In this article:

Big Time Gaming: From then to now explained

In this article:

Big Time Gaming: known for the Magaways principle, which can be found in high-quality games like Extra Chilli Megaways and Diamond Mine Megaways. Wouldn’t you want to know everything about this developer?

What would the online gambling world be without its game developers? Online gambling games would simply not exist without the innovative incentives of the developers of online gambling games. The game developers thus play an important role in the online gambling world. If you are a fan of online gambling, then you have probably heard of some ‘big’ well-known game of chance developers, such as NetEnt, Novomatic, and Playtech. However, the focus in this article will be on another game developer who is smaller than the above-mentioned game developers, but its impact on the online gambling world is just as significant. ‘Big Time Gaming’ is the developer of online gambling games that will be discussed in this article. This article will showcase the development of Big Time Gaming. For this reason, this article will first discuss when and who started this company for online gambling game development. After this, this article will illustrate why the innovative ‘Big Time Gaming’ is one of the most beloved game developers for online gambling games. In addition to this, the contributions to the online gambling world by this game developer will be discussed. Lastly, this article will be discussing the acquisition of ‘Big Time Gaming’ that took place not too long ago.

The establishment of Big Time Gaming

Big Time Gaming has become a game developer known for its innovative gambling games that are loved by many, but how did this game developer come to be? This section of the article will discuss the establishment of this game developer.

How it all started with Big Time Gaming 

Big Time Gaming is a renowned entertainment company that focuses on creating top-notch online casino games. The company has a long history of innovation in the online gaming industry. The game developer ‘Big Time Gaming’ was founded in Sydney, Australia 11 years ago, in the year 2011. The founders of Big Time Gaming are Nik Robinson and Huw McIntosh. Furthermore, the managing team of Big Time Gaming has more than thirty years of experience in the online gambling industry. A year after the establishment, in December of 2012, Big Time Gaming received a license from the Alderney Gambling Control Commission.  After this Big Time Gaming acquired several other licenses from a number of gambling authorities, such as the Malta Gaming Authority, UK Gambling Commission, and the Gibraltar Gambling Commission. This has allowed Big Time Gaming to operate across the world and become the influential game developer that it is now. In addition to this, in the year 2012, Big Time Gaming stuck a distribution agreement with Quickfire. A year after the agreement with Quickfire, Big Time Gaming stuck a partnership with CORE Gaming, a developer of HTML5 and tablet games, in order to bring their newest desktop games to the mobile market.

The founders

Nik Robinson, the founder and (current) CEO of Big Time Gaming has a lot of experience in the entertainment industry. Before the establishment of Big Time Gaming, Nik Robinson was the founder of another company, called New Tech Media. New Tech Media company was founded by Nik Robinson in the year 1996, but he later (in 2005) sold it to News International. New Tech Media’s name was then changed to “Openbet”. Nik Robinson continued as the Creative Director at Openbet until the year 2010. Nik left Openbet in order to create Big Time Gaming together with Huw McIntosh (the current CTO). Huw McIntosh has worked in the gambling industry for more than 18 years. He had also worked together with Nik Robinson at New Tech Media, and he also continued with Openbet for five years before founding Big Time Gaming with Nik. Then together they recruited Ian Schmidt to be part of the team as the Creative Director. Before his recruitment, Ian Schmidt worked as a Creative Director at Rock Star Games.

What is Big Time Gaming known for?

Big Time Gaming is perceived as an innovative online gambling game developer that has a quality over quantity approach, with only a dozen games to its name.  They have created various tap card games, including Diamonds Tap Cards, Dragon Born Tap Cards, and Feathered Frenzy Tap Cards, among others, in addition to blackjack and roulette games. Their primary emphasis, however, is on video slots. They now have 34 slot titles in their repertoire. Russian, Japanese, and Chinese are just a handful of the twenty additional languages that their games are available in, in a number of different countries. Big Time Gaming is most known for its thrilling ‘Megaways’ series of video slots, but all of their games are distinguished by creativity and a wide variety of themes, making for never-ending entertainment. Big Time Gaming’s slots have superb visuals, sound effects, and overall design in addition to a great range of progressive jackpot games. Later in this article, these topics will be covered in more detail.

