Roll up roll up, this week we’ve got big news as Michigan provisionally licenses 15 gaming providers, Hard Rock international expands to create a new division set on global gaming domination, Rush Street Gaming partner with Century Casino in West Virginia, and there's 3 brand new US slots to tell y’all about!
New Casino Announcements & Partnerships
Michigan Issues 15 Provisional Platform Provider Licenses
Last week we reported that Michigan was getting ready to launch online gambling after the state Legislature’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules voted to waive the 15-day waiting period to approve the regulation.
Well, in the last 7-days, the Michigan Gaming Control Board has issued 15 provisional platform provider licenses. This means it’s now over to the platform providers, who still need to meet Michigan’s operational standards for games testing and internal controls before they can launch. Successful licensees include:
- GAN
- Golden Nugget
- Scientific Games Digital
- Parx Interactive
- Flutter’s FanDuel
- BetMGM
- Churchill Downs
- Penn Sports
- PointsBet
- Star Group: Fox Bet
- Wynn Sports
- Rush Street Interactive
- And DraftKings.
The next step before casinos can launch in the state is for the providers to conduct games testing and meet the operational standards set by the MGCB for internal controls. Richard Kalm (MCGB ex. director) said that the provider’s ability to meet the requirements will determine which operators launch first in the state, with the earliest casinos and sportsbooks expected in January.
Hard Rock Launches New Digital Venture
Former Stars Group and Fox Bet executives have been selected to lead a new Hard Rock Digital venture to expand the brand’s restaurant, casino, and digital gaming sectors, internationally. Specifically, the new division will focus on developing an omni-channel sports and iGaming product.
Rush Street Interactive and Century Partner for WV Casino
Rush Street Interactive and Century Casinos’ Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort have this week struck a partnership for a new West Virginia online casino, BetRivers. The casino is set to launch in early 2021, pending license approval from the WV Lottery.
Richard Schwartz, President of Rush Street Interactive, said of the deal:
“In neighboring Pennsylvania, RSI is the clear leader in online casino market share, thanks to our secure and reliable platform, player-first attitude, transparent approach to customer service, large game library, fast payouts, and innovative playing experiences. In partnership with Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort, we are pleased to have the chance to offer gaming fans in West Virginia the unparalleled experience and service our customers have come to expect via BetRivers.com.”
Rush Street Gaming is Mountaineer Casino’s first online partner since online gambling went live in the state on July 15th, 2020. Currently, there are only 2 live casinos in the state: DraftKings and BetMGM.
New Casino Game Releases
If you’re looking for a new slot to play this week, then you’ve come to the right place. There’ve been 3 new games released for US players this week, and each is a treat!
Atlantis Megaways™: Yggdrasil. RTP 96.10%.
“Many leagues under the sea, far away from human civilization – A world full of beauty and wonder is hidden in a sanctuary.”
Are you ready to journey into the depths and discover the ancient and lost civilization of Atlantis? Well, you and any casino player worth their salt should be because this jaw-dropping slot offers epic wins and action unlike any other, with 117,649 paylines, wilds, scatters (up to 42 on the reels in jackpot re-spins), and 4 jackpots up for grabs. Plus, the bet to prize ratio is a real treat, worth diving deep for (bet $0.25-25 and win up to $216,025 (8,641x))!
The action begins in the base with Megaways™ and exploding symbols continually changing the gameplay with every spin. Collecting 6+ scatters will trigger entry to the Jackpot re-spins, where all scatter symbols are sticky, and the 4 jackpots are available (the smallest of which can be won multiple times, the largest cannot but awards 2000x your bet). What's more, once you've entered the bonus round, it goes on for as long as you score scatters (initially awarding 3 spins, each new scatter returns the total spin to 3).
Ready to explore and win with Atlantis Megaways™? Then take it for a spin at any of our top Yggdrasil Casinos!
Rainbow Riches Midnight Magic: Barcrest. RTP 96%.
Fans of Barcrest’s iconic leprechaun will be glad to hear of their latest Rainbow Riches release, Midnight Magic Slot. This 5x3 reel, 10 line slot game takes players into the midnight forest for wild payouts, super dial feature (bonus buy), and free spins round where extra scatter symbols can trigger symbol upgrades and extra wilds for up to 625x your bet (Bets from $0.10-400).
Ready to take Rainbow Riches Midnight Magic for a spin? Check out top-rated Barcrest Casinos!
Santa King Megaways™: Inspired Gaming. RTP 95.56%.
Santa King Megaways™ is a brand new release from Inspired Gaming, and it’s a Christmas edition of Reel King Megaways™ (one of the first online slots we’ve seen that mixes a classic appeal and graphics with the Megaways™ mechanic). If you’ve played the original Reel King Slot, then the differences are minimal, aside from a few graphic touches, like adding snow to the symbols and reels.
Played out on 6 reels, bets start from $0.10, rising to $100, and there’s a max prize of 10,000x your stake offered. The action centers around triggering multiple reel cascades to win a Reel King bonus feature. How does this work? Well, for each consecutive reel cascade (winning symbols explode and replaced, giving the player a second chance to win), players earn a new “ding.” Once you’ve made 6 dings, you’ll trigger the Reel King Feature, which includes traveling along a bonus trail to earn payouts, play mini-slots, and trigger free spins. The more dings you earn, the more free spins and features you’ll get (there are 3 rounds to play: Reel King, Super King, and Mega King. Each comes with unlimited multipliers).
In an extra twist that we love (use with caution), this game allows players to gamble their free spins for double or nothing before entering the round! Ready to risk it all and see if you can beat the Reel King? Spin to Win with Santa King Megaways at Golden Nugget Casino.
Alright, folks, that’s all for this week’s news, but we’ll catch you next week, and don’t forget: if you're feeling festive, we’ve got plenty more Christmas-themed slots for you to play!
