In the past few decades, the gambling industry has witnessed a massive growth with the emergence of online casinos. Available across a wide range of platforms, online casino games offer a unique experience. It certainly differs from that of gaming in traditional, land-based casinos. And with such a significant change, the playerbase has grown. Thus, the number of online casino sites and games is constantly increasing. Luckily, there are hundreds of software development companies that design and create casino offers such as slots and video poker.
Since online slots are the most popular casino games, we will take a look at the actual costs of creating one in this article.
What Is the Actual Cost of Online Slots?
So how much does it cost to build an online slot machine? Well, like with any online game, the process of building one is lengthy and fairly complicated. Gaming development involves many different factors. Also, there are various approaches to making a world-class slot game. That’s why it can cost quite a lot of money to develop an online slot game.
Building a Slot Machine
For the most part, online casino operators purchase real-money slot games or entire game libraries from third-party software providers. Although some casinos can create their own products, most new casinos prefer to stick to reliable providers. There are hundreds of these providers, and among the most famous are companies like Microgaming, NetEnt, Betsoft, IGT, RTG, Rival, etc. Additionally, independent companies can also make games. However, their cost will be much lower since indie brands are less commercial.
In general, the game providers build casino engines and a wide variety of gaming offers. And when it comes to slots, the games can vary not only based on the theme, but also the type.
The leading software providers offer different slot types with various options. They create machines with 3, 5, 6 or more reels, as well as video slots, 3D slots, interactive slots, and progressive jackpot slots. These offers include a variety of betting/payment options, bonus rounds, animations and game symbol designs, unique functionality, different ways to win, and various elements. What’s more, the main screen with the reels and the symbols, the user interface, the theme (Egypt, Space, etc.), and mobile optimization are just some of the things the developers have to keep in mind when creating slots.
On top of all that, the providers and their development teams have to ensure high profitability while keeping the slot machines reliable with the use of the random number generator.
The Cost of an Online Slot Machine
Having all that in mind, you can already see that there are many levels of complexity concerning the cost of online slots. Fortunately, the developers do not have to focus on the mechanical elements of land-based slots. Such elements include LCD displays, cash/coin dispensers, cabinets, etc. Nevertheless, a key factor that determines the price of a slot is whether or not the particular title is created by a leading provider or an independent developer.
Namely, independent companies most often consist of only a few gambling enthusiasts. They are mostly in it for the fun and not for huge profits. On the other hand, the leading providers will employ large teams. The companies will pay them monthly salaries, which will greatly increase the costs.
On average, one of the top slots can cost anywhere from $3,000, $10,000, $25,000, and upwards. The reason why it is this costly is that companies need to hire a product manager, a graphic designer, a UX and an interface designer, etc. Also, the company needs web and mobile developers for their slot game, as well as a successful marketing team. On top of that, the machine requires testing, which can also ramp up the price. If a large company makes the game, the managers, QA testers, designers, and developers will require monthly salaries. On average, these salaries could range between $6,000 to $10,000 a month.
At the same time, indie developers will invest a lot of time into a game while not spending a lot of money. It could cost them approximately $1,000 to build and test their product. What’s more, online gambling companies can outsource work and hire agencies or freelancers for an average hourly rate of $100 to $500. Additionally, it could take anywhere from 2 months to a year to make a top product.
Final Thoughts on Costs of Online Slots
The world of internet gambling is extremely competitive. It costs millions of dollars to create a successful and famous gambling site that can compete even with the best Las Vegas casino. And when it comes to slot games, developers will spend thousands of dollars to create one.
Nevertheless, it is important that any product offers flawless functionality, great quality, a user-friendly design, an eye-catching and entertaining theme, fair chances of winning, etc. All in all, it’s not easy to make good casino software. Now that you have gained a deeper understanding of how much it costs to create an online slot game, hopefully, you will appreciate the developers of your favorite slot machine even more the next time you find yourself playing it.