Although it can’t compare to Playtech, Microgaming, and NetEnt in sheer size and quantity of games, Pragmatic Play is a fast-rising star in the iGaming industry and it’s a name that most dedicated players recognise.
It was founded long after the mobile revolution and got its start during the peak of the golden age of gambling. However, this has actually helped the brand, as it has been able to hit the ground running.
In this guide, we’ll look at the unique technology that Pragmatic Play has created and the games that this tech has spawned. You will also find a list of the very best Pragmatic Play casinos, all of which have been carefully vetted by our skilled reviewers.
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About Pragmatic Play
Pragmatic Play was launched in 2015. It has a good few years under its belt but it’s relatively young in iGaming terms, as most of its competitors were founded a good 10 to 20 years earlier, giving them a handy head-start.
However, the brand has made a lot of ground in a relatively short space of time, establishing itself as a force to be reckoned with.
The Pragmatic Play name has since featured on an assortment of top real money slot machines, as well as a high-tech Live Casino and a selection of bingo titles.
Software and Technology
Pragmatic Play’s gaming technology has helped launch hundreds of real money titles and is creating more and more each year. Not only does it facilitate the creation of eye-catching games, ones that contain features like Wild Reels, Bonus Rounds, Roaming Wilds, and Jackpots, but it also provides the casino with many benefits, including:
- In-Game Promotional Tools: These tools are used to increase customer retention and also provide players with everything from real money tournaments and loyalty points to Free Spins. The goal is to give the players more so that they keep coming back. These are the tools that players take for granted but they are essential for the continued growth of online casinos.
- Accessibility: You can play Pragmatic Play games in more than 30 languages and it is supported on a selection of platforms and in a wide variety of currencies. Again, this is something you may take for granted as an English speaker, but it ensures that the casino’s games are available to a much wider audience. After all, there are more Spanish speakers than English speakers and Chinese eclipses both of them. Once you add other European languages to the mix, your reach increases significantly.
- Support: Pragmatic Play provides dedicated 24/7 support for all of its casino customers, helping them with everything from integration to promotional support and more. Support is not just something that extends from the casino to the player—the casino needs a little help as well. After all, they don’t create the games, they only host them. It’s like a retailer going to the manufacturer if there is a defect with a product.
More tools and features are being added to Pragmatic Play all of the time. This is a developer on the rise, and it has some bright years ahead of it.
After all, Yggdrasil Gaming is one of the biggest and most exciting developers in the world right now, but it didn’t really reach that point until it had been going for 5 or 6 years. And when you consider how slowly the iGaming industry moved in the early days, it technically took NetEnt, Microgaming, and Playtech over a decade to reach their peak.
In that sense, this could be a completely different online casino in another half decade. It has a long way to go if it’s going to rival the likes of Microgaming, which has many irons in the fire, but at the very least we’ll see its roster swell and its technology improve.
Pragmatic Play Games
You can find hundreds of slots, table games, Live Casino games, and bingo titles in the Pragmatic Play roster. These varied titles explore a number of different themes, mechanics, and features, and have helped to make Pragmatic Play one of the best-loved developers in the iGaming industry.
To give you a taste of what this developer has to offer, take a look at the descriptions below.
Pragmatic Play Slots
Slot machines are definitely Pragmatic Play’s main focus. It is rarely considered an industry-leader in this category and that’s a shame, as this brand has created some quality titles.
Furthermore, while the creator is probably not going to make it into anyone’s top three, it deserves a place in everyone’s top 10 and is definitely up there for us. There are a couple hundred different Pragmatic Play slots to explore and we have highlighted the very best categories of slots below.
John Hunter Slots
John Hunter is one of Pragmatic Play’s biggest creations. This Indiana Jones style figure goes on historical adventures and invites players to join him every step of the way. The games include the Ancient Egyptian themed John Hunter and the Book of Tut and John Hunter and the Tomb of the Scarab Queen.
If those games sound familiar, it’s because they are. Play’n GO, another major iGaming developed, created something similar. Their version of a tomb raiding superstar is Riche Wilde, and his biggest game to date is Book of Dead.
In fact, Book of Dead is arguably one of the most popular slots in the iGaming industry right now. It’s everywhere, and if you haven’t played it at least a few hundred times, there’s a good chance you have seen it plastered across countless promotions.
It’s no wonder that Pragmatic Play took inspiration from this and while it doesn’t seem a little like copying, the same could be said for the bulk of the gaming industry. In fact, if we were to use that logic, then even Book of the Dead has taken liberties with Indiana Jones, Tomb Raider, The Mummy, National Treasure, and countless others.
The only thing that matters is that the end product is fun, doesn’t copy any images or content directly, and adds its own twist. That’s exactly what the John Hunter series does. In fact, some of the games, including John Hunter and the Aztec Treasures, explore completely unique themes.
