UK online casinos come in many different shapes, colors, forms, looks and
designs, but what they all commonly rely on is online gambling software, the
actual online casino games. Online casinos either use their own 'proprietary'
software, but more commonly use third party online gambling software.
Although there are many online gambling software vendors in the world today,
there are probably only a handful that service the majority all top UK online
casinos. And it is these online gambling software vendors that design and
develop the games that keep online casino fans coming back today and tomorrow.
A few of these online gambling software giants include Playtech, Microgaming,
Cryptologic, Realtime Gaming, Vegas Technology, Boss Media, Rival Gaming, Net
Entertainment and Orbis' OpenBet. Most online casino powered by one of these
software firms will display their respective logo on their home pages.
Here are some of the questions you should be asking in order to compare the
different types of online gambling software:
Is the online casino software downloadable as well as non-downloadable? |
| In other words, while most online casino software requires that you download it
onto your PC, laptop or Mac, some online casino software allows you to play
games directly from your internet browser, no download required. The benefit of
this is that non-downloadable games are generally quicker to start playing,
although downloadable games are generally better quality and can boast more
features. |
How big is the software firm's gaming portfolio? |
| In other words, how many
games are offered at one UK online casino which is powered by one software
vendor, compared with another casino powered by another vendor. Online gambling
is all about choice, so the rule of thumb is that the more choice you have, the
better your online gaming experience will be. Why play on an online casino that
only offers 40 games, when you can play on another that offers over 100? |
Are the games top quality in every way? |
| When playing a particular type of
gambling software at a particular online casino, ask yourself these basic
questions as you play: Do the games boast excellent graphics and sounds or just
average graphic and sounds? Are the games stable and smooth or do they hang and
even crash sometimes? Do the games boast loads of user-friendly features or very
few? Are the games new and current or do they seem old and outdated? |
Are progressive jackpot games offered, and if so how lucrative are they? |
| Progressive jackpot games are usually available in all online casinos that use
the same software vendor. A small percentage of each bet a player makes on a
progressive jackpot game goes into the jackpot, until eventually it is won by a
lucky player somewhere in the world. Be sure to see how many progressive jackpot
games an online casino offers and how much its combined jackpots are. Bigger is
better. |
Are recent winners listed on the online casino? |
| Online casinos are always
looking to prove how much they pay out to players and more often than not boast
a 'Recent Winners' section on their websites. These are useful for two reasons.
One, they show the biggest payouts and progressive jackpots the casino has paid
out, and two how recently those payouts and jackpots have been won. The bigger
and more recent the payouts and jackpot, usually means the better the software
provider. It follows that the more players that play a progressive, the higher
its jackpots reach, and faster, and thus pay out more often. |
Do they offer bonus tracking in the cashier? |
| This is when an online casino
issues bonus vouchers that you can redeem online by typing in a special bonus
code. Not all online casinos offer bonus tracking, but the ones that do are
worth spending time at because they are obviously more generous, giving players
access to 'free' additional gambling funds (although terms and conditions
usually apply). Online casino bonuses are part and parcel of online gambling,
and they are a casino's way of 'comping' players to incentivize them to come and
play and hopefully stay a loyal player. |
These are just a few ways that you can differentiate one online gambling
software brand from another. Often it is not so much a case of better, but
'different' or 'unique'. Rest assured that all of the firms mentioned in this
article are safe and reputable, and many are even listed on stock exchanges
around the world.
