Slot studio ownership map: current groups and legacy names
Direct answer: a developer label on an older game does not always identify the current group, platform or legal supplier. Evolution now groups NetEnt, Red Tiger, Big Time Gaming and Nolimit City among its slot brands; Games Global acquired Microgaming’s former distribution business, game IP, jackpot network and interests in studios in 2022; Playtech says it acquired Ash Gaming in 2011.
Last checked: 11 July 2026 by SlotsLike against current corporate and investor sources.
Dated ownership and asset map
| Current group | Brand or asset | Dated event | What the source supports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evolution | NetEnt and Red Tiger | 2020 | Evolution’s timeline records its acquisition of NetEnt, NetEnt Casino and Red Tiger. Red Tiger therefore remains a product brand inside the Evolution group, not a separate current parent company. |
| Evolution | Big Time Gaming | 2021 | Evolution agreed to acquire all issued share capital; its current brand page still lists Big Time Gaming separately. |
| Evolution | Nolimit City | 2022 | Evolution’s current timeline records the acquisition and its brand page retains Nolimit City as a group brand. |
| Games Global | Microgaming-era distribution assets and IP | 3 May 2022 | Games Global says its operational launch followed acquisition of Microgaming’s distribution business, game IP, progressive jackpot network and interests in several studios. |
| Games Global | Exclusive and partner studios | Current relationship must be checked | A studio distributed through Games Global is not automatically owned by it. The company distinguishes proprietary/exclusive content from aggregated partner content. |
| Playtech | Ash Gaming | 2011 | Playtech’s current casino-product page states that it acquired Ash Gaming in 2011 and presents Ash as a group studio. |
How to read a game credit
- Record the studio shown in the exact game help file.
- Separate original developer, current group owner, distribution platform and operator.
- Use an acquisition date; do not rewrite historical releases as though the current parent created them.
- Check the UK Gambling Commission business register for the legal software supplier rather than assuming the consumer brand is the licensee.
- Recheck partnerships: distribution does not prove ownership and ownership does not prove UK availability.
Common attribution traps
- NetEnt/Red Tiger: separate product brands within Evolution, with Red Tiger entering the group through the NetEnt transaction.
- Microgaming/Games Global: describe the specific acquired distribution assets and IP; do not state that every historically Microgaming-labelled studio is owned by Games Global.
- Playtech/Ash: retain Ash as the original studio credit where accurate while naming Playtech as the current group context.
This map covers the relationships named in the audit, not every supplier in the market. Corporate structures can change and should be dated rather than presented as permanent.
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Sources & Verification
- Evolution official acquisition timeline
- Evolution current group brands
- Evolution official Big Time Gaming acquisition announcement
- Games Global official 2022 launch and Microgaming-asset acquisition record
- Games Global official distinction for partner aggregation
- Playtech official casino-studio page and Ash acquisition date
- UK Gambling Commission business register
Correction log
11 July 2026: first publication; explicitly separated group ownership, acquired assets, distribution and historic developer credit.