NextGen Gaming has been creating some of the best online casino games since 1999, providing over 200 slots, some of which are the most memorable online slot machines ever. Running on the popular NYX Interactive platform, NextGen games are top-rated among gamblers. Reliability is critical to the success of NextGen Gaming, with customers valuing the consistent quality of the company’s slots.
Thanks to the popularity of NextGen games, you can find them at most casino sites. To help you find the best NextGen casinos, we sent our Casinos.com experts to review the top casino operators that feature NextGen games. We came back to report our findings and recommend you the best choices.
So bookmark this guide and visit us regularly, as we constantly update it with more NextGen casinos, games, promotions, and news.
Guide to Finding the Top NextGen Casino Sites
If you have tried finding NextGen casinos, you probably know how confusing it can get. It is a busy market, and NextGen Gaming is one of the leading casino software brands, so you are spoilt for choice. That is good news, but separating the best NextGen casinos from the mediocre ones is sometimes challenging.
Read our comprehensive casino reviews or check out our list of the top casino sites that feature NexGen games. Customers may be familiar with some of the big casino brands we list, but we also discover some great NextGen sites that you may be less familiar with. Either way, all the casinos we list for you are 100% safe and secure. We only recommend operators regulated by the UKGC or a respective jurisdiction. So read more about the best licensed NextGen online casinos and the top games you can play.
About NextGen Gaming
Australian entrepreneurs Tony McAuslan and Scott Smith set up NextGen Gaming in Sydney in 1999. The world was fretting above the millennium bug, but these visionary Aussies shrugged their shoulders and set about making high-quality games for the nascent online casino industry. It also had great success selling games to land-based casinos operated by Microgaming, Bally, Quickfire, and Amaya. NextGen Gaming found fame with premium slots online like Dolphin Reef, Medusa, The Snake Charmer, and Doctor Love. They were renowned for offering unique features such as Up Wilds, Slide a Wild, and Dynareel.
In November 2011, Swedish gaming giant NYX Interactive AB purchased NextGen Gaming for an undisclosed sum. It created a combined entity with more than 300 games and dozens of customers worldwide. NYX hailed NextGen’s “leading-edge games studio, which produces some of the industry’s best-performing games.”
The business went from strength to strength, and in September 2017, Las Vegas-based Scientific Games (which rebranded its name to Light & Wonder in 2022) announced it would acquire NYX in a deal valued at $632 million. The deal was completed in January 2018. The company created a new division called SG Digital, which combined the existing Scientific Games Interactive department with NYX – including NextGen Gaming – into a single industry titan. NextGen Gaming now operates as an in-house development studio within SG Digital, along with Bally, Barcrest, and WMS Gaming. In total, SG Digital has more than 1,500 staff members working in 34 offices worldwide.
Most Popular NextGen Gaming Slots
NextGen Gaming is famous for creating popular real cash slots such as Doctor Love, Dolphin Reef, Foxin’ Wins, Gorilla Go Wild, and the Medusa series. Swedish software provider NYX acquired NextGen in 2011. Industry titan Scientific Games then acquired NYX in a $632 million deal seven years later, so NextGen Gaming now operates as an in-house development studio within it.
The NextGen Gaming team is still creating slots as part of SG Digital, one of many departments within the sprawling Scientific Games empire. This article focuses on the best slots from NextGen Gaming, how to test them out for free before playing for real money, and the sort of NextGen promotions you can expect to enjoy at the leading NextGen casino sites.
Online slot players can enjoy a wide array of NextGen Gaming slots this year. They range from classic 3-reel slots to exciting new games with hundreds of paylines. Some NextGen Gaming slots are distinctly underwhelming, but it has also released a few stone-cold classics. These are some of the best NextGen Gaming slots to try in 2024:
Foxin’ Wins
This is the most famous creation from NextGen Gaming. It has spawned many sequels, including the Foxin’ Wins Again slot and the Foxin’ Twins slot, but we recommend starting with the original. This 5-reel, 25-payline slot was recently given a significant upgrade, so you can now enjoy it in 3D on your mobile phone or tablet at any decent online casino offering mobile slots. It is a medium volatility slot with a 95.6% RTP.
Jackpot Jester
This is a fantastic option for anyone that likes classic fruit machine games. You can play the classic game with $0.10 bets or the Supergame with $0.20 stakes. The RTP in the Supergame is a massive 99.9%, and you get Stacked Wilds to help you out. It has a low level of volatility, with 3 reels and 5 paylines, so it is a simple, engaging game for newcomers.
