have worldwide representation. Well, Playtech ticks off all of the points on the list, and more.

Today the company employs over a staggering 5,000 people in different countries around the globe, and it provides its software to in excess of 200 casinos worldwide. Some of them include very big industry names such as Bet365 and BetFair, to name a few. Furthermore, the company’s name has become synonymous with high quality entertainment, mainly due to its amazing online slot games.

Over the years, Playtech has been through it all. The developer has experienced insane successes and the kind of growth that would make any competitor turn green with envy. But it has also been part of some major scandals along the way, and although it’s been a bumpy ride, nothing has been able to slow down Playtech’s momentum.

The unstoppable rise of Playtech

Although it may seem like Playtech has been in business for a very long time, when compared to some of the other major names in the industry who have been around since the 60s and 70s, this developer could almost be described as young. Founded in the year 1999, Playtech has taken a few huge leaps on the journey to success rather than taking it slow and steady, and not only caught up with but surpassed the competition.

The company was launched in Tartu, Estonia, and a couple of years later it released its first casino product. Thanks to its partnerships with a number of companies in different branches of the gambling industry, Playtech has interests in every corner of online gaming; from lotteries, to sports betting, poker and beyond – you name it. However, to this day the software provider still remains most famous for its online slot games.

In its nearly 20 year long history, Playtech made a number of strategic acquisitions. For example, the developer purchased Aristocrat Lotteries in 2014, and the year before that, it made another major purchase. This time it bought one of the world’s leading poker communities – PokerStrategy.com. Then in 2015, Playtech acquired YoYo Games – which is a smaller software publisher – before delving into foreign exchange by purchasing the financial firm, Plus500.

The following couple of years marked another few notable purchases, some of which were of competing companies. For example, not so long ago Playtech bought Best Gaming Technology, and then software developer Quickspin! But not all acquisitions have been in the name of expansion and making an extra buck. In 2017 the software developer purchased one of the best responsible gambling analytics companies out there – BetBuddy. The aim of this transaction was to integrate BetBuddy’s cutting edge technology with Playtech’s software. The idea was that it would help recognize problem gambling faster and also help to address it.

A similar purchase was made in 2018, only this one was a real-time fraud detection platform. It was to work in combination with the behavioral analytics software, and in doing so, potentially help Playtech’s licensees better identify and counter instances of fraud on their respective platforms.

Darker Days

But it hasn’t all been rosy in Playtech’s history. In 2006 the software developer’s stock suffered a 40% drop in just a single day. The unfortunate happening resulted from the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. Then another major problem arose.

Playtech was actually involved in a huge scandal revolving around their progressive jackpots, or more specifically – with their payouts. On a few separate occasions, certain licensees failed to pay out the entire amounts that players had won. Some of them declared they had a cap on the progressive wins and withheld a large portion of the pot, and in one infamous case, the house kept an outrageous 50% of the prize. Furthermore, the management actually resorted to some nasty tricks in order to get their way and, sadly, they succeeded.

Although some would argue that this is the fault of those respective licensees, Playtech failed to influence them in any way. After all, these were wins from progressive networks, and these amounts were pooled from many other places. So, the money never belonged to the casino in the first place.

Today, these casinos are listed as rogue and players can know about them and their unfair policies in advance, but the incidents still affected Playtech’s image, and it’s hard to blame players for seeing this as undermining Playtech’s credibility.

Redemption

The dark chapters of history aside, we think Playtech has done plenty to redeem itself so far; those last couple of machine learning platform purchases certainly command at least some respect, for instance. The bottom line is that Playtech are still put on a pedestal by most people in the industry, and that doesn’t happen by accident.

Let’s finish with some stats here in order to summarize what Playtech has achieved so far. The company employs over 5,000 people in 16 different countries. Some of these countries include the Isle of Man (headquarters), UK, Estonia, Bulgaria, Gibraltar, Ukraine and others. Furthermore, Playtech’s products are available in a whopping 20 regulated jurisdictions worldwide. These include major governing bodies like Malta, UKGC and Gibraltar. Finally, the developer also provides its software to over 200 casinos, 23 of which are officially accredited.

Play whenever you want, on whatever you want

Playtech offer their games in two ways: instant play and via a downloadable client. Hence, the games are available as both Classic and HTML5 compatibility. What this means is that players can choose to install their software on their computers, or, they can just go with the simpler option of accessing Playtech’s games from a browser.

Downloading is seen as old fashioned these days, and Playtech are one of the only providers to still offer it as an option. The upside is that you get a better experience as the graphics are better and gameplay smoother; the downside is that it’s a bit of a faff and takes up space on your computer.

Either way, you can play across a variety of platforms – Playtech supports them all – and this includes all major mobile operating systems, as well. Thus, whether you use an Android smartphone, iOS, or tablet, you shouldn’t encounter any difficulties loading slots from this provider.

With 250+ games, where do you start?!

