Inspired Entertainment has announced that it is developing hockey-themed virtual sports products featuring real NHL teams and their official jerseys. The company expects to roll out the new games globally before the end of the year thanks to a new partnership deal it signed with the league this week.
Virtual sports are Inspired’s focus as a game developer. These are online simulations based on real-world sports. While the games take real-money wagers resembling sports bets, they’re mathematically more like casino games because they use random number generators (RNGs) to determine their outcomes. The RNG guarantees that outcomes are random and proportional to the listed odds. That means that, unlike sports betting, virtual sports have a fixed return-to-player (RTP), and players’ choices won’t impact their long-term rate of return, only the volatility they’ll experience.
The user doesn’t control the players in a virtual sports match. These games use statistical data from real-world leagues to determine the odds. A primary benefit of virtual sports is their convenience, as they’re available 24/7. The game provider (like Inspired) controls the duration of the matches and the intervals between betting opportunities. New matches usually start every few minutes and are much shorter than live sports events. And for those who do not want to wait, there’s an option to skip the viewing and get instant results.
League Deals Are Important for Marketing and Engagement
Inspired’s President and CEO, Brooks Pierce, emphasized that the NHL partnership will enrich Inspired’s Virtual Sports portfolio and enhance fan engagement. Chris Golier, NHL Group Vice President, Business Development and Innovation, added:
Virtual Sports gaming continues to grow in popularity worldwide. We are excited to work with Inspired to engage our passionate fans through Virtual Sports using NHL assets. Inspired is a leader in this space and will leverage NHL IP to deliver a gaming experience that connects with our fans in new and exciting ways, helping to grow our global fan base.
With the NHL license deal, Inspired will offer a full portfolio of major US sports, including football, basketball, baseball, soccer, and horse racing.
Whether the sports use real-world team names and logos depends on licensing agreements like the one Inspired has now struck with the NHL. It has a similar deal in place with the NBA, which it signed almost exactly one year ago. For most other sports, Inspired uses city names but not team logos and avoids referencing the league. However, it does have an agreement with the MLB Players Alumni Association, so its games can feature famous historical players but not contemporary teams. Inspired also makes NFL-branded games on behalf of Aristocrat Gaming, which holds the real-money gaming rights for that league.
Inspired’s virtual sports games are available at over 100 sites in 35 countries. In the US, however, they are only available in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In New Jersey, the games are available through commercial online gambling sites. BetMGM and BetRivers treat virtual sports as a casino product, while bet365 offers the games from within its sportsbook. Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, the state lottery offers virtual sports games produced by Inspired under the Xpress Sports brand.
Inspired Also Creates Other Casino Games
While known for virtual sports, Inspired Gaming also creates slots like the Reel King and Cops’n’Robbers.
Inspired has also used its video generation capabilities for a novel type of casino table game product called hybrid dealer. That concept debuted in the US with BetMGM Magic City, which is available in New Jersey and coming soon to Michigan and Pennsylvania. The company’s patent-pending hybrid dealer technology combines pre-recorded real dealer footage with digitally randomized results. The games provide cost savings for operators relative to true live dealer casino games and allow for 24/7 streaming.
BetMGM is currently the only operator in the US offering this game type. However, that could change soon, as Inspired partnered with Caesars to create bespoke hybrid dealer games. While the two companies signed a deal nearly a year ago, Caesars hasn’t indicated when it will roll out the games.
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