In the latest edition of our SlotBeats Spotlight, we take a trip across the pond to gain a closer look at the growing excitement of online slots as states within the US start to open their borders for a regulated online framework.
In the first episode, we asked our experts about the potential for online slots across the US and the scope of the online sector.
With more states across the US opening their borders up to the possibility of a regulated online casino framework, what would you say the excitement is for slots online in the US?
Jeff Millar, Evolution: There is huge excitement. The next few years could well be transformative for the industry, not just in the US but across the world. We’ve seen a lot of early moves from some of the established companies in the land-based space, but there is so much more to come. I think we are only just scratching the surface when it comes to the possibilities within tribal gaming, for instance.
There is huge potential there across both the US and north of the border in Canada. It will be interesting to see how things move with the lottery operators too. At the moment lottery remains a predominantly retail experience in the US, but it draws on a huge audience that would undoubtedly benefit from a more diverse product portfolio, such as Evolution’s live game shows.
Jesper Kärrbrink, Green Jade Games: The US market has state by state legislation and we are seeing more and more states opening up or planning to. This means that in 5-10 years we could have another market the size of Europe giving those operators and providers who succeed tremendous opportunity to grow.
Adam Noble, PlayStar Casino: Well, I think what we’ve seen in the US today, is a huge surge in popularity of the land-based games that have been converted to online. This makes total sense, because players are going online and they’re finding something that looks familiar and entertaining to them, hence why those types of games have been very successful.
I think with more States opening up, the opportunity is becoming even greater for game suppliers to enter the market, which in turn brings additional competition which is going to put more emphasis on innovation.
I believe that this will create a landscape for the production of some really interesting and unique content with a real focus on the US player, leveraging big brands and unique US concepts, sporting, entertainment and other celebrity personalities.
Vladimir Pavlov, Pariplay: The US is certainly the most exciting online casino market right now and I am confident it will also be the largest regulated market in the next few years. That said, it won’t happen overnight, and companies must manage their expectations that this is a mid to long term play, rather than a silver bullet that will solve all their problems.
Only a small number of states have regulated online casinos so far and it will require a significant investment of time and resources to make them work. Slot providers need to be strategic with the states and partners they choose and be prepared to invest upfront and reap the rewards later on.
