Online gaming giant, Microgaming, has entered the Windows mobile market with a new app that’s been specifically designed for the platform using native coding techniques. Set to feature 35 Microgaming products, including fixed jackpot and progressive slots, the platform is now available in the Windows Phone Store.
Aside from being yet another major business move by Microgaming, the addition of the app to the Windows Phone Store is a significant step forward for the mobile platform. Until now the virtual shop hadn’t had its own real-money casino product and this left it lagging behind Apple and Android devices in the mobile gaming market.
A New Frontier for Microgaming’s Mobile Slots
However, thanks to the new purpose built product from Microgaming, Windows is now fighting back on the mobile gaming front. Moreover, slots fans outside of the iOS and Android market are now able to access real-money casino games and slots for the first time.
At present the app is compatible with all Windows devices running software version 8.0 or 8.1. However, as the mobile platform evolves, so too will Microgaming’s casino. In fact, the software has already been pre-programmed to work with the forthcoming Windows 10 interface and will simply require some tweaks by the developers to make it fully compatible.
Commenting on the company’s latest move, Microgaming’s Head of Casino, John Quinn, said:
“We follow mobile developments very closely and recent statistics show that the Windows Phone market share is increasing significantly across many European countries. With this in mind, we believe that Microsoft’s mobile platform is an important one to invest in. We saw an opportunity and we jumped at it.”
Following the announcement by Microgaming, JackpotCity became the
first operator to utilise the software. However, as the software develops and more games are added to the platform, it’s expected that other Microgaming partners, such as 32Red, BetVictor and All Slots, will pick up the product in 2015.
Mobile Slots: A New Window of Opportunity
As the mobile slots and casino industry moves into 2015, experts are predicting that Windows’ mobile platform will become the new battleground for major operators. Latest figures from Gartner show that, despite a slight drop in Q3, Windows market share has increased on a quarter-by-quarter basis throughout 2014 (Windows sits in third place behind Android and iOS). In fact, this growth is despite the fact that device sales have steadily declined in the West over the last 12 months.
The growth of the Windows market is now being seen as an opportunity for online slots providers to attract new mobile players. Until now, Windows users were confined to optimised mobile sites, but with Microgaming now pushing new boundaries and releasing the first native product, it’s likely that more slots providers, including Playtech, will enter the fray in 2015.
Another Mega Microgaming Slots Winner
In the wake of Microgaming’s Windows mobile announcement, one of its licensed gaming platforms paid out a five-figure slots jackpot to an Australian mobile customer.
All Slots player Frank L reportedly deposited $50 using the site’s native iOS app and took a spin on the progressive jackpot game, Cash Splash. The five-reel offering is one of All Slots’ top mobile slots and in early December it paid out AU$52,516 to Frank.
The jackpot was one of the largest slots payouts across the Microgaming network in December and a positive sign that mobile slots are becoming increasingly popular with punters in major markets such as Australia.
More Microgaming Slots to Come in 2015
Although Microgaming hasn’t confirmed whether or not it will be developing any new slot games specifically for Windows mobile users, the expectation is that more games will be added in the coming months. Indeed, with a roster of more than 600 games to choose from, Windows mobile players should soon be able to take a spin on some of the company’s top slots, including Mega Moolah, Break Da Bank Again, Avalon and the recently released Game of Thrones slot.
About Microgaming
Microgaming Software Systems Ltd is a privately held company based in the Isle of Man. As well as offering online poker network provisions, the company also provides a range of casino games, including blackjack, roulette and slots. Additionally, many of the industry’s largest casino operators are a part of the Microgaming platform. Slot games from 32Red and table games on BGO are some of Microgaming’s largest products and means the company is able to reach millions of online customers in markets across the world.
Back in 2009, Microgaming’s Mega Moolah progressive jackpot slot paid the largest prize in online casino history when a lucky punter banked $6,374,434. This figure has since been overtaken by other bumper payouts, including Microgaming’s own £5.88 million payout in 2012. However, the network’s games are still responsible for a large portion of the biggest slots jackpots ever won online.