Gaming Realms is one of the top providers of online casino software in the United Kingdom, with a particular emphasis on mobile gaming. But rather than just supplying games or a platform, the company actually runs their own sites, utilizing their games in concert with those from other suppliers in order to reach the regulated UK marketplace.
Formed in 2012 and based out of London, the group has enjoyed tremendous growth over the past five years. Their operations have taken them in several different directions, including the development of the Bear Group, which handles their real money online gambling products, and Blastworks, which is focused on social gaming on Facebook and mobile platforms.
Today, Gaming Realms operates a number of popular regulated iGaming websites, including Slingo, Spin Genie, and Pocket Fruity. In addition, they operate themed sites that are based on some of the properties they have licensed, including Britain’s Got Talent, X Factor, and Deal or No Deal. Check out an approved site, and be sure to collect their best online casino bonus offers when you join.
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One of the ways in which this company has continued to grow throughout the years is with a series of strategic partnerships. Some of this is on the software level, where they have worked in concert with other providers to gets more games on their platform. However, they have also licensed their own intellectual property with lotteries, machines, and social/casual gaming platforms in order to increase the visibility and reach of their creations. These efforts include partnerships with Electronic Arts, Zynga, Scientific Games, and IGT.
While Gaming Realms has traditionally been focused on the UK market, they have recently taken more steps to branch out into other jurisdictions. In 2016, the company reached an agreement with Pala Interactive to deliver a 90-ball bingo game to the tribe’s site in the regulated New Jersey iGaming market, marking the developer’s first foray into the United States.
While this company has produced a wide range of content, and online slots with different themes, their signature creation is undoubtedly Slingo. The game is a combination of slots and bingo, featuring aspects of both in a blend that truly makes these products feel unique.
While there are a number of different Slingo variants, they all work on the same basic core concept. Players are given a 5x5 grid of numbers – laid out like a bingo card – with a single row of reels below them. Once a bet has been made, the player gets a certain number of spins (typically 11) in which they are hoping to match numbers on the slots reel to the ones on their card. Each time they do, that spot is marked off; wilds can also appear, giving players the choice to mark off a spot of their choice.
At the end of this process, prizes are awarded based on how many complete lines are filled in. Players can also choose to pay for additional spins in an attempt to win larger payouts. The biggest prizes come from filling in an entire card; this full house often pays several hundred times your initial stake.
Today, Slingo is offered in a number of different variants, some of which offer different theming or payout schemes while still offering the same basic style of gameplay. These include licensed versions like Slingo: Britain’s Got Talent as well as alternatives such as Slingo Extreme and Slingo Riches.
Gaming Realms has also created a small number of slot machines to supplement their more famous properties. Some of these are based on their big brand names, such as Slingo Reel Riches, which takes the theming gamblers are now familiar with but throws it into a more traditional five-reel format where players are looking to match symbols from left to right across fixed paylines.
Other games showcase a bit more originality. For instance, one of their latest releases is the Pigasus online slot, which features a rather cartoonish flying pig as its central character. There’s some innovation at play here, and not just in the unusual theme: players will sometimes be given the opportunity to pay for a respin when they’ve come close to triggering a bonus feature, adding a bit of decision making to the normal “auto pilot” gameplay of most slot machines.
One of the ways in which the gambling industry is changing is in an increased interest on creating skill-based games for gamblers to try their hand at. Gaming Realms has been a part of this movement, creating what they say is the first truly skill-based title in the UK iGaming market.
Known as Magic Mine, this is a game that features match three gameplay, a style made most famous in titles like the Candy Crush series. In this case, players are asked to compete against an artificial intelligence, winning cash if they are successful. Because an AI is used, there’s no random number generator involved: the contest is entirely up to the skills of each competitor, with better players getting better returns.
If you asked gamblers in the United Kingdom what they know about Gaming Realms, it is likely that most of them would be unfamiliar with the name. Pragmatic Play slots and IGT slots come from far more familiar brand names. However, they’re almost certain to be able to tell you something about the many well-known products they’ve created in the past five years, many of which have become very popular in this market.
There’s no doubt that Slingo is the top creation from this developer, but it would be a mistake to think that the company is solely focused on that one product line. We’ve mentioned that they have worked on other innovative games in recent years, but they are also known for their software platform known as Grizzly, which powers their sites. It’s this overall package that has allowed them to win awards like Mobile Casino Product of the Year, an honor bestowed by the eGaming Review Awards in 2016 in recognition of their mobile platform.
With a wide range of games for social and casual gamers and a particular focus on mobile solutions, Gaming Realms is a software provider that is poised for continued growth and success in the years to come. And while they may be mostly based in the UK for the time being, their recent inroads in the United States lead us to believe that more and more regulated jurisdictions will be featuring these excellent games in the future.