Microgaming Slots Vs The US Government

Introduction: Microgaming Slots vs US

Of all the software game providers around the world, Microgaming is the big daddy. Boasting over 800+ titles in the games library, they have spent years developing some of the most popular casino games you’ve ever played. Their slots are some of the best in the industry, offering a great player experience as well as mind-boggling progressive jackpots. But for all of that, you will not find any Microgaming slots, games, or products in the US. Way back in 2010, Microgaming officially left the States for good. As to the reasons why, well, let’s have a look…

What Does Microgaming Do?

Though the company produces slots, table games, and specialty games, but is most famous for their online casino games. The Microgaming slots are very popular. And, as we previously mentioned, they offer some very generous prizes on their sites with progressive jackpots. One of their games is the world-famous, Mega Moolah which has paid out the largest jackpot in history, a whopping $21.7 million. Then they have other progressive games like MegaMillions and King Cashalot which also boast huge jackpots. And there are many other Microgaming Major jackpots as well.

But the company doesn’t just produce games. They offer a turn-key solution for any company that wants to launch an online casino. To do so, they offer custom made banking solutions, customer service, and more. Everything you might need to get into the online gambling business. A quick Google search will throw up any number of online gambling companies that utilize Microgaming as their backbone.

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Microgaming Slots Blocked Some States After the UIGEA

A quick history lesson. The very first online casino was launched by Microgaming, all the way back in 1994. They truly were the pioneers of internet gaming. In fact, they were pushing the ideals of internet gambling well before countries had time to adjust their law to take into consideration these rapid technological changes. So, unbridled by any laws, Microgaming was able to expand rapidly. By far the most lucrative market place was the US. But towards the end of the ’90s, US policymakers turned their attention to online gambling. And those discussions all came to a head in 2006, when Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).

The main point of the UIGEA was to make it illegal for businesses to accept payment related to unlawful gambling. This meant that a company like Microgaming would be breaking the law by allowing their services to reach states where gambling was illegal. At this point, the best jackpot game providers saw the writing on the wall, and so upped sticks and left the US for good. Many of the Banks which had previously accepted players could no longer do so. Processors like Neteller stopped serving US-facing sites altogether. Without banks and credit cards being able to make transfers, the show was over. But Microgaming looked into the legal language and decided to stay, but block the state of Washington where online gambling was illegal. For the majority of US states, online gambling was still a grey area.

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Kentucky Domain Name Seizure Deals Another Blow

Though Microgaming slots was a key provider of tools with which to set up online casinos, it’s time was running out. In September 2008, the state of Kentucky seized 141 gaming related URLs and domain names that were related to gambling. The judge, Thomas D Wingate, followed the Public Safety Cabinet and Justice Department is arguing that these online gambling sites were serving their state residents illegally, as stated in the terms of the original law, UIGEA. Microgaming was one of the domains seized. Gulp! They were later able to get the domain back. But they realized that they were now no longer welcome. There were still some independent casinos using their preparatory software and they continued to operate in states where the laws were less than clear.

But their presence in the US finally came to an end when the UIGEA came into force on the 1st of July 2010. To that end, Microgaming sent a notification to the US Government that their entire portfolio of games and software would no longer be supported in the US. Today, the company uses geo-location software, and all traffic coming from the states is banned. Yes, it’s true that you can circumnavigate around their IP blocker by using a proxy. But what’s the point? The proxy might mask your real IP address and make it appear that you’re from an allowed country. But you can’t load your account or cash out if your in the states. The second they see that you’re US based, then you can say a sad farewell to your deposit and winnings. Believe us when we say that’s not of the best jackpot winning strategies.

Whom Does Microgaming Serve?

Though the company can no longer serve customers from the US, they’re not really hurting as they license their games to over 20 other countries. They have a huge hold in Central and South America and Europe. Here they cover such countries as the UK, France, Italy, and Spain. They also are involved with what are known as “grey markets” that don’t have a position on online gambling yet. But Microgaming does stay well within the legal limits of all countries where it’s services are provided. If you’re living in a regulated market, then you’ll find any number of Microgaming slots and jackpot games. These include:

• Avalon (I & II)
• Break Da Bank
• Cool Wolf
• Game of Thrones
• King Arthur
• King Cashalot
• Lucky Leprechaun
• Major Millions
• Mega Moolah
• Terminator II
• The Rat Pack
• Thunderstruck II
• Tomb Raider

Will US Players Ever Be Able to Play Microgaming Slots Again?

The short answer is “Nope”. You can’t use any of Microgaming’s software anywhere in the US. but maybe there’s some hope on the distant horizon. Some smaller states like Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey have started to both legalize and regulate online casinos. Delaware is pretty small, hasn’t generated much revenue from gambling. But New Jersey has seen constant growth since legalizing online casinos in 2013. The largest of these three is Pennsylvania, which could have even bigger success further down the road. Of course, all these states will be looking for a licensing of games. And this is where Microgaming could once again come to the fore. It may take a while though so don’t hold your breath.

Conclusion: Microgaming Slots vs US

Around the world, Microgaming has enjoyed being one of the most successful online casino companies. The fact that they were first in the race to set up online and still remain contemporary in their approach towards online gaming, continues to give them a huge advantage in the online casino gaming space. Their games catalog is massive, which in addition to their know-how and all-encompassing offer to new start-ups, makes their position pretty unassailable. And let’s not forget about their hugely successful progressive jackpot slots. All their big names like Mega Moolah, Major Millions, and King Cashalot offer massive life-altering prizes. You can read our Microgaming review here.

Microgaming jackpots make players happy

But since the company abandoned US shores over a decade ago, US players have to content themselves without Microgaming. Legal problems would have swallowed the company whole. By leaving in an orderly fashion, we think that they hope there’s a chance later on to return. But we should point out that none of the legal gambling jurisdictions have licensed Microgaming slots or games or software. But it’s still early days and we feel that more and more states will start accepting online and more bricks and mortar casinos.

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