Microgaming Casinos
Known for building extremely high-quality, versatile games, Microgaming games were initially available to play primarily through a downloadable casino client, but thanks to the phasing out of Flash, and the growth of HTML5, Microgaming now develop all of their new games for Instant Play use. This means the games open straight from your Internet Browser, eradicating the need to download any software.
That being said, however, a few downloadable casinos do still exist – most notably 32Red – who are one of the only online casinos in the world to still run slot tournaments. There’s no real downside to download a casino client anymore, but it does decrease the game loading times, somewhat, and also saves you from entering your login details every time you want to play.
Note: The download casinos are only available to play on PC devices and Mac. Linux players will have to stick to Instant Play gaming instead.
Best UK Microgaming Casinos & Bonuses
Slots
Microgaming are, by far, best-known for their video slots – many of which have become somewhat legendary with titles such as, Immortal Romance, Game of Thrones and Dragonz, that spring to mind.
While the gameplay and large win-potential is one of the main reasons for some of their games becoming so popular, it’s also the intuitive way in which many of them are created. Below, we'll cover some of their trademark features.
243 Ways to Win
An out there idea that didn't at first take off, Microgaming's "243 Ways to Win" payline structure is now commonplace in almost all software providers game collections. It essentially removes paylines and allows for greater flexibility for players, also allowing far larger wins.
Instead of having fixed paylines, you simply need to land one symbol on each reel to secure a win. For example, if you were playing a 5-reel, 3-row slot, and had a matching symbol on reel 2, on each of the five reels, you’d have one win, which is one payline, essentially. Let’s assume hypothetically, that win pays £1.
Now, if you have a full screen of that same symbol, you’d be paid at 243 x £1, equating to a £243-ways-to-win win! While, of course, payouts for 3-of-a-kind, 4-of-a-kind, and 5-of-a-kind singular lines are a lot smaller than with conventional slots, but when you do manage to land a large number of symbols on the screen, you can win a tremendous amount of money. Immortal Romance, for example, arguably Microgaming’s most well-known title, is known for its staggering 7-figure payouts on offer from just a £6 stake!
Branded Slots
Another area where the company have excelled, is branded slots and this is a select part of their range that is based on popular TV shows, films and books. Microgaming have a number of branded slots released, but two gain significant mention, due to the large-scale success they’ve achieved. These include:
Game of Thrones
Based upon the award-winning TV show, the official Game of Thrones video slot comes in two forms: a 15-payline version, and a 243 Ways to Win version. Both of these versions offer a dynamic, exciting and rewarding playing experience, with a fantastic free-spins round, where it’s possible to win 1,000 x +, thanks to stacked reels.
Jurassic Park
One of the most well-known, successful film trilogies in history with the addition of a fourth film just a couple of years ago, Jurassic Park is one of Steven Spielberg’s most critically-acclaimed works, and features a fictional world where Dinosaurs are brought back to life. The Jurassic park slot has, like the film, achieved large-scale popularity around the world, and continues to be one of the most commonly-played games.
Table Games
While Microgaming may be best-known for their video slots, it’s fair to say their casino table game selection is far from small, and whether it’s classics, like Roulette and Blackjack, or more obscure games, like the poker-themed “Red Dog”, the software provider offer a number of titles, which you’ll find at many online casinos. Below, we’ll look at some of the main games offered.
Roulette
No software provider would be taken seriously in the online gambling industry without a number of high-quality Roulette games, and Microgaming certainly do the job with a more-than-average number of Roulette titles on offer.
Their common games include European Roulette, American Roulette, and French Roulette – admittedly, these are the three variants of the game you’d expect to find, but there are also a number of ‘unique’ titles, which offer players something a bit different to what they’d perhaps normally find.
One of the game that's not so expected is "Roulette Royale", which is actually a progressive jackpot Roulette game. A progressive jackpot is far more commonly seen in video slots, but Microgaming have managed to incorporate the theme into this Roulette variation, and it offers players the chance to win massive prizes, far higher than those normally available to win at the Roulette table.
In order to qualify for the jackpot, you must place a small side bet on each spin of the wheel you bet on, and the jackpot – worth millions of pounds – is paid, if the same number lands five times in a row. Now that’s unlikely, sure – in fact, it’s very unlikely…
But Microgaming ensure there’s other ways to win, as well. If the ball falls into the same number four times in a row, you’ll get a 300X win and if it lands in the same number three times in a row, you’ll get a 200X payout, and a back-to-back same number spin pays 15X.
That’s just one of the Roulette games on offer that isn’t the ordinary type you’d find in a land-based-casino. Other roulette games include Multi-Player Roulette Diamond Edition, VIP Roulette, High-Limits Roulette and Roulette Pro.
Blackjack
When it comes to this classic card game, Microgaming pull out all the stops, offering a generous 26 different game titles to choose between. Again, much like the Roulette, they offer the standard game-types, such as European Blackjack, American Blackjack, and Multi-Hand Blackjack.
