IGT—or ‘International Gaming Technology’—is amongst the major players in the casino industry, being responsible for a huge range of games, casino software and casino slots. As a company, IGT have been creating slots for offline casinos since the early 1950s, and it is this depth of experience that becomes apparent when you play any of the IGT online casino games.
The understanding that IGT bring to the world of online casinos is based on a rich experience of knowing what players want to experience, coupled with a dedication to always providing the latest technology. This has enabled IGT to create slots as varied as the classic Cleopatra slot and the innovative 40 pay line Wolf Run slot.
This article will examine the way in which IGT works, the IGT casino software, which you’ll encounter if you play their games, and the live casino offering provided by IGT. It will also look at the way in which IGT works to support the wider community and to ensure that people who use IGT games are able to play in a safe and responsible manner.
IGT initially supplied slots to land based casinos from a base in Las Vegas, Nevada, but entered the online gaming industry in 2010, and has since then grown to become one of the dominant suppliers of slots. In the initial stages of adding online to offline IGT slots, the company used a subsidiary known as Wagerworks to handle the development aspects of turning offline games into online games. In more recent years, however, IGT have switched to developing their own online games, and have won a number of awards for the quality and originality of the IGT slots on offer.
At one stage, IGT had grown to become the largest manufacturer of offline slots in the world, and it is this expertise and industry power that is reflected in the quality of the IGT games you can find in a huge number of casinos.
Today, IGT revels in its status as an ‘end-to-end’ gaming company, providing on- and offline gaming experiences ranging from slots and table games to lotteries. It is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and employs more than 12,000 people around the globe. With its holding company headquartered in London and offices in Rome, Las Vegas and Providence, Rhode Island, it can claim to be a truly international company with a commitment to blending a rich history in the gaming sector with a grasp of the possibilities of the latest technology.
The blue-chip nature of IGT as a company offers a further reassurance if you happen to find yourself playing an IGT game at an online casino. The fact that IGT slots are available at a particular casino indicates that this casino has undergone due diligence on the part of IGT. Put simply, if IGT believes that an operator can be trusted, then you, as a player, can believe the same thing.
More than anything else, the aspect of IGT that makes it stand out from other casino software developers is the firm grounding in offline casinos. This means that any IGT casino slots that you play online will either have been based on a game that has been ‘road tested’ in offline casinos, or else will have been developed using the experience gathered through decades of developing games that appeal to gamblers all over the world.
The other unique aspect of the IGT games offering is the fact that the company works in so many different spheres. They were one of the first slots developers to offer progressive slots jackpots across a range of different casino sites and this experience has gone on to inform a fantastic selection of progressive slots for online casinos that feature IGT games.
The progressive jackpots offered by IGT casinos are amongst the most distinctive IGT slots on offer. The slots in question are all grouped together under the MegaJackpots umbrella, and include the following titles:
MegaJackpots MonopolyOfficially licenced by the manufacturer of the game of Monopoly, these 9-line slots offer a range of features alongside the main jackpot. These include a ‘Pass Go’ bonus, which is triggered by 3 dice symbols on a pay line and offers players access to a bonus round based upon the Monopoly board game, and a Chance Win Spin Bonus, which is a free spins award triggered when you see three Chance symbols on the last 3 reels.
MegaJackpots CluedoThis is a 20-line slot based on the famous detective mystery board game of the same name. If you see 3 mystery bonus symbols, then you’ll be given 15 free spins and anything you win will be tripled, while a MegaJackpots symbol will double the amount won on any line it is part of.
MegaJackpots CleopatraThis is one of the 20-line machines which IGT adapted from existing and highly popular offline slots. As well as offering a highly valuable MegaJackpots progressive prize, it has bonuses like 15 free spins for three Sphinx symbols showing anywhere—with any winnings being tripled—and, as with Cluedo, a MegaJackpots symbol will double the amount claimed from a winning line.
Independent analysis has shown that the average winning pay-out on a MegaJackpots game is £855,592, and that the biggest jackpot is claimed by some lucky player every 11 weeks.
As a leading player in the online casino sector, IGT has dedicated a great deal of time to putting together an extensive and effective mobile casino option. These games can be divided roughly into 4 different sectors:
PlayCasinoThis is where you’ll find a selection of some of the best known and best performing online slots and table games. IGT works with 5 game studios based around the world, turning offline games into a thrilling online experience as well as developing online only games from scratch.
One of the main advantages of playing the mobile versions of IGT games is that they have been developed in HTML5 rather than Flash. This means that the games will work just as well on any device, from a desktop computer to an Android or iPhone mobile device. The responsive design of the games means that they will adapt to work perfectly no matter what kind of device you use to access your IGT games.
