Established in 1999 and based in both Atlanta and Costa Rica, Real Time Gaming has made a name for itself as one of the most highly recognized online casino software providers. There are currently over 100 casinos online that are operating with the RTG platform. RTG is also one of the few developers that license their software to casino operators that wish to accept U.S. players. Unlike other software providers, RTG does not provide centralized, back-end support for their products, nor do they participate in the operation of any of the online casinos utilizing their gaming applications.
This means that while the software itself upholds all the standards of fair play and is certified by Technical Systems Testing, RTG is not held responsible for the conduct of its licensees and therefore does not oversee their activities. RTG has developed games that have a distribution of outcomes (wins vs. losses) that are within statistical norms, a lack of bias, and are acceptably non-predictable. It is only important that players understand that the software code for the game may be unfairly altered by specific casino operators after leaving the hands of RTG developers. This has to lead to a number of unfair (rogue) casinos using the RTG platform.
However, perhaps to offset this, RTG is very active in promoting high standards of operator conduct through their affiliation and work with the Interactive Gaming Council and the Interactive Gaming, Gambling, and Betting Association. Both of these are organizations dedicated to regulating operators within the online casino industry. They have also launched the Central Disputes System, a mediation service for players who have experienced a problem with certain casinos (there is a list of 20) running RTG software.
RTG offers a download version of their games and a slightly smaller no-download selection. Their progressive jackpot slots network, called the Real Series, is one of the largest available on the internet that is accessible to US players, routinely hitting over $1 million. While the freedom to alter code within the software means that some RTG casinos are run by rogue operators, it also means that some operators can temporarily alter the code to payout higher or be more generous.
This is a tactic sometimes used to bring in more customers and is not necessarily frowned upon (especially by players). RTG is also considered one of the best video poker providers on the web.
