RealTime Gaming Review
By Casinomeister, Last Modified May 10, 2024
Verdict
Real Time Gaming and Casinomeister go way back. In fact, besides Microgaming, these guys were among the first software guys we were in contact with concerning player complaints. We met for the first time in Vegas at the first G2E in October 2001 – we had a nice lunch together, establishing our good relationship. However, we’ve had issues with RTG casino sites and the gaming industry provider themselves since; more on that later.
Realtime Gaming – or RTG for short – entered the online gambling market as early as 1998, making them one of the first software providers to ‘go online.’ As a result, they’re somewhat of a pioneer in that field. They have produced over 350 games, including blackjack games, specialty games, video poker variants, slot machines, bingo games, progressive jackpots – pretty much everything you could think of.
One of the only things you won’t find at RTG-powered online casinos is live dealer games, despite their website once mentioning them. It appears as though this never came to fruition. All RTG casino sites are now offered in HTML5 (with a couple of exceptions), which means you can enjoy Realtime Gaming slots from your mobile devices.
In addition to its online casino software, Realtime Gaming also develops land-based Kiosk devices. They have a sister company facing the Asian Market, launched in 2006. Unfortunately, despite an extensive catalog of games, Real Time Gaming started by cloning other developers’ games. Thankfully, this has started to change in the last five or six years, and they’re now more focused than ever on delivering a world-class gaming experience to players.
Unfortunately, RTG’s video poker and popular slots don’t have the best reputation. The main issue is their licensing; most of their licensees are from weak (to say the least) Jurisdictions, which directly influences the fact that historically, most of the infamous Rogue online casinos were running on RTG-powered software. You can read all about that on the Casinomeister forums, and if you check the Accredited list, you’ll notice only a handful of RTG Casinos are present.
Real Time Gaming (RTG) List Of Casinos
Slow pay or no pay from this group
Way too many complaints of non-payments for this casino group
RTG Casinos: Downloadable RTG Software
Realtime Gaming became famous for its online casino software, and while it may look like an ancient relic in today’s modern iGaming world, back in the day, it was pretty cutting-edge. It’s still available at some RTG casino sites, although it’s slowly being phased out due to Flash now being obsolete. However, their downloadable client is still available at the time of writing, and you can install it free of charge on all Windows PCs. The client can access RTG’s full suite of over 350 casino games.
The downloadable RTG casino software is quick and easy to install. Once downloaded, you must create an account to play your favorite RTG slots, table games, video poker, and more. The software provides a smooth, user-friendly interface that is intuitive to navigate.
The software also includes useful features for players. There is a paytable and rules section for every game, beginner tutorials for table games like blackjack and baccarat, and the option to switch between real money and free play modes. Players can also adjust their autoplay settings and check their transaction history.
In addition to their downloadable software, RTG offers an expanding selection of HTML5 instant play games that can be played directly in web browsers without downloading software. This makes it easy to access RTG’s most popular slots, blackjack variants, and more on the go.
There’s no denying they were far from being at the forefront of mobile gaming. Still, slot players (and fans of casino table games like American roulette and Joker Poker) can enjoy playing from mobile devices.
Their games can be integrated into an existing platform (such as a Sportsbook or any multiplatform Casino Suite) or delivered as a fully integrated download or instant-play casino. However, you’ll find the latter in most cases: there aren’t many online casinos running RTG games alongside other software providers.
Realtime Gaming Casinos: The Slots
All Realtime Gaming casinos offer the full range of RTG Slots, and one good thing about those is that pretty much all of their games have one or two progressive jackpots. Regardless of the theme, bonus game, or free spin round in RTG games, these progressive jackpots offer a great chance to win massive cash.
However, around 150 of their slots are almost identical; the themes are different, but many of the free spins bonus round offerings are the same or slightly altered. That can get a little boring, although thankfully, many RTG casino sites now offer their latest titles, too.
