There’s no Kiwi gambler that hasn’t heard of NextGen Gaming, your flawed Australian software provider that’s famous for the 300 Shield pokie, the Foxin’ Wins series, as well as the Starburst clone, Starmania, that has incredibly high RTP and that is seeing lots of playing time to this day.
Founded in 1999 by Tony McAuslan, the Sydney-based company has been bought by the Swedish giant NYX Gaming in 2011, that in turn has since been bought by Scientific Games in 2018 to become one of the brands under the SG Digital umbrella, operating under the brand name Light & Wonder. This is why you’ll see the SG Digital logo on every game and the Light & Wonder splash screen.
Reign of the Mountain King was the last pokie NextGen released before it was eaten up by Light & Wonder that has since produced sequels to the famed 300 Shields and Medusa pokies, as you’ll see in my list of best pokies below.
Best NextGen Gaming Casinos
You’ll know if you’ve played them: NextGen pokies are so bad that they’re good. This provider has never developed their math model properly so this keeps getting in the way of players fully enjoying their games, and the visuals are a hit and miss too, varying from game to game. There is probably no other provider that has such a huge range from quality titles to, frankly, crap. Check our NextGen casinos list.
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Casino popularity: +36%
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Aggregated rating: 49.8
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7bit Casino
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All the casinos that appear on DashTickets have passed our thorough review process that takes days, where our reviewers deposit money, play at the casino, claim the bonuses, withdraw money and contact the customer support. This allows us to tell you first hand how will you be treated at that casino. If we’re looking for a good NextGen casino, obviously it must have games by this provider, but also check all the boxes for a quality casino at the same time.
Most Popular NextGen Pokies in NZ
NextGen seems to have a special place in Kiwi gamblers’ hearts as their pokies stood the test of time and have become go-to games for many players, for reasons stated below. If you’re new to NextGen, these are the first pokies on your list.
300 Shields
By far the best-known NextGen pokie, 300 Shields is far from perfect but it strikes the right chord with so many players. The game is so rough around the edges that you can’t help but love it. This 2014 game has an updated version from 2019 called 300 Shields Extreme that’s basically the same game, but with the Buy Feature that, surprisingly, has a better RTP than the game itself. The Extreme version is the one to play.
Starmania
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The ugly and obscure Starmania from 2015 is still seeing lots of playing time in New Zealand in 2024. How come? Well, for one, this pokie has an RTP of 97.87% and a low to medium variance, which means that you can play it for a long time and not lose anything. This is perfect for the purpose of meeting bonus playthrough requirements, so if you’re allowed to meet them while playing Starmania, please do just that. This is what people are doing and this is why the game is so popular even today.
The Foxin’ Series
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The most successful character created by NextGen is certainly Foxin’, the posh little fox that brings you wins throughout the six pokies developed around him. Five of them share the same math model and it’s only the 2019 title, Foxin’ Twins, that has a different one that results with a higher RTP. That would be the Foxin’ pokie to play.
Foxin’ Wins (2013, RTP 95.62%)
Foxin’ Wins Again (2014, RTP 95.62%)
Foxin’ Wins HQ (2017, RTP 95.62%)
Foxin’ Wins – A Very Foxin’ Christmas (2017, RTP 95.62%)
Foxin’ Wins Football Fever (2018, RTP 95.62%)
Foxin’ Twins (2019, RTP 96.75%)
Medusa II
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Other than Starmania, this is the most popular NextGen pokie in New Zealand. It’s a well-balanced mythology slot that focuses on Medusa, which is a character that other slot developers have surprisingly bypassed. This 243 ways to win classic pokie had medium variance, an RTP of 97.07%, and a maximum win of 500x your bet. Yet another superb game for meeting those nasty bonus playthrough requirements.
King Kong
If you’re into officially licenced movie pokies, then King Kong is one you must try out, even if it’s a tight classic slot with an RTP of only 95.14%. This game is inspired by the original 1933 movie so it’s a journey back in time, and a way to see those movie visuals in new light. You can play this in Autoplay mode with all the frills switched off, for bare bones fast gameplay.
300 Shields Mighty Ways
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I will now ease you into the Light & Wonder portfolio that should be your next stop after you’ve explored the legacy NextGen pokies. 300 Shields Mighty ways is an amazing 2022 upgrade of the original game. You get better graphics, a better math model, Megaways, win multipliers and an RTP of 95.99% that’s better than the original. Look out for this game, if you liked 300 Shields you need to play this one too.
Medusa High and Mighty
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Medusa High and Mighty takes the original Medusa concept by NextGen and then doubles the fun as you can literally unlock twice as many reels to play on an 8×6 board where you’ll get three Medusa Respins. This happens every time you land two Wilds. You can also get up to 16 free spins with an up to x10 win multiplier.
Rainbow Riches
Now we’re in full Light & Wonder territory as this doesn’t have much to do with NextGen other than it probably uses some technology from the legacy provider – as you’ll be able to tell when you start playing the game. It’s ugly. But you can win 200x on a single payline win, and there’s a Power Pitch feature that can expand the reels to 11×5, and you can get unlimited multipliers. If you like classic pokies that deliver big wins, this is the game, it has an RTP over 96%, too.
Gorilla Madness
Unlike Rainbow Riches, which looks like a true NextGen pokie, Gorilla Madness takes a NextGen chraracter – Gorilla Go Wild is the original game – and upgrades the graphics significantly. This is one of the best-looking gorilla jungle slots out there, with golden gorillas that award one of four jackpots. This pokie pays well already in the base game, you don’t need to wait for the free spins.