Why is Big Time Gaming so beloved (by players)?

This section of the article will illustrate why players enjoy playing games developed by Big Time Gaming, why they are popular and what this game developer has to offer.

Big Time Gaming’s key (game) features

Part of the allure of online games of chance is their outstanding design/graphics. Big Time Gaming offers amazing 3D visuals, with an emphasis on quality over quantity. While taking a while to release, their games are exquisite and flawless. They have a smaller, but no less remarkable, game diversity than other “major” game developers since they prioritize quality over quantity.

Another stand-out of their online games of chance is their innovative features. Big Time Gaming gave the slot games a new life. The new Megaway mechanism they created (which will be discussed later in this article) was a big success. In addition to this, the excitement of their high-risk RTP attracts a lot of players. Furthermore, another key feature of their games is the music. Big Time Gaming’s games are accompanied by music that fits their theme. In an interview, founder and CEO Nik Robinson stated that the music is key to the flow of the game, the music sets the ‘vibe’ for the player.

Besides the music, graphics, and innovative features, another stand-out that is also a key future of Big Time Gaming’s games is the gameplay. The Megaway slot mechanism was created by Big Time Gaming and offers players a huge amount of potential winning combinations. On a Megaway slot mechanism, players have the possibility of winning ten thousand times their bet. Additionally, they have games with clustered payoff systems. In these games, neighbouring symbols win instead of matching ones on a payline.

Megaways slot mechanic

As previously mentioned, Big Time Gaming is the inventor of the innovative ‘Megaways’ slot mechanic. Paylines are replaced by all the symbols lined up on neighbouring reels using the Megaways mechanism. Players have a maximum of 117,649 ways to win using the most popular Megaways format. However, the Megaways on select slots can reach a staggering 16 million. In a Megaways slot, matching symbols or wilds must appear on three or more adjacent reels, starting from reel 1, to form a winning combination.

Mystery symbols are a characteristic that Megaways slots frequently have. The new configuration of symbols that are active, all change into the same matching symbol, and a new payout calculation is done. A Free Spins feature is also included in several Megaways games. Multiple cascades frequently result in an increasing multiplier that is infinite in size.

Dragon Born Megaways was the first slot machine to use the Megaways gaming engine. However, the mechanism gained enormous popularity with the debut of Bonanza (Megaways). Since then, a huge number of companies, such as Blueprint Gaming, have received licenses from Big Time Gaming to use the Megaways technology. The Megaways slots have grown to be a fan favourite, because of their enormous way to create winning combinations.

Most popular Megaways slots

This section of the article will provide some additional information in relation to some of the most popular Megaways slots. 

The Bonanza Megaways slot 

Big Time Gaming launched the Bonanza Megaways slot in 2016. This Megaways slot immediately became their most popular Megaways slot. The Bonanza Megaways is a mining-themed adventure slot game. With 6 reels and up to 117.649 ways to win, this Megaways slot is playable on all devices starting. It benefits from a feature called Reaction, which swaps out winning symbols with new ones to provide ongoing winnings. There is a lot of potential for explosive action in this medium to high variance game since there are also free spins with a multiplier that rises by 1 with each “reaction” win. The Bonanza Megaways slot can provide players with maximum winning of ten thousand times their entire bet with each spin. In addition to this, the Bonanza Megaways has an RTP percentage of 96%. In addition to this, Big Time Gaming even received an award in 2017 for Best iGaming Experience from Casinomeister for the Bonanza Megaways slot.