It seems that is unavoidable when game developers keep growing and need to chuck out a few new slots a year just to reflect their growing market share. However, although they’re not leading the gaming industry, they do have some very decent slot machines, but there is certainly a large enough fan base for their products, or they wouldn’t be here anymore.
Below, we will look at some of the best Realtime Gaming slots. This will not include any of their bingo games, card games, specialty games, or video poker variants; we’re sticking to video slots. We will cover other games later.
Builder Beaver
Builder Beaver is set in a forest environment where the main character, the Beaver, is busy constructing his dam. The game features five reels and 25 paylines, and the symbols are all related to the theme, including wooden logs, toolboxes, and of course, the Beaver himself.
The Beaver is the game’s wild, substituting for all other paying symbols. The scatter symbol is the Beaver Logging Co. sign, and landing three or more triggers the free spins feature. During the free spins, all wins are tripled, giving players a chance to rack up some serious winnings.
The game also has two progressive jackpots, a minor and a major, which can be triggered randomly at the end of any spin. This method of awarding the progressive jackpots is standard in almost all online slots from RTG, and you’ll notice many of their games award them randomly.
The Big Bopper
The Big Bopper is another slot game by Realtime Gaming that takes you back to the 1950s era of rock & roll. The game features six reels and 729 paylines, making it a unique layout in the often dull world of online slots. The symbols relate to the 1950s, including microphones, telephones, and jukeboxes. The game’s wild symbol is represented by Jiles Perry, also known as the Big Bopper, and it can appear on reels two, three, and four. When it helps form a win, it applies a 3X multiplier to the win.
The game has three bonus features triggered by landing the letters that spell out ‘BOPPER’ on the reels. These features can award free spins, multipliers, and even a jackpot of up to $1,500. The betting range is from $0.30 up to $7.50, too, so it’s a great slot for those on a lower budget.
Enchanted Garden II – One Of The Best Realtime Gaming Games?
Enchanted Garden II is a sequel to the popular Enchanted Garden slot, and features improved graphics and gameplay. It’s arguably one of the most popular games you’ll find at RTG casino sites, and pretty much any online casino that offers the game developer’s slots has it. The game has five reels and 25 paylines, and the reels are set against a backdrop of a mystical forest. The symbols include magical creatures like fairies, unicorns, flowers, and gems.
The game features two scatter symbols: the Garden and the Fairy Princess. Landing three or more of these triggers the free spins feature, where you can win up to 10 free spins with a 3X multiplier. The Fairy Princess also acts as the Wild symbol and can substitute for all other symbols except the scatter. She can expand to cover the entire reel when she appears, increasing your chances of winning.
Enchanted Garden II also offers a progressive jackpot that can be triggered randomly, like the rest of their jackpot-enabled games. Realtime Gaming – and all of the online casino games offering their jackpots – tend to model themselves after this iconic classic.
Nova 7’s
Nova 7’s slot game takes you on a cosmic journey. The game features a space theme with vibrant graphics and animations. You’ll find various celestial bodies and astronomical phenomena as symbols on the reels.
The game has five reels and 25 paylines, and there are some decent bonuses and features, including the “Nova 7” feature, which triggers expanding wilds and multipliers. You can also get free spins, making the gameplay more exciting.
Magic Mushroom
Magic Mushroom transports you to an enchanted landscape, and it’s back to basics here, as it’s built around a 3X3 grid with just 27 paylines. The game is simple – and it’s the respin feature doing the heavy lifting here.
Though you won’t find free spins or jackpots, the great graphics and relaxing animations within a mystical fairy setting make up for it. A straightforward, low volatile slot, Magic Mushroom is about grinding out wins in an enchanted forest setting, with the max win being 540X your bet.
Aladdin’s Wishes
Another RTG slot, Aladdin’s Wishes, transports you to the magical world of Arabia. The game has five reels and 20 paylines, featuring symbols like Aladdin, Jasmine, and the Genie. The Aladdin symbol is the wild and can substitute for other symbols to create winning combinations.
