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How NetEnt built an empire based on familiarity

Initially founded as Net Entertainment in 1996, NetEnt is one of iGaming’s greatest and most recognisable online slot developers, a company that’s universally known for having a truly unbeatable catalogue of online slots.
But how did this gargantuan Swedish development studio grow in prominence over the years, casting an imposing shadow over the rest of the industry? The short answer, brand power!
That being said, we’re not exactly talking about NetEnt’s brand power here… We’re talking about the fact that NetEnt has traditionally utilised other recognised brands to boost their reputation within the world of iGaming.
In the beginning – NetEnt signs collaborative deal with Universal
NetEnt kick-started this incredibly smart strategy in 2010 when they entered into a landmark multi-year licensing agreement with Universal, the film studio behind some of Hollywood’s greatest movies and television shows.
The first big-name IP that NetEnt developed into an online slot was none other than Mr. Tony Montana himself, the notorious drug lord Scarface. Looking back it’s quite understandable why NetEnt decided to go with an R-rated character.
Not only is Tony Montana all about big money, but it’s much easier to pair a classic bad boy with a form of entertainment such as online slots that have long been looked upon as risqué.
Once it was quite apparent that NetEnt had discovered a winning strategy they continued to sign deals with other major film and television studios such as Colombia Pictures, 20th Century Fox and Sony Entertainment to get access to some of the world’s biggest brands.
These brand partnerships gave NetEnt a competitive edge over other studios who were themselves releasing run-of-the-mill online slots themed around ancient Egypt, Las Vegas and Ireland… Nothing particularly exciting when compared to NetEnt’s slots that are based on hit movies and television shows.
Aggressive expansion – NetEnt’s television and movie-themed slots arrive at casinos across the internet
After the success of Scarface, NetEnt decided to stick with creating branded online slots that feature characters and IP that wouldn’t be ‘tarnished’ by being made into an online slot game. Whether this was a decision made by movie and television executives, or NetEnt themselves remains to be seen… Either way, it worked!
Their next hit games were South Park and Creature from the Black Lagoon. Naturally, South Park featured all of the same rude and crude humour the famous animated show is known for, and as a result, it pulled in a whole host of players (old and new) that were interested in this new and unique crossover.
The same can be said for Creature from the Black Lagoon, a slot based on the unsettling 1954 horror movie of the same name. Despite the fact that not too many players will vividly remember the black and white film, players still flocked to this highly volatile slot.
In the months and subsequent years that followed NetEnt released a huge number of branded TV/movie-themed slots that pulled in huge audiences, these include: South Park: Reel Chaos, The Invisible Man, Frankenstein, Dracula, Universal Monsters: The Phantom’s Curse, Emojiplanet, Planet of the Apes and Conan.
NetEnt also used their successful partnership with Universal to muscle in on the world of music as part of the developers 20th-anniversary celebrations, they got their hands on the IP for some of the world’s biggest rock ‘n’ roll stars Guns N’ Roses, Motörhead and Jimi Hendrix.
Having seriously upped their game utilising big-name brands, NetEnt continued to pull out all the stops to wow audiences with new online slots based on iconic people, tv shows and movies.
First came Jumanji Video Slot, then Narcos (based on the hit Netflix series), followed by Street Fighter II: The World Warrior Slot and most recently Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen Video Slot.
Building for the future – NetEnt supplement their success by creating their own brand icons
Despite having seen unprecedented success due to their branded slots, credit still must be given to their army of creatives as they’re also responsible for inventing some iconic brands of their own that have gone on to spawn multiple games and feature heavily in casino lobbies.
If you ask anyone today to name a handful of the most recognisable online slot games, odds are they’ll mention NetEnt classics such as Starburst, Gonzo’s Quest, Mega Fortune and Twin Spin. All of these games have spawned popular sequels and are often used as part of casino welcome bonuses due to how popular they are with players around the world.
NetEnt seems to be one of the very few successful online slot developers that have found the perfect balance between creating timeless classics of their own and utilising big-name brands from outside the world of iGaming to help grow their reputation.
Blueprint Gaming and Play’n GO are the only two studios that can hold a candle to NetEnt, and it’s hard to say whether any other developers will get remotely close to any of them at this point. Ultimately, the costs and intricacies involved in licensing are just far too great for up and coming developers to front.
Looking back, it’s clear to see that NetEnt took a serious risk in signing expensive deals with Hollywood studios, but it’s one that paid off tenfold. NetEnt is without a doubt the biggest name in online slots, and has been for the last decade.
We believe that their success is entirely down to the fact they’ve played host to the biggest names and therefore gained the attention of the biggest casinos, seeing their games front and centre of slot lobbies all over the world.