No data was found

The who wants to be a Millionaire Megaways slot

As the name suggests, this Megaways slot is based on the popular TV-game show quiz. This gaming slot also offers players up to 117.649 ways to win and 6 reels. The free spin feature in this slot game lets players (just like in the real show) Ask the Audience, Phone a Friend, or go 50/50 in order to work their way up the free spins ladder Additionally, those free spins have a dynamic multiplier that rises with each “reaction” win. Maximum winnings on the “Who wants to be a Millionaire” Megaways slot are fifty thousand times the player’s entire bet from a single spin. The RTP percentage for this slot is 96.27%.

4.0/5
8.0

The White Rabbit Megaways slot

Another popular Megaways gaming slot is the White Rabbit. This gaming slot offers players the possibility of up to 16.807 winning ways. In addition to this, the White Rabbit Megaways gaming slot offers players an RTP percentage of 97.77%, which is one of the highest. The Down the Rabbit Hole Free Spins bonus, in which the reels can extend to deliver up to 248,832 Megaways, is one of the feature’s highlights. In the Caterpillar Wilds feature, which may triple winnings, additional wilds and multiplier wilds are also in play.

3.5/5
7.0

Megaclusters

Along with the Megaways mechanism, Big Time Gaming is also known for its Megaclusters mechanism slots. Megaclusters slots initially resemble traditional cluster play games, in which winning combinations are created by landing groups of matching symbols. Typically, these clusters are located next to one another in the vertical, horizontal, and occasionally diagonal directions. The larger the reward, the more matching symbols there are in a cluster.

In some Megaclusters slots, the action starts on a 3×3 or 4×4 grid, which offers 9 or 16 Megaclusters. A “reaction” occurs when a winning cluster is formed, and the winning symbols are eliminated from the playing grid. Each winning sign is replaced by three or four symbols, rather than a single symbol that descends down. A successful combination can be formed using more symbols. More small symbols descend from the top of the reels as the player creates a fresh winning cluster. Until no new winner is formed, the “reactions” will continue. 

In addition to this, Big Time Gaming granted Relax Gaming a license to use this game technology, and Relax Gaming used it to develop Kluster Krystals Megaclusters. This shows the collaborative spirit of Bit Time Gaming which aims to provide players with the best gaming experience.

Return to player percentages

When playing online gambling games, players, of course, want to see a high return to player percentage, seeing as this gives the players the most value for their money. Slots from Big Time Gaming frequently offer players the highest return to player percentage. Many of the offered slots have high RTPs, yet the average RTP is just 96.26 percent. As abovementioned, the RTP for White Rabbit Megaways is 97.72 percent, which is one of the highest return to player percentages. 

One could easily see why the slots of Big Time Gaming are one of the most loved by players, seeing as this game developer takes the satisfaction of players very seriously. Big Time Gaming is one of the few game developers that gives players the best value for their money.

Innovative game developer 

Even though Big Time is not as big and/or well-known as other game developers, such as NetEnt, they are undoubtedly a front-runner when it comes to innovation. As previously illustrated, Big Time Gaming has developed a few innovative gaming slot mechanisms, such as the Megacluster and Megaways mechanisms. Because of their quality over quantity approach to game development, it takes Big Time Gaming quite some time to launch new gaming slots/mechanisms. However, once they release a new game/slot, you can rest assured that it will be something that has not been done before. Every new release includes a unique feature, often even a brand-new gameplay design. Big Time Gaming’s creators continually strive to offer something new.  

The acquisition of Big Time Gaming

In this section of the article, the acquisition of Big Time Gaming will be discussed.

