Bottom line: Online pokies are made by specialist game studios, not by the casinos that host them. Studios such as Pragmatic Play, Play'n GO, BGaming, Booming Games, Hacksaw Gaming, Playtech and Evolution build the games, set the maths and the Return to Player (RTP), and license the titles to operators. The casino you sign up with is a shopfront that loads those games; it does not code them, and it cannot change how a certified pokie's random outcomes work. This page names the makers and explains how the game logic is built and tested.
6 July 2026. Studio names and the RNG-and-testing chain were checked on that date. Which specific studios a given casino carries changes as licensing deals come and go, so treat any per-brand game list as time-sensitive.
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Studios build the games, casinos rent them
Game studios, also called providers or aggregators' suppliers, are the companies that actually design and code online pokies. A studio produces the artwork, the reel mechanics, the bonus features and the underlying mathematics, then licenses the finished title to casinos through direct deals or through aggregation platforms. When you open a lobby and see the same pokie at several different sites, that is the licensing model at work: one studio built it, many operators host it. The casino brand on the tab is the retailer; the studio in the game's corner logo is the manufacturer.
The studios you will actually see
Seven or so studios dominate the lobbies Australian players browse, each with a recognisable style. Pragmatic Play is the highest-volume supplier, known for high-variance slots and a huge release schedule. Play'n GO built the Book-of-style template and ships polished, mechanic-led games. BGaming is the crypto-lobby staple with provably fair versions of its titles. Booming Games and Hacksaw Gaming are smaller, feature-forward studios, Hacksaw in particular driving the recent wave of high-volatility bonus-buy pokies. Playtech is the long-established heavyweight with branded and progressive titles, and Evolution sits behind much of the live-dealer content after absorbing NetEnt and Red Tiger. We profile each maker in more depth on our pokies providers page.
Live dealer is a different maker
Live casino games come from a distinct set of studios that run physical studios, not from the pokies makers. Evolution is the dominant live-dealer supplier, operating streaming studios of real tables staffed by human dealers, with Pragmatic Play Live and Playtech Live as the main alternatives. These are not RNG pokies: outcomes come from a real wheel, real cards or a real game show wheel on camera, so the "maker" question splits in two. RNG pokies are built and certified as software, while live games are produced as a broadcast plus a dealer, which is why the two categories are tested and regulated differently.
How the maths is set: RNG and RTP
The Random Number Generator (RNG) is the piece the studio writes to decide every spin, and the RTP is the long-run payout percentage baked into that maths. A pokie's RNG produces outcomes that are statistically independent from one spin to the next, and the studio configures the paytable so that, over millions of simulated rounds, the game returns a set percentage to players, commonly somewhere in the mid-90s for online slots. Some studios ship a game with more than one RTP setting and let the operator choose which to run, which is why the same title can pay slightly differently across two casinos. The casino never touches the RNG code itself; at most it selects from settings the studio provides.
Who tests it: the independent labs
Independent testing labs, not the studio and not the casino, certify that the RNG behaves fairly. A certified pokie carries the maths its maker built and a lab confirmed, which is the reason a hosting casino cannot secretly loosen or tighten a game: changing a certified title's core outcomes would break its certification. That testing chain, studio builds, lab certifies, operator hosts, is the honest answer to "is it rigged," and it is separate from the licensing question of who regulates the operator.
What the maker is NOT
- The maker is not the casino. The brand you deposit with hosts the game; the studio in the logo built it and owns the maths.
- The maker is not setting your odds per player. RTP is a long-run, game-wide figure fixed in the software, not a dial the studio or casino turns for an individual account or session.
- The maker is not the testing lab. Certification comes from an independent lab, and a studio cannot sign off on its own RNG.
To see which studios each site actually carries, our pokies reviews list the providers in every lobby we check, from the Pragmatic-heavy rooms to the crypto sites built around BGaming.
Frequently asked questions
Specialist game studios make them, not the casinos. Companies such as Pragmatic Play, Play'n GO, BGaming, Booming Games, Hacksaw Gaming and Playtech design and code the games, then license them to operators. Evolution leads the separate live-dealer category. The casino is the host that loads these titles into its lobby.
No, not the core maths. The studio writes the RNG and sets the RTP, and an independent lab certifies it. A casino cannot alter a certified game's outcomes; at most it picks from RTP settings the studio itself provides, which can make the same title pay slightly differently between two sites.
The RNG, or Random Number Generator, is the software that decides each spin independently. RTP, or Return to Player, is the long-run percentage the game is built to pay back, often in the mid-90s for online slots. The studio sets both in the game's maths, and an independent lab audits the RNG and certifies that the game's real return matches its stated RTP. This is separate from who licenses the casino, and it is why a certified game's maths cannot be quietly changed by the operator.
Responsible gambling
Knowing a pokie is certified and fair does not make it a way to make money. Even a game returning a high RTP keeps a house edge over time, so the maths favours the site across many spins. Set a deposit limit before you play and treat pokies as paid entertainment, not income.
If you or someone you know needs support:
- Gambling Help Online: gamblinghelponline.org.au - 1800 858 858 (free, 24/7)
- Lifeline Australia: lifeline.org.au - 13 11 14
18+ only.
Reviewed by Jake Mitchell, Senior Pokies Reviewer. Fact-checked by Jacques Delmont, 6 July 2026. Disclosure: we earn a commission from partner links on this page. Commissions do not affect our testing or rankings.
Last verified: 6 July 2026.