Reasons for Online Slots Being Removed from Casino Sites

by James Gibson, 10 November 2025

There are hundreds of providers creating slot games for online casinos. The vast majority of these launch without issues. However, a small number of them end up getting involved in problems that lead to their removal from casino sites.

Looking at why some online slots get removed from casino sites. © Niek Doup, Unsplash

Online Slots at Casino Sites

Visit a typical online casino in the UK and you’ll find thousands of slots waiting to be played. These online slot games come from a range of providers and vary in terms of theme, features, and payouts.

Slots are the most common type of online casino game by far. Their straightforward, luck-based gameplay and numerous differences are what make them appealing to players. The providers that develop them have huge scope to get creative with them.

The number of online slots that have been released is in the tens of thousands. The majority of slot games that have been launched online are still available to play today and are likely to remain so for a long time.

Having said that, there are a small number of online slot games that got released as normal, only to be made unavailable sometime later. It can be a few months after their release date or even one or more years.

Branded Slots and Licensing Issues

Most online slots are unique creations with a theme, characters and storyline that the provider creates. Since no other company is involved, the provider owns the rights to everything related to the slot.

Branded slots, however, are different. These are slot games based on pre-existing intellectual property, or IP. They can be inspired by popular films, TV shows, celebrities, or other types of brands.

A provider can’t just use material from a film, for example, when creating a slot. Such a practice isn’t allowed. What the provider has to do is acquire the rights to use the film’s material.

This is usually done by obtaining a licence that lasts an agreed-upon number of years and has various conditions. Only when a provider has a licence can it develop and release a branded slot.

If a provider were to release an IP-based slot without the necessary rights, it would likely face significant legal trouble. The IP owner would no doubt sue and that could spell disaster for the slot creator.

Most online slots that are eventually removed from casino sites are branded. This is mostly down to licences running out and not being renewed for various reasons.

Licence Expiry

Sometimes, when a licence is close to expiring, it’s renewed because the IP owner and casino operator want the deal to continue. Both parties have to agree with each other for the licensing agreement to continue.

Then there are times when the licence isn’t renewed. This happens because the licence is too expensive for the casino operator, or the IP owner isn’t satisfied with how the slot is performing.

It can be because of one party that a slot is removed from online casinos. In some cases, both parties may want the partnership to be terminated. Either way, when a licence expires, a slot’s gone for good.

The Case of Playtech, Marvel and Disney

Perhaps the best-known example of licences not being renewed is when Playtech lost its Marvel slots. The provider had a series of Marvel-themed slot games featuring characters such as The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man.

In 2009, it was announced that Marvel was going to be acquired by Disney. Four years later, Disney gained full control of Marvel and decided that all licences for any Marvel-branded gambling games would not be renewed.

Playtech’s licensing deal with Marvel expired at the end of March 2017. Disney simply didn’t renew it as it didn’t want any part of its family-oriented company to be associated with gambling.

It’s highly likely that Playtech would have wanted the partnership to continue. However, the decision not to renew the licence was out of its hands. It wasn’t all bad news as the provider came up with a plan.

The team at Playtech had spent considerable time and effort creating the Marvel slots. The slots themselves had gone down well with players and earned great feedback, not just for their theme, but also for their features.

Instead of scrapping the slots entirely, Playtech decided to reskin them. It retained the core features and mechanics but gave them a brand-new theme. This is how the Age of the Gods series came to be.

Other Cases

A few other high-profile slot providers have released branded slots only to withdraw them from operation at a later date. Not long after Playtech lost its Marvel slots, NetEnt pulled three slots from online casinos.

These were Alien, South Park and South Park – Reel Chaos. No official reason was ever given for the removal of these slots, though the slots were popular, so there’s a high chance NetEnt wasn’t responsible for their removal.

Then there’s the provider Microgaming, which launched an online slot themed to The Lord of the Rings in 2010. Two years later, the slot was pulled, apparently because the licence was too expensive for Games Global (former Microgaming).

This provider also released two slots based on The Dark Knight movies. Despite being successful, both of these slots disappeared from online casinos in 2016. Again, it’s likely the licence cost was too high.

Play Branded Slots While You Can

Non-branded slots may also be removed from online casinos. If a provider goes bankrupt, for example, its slot games will have to be removed unless another company acquires them.

Generally speaking, though, it’s branded slots that tend to be discontinued at online casinos. This is why if you come across a branded online slot game, you should play it rather than passing it up.

There’s no telling what’s going on behind the scenes, and even really popular branded slots can be here today and gone tomorrow. The thing is, casino operators don’t announce a slot’s removal in advance.

This is to prevent a rush of people playing the slot before its removal. If there are too many players, it can cause problems, including server overload, increased bugs, and delayed payouts.

The takeaway is that if you come across a branded slot you like, give it a try sooner rather than later. Popular slots have been removed before and this could well happen again to more branded slots.