One of the secrets to BetMGM‘s success is its brand recognition. Commercial casino giant MGM Resorts International is one of the online gambling brand’s owners. So when MGM Bonus City entered New Jersey in October 2023, it was logical that 10 months later, the hybrid live dealer game launched in another state — Michigan.
Oliver Bartlett, BetMGM’s vice president of gaming product and content, told Bonus in an Aug. 15 interview that the brand pays close attention to customer desires in order to provide bettors with games they’ll enjoy.
That’s one of the reasons MGM Bonus City takes gamblers physically located in Michigan and New Jersey on virtual trips to MGM’s Las Vegas casinos. Recordings of live dealers bring bettors to New York-New York, Luxor, MGM Grand, and Bellagio via green screens and accompanied by computer-generated images (CGI).
Ironically, the complicated hybrid live dealer game is less expensive to produce than standard live dealer games, which are less costly than branded live dealer games. That’s because, in the latter two instances, online casino players are betting with real-time, live croupiers. For branded live dealer games, the card dealers inhabit a custom-built studio provided by gaming product and services provider Evolution. The walls, carpets, and gaming tables are on-brand for BetMGM Casino.
Offering so many different experiences for gamblers contributes to the excitement inherent in BetMGM games. Bartlett used the example of MGM Bonus City:
Where else would you see slot machines appearing from under the Bellagio fountains, or a Plinko board the size of the MGM Grand? With this kind of product, the only limitation is our imagination!
Bonus Asked BetMGM’s Barlett About More Games
On Aug. 1, BetMGM and Inspired Entertainment brought MGM Bonus City to Michigan.
However, in the years since I first interviewed Bartlett in March 2022, the hybrid live dealer game has only been part of BetMGM’s gaming evolution.
At the time, the brand owned by MGM (MGM Resorts International 35,01 -2,23%) and Entain (Entain PLC 639,40 -1,21%) only partnered with Evolution (Evolution AB (publ) 3,36 -1,75%) for live dealer services offered on its online casino brands.
Evolution’s live dealer studios now have competition from Playtech Live, a Playtech (Playtech PLC 630,00 -1,41%) brand that launched during Christmas 2021. Light and Wonder‘s (Light & Wonder Inc 105,00 -2,33%) Authentic Gaming then began offering its live dealer services to online gambling operators.
That means the live dealer game picture is a bit more complicated, but Bartlett says he can still see clearly: He needs to provide BetMGM bettors with the games they want.
For instance, BetMGM gamblers love Crazy Time by Evolution. Part of that success may be due to the immense jackpots. The money wheel with bonus rounds paid winners $37.4 million in June — which even impacted Evolution’s H1 2024 profits.
Crazy, right?
Or crazy smart?
Bartlett shares his thoughts below.
The questions from Bonus are in bold.
Bartlett’s answers follow, verbatim.
When will Pennsylvania have MGM Bonus City?
We continue to be strategic about bringing games to new jurisdictions. A major part of that requires working with regulators for approvals, so we decline to put a timeline of when games will arrive. Of course, we want to expand our portfolio of games and offer players a broad selection of titles in each jurisdiction, so continue to keep an eye out for MGM Bonus City and other new titles in the jurisdictions where we are live.
What can you tell me about the success of MGM Bonus City in New Jersey?
We announced the launch of MGM Bonus City at the Global Gaming Expo in October 2023 and the game was available for demo on the expo floor at Inspired Entertainment’s booth. BetMGM and Inspired Entertainment believed it was a big moment to introduce the first-of-its-kind Hybrid Dealer game.
MGM Bonus City has enjoyed continued success in New Jersey, where it is one of our most popular exclusive titles. Players enjoy the new elements the game offers, as well as the blend of game show-style gameplay with some fantastically immersive, MGM-themed bonus rounds. Where else would you see slot machines appearing from under the Bellagio fountains, or a Plinko board the size of the MGM Grand? With this kind of product, the only limitation is our imagination!
How do you believe live dealer is evolving?
Since live dealer arrived, it’s been very popular with our players. We have seen live dealer evolve beyond blackjack and roulette to offerings such as Dreamcatcher and Crazy Time.
In August 2023, we launched Dual Play Roulette (Live from Borgata) that allows players at the physical roulette table in the casino and online players to participate in the same game.
At the time, it was Evolution’s first Dual Play game at an MGM property in North America. It ‘took live dealer out of the studio’ and does it from the gaming floor, which has gone very well.
Is live dealer evolving in the same way for BetMGM as the rest of the US online casino industry?
For certain it is. Over the past year, we have seen new live dealer suppliers enter the market, in addition to a ramp-up in new, exciting game types, with the biggest name being Crazy Time, Evolution’s popular game show. Titles like Crazy Time provide an effective crossover from slot play into the world of live dealer.
How important is your branded live dealer studio to that evolution?
Branded studios are a great way to immerse players into the casino product. I’ve worked in and around live dealer for nearly a decade, and a central focus of mine has been to build really great studios for our players. Not only do our customers feel more at home playing in a space like this, but the game presenters, acting as an extension of a brand, can feel a great sense of pride and satisfaction dealing games in such nice surroundings.
How do you pick live dealer studio providers other than Evolution?
It is our duty to keep an eye on what might be available to us in the market. However, it is no secret that Evolution has been the gold standard for live dealer for some time now, and we’re proud and grateful to partner with them.
Will you add live dealer to Wheel of Fortune Casino?
As noted previously, we continue to be strategic about bringing games to new jurisdictions and work with regulators.
What else should Bonus News readers know about MGM Bonus City?
MGM Bonus City is a very agile product. Physical live dealer tables can only be broadcast to the state they’re in and that is not the case with MGM Bonus City. This is especially important when considering the iGaming market dynamics in the US.
MGM Bonus City also displays the promising alternative applications for other game types. I am excited about what’s coming next through our collaboration with Inspired.
What’s your most popular live dealer game?
Blackjack is the most popular live dealer game. It will almost certainly remain so for a long time. The game is a classic that instantly translated from casino floors, to RNG, to live dealer.
Is football season the busiest time of the year?
We do see a spike, and it is a great opportunity to cross-sell sportsbook players to online casino. We have an especially unique opportunity to do that with team-branded casino games like Detroit Lions-branded blackjack, Pittsburgh Steelers-branded roulette, and a variety of New York Jets-branded games.
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