Evolution Gaming
The studio behind Balloon Race
Interested in the fairness figures? The Balloon Race RTP and session math covers them.
Company History
Evolution opened in 2006 as a live-dealer specialist and now trades on Nasdaq Stockholm as the largest live-casino supplier in the business. Balloon Race, released in July 2024, sits at the newer edge of that catalogue — a slot machine bolted to a hosted television format.
The studio runs it around the clock. Players qualify on their own reels, in their own time, and then arrive together for a race the host calls live. That split is unusual: most Evolution shows put everyone in the same betting window, while this one lets you take as long as you like to earn your ticket.
What They Do Best
Live Game Shows
Evolution builds hosted formats around physical props, and Balloon Race is a clear example — a ball-drawing machine, four balloons, and a finish line five steps up.
Slot-to-Studio Hybrids
Rather than a pure betting round, Balloon Race gates the live show behind a real 5x3 slot with its own paytable, wilds and scatters. The reels decide who plays; the studio decides what they win.
Live-to-Table Range
Alongside game shows, Evolution Gaming runs certified-RNG versions of its live baccarat, roulette and blackjack tables under the First Person label.
Other Popular Evolution Gaming Games
| Game | RTP | Max Win |
|---|---|---|
| First Person Baccarat | 98.94% | 200:1 |
| First Person Roulette | 97.30% | 35:1 (Straight Up) |
| First Person Blackjack | 99.29% | 3:2 (natural) |
Fairness & Licensing
The ball-drawing machine in Balloon Race works on camera, with 20 balls of each colour visible before the draw starts. The qualifier reels behind it are RNG-driven and independently tested, and Evolution publishes a separate return figure for every mode — 96.09% on normal spins, 96.00% and 96.03% on the XXXtreme modes, 96.05% on Top-Up.
Why Balloon Race?
Balloon Race is worth a look because of what it doesn't ask of you. No colour to pick, no losing ticket once you qualify — just a multiplier on all four balloons and a five-step climb to settle which one counts. Evolution publishes the return for every mode, which is more transparency than most game shows offer.