Online Casino Spotlight

Created by British company Orbis Technologies, Ltd., OpenBet is an online gaming software platform that separates itself far from the competition.  Unlike most other solutions, this particular application offers seven individual gaming modules: Casino, Sportsbook, Fixed Odd Games, Rake Games, Retail, Exchange and Marketing.  These modules and their ability to interact with one another enables casino operators to provide players with a fully integrated gaming solution that delivers support, security and much more all from a single package.  Orbis’ “one account, one wallet solution” has made OpenBet one of the most unique and popular online casino gaming platforms on the market.

OpenBet Technology

OpenBet is widely adopted by some of the biggest players in the realm of online gambling, both in the United Kingdom and other countries as well.  The software utilizes a standard three-tier architecture based on the powerful Unix platform.  This architecture consists of a database system, web server and application server.   The database it uses is called Informix Dynamic Server, a system that often runs on Linux and Solaris platforms.  The application server is a proprietary solution developed by Orbis to maintain a high level of availability and facilitate a high number of betting transactions.  Written in the C programming language, the application server includes a number of libraries designated to perform various tasks.  The web server powering the OpenBet software platform is Apache 1.3, which supports application servers on both the front and back-end.  These web components help Orbis maintain what has become one of the best  designed gaming platforms in the industry.

OpenBet Then and Now

It didn’t take long for OpenBet to go from a new solution to the near perfect gaming system it has become today.  The software was initially developed in 1996 and in 1997, its first sports betting application was implemented through a joint venture with Index and Sport life.  In 1999, ICE, the first OpenBet Casino was launched, followed by the Sky Vegas Live Roulette channel and several other new customers.  By the time to the millennium rolled around, Orbis was a key player in the online gambling industry, powering sites such as Ladbrokes.com as well as channels like Survey Sports and Paddy Power.  Even after being acquired by News International Company NDS Ltd., Orbis kept the OpenBet brand alive and well in the online gaming world.

Today, the OpenBet gaming system is still prevalent and currently being used by some of the most notable brands in the online gambling atmosphere.  The software powers 32Red, Betway, Ladbrokes, Lasseters, Macua SLOT, Premiere Bet, Ukbetting and VC Games to name a few.

Despite all the competition on the market, Orbis continues to prove that is has the goods needed to run a stable and reliable internet betting establishment.  More importantly, OpenBet features such as multiple currencies and multilingual capabilities have made it possible for players all over the world to excel with the software and partake in online gambling.  Whether it is sports wagering, new games or old classics, this platform delivers all the technology to enjoy a safe and stable gaming experience.

Playtech has become one of the major industry leaders in casino software since being founded a decade ago in 1999. The company lays claim to being the world’s largest publicly traded online gaming software supplier.

Playtech has grown steadily over the last ten years. In 2002, the company initiated Casino Soleil which became the first European land based casino to go online. In the following year, the company launched a worldwide bingo network. In 2006, the company’s shares were admitted to the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange. Last year, Playtech reached a deal with Paramount Digital Entertainment that enabled the company to produce online games related to a couple of viable brands/movies of Paramount Pictures.

Products

The company has implemented a variety of software products over the last decade. Casino, poker and bingo games are among the games that Playtech has developed software for. Playtech’s online casino features over 140 games for the player to choose from. Software is available in slots, table games, live games, arcade games and Asian games. The company claims to have the world’s biggest independent poker network through their iPoker software.

Playtech also offers broadcast gaming and mobile phone software. Playtech TV software brings the atmosphere of a live casino directly into the player’s living room through live or fully automated game shows. A televised presenter actually leads a real casino game show with real time statistics.

The company’s fixed odds games were designed to amplify online Sports book casino operations. Playtech’s Derby Day is among the virtual racing games that the company offers.

Playtech’s Information Management Solution (IMS) is an all-encompassing management system for all of the operations of the products offered by the company.

