Malta-based Hacksaw Gaming has partnered with BetRivers Casino in West Virginia, becoming the latest European game developer to make its US debut. Hacksaw’s slots will be integrated into BetRivers’ portfolio through the Light & Wonder distribution network.
West Virginia players can now play Hacksaw’s flagship product, Wanted Dead or a Wild. Other titles that will become available to West Virginia online casino players over the coming weeks include:
- Gladiator Legends
- Hand of Anubis
- Joker Bombs
- Stack ’em
- Toshi Video Club
The launch in West Virginia marks the first US state for Hacksaw and the second jurisdiction in North America. In July, the developer entered Ontario, Canada, through BetRivers.
The successful launch in Ontario is one of the reasons that BetRivers’ parent company, Rush Street Interactive (RSI), decided to bring Hacksaw’s games to West Virginia. RSI CEO Richard Schwartz expressed his delight to offer Hacksaw’s games in West Virginia after the successful launch in Canada.
Hacksaw Gaming CCO Gabrielle Star shared her excitement to enter the US market. The company had planned to come to the US in Q1 2023 after it obtained a provisional license in West Virginia in November 2022. Star said that West Virginia is an excellent market to enter the US iGaming scene, and the company expects to grow in the US through its relationship with BetRivers.
While West Virginia is a smaller market, the state’s casinos have seen some of the highest revenue growth. In June, West Virginia online casinos posted $12 million in revenue, up 61.4% year-over-year.
What Does Hacksaw Bring to US Players?
If Hacksaw’s slots have one thing in common, it’s multipliers. The developer’s titles are all focused on multipliers, often up to 100x or more during bonus rounds. Naturally, that means high volatility.
One of Hacksaw’s signature mechanics is the DuelReel. With this mechanic, whenever the player lands a VS symbol, two multipliers appear and battle each other. One wins, and then the reel becomes an extended wild with that multiplier.
Another Hacksaw feature is the option to buy a bonus round (wherever it’s allowed).
Hacksaw Also Offers Online Lottery Products
In addition to slots, Hacksaw develops instant win games and scratchcards for online lotteries. Instants and online draw tickets have been very popular in the US, so we won’t be surprised if Hacksaw tries to enter the US lottery business.
Hacksaw would need to obtain a license in one of the nine jurisdictions that offer legal online lotteries and instant win games: the District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Rhode Island (no draw games, only instant win games).
Featured Hacksaw Slot: Wanted Dead or a Wild
Wanted Dead or a Wild is Hacksaw’s flagship title. As the name suggests, it’s a Western-themed slot with symbols like outlaws, an alcohol bottle, a revolver cylinder with bullets, and more. Western audio also plays in the background.
Slot Features:
- 5×5 grid with 15 paylines
- Min/Max bet: $0.20/$100
- Max win: 12,500x wager (up to $125,000)
- Return to player (RTP): up to 96.38%
- High slot volatility
- Bonus buy feature
- Multipliers in the base game
The slot also has the company’s signature DuelReels feature, which is triggered when the player lands a “VS” symbol. Two outlaws face off in a duel. The winner then becomes an expanding wild with a multiplier.
There are also three bonus rounds:
- The Great Train Robbery Bonus: Players get 10 spins in this bonus, and all wilds become sticky. This bonus round has medium volatility with a good chance to land multiple wilds but smaller average prizes than the other bonus rounds.
- Duel at Dawn Bonus: As in the base game, if you land a “VS” symbol, you activate the DuelReels feature. You get 10 spins, and you can land multiple multipliers up to 100x at one spin. The volatility is very high, so more luck is required, but there’s a chance to win some huge payouts.
- Dead Man’s Hand Bonus: In this bonus round, players get three spins where they collect multipliers and wilds. Each time either one lands on the screen, the spins reset. Once none appear, the player receives three more spins where the number of wilds is added, and each win is multiplied by the collected multiplier. The volatility is high.
Players also have the chance to buy a bonus round. The Great Train Robbery costs 80x the bet, Duel at Dawn costs 200x, and Dead Man’s Hand costs 400x.
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