Twenty-five years ago, when Microgaming’s foray to the top of the gaming industry began, there was no gaming industry. 1994 was a very different time. Irish eyes were smiling after the Republic of Ireland won its very first World Cup Soccer match 1-0 over Italy but were left weeping after a 2-0 loss to the Nether-lands in the World Cup Finals.
In the same year, Microgaming created their own bit of history by creating the world’s very first online casino. It’s hard to compare the basics of this first casino to the online casinos found today but it’s safe to say that the industry has made significant improvements since that time in just about every way you can think of.
Since 1994, Microgaming has evolved beyond simply a company with an online casino. As a matter of fact, they’ve abandoned the idea of running their own casino altogether in an effort to focus their attention on their primary purposes of providing other companies with the necessary infrastructure to run their own casinos. Poker, Blackjack, sports betting and especially slots, Microgaming has certainly changed the game in a way that none of the other providers (link to new Providers article) has done.
Facts about Microgaming
Operating out of the Isle of Man, Microgaming has provided over 150 gaming brands, including Mr. Green, with the infrastructure to effectively run their own online casinos while at the same time creating industry standards within the gaming industry.
The company has become synonymous with innovation and a few prime examples that demonstrate this are: the fact that they offered the very first mobile casino in 2004 and the fact that they offered the first progressive jackpot with their game: Cash Splash. These days nothing exceptional, but at the time these two events were groundbreaking.
Most of Microgaming’s games are produced in-house although they do collaborate from time to time with other five-star companies like: Derivco, a South-African based development and software studio plus other companies such as Slingshot Studios and Neon Valley Studios.
As a founding member of eCOGRA (eCommerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance), Microgaming has established itself as a company that maintains ethical standards of excellence, as the organisation is designed to protect players across the globe. Microgaming has won just about every award within the industry but it’s main focus remains – staying at the top of the heap in terms of putting out first-class gaming products.
Microgaming Products
Poker
The Microgaming Poker Network, also known as MPN or Prima Poker, launched in 2003 as one of the very first online poker games available anywhere. They could’ve stopped there but it’s a good thing they didn’t. MPN also hosts its very own poker tour, they were the first online poker site to offer a points system of sorts, first to offer anonymous tables, the first to offer poker in multiple languages and they also created a mini-game called ‘Blazing Cannon’ which operates by allowing players to play in-between poker hands.
The MPN also reworked something called the Bad Beat Jackpot, where players who have high hands, and still lose to another player with a higher hand, can have an opportunity to earn money. Continuing with the theme of finding innovative ways to earn their players money, they also created “Blaze Poker” which is a game where players earn more cash based on how fast they play their hand or fold.
Poker tables here run 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, every day of the year and offer multiple screen options from widescreen to fun view -which comes in handy when playing poker tournaments. Everything from bounty to free-roll to heads-up and more are offered at Microgaming.
But now for the bad news: MPN will be closing up shop in 2020. There’s no specific date set yet and it has been assured that until this happens MPN will continue to be available for all players.
Sportsbook
In much the same way that Microgaming has shaped the world of online gaming and online poker, they haven’t exactly rested on their laurels when it comes to sports / entertainment betting. Of course, they offer wagering on soccer games, football games, tennis matches, golf tournaments and cricket matches but aside from the more well-known sports, they also offer wagering on some more offbeat sports like darts, Futsal, beach volleyball and floorball. Most companies might stop there but Microgaming tends to take things to the next level, so they even offer wagering on politics, the Oscars and music awards.
The sports book offers sports and special event wagering in multiple languages and currencies with real-time sports scores and stats.
Mr Green isn’t new to the game either. Check out Mr Green's sports book for some of the most innovative sports betting options.
Live Casino
Microgaming has a live casino too. With multiple versions of blackjack, baccarat and roulette and dealers with personalities and charisma of real-life dealers you’d find at world class casinos, Microgaming certainly hasn’t skimped here. Mr Green offers its very own Live Casino games right here, if you’re tempted to place a bet on your favourite sport.
Slots
Microgaming has set the standard when it comes to online slots, not only by staying on the cutting edge of what’s popular, with 4 new slots per month debuting, but also by keeping their fingers on the pulse of what their players enjoy. Games like Mega Moolah and Treasure Nile are “oldies but goodies” that are still played by many all over the world. Let’s take a more detailed look at some of the features of the slots Microgaming has to offer.
Slots at Microgaming
Devices and Security
Microgaming slots can be accessed via any laptop, iPhone or tablet but for those who prefer to use different methods to access their games, they can also be accessed on Blackberry, Android phones and most Java-powered devices.
