Microgaming (Apricot)

To seasoned online casino veterans, Microgaming is a company that needs no introduction. They have been creating online casino software since 1994, and if that sounds like a long time ago, that’s because they were the first to do it.

Microgaming powered the first online casinos in the world and since then they have gone through a lot of transformations. One of them has seen them adopt a new name – Apricot. Over three decades, Microgaming have been responsible for a lot of backend innovation and even an impressive library of games. You can find them all here in this overview of an iGaming titan.

Name	Microgaming
Founded	1994
Headquarters	Douglas, Isle of Man
Licenses	UK, Alderney, Malta, Belgium, Sweden, Gibraltar, Ontario, Greece, Romania,y
Game Types	Slots, Table Games, Live Games
Number of Games	800+

History

Microgaming’s history is the history of iGaming. They were founded in 1994 by Martin Moshal, who has since become a serial entrepreneur in the online software space. He founded Microgaming from the Isle of Man and, when the first online casinos launched in 1994, they used his software.

Despite going international and changing CEOs multiple times, Microgaming are still headquartered at Isle of Man 30 years later. In that time, they pivoted to offer their own games. One of them, Mega Moolah, holds the Guinness world record for the highest payout from a slot game after a 2015 spin. In 2017, they also pioneered VR roulette games.

Now under CEO Stephen Fisk, Microgaming have renewed their focus on backend software over making new games. In 2024, they rebranded to the name Apricot, but still use the Microgaming name for their industry-leading software platform.

Popular Games

After pioneering modern iGaming through their gambling software, Microgaming tried their hand at making games too. While they have stopped making games today, their fondly-remembered library is still accessible from those who acquired the rights to them. Microgaming made around 400+ games in total, most of them slots.

Some of the most iconic Microgaming titles are:

• Mega Moolah: A safari adventure slot well-known for its generous progressive jackpot, which set a world record in 2015.
• Game of Thrones: A tie-in game to the fantasy epic series by George R. R. Martin, where four great houses battle for bonuses.
• Immortal Romance: A vampire-themed slot filled with bloodsucking characters attached to each bonus.
• Book of Atem: Another progressive jackpot slot, this time inspired by the ancient Egyptian sunset god Atem.
• Book of Oz: Another literary slot inspired by L. Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz, set in the glistening halls of Emerald City, and one of the best ‘Book of’ slots out there.

Innovations and Awards

Microgaming have been a consistent innovator in the iGaming space, ever since they helped create it decades ago. Over time, they have continued to improve The Microgaming Platform which supports thousands of online casino games, their promotions, and backend systems to manage and parse data effectively. It supports 5,300+ games, 86 million+ players, and has supported over 250 billion+ bets during its lifetime. Their influence also means they have 135+ partners in the industry, including big-name development studios.

Besides their industry-defining software, Microgaming has racked up over 60 awards during their run. They include the 2017 Spark Award for their Idea Factory initiative, where they crowdsourced creative and business ideas from staff. Other notable awards include Digital Product of the Year at the 2014 Global Gaming Awards and Platform of the Year from the 2020 EGR B2B Awards. Now that they have returned to their roots as Apricot, any future awards will be related to their backend software and industry support technology.

Conclusion

You should now know everything you want to know about Microgaming, which now does business as Apricot. They were one of the first software companies on the scene when iGaming was invented. Then, while supporting a fast-growing industry with their technical software, they created their own suite of games that shattered world records. Now they are “going beyond the game” to continue offering their Microgaming platform to up-and-coming providers in the space. You can still play their games online, offered by partners who likely wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for Microgaming’s innovations in the ‘90s.