Services

Playtech offers their clients a range of support to supplement the company’s software. Financial, hosting, payment advisory, live dealer and marketing services are a few of the areas offered by Playtech. The company also offers a poker and bingo management network.

Marvel slots added to portfolio

Playtech recently engineered a deal with Marvel Entertainment to produce a series of online games related to the popular comic book/movie characters. The first games are set to launch this week. The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man slot games are being launched with other characters set to be featured in upcoming months. Each of the Incredible Hulk/Iron Man games are 20 payline video slots.

Playtech is hoping that the Marvel games will follow in the footsteps of their previously released Gladiator slot games based on the Russell Crowe movie. “Following the overwhelming success of the Gladiator branded slots Playtech is delighted to enable our licensees to add these remarkably popular, well known brands to their games offering. We are confident that these slots, with their established mass market appeal will appeal to a large audience of new and existing players, supporting our licensees’ acquisition and player retention efforts, by raising the profile of their games portfolio and further enhancing the gaming experience for the players,” said Playtech’s Shahar Sella.

These days, you don’t even have to step one foot out of your home to play casino games.  In fact, all you need is a personal computer and internet connection.  With these essentials intact, you can play your favorite casino games and get a shot at real money with a few easy clicks.  Online gambling software applications first went into development nearly 15 years ago and the technology used to create them has improved dramatically since that time.  The online gambling industry is currently seeing its most prosperous times and projected to grow even more over the next few years.  Driven by emerging technological advancements, observers are predicting that by the year 2015, the industry will generate a staggering $512 billion annually on a global scale.  There is no denying that online gaming software developers will play a major role in helping the market pull in these astronomical revenues.

With all that said, you can certainly understand why there is such a large number of software developers scattered throughout the world.  While almost anyone can own and operate an online casino, it is all about choosing a qualified developer to build the platform the gamblers will play on.  If you are looking to start your own casino site, the vendor you choose will ultimately determine your level of success and help set yourself apart from all the rest of the competition.

Knowing Where and What to Look for

An aspiring online casino operator has plenty of gaming development companies to select from.  However, this large selection of providers claiming to offer the same thing makes it difficult to choose the right one.  Choose too fast and you could end up losing out on money before you even get your site up and running.  To help you find the best online gaming software, we have provided a few tips on what you need to look for in a developer and where to look.

Stability and Scalability

Stability is one of the most important aspects of any gaming software.  With the immense popularity of online gambling, you can’t afford to have your customers playing on a platform that is slow and always experiencing performance issues.  Scalability is also important as you want something that can support your gaming endeavors now, and into the future as well.  This essentially means that you need a gaming platform with the ability to accommodate the growth of your casino and players without going down because of technical problems.

Do Your Research

Before deciding on an online gaming developer, we recommend that you conduct some extensive research so you know what you’re getting into.  You can check out a few industry reviews as well customer testimonials to see what others have to say about the company.  Most importantly, you want to converse with the developer and ask as many questions as possible about their services.  When doing this, make sure to consider their experience, level of support and responsiveness.

The continuous growth of the online gambling industry presents many new opportunities for those who want to try their hand at this highly profitable market.  However, some will succeed while others are sure to fail.  Because of this, it is vital that you choose wisely when deciding on your software developer.

Microgaming is one of the most popular online gaming software providers on the market.  The company just added to the value of its name with the recent announcement of four new advanced video slot games.  It looks as if the launch is just in time for the summer, giving players new and innovative game play equipped with the vibrant graphics and real-life sounds we have all come to expect from Microgaming.

Summer Holiday, Microgaming’s first new release, is a five-reel 100-payline slot game that features a combination of scatters and stacked wilds.  The retriggering free spins and generous multipliers add to the excitement and the potential winnings.  It also boasts a new bonus feature that allows you to choose a prize upon completing a free spin cycle.  The Summer Holiday title has been designed to offer a relaxed atmosphere right alongside vivid, colorful animation that sends you on wondrous trips to a wide variety of holiday and leisure settings.  The new slot game offers rewards of up to $37,500 in the initial game while a whopping $112,500 can be won winning landing the free spin action.