Gold Fish Feeding Time
If you’re a Kiwi and therefore naturally like all fish-themed slots, then Gold Fish Feeding Time is an innovative one you wouldn’t want to miss. You feed the fish to get the bonus, which is free spins with some extra features on top. A fun game that you probably wouldn’t have heard of unless I told you about it!
Doctor Love
Doctor Love is a light-hearted slot released in 2011, set in a Hospital theme. It’s a 5-reel, 20 pay-line slot with a couple of tasty-looking wilds, scatters, and Free Spins bonus where the wins are multiplied threefold. This, but it receives an average RTP of 95.04%, this is a fun, engaging choice for casual players.
Merlin’s Millions
Merlin’s Millions is a magical 5-reel 50-payline slot produced in 2012 by the famous wizard Merlin. Inside, it awaits you with Superbet, Free Spins, and a pick-me bonus game. The medium volatility comes with a good RTP of 95.63%.
Irish Eyes
Irish Eyes is a cute 5-reel, 25-payline slot launched in 2012 and dedicated to Irish luck, complete with wilds, scatters, a free spins round, and even a pick-and-win bonus. This slot includes an RTP of 95.13% and classic gameplay bundled with a fanciful theme.
Editor’s Choice of 3 NextGen Casinos
Being a legacy brand, NextGen isn’t easy to find in online casinos, and neither is SG Digital nor Light & Wonder. But as usual, I did the hard yakka for you so I can recommend the top three casinos – and there aren’t any more than this – that feature games by these providers.
Playfina
DashScore76
76DashScore details
Usability70
Deposits90
Games90
Bonuses70
Support60
Casino popularity: +139%
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Aggregated rating: 89.3
Trustpilot:4.4
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Playfina Casino
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If you are a proper Kiwi casino enthusiast, then Playfina Casino will perfectly match your preferences. There are over 10,000 real-cash titles from leading game providers such as NextGen. This is a game provider that is adored by local pokie fans because of their innovation and high return to player releases. These are 3 top games: Medusa 2, King Kong, and Rainbow Riches. The welcome bonus is a fabulous 1,820 NZD with 600 FS spread over the first 3 deposits.
Rizk
DashScore72
72DashScore details
Usability80
Deposits50
Games60
Bonuses100
Support70
Casino popularity: +29%
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Aggregated rating: 74.3
Trustpilot:2.3
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Rizk Casino
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Casino bonus detailsLoyalty Bonus: Depending on user activity
Forfeitable Bonus: Cash out your winnings and discard original bonus amount
Rizk is also one of the best-known casino brands in the world, and this one features both NextGen and SG Digital titles, so you’ll be able to play all the pokies from my top ten list here. This would be my top recommendation if you want to play these ten, including 300 Shields Extreme, and you definitely should. Rizk has top notch security standards, amazing welcome bonuses and lots of pokies by many different providers.
King Billy
DashScore80
80DashScore details
Usability80
Deposits60
Games90
Bonuses70
Support70
Aggregated rating: 90.3
Trustpilot:3.8
CasinoGuru:9.8
AskGamblers:9.1
CasinoOrg:4.8
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If you don’t like the two quality casinos I mentioned above, though I have no idea why wouldn’t you, probably because you’ve claimed the bonuses already, I can recommend a good lesser known brand. King Billy has regal welcome bonuses and other promotions that you’ll want to claim. There are tons of pokies by lots of different providers, too.
Company Background: NextGen Gaming
Formed in Sydney back in 1999, it wasn’t long before Tony McAuslan’s NextGen Gaming caught attention due to its unique local appeal and adaptability on a global scale. Subsequent ownership with NYX Gaming in 2011, followed by Scientific Games in 2018, gave the company the chance to expand and fortify its influence within the latter’s umbrella of SG Digital and Light & Wonder, respectively, with increased resources and wider market exposure.
The features pioneered by NextGen are many, the most popular being the “Select-a-Play” option, which Volatility Choices are given to the players. As one of the pioneering trends on focusing players’ preferences, NextGen has managed to stand out in a highly competitive market by catering for a wide variety of players who enjoy different intensities in their gameplay.
The popular titles so far have been “Foxin’ Wins”, “Medusa”, and “300 Shields”, which sealed this company’s fate in this industry. Recently, this reboot, titled “300 Shields Mighty Ways”, makes an introduction of the Megaways mechanics. It combines a classic NextGen design with the latest features to keep players from quitting.
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Gambling should only ever be viewed as a form of fun; entertainment, and never a way to make money, or for financial gain. If you find yourself chasing losses, unable to stop, or expecting to win, you may be exhibiting signs of problem gambling. If, at any point, you feel that you have a gambling problem, stop immediately, check out our Responsible Gambling page, and reach out to organisations and charities like New Zealand’s Problem Gambling Foundation. Help and support is available.
A former professional poker player turned data guru, Mark Dash has devoted the past 16 years to decoding the numbers behind New Zealand’s online-casino scene. A PGDipJ graduate of Massey University, he now heads our analytics team, where he rates NZ casino sites, audits bonus conditions and models RTP performance. Mark’s expertise is reinforced by advanced training in gambling statistics and responsible-gaming practices.
With 20-plus years on the casino front line, Edward Howarth blends deep operational insight with academic rigour. After serving as VIP Manager for a multinational casino group, the University of Waikato Social Sciences alumnus turned his focus to player-behaviour research, online wagering and safer-gambling programmes. Edward also holds an ICA Anti-Money-Laundering Diploma (2021) and completed eCOGRA’s Responsible Gambling & Fair Gaming training in 2018.
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