With hundreds of online casinos on the Internet today, it can be difficult to choose where to place your wagers. One of the easiest ways to sort through the madness is to first choose the best online casino software that suits your style of play. In this article, we’ll describe each of the leading online casino software brands to make your decision a little easier.

The leading online casino software developers are:
Microgaming/Viper
RealTime Gaming
Vegas Technology
Rival Gaming
PlayTech
CryptoLogic

Microgaming Online Casinos
Microgaming is currently the number one leading online casino software, offering both downloadable casino software, known as Microgaming Viper, and an instant play Flash version. Viper is highly preferred because it offers the full selection of games, with the highest quality graphics. However, the Flash version is compatible with PC, Mac and Linux operating systems, where the download is PC compatible only.

Microgaming online casinos provide user-friendly, stable software and frequent updates that are not known to interrupt game play. The most significant aspect of Microgaming online casinos, however, – the key to its number one positioning in the industry – is the massive game variety. Microgaming software supplies well over 300 casino-style games to choose from, including 200+ online slots games alone. Among those online slots is the highest starting progressive jackpot slot known to the Internet, Meg Moolah, often paying out $3 million or more to those lucky enough to strike the jackpot.

RealTime Gaming Online Casino
RealTime Gaming, better known as RTG, is another top supplier of online casino software. RTG also has a fairly large game variety, but instead of focusing on the quantity of games, the developer’s goal is set on playability. The enjoyment, realism and user-friendliness of each game developed by RTG takes precedence.

RTG supplies a very fast and stable software platform, with the download version compatible with Windows PC only. A Flash version is also supplied for all operating systems. RTG presents online casino fans with more than 100 casino-style games to choose from, especially noted for its excess of Video Poker variants.

Vegas Technology Online Casinos
Vegas Technology was formerly known as OddsOn. At that time, the software was not very well liked by veteran online casino fans, for it was often buggy and unstable. However, the company shut down its OddsOn operation and revamped the entire software platform, re-launching in 2005 under the name Vegas Technology (or VT). Immediately, online casino players found the software to be incredibly improved. That same year, Vegas Technology received the Best New Online Casino Software Award.

Vegas Technology online casinos supply about 100 different games to choose from, with progressive available in the slots and card/table game sectors. VT is also well known for its networked promotions, including tournaments, bonuses, loyalty program and other rewards. Like most online casino software brands, VT provides both a download and no-download version for convenience, since the download is PC compatible only.

Rival Gaming Online Casinos
Rival Gaming is one of the most overlooked online casino software brands in the industry. While other leading brands are found in a multitude of online casinos, Rival software is currently only licensed to 15 online casinos. While Rival Powered online casinos offer a lower number of casino games to play – little more than 60 – its the sheer quality of the software that makes it so remarkable.

The developers of Rival Gaming put the entire focus in authenticity and the player’s overall experience. Rival online casinos present the most exceptional 3D graphics in the business, and are renowned for the illustrious innovation of the I-Slots. I-Slots are interactive slot machines that play out like a video game/soap opera, with versatile plots that take a new twist every time you play them. If you’re choosing your online casino by who supplies the most enthralling online slots, Rival powered online casinos are definitely the way to go.

Another major benefit of Rival powered online casinos is compatibility. While other brands strive for PC-friendly downloads with a lower grade Flash version for other operating systems, Rival actually took that extra step to supply its software in both PC and Mac compatible versions. You won’t even find a Flash version available at Rival powered online casinos.

PlayTech Online Casinos
PlayTech once held the position as number one online casino software developer, but Microgaming pushed them back with its expansive game variety. PlayTech offers a solid platform with user-friendly navigation and aesthetic graphics. PlayTech online casinos offer about 80 games with numerous progressive jackpots.

In recent months, PlayTech has become known to license its software to a growing number of online casinos who process payments in South African Rand (ZAR), offering an entire promotional scheme directly geared towards SA players. PlayTech licenses its software to a vast number of online casino operations, but since PlayTech also develops online poker, bingo and other online gaming software, the online casino software is not updated with new games very frequently.

CryptoLogic Online Casinos
Once considered a top online casino software developer, CryptoLogic has slipped through the competitive cracks in recent years. You’ll only find about 20 CryptoLogic online casinos left on the Internet. Most of them are actually highly regarded operations with a large fan base, but most are associated with online casinos that are part of a bigger scheme. By this, I mean online Sportsbooks or Betting Exchanges that expanded into the online casino, poker and other online gambling industries.

If you’re looking for an online gaming site that offers more than just online casino games, CryptoLogic may be the way to go. With little more than 15 games to choose from, most players simply use the Flash version, but there is a downloadable casino available.