The History of NetEnt
Many casino games companies have unique histories, but NetEnt seemed set up for success from the very beginning. While NetEnt as we know it today was formed as Net Entertainment in 1996, that’s only part of the story.
In 1963, Bill Lindwall and Rolf Lundström founded AB Restaurang Rouletter, which provided slot machines to Swedish restaurants. The company thrived, and in 1972 they changed their name to Cherryförtagen AB. Over the next twenty years, Cherry became one of the largest companies in the gambling industry.
When the online gaming boom started in the mid-90s, Pontus Lindwall, Bill’s son, saw the opportunity to get in on the ground floor. NetEnt was spun off of Cherry, and over the next 25 years it has solidified its place as a premiere game developer.
The latest development in NetEnt’s story has seen them acquired by Evolution Gaming, a top live dealer company, for over $2 billion. Evolution gained full control of NetEnt in December of 2020, though they will continue to do what they do best: create fun and compelling casino games.