Microgaming (nowadays called Apricot) can rightfully be called a pioneer in the online casino software provider world. They were the first company to develop gambling software for use on the world wide web in 1994. Since then, they have become a household name in this industry and have been among the top software providers for years.
An outstanding achievement in a world that is changing incredibly fast if you'd ask us. The man who has been running this billion-dollar business since 2022 and manages 200+ employees is Andrew Clucas.
Microgaming is based on the Irish island of the Isle of Man, a location that, like Malta, is very popular with game developers worldwide. As of writing, they have released a whopping 800+ slots. These are mainly online pokies, but you can also play Microgaming online casinos table, bingo, and scratch card games.
By Amelia Smith - Last modified 19/11/2024 - Estimated reading time: 13 minutes.
Since 1994, more Microgaming gambling sites have been launched yearly. These casinos have even been springing up like mushrooms in recent years. This leads to the question: How did they become so huge and well-known?
As we mentioned before, they were the world's first casino software provider. They also managed to release at least 800 different online casino games, contributing to its popularity.
Below you can see the timeline of Microgaming, an exceptional online gaming provider, to get a grasp of how things have evolved ever since 1994.
Year
Event
1994
Founded and launches the world's first online casino.
1998
They develop and launch Cash Splash, the world's first online slot machine.
2004
They create the world's first mobile casino.
2005
Tomb Raider is launched, the world's first co-branded video slot.
2008
Launch of Mega Moolah, a record-breaking progressive jackpot slot that will see one lucky winner take home $5,500,000 the same year.
2018
Mega Moolah enters the Guinness World Record Book after one player wins 18.9 million euros.
2020
Microgaming receives iso certification after an extensive audit.
2022
They sign a deal with Games Global and all of its content and gaming studios. The company will continue to focus on offering its powerful gaming platform.
2024
Microgaming changed their name into Apricot.
Collaboration With Independent Game Studios
For a few years, Microgaming has hardly produced anything. Today it is an ever-growing list of young, smaller game makers who stage them on their own platform on an exclusive basis. Well-known examples of this are All41 Studios, Gameburger Studios, Just For The Win, Foxium, and Neon Valley Studios.
This has both advantages and disadvantages for players. Firstly, the Microgaming game portfolio is expanding rapidly. Where you could previously expect new game options at least once a month, several new productions are now usually launched per week. As a result, the game offer has not only become incredibly versatile, but it also ensures that the quality of the games varies greatly.
The rapid release of new casino games often comes with clones of popular hit classics such as Starburst and Book of Ra. This has given them the nickname 'Microcloning', something they themselves will most likely not be happy with.
Online Pokies by Microgaming
Microgaming is quickly mentioned in the same breath as high quality. This is mainly due to the Quickfire platform they have set up and managed since 2010. This Quickfire platform enables fast software implementation and guarantees players the ultimate gameplay experience. In the meantime, 500+ games have been created with this, including table, live dealer, and bingo games.
Well-known blockbusters from the game range include Immortal Romance, Thunderstruck (II), and Break da Bank Again. And then we are only talking about their own developed productions.
Microgaming has also occasionally created slots for which they have purchased movie licenses. And from which productions such as Jurassic Park, Terminator, Game of Thrones, and Battlestar Galactica are born. You can also occasionally find a Playboy slot from them. Think Playboy Gold or Playboy Fortunes. However, their Playboy slots are banned in some casinos and countries.
As of writing this software review, the following pokies are considered the most popular among Kiwi players:
Game Title
Special Features
Book of Oz
Win up to 5,000x your bet per spin Free spins with multipliers Expanding Wild during free spins (similar to Starburst and Book of Dead)
Wanted Dead or Wild
Win up to 12,500x your bet per spin Up to 100x multipliers Up to 200 free spins
Up to 50x multiplier bombs Free spins with multipliers Bonus Buy feature
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Megaways
117,649 pay lines (Megaways) Special Bonus Game Wilds, scatters, and multipliers
9 Masks of Fire
Wheel of Fortune bonus game Up to 30 free spins with 3x multipliers Jackpot worth 6,000x your bet per spin
Links of Ra
Power Stacks feature 4 Different jackpots worth up to 25,000x your bet per spin Up to 15 free spins
Lara Croft Temples and Tombs
243 Ways to win Up to 32 free spins with 15x multipliers 4 Different jackpots worth up to 5,000x your bet per spin
Thunderstruck 2
243 Ways to win 4 Different types of free spins bonuses Win up to 8,000x your bet per spin
Bonanza Megaways
117,649 pay lines (Megaways) Win up to 12,000x your bet per spin Unlimited Win Multiplier during free spins
Playing the MicroGaming Mega Moolah slot at Fun casino.
