Realtime Gaming (RTG) is the name of a premier online casino software provider. RTG may not be quite as well known yet as the two industry leaders Microgaming and Playtech, but it is definitely making its presence felt. If you are an online player living in the U.S., the RTG name is almost certainly familiar to you because, unlike Microgaming and Playtech, and many other leading online software providers, RTG is U.S. friendly. This means that with the exception of just a handful of states, whose restrictive state laws do not permit any online gambling, regardless of which state you reside in, you can indeed play at most RTG casinos.
Unlike the New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware state-operated gambling sites, if you can play at an RTG casino, the casino doesn’t care which state you are in at the time of play. You can live in California and play at home on your computer, then be traveling to Texas (or another state) and play the same games on your smartphone.
History of RTG
RTG is far from a newcomer to the world of online gambling. The company originated in Atlanta in 1998. Considering the fact that online gambling was still in its infancy in the 1990s and, Microgaming, the company that started it all, was founded in 1994, clearly RTG also has years of experience developing suitable software for online casinos. A major reason why RTG has been able to remain in business all of these years and grow into the international force it is today is its solid reputation from the very beginning. During its first five years of operation, RTG won several industry awards, and the games grew in popularity.
RTG uses the slogan “taking games seriously,” and that they do. The company offers all varieties of casino games, but slots are their specialty. Their “real series slots’ collection includes state-of-the-art graphics and sounds and many special features like expanding wilds, bonus rounds, and free spins that make the games highly entertaining. Some of the RTG machines are also progressive jackpot games, whereby a single spin can make some lucky players instant multimillionaires.
When the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was passed in 2006 (only to be repealed in December, 2011), RTG relocated to Heredia, Costa Rica in order not to lose its large American customer base. Not every RTG casino accepts U.S. players, but each individual casino has the authority to decide, and most of them do allow Americans to play. Since 2007, RTG has been owned and operated by Hastings International, a company based in the Netherlands, Antilles. The RTG headquarters are still in Costa Rica, but most RTG casinos are currently licensed in Curacao.
RTG Software Pros and Cons
RTG powered casinos are playable in downloadable, instant play, and mobile versions. The company is continually expanding its games and updating its software to take advantage of the latest advances in online and mobile casino technology. Doing so helps to ensure it prominent place in the market and continued appeal to its many users. The particular casinos vary in quality, not because of the software per se, but because of each casinos’ own operating policies. RTG has come under fire for the presumed ability of individual operators to adjust the payout settings on their slots (instead of their being standard payouts on the same games across casinos) and for the absence of easily accessible information by the players as to the rate of return on the various games.
Many RTG casinos entice players with big bonuses, but impose very steep playthrough requirements, including so-called “sticky” (non-withdrawable) bonuses that make these bonuses look better on paper than they really are. Apparently, many players are willing to overlook these shortcomings because the games are so enjoyable to play.
Another important area where RTG players give a thumbs up is security. The use of advanced encryption technology ensures that both your personal information and all of your onsite financial transactions are fully protected. A few of the RTG casinos open to U.S. players that you might wish to consider are Bovada, Lucky Red, and Slots.lv. There are many more.
RTG casinos, like those of most online casino providers, offer the largest number of games and also the highest quality of graphics and fastest speed in the downloaded version. The disadvantage to downloading is that you can only access the games on your own computer, which can be very limiting for someone who travels a lot. The instant play flash version offers a convenient alternative because it allows access on any browser, PC or Mac. At RTG casinos, not quite as many games are available in instant play mode as in the downloaded version, but there is still an impressive number. As a slot player you won’t be bored playing either way. One area where RTG really excels is in offering players a tremendous variety of slots even when the total number is not high. So even though an RTG casino might only offer 150 slots as compared to more than 400 slots at a Microgaming casino, you don’t feel shortchanged. The creative titles and enormous variety almost guarantee that, whatever your personal preferences and style of play, you will find games to your liking.
Most RTG casinos also have a mobile platform so, if it is more convenient, instead of playing on the computer, you can play slots on your smartphone or tablet. Depending on what types of apps the casino has developed, the game might not work on every type of mobile device. If you have a very old model, the games might not work either. However, if you have a current version iPhone, iPad, or Android device, you should not have a problem.
New Customizable Features
If you are new to online gambling or have not played in a while, you will be amazed at how technologically sophisticated the current slot machines are. RTG not only has an excellent handle on the mind-boggling capabilities, but practically every month introduces a new game that incorporates many of these features. Not only are some of these features unique to RTG casinos, but their highly customizable nature makes every player’s experience using them unique. All of the latest RTG real series slots offer customizable screen size, speed, and sound. Here are some additional fantastic features.