But, you’ll also find more obscure variations, including Classic Blackjack Gold Series, Atlantic City Multi-Hand Blackjack, and High Streak Blackjack Pays.
While not overly rare, Microgaming’s Blackjack Perfect Pairs is one of their best executed titles, and if you’ve not played this side bet variation before, you’re basically betting on the probability of your first two cards dealt being the same value. You play Blackjack as normal with regular European Blackjack rules, but to play the Perfect Pairs side bet, you place an additional wager before the hand begins.
If your first two cards dealt are of the same value, but different colours, you get paid on your side bet at 5:1. If your first two cards are the same value, and the same colour (but different suits), you get paid at 10:1. And, if your first two cards dealt are the same value, and the same suit (i.e. a Perfect Pair), you get paid 35:1!
Live Dealer Games
Microgaming also offer a Live Dealer Casino to players, and while they were by no means the first software provider to join the Live Dealer Games bandwagon, today, they offer a comprehensive, reputable, and reliable selection of live games, all following the same high-standards you’d find in any of their slots, or casino table games.
The Live Dealer Games can largely be categorised into two parts. First, you have the regular, well-known casino games, including Blackjack, Roulette, Baccarat, 3 Card Poker, and Casino Hold’ Em. Then, you’ve got the more niche games, including Caribbean Stud Poker, French Roulette Gold, and – while rare – Sic Bo.
Regardless of the game you choose to play, you’ll enjoy a fast, state-of-the-art gaming experience, where you can interact with the dealers, chat with other players, and, of course, see the action streamed out right in front of you in stunning, crisp High-definition!
Microgaming’s Live Dealer Casino is continually cited as being one of the most reliable around, and security, reliability, and playability are three core areas the company have focused on, ensuring players enjoy their live gaming at all times.
Video Poker
The Video Poker selection is one of the most comprehensive out of any software provider around today, and they feature over 60 different games – although it’s worth pointing out it’s rare to find more than around 10 of the games available at any one online casino.
That being said, the game selection they offer is tremendous, and you’ll find all different types of the game, from simple one-line editions, to 50-play games, and even variations that let you play up to 100 hands at once!
While there’s far too many games to list individually, some of the notable titles include: Bonus Poker 100 Play Power Poker, Aces and Faces Power Poker, All American Video Poker, Deuces & Joker 4 Play Video Poker, and Deuces Wild 50-Play Video Poker.
Jackpot Games
We’ve already talked briefly about Progressive Roulette, but where the software provider really stands out is their video slot jackpot games.
These progressive jackpots work on a ‘pooled’ basis, which means the jackpot totals are shared between many online casinos – often as many as 100! Each time you, and other players spin the slot in question, a tiny fraction of your stake is deducted, and added to the progressive jackpot total, and, thanks to the fact so many online casinos share the games, the percentage taken is minuscule, and the jackpot figures rise pretty rapidly!
There’s little question when it comes to Microgaming’s most popular progressive jackpot game – Mega Moolah – a game that’s literally changed many players' lives, turning them into instant multi-millionaires. There have been over 13 million-pound winners to date, and hundreds of players have won 6-figures from the game. Mega Moolah also holds the world record for the highest non-land-based-casino jackpot in history, with a lucky player scooping over £10 Million, from a 50 pence spin!
Other popular jackpot slots include Mega Moolah ISIS (a follow up to the original), Fruit Fiesta, Treasure Nile, and Cash Splash.
Mobile Gameplay
While Microgaming may not have come as far as other software providers, such as NetEntertainment and Blueprint Gaming, in terms of mobile-optimized games, their games are generally available to mobile players – although only around half their game range can currently be enjoyed from phones and tablets.
Players on older devices may struggle to run the games, and some are a little ‘hit and miss’, so it’s generally better to stick to PC or Laptop gaming where you can.
About Microgaming
- Year Founded: 1994
- CEO: Roger Raatgever
- Publicly Traded: No
History
Microgaming have bene in the online gambling spotlight since the very beginning, and they are credited with creating the first commercially-available piece of casino software, starting out with their own online casino platform in 1994. While at the time it wasn’t much of a success, the software provider soon branched out into white-label casino solutions, and found tremendous success just a few years later.
With money coming in, the company could afford to expand their operations, and this really started to pay off in 1997/1998, when they launched their very first video slot, “Cash Splash”. It was an instant-hit in the online casino world, largely thanks to the progressive jackpot it offered, and ever since the company has gone from strength to strength, developing fantastic video slots that offer players exciting gameplay and the potential for big wins.
The Future for Microgaming
While it’s hard to predict which direction Microgaming plan to take their company, one thing that is fairly certain, is that over the next few years, their games will all be getting a complete overhaul, to make them more mobile-friendly. This is because many of the titles still rely on Flash – an outdated technology that has been phased out over recent years – and indeed, they have already started the redevelopment of many games, ensuring players have greater control over where they game from.
Microgaming are also said to be trialling VR (Virtual Reality) technology, much like NetEntertainment – although it remains to be seen whether this will amount to inclusion within their games or not.