Gorilla Go Wild
The RTP starts at around 92% on the Gorilla Go Wild slot but shoots up to 97.04% when you collect shells. Two randomly triggered bonus features earn you cash prizes and take you into a new jungle area. Increasing multipliers, Sticky Wilds, and Guaranteed Wilds contribute to a fun overall experience.
300 Shields
The 300 Shields slot is another game with an above-average RTP of 96.66%. It has 5 reels and 25 paylines, and it is highly volatile. The Free Spin triggers and retriggers are magnificent, offering multipliers of up to 300x. You can potentially win 17,773x your stake per spin, which is appealing, and the 300 Spartans theme is also fun.
Shangri La
This is one of the best NextGen slots for high rollers. You can bet $0.20 to $40 per spin, so it should cater to most budgets. There are 5 reels and 15 fixed paylines, with a 96.63% RTP and the potential to win up to 3,000x your stake. The graphics are superb, and the gameplay is varied and exciting.
The Wild 3
This Western-themed slot is packed full of gun-slinging features. It has an RTP of 96.7% and medium-high volatility, making it a well-balanced game. The maximum payout per spin is 25,000x, but you will need deep pockets and the Superbet to vie for that. Yet mystery symbols come with cash prizes of 100x your stake so that you can unlock some sweet payouts, and the general theme – Wild Racoon, Wild Coyote, and Wild Bull stealing from the rich and giving to the poor – is fun. Saddle up and get involved.
Medusa II
The Medusa II slot is a 5-reel game with an RTP of 97.07% and 243 different paylines. Many Wilds are stacked when a brave soldier takes on the piece's villain and tries not to get turned to stone. You can bet from $0.25 to $50 per spin, and the top prize is 121,500, meaning potential payouts of more than $6 million if you strike lucky.
NextGen Gaming Highest RTP Slots
NextGen Gaming is renowned for offering top slot games with above-average RTP ratios. The average nowadays is around 95.2% to 95.6%. Some of NextGen’s most popular titles fall into that bracket, including 1 Can 2 Can (95.25%), Witch Pickings (95.93%), and Gorilla Go Wild (96.51%), although Gorilla Go Wild can go past 97% once shells have been collected.
Yet many NextGen slots have significantly higher RTPs. As previously mentioned, in Superbet mode, Jackpot Jester’s RTP is 99.9%, which is huge. NextGen Gaming slots with high RTP figures also include Starmania (97.87%), Wolfpack Pays (97.76%), Golden Hen (97.22%), Monster Wins (97.12%), Medusa II (97.07%), Robin Hood Prince of Tweets (96.97%), Golden Mane (96.96%) and Shangri La (96.63%). If you claim NextGen Gaming promotions, you will cut the house edge even further, giving you a strong chance of securing an overall profit when playing these games.
New NextGen Gaming Slots
NextGen Gaming does not release new slot games with a great deal of regularity these days, but they do occasionally release new titles.
NextGen Mobile Casinos
No leading NextGen casino would stay on our lists for long if it didn’t offer its punters a seamless mobile casino experience. And that is the case with all of our recommended mobile casino sites, which provide direct access to games on iOS and Android smartphones and tablets. NextGen develops its games with HTML5 technology, which means they are responsive and function seamlessly on desktop and mobile browsers.
Suppose you are looking for a complete mobile experience. In that case, many of our recommended casinos also offer a native app that can be downloaded and installed on your iOS or Android mobile device. Casino apps provide better connectivity, robust mobile usability, and unique features. You can also set up notifications on your device so you never miss the subsequent game releases or promotions.
Whether you want to access our recommended online casinos on your mobile browser or download an app, you are never far from the best NextGen games.
NextGen Gaming Casino Bonuses And Free Spins
Regarding popularity amongst casino punters, NextGen Gaming is right up there with the best in the business, which means that leading online casinos want to stock NextGen games. Those same casinos also want to entice customers who enjoy playing the best titles from NextGen. Therefore, operators will typically offer an online casino bonus to new players as well as other promotions regularly. And in many cases, you will find promotions involving NextGen Gaming.
While you can get promos like cashback and no deposit bonuses, the most common casino deals are the welcome bonus and the free spins no deposit. You can find the best welcome packages at the online casinos we recommend on this page. Casinos use these bonuses to attract new customers, usually with a deposit match bonus, and some free spins are thrown in for good measure.
