Returning for its second appearance at CasinoBeats’ Slots Festival, set to commence on Thursday, SG Digital is getting ready to showcase a selection of its recently released slot titles including its latest title, Cluedo Cash Mystery which received our Slot of the Week the week of its release.
With the festival only a few days away, we managed to get a few minutes with Rob Procter, content specialist director of Digital at Scientific Games, who talks us through its Virtual Showroom, the importance of such events taking place and what we can expect from SG in 2021.
SlotBeats: With our much-anticipated Slots Festival only a few days away, what games are you looking forward to showcasing at your virtual showroom?
Rob Procter: We’ve got some great games lined up for release in the coming months and Slots Festival provides a fantastic opportunity for attendees to discover the new style of games on offer from Scientific Games. Off the back of Cluedo Cash Mystery, which has performed very strongly since its launch this month, delegates can learn more about the next branded instalment that will be released in March, Monopoly Utility Trails.
The Hasbro board game continues to prove popular within the slots community with many variants already available online. However, Monopoly Utility Trails offers something truly different and really epitomises the direction we’re heading with regards to our games development. Featuring a solid front-end and quality artwork, the game marks another strong collaboration between Scientific Games and Hasbro.
The gameplay’s built on cluster mechanics and is primarily focused on the board game’s utilities, Water Works and Electric company. Fifteen bonus symbols will trigger the Water Works Spin Streak or the Electricity Company’s insane cluster pays, Lightning Link bonus round. Watch out for the Wild Rails, which links up wild symbols on the same row or column.
We also have the next instalment of Rainbow Riches to showcase, which promises to be another stellar addition to our franchise. Rainbow Riches Race Day is based on the classic Donkey Derby machines and provides great cross-sell opportunities between casino and sportsbook, particularly ahead of the Cheltenham Festival and Grand National later this year. Collecting horses on the reels to advance along the race track, the first horse to win the race awards the associated prize.
SB: Given ICE’s absence in February, how essential would you say events such as these are for connecting the industry and generating leads?
RP: Digital events provide a suitable platform to showcase new products and connect with key industry stakeholders in the absence of physical trade shows. We’ve all had to adapt to this new climate and that means thinking outside of the box to speak with customers and to market our services in this digital office environment. We’ve found SBC events to be really useful and will continue to partner with them.
Last year, Scientific Games were one of the few suppliers in the industry to introduce online customer and media events to bring the industry closer together. Our partners really appreciated the steps we took to deliver panel discussions, interviews and product showcases in an online format. Relationships are key in this industry and we’ve done everything possible to remain connected to customers whilst being restricted to our homes.
SB: Looking to 2021 – what’s going to be hot in gaming development this year? What kind of experience are players looking for right now, and how do your games cater to current demand?
RP: There are quite a few trends to watch out for in the months. It’s clear from last year that the US iGaming market will continue to grow strongly and offer huge opportunities for growth. Competition will be fierce but from our perspective we feel very confident of increasing our foothold given the strong reputation Scientific Games for delivering quality content in the US.
We’re also finding that social channels and streamers are having a bigger influence in online slot provision. New and exciting content is being driven by these channels and it’s certainly something we’re monitoring closely. Some of the big suppliers are already collaborating in this space and it’s something that will be worth considering if the opportunity was right to make some great content.
Above all else, responsible gambling will remain a key element of the games development process as we aim to bring the safest experiences to players. Scientific Games takes responsible gambling very seriously and will continue to introduce more measures to ensure all players are protected.
SB: SG has started the year strongly with the new Cluedo Cash Mystery launch, what else can we expect in the coming months?
RP: 2021 marks a new era of content development from Scientific Games and you can expect many more big game launches from us in the following months. We’ve identified key moments in our roadmap to deliver a wide range of game themes and mechanics, which is strengthening our overall proposition significantly.
Cluedo Cash Mystery is a glowing example of how we’ve addressed the need for more feature-rich games within our portfolio, and the end result is a game that has produced a strong performance in its first weeks since launching.
The team is in a solid position to bring more exciting concepts to the marketplace. Operators and players will love what we have in store for the remainder of 2021. All I can say is keep an eye out for future Scientific Games announcements and how we’re bringing the next generation of online gaming.