The annual Tour De France takes place in Europe this month and Microgaming is looking to capitalize on this extravaganza with the launch of another new title, Pedal Power slot.  A five-reel 15-payline slot, the game features exceptional artwork with high quality graphics that portray the brilliant colors of the cyclists, stopwatches, trophies and tools associated with the race.  This new release allows you take an extra gamble by selecting a variety of free spins against what each choice provides in terms of multipliers.  You can also achieve winning combinations using Pedal Power’s wild feature, which takes the form of the prestigious Tour De France gold trophy.

The third Microgaming release is a title called Sterling Silver.  This five-reel 25-payline video slot game is centered around the precious sterling silver metal.  The game features gleaming silver symbols including scatters and wilds that can be used to uncover hidden riches within the game.  To complete the action, you can use the built-in gamble function to double or quadruple your winnings by correctly predicting the suit of a mystery card.

The last new game added to Microgaming’s portfolio is one that requires you to grab the pickaxe and sticks of dynamite to engage on a mining adventure that leads to many hidden treasures.  Fortune Finder is a five-reel 30-payline video slot featuring diamonds, rubies and golden nuggets that point you in the direction of the ultimate jackpot.  The game allows you to pick the best hands to build winning combinations in addition to the rewards provided by the wealth of scatters, wilds, free spins and gamble feature.  One of Fortune Finder’s major highlights is a new stage that gives you three wilds in the form of the Diamond, Nugget and Ruby.  After choosing the one you feel is most precious, your selection can be changed depending on the gem’s ability to offer an entirely new world of suspense and excitement.

If Microgaming has anything to say about it, the summer of 2009 is sure to be eventful for the community of online gamblers.

When planning to engage in online gambling, it is important to know that you will be introduced to a number of gaming platforms.  Some require that you download the software onto your computer while others allow you to play instantly online via a website.  The main difference between these two options is that the instant version is only temporarily stored in your web browser for the duration of game play.  The downloaded version is one that must be saved to hard disk drive of your computer.  In this article we will explain what to expect from these online gaming platforms.

Installation and Setup

If you encounter or choose to go with the downloadable gaming software, the download and installation process is something that you will only have to do one time.  The entire procedure should take no longer than 10 to 15 minutes depending on the speed of your internet connection and computer.  The instant version of the software only takes a minute or so to be saved into your browser and this allows you to get started right away after creating and funding your casino account.  Over the years, many of the leading online gaming software providers have discovered ways to avoid the lengthy setup time of the downloadable applications.  For example, some of the more popular games can be downloaded first and are available for immediate play while the others will show up after the rest of gaming program has been completely downloaded.

Gaming Performance

Downloadable gaming software applications generally claim anywhere between 5 to 40 MB of hard disk space.  This of course, all depends on the number of games included in the package as well as the features.  When playing directly online, you don’t have to worry much at all about space, making it a more viable option for the player with limited hard disk capacity on their computer.  Because these games also require memory, players who are lacking RAM on their system may experience a degraded performance when opting to go with the downloaded version.  In addition, if you are someone who desires to hop from one online casino to the next, you may want to stick with the instant version.  This is only practical when considering that a large number of downloaded games will began to take their toll on the precious resources of your computer.

Disadvantages

The biggest drawback to downloadable online gaming software programs is that most of them are specifically designed for Windows-based machines.  This presents a large problem for the gamer running an operating system such as Linux or Apple’s Mac OS X on their computer.  The instant variation caters to all computer platforms and typically only requires that you install free plugins such as Flash or Shockwave.

The instant version of gaming software isn’t without flaws either.  The major downside here is the quantity and quality of the games offered.  In many cases, these programs include less than half of the games you will receivce with the downloadable version.  They also tend to lack features.

Conclusion

Gaming software is very important because this is the interface you will interact with when participating in online gambling.  Although you can win big with either version, it is good to determine which type works best for you in your online gaming endeavors.