Jackpot slots
Microgaming owns several jackpot formulas, which together have already accounted for a total payout of over $1.25 billion. The software provider is most known for its Mega Moolah progressive jackpot slot, but it has also released several other top titles over the years.
Major Millions
This is the most known jackpot slot, which came on the market way back in 2009. This Major Millions Progressive 3 Reels slot pays out a jackpot filled with at least NZ$250,000. In terms of popularity, it has long since been overtaken by the two progressive jackpots below, partly due to the excruciatingly low RTP, clocking in at only 89.37%.
Mega Moolah
Chances are that you know Microgaming, in particular from the Mega Moolah jackpot, linked to the online slot of the same name. Over the years, it has had several successful and less successful versions. Think of:
Mega Moolah Atlantean Treasures (Neon Valley Studios)
Mega Moolah Absolutely Mad (Triple Edge Studios)
Mega Moolah Fortunium Gold (Stormcraft Studios).
A Norwegian player who won one of the massive progressive jackpots: €17,8 million Mega Moolah jackpot in 2015. This even earned Microgaming a spot in the Guinness Book of Records. By the way, this is no longer the highest-paying jackpot ever. The record was already broken in 2018, and again in April 2021, when a Belgian player at Napoleon Casino won no less than €19,4 million playing Mega Moolah Absolutely Mad.
WOWpot!
Relatively new is the WOWpot! jackpot, which has been around since the beginning of 2020. It has already paid out more than NZ$25 million since its inception. This is also a progressive jackpot, the first of which was integrated into Wheel of Wishes (Alchemy Gaming). More followed soon after, including:
African Legends (Slingshot Studios)
Book of Atem WOWpot! (All41 Studios)
Sisters of Oz WOWpot! (Triple Edge Studios).
Just like Mega Moolah, these progressive jackpot pokies are all interlinked.
Besides the fact that they can pay out huge prizes, there is a caveat. The theoretical payout percentage or RTP ratio of all these games is often incredibly low. You should think of percentages of less than 94% whilst 96% and upwards on online pokies is the standard in the industry.
King Cashalot
King Cashalot is an entertaining slot that offers players huge payouts. The game, which comes with bright and rich graphics and a medieval theme, is one of the first and best microgaming slots to offer players the “Pick-until-Collect” bonus game.
Some of the symbols that players might find in this game include a Knight, a Turkey, a Jester, the King, and a Pudding. One of the symbols to look out for is the Jester scatter symbol, which multiplies the overall number of credits by the wins, to increase the players’ profits.
Another symbol is the dragon, which triggers the Treasure bonus round when three of the symbols land on the second, third, and fourth reels.
Treasure Nile
Treasure Nile is one of the well-known Microgaming Jackpot slots that takes players on a journey through old Egypt. This slot allows players to discover several treasures hidden along the River Nile.
Players are likely to encounter symbols like sphinxes and pyramids. Also, the slots, which has a fixed number of paylines, offer a simple gameplay that makes it a great choice for both newbies and experienced players.
Fruit Fiesta
Players who love the classic fruit machines might fall in love with Fruit Fiesta from the stables of their software. Initially, the game was in a three-reel format, until it evolved into the five-reel format with 15 adjustable paylines.
Some of the features that makes this slot look appealing include its classic fruit theme, retro look, number of adjustable paylines, and favorable betting limits.
Megaways slot
Microgaming has received a Megaways license from Big Time Gaming. Just like Blueprint Gaming, Red Tiger Gaming, and Netent, for example. A smart move, since this game mechanism has proven to be very popular. The honor of co-producing the very first Megaways game was awarded to All41 Studios, in 2021. They launched Shamrock Holmes Megaways, based on the famous Irish leprechaun and English detective.
There is a relatively good chance that this online casinos software provider. Just like Red Tiger Gaming, will also release new versions of existing hit formulas in the years to come.
Game Title
Special Features
Shamrock Holmes Megaways
117,649 pay lines Respin bonus during bonus game Unlimited increasing multipliers during free spins
Forgotten Island Megaways
Kong Spin feature with 10x multipliers Win up to 23,000x your bet per spin 117,649 pay lines
The RTP of the average Microgaming pokie is usually equal to or higher than 96%. Exceptions are usually the (live) games that are linked to progressive jackpots. Examples of their pokies with very high RTP ratios are Immortal Romance with 96,86% RTP, Jurassic Park with 96,70% RTP, and Thunderstruck 2 with 96,70% RTP.
Bonuses
Microgaming, a well-known name in the online casino world, is reputable for creating immersive and high-quality games. This with various bonuses and entertaining features. These bonuses present players with multiple layers of entertainment and the prospect of recording big wins.
Here’s an insight into the various types of bonuses, and how they improve your gaming experience.
