Ainsworth, officially known as Ainsworth Game Technology, is probably one of the leading casino gaming companies to emerge from Australia. The company was originally founded to produce slot terminals for land-based casinos. This remains an important area for them, but like most other casino companies Ainsworth also functions in the online space today.

Though originally most of these online games were simple ports, with rather clunky interfaces and very simplistic functionality, the company quickly caught on with the trends as it became clear that online slots are entirely different from land-based slots. That said, don’t expect quite the same level of groundbreaking innovations or features that you would with the fresh gaming studios that only concentrate in online markets. There’s a very good reason for all this in the history of Ainsworth, which we will take a more meaningful look down the line. To learn all the details simply keep reading.

Ainsworth Casinos

When you think about Ainsworth casinos you’re most likely thinking about the traditional game rooms and big casinos of places like Las Vegas. This has been the most important area for the company itself, and has led to presence in dozens upon dozens of countries and jurisdictions. Asia, Europe and Americas are very much traditional areas of interest for the company. 

But that doesn’t mean you can’t find the games online. Rather, success on land has usually been followed by expansion online. Given that this is originally an Australian company it should come as no surprise that most New Zealand online casinos, or casinos that are popular amongst New Zealanders, offer Ainsworth casino games as one of their primary products. Often you can also find targeted bonuses and campaigns for these games.

The roots of the company and the staff operating it come with a pretty prestigious history. As such, you can be sure that they don’t pick just anyone to partner with. This adds a layer of protection and trust, as whenever you spot Ainsworth games you can feel secure in the fact that you’re playing at a secure and safe casino. Of course, trustworthy licences and decades of partnerships also count for something.

Ainsworth History

Ainsworth Game Technology is linked with a man named Leonard (“Len”) Ainsworth. But way before he founded AGT, he founded another important Australian gaming company: Aristocrat. This company has grown to become one of the biggest in the world, though mainly operating in the land-based leisure industry. This company originally started operating in 1953. In 1994 the man had a cancer scare, and ended up dividing and selling the company, only to emerge back in business healthy in 1995. This was the year he established Ainsworth.

It didn’t take long for the expertise and connections to work wonders, with the company holding a third of national markets and a considerable chunk of foreign markets too. Whilst the aim was for local markets first, and land-based at that, the company soon headed into international markets, as well as online to fulfil their destiny in becoming one of the most influential casino companies from Australia.

Ainsworth himself finally chose to retire in 2019, being nearly a hundred years old himself at this point. At the same time, he sold the company to Novomatic, who just happens to be one of the leading land-based game producers from Europe. This meant that the company was about to enter a new phase in its life. Rather than being integrated into the parent company, Ainsworth continued as an independent brand, continuing to expand by signing contracts and also acquiring assets from other smaller companies. 

What happens next with Ainsworth is anyone’s guess. What we can say is that this is an excellent time to check out Ainsworth casinos, play their online slots, and enjoy the possible bonuses.

Ainsworth Online Slots

The selection of online slots available from Ainsworth is small, but well curated. They do come out with new online pokies in a steady pace, and at the same time make sure that only the hits and the best of the best remain in the catalogue from one year to the next. Whilst originally there was much overlap with the terminal slots, today the interactive division operates mostly on an independent basis, though obviously they keep tabs with the rest of the company.

The most popular online slots from Ainsworth are as following:

• Mustang Money
• 8 Immortals
• Cash Cave
• Big Thunder
• Crazy Goose
• Prosperity Dragon
• Zulu Treasure
• Congo King
• Super Lantern 8s

As always, you can pick up some common features when you check through these games. Something that is noticeable upon closer inspection is the fact that the RTP is usually set between 95% and 96%. We’d prefer it to be above the latter number, but that small difference isn’t exactly catastrophic either. Truly massive wins aren’t all that rare either, some going way beyond what we’ve come to expect from normal online slots.

Another point of importance is the five reel setup. Almost always this also comes with three symbol positions on each reel. Ainsworth doesn’t really explore other possibilities, and they don’t really have a need to either as this is without a doubt the most popular slot setup used by anyone and everyone. 

Don’t expect to find Megaways games or even ways to win setups either. This is pure payline extravaganza. And that’s always running from left to right, which again is the standard that most casino game developers use. Given the long history the company has, we’re not at all surprised that they stick to the basics. That’s what they’re good at. Now, you might think that this means just five, ten or twenty paylines, but the company has really done their all to find out just how many paylines you can fit on a single slot, and still keep the overall bet level low. Check the games, and you’ll find the answer.

Ainsworth Special Features

If you read up on all of the above, you probably won’t be surprised to hear that Ainsworth isn’t interested in re-inventing the wheel. You’re not going to run into amazing new features, payline setups, special bonuses, or any other such nonsense in these online slots. They’re pure business, designing the sort of games they know are going to draw in players.

That said, you can be sure to run into some of the most classic features there are. Free spins, for example, are obviously plentiful. It doesn’t much matter which slot you pick, free rounds are usually going to be an integral part of the gameplay experience. More often than not, all you have to do is land some scatter and these bonus rounds will immediately fire up.

Luckily, it’s not just free spins that you get your hands on. Ainsworth has made sure that the features are interesting, and worth waiting for. Usually, this means adding win multipliers, expanding wilds, scattered wins, or other similar bonuses into the mix. Occasionally, you will also be running into fixed jackpots, which can grow quite big if you end up playing with a bet that is higher than the norm. Likewise, bonus wheels, pick a win features, and other such rarities can show up when browsing through the games.

