It’s hard to deny that NetEnt was once…
It’s hard to deny that NetEnt was once one of the best slot developers in the industry. Before they were acquired by Evolution, their games actually felt fair. Most of the time you lost, of course — that’s how gambling works — but big wins were possible, and that’s what made the games exciting.
Around 2019 things started to change, and many players have noticed the same pattern. Today it often feels pointless to play many of their slots. Even when you trigger a feature or bonus round, the payouts are often extremely small — sometimes only 20–30x the bet.
Many players are discussing that the games now feel structured almost like scratch cards: the majority of the RTP seems to be distributed through very frequent but tiny wins. These small wins usually aren’t even worth cashing out, so players keep spinning and eventually lose them again. In theory the promised RTP is still there, but in practice the experience feels very different.
A good example that players often mention is Gonzo's Quest, which used to be one of NetEnt’s flagship titles. Years ago it was known for producing big wins and exciting bonus rounds. Today many players report long streaks of dead spins and bonus rounds that pay very little.
It’s also something people frequently talk about in gambling communities: there seem to be far fewer big win videos from NetEnt slots compared to the past. Whether this is perception or reality, the discussion among players is very common.
I remember reading that the company once described their games as providing “entertainment,” focusing on excitement, teasers, and near-hits. But for many players that “action” often leads to nothing meaningful in terms of payouts.
Because of this, I personally stopped playing NetEnt games.
6 March 2025
Unprompted review