IGT also specialises in making ‘mini-games’. These are compact versions of hugely popular online games that retain the excitement of the original while being quicker and simpler to play. The mini-games format is ideal for players looking for something to keep them entertained between the rounds of games like bingo, poker and keno.
PlayPokerThis is the IGT games digital poker offering, which has been shaped for optimal performance on the latest generation of devices.You can play a variety of different formats and variations on the classic game of poker, and if you’re experienced enough to play on multiple tables, then the IGT PLayPoker platform makes it simple to move from table to table on any device using simple taps and swipes.
PlayBingoBingo is a game that some software providers tend to neglect, perhaps on the grounds that it doesn’t represent ‘proper’ gambling, but IGT casinos make no such mistake. The social aspect of bingo makes it the perfect game of choice for people, who might otherwise be put off by the idea that they would have to learn how to play games like roulette or blackjack, whereas bingo is pretty simple even if it’s your first visit to an online casino.
IGT games grasps the opportunities offered by bingo by offering a range of variants, from 90 balls, through 80, 70 and 50, all the way down to just 35 balls. The games also come with extensive chat features designed to enhance the social aspect of playing bingo and a range of prizes and community jackpots designed to enhance excitement and keep you coming back for more. The fact that IGT bingo games can also be linked across a number of providers means that the jackpot offered can often be fairly substantial.
PlayInstantsOne of the most impressive aspects of IGT games is the fact that they constantly strive to innovate and to offer gaming experiences that are uniquely suited to the digital sector. PlayInstants are a perfect example of this innovation, being instant win games provided through the IGT game server PlayRGS. These are the kind of fun, entertaining, visually pleasing games that you’ll be happy to enjoy when you have a couple of spare minutes, rather than when you settle into an online casino for an in-depth session of play.
Themed SlotsThe size of IGT and the fact that it has a real-world offline presence as well as providing online casinos has enabled the company to enter into lucrative and highly impressive partnerships with some of the best-known brands in the entertainment business. Take a look at the list of IGT slots, which are currently more than 80 in number, and you’ll soon spot big names like Ghostbusters, Family Guy, Baywatch and Star Trek. The slots on offer range from ‘traditional’ games based on offline classics to high-tech multi line slots featuring stunning graphics, soundtracks and a huge range of playing options.
As a company that has spent many decades involved in the world of gambling, IGT takes the responsibility they have to protect players from the risks of problem gambling extremely seriously.
The tools, which they offer to online players to ensure that they gamble responsibly, include self-exclusion, wager displays and the ability to set your own wager, loss and deposit limits. Their commitment to responsible gambling is underlined by the fact that they choose to work with partners who include the following globally recognised organisations:
World Lottery Association (WLA)
European Lotteries (EL)
Gambling Aware
European Association for the Study of Gambling (EASG)
National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG)
American Gaming Association (AGA)
National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG)
North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL)
Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM)
They have also received certification from the Internet Responsible Gambling Compliance Assessment Program (iCAP) in recognition of the work they do to ensure that players are treated fairly and responsibly.
Their commitment to social responsibility goes beyond supporting the players using their products; they also run a range of programmes in the communities in which they operate. These include the After School Advantage programme, which involves providing after school provision to underprivileged or at-risk children, based around digital learning centres.
As a company that specialises in both offline and online casinos, IGT has offices in more than 300 locations scattered across 100 different countries in every part of the world. These include Reno, Las Vegas and Seattle in North America, Beijing in China, Mexico City in Mexico and Rome, London and Barcelona in Europe.
The number and quality of IGT games, added to the tie-ins with popular entertainment names and the decades over which the company has established a reputation for excellence, mean that you can find IGT games in very many casinos. Even better than the sheer variety of casinos offering lGT games is the fact that the due diligence carried out by IGT means that spotting one of their games at a casino means that you can trust that particular game to be fair, and at the same time can be reassured that the wider casino will be run in a reputable and trustworthy manner. The following are just a few of the casinos which provide IGT games, together with details of the welcome bonus offered if you decide to go and play there.
Bet365 Casino – The welcome bonus at Bet365 sees the casino matching your opening deposit up to a value of £100. There is a wagering requirement you need to meet before you’re allowed to withdraw any winnings generated by your bonus, which at Bet365 is 15x your bonus plus deposit.
888 Casino – There are two welcome bonuses on offer at this casino. The first ‘standard’ welcome bonus is an offer to double the amount of your first deposit up to £100. The second, known as the Premium Welcome Package could end up being worth as much as £1500 in the first week after you join the casino. It works by matching the first deposit 100% up to £100, then, if you make your second, third, fourth and fifth deposits within seven days, each will receive a 30% bonus up to a maximum of £350 per bonus. The wagering requirement for both bonuses is 30x within 90 days.
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