If you’re looking for big wins you’re usually going to find them straight in the paytable. Combined with high variance, the wins can be several thousands times your line bet. Occasionally, these can go even higher. That’s the classic way, and that’s how Ainsworth likes to do it. And clearly, it’s what their players prefer as well.

Ainsworth Land-based Slots

We will keep this part brief, as not everyone has a chance to enjoy the land-based products. The question is, are these games considerably different from the online slots? And the answer to that is that they aren’t, not for the most part. In fact, quite a big portion of online and offline slots from Ainsworth consists of the same games made for different devices.

When it comes to land-based casinos, the games are just half the package. The terminals themselves are just as important. For Ainsworth the main model is called Ambassador, which has proven to be quite the ambassador for the brand. This was followed by several different cabinet models, with the current product called A-Star. Though the original cabinets could each be configured for a handful of games, today the cabinets are basically massive touch screens that can be configured any which way, with all the games available. Should you happen to run across the brand we suggest you take a look. You might just find your nre favourites to try online too.

How Are the Graphics

Or sound effects for that matter? These are good questions, especially for a company that has been operating since the 1990s, and whose roots go further fifty years back. When it comes to audio effects things tend to start quite simple. However, once you get into the game things tend to build up, especially when special features and bigger than normal wins hit the reels. It’s not going to be like music slots from NetEnt, or anything of the sort. There’s still a bit of those old-timer effects in there too, just for the sake of nostalgia.

Graphics are highly detailed and come with the company’s own style. The symbols are usually fitting for the theme, with bright colours clearly the chosen palette. Animations are quite rare, and the company tends to trust more on still graphics and impressive background pictures. You might still run into looping win animations from time to time, but don’t expect 3D graphics or any sort of extended storytelling and animated sequences. Keeping it simple and enjoyable is what Ainsworth is all about. That makes for some pretty fast spins too.

Improved Interface

It’s probably not all that surprising that the company could spend a bit of time improving the interface. Sure, this sort of options, settings and buttons do well on terminals and cabinets, but it’s not quite the same when it comes to desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones. We feel that it’s not quite on par with modern times, and should be something the company to concentrate on perfecting next. It doesn’t always look all that good either.

That said, it’s not impossible to have a good time playing these games. Just don’t expect the latest trends and user interface design tricks to show up on your screen when playing Ainsworth slots. At the end of the day, it’s still all about setting your bet and pressing the spin button, and all that works perfectly. From the technological side everything works quite well too, as the company has long since transitioned to the HTML5 standard, which gives native support to all devices that can run a web browser.

Ainsworth Casino Bonuses

We know you’re looking for them, but unfortunately the company has never been too interested in running their own network campaigns. Once again, they started offline and you won’t find promotions and bonuses for normal players on any land-based casino. At best you get free drinks, which on the other hand isn’t something that an online casino can ever offer you.

Bonus cash and free spins are still on the table and up for grabs. It’s up to the individual casinos to decide if these apply for Ainsworth slots. We are not aware of the company really ever organising online tournaments, or other similar network promotions. Progressive jackpots aren’t a thing likewise, so pretty much everything will be centred around individual casinos. Luckily, we have the best NZ casino promotions for you to choose from.

Something that we should mention is the fact that Ainsowrth is linked up with some of the best casino platforms available. And of course, ever since they were acquired by Novomatic they gained access to some of the biggest online casinos too. All of these tend to have promotional tools for the games. Check our suggestions and pick the ones that look most promising for you.

Ainsworth Casinos Conclusions

At the end of the day the company’s online presence is centred around reinforcing their success on land-based casinos. Would we go back a handful of years these games would be competing with a much larger array of other companies. But the tides have turned, and not many casino software providers build these sort of classic online slots any more. In fact, Ainsworth is one of the rare gems.

We suggest that you take a look at these games whenever you feel like going back to the roots of online slots. Sure enough, modern online slots are quite pompous, full of glitter, features and fireworks, and most of the time that’s a fun experience too. But sometimes you want to go back to the basics, and just enjoy the simple action of rolling the reels, spin after spin. And should you be a fan of free spins you’re glad to know that so is Ainsworth too. 

Ainsworth Casinos FAQ

1. Is Ainsworth licensed?

The company holds licences from Alderney Gambling Commission and the UK Gambling Commission. Given the history of the company, and of the person behind it, the company can be considered completely safe and secure. 

2. Does Ainsworth offer any progressive jackpots?

The company does have extensive selection of stand alone progressives, but these seem to only be available in traditional casino establishments. They haven’t released any big progressive jackpots online as of yet. On the other hand, there are plenty of fixed jackpot slots to try out.

3. Can I try the games for free first?

Ainsworth slots can usually be played for free, often even without registration. Obviously, in this demo mode you can’t score any real money wins, but you can take a look at the slots, how they play out, and which ones will be your new favourite games.

4. Are there any other games besides online slots?

Ainsworth has always been all about pokies. They might have experimented with table games here and there, but they’ve never stayed in the selection for too long. What you will find under Ainsworth is always going to be the latest online slots. We’d like for them to keep it that way, considering that they’re doing a pretty good job with these games.

5. Are Ainsworth games aimed at Australian and New Zealand players?

The answer would be both yes and no. Mainly these games are aimed at casino slot players. Given the long history the company, and its former owner, has in the area, you can say that the games themselves are aimed at local audiences too. At the same time, Ainsworth has always been a global company, with presence on all sides of the world. Perhaps the games are best characterised to have a local touch to them for global audiences.