History of Shuffle Master
Shuffle Master was established back in 1983, and when the company was launched, its base of operations was in Minneapolis. The founder was a truck driver called John Breeding. He read an article about card counting in blackjack: practice that players use to get an advantage. It’s not technically illegal, but even today, many casinos don’t allow it and will ban suspected card counters. The article inspired John to create a mechanical shuffling machine that would prevent card counting and allow games to still run quickly. And so, he set up the company Shuffle Master.
The shuffling machine came to market in 1992, though it didn’t sell well. This was because casinos typically used multiple decks of cards in blackjack games – the shuffler was designed for a single deck only. To get around this problem, John invented a new card game: Let It Ride. Played with a single deck of cards, Let It Ride is a multiplayer game based on poker. Your objective is to form the best poker hand using your three cards and the two community cards.
Let It Ride ended up becoming a big success for Shuffle Master. The game itself generated enough money to keep the company going, and it promoted sales of the shuffling machine.
1998 saw the company move to Las Vegas and branch out into manufacturing slot machines. This side of the business didn’t do so well, and it ended up getting sold to IGT in 2004. A few years later, however, the company would return to slots while also maintaining its focus on table games. It wasn’t until 2011 that Shuffle Master started releasing games for the online gaming market.
In 2012, Shuffle Master formally changed its name to SHFL Entertainment, Inc. This was to reflect the company’s varied line-up of casino products and solutions. The following year, it was acquired by Bally Technologies in a deal worth $1.3 billion. Bally Technologies was then acquired by SG Digital in 2014.
Shuffle Master Today
Some of the key points about the company are:
- Part of the Bally Technologies brand
- Owned by SG Digital
- No major news listed on the official website
- No recent exhibitions to mention
Shuffle Master Features and Services
The main features and services are:
- Electronic Tables. A range of three gaming units: Fusion, Quartz and i-Table. These units are designed to offer engaging and immersive gaming experiences that can be customised to suit the client’s needs.
- Shufflers and Utilities. Card shufflers and other practical pieces of equipment for table games. These products are designed to enhance the speed of play while reducing wear and tear. They include single- and multi-deck shufflers, chippers, scoreboards and specialty products.
- Table Games. Shuffle Master has a number of popular table games, including blackjack, baccarat, craps and some specialty games. Some of the games come with optional bonuses and progressive side bets.
Shuffle Master’s Licence
It’s important for a provider of casino games to be licensed. Having a licence means a games’ developer has been checked over by a regulatory authority and can legally operate. According to the official Scientific Games website, it (and therefore Shuffle Master) is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission.
Since Scientific Games is fully licensed, you can rest assured that Shuffle Master software is reliable. If you’re keen to play the provider’s games for real money, make sure the casino has a licence too. This is because casinos without licences may be unsafe.
Shuffle Master’s Games and Products
As already mentioned, Shuffle Master mostly creates games for the land-based casino market. The provider’s focus is on table games. However, it’s also released a small collection of 20 games for the online market. These include a mix of table games and slots. New titles seem to be released a handful of times a year.
Best Slots by the Provider
Of the provider’s 20 online casino games, just eight of them are slots. Several of them, such as 88 Fortunes Megaways and Golden Asia, are inspired by Asian countries. Other themes include the wild west, under the sea and a mine. Most of them are five reel slots – the exception is 88 Fortunes Megaways. As a Megaways slot, it has six reels and up to seven symbols on each.
Some of the provider’s slots are available to play here at SlotoZilla:
5 Treasures. Has 243 ways to win, a pick-me game with jackpot prizes and a free spins round. It gives players plenty of opportunities to win real money. The slot has an Asian theme, medium volatility and an RTP of 96.37%.
88 Fortunes Megaways. The slot includes Megaways mechanism with up to 117,649 ways to win. The theme is Asian and the RTP is 96.27%. There loads of bonus features that include Free Spins, Picker Feature, Wild and Scatter.
