Gambling in the USA
Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – July 27-August 2
Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news again! It was again an eventful week at the USA, despite the still-active virus attack.
Here, we are going through the weekly highlights of the American gambling industry which include the latest news, financial results and new partnerships. Read on and get updated.
Latest News
Unibet, part of the Kindred Group, has officially entered into the Indiana Sports Betting Market. Unibet is now available to bettors in the Hoosier State, adding to Indiana’s already impressive sports betting landscape.
Online casino and sports betting operator Rush Street Interactive (RSI) and blank-check company dMY Technology Group have announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement. As a result of the transaction, RSI will become a publicly listed company on the New York Stock Exchange.
Financial Results
Newgioco Group has announced its operating and financial results for the first quarter of 2020. The Company reported a strong quarter in spite of global economic difficulties and shutdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Newgioco reported a year over year increase in revenue from $9.3 million to $10.2 million generated from $116 million in turnover (betting handle) during Q1 2020 which represents an increase in revenue of 9.8% over Q1 2019.
Partnerships
FanDuel Group has entered into a multifaceted, betting-focused partnership with The Ringer. As part of the deal, FanDuel has been designated the exclusive sportsbook, racing and fantasy sports partner of the multimedia sports and pop culture content hub created by Bill Simmons.
Transaction technologies supplier JCM Global has entered into a partnership agreement with Cash Processing Solutions which enables JCM to supply advanced high-speed count/sort equipment and cash management software in North America.
Global Payments Gaming Solutions, a division of Global Payments, has announced that Wynn Resorts has implemented its suite of igaming solutions for use in the New Jersey online gaming market. Through Global’s igaming solutions, Wynn Resorts can enable a multi-channel approach, with an online casino and sports betting.
Acquisitions
Mozzart, one of the leading sports betting and gaming companies in Eastern Europe, has acquired Meridianbet, the betting firm licensed by Colombian regulator Coljuegos since 2018. Meridianbet has been rebranded as Mozzartbet.
HeadsUp Entertainment International Inc has entered into the final stage of negotiations to acquire a licensed online sportsbook and online casino platform. HeadsUp revealed that is in the final stages of a deal to acquire between 50% and 100% of shares of the company, which has processed over $110m in wagers and reported over $5.2m in revenue in the past four years.
Soo Kim, the co-founder of hedge-fund giant Standard General, has scooped up three casinos on the cheap since the pandemic struck in March. The three acquired casinos are Bally’s Atlantic City Hotel & Casino, Eldorado’s namesake property in Shreveport and Eldorado’s Montbleu in Lake Tahoe.
New Launching
Video Gaming Technologies (VGT) has launched its first-ever The Hunt for Neptune’s Gold lounge at Osage Casino Hotel, Tulsa on July 31. The 1100 square foot gaming space is adjacent to the hotel lobby and offers 32 of The Hunt for Neptune’s Gold games on the Helix XT cabinet.
Churchill Downs Incorporated has announced that it will launch its BetAmerica sports betting and iGaming platform in Michigan through a partnership with the Hannahville Indian Community.
Compliance
Las Vegas-based GameCo LLC has received a Casino Service Industry Enterprise License from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. The company is now able to bring its diverse portfolio of esports betting, skill-based iGaming and Video Game Gambling products to casinos and sportsbooks in New Jersey.
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Dr. Jennifer Shatley
New Trade Association Launches Unprecedented Effort to Strengthen Responsible Online Gaming, Promote Best Practices
The Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA), an independent trade association launched by seven of the largest U.S. legal mobile gaming companies, will actively promote a new industry-wide best practices charter, overseen by one of the world’s foremost experts in the field of responsible gaming (RG).
This unprecedented effort will be led by Dr. Jennifer Shatley, a deeply respected responsible gaming executive with more than 25 years of experience in the industry. She will serve as ROGA’s full-time Executive Director, and her role will be to facilitate widespread education to all relevant parties on the subject of responsible gaming.
ROGA will embark on a series of initiatives under Dr. Shatley’s direction. These include research, consumer and industry responsible gaming education and awareness, promoting responsible gaming best practices, an independent data clearinghouse, and an independent certification program.
Demonstrating their commitment to this endeavor, initial member companies – who together represent more than 85% of the legalized online sports betting and iGaming industry – have pledged more than $20 million in support of ROGA’s mission in year one. ROGA’s member companies include BetMGM, bet365, DraftKings, Fanatics Betting and Gaming, FanDuel, Hard Rock Digital, and PENN Entertainment.