Because NextGen Gaming is so popular, its games feature many free spins bonuses. Importantly, not all casinos we list offer bonus spin deals, which is no slight against the venue. Casinos have different approaches to bonuses, and you may find other lucrative promotions at those sites.
NextGen vs Other Casino Game Providers
Our casino experts like NextGen games. So much so that we have taken the time to find and review the leading NextGen Gaming sites. Still, that does not mean we avoid games created by other developers. At our core, we are online casino lovers without allegiance to a single provider. With that in mind, the top casino sites we select have an array of games from developers, including:
Microgaming
With a catalog boasting over 400 online slots and over 200 casino games, Microgaming is the most prolific online casino software provider. It is also one of the oldest, having opened for business in 1994.
NetEnt
For years, NetEnt was seen as the new kid on the block compared to bigger rivals. However, over the last decade and since being acquired by casino game giant Evolution Gaming, NetEnt has become a powerhouse in its own right. Known for innovation and excellent graphics, NetEnt is especially popular in the online slots realm.
Playtech
Since opening its doors in the late 1990s, Playtech has become one of the leading names in the casino software. Boasting the largest online poker network and most extensive network of progressive slots, the company also provides online bingo and sports betting software.
Play’n Go
Play’n Go is widely known for creating innovative games with brilliant designs, especially regarding slots. Popular at casinos, this Swedish software developer is becoming one of the leaders in online gambling software.
One of the things that set NextGen Gaming apart from other providers is how it approached releasing games. While companies like Microgaming, Playtech, and NetEnt put their branding on games, that is not the case with NextGen. Gamblers may not see the NextGen branding because the company also licenses many of its games. So, you may see a slot title by another developer, such as Amaya, which NextGen created.
How We Rate And Review NextGen Casinos
Many do not realize how much effort goes into finding the best online casinos. It is not just about finding NextGen Gaming titles and gambling away. You must consider many factors to ensure a safe, fair, and secure gambling environment. While you can tick off all the boxes yourself, it is much easier to let Casinos.com do it for you.
Our casino experts scour the internet to find the best NextGen sites. We do not just list every casino we review. Instead, we strictly test gambling sites to guarantee that only the absolute best make our list of recommendations. Our review team signs up, deposits money, plays games and cashes out winnings to bring you the most authentic feedback.
Here is what we expect from a NextGen Gaming casino before it appears on Casinos.com:
- Licensing: While not always a guarantee for quality, a full license from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) shows a casino site complies with strict standards set by one of the world's most respected online gambling regulators.
- Security: It is sometimes easy to forget that you share sensitive personal and financial information with online casino sites. The best casinos protect these details using the latest encryption technologies and strict data protection and privacy protocols.
- Auditing: Auditing is a behind-the-scenes activity fundamental to the online casino experience. By working with independent software testing houses, NextGen Gaming proves its games are fair for players and decided by random chance.
- Bonuses: We'll never forget about casino bonuses available at many sites with games from NextGen. Customers can choose one of our recommended venues to find the available top casino promotions. We also check the small print, such as wagering requirements and whether the NextGen games are eligible for playing with bonus money.
- Game Choice: We all visit online casinos for exciting casino games and the chance to win prizes. So we always look for a broad selection of games from NextGen and other leading providers.
- Mobile Compatibility: We expect online casinos to transition seamlessly between desktop and mobile devices, and we will always recommend casinos that offer the best mobile usability, features, and game availability.
Safety of NextGen Gaming Games
You should have no safety concerns when you play free slots online. The studio is part of Scientific Games (now known as Light & Wonder), a major publicly traded company and a constituent of the S&P Midcap 400. It takes its commitment to security very seriously and is licensed and regulated by some of the world’s strictest authorities.
Every NextGen Gaming slot is certified as fair and secure thanks to the MGA (Malta Gaming Authority). As part of the MGA's mission to protect players and ensure a safe gaming environment for all, NextGen must meet several licensing standards, one of which is compliance with eCOGRA (eGaming Compliance Services Limited) testing. An independent testing agency, eCOGRA ensures that all online casino games are initially tested and then regularly audited to ensure they're fair.
This means the software powering every game must be true to life and offer an unexpected result. Each NextGen Gaming slot offered at the top online casino will have an eCOGRA certificate of fairness, alongside the extra reassurance that the MGA is continually monitoring the company's output. So, whatever you play and wherever you play it, you can rest assured you're getting the best experience and the safest.