You might have noticed some Microgaming titles are now labelled with a different brand. You might even have visited their official site page and found yourself redirected to a new company’s site. This can be quite confusing, especially if you enjoy these games and now find it harder to locate them.
In this article, we will explain the changes that have happened to Microgaming. This knowledge will help you navigate through the websites and catalogues.
What Has Happened
This is not just about changing their name to Apricot in early 2024. In 2022, Games Global (GG) took ownership of Microgaming’s gaming content. Hits such as Mega Moolah, known for its record-breaking progressive jackpots, Immortal Romance, and Thunderstruck II, have become Games Global’s property.
Apricot’s Business
After the sale, Microgaming began concentrating on supplying platform systems and services to online gaming brands, including Games Global. They offer:
- Game Integration: Apricot’s platform contains over 5,300 different casino games that are easy to integrate into clients’ systems.
- Management: Tools to help clients manage their casinos better, analyse data, communicate with players directly, and create effective marketing strategies.
- Hosting Solutions: Reliable hosting services to ensure the slot machines run smoothly online.
- Licensing Support: Help with legal and compliance issues so clients can operate in different regions worldwide.
As you can see, they now operate as a business-to-business service, which might not interest us as gamblers. However, Microgaming’s heritage is vast. They’ve created hundreds of sought-after hits that have set trends in the industry. So, if you’re interested in finding their slots or those with similar mechanics, keep reading.
How to Find Microgaming Titles
The thing is, you might encounter issues when searching for these slots at UK casinos. Some platforms still use the Microgaming name and brand their titles accordingly, while those same titles might be listed under the Games Global trademark on other platforms or even go unmarked. This can be confusing. Here are some solutions to help you.
Look for the Microgaming Mark
In the UK, you can still find a few casinos that feature Microgaming in their catalogue filters, just like in the old days when their recognizable emblem was on all their titles. Here they are:
| Popular Games Branded as Microgaming | Where to Play | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Jurassic Park, Immortal Romance, Thunderstruck II, Terminator 2™ Remastered, Tomb Raider | 21luckybet | 35+ |
| Mega Moolah, Immortal Romance II, Ancient Fortunes: Poseidon, Cash ‘N Riches, Book of Mega Moolah | LeoVegas | 15+ |
Check for Games Global Trademark
The same slots might be listed under the GG name, so be sure to look for this trademark as well. This way, you can also discover slots that weren’t actually designed by Microgaming, as many titles in Games Global’s portfolio extend beyond just this provider.
However, if you know exactly what makes Microgaming’s titles valuable, you can easily recognize them. Even if you don’t, the options you choose by mistake will offer a similar experience that you’ll definitely enjoy.
Here’s a reminder of the main features of Microgaming’s slots:
- Varied Themes and Stunning Graphics: Microgaming offers themes from popular movies to traditional slots, all with top-notch graphics and sound. Games like Jurassic Park and Game of Thrones have high production values and engaging narratives.
- Progressive Jackpots: Titles like Mega Moolah feature record-breaking, life-changing jackpots linked across multiple casinos.
- Bonus Features: Slots come with bonus rounds, free spins, wilds, and multipliers, such as Lock & Win respins.
- Hyper Spins: Allows players to spin one reel after a round to boost winning chances and trigger bonuses.
And now, let’s compare slots designed by Microgaming with those from other studios under the Games Global umbrella.
| Microgaming Brand | Other Developers Under GG’s Umbrella |
|---|---|
| Mega Moolah: A slot famous for its progressive jackpots and classic safari theme.Mechanics: Progressive jackpot with multiple tiers, basic slot mechanics, and a bonus wheel jackpot feature. | 9 Masks of Fire (Gameburger Studios): A slot with a classic vibe featuring tribal masks and big win potential.Mechanics: Progressive jackpots, Power Spin feature, and a bonus wheel similar to Mega Moolah’s jackpot wheel. |
| Thunderstruck II: A slot based on Norse mythology, featuring gods like Thor and Loki.Mechanics: Multi-level free spins bonuses, wilds, and multipliers. | Odin: Protector of Realms (Just For The Win): A slot inspired by Norse mythology, focusing on Odin with immersive visuals and gameplay.Mechanics: Free spins, expanding symbols, and a re-spin feature. |
| Lucky Leprechaun: An Irish-themed slot with a cheerful elf leading you to fortunes.Mechanics: Free spins, multipliers, and a Trail O’ Fortune bonus game. | 9 Pots of Gold (Gameburger Studios): An Irish-themed slot.Mechanics: Free spin wheel with multipliers, Pot Scatter symbols that award cash prizes, and wild substitutes. |
As you can see, these titles are very similar. The secret is that Microgaming was involved in designing or distributing all of these spin machines anyway. On the left, we have slots developed by Microgaming alone. On the right, there are titles from different studios that collaborated with Microgaming. So, they can be easily enjoyed as alternatives.
There can also be amusing situations where you see a title marked as GG, and when you click on it, you find that the same title is also marked as Microgaming. For example, you might notice this at NetBet casinos when choosing the Immortal Romance slot.
Use Exact Name Search
Our expert’s selection below helps if your casino in the UK doesn’t filter by the software provider and titles aren’t branded with the provider’s marks. Just in case, we’ll also remind you what each game is about.
| Game | Description | Where to Play |
|---|---|---|
| Immortal Romance | Gothic slot themed around vampire romance and dark secrets. Chamber of Spins feature, which offers multiple free spins modes tied to different characters. | 10bet |
| Games of Thrones | Fantasy slot based on the hit TV series. The choice between 4 free spin modes, each associated with a different house and varying multipliers. | All British Casino |
| Break da Bank | Classic banking thrills in this slot. Simple gameplay and wild multipliers. | 32Red |
| Avalon | Slot based on King Arthur’s legend. Up to 12 free spins with a 7x multiplier. Rich graphics and a mystical soundtrack. | Mr.Play |
| Avalon II | Continues the King Arthur theme with enhanced graphics. | Bluefox |
Conclusion
Buying providers is common in the gambling industry. Companies like NetEnt, Extreme Live Gaming, and Quickspin have been acquired by larger entities such as Evolution Gaming, Pragmatic Play, and Playtech. However, this doesn’t impact the quality of the games because the same teams continue developing them. It’s just a change in ownership.
Original names and trademarks are usually retained to help fans recognize their favourite titles. In the case of Microgaming, the situation is less clear. But if you’re having trouble locating specific titles, our guide makes the task easy.
