With G2E Las Vegas on the horizon, we sat down with the Head of Game Retention at Play'n GO, George Olekszy, to discuss our success across the USA over the past few years and what players in this market want from iGaming entertainment.
Q: We’ve had some mighty success in the US this year, starting with Piggy Blitz’s exclusive launch back in January. Talk us through what that was like.
A: Piggy Blitz was released as a BetMGM exclusive in late December 2023 as part of its US launch, before going live across Play’n GO’s licensed US states on January 18th 2024. The game proved a revelation in its first month across the Atlantic. Within that month, the title was the number one newly released game in New Jersey, and number two newly released game by the same metrics, despite being a single operator exclusive.
In the proceeding weeks, the game’s momentum hadn’t slowed down. Piggy Blitz currently sat in fourth spot in the Eilers and Krejcik Online Game Performance Top Slots report when measured against every other game in the US in February 2024. This was a truly remarkable feat for a game that had barely been available in North America for two months.
Q: Early indications suggest that Colt Lightning Firestorm might be the next classic Play’n GO title to take the US by storm, if you’ll forgive the pun. How is the game performing since its release last month?
A: We’ve been very pleased with Colt Lightning Firestorm since it hit American shores last month. BetRivers had the game on an exclusive basis for the first three weeks of August, and it’s been on available to all of our operator partners since then.
It’s fair to say the performance has been pretty staggering, made all the more remarkable when you consider it was a single-operator exclusive for half of its US lifespan. We’ll have more firm facts and figures to share in the coming weeks, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Colt Lightning Firestorm became one of our best performing games in the US in the very near future.
Q: Another game of note that’s launched in the US is Midnight Princess Power of Love. What can you tell us about this game title?
A: European players will be familiar with what’s known here as the Moon Princess series, and it’s been pleasing to see Power of Love get off to a strong start in the US. Play’n GO pioneered grid slots, and given the strong performance of Reactoonz and Rise of Olympus 100 in the US already, watching Midnight Princess Power of Love follow in their footsteps hasn’t been a huge surprise.
Once again, this game is a testament to our game development at Play’n GO. Engaging characters and story, combined with exciting mechanics and graphics, with a striking musical composition, all add up to a classic Play’n GO title.
Q: Why do you think these games, as well as other Play’n GO titles, have been so successful in the US?
A: We always say that we design our games for a global audience, and we fundamentally believe our content is good enough to thrive anywhere in the world. We put huge stock in all components of game design- mechanics, graphics, game characters, sounds and music, even the name of a game plays a part in the overall popularity of any game.
The end result should be greater than the sum of each individual part, topped off with that Play’n GO magic that has proven successful time and time again. US players haven’t had the same exposure to online casino gaming as their European or Latin American counterparts, so it’s a learning curve for us too. Thankfully, the games we’ve released have been well received so far, and we’re hopeful that trend continues as more and more of our titles are licensed in the US.
Q: Play’n GO’s US journey has been a sight to behold since first entering the market in 2022. What have been some highlights to date?
A: It’s been an enormous journey. We’re now live in five states- West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and, latterly, Connecticut. We’ve teamed up with some of the most well-known operators in the region, and we’re getting more of our games licensed by the day. It’s a very exciting time, and we’re nowhere near finished yet.
Our hope, like everyone else in the industry, is that more individual states will continue to open up over the coming months and years, and when they do, we’ll be ready. We have a publicly stated goal of being active in every regulated market in the world, and we plan to keep that promise.
Q: Can you share some of Play’n GO’s upcoming US plans with us?
A: Our US game roadmap is cause for great excitement in my view. We’ve already seen Midnight Princess Power of Love performing very well, so I’m pleased to say Midnight Princess 100 will be released in the US in the next month or so.
We’re all eagerly awaiting the US launch of Oasis of Dead, which hits US shores in three weeks’ time, and Rise of Olympus Origins is another noteworthy addition to the roadmap, especially given the success of its predecessor, Rise of Olympus 100. We should see Origins released in the US around Halloween.
Q: G2E is just around the corner. What are you expecting from the Vegas showcase in 2024?
A: It’s no secret how massive G2E is for Play’n GO every year, and this year is no different. I’m looking forward to meeting old customers, and potential new ones, and showing off all of the best that Play’n GO has to offer. I’m passionate about the quality of our games, and it’s a pleasure to exhibit our content on a public level for three days in the Venetian Expo.
G2E is a great opportunity for Play’n GO to put ourselves in the shop window, and our content has been speaking for itself since we launched in the US in 2022. I’m confident G2E 2024 will be a great show for us.
Find out more about Play'n GO's G2E 2024 plans by tapping the link below!