It’s true, Playtech has a massive portfolio of different types of games, both online and land based. In fact, their selection exceeds 600 different titles, and over 250 of those are online slot games. This explains why players mainly know this provider as a slot game developer. In addition, the games are made both in-house as well as by the many subsidiaries that Playtech has acquired over the years. As well as Quickspin which we already mentioned, you might know of Ash Gaming and BGO.

But let’s get back to the games themselves. With that kind of an assortment there are bound to be many subcategories to help you sort through them. Playtech basically has a title for every genre in the book. You have classic slots that have been marvelously polished and refurbished, so to speak. On the other hand, there are plenty of adventure offerings, as well as fantasy titles. In addition to those, you have your typical Asian-themed slot games, as well as games based on holidays.

However, not least important among them are the branded slots. As a matter of fact, you will find that this developer boasts a larger selection of branded titles than any other provider out there, and this is due to carefully nurtured partnerships with major film studios, etc. For example, back in 2008 Playtech signed an agreement with Paramount Digital Entertainment which led to a series of exciting releases.

Top titles and player favorites

Every bigtime developer has a handful of games that they use as flagship products, and typically, these games have become their most popular offerings. Well, with Playtech, that handful is rather large.

Later releases are more likely to become hits with players thanks to their superb visuals, but the all-time Playtech favorite is actually one of the provider’s older titles; Great Blue. This aquatic themed online slot game has been huge with fans since day 1, but it’s a stingy and a highly volatile game, so why do people like it? What makes it attractive is the prospect of big wins, especially thanks to the generous freespins bonus and multiplier.

Another major hit is the Gladiator slot game, based on the original motion picture starring Russel Crowe. The movie itself was a tremendous success, and Playtech’s version of it managed to achieve similar heights. It even prompted the subsequent released of two upgraded editions, one of which features a progressive jackpot. This isn’t the only worthwhile branded title, though; Grease, Dirty Dancing, John Wayne, Terminator Genisys, The Matrix and The Dark Knight are only a portion of other fantastic offerings, and each of these is as closely intertwined with the movies as possible, making them a joy to play, especially if you are already a fan.

Playtech has even released online slot games after popular TV shows such as The Sopranos and The X-Files, and both of these titles boast superb quality visuals and smooth gameplay.

Speaking of branded titles, Playtech also had an insanely popular series of slots after the Marvel comic books. There was a huge stash of them too, with some 15 great looking titles. Some of the most popular were The Incredible Hulk, Thor The Mighty Avenger, Iron Man and Iron Man 2. What bound all of these together was also the Marvel Jackpot, which only added to their overall appeal.

Alas, we used the past tense with these games for a reason. In 2017 Playtech pulled all Marvel slot games from its casinos, as their agreement with Marvel (now belonging to Disney) expired. Obviously, it was never renewed, and to fill the void that formed as a result the software developer released the Age of Gods series instead. The games in the series are of equally exceptional quality, featuring seamless animations and high definition graphics. However, despite also gaining noticeable renown among players, obviously the feel of them is quite different.

But onto more upbeat and carefree titles! Let us draw your attention to another popular one; Everybody’s Jackpot. With all of the other amazing games on offer, you have to wonder what it is that makes this one so special. Both visually and in terms of gameplay it’s a pretty simple game, but players love it nonetheless.

Then there is also Pink Panther, which is based on the cartoon by the way, not the movie. It’s a really fun game with an abundance of special features and bonuses as well as a quirky setting. Similarly, Ace Ventura Pet Detective, created after the iconic eponymous comedy, has also captured the hearts and minds of players. This branded title boasts exceptional entertainment value, as well as a great balance of winning opportunities.

Aside from all that, though, Playtech has proven to have a knack for the deliciously spooky themes, as well, with Halloween being a favorite topic that covers a number of different games for players to enjoy. For example, there are the fairly popular Halloween Fortune and Halloween Fortune II, both of ‘witch’ offer top-of-the-line graphics and a great atmosphere. Then there’s one of Playtech’s latest releases in Pumpkin Bonanza, being released just in time for the eerie holiday. It offers a simple setup with outstanding visuals and sound effects, and its great winning potential is likely to make this yet another hit.

Conclusion

Without doubt, Playtech is the leading software provider on the market. The company powers a number of online casinos and offers its products across a range of different branches of the industry; there is poker, and lotteries, and roulette, and live casinos, and jackpots, and of course slot games. Thanks to this wide range of business, and to the numerous subsidiaries Playtech has gained, few can genuinely compete with this giant.

What’s more, Playtech achieved this all within 20 years, and that is just another thing that demands admiration. But as much as it has been successful over the years, it has also suffered a few dramatic losses. Two of the major ones were the plummet in market shares and the hit to its reputation due to rogue casinos. In fact, the latter may still be resounding with some players, even years later. Nevertheless, Playtech has managed to survive these misfortunes, which quite possibly have even made it stronger.

Today, it offers a large portfolio of high quality online slot games for players of every kind. Whether you are a high roller or new to the gaming world, there is something for everyone, including a variety of themes and genres to choose from. Some titles have even gained something of a cult status since their release, and things like that don’t tend to happen for nothing.

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