A Look at Net Entertainment in 2019

Net Entertainment is one of the highest-rated casino software developers in the internet gaming space. But if it weren’t for certain events, who knows if NetEnt would’ve ever gotten into online gambling in the first place?

NetEnt got their start in 1996 – more than two decades ago – by one of the largest brick-and-mortar casino operators in Scandinavia, Cherry Casino.

The problem was that Sweden eventually passed laws that prohibited slot machines. This forced Cherry to find an alternative business model. Through the 1980s, they were a slot machine distributor through Eastern Europe.

But in the 1990s, one of their employees, Pontus Lindwall, saw an opportunity in the internet. He secured some outside financing and used that to fund Net Entertainment in 1996.

For the first couple of years, NetEnt stuck to the basics – games like blackjack and roulette. And all games were sold on a game-by-game basis.

They launched their first casino in 2002, and the rest is history.

NetEnt is now based out of Stockholm, Sweden, where they have more than 1,000 employees. They’re also listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange.

NetEnt has received excellent reviews from industry experts, including a 9/10 from CasinoListings.com and a 9.6 from ThePogg.com.

They’ve won several awards, too. A few awards they’ve collected over the years include:

• ERG Awards 2015 – Slot Provider, Mobile Supplier, Innovation in Mobile
• WiG Awards 2015
• Global Gaming Awards 2014 – Runner Up for Digital Product
• EGR Awards 2014 – Mobile Supplier, Slot Provider, RNG Casino Supplier of the Year, Live Casino Supplier

Their awards go back many years. People clearly love their casino games.

NetEnt has developed tons of games using both Flash and HTML5 technology. You’ll play their games via your internet browser using your desk/laptop or mobile device.

In fact, our sources say they offer more than 500 mobile devices. They’ve won awards for them, too – including one for having the best supply of mobile games.

Their first HTML5-powered game was launched in 2015, which, as we’ve seen in both our profiles and casino reviews, seems to be where the industry is moving as a whole.

Last, their games are tested for fairness, security, and function  by the industry’s top services providers. That includes:

• eCOGRA
• Gaming Laboratories International
• iTech Labs
• Technical Services Bureau
• Global Gambling Guidance Group

The bottom line – their games are compatible, secure, and fair.

With that said, let’s look at some examples of the different games you can play from NetEnt.

Table Games

The VIP and Pro variants offer higher table limits (some sources say as high as 6 figures).

Live Dealer

NetEnt’s live dealer games are streamed HD from Malta. They have dealers who speak English, Deutsche, and Norwegian.

Their options include unlimited customizable backgrounds, game speed, and visible clock. Their live dealer games are mobile compatible, too.

Limits vary from €1 to €75,000 – according to our sources – depending on the games you choose to play.

Fact! More than 75,000 hours are spent on NetEnt’s live dealer games.

Video Poker

Each machine comes in 1, 5, 10, 50, and 100-play (hand) variants.

Their video poker selection is the weakest aspect of their software. They have far fewer machines overall compared to their competitors (like Microgaming).

Video Slots

NetEnt offers more than 120 slot machines. You’ll find some examples of machines you can play below:

One of the things that makes NetEnt unique from most other providers is that they offer licensed titles. If you look through the list above, you’ll find many examples, including:

• Guns N’ Roses
• The Invisible Man
• Elements: The Awakening
• Planet of the Apes

Some of the slots that stand out to us are the character slots they licensed through Universal Studios. Those are the movie monsters we’re all familiar with, like Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, and Dracula.

They have a few slots exclusive to NetEnt, too. A few of the best examples include:

• Gonzo’s Quest – A 5-reel, 10-payline slot machine about Gonzo the Conquistador. This slot has free fall features and 3D graphics.
• Starburst – A 5-reel, 10-payline slot with classic yet high-quality graphics and symbols.
• Wild Wild West – A 5-reel, 10-payline slot with 4 wild features, a pick-and-click feature, and the ability to win 50x your bet.

But maybe you’re into progressive jackpots? Well, NetEnt has plenty of those, too.

CasinoListings.com tracks more than 300 of their jackpots, and have done so since 2009. Currently their jackpots total more than €16 million.

Their larger jackpots aren’t won as often as Microgaming’s – which you can compare by filtering the results based on most recent wins. But there have been several jackpots won in the last couple of weeks that no one would dare turn down.

For example:

• Hall of Gods Mega – £715,052
• Divine Fortune Mega – £30,566
• Mega Fortune Mega – £1,441,376
• Mega Fortune Dreams Major – £127,936

And so on.

And Net Entertainment has paid out some of the largest progressives ever online. That includes a £11.7 million win on the Mega Fortune slot in September 2011, as well as another win on Mega Fortune in January 2013 for £17.8 million.

Fun Fact! The Mega Fortune slot made it to the Guinness Book of World Records when one lucky player scooped a €17.86 million payout with a single spin.

If progressives are your thing, you’ll find plenty to play…and win…at a NetEnt-powered casino.

Piracy Issues

NetEnt’s games are so good that they have to deal with shady operators who rip them off.

In 2016, AffPower casinos were found with knock-offs of NetEnt games, such as Gonzo’s Quest. They looked like NetEnt games, but when experts took a closer look, they found that they were hosted on different servers than NetEnt (NetEnt games are hosted on gamesmodule.com).

Many of the brands associated with ripping NetEnt games have also been known to work with hackers to hack (non) gaming sites to inject links. The goal was/is to improve their search engine rankings in Google so that it’s easier for unsuspecting players to find them.

For that reason, we always recommend you use a trusted website (like ours) to make sure that whatever casinos you’re thinking about joining are above board, and that they’re only offering games they have permission to offer.

NetEnt is one of the industry’s top software developers. They’re so good that rogue operators rip their games off.

It’s clear to see why.

Which is why we recommend any player who can play at one of their casinos to do so.

You’d be crazy not to.