Animal Slots
It’s rare for an iGaming developer to stick with a single theme. That would be far too boring and repetitive. However, when they find a general theme or topic that works for them they tend to stick with it.
For Blueprint Gaming, it’s all about licensed slots, including The Goonies, Top Cat, Ted, Naked Gun, and Rick and Morty. For Yggdrasil, they seem to have a thing for warriors, and many of their games have been themed around everything from Vikings to Samurai and even Mexican wrestlers.
Where Pragmatic Play is concerned, the central theme either seems to be animal or historical, Amongst the many games themed around Ancient Egypt, Aztecs, and Colonial America, you’ll find ones based on lions, cats, gorillas, and sea creatures.
But these two themes offer a seemingly endless array of possibilities, allowing them to explore a multitude of mechanics, features, and visuals.
Leprechaun Slots
It seems that every major developer has a slot based around Leprechauns or a stereotypical view of the Emerald Isle. Most players have spun the reels on classics like Rainbow Riches and many of you will have also enjoyed modern titles like Finn and the Swirly Spin by NetEnt.
As you would expect, Pragmatic Play has dipped its toes into this industry as well. We counted five slots that fit this theme, including Leprechaun Song, Leprechaun Carol, and Irish Charm, and we were only skimming through!
Table Games
Pragmatic Play has not ventured into the table games sector with as much enthusiasm as the likes of Playtech and Microgaming, but it has dabbled. Some of its creations include Jacks or Better video poker and the simply titled Keno.
These games don’t really offer anything unique but they do provide gamblers with more options.
Live Casino Games
In recent years, Pragmatic Play has challenged the Live Casino sector and is beginning to make a name for itself alongside major creators like Playtech and Evolution Gaming. In fact, it seems to be one of the three biggest Live Casino providers and is gaining on its rivals with every passing month.
All of its Live Dealer games are hosted in a state-of-the-art gaming studio and are presented by professional and highly-trained dealers. The streams are smooth, constant, and high-definition, and it supports over 30 different languages, with the backing of many regulators.
Some of Pragmatic Play’s most popular Live Casino games include Mega Wheel, which works in a similar way to Evolution’s Crazy Time and Dream Catcher. It also hosts games for Blackjack, Roulette, Baccarat, and Sic Bo.
In addition, there are unique games geared towards players in specific countries, including Roulette Italy, Roulette Germany, and Roulette Russia.
Bingo
Along with its slots and Live Casino games, Pragmatic Play offers a full-featured bingo platform, with games such as Reels Room, Sweet Bonanza, and Bingo Blast.
You can play anywhere from 30-ball to 90-ball bingo, all offered in a slick, user-friendly format. You can join these games on mobile and desktop and they are hosted on a huge selection of casinos.
Pragmatic Play Casino Licenses
Pragmatic Play has some of the most sought-after licenses in the online gambling sector. These include a license from the UK Gambling Commission, as well as the governments of Gibraltar and Malta.
These licenses mean that Pragmatic Play is available on many UK online casinos and bingo sites. It is also licensed for operation in Romania and has a certificate from the Gaming Board of the Bahamas.
Where Can You Find Pragmatic Play Games?
Thanks to its association with several major regulators, Pragmatic Play games are available in many major regions, including the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, India, and Russia.
Just because you reside in these regions and play games hosted by legal casinos doesn’t mean you’ll find Pragmatic Play games. These games have to be chosen by the casino and that selection process occurs through a middleman.
Initially, Pragmatic Play signs deals with white label providers like SoftSwiss and EveryMatrix. These providers work with a multitude of developers and stockpile all of their games alongside gamification tools, promotional tools, and more.
An online casino can then work with the white label provider and choose a cherry-picked selection of games, working with its choice of dozens of developers and thousands of games.
The good news is that Pragmatic Play is available on a number of white label software solutions and the opportunity is there. What’s more, because this brand is a favourite amongst players, it’s often selected and makes a regular appearance in casino games rooms all over the world.
Awards
One of Pragmatic Play’s most productive years came in 2017, when it had a good two years behind it and was beginning to establish itself. It followed this with more major wins in 2018, 2019, and 2020.
In 2017, it claimed a couple of major awards at the eGaming Review (EGR) awards, followed by big wins at the Malta Gaming Awards, AskGambler Awards, and Which Bingo awards in successive years.
These organizations have praised the company for its business-to-business and business-to-customer operations, highlighting everything from its software and gamification options to its slots and customer support.
Playing at Top Pragmatic Play Casinos
As you can see, Pragmatic Play has a huge collection of casino games and many reasons for casinos to work with them. You can find this developer’s games on hundreds of casinos around the world and we have highlighted the best of them right here.
Not only do these casinos have games by Pragmatic Play and other top developers (including player favourites like Betsoft and NetEnt) but they also offer many sizeable Welcome Bonuses and Loyalty Programs.
Find your new favourite casino, collect your bonus, join the VIP scheme, and start enjoying the latest Pragmatic Play titles!
