None of the games on online casino sites are developed by casinos themselves. They are developed by studios around the world, and an online Canadian casino, for example, buys the right to offer them to its members for a certain period of time: you can compare it to a kind of rental agreement. iGaming studios are what makes casino games interesting, and their quality also defines the quality of the casino. So, in which countries are these studios located most? In other words, which countries have more iGaming studios?
You can find iGaming studios in almost every country in the world (even in countries where gambling is not legal). In general, if a country’s tech industry is strong and the local government provides financial support to digital projects, there will certainly be iGaming studios. However, some countries are more advantageous than others in this respect and host more studios for the same reason: below, we list some of them.
Japan
The iGaming industry is divided into East and West. Companies in Western countries are more recognized, and independent studios are more common. However, gambling is much more common in Eastern countries, and for the same reason, the number of studios is higher. Although they are not as well-known as their cousins in Western countries, it is possible to say that the iGaming industry in Eastern countries is more developed if we look at the numbers alone.
In this regard, Japan is the center of the industry and hosts the largest number of studios. Konami is the biggest of them all. While it’s best known for PC gaming in Western countries, Konami is actually one of the largest iGaming companies in the world. It develops games and equipment for both land-based and online casinos. The vast majority of gacha and pachinko machines, which you can find almost everywhere in Japan, are manufactured by Konami. The highly developed technology industry has made Japan the center of the iGaming industry in Eastern countries.
Finland
European countries have all of the advantages we listed above: government support for software development is possible, international talent can easily come together, and there is a significant player base. You can find multiple iGaming studios in almost every country in Europe. Finland is just one of them and is home to prestigious studios like Relax Gaming. It is also the center of the Fintech industry in Europe, and this is a big advantage for any company working on digital technologies.
The Czech Republic
One of the European centers of iGaming studios is the Czech Republic. Endorphina, Tom Horn and Lotto Instant Win are just some of the studios in this country. In recent years, the technology sector has been growing rapidly in Eastern European countries, and it is possible to say that the Czech Republic is in a leading position.
Estonia and Bulgaria are also among the countries where this sector is developing rapidly, but both have given priority to Fintech: the Czech Republic is much better at iGaming.
Sweden
Scandinavian countries have a long history in the gambling industry. This is due to the fact that many years ago most of the equipment needed by land-based casinos in Europe was produced in the Scandinavian countries. For example, Sweden-based Netent was established many years ago to produce pinball machines and switched to the iGaming industry in the 90s. Thunderkick is also a studio based in Sweden.
Ukraine
Ukraine has become one of the rising stars of the iGaming industry in recent years. It can easily compete with the Czech Republic among other Eastern European countries and contains offices of many large-scale studios such as Playson & Booongo. Its location, tax advantages, investment opportunities, and growing needs of the industry may make Ukraine an iGaming hub in the near future.
Malta
It is not surprising that the licensing country used by many online casinos in the world is also home to casino game development companies. Gambling is one of Malta’s largest industries, and many companies in this sector are headquartered here. For the same reason, game studios are here as well: Netgaming, GameART, MPlay, Eurasian Gaming, and Elysium are among the largest studios in Malta.
Australia
It may be on the other side of the world, but Australia has had a large share of the gambling industry for decades. The most important reason for this is the US casinos: since the 60s, Nevada casinos have purchased most of the equipment they need from Australia, and this has led to the rapid growth of the gambling industry in the country. Since the 90s, these companies have also entered the iGaming industry and started to develop games. The largest of them (Ainsworth, for example) have supported and purchased independent studios and have driven the industry to grow. Australia is currently one of the countries with the largest number of iGaming studios.
