A Deep-Dive Into the Results
Shocked by the results? We were too! But it all makes sense when you go deeper into the data. In fact, if you know a little about software providers, you can predict exactly the category in which they performed best—though there are a few surprises.
1st. Evolution Gaming
| Total Awards | Best At… |
|---|
| 27 | Overall Quality (14) Live Casino (9) |
Evolution Gaming (EG) is the clear winner with 27 awards. This accounts for around 20% of all awards shared by our Top 10 software providers.
As you can see from the chart above, they are particularly renowned for their Overall Quality and Live Casino product.
Everyone within the industry knows this is true—EG is an exceptional software provider.
Evidence for this is highlighted by our data, with EG achieving the most awards in the Overall Quality Category (14), and the Live Casino category (9).
Yet we’re surprised by the magnitude of the victory! Our results imply that there is no competition, with the closest competitors trailing by a whole 11 awards.
The truth is that EG only produces Live Casino games. Therefore, despite what the results suggest, they are only exceptional within a narrow genre. They’re certainly not the most rounded of game developers.
(Joint) 2nd. NetEnt
| Total Awards | Best At… |
|---|
| 16 | Slots (5) |
Despite receiving fewer awards than Evolution, NetEnt displays a greater diversity of awards won. They’ve won awards for Slots (5), Overall Quality (5), Mobile (4), and Innovation (2). This tally accounts for around 11.85% of all awards shared by our Top 10 providers.
NetEnt is also the software provider most recognised for its slot games.
Since creating the likes of Starburst, Gonzo’s Quest, Blood Suckers, and Mega Joker, it’s no secret that NetEnt slots are among the best in the world. They seem to create hit after hit.
Now we have the data to prove it.
Another cool thing worth acknowledging is NetEnt’s reputation as a provider of mobile games. While they don’t come first in this category, they do come a close second. That’s a commendable feat. And it’s surely great news to slot fans that like to play on mobile.
(Joint) 2nd. Playtech
| Total Awards | Best At… |
|---|
| 16 | Poker (3) Bingo (4) |
Playtech ranked joint second (with NetEnt and Red Tiger Gaming) after receiving a sum total of 16 awards. This tally accounts for 11.85% of all awards shared by our Top 10 providers.
Noticeably, Playtech is excellent when it comes to Poker (3) and Bingo (4) games. They won more awards in these categories than any other provider in our Top 10.
The rest of Playtech’s awards are made up by competing well in the Overall Quality (9) category. It’s worth emphasizing, too, that in this category they came second only to Evolution. This indicates that, generally, Playtech competes with the very best.
(Joint) 2nd. Red Tiger Gaming
| Total Awards | Best At… |
|---|
| 16 | Mobile (6) Slots (5) |
Red Tiger Gaming is the last of three software providers sharing second place. Like the other two providers, Red Tiger’s tally of 16 awards account for 11.85% of all awards shared between our top 10.
Red Tiger may not be considered as innovative as NetEnt, but the distribution of its awards show some similarity.
Both reign as the most decorated providers of slot games, for instance. Moreover, they are both focused on creating exceptional mobile products, with Red Tiger just tipping NetEnt to the crown.
Due to their similar profiles, it’s no surprise that NetEnt acquired Red Tiger in 2019, and have since collaborated on a number of slot games, such as Gonzo’s Quest Megaways.
5th. Pragmatic Play
| Total Awards | Best At… |
|---|
| 14 | A bit of an “all-rounder” |
Pragmatic Play comes at 5th on our list with a sum-total of 14 awards. This tally accounts for 10.37% of all awards shared between our Top 10.
Pragmatic Play may not specialize in any single category. But they do marry quality with diversity.
Despite the 5th place finish, this is the first time in our list that a provider has won awards in 5 different categories! That’s one hell of an achievement.
The takeaway here is that if you come across a casino that uses Pragmatic Play, you are guaranteed that all games – from Slots, to Live Casino, to Bingo – are of the highest quality.
6th. Yggdrasil Gaming
| Total Awards | Best At… |
|---|
| 12 | Innovation (6) |
At 6th place, Yggdrasil also misses out on the podium. Though its performance is admirable. Yggdrasil received 12 awards across our research. This tally accounts for 8.89% of all awards shared between our Top 10.
You get a sense of what Yggdrasil is about from the distribution of its awards. Innovation. Innovation. Innovation. These guys live for it.
Even when describing themselves, they write that “Innovation is at the root of Yggdrasil.”
And where do they like to innovate? Slot games.
Yggdrasil has ten Game Engagement Mechanics that diversify and heighten the traditional slot experience. If you’re a fan of slots, we highly recommend trying them!
Top Tip
Editor’s Comment
On the Yggdrasil Gaming website, they claim to have won 14 industry awards. We have no reason to doubt this figure. However, these awards were not picked up in our research. Since we do not know what awards these are and in which category they feature, we have to omit them from our results—sorry Yggdrasil!
7th. Microgaming
| Total Awards | Best At… |
|---|
| 11 | A bit of an “all-rounder” |
Despite being a titan of the industry, Microgaming only manages a 7th place finish with a sum-total of 11 awards. This tally accounts for 8.15% of all awards shared between our Top 10.
Surprised? We are. Microgaming has been around since 1994 and has a long-list of popular titles. Moreover, the budget these guys are playing with is enormous.
But maybe that’s where the problem lies.
Microgaming is large enough to compete on multiple fronts. You can see this in the distribution of its awards, with wins in 4 categories. This begs the question: are they over-stretching themselves?
As Evolution Gaming highlights, if you can monopolize a niche, such as Live Casinos, the awards are served to you on a silver platter. Similarly, it’s likely that, if Microgaming concentrated on a single category, they’d dominate awards shows.
Yet that’s not what they’re about. Microgaming is still an exceptional provider, even if it’s not as decorated as others.
(Joint) 8th. Play’n Go
Play’n GO shares the 8th place spot with a sum-total of 9 awards. This tally accounts for 6.67% of all awards shared between our Top 10.
How to sum up Play’n Go? The profile of their awards is similar to that of NetEnt and Red Tiger Gaming. Like these providers, Play’n Go excels in the Slots and Mobile categories—just to a lesser extent.
You could call them a less-distinguished NetEnt.
But this is hardly a criticism. Coming in joint-8th is a commendable feat. If a casino hosts this software provider, it’s a genuine bonus.
(Joint) 8th. Relax Gaming
| Total Awards | Best At… |
|---|
| 9 | Product Diversity |
And 8th place is shared with… Relax Gaming! Relax Gaming has accrued a sum-total of 9 awards. This tally accounts for 6.67% of all awards shared by our Top 10 providers.
Relax Gaming is an interesting provider for a few reasons. For one, they’ve won awards across 6 different categories. That’s more than any other in our Top 10! For another, they’ve won the second most awards in Poker (2) and Bingo (1).
I think the key takeaway here is that most casinos are well-served by Relax Gaming. In fact – so long as you’re not interested in Live Casino games – Relax Gaming can satisfy the majority of players.
10th. IGT
Last on our list is IGT, with a sum-total of 5 awards. This tally accounts for 3.7% of all awards shared between our Top 10.
Unlike the other providers on our list, IGT is not exclusive to online gambling. These guys create games for brick-and-mortar casinos too, such as those you find in Las Vegas. These include electronic table games, slot machines, and systems that run these machines. Impressive, right?
Consequently, we don’t think IGT can be judged by the same criteria as the other providers in our Top 10. The fact that online gambling is their secondary focus, and they’re in the Top 10 anyway, is impressive enough.
My takeaway? Even with one foot in the industry, IGT competes with the very best.