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Design Works Gaming

Design Works Gaming, with its roots tracing back to the 1940s, is a testament to the enduring legacy and evolution of the casino business. Founded in 2005 by CEO Troy Zurawski, a third-generation member of a casino-involved family, the company has distinguished itself in the competitive world of slot game development. Zurawski's deep understanding of the casino industry, honed over years of experience, has given Design Works Gaming a unique edge in creating games that resonate with players' preferences.

In the early 2000s, Zurawski identified a disconnect between what online casino developers offered and what players wanted. This insight led to the creation of Design Works Gaming, focusing on developing games that are efficient and affordable and meet players' expectations. The company's philosophy places gameplay at the forefront, ensuring each game has distinct features and style.

Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, Design Works Gaming collaborates with significant clients like IGT, Aristocrat, Scientific Games, and Novomatic. The company has expanded its reach to include social casino sites and is gradually introducing its games into the real-money online market. With a portfolio of over 200 slots, the company has significantly impacted both land-based and social casino sites worldwide.

Unique Games

Design Works Gaming's slots are known for their unique math models, with over 70% of their games using distinct models to offer diverse gaming experiences. The company's commitment to creating slots with individual selling points is evident in an industry where uniqueness is key. The artwork in these games, crafted by a team of over 50 artists from the US and other countries, is designed to capture attention with striking visuals, slick animations, and high-quality graphics. While the slots may not feature advanced 3D graphics, they are designed to evoke a nostalgic Vegas-style feel, complemented by impressive soundtracks created by award-winning musicians and composers.

The company's development package, CasinoCore, is crucial in optimising gameplay and refining game aspects throughout the development process. This package is utilised by the company's mathematicians, artists, and engineers, ensuring each slot is fine-tuned for the best player experience.

Design Works Gaming's portfolio includes a variety of themed slots. Golden Grand is a classic example, inspired by the Californian Gold Rush, featuring colourful Sevens, win multipliers, and free spins round. Ahmun Ra transports players to ancient Egypt with its pharaohs, queens, and scarab beetles, offering a free spins bonus with a special Scatter Stacks symbol. The Asian-themed Wealthy Pig features a golden pig character and a 243 Ways to Win layout, with free spins where wild symbols can multiply wins.

The company's commitment to fairness and reliability is evident in its approach to game development. Each slot includes information about the return-to-player percentage, typically over 96%, delivering fair bet returns. Design Works Gaming's slots are licensed for land-based casinos and are in the process of acquiring a UK Gambling Commission license for online and mobile real-money play. These games are independently audited to meet regulatory standards, with Random Number Generators ensuring fair and random results.

Design Works Gaming stands out for its unique and reliable game offerings, strong commitment to fair and responsible gaming, and ability to adapt to the evolving demands of the casino industry. As the company expands into regulated online markets, its creative and diverse range of slots is set to reach a broader audience, further solidifying its position in the gaming world.

Matthew Kennedy
Co-founder & Technical Director at Play Cash Games

Matthew Kennedy co-founded Take Marketing Limited in 2008 alongside Becky Mosley and has worked in the UK online gambling industry ever since. He runs the technical side of the operation, building and maintaining the platforms that power Play Cash Games and the wider Take Marketing portfolio.

Matt's role is hands-on. He writes the code behind the offer feeds, the comparison tools readers use, and the back-office systems that keep every casino listing accurate and current. If you have used a feature on this site, the chances are he built it. He is also responsible for site performance, mobile usability, and the technical SEO that lets a small independent comparison site compete with much larger publishers.

Over 17 years in the industry, Matt has worked directly with affiliate platforms, casino operators, and software providers. He has seen the market move from desktop Flash slots to mobile-first HTML5, lived through every iteration of UK Gambling Commission rules, and built the systems that keep our coverage compliant as regulation evolves. He has a particular interest in responsible gambling tooling and player-fund safety — the parts of the industry most people do not see but that matter most.

Matt is a Companies House registered director (Take Marketing Limited, company no. 07619813) and is based in Lincolnshire, England.

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