Nowadays, it is hard to imagine a person who is not familiar with the concept of gambling. In the gambling world, the most popular and most widespread are slot machines. This trend is relevant to both online casinos and land-based establishments.

The process of playing is as simple as possible and requires no effort on the part of the player. But is the process of creating this very game simple? In this article we will look at the features of creating games for casinos not on GamStop.

“Design first, then maths”

There is a proverb amongst slot machine developers: ‘visual style attracts players – maths keeps them there’. The process of creating games for the gambling niche is guided by this saying. It is important to understand that the taste preferences of each player has its own, and to create a slot should be aimed at a wide audience. That is to make a product that will be able to cover a variety of users at a glance and collect more players.

On the basis of the above information the first stage in creating a new slot is the development of the concept. At this stage, experts work through all aspects of the future of the game, collect the team’s ideas and on that basis form the basic concept of the slot machine, to then translate it into reality.

This stage involves several important points:

• choosing the theme of the future slot
• plot discussion
• determination of elements (number of reels in the game, active lines, bonus rounds, etc.)
• creation of design outline.

Once all the details have been finalised, they are documented in clear and concise terms. This ensures that the design and development team have a clear understanding of the task at hand.

The second stage of development is prototyping. At this stage not only the previously thought-out and visualised design is implemented, but also the basic gameplay, game mechanics and key technical points are tested. Contrary to many opinions, a prototype is not the foundation of a future product. It serves to verify key aspects in order to ensure that the implementation of the idea will not cause difficulties. Keep in mind that after all the necessary tests are completed the prototype is simply put aside. The game is developed from scratch, in a quality and professional manner.

The third stage is the vertical slice. This stage of development involves creating a full game, but with the elaboration of only those elements that have the greatest impact on the quality of perception. Well, the basic functionality is done in draft form.

The fourth stage is working on the content. As a rule, this stage is the longest. After all, it involves the creation of a full-fledged game. At this stage is implemented absolutely all the details and nuances: 

• designers create graphics and animation
• programmers work on gameplay 
• merge all of the previously proposed ideas into a single whole.

When this is done, all the components are integrated, optimised, fine-tuned and configured. At the same stage, the technical parameters of the content, the ability to run on different operating systems and in all browsers, and, of course, the high capacity on mobile devices are also evaluated.

By far the most common technologies for slots are HTML5 and JavaScript. They ensure that the content is responsive and has high image quality.

Like video games, slots undergo a product testing phase. This is necessary to evaluate the development of the software, checking the slot machine for bugs, errors or shortcomings.

The final stage in the development of games for casinos not on GamStop is the release of the product.

The most respected developers of the gambling industry

Each operator has its own criteria when choosing an iGaming studio to cooperate with. After all, the right choice of gaming providers from the first days of an online casino gives a huge priority in attracting an audience and for further development.

As a rule, a good developer stands out:

• Games with a tested Random Number Generator
• Cross-platform products
• A wide selection of games with different storylines
• High quality of each game element
• User-friendly user interface
• Realistic graphics
• Licenses and certificates.

As an insight, we have compiled a list of the most popular developers who have great credibility in the gambling community.

• Evolution Gaming: A renowned gambling developer whose main focus is live dealer games. And in 2021, the company unveiled its new VR game, Gonzo’s Treasure Hunt™, which combines elements of traditional video slots and live dealer games.
• Pragmatic Play: A gaming provider that has quickly gained user approval for the variety on offer in game categories and storylines. Pragmatic Play has won a large number of awards: Slot Innovation at the EGR Awards, Mobile Product Innovation at the SBC Awards and many more.
• Play’n GO: The company started back in 1997, and today they have more than 100 slot machines. The most famous is the Book of Dead slot, which has received acclaim from players all over the world!
• EGT Interactive: Its games can now be found in more than 85 countries around the world. All of their games are based on HTML5, which makes them easy to open on gadgets with different operating systems.
• Microgaming: The company has been in the market for over 25 years, and in that time it has managed not just to prove itself, but to gather a huge number of fans around it. It was Microgaming that became one of the pioneers in the niche, and other developers have already emerged on the basis of their work. For such a long time on the market, the company has received numerous awards for its projects. In 2015, for example, they won Digital Gaming Innovation of the Year at the Global Gaming Awards for their work on virtual reality gambling via VR helmets. This developer creates a variety of games for users: table games, video slots, scratch cards, poker and more.

iGaming market trends

The reality is that gambling is a niche that adapts very quickly and easily to global market changes. Moreover, this niche also sets the trend for the entire IT segment. For this reason it is fair to say that this market has been and remains as forward-looking as ever.

The main trends for the development of iGaming are now highlighted as follows: 

• Mobile-friendly. The percentage of mobile traffic far exceeds computer traffic. And hence the focus on the consumer with a variety of mobile gadgets. For this reason, content is now as carefully developed as possible for smartphones and tablets. And sometimes even work according to the principle of Mobile First, where the content is designed for mobile devices first, and then adapted for the desktop.
• VR technology. This technology is on the minds of many developers around the world right now. And, of course, it is not bypassing the gambling industry. Many companies are integrating this technology when creating slot games and even in the betting business. IDC (International Data Corporation) predicts that the VR industry could grow by 77% by 2023.
• Integration of cryptocurrency for payments. This item can be labelled not as an upcoming trend, but as an actively implemented trend. Many online casinos have been using BTC for deposits and withdrawals for years. But the crypto market is also evolving and is not standing still, new coins are appearing. This is what slot industry developers will have to work with in the future.
• The course towards sociality. Sociality is now hugely popular, and its manifestation can be seen in everything. There are even products with a unique monetization system whereby bets in games are optional extra buys. This format is still very recent, but it is expected that the pace of its development could increase significantly.