Slot RTP Rates
| Slot |
RTP |
Betting Range |
Free Spins |
Paylines |
Rows |
Reels |
| 5 Treasures |
96.37% |
0.11 – 88 |
6 |
243 |
3 |
5 |
| Deep Sea Magic |
96.01% |
0.25 – 200 |
6 |
50 |
3 |
5 |
| Eureka Reels Blast Superlock |
96.4% |
0.1 – 200 |
20 |
50 |
3 |
5 |
| Golden Asia |
96.42% |
0.2 – 100 |
6 |
20 |
3 |
5 |
| Jin Ji Bao Xi Jackpot Wars |
95.73% |
0.88 – 88 |
6 |
243 |
3 |
5 |
| King of Babylon |
96.47% |
0.20 – 100 |
6 |
20 |
3 |
5 |
| Silver Stallion |
96.3% |
0.20 – 100 |
6 |
20 |
3 |
5 |
| 88 Fortunes Megaways |
96.06% – 96.27% |
0.88 – 88 |
12 |
Up to 117,649 |
2-7 |
6 |
Shuffle Master Slot Features
Across Shuffle Master’s collection of online slots, there are lots of different special features. These include:
- Free spins. Spin the reels for free and still have a chance of winning real money.
- Pick-me games. Pick from a number of options to win cash prizes.
- Megaways. Have up to 117,649 ways to win on every spin.
- Bonus rounds. Spin special wheels to win prizes.
- Progressive jackpots. Jackpots that grow in size every time someone places a bet on the slot.
- Stacked symbols. Extra-large symbols that can appear up to three positions high.
- Multipliers. These are special symbols that are built-in features that multiply your winnings and give you bigger payouts.
Shuffle Master Table Games
Shuffle Master has a dozen online table games in its portfolio of internet-based games. There’s a variety of games available from the developer, including blackjack, roulette, Texas Hold’em and more. Most of the games are designed to look like games found in land-based casinos, though some of them are specially themed. For example, there’s Monopoly Big Spin Mega Drop, a game that’s based on roulette but themed to the Monopoly board game.
Shuffle Master Casinos
Shuffle Master’s online slots and table games are available at a number of casinos. A casino where you’ll find the provider’s games is VideoSlots Casino. This is a huge site with several thousand slots available to play, along with plenty of other games.
Shuffle Master Bonuses at Casinos
Shuffle Master doesn’t seem to offer any special bonuses for its games. Having said that, online casinos that have the provider’s games still do offer bonuses. You can use the free spins and bonus money you receive from special offers to play Shuffle Master games. With these bonuses, you can play for free and still have a chance of winning real money.
Shuffle Master Awards
Some of the awards Shuffle Master has won include:
- Best Electronic Innovation: Operator Wide Area Progressive for Table Games
- Best Side Bet: ‘6 Card Bonus’ for Three Card Poker
- Table Game Gizmos: iVerify
- Best Game Protection Product: MD3 Shuffler
These awards were given to the developer at the Casino Enterprise Management’s first International Table Games Awards program in 2012.
Shuffle Master Mobile Gaming
Like other software providers, Shuffle Master creates casino games that can be played on computers and mobiles. The provider’s online slots and online table games are compatible with many smartphones and tablets. They can be played on both iOS and Android devices.
Shuffle Master Free Slot
It’s always good fun to play online slots for free. You may not get to win anything, but you can enjoy a fun gaming experience without having to pay. Here at SlotoZilla, we have lots of free slot demos for you to try out. Give some of Shuffle Master’s slot games a try, then check out free online slots by other software providers as well.
Market Statistics
Shuffle Master’s parent company, Scientific Games, is listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market. It’s also listed on the S&P MidCap 400 Index. Figures show that in 2018, the company had revenue of $3.3 billion and total assets of $7.7 billion. In April 2021, the company’s stats on Nasdaq are as follows:
- Change: 1.87
- %Change: (+4.24%)
- High: $46.59
- Low: $44.28
Top Tips for Playing the Provider’s Games
Read the review of the games to see if any ones in particular appeal to you.
Play for free first to see what the software provider’s games are like.
Come up with a budget and stick to it; if it runs out, stop playing and do something else instead.
Only gamble with real money that you can afford to lose. Claim casino bonuses and play for free with a chance of winning real money.
Play Shuffle Master games and games by other providers in moderation. If you’re not enjoying yourself, stop playing. There’s no point in spending time and money on something that’s not worthwhile.
Have fun!
Conclusion
Shuffle Master is a software provider that specialises in making games for land-based casinos. It started off creating card shuffling machines and soon developed its own games. It operated as its own company before getting acquired by Bally Technologies, which later became part of Scientific Games. As well as creating physical games, Shuffle Master has a small collection of online games. These include both slots and table games, and they can be found at a number of online casinos.
If you’ve been to land-based casinos before, you’ll have probably come across Shuffle Master games. You may have even played a game where the provider’s shuffling machine is used. Give the provider’s games a try the next time you’re at a casino. If you prefer online games, head to a Shuffle Master online casino and play the provider’s games there. Remember to try free demos here on SlotoZilla first!
