RTG Slots – Real Time Gaming

Realtime Gaming, or RTG as they are commonly known, is the most popular casino software provider still licensing their games to US friendly casinos. They have a good reputation online and are trusted by millions of players. This is despite the rather opaque corporate governance and lack of information on their website. RTG are famous for the ‘Real Series’ slot games, and provide a full suite of casino games featuring slots, table games, keno and video poker.

Here you will find a detailed overview of Realtime Gaming. This starts off with a brief history of this company, starting with their inception in Atlanta, Georgia at the end of the 1990’s. After that I have outlined their game development and some of the features which make RTG slots unique. You’ll find a section on industry accolades and my summary and finishing thoughts after this.

Real Time Gaming History

RTG SlotsThis casino software house was first set up in 1998 in Atlanta. The UIGEA laws of 2006 made life difficult for online casinos, with restrictions on banking transactions now made illegal. This forced a move to Costa Rica, which had a more relaxed legal situation. RTG was able to continue offering games to US players via the growing offshore casino industry. At the same time, many of the larger rivals, who were listed on Stock Exchanges (for example in London), were forced to pull out of the US. This created an opportunity to Realtime Gaming to become the biggest casino software provider still allowing US players to access their games via licensed casino operators.

Real Time Gaming changed hands in 2007. This was bought by a holding company known as Hastings International, which is part of a ‘Corporate Services Provider’ called HMB Group. This company is registered offshore in the Netherlands Antilles, the same place as RTG is licensed.

There have been some scandals along the way. The last major one was 10 years ago, when a player who won a lot of money was accused of using a bot to exploit game called ‘Caribbean 21’. This episode was never properly resolved, and the game has since been withdrawn. I have also seen the fact that licensees of this casino can change the payback percentages of the games highlighted as a questionable area. There is no conclusive evidence that any operators are abusing this at the time of writing.

With the situation in the US largely unchanged all these years later, RTG has grown to be a successful and respected software provider. They now power many of the biggest US-friendly casinos, often in conjunction with BetSoft and Rival Gaming.

RTG Game Development

Slots from Realtime gaming are not the most graphically intricate or feature-packed games – instead I look at these as solid and playable slots. Most of the 5 reel video slot games share a frame and controls, which makes it very easy to switch from game-to-game seamlessly. There are some excellent games, with themes ranging from the Aztecs through to a night partying in Las Vegas.

One thing which makes the RTG slots stand out from other online slots games is their random progressive jackpots. What I like about these is that they can be triggered independently of what appears on the reels. You can be playing, have a spin which brings up complete junk – and still land a huge jackpot. These are available at all stake levels, though will trigger proportionally more often the more you bet. Some slots have random jackpots which are linked between different casinos, ensuring that the prize pool rises quickly. Other jackpots are for the individual casinos. I recommend you look for the ‘Real Series’ slot games, which represent the best of what RTG can offer.

The games do not stop with slots; you’ll find table games like Roulette, Blackjack and Casino Poker have several variations each. These can be either downloaded (onto Windows or Mac computers) or you can enjoy Flash versions in your browser.

This casino software has not won any awards in recent years, though many of the casinos which license their games have been recognized at various industry award ceremonies.

Real Time Gaming Summary

Casino games produced by RTG are a solid and very playable option, rather than the cutting edge or novel slots produced by the major international games makers. Some of the slots do have bonus features, though these are limited to free spin bonuses and pick-em type games. There is some extra appeal in their games – thanks to the random progressive jackpots which can pay out huge sums to the lucky winners.

With a great reputation among the US friendly casinos that they continue to supply, the games are familiar to millions of players from both the US and around the world. Make sure you check out RTG slots for yourself soon.

Lead Writer: Toby is a very experienced online gambler who particularly enjoys sharing his knowledge with others and guiding them toward more enjoyment in their own play.