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Seed Wealth and unleash Power with FBM®’s Xing Fú Fortune™ Money Trees multi-game in Mexico!

Xing Fú Fortune Money Trees is now available with a multi-game configuration! Power and Wealth are the two themes of this product joining FBM®’s slot games portfolio. Mexican players can now enjoy seven exciting gaming dynamics with varying bet levels and experience the thrills of a common bonus based on the Prosperity, Strength, and Fortune money trees, along with four jackpots to conquer.
The impressive performance of the Xing Fú Fortune Money Trees slot game in its early months captured the attention and curiosity of Mexican slot enthusiasts, leaving them eager for more. Responding to market demand, FBM developed an extension of this product featuring a multi-game configuration. Players can now experience the mechanics of the Xing Fú Fortune Money Trees game through two distinct themes: Wealth, with bets of 58 credits, and Power, with game rounds of 88 credits.
This step allows FBM to cover a wider audience of players, offering them the chance to live the unique gaming experience delivered by Xing Fú Fortune Money Trees with different bet levels. The Wealth and Power themes keep the feature set and unpredictability behind the high levels of player engagement and retention registered by the single-game version, adding new graphic elements and betting options to the casino operators’ customers.
Three Money Trees are the foundation for this entertaining FBM slot game
The Xing Fú Fortune Money Trees Power and Xing Fú Fortune Money Trees Wealth share a link bonus with three accumulators, which can start with a blue, red, or green coin obtained on any game round.
The Prosperity, Fortune and Strength money trees can unlock the bonus independently or in combination, offering up to seven distinct game experiences. Now let’s recap the rewarding effect of each one of these features:
- Prosperity – the coins of Prosperity are blue, and attribute a random prize for players to collect when they appear on the reels.
- Strength – the red coins symbolize Strength, and they multiply the values of all coins available on the reels to get a numeric prize value then.
- Fortune – the Fortune coins are green, and have the collector effect. When they appear on the reels, they accumulate the value of all the other coins.
The link bonus is also the game mode that allows players to conquer four jackpots: Mini, Minor, Major or Grand.
A disruptive FBM slot game is now available in two configurations
Xing Fú Fortune Money Trees transports players into a universe inspired by Oriental culture and becomes available for casino operators to install and players to enjoy in both single-game and multi-game configurations.
Bonsais, dragons, frogs, carps, ema plaques, fans, white tigers, lanterns, lotus flowers, turtles and phoenixes are some of the typical symbols representing the Asian culture showcased in the Wealth and Power versions of the product. The carefully crafted sounds and graphics blend smoothly with these visual elements, creating an immersive and authentic connection between the player, the slot game and the Asian roots.
Available for the Galaxy II and Auria casino cabinets, Xing Fú Fortune Money Trees ensure a friendly integration on different casino floor layouts in both product configurations.
Following the positive debut of the single-game version, FBM offers the Mexican casino operators a renewed version of the Xing Fú Fortune Money Trees product with additional options for their players. This launch reaffirms the brand’s commitment to the continuous reinvention and evolution of the Mexican gaming industry.
For more details about Xing-Fú Fortune Money Trees Power and Xing Fú Fortune Money Trees Wealth, check the landing page with all details about this product configuration »
The post Seed Wealth and unleash Power with FBM®’s Xing Fú Fortune™ Money Trees multi-game in Mexico! appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Gambling in the USA
Georgia Lottery Takes Retail Experience to Next Level with Scientific Games’ SCiQ Technology

SCiQ Ecosystem Modernizes Lottery Scratch Game Sales, Simplifies Retail Operations
The Georgia Lottery Corporation is taking a major step forward in transforming the way players experience instant scratch games at retail with the launch of Scientific Games’ award-winning SCiQ retail ecosystem at 1,500 locations statewide. The breakthrough retail technology modernizes how scratch games are sold and managed, bringing greater operational efficiency to retailers and a convenient, streamlined purchasing experience for players.
The innovative retail technology rollout is the latest milestone in a long-standing partnership between the Georgia Lottery and metro Atlanta-based Scientific Games, a collaboration that began at the Lottery’s inception in 1993. Through the long-standing partnership, Scientific Games has worked with the Lottery to launch its first scratch game, first second-chance promotion and is soon to launch its first loyalty program.
“Retail environments are evolving, and the Georgia Lottery is proud to lead with smart technology solutions that align with how today’s consumers want to shop,” said Gretchen Corbin, President and CEO of the Georgia Lottery Corporation. “SCiQ brings a modern retail presence to our instant games, helps our retailers operate more efficiently and ultimately supports our mission to maximize revenues for the HOPE Scholarship and Georgia Pre-K program.”