Different payment methods

Wide range of games

High bonus conditions

Bonus
7.6
4/5

Plans for the acquisition of Big Time Gaming

For more than a decade, BTG has played a significant role in the online gaming market. The introduction of the Megaways mechanism in 2016—which has since gained enormous popularity among players all around the world—is considered one of its most significant moves to date.  In April of 2021, live casino specialist Evolution Gaming announced that they have entered into an agreement with Big Time Gaming for its purchase. In 2020 Evolution had already purchased another well-known game developer. The game developer that they purchased in 2020 was NetEnt, the world’s leading manufacturer of slot games. The acquisition of Bit Time Gaming was then set to be worth 450 million euros. According to Evolution’s plans, 70 percent of the consideration would be paid in cash and the remaining 30 percent would be paid in newly issued shares. At the conclusion of the Transaction, the cash portion of the upfront payment was set to be paid, and the share portion of the upfront consideration was to be issued. The value of the Evolution shares distributed as part of the upfront payment was said to be equal to the volume-weighted average price of the Evolution share on Nasdaq Stockholm between March 23, 2021, and April 7, 2021. Sources stated that the expected issue was set to be 1.120.000 shares. In addition to this, Evolution will be required to pay 220 million euros in cash upfront as part of the Transaction. According to the sources, Evolution was also willing to provide earn-out payments based on Big Time Gaming’s EBITDA in 2022–2023 and 2023–2024, respectively. The maximum amount of the earn-out payments were set to be 230 million euros. These payments are due in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

Completed acquisition of Big Time Gaming 

According to the sources, Evolution Gaming and Big Time Gaming completed the acquisition of this innovative game slot developer in early July of 2021. Following the initial agreement in April, Evolution received all necessary regulatory approvals in July 2021 to complete the transaction. As stated above, the company paid the upfront consideration of 220 million euros in accordance with the original agreement, using a combination of 80 million euros in cash and the remaining 160 million euros in newly issued Evolution shares.

A perfect match

After the announcement of the acquisition of the Australian-based game developer was published, the CEO of Big Time Gaming (Nik Robinson) immediately called the purchase of Big Time Gaming by Evolution Gaming ‘a perfect match’. The reason for this is the fact that both these companies put innovation at the forefront of their priorities when it comes to online gambling games. Moreover, both Evolution and Big Time Gaming have a healthy dose of ambition, promising players a bright future for online gambling. In addition to this, Evolution Gaming and Big Time Gaming both value the player experience that their games provide. Furthermore, with the purchase of Big Time Gaming, the chairman of Evolution Gaming (Jens von Bahr) announced that the intent of this purchase was to strengthen Evolution’s strategic position as the leading provider of digital casino games in the world. Evolution Gaming certainly knew what they were doing when they acquired both NetEnt and Big Time Gaming.

Who is Evolution Gaming?

Evolution Gaming is a Swedish-based online casino provider that was established in the year 2006. Evolution Gaming’s goal is to help operators succeed and give their end-users a great user experience.  Evolution Gaming thrives on pushing boundaries and taking on uncharted territory. Whether it be in regard to their clients, stakeholders outside the company, local communities, or other EVOlutioneers, Evolution Gaming believes in a culture of transparency, respect, innovation, honesty, and caring for others. Evolution Gaming has a number of live casino studios and has won a number of awards for its outstanding services. Evolution Gaming collaborates with its licensees in respectable gaming markets to create cutting-edge Live Casino solutions that take full advantage of every opportunity. In order for their licensees to gain crucial early market share, they also continually anticipate and plan for new and re-regulated markets. In addition to this, Evolution Gaming has acquired a number of certificates by L’Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (in Italy), Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (in Murcia, Spain) and the ISO 27001:2013 certificate.

Final Remarks

The Australian-based game developer Big Time Gaming is considered to be one of the most innovative game developers in the online gambling industry, despite its size. With their innovative inventions such as the Megaways and Megacluster mechanisms, they revolutionized the online gambling experience. Both of these inventions have been a large number of their competitors. Big Time Gaming has become quite known for its outstanding graphics game designs and the music that fits the theme of its games. Players can rely on this Australian-based game provider for unique and highly innovative online gambling games. Every new game that Big Time Gaming releases offer something that hasn’t been seen before. This online gambling developer certainly does not lack creativity. Big Time Gaming’s developers constantly strive to offer something new and put quality over quantity. However, their quality over quantity approach did not stop them from leaving their mark on the online gambling industry.

Different payment methods

Wide range of games

High bonus conditions

Bonus
7.6
4/5

Deel dit artikel: