If New Jersey DraftKings Casino is any example, online casinos are partnering with multiple live dealer service providers to offer discerning gamblers a variety of games. Records from the Garden State’s regulator show that DraftKings added Playtech Live offerings while retaining its contract with Evolution.
DraftKings (DraftKings 39,49 +2,73%) supplemented its live dealer offerings with a Playtech Live agreement approved on June 5 by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE). PlayStar Casino‘s DGE paperwork for its Playtech Live agreement went through on June 7.
Bonus visited both operator sites on June 21 and noticed that Evolution provides most of their live dealer games.
Meanwhile, the DGE documents prove what many online gambling insiders suspected was happening: Operators were ensuring live dealer fans could play games exclusive to each service provider. The alternative would’ve been seeing operators cancel contracts with one live dealer provider in favor of another, which doesn’t appear to be occurring.
Brand Differentiator: Unique Games
DraftKings Casino and PlayStar Casino probably aren’t the only online casino operators partnering with more than one live dealer service provider. Because Evolution (Evolution AB (publ) 3,51 -0,28%), Light and Wonder (Light & Wonder Inc 103,67 -0,63%), and Playtech Live, a Playtech (Playtech PLC 737,00 -1,21%) brand, have games unique to each company.
So, while each live dealer company has a larger catalog of games, certain ones set them apart.
Therefore, gamblers who want to branch out beyond the most popular game — blackjack — remain interested in the apps.
For instance, Evolution offers Lightning Dice — in which three dice tumble through a tower, and “random lightning strikes” can multiply winnings for a bettor.
Playtech Live’s Adventures Beyond Wonderland game show format is reminiscent of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.
LNW’s live dealer product subsidiary, Authentic Gaming, offers a roulette/slot game show — 7’s on Fire Live.
Live Dealer States Differ
Evolution held a near-monopoly on the live dealer space until Christmas 2021 when Playtech Live launched in Michigan and New Jersey.
Now, Evolution and Playtech Live have been joined by Authentic Gaming and Stakelogic. Stakelogic only serves Bally Casino in Rhode Island, where the operator holds a monopoly on online casinos.
However, Evolution still dominates online casino live dealer services, with studios in the following states:
- Connecticut
- Michigan
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
In 2026, Evolution will open a building to house 2,000 live dealers in New Jersey.
Meanwhile, a Pennsylvania studio with hundreds of croupiers streams live dealer games to gamblers in West Virginia. One of the DraftKings-branded studios operates in that Philadelphia facility.
For now, Evolution’s partnership in Delaware with BetRivers, a Rush Street Interactive (Rush Street Interactive 10,96 +0,27%) brand, only relates to online slots. BetRivers has a monopoly on the state’s online casino games and doesn’t appear to offer live dealer games there.
The DGE paperwork from June 7 shows Playtech Live operates from an Ocean Casino Resort studio. So, the live dealer services provider serves the top three revenue-generating online casino states: Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Authentic Gaming serves BetRivers in Michigan.
So, as online casino markets evolve, operators are adjusting their live dealer partnerships to meet demand. However, they don’t appear to be abandoning one service provider in favor of another, because the vendors are changing to meet that demand.
UPDATE: 06/27/27 — Playtech Comments
On June 26, Playtech commented to Bonus about its MGM Live deal, New Jersey agreements, and US plans:
Playtech has always been at the forefront of innovation, consistently pushing boundaries in the live studio operations landscape. Our launch of the live casino studio in New Jersey in 2021, which later hosted the award-winning game show Adventures Beyond Wonderland, was not just another achievement, but a testament to our unwavering commitment to strategic expansion in North America.
Expanding our studio has enabled us to amplify our market presence, offer a richer and more diverse range of live casino games and services, and create a platform for further collaborations with local operators. More than that, it’s our way of giving back to the community by creating job opportunities and contributing to the local economy.
The growth of our New Jersey studio is a reflection of Playtech’s overarching strategy to fortify our presence in the United States, a testament to our legacy of always thinking big and aiming high.
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