News and Analysis
LeoVegas Announces US Deal with Caesars Entertainment
Subject to approval from the New Jersey DGE, LeoVegas (a Swedish powerhouse iGaming operator and one of the most popular choices for European players) will launch its proprietary Rhino platform in the US after striking a deal with Caesars Entertainment. Caesars Entertainment brand casinos will shift over to the Rhino platform during the first half of 2022. This is LeoVegas’ first move into US markets. Like most new operators, they are heading straight for New Jersey, the USA’s most significant gambling market in terms of development and revenue.
PA Patrons Hit the Halls as Casinos Reopen
It’s been a big week for Pennsylvania as land-based casinos reopened, much to the delight of players across the state, who hit the halls in their droves, creating new revenue records and a 776.2% increase on March’s figures (when establishments were closed due to COVID restrictions). Retail slots were the most played games, followed by tables, and it’s not just land-based casinos experiencing the boom; online gaming also experienced a revenue bump across the month!
New Jersey YoY Gambling Revenue on the Rise while Michigan Market Slows Down
Gambling Revenue in New Jersey is also rising, showing an incredible 326.4% increase YoY from last April. While in Michigan, things have slowed down after March Madness caused a monumental rise in gambling revenue from the new market. However, the decline is only reflected in sports betting, with casino revenue holding steady.
PGCB Issues Financial Penalty to Fantasy Sports Operator
In more news from Pennsylvania this week, the PGCB has issued a fine of $7,500 to one of its operators for illegally offering fantasy sports contests before securing PA licensing. The unlucky recipient of the penalty is Fantasy Sports Games, LLC, which delivered its product from May 2018 onwards but only applied for licensing in Feb 2019.
While it is good to see the PGCB making moves to fine operators who do not stick to the rules, in comparison to the UK, which levies million-dollar fines to operators who break the rules, the size of this penalty is somewhat inconsequential given the operator accepted illegal bets for more than six months.
Delaware Online Gambling Shows Slight Growth YoY
As you’re probably well aware, if you live in Delaware, with only three online casinos in the state and an incredibly high tax rate for operators, the iGaming offering is relatively limited in this location. However, that’s not prevented the market from edging ahead of last year’s revenue figures and showing YoY growth of 2.1%! Keep it up, Delaware.
Slot Game of the Week
Bonanza Megapays: Big Time Gaming. RTP 96.4%
This week a legend is being reborn, but with more juice than ever before. Welcome to Bonanza Megapays: the iconic Megaways™ game you know and love, but with an extra four tantalizing progressive jackpots (the highest of which is seeded at an incredible $300K).
This is a supercharged, progressive version of BTG’s landmark game, Bonanza (which was the first Megaways™ slot to be released and proved to be one of the most popular licensed slot concepts ever), and it promises more action, more prizes, and it’s released today - ready to find out more? Then keep reading!
Following the original set-up and game features, otherwise known as 117,649 ways to win, cascading reels, and a progressive multiplier bonus round, this game delivers the whole new jackpot mechanic, Megapays, which you’ll see running above the horizontal cart reel at the top of the reels.
Gameplay starts with you setting your bet from $0.20-20.00, and you’re looking to make lines of 3 - 6 symbols. As it’s a Megaways slot, the number of ways to win alter on every spin. What’s more, these reels cascade, which means you can score multiple wins on a single spin. But let’s get to the juicy bit: to start the bonuses rolling in, all you need to do is spell GOLD (in any order) anywhere on the reels. Once achieved, you’ll get 12 free spins (each additional scatter that lands awards 5+ spins). The free spins round comes with progressive multipliers, starting at 1x, increasing with each winning spin, and equating to potential prizes up to 12,000x your bet.
But that’s not all, because the Megapays feature is yet to come. Randomly awarded, you’ll enter this round when the Megapays word (located on the game logo, right-hand side - see the screengrab) turns purple. Played on new reels, with one randomly selected symbol becoming the Megapays symbol, the round consists of re-spins that continue until you spin and none of the chosen symbols land. The jackpots are awarded depending on how many of your special symbols you can collect before the round ends, and payout as follows:
- 4-7 symbols = Mini jackpot (seed fund = $100).
- 8-11 symbols = Midi jackpot (seed fund = $1,500).
- 12-14 symbols = Major jackpot (seed fund = $20,000).
- 15+ symbols = Mega jackpot (seed fund = $300,000).
Just like Megaways™ when the concept first broke, Megapays is sure to be a hit and may just change the face of jackpots as we know it. Where can you play Bonanza Megapays? Well, it’s freshly released today, so keep your eyes out for it coming to these BTG Casino lobbies!
That's it for this week guys, but we'll see you next week for more iGaming news from the US! Have a wonderful weekend.
