the online gaming industry has grown by leaps and bounds, the number of software vendors and suppliers has grown accordingly. Today, there are both mega-corporations and smaller companies that are producing innovative new ways for gamers to raise the stakes. These vendors generally work directly with casinos, offering a broad array of products that range from bingo and keno to poker, slots, and usa online casinos.
Gamesys
The company that is now most famous for being the first real-money gambling provider on Facebook started out in 2001 with a much more humble mission. At the outset, Gamesys simply wanted to provide compelling online versions of the most popular games in traditional, offline casinos. That strategy worked exceedingly well for the company, and they became the United Kingdom’s fastest-growing company according to a 2007 article in the Sunday Times. Today, Gamesys operates both traditional casino games and social-integrated games for a slew of casinos on the Internet and is one of the leading vendors for gambling in the UK and around the world.
Sportech
Originally founded in 1979, Sportech only got into online gaming around the turn of the century. Since it shifted its focus to online sports bets in Europe and abroad, the company has become one of the leading names in sports betting across virtually every professional and amateur sport in the world. It’s now one of the largest gaming vendors for each country where the practice is permitted, and serves more than 40 million total users from all around the world. In addition to working with exclusively online casinos, Sportech is one of a handful of vendors that seeks exclusive contracts with bricks-and-mortar casinos that are looking to make the move online.
Playtech
Though the name Playtech might not be familiar with even the most avid gamers, the company’s leading brand likely is. Playtech is the developer of the exclusive iPoker network, which is easily one of the largest online poker communities in the world. The company, based in Israel, sells its online gaming software and backend developments to casinos all around the world and easily has annual profits in the tens of millions.
IGT Gaming
The story behind IGT Gaming is a unique one, but it explains why the company is so good at developing online games. Prior the company’s 2005 acquisition of online gaming vendor WagerWorks, IGT Gaming was one of the biggest vendors of traditional slot machine games in Las Vegas. After the acquisition, IGT Gaming shifted its focus to the online space and developed a slew of popular slots games for casinos around the world. Today, the company maintains a Vegas-centric slot machine business but earns far more of its profit from online gambling in approved markets.
A Fast-Changing Industry that Continues to Evolve
Many companies were founded specifically to take advantage of online gaming technologies, while others saw opportunity and shifted their focus from offline slots to electronic stakes. No matter their roots or their focus, each company has managed to push the industry a bit further and provide innovative new experiences to users on every continent.