Play for Free
Try before you buy! All Microgaming slots are available for free to all players. There’s no sense in investing your hard-earned money in a game you’re not going to enjoy.
500+ slots and counting
On average, Microgaming debuts 4 new slots games every month and as a result have a library exceeding 500 poker games.
Slot types and themes
With over 500 slots released, there’s something for everyone!
Much like their sports book offering a wide array of sports and other entertaining events, the slots offered range from animal themes to sports, and from progressive pay-out slots to single pay one-armed-bandits, dragons, mermaids, heroes and witches. If you can think of it, it probably exists within the Microgaming universe.
RTP
RTP stands for “Return to Player” and indicates how much of the money that a player puts in, is theoretically given back - if the player played for an infinite amount of time. Generally the RTP for slots lies between 90 and 100. The higher the number, the more generous the game.
As one of the biggest players in the industry, Microgaming has made quite a name for itself with its RTP which averages roughly 96. That’s just north of what the average is in the industry. You wouldn’t expect anything different from a standard-maker.
Some of the higher paying games available through Microgaming include: Jurassic Park, Jurassic World, Cricket Star and Beautiful Bones. They all have two other things in common: they all offer a very generous 97 RTP and each one can be found right here at Mr Green.
Microgaming Special Features
Microgaming is also a trailblazer when it comes to giving players bang for their buck in terms of ways to win. Their slots have seemingly countless ways to win - actually it’s 243. However, 243 ways to win doesn’t necessarily mean that players are more likely to win, but when they actually do, they can win in a number of ways that many slots companies don’t offer.
Back in 2011, Immortal Romance was one of the first games that was offered that had 243 ways to win. Since that time, a number more games have been created which have 243 completely different ways to win including: Jurassic Park, Game of Thrones, Terminator 2 and one of their latest creations: Exotic Cats. We’ll hear a little more about Immortal Romance later as it’s listed high up on the list among Microgaming’s best slots.
Microgaming were innovators when it came to many types of Jackpot games including the four-tiered jackpot dividing jackpots into: Mega, Major, Mini and Minor. Nowadays, jackpots are constantly growing and they are being paid out at any time of the day, but Microgaming were actually the first to give players the chance to earn live-altering sums of money. Mega and Major jackpot wins are by all standards extremely generous, the Mini and Major jackpots may not pay out life-changing sums of money but they are still a nice win. The different layers of jackpots are very attractive to players as they’ve got four chances to earn a large sum of money instead of just one.
The Best Slots Microgaming has to Offer
#1 Ranked Slot: Immortal Romance
We spoke earlier about high RTPs and Immortal Romance definitely offers that to its players. As we mentioned, it was one of the very first to offer 243 ways to win and that is for sure one of the reasons for its popularity. You won’t find any progressive jackpots in this game. It doesn’t need them. Why? Because it has vampires and werewolves. Despite the fact that Immortal Romance was introduced in 2011, it has retained relevance and is arguably still the most popular slots game in Microgaming’s vast portfolio.
Amber, Troy, Michael and Sarah are the main stars in this love triangle where players can win in any one of 243 different ways. With that many ways to win it’s rare to win the same way twice.
Players need to root for Wild Desire when they’re playing Immortal Romance. This is their chance to earn BIG bucks. When that happens, all five reels turn “wild” and that’s your chance to rake in the dough. With-out a progressive jackpot available, Wild Desire is your best chance to make money.
Players can also earn free spins by getting three scatter symbols on their spin. Once a player earns those three scatters, they get to decide whether they’ll play Amber, Troy, Michael or Sarah. Players can earn anywhere from 10 to 25 free spins and each character comes with their own unique way to get those free spins redeemed. Just a small part of what makes this slot so popular among slot aficionados. It’s safe to say that the aptly named Immortal Romance will be here for a long, long time.
Highest Pay-out: Mega Moolah
As the saying goes: “Looks can be deceiving.” That old adage is certainly true when it comes Mega Moolah. At first glance, the game looks like it could be a kids game. Silly animals such as giraffes and lions hanging around the savannah doesn’t exactly shout “money” but Mega Moolah has had the highest pay outs of the entire library in the Microgaming universe.
Game play is pretty typical of most slots. Players can earn free spins just as they can in most other slots games. There’s a free spin round where players get a minimum of 15 free spins. Any amounts won are automatically tripled! Players earning 5 scatter symbols earn a pretty sweet amount at 100x their pay-out amount.
Mega Moolah isn’t known for its free spins though, it is known for its four progressive jackpots. And big ones at that.
