Novomatic

Novomatic is one of the world’s leading providers of gambling software, with more than 30,000 employees all over the world and locations in more than 50 countries. It was founded in 1980 and originally provided games for offline casinos. In 2010, Novoamtic acquired the company Greentube and began the move into developing and providing Novomatic slots online. In the first instance, these Novomatic slots were online versions of games that were popular in land-based casinos, but in time, Novomatic began to gain a reputation for creating and developing innovative online only gaming solutions.

This review will look at the growth of Novomatic, the kind of Novomatic games you can play online and the experience you can expect to enjoy when you play at a Novomatic online casino. You’ll also find details of some of the more popular Novomatic casinos, together with the welcome bonuses they offer, and information on the Novomatic approach to responsible gambling.

A Short History of Novomatic

Having been founded in Austria in 1980, Novomatic began expanding into land-based casinos across Europe during the 1980s. After growing steadily and acquiring numerous smaller companies over the next two decades, Novomatic was at the forefront of a major leap forward in gaming technology in 1997, when it unveiled the first ever multi-player live roulette games. The development of gaming technology delivered by Novomatic meant that, for the first time, it was possible for up to 250 players to join a game of roulette at one time from various physical locations.

The shift into online casinos began in 2010. Although this date means that Novomatic is actually relatively new in terms of online gaming, the games that it develops are backed up with decades worth of experience in providing gaming entertainment in land-based casinos. The fact that Novomatic also operates within the lottery and sports betting markets enables it to offer a full-service gambling solution to all players, blending entertainment with secure banking and a commitment to genuinely fair play. Through the acquisition of subsidiary companies such as the previously mentioned Greentube, Astra Gaming Group and Mazooma Interactive Games, Novomatic has been able to expand the range of online games it offers to include innovative slots, a range of table games and accessible live casino experiences.

The Unique Novomatic Offer

One of the things that makes Novomatic distinctive in the online gaming industry is the fact that all of the games it produces are Flash based and can be played instantly without having to download any software onto the device you’re using. Novomatic games, particularly the Novomatic slots online, tend to be easily recognisable on the basis of the high colour graphic design they use, and the vibrant, interactive gameplay, which often features animated visual effects and a striking soundtrack.

Most of the Novomatic slots feature 5 reels, numerous winning lines and a range of special features such as free spins and bonus rounds. In addition to this, however, and as a mark of the fact that the company has its roots firmly in the world of offline gambling, they also provide traditional 3-reel classic slots with simpler gameplay and easily followed payout permutations.

When you add all of this together, you come to the conclusion that Novomatic slots are suitable for all kinds of players, from seasoned online gamblers to complete novices. In particular, the focus on entertaining graphics and instant gameplay, coupled with the fact that Novomatic games can be played for free without putting any real money on the line, makes them the ideal choice for any newcomer wanting to get to grips with online slots and find just the right game for them before making a deposit in an online casino.

In addition to all of this, the sheer size and scope of Novomatic means that the presence of their games on a site offers reassurance that the site itself is reputable and will meet the same high standards of security and player fairness set by Novomatic itself.

Some of the Novomatic Games

Novomatic offers more than 200 online slots in total, meaning that they provide something for everyone, from traditional slot games to theme-based games and progressive slots offering players the chance to win larger jackpots. Some of the most popular Novomatic slots include the following:

Book of Ra

This Novomatic game is a classic 5-reel slot with an ancient Egyptian theme. One aspect of Book of Ra that makes it unusual is the fact that you, as a player, can choose how many lines you activate when you play, from just a single line up to 9 or 10 if you play the deluxe version. The symbols used on the reels include the Golden Book of Ra, a pharaoh, Cleopatra and an archaeologist with a resemblance to Indiana Jones.

Gameplay includes the fact that hitting more than 3 Book of Ra symbols means that a Free Game bonus is triggered, offering 10 free spins. Like many Novomatic games, it also features a ‘gamble’ feature, giving you the chance to double your profit every time you win.

Lucky Lady’s Charm

One of the most appealing aspects of Lucky Lady’s charm is the fact that it offers a payout rate of 97%, one of the highest amongst all of the Novomatic slots. The 5 reels of the game offer 9 or 10 pay lines and the symbols used are well known signs of good luck such as a 4-leaf clover, a rabbit’s foot, a gold coin and the lucky lady herself. If you see three or more of the crystal ball symbol, then you get an immediate payout as well as 15 free spins and a 3x multiplier.

