If you're just starting to play slot machines online, it's easy to be confused when you hear things like "Microgaming Slots". You can't go to Microgaming and play slots there. But, you just heard that the latest Microgaming Jackpot was just awarded to some lucky player. What exactly is going on??

The People That Make the Online Slot Machines

Those are the software providers and that list includes names like Playtech, Rival Gaming, Microgaming, Boss Media, Party Gaming, and others. What these companies do is make casino games.

And then, they license the casino games to other companies that act as the actual online casinos themselves.

Example: English Harbour, one of the oldest, most repsected online casinos, uses games made by Vegas Technology. So, you may notice that . . .

• Slot machines listed as being made by Vegas Technology show up at English Harbour
• Other casinos that are "powered by" Vegas Technology have many of the same slots as English Harbour

So I Can Be Playing at AllSlots.com, and Still Be Playing at a Microgaming Casino?

Yes, exactly. And, you'll find many of the same games at other Microgamings like All Jackpots or Roxy Palace.

What Makes One Online Casino Different from Another?

Why have so many casinos using the same games? there are a list of reasons . . .

• Different looks attract diferent people - for instance, I may like the bright lights of Las Vegas, someone else might like the idea of a casino set in "outer space" with bonuses that are "out of this world".

  So, a lot of it comes down to marketing. With more ways to present your games to the public, you're more likely to gain more players. It's so hard to appeal to everyone with just one image. Even big companies like Geico and McDonald's run different ad campaigns, at the same time.

• Promotions - different casinos run different welcome bonuses, redeposit bonuses, contests, give-aways, tournaments, etc. So, one online casino could focus only on the Blackjack players while another could focus on the Video Poker enthusiasts. One could offer No Deposit bonuses, while another could offer a nice redeposit bonus.

  Even though they may look the same because they share the same games, casinos can be quite diferent from one another.

• Customer Service - some casinos operate with customer service teams for many different languages. How many languages and which ones to use sets casinos apart from each other.