Turbo Play
If you are pressed for time, this is a good option. You will miss out on the entertaining animations, but the reels will spin and stop rapidly, so there is no downtime.
Auto Play
You don’t have to sit by your slot machine the whole time you want to play if you have something else to do. You can have your slot machine keep playing automatically for a preset number of spins–up to 1,000. You never know–you could return later and discover, to your surprise and delight, that you won a big jackpot!
What makes auto play even better, though is all of the additional customizable options like the following:
- Stop as soon as you trigger a special feature like a bonus game.
That way you won’t miss a minute of the exciting action.
- Stop as soon as you win a jackpot.
That way you won’t miss the thrill of seeing the symbols on the reels line up exactly right.
- Stop as soon as you have lost a certain amount of money or your bankroll drops to a certain level.
This is a great money management tool when you are having a run of bad luck. Instead of depleting all of the money in your account, call it a day and try again another time.
- Stop as soon as you win a certain amount or if the balance increases by a certain amount.
This is another great feature because it eliminates the risk of having a large winning payout, only to lose it all back when the machine turns cold.
Select whichever Auto Play options appeal to you and feel free to step away while the reels go to work for you. Of course, you have to have enough real money in your account or the action will prematurely stop automatically. Otherwise, the reels will stop spinning exactly when you tell them to stop.
Brand New RTG Games
There is no better example of the technologically masterful slots you can now play at RTG casinos than the company’s newest releases for 2015. The four slot games briefly described below, all offer the kinds of extra features savvy slot players expect from RTG like wild and scatter symbols, bonus games, free spins, multipliers, and a gamble feature, giving you many ways to win. They also incorporate both the Turbo Speed option and individually customizable Auto Play option.
- Double Ya Luck (Released January, 2015)
On first glance, seeing that this machine only has 3 reels and 3 paylines any action loving slot player might think why bother. But Double Ya Luck bears no resemblance to the simple classic 3-reel slots your grandmother might have loved. This slot machine, which takes coin values from 10 cents to $5, is a progressive jackpot game. Other exciting extras include a wild and scatter symbol, multiplier, free spins, and a gamble feature. There is also a board game, which just one scatter symbol will activate, where you roll the dice to determine your prize. It is impossible to be bored playing Double Ya Luck!
- Ghost Ship (Released March, 2015)
Ghost Ship is a 5-reel 25 payline slot with a Pirates of the Caribbean theme and two progressive jackpots. Those playing for small stakes might like this game since the accepted coin size is only 1 cent to $1, but be forewarned that it is a medium to high variance game. The maximum bet is $25 (all 25 lines at $1 each.)
An expanding wild and scatter symbol and free spins add to the excitement and to the potential for a big win. If you get five ghost captain wild symbols in a row, you win 2,500 coins. But keep in mind that it is an expanding wild, so you could win more. Five ghost ship scatter symbols anywhere on the reels also pay 2,500 coins, but only if all 25 paylines are activated. Don’t let the spooky atmosphere and foreboding sight of the pirates terrorizing other ships deter you from the big booty that could be coming your way.
- Lucha Libre (Released April, 2015)
Lucha Libre is another 5-reel slot with 25 paylines. It is not a progressive slot, but has a fixed jackpot of 4,000 coins times the line bet. Wild and scatter symbols, free spins, and bonus rounds are part of the game, too. But this wild symbol is not just an ordinary wild–it is a jumping wild!
Lucha Libre is a low variance slot in which a lot of frequent small wins are very likely and any big wins are quite unlikely. If that type of game appeals to you and especially if you like Hispanic profressional wrestling, you will surely like Lucha Libre.
If you were attending a real wrestling match, the advertising posters, announcer, nachos, and beer would certainly get your attention. But in Lucha Libre, low paying symbols like those are not really what you want to see. Instead, either of the featured wrestlers, Taco Malo or Libre Guacamolino, would be welcome anytime, as they are the game’s jumping wild symbols!
- Outta This World (Released May, 2015)
Outta This World has 5 reels, 20 paylines, and a progressive jackpot. Accepted coin values range from .01 to $5. It is a slot game anybody can play from the penny player to the high roller. Of course, it wouldn’t be “outta this world” without all the bells and whistles any sophisticated slot player loves, like expanding wilds, scatter symbols, bonus games, free spins, and multipliers. So there is plenty to keep you happily entertained while you go after the coveted progressive jackpot.
The game has an alien theme, using symbols like alien guns, telescopes, and Planet Earth. The highest paying symbol is Alien Ship which pays 7,500 coins, or make that 15,000 coins if it comes up in the bonus round where all wins are doubled!