News and Analysis
New Revenue Records for Internet Casino States in 2023
- New Jersey: In the race for revenue in 2023, New Jersey has officially come out on top, just slightly ahead of Pennsylvania, with total revenue of $5.78bn - a 10% increase from 2022. IGaming grew by 15.7% up to $1.92bn, while sports betting increased by a whopping 31.9% with a total revenue of $1.01bn.
- Pennsylvania: Meanwhile, Pennsylvania had a solid year, starting ahead of NJ and taking a total gaming revenue of $5.69bn, up 9.3% on 2022. The Keystone state saw a massive jump in iGaming, which increased by 27.7% yearly (total revenue at $1.74bn), and sports betting increased by 14.31%.
- Michigan: The Wolverine state also smashed through previous iGaming and online sport betting records with total revenue 18.3% higher than the preceding year, totaling $1.98bn. $1.90bn was generated from iGaming, with $420.4m from sports betting - both new annual highs.
Wazdan Live at Hard Rock Bet, NJ
Wazdan and Hard Rock Bet New Jersey have forged a new deal this week that will see classic Wazdan games, like Magic Starts and Sizzling Eggs, live at Hard Rock Bet. In the last few months, Wazdan has expanded across the USA under Light & Wonder and created partnerships with BetMGM and Tipico.
Wazdan’s Head of Account Management for North America, Izabela Slodkowska-Popiel, said, “We’re thrilled to partner with a brand as impressive as Hard Rock and deliver some of our top-performing content to its customer base. Our partnership with Light & Wonder has driven us to new heights across North America, and we’re confident that this will be another exciting expansion for us.”
Hacksaw Gaming and RSI Extend Partnership to NJ
In more top news for New Jersey players, Hacksaw Gaming and Rush Street Interactive have extended their North American agreement to cover NJ. Top-rated Hacksaw titles, including Chaos Crew, are already live at BetRivers Casino in the Garden State, with more to follow over the coming months.
Marcus Cordes, CEO of Hacksaw Gaming, stated: “We are delighted to announce another successful launch with Rush Street Interactive. Securing New Jersey, a highly significant jurisdiction and pioneer on the American igaming front, should add to the already proven insightful and triumphant venture.”
MGCB Sends Cease and Desist Orders to Three Illegal Operators
The Michigan Gaming Control Board is one of the most active regulators regarding enforcement action, especially against illegal operators. This has previously led to several legal cases and the destruction of thousands of illegal gaming machines.
This week, the regulator has again hit the headlines for sending cease-and-desist orders to three unlicensed companies operating within Michigan’s state lines.
The companies are PredictionStrike, New York; Sweepstakes Limited, Cyprus; and VGW LuckyLand, Inc., California. The MGCB’s investigation concluded that:
- PredictionStrike “offered internet gaming and internet sports betting in Michigan without being licensed in the state as an internet gaming operator and a sports betting operator.”
- Sweepstakes Limited promoted “an unlicensed online lottery and/or raffle for customers that buy its products through its internet website (Stake.us).”
- VGW was “conducting illegal gambling by offering an internet game in which a player wagers something of monetary value for the opportunity to win something of monetary value.”
In the press release, MGCB Executive Director Henry Williams said, “Gambling regulations are in place for a reason, and illegal gambling operations are not welcome in Michigan. We do not want businesses who skirt the law having access to Michigan citizens and leaving them vulnerable because they are playing on unregulated sites that leave them with no recourse, and that siphon funds away from communities because they are not paying taxes like a regulated, legal gambling establishment would.”
Game of the Week
Crazy Time - Evolution Gaming, RTP 95.5%
Crazy Time isn’t a new title (it was initially released in 2020), but it’s making its debut in the USA after gaining approval to go live at BetMGM, Borgata, and Party Casinos.
Crazy Time isn’t complex, so anyone can play. It provides nonstop action and great prize potential, making it a hit title with players worldwide.
It’s essentially a money wheel game, but it comes with four epic bonus rounds that boost the payouts and excitement levels. The wheel is the main game, and it has 54 segments. Each bet gets you one spin, and the segment you land on is what you win.
A top slot reel sits above the wheel and spins before the main round, randomly applying an extra multiplier to one of the numbered segments.
The wheel is divided as follows:
- 21 segments = 1x your stake.
- 13 segments = 2x your stake.
- 7 segments = 5x your stake.
- 4 segments = 10x your stake.
- 4 Coin Flip segments = the Coin Flip bonus round with a max win of 5,000x.
- 2 Cash Hunt segments = the Cash Hunt bonus round with a max win of 10,000x.
- 2 Pachinko segments = the Pachinko bonus round with a max win of 10,000x.
- 1 Crazy Time segment = which can pay out up to 20,000x.
Let’s go through the bonus rounds:
- Coin Flip: A multiplier is picked for each side before the coin is flipped. The outcome of the flip decides which multiplier payout you win.
- Cash Hunt: 108 multipliers are shown on the screen and then shuffled. You get to pick one, which is the payout.
- Pachinko: This is a traditional Pachinko game, and the payout for the round is determined by which multiplier hole the puck lands.
- Crazy Time Bonus: This is the most challenging and most profitable round to trigger, with only one segment on the wheel. It’s the main attraction and takes you to a new money wheel containing massive multipliers. The round starts with you picking the green, blue, or yellow picker. The host then initiates the wheel spin, and the outcome is the segment your picker stops on, with max payouts up to 20,000x your bet. You can also hit the double or triple segments, which gives you a new spin and doubles or triples!
Ready to play the USA’s hottest new live dealer game show? Then get in on the action at BetMGM, Borgata, or Party Casino (players who cannot use the listed sites due to state restrictions should use BetRivers.Net). Stakes start from $0.50 a round!