Players can earn their way to the Wheel of Fortune round by doing nothing other than playing the game. Wheel of Fortune pops up randomly and that’s where the real fun begins. Fun which could actually lead to a live-changing score. There are four different jackpots players can win ranging from Mega to Major to Minor to Mini. While the Mini Jackpot certainly isn’t small change, the Mega win starts at 1,000,000 Euro. Yes, you read that right 1,000,000 is the minimum. As other players from an international pool continue to play, the jackpot continues to increase until someone finally hits and earns a life changing amount.
Mr Green has its own library of Progressive Jackpot slots which are found at Mr Green Casino, while here’s your direct link to Mega Moolah itself.
Mr Green’s most popular slot: Bridesmaids
Bridesmaids was one of the most popular comedies to come out in the last 20 years. Between its bawdy humour and its hilarious cast of characters who were the best of friends on the surface but seemed to want to stab one another in the back at times, the movie became an instant classic among film buffs and fans of comedy alike.
While the slot version of Bridesmaids didn’t rake in the nearly $300 million US that the movie did, it has gained its own cult-classic status among slots players.
For anyone who remembers the movie, there’s an homage to the airplane scene called “Flying High” Free Spins Round in the slots game, as well as a tongue-in-cheek “Friendship Free Spins” Round. There’s a Wheel Bonus which gives players the chance to win the jackpot, a Magic Moments Bonus and a Boutique Bonus. All totalled, there are a tremendous number of ways players can win playing Bridesmaids slot which is just one reason why it’s so popular. Of course, the main reason is that fans of the film will love the HD scenes with the cast of characters repeating some of their best-known lines in the movie.
Whether you’re a fan of the Bridesmaids movie or just a fan of slots altogether, Bridesmaids is definitely one to check out if you haven’t already done so.
Interesting Facts about Microgaming:
- The game company offers the widest selection of jackpot games in the world. From Major Millions to Mega Millions. From King Cashalot to Treasure Nile, Microgaming offers players more chances to earn life-changing scores than any other provider out there and they don’t show any sign of slowing down either.
- Microgaming owns a Guinness World Record for highest online slot pay out after Jon Heywood took down a jackpot for roughly 18 million Euro playing Mega Moolah and earning the Mega Jack-pot. It’s safe to say Mr. Heywood’s life changed for the better after that score but Mega Moolah is certainly not the only progressive slot Microgaming offers.
- Fruit Fiesta, Treasure Nile, Mega Moolah and Mega Millions are four of the more popular Microgaming progressive slots games. All rank among the most popular with slots players around the world, perhaps because there is one feature that separates these progressive slots from all the other progressive slots out there, which is that Microgaming actually pays its money out in lump sums. So, if you’re lucky enough to win an 18 million Euro jackpot, you can expect to receive 18 million Euro and not monthly instalments leading up to 18 million Euro. Definitely a feature some players pay attention to.
- Microgaming puts out new and innovative slots games every single month. A rolling stone gathers no moss and Microgaming knows this very well. As the industry continues to evolve, they refuse to be left in the dust. That’s an important thing to take note of since there are companies in just about every industry that allow time to get the better of them as they fail to evolve with the times. It’s nice to see Microgaming isn’t one of those companies.
- Microgaming has one of the largest selections of online games in the industry. Not only are they the oldest company out there but because of that experience, they’ve been able to use that to their advantage, constantly pushing the envelope and trying new features to see what resonates well with the audience.
- The slot Lost Vegas allows players to play the game as either a survivor or a zombie. This is just one example of Microgaming pushing the envelope a little to try to be different than their competition.
Wrapping it all up
As you’ve seen, Microgaming isn’t your typical industry leader. Worldwide, most large companies have fierce competition, however this game provider does not appear to fear the other providers. Partially because they’re so massive but they’re also so innovative. That level of innovation and seemingly constant evolution has kept any competitors at bay, with nobody being able to take their place atop the industry.
If you’re looking for other companies who may potentially compete with Microgaming in the future: NetEnt and Quickspin are known for more aesthetically pleasing looking slots games. Microgaming’s games look ok but they don’t put as much effort in this department. If players suddenly begin to prefer more polished games and jump to NetEnt or Quickspin, it’s easy to imagine that Microgaming will jump right on it and quickly polish their games up to cater to meet their audience’s needs.
Many companies may have tried to keep their casino business afloat while at the same time producing games and slots and table games but that’s another way Microgaming has bucked the trends and avoided many of the traps large companies fall into. They decided to focus their attention on creating games that catered to their audiences and instead of running the casinos they figured they’d be better served by going for a sure thing in game creation and casino infrastructure. Not every company can design everything from slots to sports books to poker tables and roulette wheels.
While the industry continues to evolve, one thing remains the same. Microgaming is here to lead the gaming industry into the next generation of online gaming.
