Intro

Few online casinos use proprietary software. Most license software from third-party developers. In some cases, a gambling site licenses games from over a dozen design companies, hoping to offer a novel set of casino games that players cannot find anywhere else. Others stick with one or two popular game providers - often one for traditional casino games and one for live dealer games.

Before depositing money in a gaming site, do you due diligence. Don't just research online casinos, but those who associate with them. First and foremost, research should include casino game developers. Research also should include the casino's licensing authorities and third-party auditors.

How Online Casino Software Works

Using computer graphics and random number generators, an online casino features virtual simulations of casino games. They use random number generators to produce results. RNGs began with electronic slot machines in land-based casinos in the late 1970s, so it's an old and trusted form of technology.

Whether it's an online slot, video poker game, or a table game like blackjack, the RNG can produce thousands of results per second. When you click the spin button, the RNG randomizes the outcome according to mathematical probabilities. No two spins are connected, so no pattern exists to predict.

Ensuring Fairness

In the online casino industry, fairness and safety are key. Early on, the online casino industry developed its own industry watch dogs, hoping to avoid scandal and therefore avoid governmental bans. 3rd party watch dogs like eCOGRA audit online casinos, then publish monthly results. This assures players and government regulators are confident in the safety and fairness of websites.

Third-party auditors also police the industry. For instance, the Australian testing company, Technical Systems Testing (TST), is a third-party auditor. Sites pay to have TST and its competitors audit their sites for fairness. The groups bolster the oversight provided by licensing agencies.

The Main Software Providers for US Casino Games

Anyone who plans on playing in U.S. online casinos should read through the following list of providers. This should give you a quick overview so you can narrow down the list of casinos you'll consider. Each operator offers the same general set of games, but the graphics, gameplay, and rules are quite different.

RealTime Gaming

RealTime Gaming launched in 1998 in Atlanta, Georgia. After the UIGEA passed in 2006, RTG moved operations to Heredia, Costa Rica and became the largest providers of software to U.S. online casinos. RTG has over 150 online slots, including progressive slots like Megasaur and Aztec's Millions that have million-dollar prizes. RTG also has the Reel-Series Slots, dozens of games with random progressives, enhanced graphics, and game features. RealTime Gaming provides a full range of table games and a large selection of video poker games - key reasons casino choose this software package.

Rival Gaming

Rival Gaming has designed casino software since 2005. Rival now has over 200 casino games and supports dozens of US online casinos. Using the Casino Controller software package, Rival Gaming is best known for its i-Slots - games with interactive bonus games. Rival's slots have a lot of bonus features, including wild symbols, scatter symbols, multipliers, free spins, and the Gamble Feature. Slots from Rival don't have the huge progressive jackpots like RTG and Betsoft, but otherwise are highly entertaining. Rival Gaming has a full software package with table games, specialty games, and video poker. The company's HTML5 design makes it a leader in the mobile casino category, too.

BetSoft

Betsoft began operations in 2006. Known for some of the best graphics in the US gaming industry, Betsoft has designed 3D slots since 2010. The company also produces table games and video poker, though it's best known for slots design. In any category, Betsoft's games are slickly designed and enjoyed by many players. Its early use of HTML5 makes it one of the best mobile casino suppliers in the US sector. In 2016, Betsoft faced a controversy when a player was denied a progressive jackpot won during a free spins round. The issue was big enough that Bovada and Slots.lv stopped using the software package, but many online casinos in the US and international gaming industries continue to use Betsoft Games.

Concept Gaming

Concept Gaming is a UK-based online casino software developer. Besides its casino games, Concept also designs software for sports betting, poker, and online bingo. The Cardiff-based company launched in 2010 and supplies games to top sites like Betsson and LeoVegas. Using the "Pulse (News - Alert)" gaming platform, it now has over 50 casino games available. Its software is licensed in the UK, Gibraltar, Malta, and the Isle of Man.

Nucleus Gaming

Though Nucleus Gaming does not claim any direct association with Betsoft Games, the Nucleus Gaming catalogue of games are almost direct copies of Betsoft's games. For instance, NG's Mad Genius (News - Alert) is a copy of Mad Scientist, while Freaky Frankenstein is quite similar to Frankenslot's Monster. Sweet Treats is a copy of Super Sweets, while Ogre Village mimics Betsoft's Ogre Empire. The graphics and gameplay are quite similar, while the slots, table games, and video poker titles all borrow a great deal from Betsoft. That means anyone who's enjoyed Betsoft over the years likely will enjoy Nucleus Gaming.

Live Dealer Software Providers

Not all online casino games use computer graphics and RNGs. Live dealer casinos film real-life games as they happen somewhere in the world, then livestream them to your computer in real time. Using Skype (News - Alert)-style video conferencing software, players interact with real life dealers using audio technology and the live chat features. Betting is handled like traditional online casino games, though.

Players will not find as many providers in the live casino category, because the category is newer. Live casino providers operate one or more brick-and-mortar casino studios, then livestream the games to your computer as they happen. Dealers are friendly, attractive, knowledgeable about the game, and fluent in the language.

Visionary iGaming

Visionary iGaming (ViG) began in Miami, but now operates its casino studio out of Costa Rica. ViG supplies live dealer games to about 20 online casinos, including famous US sites like Bovada, Ignition Casino, and SlotoCash. Canadian players will be familiar with ViG's games at Bodog, while Australians might have player Visionary iGaming's games at Joe Fortune Casino. The games offered include live blackjack, live roulette, and live baccarat.

Vivo Gaming

Vivo Gaming is another live casino provider for US online casinos. With innovative games like HTML5 Blackjack and Baccarat HTML5, Vivo Gaming has a growing list of clients in the US and international arena. Vivo began in 2012 as a B2B provider and now offers games to 5Dimes Casino, MyBookie, and Golden Lion Casino. These days, Vivo Gaming provides more than the standard blackjack, baccarat, and roulette. Players can enjoy live versions of Craps, Casino Hold'em, Caribbean Stud, Dragon Tiger, Sic Bo, and Live Bingo.

Conclusion

Online casino software developers have come and gone over the years, but here in 2020, American real money players have more choices than ever. The US gaming sector will continue to evolve over the next few years, but expect to see the most innovative and dynamic providers to flourish.

About OUSC

OnlineUnitedStatesCasinos.com is the contributor of this article. OUSC was created in 2013 as a result of the need to find reliable online casinos that accept US players and would approve American deposits. In the present it is the leading USA online casino authority.