News and Analysis
Figures Roll in for March Showing Revenue Increases Across All Gambling States
Michigan: Michigan has announced their gambling revenue figures for March, and they show a stunning 42.8% increase on February’s figures (Michigan gambling only went at the start of 2021, it’s a new market, with no YoY figures as yet). Casino games were up by 20%, while sports betting revenue shot through the roof with a 240% increase (primarily attributed to the NCAA tournament held in March).
New Jersey: While in New Jersey, the NJDGE has announced a 199.8% revenue increase YoY (March 2020-2021) with growth across all sectors (land-based, online, and sports). The top operators in this market in terms of revenue are Borgata and Golden Nugget Casinos.
Pennsylvania: It’s all go in Pennsylvania as the PGCB has announced a 22% increase in land-based gambling revenue for last month (162.7% for YoY), showing a significant land-based casino comeback (post-COVIDclosures), while online gambling is still booming with 302.1% increase!
AGA Warns of Illegal Gambling Machines
Since the start of this year, there’s been a tremendous amount of attention placed on illegal vs. legal US gambling, the differences between the two, and educating gamblers on how to spot a licensed from an unlicensed operator. Continuing on this trend, the American Gambling Association has this week warned of the “rapidly” growing number of illegal gaming machines in the US (raising awareness of the issue and the fact that the games are not tested or audited for fairness, so safety and payouts are not guarenteed).
Wherever you gamble from, whether land-based or online, always make sure you play at a licensed casino or gambling establishment; this way, you ensure that the game you play is tested, fair, and pays out wins.
Caesars Completes Acquisition of British Bookie William Hill
In our final nugget of iGaming news for this week, Caesars Entertainment has completed its acquisition of British betting goliath William Hill. The completion comes after the UK high court sanctioned the merger.
Slots of the Week
Starburst Slingo: Slingo. RTP 96.5%.
Often described as the perfect blend between slots and bingo, Slingo is hitting new heights with their latest release that adds a bingo twist to the world’s favorite slot - NetEnt’s Starburst. Set on a 5x5 grid, with a single reel along the bottom, you spin this reel and get 10 revolutions per round (bets from $0.20-25, and a total prize of 1,500x your stake).
The idea is to match the numbers on the single reel with those on the grid to make a horizontal or vertical line and fill the reels within the 10 spins per round. Make a line, and you’ve got a Slingo. Every Slingo, you make moves to the bonus ladder on the left of the reels. You want to reach the top of this ladder, the full house) to gain guarenteed win spins on Starburst (the bonus).
If you run out of spins without marking off every square in the grid, you can opt to buy extra spins and try to reach the bonus round. There are also bonus symbols that can appear on the single reel to help you make Slingos, including Starburst Wilds (mark off any number on the column above and get a free spin) and Red and Green Joker Hat Wilds (mark off any symbol). If you love Starburst Slot, this a game for you, and it’s a low volatility game! Take it for a spin at these Slingo Casinos.
Scarab Link: IGT. RTP 96.25%.
Our second new game for this week is produced by IGT and is all about the Egyptian theme. It’s a hold and re-spin slot, with simple gameplay and three jackpot prize, the largest of which is seeded at $5,000!
Set on 5x3 reels with 50 fixed lines, this slot works in cycles of 10 spins (every scarab symbol you land highlights that reel position, and on the tenth spin, all highlighted reel positions become wild for a single spin producing super tasty wins). Aside from the base game wins and sticky scarabs, keep an eye out for the scarab link symbols (appearing on reels 2-4) as 3 triggers the hold and respins round, which is where you’ll find the biggest prizes in this game.
The hold and re-spin round begins with 6 sticky high-paying cash or jackpot symbols; these remain on the reels for the 3 spins, only additional cash, blank, and jackpot symbols can land, but the more characters you get, the more the re-spins clock up. Manage to fill the whole reels before the round ends, and you’ll get a corresponding cash payout or jackpot prize, the largest of which is 40x your total bet! Ready to play? IGT is one of the world’s favorite slot developers and is widely available at US casinos, take a look at our top IGT sites and take Scarab Link Slot for a spin.
Have a top weekend guys, we'll see you next week for more news, analysis and games!