The game also has a “Pick Me” bonus feature where you can win free spins, instant prizes, or multipliers. RTG’s progressive jackpot mechanic is also found here, and it’s triggered randomly after the conclusion of any base game spin.
Coyote Cash
Coyote Cash is a Wild West-themed slot game by Realtime Gaming. The game features five reels and 25 paylines, and it’s all about a coyote who’s out to grab as much cash as possible. The symbols include bags of loot, cacti, and eagles, all set against a desert backdrop.
The game’s wild symbol is the Coyote, which can substitute for other symbols to help you create wins. The “LOOT” represents the scatter symbol, and landing three or more of these triggers the free spins feature. All wins are multiplied by 2X, 3X, or 4X during the free spins, depending on the number of scatter symbols that triggered the bonus.
Coyote Cash also offers a progressive jackpot that can be triggered randomly, in the same way as all of the other games we’ve covered.
Realtime Gaming Progressive Jackpots
While we’ve already talked about a few online slots with progressive jackpots, these tend to be smaller. Realtime Gaming is better known for its large jackpots, which we’ll cover below.
Aztec Millions: A Staple At Realtime Gaming Casinos
Aztec Millions is a five-reel, 25-payline slot game that takes you on a journey through the ancient Aztec civilization. With a minimum bet of $5 per spin, the game offers a progressive jackpot that starts at a whopping $1 million. The game features symbols like the Aztec King, which acts as a wild, and the Idol, which serves as the scatter symbol.
Landing five Aztec Millions symbols on a payline will win you the progressive jackpot. The game also offers free spins and multipliers to keep the excitement going. Granted, it has a high minimum bet, but it offers fantastic win potential given the jackpot – and it’s easily one of the provider’s most popular releases.
Shopping Spree
Shopping Spree is a five-reel, nine-payline slot game that brings the glamor of a shopping extravaganza to your screen. With symbols like diamond rings, shoes, and handbags, the game offers a progressive jackpot with a minimum seed of $25,000. The game has two bonus features: the “Big Money Scatter Bonus” and the “Mystery Grab Bag Bonus Round.”
The latter can be triggered by landing three “Mystery Grab Bag” symbols, giving you a chance to win up to 4,000 credits. However, most players will be looking to hit the progressive jackpot, which can be won by landing a five-of-a-kind combo of the jackpot symbol on an active payline.
Aztec Treasure
Aztec Treasure is another five-reel slot game by RTG that delves into the ancient Aztec world. Unlike Aztec Millions, this game offers a more accommodating betting range, with the minimum bet starting from just $0.01 per line. The game features a variety of symbols, including Aztec women, leopards, and witch doctors.
In addition to the progressive jackpot bonus round, there’s a free spins feature where you can win up to 25 free spins. It’s ideal for those wanting to enjoy the thrill of playing jackpot games without needing to stake as much as Aztec Millions requires.
Jackpot Piñatas
Jackpot Piñatas is a five-reel, 20-payline slot game that brings the festive atmosphere of a Mexican piñata party to your screen. The game has a fixed bet of $5 per spin and offers a progressive jackpot that starts at $250,000. Naturally, this fixed bet will be a turn-off for some players, and it’s higher than many play at – but it’s a decent game, budget-allowing.
The game features symbols like burritos, flamenco dancers, and fireworks. Special features include a wild symbol, a scatter symbol, and free spins. You must land five Bull Piñatas on a payline to win the progressive jackpot.
RTG Video Poker And Table Games
In addition to their slot games, RealTime Gaming also offers a diverse range of casino table poker games, including titles like Caribbean Draw Poker, Let ‘Em Ride Poker, and Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker. These games offer a blend of traditional and modern poker experiences with varying betting limits to cater to different types of players.
Additionally, RTG provides other table games like Pai Gow and Red Dog Poker and extends its gaming portfolio beyond poker to include games like Vegas Three-Card Rummy. They’re well known for their video poker offering, and their video poker machines are great – one of the reasons they’ve picked up so many loyal fans along the way.
