NetEnt was launched in Sweden back in 1996 and has gone from strength to strength ever since, breaking into the lucrative US market in 2015. In its early days, NetEnt had two online casinos, which it ran until they were sold in 2006. You can play the full suite of NetEnt slots here at Slots Temple. Click here to read more.
NetEnt has long been one of the key figureheads in the online gambling industry, and this Swedish-based company is behind some of the most successful video slots in history, including the likes of Starburst, Dead or Alive and Gonzo’s Quest.
With a history dating back to 1996, NetEnt has continually pushed the boundaries in innovation - and a recent entering of the US market has proved to be a lucrative move for the developer.
NetEnt Innovations
Over the years, Netnet has been responsible for some industry-leading mechanics. These are some of the most interesting innovations that have been dreamt up by the NetEnt slots design team:
Swirly Spins
In an attempt to take on Play’n Go’s insanely successful grid games like Reactoonz and Wild Frames, Netnet also developed a mechanic used in Finn and the Swirly Spinn. It was meant to be a groundbreaking move for the software provider, but, unfortunately, it never really caught on, and we’ve since only seen it used in a sequel to the original Finn and the Swirly Spinn game.
Cluster Pays
One of the most popular mechanics to appear in NetEnt slot games was the ‘cluster pays’ game engine which can be found in titles like Aloha! Cluster Pays and The Legend of Shangri La: Cluster Pays. The cluster mechanic does away with paylines, with wins formed, instead, by landing a certain number of symbols in a ‘cluster’.
Infinireels
More recently, NetEnt developed Infinireels - a mechanic that sees a new reel added to the game grid with each winning spin. You’ll see it at work in games like Gods of Gold Infinireels and Dragon’s Fire Infinireels.
Both ReelPlay and NetEnt independently pursued Similar game feature ideas in InfiniReels (NetEnt) and Infinity Reels (ReelPlay). ReelPlay released it's first Infinity game in November 2019 which was El Dorado Infinity Reels, and with NetEnt due to release Gods Of Gold InfiniReels in May 2020, something needed to be done to secure the IP for both companies.
Bryan Upton of NetEnt said:
In light of both companies independently following similar ideas, it made sense for us to come together to reinforce our unique propositions in a highly competitive market. I would like to commend and thank ReelPlay for their innovative approach and for working together with us in these dynamic times.
Top NetEnt Slots
NetEnt has developed a huge range of slots - and while some of these haven’t done too well, many of their releases have become iconic in the online gambling industry. Below, we’re going to look at a few of their most successful games.
Dead or Alive
Dead or Alive is perhaps one of the best-known slots ever made, and this iconic Wild West-inspired slot is famed for its bonus round, during which wild symbols become sticky. The game proved so successful that NetEnt has since released a sequel, Dead or Alive II, which offers you the chance to win more than 100,000X your stake!
Twin Spin
Twin Spin was one of the first NetEnt slots to really gain popularity within the online gambling industry and its popularity can largely be attributed to its unique syncing reel mechanic. The slot machine also uses a 243-ways-to-win mechanic, and most symbols are stacked on all reels.
There’s no bonus round in Twin Spin, but that doesn’t mean there’s not big win-potential; the diamond symbols can award wins well in excess of 1,000 times your bet!
Jack and the Beanstalk
Jack and the Beanstalk is one of the most popular video slots ever made, and you’ll find it available to play inside the video slots section at the online casino. Most of the game’s win-potential is found within the main Free Spins bonus round where special keys are added to the reels. If you can collect nine of these keys, you’ll unlock the expanding wilds.
Gonzo’s Quest
Gonzo's Quest is one of the most well-known video slots in the world, and it's still one of the most successful, with millions of people playing it every year. Win multipliers of up to 5X can be added to wins in the base game. During the Free Spins bonus round, though, winnings can be multiplied up to 15 times!
NetEnt Branded Slots
NetEnt, thanks to their size and reputation, have also managed to secure partnerships with some of the world’s biggest film and music companies - and, as a result, we’ve seen a number of branded slots from the game developer.
Musicians and Bands
One of their first branded games was Jimi Hendrix - based, of course, around Jimi Hendrix, a songwriter who many claim to be the best guitar player in history.
Guns ‘n Roses is another example of a band-themed branded slot from NetEnt, again, themed around the rock band of the same name. You’re even given the option to choose which of the band’s songs you want to listen to during gameplay!
TV and Video Games
In terms of movie/TV slots, NetEnt has also produced some pretty big hits. Narcos was one of their first TV-themed video slots, and this fantastically-designed slot crams in tons of bonuses along with a fantastic musical soundtrack.
More recently, NetEnt has released Street Fighter and Hell’s Kitchen. The first, based around the video game of the same name, has proved incredibly successful with players - while the later… not so much.
Does NetEnt Have Any Megaways Slots?
NetEnt has recreated many of their old classics around the Megaways engine. Some of these have been developed by Red Tiger Gaming while others come straight from the NetEnt design team. The most popular NetEnt Megaways games are:
- Dazzle Me Megaways: this game features the same Wild Reels as the original Dazzle Me slot, and there are 99,225 ways to win.
- Gonzo’s Quest Megaways: The top prize is increased significantly, and it contains the iconic progressive multiplier mechanic. A new addition is the unique side game which can remove all the lower-paying symbols from the reels.
- Piggy Riches Megaways: Multiplier reels are present, and these multiply against each other, offering up some insane win-potential during the bonus round.
Top Paying NetEnt Progressive Slots
Since 2007, NetEnt’s progressive jackpot slots have paid out a whopping €704,530,102 in wins - and these wins have been awarded to 59,489 lucky players around the world. Some of the biggest wins from NetEnt Jackpots are:
- Hall of Gods: €7,820,888
- Mega Fortune: €17,860,868!
- Divine Fortune: €313,889!
Responsible Gambling
Responsible gambling is something that NetEnt takes very seriously. Aside from working with - and making regular donations - with some of the world’s biggest safe gambling charities, they have also built special responsible gambling tools into their games. These include:
- An API function that allows players to set play limits. Players can also set a number of other limits, including loss limits and more.
- Reality check popups, which let players know how long they’ve been playing for and how much they’ve won or lost in their session.
- A speed function, which disables the quickspin function and increases the time it takes between spins to 3 seconds.
High RTP Slots from NetEnt
Generally speaking, NetEnt has a very solid reputation in the online gambling world for creating slots with extremely high RTPs. For example, one of their older slots - Blood Suckers - is famed for its high RTP, coming in at a whopping 97.99%.
Mega Joker is another of their games with an incredibly high RTP, and, when played according to the best mathematical strategy, it’s possible for the RTP to be as high as 99%!
A Bright Future
Despite losing momentum a couple of years ago, NetEnt sprung back onto the online gambling scene with the release of their Dead or Alive II slot, and their acquisition of Red Tiger Gaming has allowed them to expand their reach even further, while developing a brand-new selection of Megaways games.
Remember, you can try out all NetEnt games for free here at Slots Temple - and you’ll find all of their current games above which you can try out for free!
FAQs
Where are NetEnt based?
NetEnt are very much a global company, they have offices in Malta, Sweden, Gibraltar, Poland, Ukraine, the UK and USA.
How many Casino partner to NetEnt have?
They have over 200 gaming partners around the world. You'll find NetEnt slots at most of the largest online casinos as well as smaller, more niche sites.
How many game do NetEnt have?
At count in 2020, they had over 200 games live. NetEnt has one of the biggest game catalogues in the online slot market so, no matter what kind of slots you're into, you're sure to find something you enjoy from this market.