Sign-up Bonuses
Sign-up or welcome bonuses are arguably the most popular bonuses. They are offered to new players once they complete their registration. The sign-up bonus depends on factors like the online casino, deposit match percentage, minimum deposit, progressive jackpots, maximum bonus amount, etc.
No deposit Bonus
No deposit bonuses allow players to get a bonus money without making a deposit. Some gambling sites provide offers to new players from NZ to incentivize them when they sign up. Also, casinos give reward existing players with no deposit bonus for their loyalty.
Free spins
Free spins are one of the regular bonus features you will find with your favorite Microgaming slots. This bonus provides players with some spins, and sometimes, unlimited free spins without incurring additional costs. Most times, these free spins are gotten when some specific scatter symbols are landed.
Wild symbols
Their slots provide different types of wild symbols like stacked wilds, regular wilds, sticky wilds, and expanding wilds. Each of these wild symbols has specific functions. Wild symbols are known to create winning combinations by substituting for other symbols.
Multipliers
When playing their slots, you’re likely to encounter multipliers. These help to increase the value of your winnings with a specified factor. Multipliers can be used alongside free spins, bonus rounds, or regular spins, thereby increasing the prospects of bigger payouts.
Other Games
Although they have focused clearly on producing slots since 2019, they have also increasingly turned their attention to table games. For now, only Switch Studios has picked up where Microgaming left off in 2013.
Think of many Blackjack variants in particular, such as Vegas Strip Blackjack Multi Hand, Classic Blackjack Six Deck, and European Blackjack. However, Switch Studios has also developed other table games under their umbrella such as roulette, poker, and dice game options like Sic Bo.
Would you rather play a game of bingo or table games on the best microgaming casino? Then you could play Super Snowball and Pachinko.
Microgaming holds several high-quality licenses issued by the Malta Gaming Authority and the UK Gambling Commission. These gambling licenses means that all their games guarantee fair and safe play. Plus they can be played at reputable online casinos. Note that most offshore, foreign-owned casinos that operate in the New Zealand markets are casinos that hold MGA and UK Gambling Commission licenses.
Pros and Cons
Microgaming is one of the better game providers, known for creating some of the best software solutions and games. Players who desire immersive entertainment and big wins can surf the ever-increasing game library. Learning more about the pros and cons is important to make the right decisions before you play. When you want to play their game options it is easy to test them on their website or to find them at many of the sites offering these.
Below we have listed the pros and cons.
Advantages
Disadvantages
Very high progressive jackpots
Over 100 pokies aren’t playable on mobile devices
Over 850 different pokies and other casino game options
Graphical quality of most games is outdated
Games contain loads of bonuses and unique gameplay mechanisms
No live options
Frequently Asked Questions about Microgaming
What is the best Microgaming casino in New Zealand?
Finding the best Microgaming online casinos in New Zealand is subjective. It depends on your preferences and a variety of factors like customer support, safety and security, bonuses, and payment options. Before you can determine which platform is the best for you, consider factors like research and reviews. But also licensing and regulation, game selection, mobile compatibility, customer support, and security. At the top of this page, you can find all the best Microgaming supported sites tested by our team.
How many different Microgaming pokies are there?
The number of Microgaming pokies is not fixed, as the leading slot providers continue to release other games. You can have an idea of the exact number of their pokies (around 800) by visiting the company’s website.
What are the best Microgaming pokies?
Microgaming has a wide range of top-notch slots with exciting features and themes, which means that players will have varying preferences when it comes to their pokies. However, there are some pokies and other games with numerous positive reviews that many players seem to enjoy. They are Mega Moolah, Thunderstruck II, Jurassic Park, Football Star, Avalon II, and Bridesmaids.
Where can I find the new Microgaming casinos?
Depending on where you look for, new Microgaming casinos can offer you games you did not see before. Remember that most of the casinos keep expanding their games list introducing new releases often. Should you really look for new places offering these releases? If you play a few different sites that offer their games, we think you should not.
How to enjoy the best Microgaming offers?
The top Microgaming casinos offer you a great welcome bonus to get started. Bonuses come in many different ways, for example, as a welcome bonus, free spins bonus, or no deposit bonus. Always look for the wagering requirement before accepting a bonus and remember; bigger is not always better!
Where to find the best Microgaming online casinos?
Finding Microgaming casinos is not hard. A lot of the these sites offer their games that you can play for free or real money. We think that the Microgaming games list is one of the best-known in the gambling industry. Our top brand is Zodiac, but you can find other casino NZ sites at the top of this page.
Author and fact checker: Amelia Smith
Expertise: Casino Games, Croupier and related topics.
Experience: Writing since 2019 with over 15 years in the gambling industry, Amelia has spoken at multiple events.
