Gambling in the USA

Kambi partners make same week market-first launches in Illinois and Michigan

Published

6 years ago

March 12, 2020

Global sports betting supplier enables Rush Street Interactive and Penn National Gaming to take the first legal wagers in the Prairie and Wolverine States respectively

Leading global sports betting supplier Kambi has continued its US expansion with two historic on-property launches in three days, enabling partners Rush Street Interactive (RSI) and Penn National Gaming (PNG) to take the first legal wagers in the states of Illinois and Michigan respectively.

The launch with PNG at its Greektown Casino in Michigan took place on Wednesday afternoon, with the US state becoming the 10th in which the Kambi Sportsbook is live, as well as the eighth state where Kambi has enabled partners to be first out of the gate.

Situated in Detroit, the largest city in the midwestern state of Michigan, and home to NFL franchise Detroit Lions, the Greektown Sportsbook has been fitted with 40 Kambi kiosks and four betting windows.

On Monday, RSI took the first legal sports bet in Illinois, with former Chicago Blackhawk Eddy Olczyk placing the ceremonial opening wager at the new Rivers Casino Sportsbook, which consists of 30 kiosks and five betting windows.

Illinois is one of the largest states in the US, with a population of approximately 13 million and home to some of the country’s most popular professional sports teams, including the NFL’s Chicago Bears, NBA’s Chicago Bulls and the MLB’s Chicago White Sox.

An online launch in Illinois will take place later this year while we await enabling online legislation in Michigan.

RSI and PNG both have access to Kambi’s price differentiation tool, providing the ability to alter margin and lines offered by jurisdiction, sport, league and match, right down to offer level, giving operators full control over their pricing strategy.

The two sportsbooks will also benefit from Kambi’s market-leading kiosks, which have been proven to drive handle, boost cross-sell and reduce waiting times at the betting windows. On average, three in every four on-property bets are placed via a Kambi kiosk.

Kambi Chief Commercial Officer, Max Meltzer, said: “Kambi’s record for quality and swift delivery is central to our ongoing US progress, and we are delighted to have powered two more market firsts for our partners.

“When people look back at this historic period of legalising sports wagering across the US, they will see Kambi was the supplier powering the most firsts and our partners becoming the market leaders in their respective states. It’s all encompassed in our Partner with Confidence strategy.”

Prior to the market firsts in Illinois and Michigan, Kambi partners took the first legal online bets in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana and New Hampshire, alongside the first legal bet in New York State and launching on day one in Iowa.

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Canada

Wazdan’s North American Growth Accelerates Following FanDuel Alliance

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Wladimir P.

wazdan’s-north-american-growth-accelerates-following-fanduel-alliance

Wazdan, the player-centric developer, has further strengthened its notable North American presence by forming a partnership with FanDuel, a top iGaming company in the area.

The deal represents a crucial milestone in Wazdan’s continuous global growth, as FanDuel introduces two feature-packed games at the same time in Ontario and Michigan, enabled by Light & Wonder’s aggregation platform.

In Ontario, gamers can experience Mighty Fish: Blue Marlin and 36 Coins, two games that highlight Wazdan’s distinctive blend of familiar themes and performance-focused mechanics. In Michigan, 12 Bells and Hot Slot: 777 Crown will offer players captivating gameplay designs centered on clarity, rhythm, and extensive features.

After the initial launch, FanDuel’s famous iGaming platform, FanDuel Casino, will have its collection expanded by a wide array of new slot games, each meticulously selected to include various Wazdan features that enhance player engagement like Cash Infinity, Hold the Jackpot, and Sticky to Infinity, all aimed at increasing entertainment and providing tangible growth for operators.

The newest expansion capitalizes on Wazdan’s progress in North America, succeeding in Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and previous entries into West Virginia.

Radka Bacheva, Head of Sales at Wazdan, said: “Partnering with FanDuel represents a major milestone in Wazdan’s North American growth strategy and underlines the strong demand for our engagement-driven portfolio across regulated markets.

“FanDuel’s reach and reputation make them an ideal partner, and launching simultaneously in Ontario and Michigan is a powerful way to introduce our games to new audiences. We are confident that our feature-rich titles and proven mechanics will resonate strongly with players and deliver tangible value for FanDuel as we continue to scale our presence across the region.”

The post Wazdan’s North American Growth Accelerates Following FanDuel Alliance appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Gambling in the USA

IGT Games Deliver Giant Million-Dollar-Plus Jackpots in January

Published

1 week ago

February 25, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

igt-games-deliver-giant-million-dollar-plus-jackpots-in-january

IGT announced that its Wheel of Fortune Slots, Powerbucks, and MegaJackpots games awarded four momentous jackpots in January.

Lucky slots players won the following million-dollar-plus jackpots last month:

• On January 5, a Wheel of Fortune Slots player won $1,132,199 playing Wheel of Fortune Super Cash Link at Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Miss.

• On January 8, a Powerbucks slots player won CA$1,657,823 playing Whitney Houston Powerbucks slots at Lake City Casino Vernon in British Columbia, Canada.

• On January 15, a Powerbucks slots player won CA$1,056,637 playing Gong Xi Fa Cai Grand at ACE Casino Red Deer in Alberta, Canada.

• On January 18, an online slots player won $1,247,834 playing MegaJackpots Cash Eruption on Caesars Palace Online Casino in New Jersey.

Wheel of Fortune slots have minted over 1200 millionaires and awarded over $3.6 billion in jackpots since their launch in 1996. IGT Powerbucks slots have paid 74 jackpots of CA$1 million or more since their Canadian debut in 2016.

The post IGT Games Deliver Giant Million-Dollar-Plus Jackpots in January appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

AI in lottery

Scientific Games Appoints Rich Wasserman as Senior Vice President of Product Engineering

Published

1 week ago

February 24, 2026

Wladimir P.

scientific-games-appoints-rich-wasserman-as-senior-vice-president-of-product-engineering

Scientific Games has appointed Rich Wasserman as Senior Vice President of Product Engineering, reinforcing its commitment to advancing lottery systems technology and digital innovation.

Based in Atlanta, the global lottery provider continues to expand its technology leadership as one of the fastest-growing suppliers of retail and digital lottery solutions worldwide.

Leadership Experience from Amazon, Facebook and Stitch Fix

Wasserman brings more than 20 years of experience leading engineering, data science and product teams across high-performance technology platforms.

He previously held senior leadership roles at:

Amazon
Facebook
Stitch Fix

At Stitch Fix, he served as Vice President of Engineering and Data Science, leading automation, AI-driven systems and platform optimization initiatives. Wasserman holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and a Computer Science degree from the University at Buffalo.

Driving Innovation Across Global Lottery Platforms

In his new role, Wasserman will oversee Product Engineering across Scientific Games’ global portfolio serving more than 150 government-regulated lotteries. His responsibilities include advancing:

Retail lottery systems
Digital lottery platforms
Hardware and software innovation
Data analytics and AI capabilities
Consumer engagement technologies

CEO Pat McHugh stated that Wasserman’s experience scaling AI-powered platforms at world-class technology firms will help accelerate innovation and deliver next-generation lottery solutions focused on sustainable growth.

Strengthening Lottery Technology Leadership

Scientific Games continues to invest in technology, analytics and digital transformation to enhance consumer experiences across retail and online lottery channels. The appointment underscores the company’s strategy to integrate advanced analytics and machine learning into its global lottery ecosystem.

The post Scientific Games Appoints Rich Wasserman as Senior Vice President of Product Engineering appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.