When the online casino industry began in the mid-1990s, it wasn’t simply an offshoot of the land-based casino industry. As a matter of fact, the land-based industry doubted the potential of the industry, believing that players would want to come to a live casino to soak in the atmosphere rather than play from their lonely homes. Well, suffice it to say they were wrong, and so the companies that provided the games to the land-based casinos started scrambling trying to compete with the fledgling online suppliers like Microgaming.
IGT was one of the largest suppliers of games on the planet when it decided to get involved in the online world. AS you will see from this overview, it was not an easy road for them to move into the space, but with several starts and stops, successes and failures and some key acquisitions, IGT is now one of the leaders in the online space as well.
A Brief History of IGT
International Game Technology (IGT) has its roots going all the way back to the late 1970s when it was a supplier of land-based slots and games to the casino industry. The company grew with moderate success in the early 80s, and with the introduction of the progressive slot machine Megabucks, really started to hit its stride. IN fact, Megabucks would be the template for the online progressive engines built by many of IGT’s competitors and the blueprint for driving traffic with a massive jackpot.
With so many amazing land-based slots titles, it only made sense as the online gaming industry opened up that IGT port some of those games to online play. However, they were not prepared for the length of time it would take to develop these games, and that other companies would win the rights to online distribution of some of the most popular titles. So, IGT did what most companies flush with cash would do in that situation – they started buying up companies in the space. A poker network acquisition was not a success, but the company’s decision to buy a growing Social Casino company, Double Down, turned out to be one of the best deals the company ever made.
Recently, IGT merged with the lottery giant GTECH, and the combined companies represent a major share of the gaming revenues on the planet. The site now has several online casino game brands under its umbrellas and works to try to bring its land-based clients into the online world.
Recommended IGT Casino Sites
Top Three IGT Online Slots Games
Cleopatra
The Cleopatra slot machine is iconic and remains one of the most popular slots games either in a land-based environment or online. IGT has actually built two sequels to this original, but we like to stick with the game that made the company so much money. The theme of this game is ancient Egypt, of course, complete with symbols of the time including many hieroglyphics. The voice of Cleopatra is used during the gameplay, which is meant to be a break from the typical slots sounds coming from this 5 reel, 20 pay line game. We have no doubt that Cleopatra will continue to be one of the most successful brands for IGT well into the future.
Family Guy
IGT has entered so many licensing deals with entertainment brands it is sometimes tough to keep track. These days, it seems everyone has their name or likeness on a slot machine, and this is true of the hit TV show Family Guy! Now you can play along with the Griffin family, complete with symbols representing all the characters. The game is set in the familiar Griffin family living room, and this 5 reel, 30 pay line game has some of the best animation of any game we have seen (not surprising given the theme). The game features many bonuses and wild symbols like the Drunken Clam Bonus, The Chicken Fight Bonus, and the Lois’s Hot Bonus Feature. Fans of the TV show are going to absolutely love this game.
Stinkin’ Rich
A skunk-themed game as one of the more popular games? As bizarre as that may sound, the gameplay of this 5 reel, 100 pay line machine has made it wildly successful for IGT. The game features two bonus games which complement the multiple ways to increase your winnings on the standard game board. With 100 different ways to win and a maximum of 50 coins per line, you could end up with a huge amount of coins on the move and back into your balance with a big win!
Mobile Compatibility
Not all of IGT’s games are mobile-friendly, but this is more of a factor of what games you are talking about. Remember, this is a company that has games built only for the land-based world, some built for online gaming and some that they acquired along the way. What we can assure you is this: the games that are able to be played on mobile devices are of excellent quality, which is a trademark of the IGT brand.
Conclusion
This company has a huge presence in the gambling industry, and with acquisitions over the years, has made its way into being successful in the online real-money and social caisno worlds. We are certain the IGT isn’t done innovating or acquiring so this page will be updated as the company creates more shockwaves across the industry.