“I am humbled, honored, and excited to be selected to lead ROGA during this important period of growth in legalized mobile gaming. Many of America’s largest legal mobile gaming operators will be establishing a framework that helps to aid in responsible gaming education and awareness. Together, our members will work alongside researchers, experts, regulators and stakeholders to promote responsible online gaming and maximize our efforts to support additional responsible gaming education and awareness. By coming together with a clear set of objectives, ROGA and our members will work to enhance consumer protections and help provide easier and more efficient access to responsible gaming tools for consumers to enjoy the entertainment of online gaming,” said Dr. Shatley.
Compliance Updates
Play’n GO awarded Pennsylvania license
Play’n GO has continued on its upward trajectory in North America by landing its latest US iGaming licenses and will soon supply its award-winning content portfolio to operators and players in Pennsylvania and Delaware
These licenses are the fifth and sixth obtained by the Swedish gaming giants in the USA, following New Jersey, Michigan, West Virginia, and Connecticut.
Play’n GO have taken a dual-pronged approach to its strategy in North America, with these US licenses being complimented by the company’s success north of the border in Canada, where Play’n GO was one of the first suppliers to be licensed to supply slot games in the province of Ontario.
Although early in its American journey, Play’n GO games such as Piggy Blitz, make regular appearances in the top 15 most popular titles in all of North America*.
Magnus Olsson, Chief Commercial Officer for Play’n GO, said: “Play’n GO content is the most conducive to player retention across the industry. With player acquisition costs sky high in the US, we’re pleased to be able to offer operators in Pennsylvania access to our content which will keep players coming back for more.
“We are determined to be the number one casino gaming supplier in every regulated market in the world, and given that we are thriving in more than 25 jurisdictions around the world where we have a license, we fully expect a similar success story in Pennsylvania in the coming years.”
Play’n GO is set to release more than 50 online slot titles in 2024 and is active in more than 25 regulated jurisdictions worldwide, including Ontario, New Jersey, Michigan and West Virginia in North America.
Experi-MENTAL
Lightning Box concocts scientific experiment with new release Experi-MENTAL
Light & Wonder, Inc. (NASDAQ and ASX: LNW) (together with its subsidiaries, “Light & Wonder” or “L&W”) announced the launch of its new game, Experi-MENTAL, stacked with features, modifiers and a clash with the mad scientist.
Experi-MENTAL has two in-game features to enhance the overall player experience.
This 3×5 title, exhibits the distinctive Expanding Wild Feature, which can award huge prizes for players should the Wild Brain symbol expand and replicate by five times during the Free Games round.
When players enter the mad scientist’s lab, they will stumble across the Upgrading Feature, which zaps the 9, 10, J, Q, K or A symbols into high-paying icons, including Test Tubes, Power Switch, Cat, Pug or Man. The wins are then accumulated and paid out once the reels have stopped spinning.
The Barrel Pick Feature can radio-activate the feature by awarding an extra 15 Free Games, as players are presented with highly dangerous barrels with an unknown material.
A meter appears when players select a barrel, with a red area and a green area in view. Landing on the meter’s green area ensures the Free Games round is triggered and additional games are awarded but landing in the red zone activates only the round itself.
The classic Free Games mode is unlocked when Scatter symbols appear, with five Scatters granting the maximum of 10 Free Games and the Barrel Pick Feature. During the round, Free Games can be retriggered at any time.
Experi-MENTAL is set to go live with Caesars in New Jersey, Michigan and Ontario initially, and will be available at a later date to customers of Light & Wonder’s industry-leading OPENGAMING platform.
Michael Maokhamphiou, Studio Director at Lightning Box, said: “Experi-MENTAL is one Wacky slot game, and we believe it can propel our slots onto the next level.
“During this game, players can unlock some new features, which add a dramatic element to this slot and classic round that are a cornerstone of Lightning Box’s portfolio. We are in no doubt will love taking on the mad scientist in this epic title.”
Rob Procter, VP of Game Development at Light & Wonder, said: “2024 is going to be a big year for Lightning Box and the launch of Experi-MENTAL gives players the opportunity to showcase this thrilling game.
“With a variety of different features exhibited on this captivating title, it sets Lightning Box apart from its competitors, ensuring the player experience is unrivalled.”
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