The land-based casino market is full of suppliers, but the largest two or three dominate the entire industry. When the online casino business started back in the late 1990s, none of the land-based suppliers were quick to jump in that pool, decided instead to double down on their products and wait to see how the industry took shape. By the time everyone realized that the online games were not just a fad, these companies had to scramble to start online divisions. The subject of this review is Novomatic – we will provide a short history of the company and a review of a few of its most popular games.
A Brief History of Novomatic
A company started in 1980 and focused on the land-based casino industry, Novomatic’s first offices were in Austria. The company quickly grew to be one of the largest suppliers across the globe, winning contracts in regulated markets all over Europe and North America amongst other places. Novomatic has always pushed the envelope when it comes to the development of new products for the industry, and this can be seen in its games like the multi-play roulette game for land-based casinos that allowed more players to play around one automatic wheel.
When the time came to expand into the online casino market, it seemed like a slam dunk for Novomatic to simply convert many of its most popular titles from the land-based casinos. However, building a full platform is not as easy, so it made even more sense for the company to look for an acquisition target rather than trying to play catch-up internally. They ended up purchasing GreenTube in 2011, and the entry to the online development market was complete. Today via the GreenTube platform online operators can add content that made Novomatic one of the most popular suppliers from the land-based casino perspective.
Recommended Novomatic Casino Sites
Top Three Novomatic Slots Games
Book of Ra
This may very well be the most popular land-based slot machine made by Novomatic, generating multiple sequel games. It seems only fitting for us to start with this game for the online slots review. This game has a theme that is very similar to the Indiana Jones movies, including a fedora-wearing lead character. Featuring symbols that are meant to transport you to ancient Egypt, this 5 reel, 9 pay line game has pretty standard gameplay, as it is really just the land-based slot repurposed for online play. There are Scatter and Wild symbols, and if you reveal the bonus symbol, then a Free Spins game begins where you can rapidly increase your winnings. Players will be thrilled to find this title in an online casino.
Dolphin’s Pearl
Another game taken from the roster of popular land-based slots from Novomatic, this aquatic-themed slot machine is popular online as well. Featuring a cute dolphin prominently in the game doesn’t hurt, that’s for sure. Other sea creatures like seahorses and clams adorn the symbols of this 5 reel, 10 pay line machine. We like the colors of the ocean that make up the backdrop of the game board, and the number of Wilds and Scatters will keep you engaged for a long time as a player.
Lucky Lady’s Charm
This game rounds out the trip of popular land-based slots games we want to discuss for this review. Here is another classic from Novomatic that the company has built an entire series of games around. While we aren’t entirely sure what the theme is supposed to entail – it isn’t an Irish game as we might have thought – we like the graphics and sounds associated with this machine. The game features symbols like gold coins and ladybugs to go alongside the traditional nine to Ace card symbols. This is a5 reel, 9 pay line game that has no bonus screens but does offer Scatter and Wild bonuses.
Mobile Compatibility
The Novomatic games are built primarily as non-download games, as they are typically added as additional content to an existing online casino operator. This also makes the games easily accessible from the browser of your mobile device. The good news for fans of Novomatic slots is that these games can also be found in apps that have been approved by the Apple App Store and Goole Play store. These apps allow you to download the games right to your device, so you don’t have to keep pulling them up in the browser, and are available only in markets that are regulated.
Conclusion
It can be hit or miss when a land-based games supplier enters the online space. With Novomatic, we are happy to see the games that are so popular in live casinos. However, there isn’t much in the way of innovation when it comes to the slots gameplay and graphics. Players don’t seem to mind, though, as these titles continue to be some of the most played, helping Novomatic to grow its global business.
