$225
150
Excellent loyalty program
5,000+ amazing games
Great tournaments
$400
180
Most famous crypto casino
Lightning-fast payouts
High wagering limits
$250
100
7,500+ Pokies
Amazing live casino
High Limits
$1,000
None
8,500+ Pokies
Weekly cashback
Amazing live casino
$300
100
Great selection of pokies
Good loyalty program
High cashout limits
$225
150
Weekly cashback
6,600+ amazing games
Attractive Missions
$2,000
150
Great selection of pokies
Mystery Drops prizes
High limits for VIP’s
None
80
No wagering requirements
High value promotions
500+ Jackpot games
$1,000
200
10,000+ Pokies
Plenty of pokie tournaments
1,000+ Jackpot games
$900
100
Top-notch pokie tournaments
Wide array of table games
9,000+ pokies
Even with the incredible number of NZ pokie machines available through Playtech’s platform, certain games stand out. The top 5 you see below will give you a good idea of what Playtech is made of, with options ranging from big series with progressive jackpots to branded pokies and games with serious payout potential.
Playtech is one of the oldest pokie developers, with the company dating back all the way to 1999. It was founded by Israeli billionaire Teddy Sagi, who foresaw the meteoric rise of online casinos. The Estonia-based studio would take until 2001 to develop its first casino product. From the get-go, the company showed it wouldn’t stick to just one type of game. Alongside pokies, it offered online poker, bingo, and scratch cards.
By 2010, Playtech was already well-positioned to cater to a massive audience. With plenty of cash in the bank, the team went on a spending spree. They acquired Quickspin in 2016 and purchased fellow pokie developer Eyecon in 2017, among other companies.
It was around the 2010s that Playtech struck a deal with Marvel Comics, creating multiple games based around their characters. This arrangement would eventually expire, with Playtech ‘switching sides’ and signing a contract with DC Comics instead. Unfortunately, this new agreement wouldn’t last long either. After Disney acquired DC Comics, the deal came to an end. This led Playtech to go its own way, resulting in the world-famous Age of the Gods series.
The studio is no stranger to awards, having snagged plenty over the years. Its best year was 2019 when the studio took home three awards at the 2019 Gaming Intelligence Awards. It won the Supplier Innovation, Bingo Supplier of the Year, and Poker Supplier of the Year Awards.
If there’s one feature we can say is in Playtech’s DNA, it would be progressive jackpots. Age of the Gods remains one of the more popular pokie series thanks to the jaw-dropping rewards they provide. If that’s not enough, the team also offers Fire Blaze Jackpots and Kingdoms Rise jackpot networks. With all three combined, Playtech almost certainly has a progressive jackpot pokie that you will like.
Of course, that’s not the only frequent feature in Playtech releases. Free spins appear often, as do several exciting gamification tools. Our favourite would have to be Missions, which reward players as they play the game. However, there are plenty of other features to keep an eye on, including mystery parcels, leaderboards, golden chips, and more.
Mythology is the clear winner when considering the most frequent themes. Age of the Gods alone taps into Roman, Greek and Norse mythology. However, it’s not uncommon to see Playtech games embrace animals, licensed settings, and fantasy. With the sheer volume of games the studio launched over the years, you’d be hard-pressed to find a popular theme it didn’t try at least once.
We knew we were going to be positive about Playtech, but we forgot just how many great things came out of this studio until this review. The team is responsible for launching many of our favourite releases over the years and has been instrumental in popularizing progressive jackpots. At the same time, Playtech didn’t turn into a one-trick pony. It kept experimenting with new features, ensuring it remains at the cutting edge of online pokies.
The varied themes and exciting graphics further enhance the experience. We like that Playtech tries to tie its game mechanics into the world it’s weaving. We saw this best in the Kingdoms Rise series, where you can open a map to see the different regions of that world. Going to a different area would switch games without requiring you to leave the game window. It’s a fantastic addition and proof of Playtech’s talent for marrying visuals and gameplay.
You are missing out if you haven’t tried Playtech’s games yet. We recommend starting your adventure with one of the exciting titles mentioned above. From there, it’s all about what kind of games you like. Rest assured, whatever it might be, Playtech almost certainly has you covered.