A Gold Winner in the 2025 American Business Awards for Operations Management Solution and Bronze Winner in the 2025 International Business Awards for Achievement in Product Innovation, SCiQ is being deployed across the diverse mix of Georgia Lottery retailers, including both major chain and independent stores. Each will benefit from:
- Real-time inventory tracking proven to reduce out-of-stocks and drive increased product sales
- Advanced sales analytics to help optimize sales performance and strategic planning
- Easy-to-use reporting tools that reduce operational time and provide management insights
- Dynamic digital menu boards that elevate the product’s in-store presence and promotion while providing players with real-time updated information
- Game dispensing bins that secure products, reduce theft and provide ticket-by-ticket operational tracking
“We are especially proud to bring the benefits of SCiQ to our home state,” said John Schulz, President of the Americas for Scientific Games. “The Georgia Lottery has always been a forward-thinking partner, and this retail modernization initiative is another move to ensure future growth for its instant game business to sustain future funding for Georgia’s students.”
A leading innovator in the industry, the Georgia Lottery ranked No. 2 in the world for scratch game per capita sales (La Fleur’s 2025 World Almanac). It has been a participant in the Scientific Games Enhanced Partnership program since the Lottery’s inception, benefiting from instant game design and production, portfolio management and game planning services, data analytics, advanced logistics, licensed brand services and retail sales and marketing support. Used by more than 20 lotteries, including five of the top six performing instant game lotteries worldwide, the SGEP program drove 31% better performance for U.S. partners in fiscal year 2023-24.
As the world’s largest lottery games company and the fastest-growing lottery systems provider in North America, Scientific Games currently serves more than 150 lotteries in 50 countries around the world.
SCiQ® is a registered trademark of Scientific Games. ©2025 Scientific Games, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
The post Georgia Lottery Takes Retail Experience to Next Level with Scientific Games’ SCiQ Technology appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Gambling in the USA
$50 MILLION GUARANTEED IN ACR POKER’S BIGGEST-EVER TOURNAMENT SERIES: THE ONLINE SUPER SERIES XL, LAUNCHING THIS WEEKEND

- $4.25 million guaranteed in Monster Main Events across three tourneys, plus
- $2.8 million guaranteed in Multi-Flight Events
Fresh off the massive Dual Venom tournaments with over $10 million in prize pools, ACR Poker announces the return of its flagship Online Super Series (OSS) XL. From this Sunday through Tuesday, September 30th, players of all bankrolls can jump into supersized poker action and compete for a staggering $50 million in guaranteed prize pools.
Headlining the OSS XL schedule are three monster Main Events. Starting Sunday, September 21st, players can take their shot at the $2 million guaranteed ($2,650 buy-in), the $1.5 million guaranteed ($1,050 buy-in), and the $750,000 guaranteed ($215 buy-in) Main Events.
Adding to the excitement is the high-energy Survivor Flips tourney ($130 buy-in), offering a $150,000 guarantee. Phase 1 and Steps Flips run from Wednesday, September 17th to Sunday, September 21st at 3pm ET. Phase 2 is a regular tournament on September 21st at 3:05pm ET where all players start in the money.
“After heated back-to-back Venom tourneys, the OSS XL feels like the perfect follow-up,” said ACR Pro Chris Moneymaker. “This series offers every type of player a mix of incredible value with a lot of variety. From Main Events to Survivor Flips and Mystery Bounties, plus big guarantees on top, it’s the kind of schedule that gets the whole community fired up, and I can’t wait to dive in.”
In addition, the jam-packed schedule features plenty of multi-flight action. The $630 buy-in Multi-Flight tournament boasts a $1.5 million guarantee, with Day 1’s starting on Sunday, September 7th and Day 2 on Monday, September 29th.
There are also four Mystery Bounty Multi-Flight events, including two $500,000 guaranteed $109 buy-in events, with Day 1’s starting on September 7th and September 21st. Players can jump into the $200,000 guaranteed ($33 buy-in) and $100,000 guaranteed ($5.50 buy-in) events, with the final flight and Day 2 on September 28th.
To add further sweat, ACR Poker’s Leaderboard Contest returns with $65,000 in cash and tourney tickets across three tiers. The High Stakes ($104.50 buy-ins and above) will award a $15,000 top prize, while the Mid Stakes ($16.50 to $88 buy-ins) and Low Stakes (under $15 buy-ins) will award $7,500 and $4,000, respectively.
For further details on the OSS XL, read the ACR Poker blog or visit ACRPoker.eu.
The post $50 MILLION GUARANTEED IN ACR POKER’S BIGGEST-EVER TOURNAMENT SERIES: THE ONLINE SUPER SERIES XL, LAUNCHING THIS WEEKEND appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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