Microgaming is one of the world’s leading online casino and gambling software manufacturers, and is a privately held company based in the Isle of Man.
Their current CEO is Roger Raatgever, a South African businessman.
History
Microgaming was first formed in 1994, upon launching what they maintain was the first true online casino software. The world wide web was at its infancy at the time, and there is some contention between other companies, who also started up the same year, as to who was technically the first. There is no doubt, however, that Microgaming was right there at the start.
Online Pioneers
Compared with today, very few people around the world were yet active users of the internet during the 1990s, and the fledgling online casino industry, and internet at large, was initially slow to develop. Microgaming were nonetheless intent on pioneering the early days of online casino software, and in 1998 they released their first in a long line of successful games, a slot game called Cash Splash.
While the game was not that widely played or distributed, Cash Splash achieved a momentous milestone. It incorporated a certain feature that would go on to help transform the online gambling industry into the booming commercial hub that it is today. The feature was called the progressive jackpot, and it caused the company to gain the attention, and backing, of some of the world’s largest casino gaming companies.
From that moment forward, Microgaming has endeavoured to push the envelope of online casino gaming. To date they have developed thousands of popular game titles, for online and mobile casino platforms, and won numerous awards for many of them.
Examples of Popular Games
Slots:
- 9 Masks of Fire
- Book Of Oz
- Immortal Romance
Famous Franchise Slots:
- Jurassic Park
- Game of Thrones
- Lara Croft
Video Poker:
- Jacks Or Better
- Tens Or Better
- Joker Poker
- Deuces Wild
Video Black Jack
- Atlantic City Blackjack
- Classic Blackjack
- European Blackjack
- Vegas Downtown Blackjack
Other Games:
- Real Baccarat
- Real Auto Roulette
Note: The above represents just a tiny portion of their vast catalogue of popular games.
The Mega Moolah Payouts
In May 2009, Microgaming’s progressive slot, called Mega Moolah, set a Guinness World Record, after paying out $6,374,434 to a winner.
In October 2015, another world record was set when Mega Moolah paid out £13,209,300 to a British soldier.
VR Casinos & the Future
Another frontier that Microgaming has jumped to the opportunity to explore and pioneer is virtual reality casinos and games.
In May 2016, the company launched their first VR roulette games using the Oculus Rift headset and technology.
Like other technological milestones, VR has been relatively slow to kick off. Though many VR casino games are available online, there are only a few VR casinos, which, though impressive, are still very much in their infancy. Very soon, however, incredible, realistic, and immersive VR casinos will be opening their digital doors to the public. You can also be sure that, when it happens, Microgaming will be right, leading the way.