Realtime Gaming’s Operator-Focused Products Unique Features
Realtime Gaming does have a few advantages from an operator’s point of view. As stated above, they offer complete gaming software solutions with extensive back-end and affiliate marketing tools and even help white-label sites get up and running. This includes assistance with getting an online gambling license, providing customer support facilities, hosting services, and more.
They also offer a powerful bonus system that allows operators to target players based on factors like preferred game type and deposit type. They also use state-of-the-art software to help protect online casinos from bonus abuse.
Realtime Gaming also offers loyalty programs where operators can control the number of points awarded to players based on the amount wagered and the type of game played.
Realtime Gaming can also provide services for all player-facing activities, such as marketing, training, and delivery of the gaming experience. They also support B2C and B2G operations, so they have their fingers in almost all online gambling pies.
A Checkered Past?
From Casinomeister himself:
This software provider always maintained that they were the “software provider” – not much more. I, on the other, have always been adamant that software providers are rogue enablers if their clients cheat their customers. Software game providers also get a bad rap (reputation) if their clients are dodgy or rogue. Well, over the years, the lure and profitability of grey markets have overridden the need to keep their licensees squeaky clean. This is the polar opposite of Microgaming for its download/viper clients. MGS will step in if needed.
RTG casinos are not limited to jurisdiction limitations unless made by the casinos’ jurisdiction – unlike MGS, Netent, NYX, Playtech, etc., which prohibit players from the US or Australia. RTG casinos can take just about anyone – it is up to the operator.
This can prove problematic since I have made general warnings about all RTG casinos on more than one occasion because they lacked a safety net for players. It wasn’t until 2004 that I took the first RTG casino as an accredited casino – iNetBet.
It was up to the operators to prove themselves – I could not rely on the software supplier or jurisdictions to protect anyone. So we eventually brought on a handful of new RTG casinos – besides iNetBet, there were Intertops and the original Club World group. iNetBet and Intertops are still here (along with their related casinos like Jackpot Capital, etc.), Club World was switched out with CasinoMax – the original operator and staff of CWC.
RTG did step in once – which I give them credit for. It was the infamous PirateofC21 vs. Hampton casino case: RTG’s Caribbean 21 Lie. This is where a player had won $1.2 million, but the casino claimed he was using a bot and canceled his winnings. The casino even recorded the player over the phone confessing to using a bot (I heard the confession – it’s even posted in that thread, I think), so I initially ruled against the player. But he denied it 100% – and said he only confessed because he had no idea what to do.
You should read that thread since it gets pretty good. The player denies it – I side with him, but then the operator comes in and states that RTG software tracks your mouse movements and can tell if you are using a bot. (???) That’s when RTG stepped in and told enough lies already – RTG software cannot do that – pay the player. Hell, even MSNBC picked up on it. MSNBC interviews Casinomeister.
Those were some crazy times – unfortunately, some dodgy operators still would do the same thing if they could get away with it. Eighteen years after my nice lunch with the CEO in Vegas – things haven’t changed too much. They have some pretty good games (Aztec Treasure, Rain Dance, and Crystal Waters are a few of my old-time favorites). But it’s always “caveat emptor” with RTG casinos.
The other side of that coin (weak Jurisdiction) meant that despite the UIGEA affair, the RTG-powered licensees were allowed to keep offering their Games to USA players, and for long, was about the only Casino software available to them, so they did have a steady market there.
Now that that market has been opening up again – and Proper Licensing and Responsible Gaming are becoming more and more important worldwide – we will probably see more Multiplatform Casinos adopting RTG games and fewer ‘cup-‘o-cacao’ (Curacao License) Stand Alone RTG’s to get with the times.
Related: RTG-Powered PrimaPlay is a sister site of the award winning iNetBet casino. Read our review.
Company Information
Pros
-
Slick Mobile Gaming Experience with a fair amount of Games
-
Also caters to U.S.A. Players
-
Great software for low rollers - bets as low as 0.01 in Keno and Slots
Cons
-
Not much variety in the bulk of their Slots
-
An overall weak Licensing Jurisdiction