Dolphin’s Pearl

Dolphin’s Pearl comes in a deluxe 3D version offering 5 reels and 10 pay lines. The symbols on the reels include stingrays, lobsters, oysters, seahorses, dolphins, pearls and fish. If you see more than 2 of the pearl symbols, you win a cash prize and more than 3 of the symbols activates a Free Spins Bonus Round. If you do hit a winning combination, you’ll be given the chance to gamble on the colour of a playing card—black or red—with a correct guess meaning you double your winnings.

Sizzling Hot

The 5-reel Sizzling Hot game is an example of Novomatic reaching back to their roots in offline gambling provision, with a slot that offers 5 pay lines and makes use of classic fruit symbols. In addition to the classic features on show, it also offers the chance to double any winnings via the red or black gamble feature.

Golden Sevens Jackpot Slots

Unlike some software companies, Novomatic doesn’t have a large range of online progressive slots but Golden Sevens is one that offers a range of betting options, including the chance to chase a large progressive jackpot. You can play the game using 5, 10 or 20 lines and can also choose the size of the bet you place, although you’re only in with a chance of winning the big progressive jackpot if you play all 20 lines.

As the name suggests, sevens are the symbol you want to see on this Novomatic game, and there are also traditional slot symbols such as fruit and a bell.

Table Games Offered by Novomatic

As well as the slots detailed above, Novomatic offers a selection of classic casino table games. There are 12 Novomatic online casino games in total, although 7 of these are variations on the classic game of roulette.

Roulette

A Novomatic casino is likely to offer 5 variations on the standard game of roulette, including the European and American versions, as well as Lux Roulette and Globe Roulette. All of the versions feature immersive graphic and simple gameplay, including features such as a display of previous winning numbers. Two more unusual variations of the standard game of roulette include Mystery Roulette x38, which is a version of traditional French Roulette with the addition of two extra question mark positions. A winning bet placed on one of the question marks opens up the chance to spin the mystery wheel and multiply the stake being placed. Multiball roulette, on the other hand, offers the chance to play with as many as 10 balls at the same time.

Other Table Games

As well as roulette, Novomatic offer table games such as blackjack, 3 Card Brag and baccarat. Perhaps more unusually, they also offer the option of playing the Chinese game Sic Bo, an ancient game in which players place bets on the roll of a dice.

Live Casino Games from Novomatic

In 2014, Novomatic bought up the software company Extreme Live Gaming. The fact that Extreme specialises in providing live gaming meant that factors such as the quality of the video streaming used is extremely high. It also means that, although the range of games may be relatively small when compared to some other providers, they offer unique features and variations, highlighting the fact that this is a collaboration between the live play experience of Extreme Live and the online casino expertise of Novomatic. All of the games offer HD streaming, excellent sound quality and settings that you can alter to make sure the game is optimised for the device and platform you’re playing on.

Novomatic online casinos offer a selection of 11 tables and each table has slightly different rules and betting options. This means that you can learn the ropes of the game by placing small bets before moving on to larger bets and, hopefully, bigger jackpots. All of the tables actually have a current minimum bet of £1, but the Club Roulette table offers a maximum bet that goes all the way up to £10,000.

There are 5 live blackjack tables available at a Novomatic casino and they all offer similar gameplay experience with different betting limits depending upon the kind of money you want to stake. The fact that all of the games are based on Las Vegas Strip rules means that Novomatic blackjack delivers an extremely attractive RTP of 99.59%. If this isn’t a good enough reason to play on its own, the blackjack tables also offer side bets such as 21+3 and Perfect Pairs. Currently, tables 1 and 3 have a minimum stake of £5, while the maximum stake, which you can place at the VIP and Italian Blackjack tables, is £1,000.

One interesting feature of Novomatic live blackjack is the Bet Behind option. This means that if you don’t manage to get a seat at a table, you can still place bets on the hand of another active player. If you go for this option, however, you should always bear in mind that your bets are dependent on the playing decisions taken by that player.

Novomatic take the idea of responsible gaming and protecting the people who play with them extremely seriously. In the first instance, this means that they only ever offer their products in regulated markets. Over and above this, however, Novomatic feel a responsibility to ensure that their responsibilities are applied consistently across different markets, and so they have created their own Corporate Responsible Gaming Code. These reflect 10 principles the company adheres to, based on concepts such as making it easy for players to control how much they bet, keeping the content away from minors, communicating clearly and never advertising any of their games as a means of making money.

Compared to some providers, Novomatic only operates in a relatively small number of casinos. This is caused, to some degree, by the strict conditions they place on people they work with, and also on the fact that they mainly operate in European countries such as the UK, Italy and France. As recently as 2018, the company pulled out of the German online market due to uncertainty surrounding the regulations there. The good news for UK players is that they have a wide number of casinos to choose from.