News and Analysis
Sports Betting GGR up 72.7% in 2022
American Gaming Association figures are in for 2022. As predicted, it was a record-breaking year, with GGR hitting an all-time high of $60.42 bn, up on the 2021 then-record of $53bn. US sports betting grew by almost 73% year on year. Land-based gaming accounted for 80.5% of the overall GGR, with the online share at 19.5% - the highest on record.
AGA President and CEO Bill Miller said: “Our industry significantly outpaced expectations in 2022. Simply put, American adults are choosing casino gaming for entertainment in record numbers, benefiting communities and taking market share from the predatory, illegal marketplace.”
Over 100 million Super Bowl Bets Recorded by GeoComply
GeoComply has released data showing it conducted over 100 million geolocation checks for US online bets for last weekend's Super Bowl LVII, which saw the Kansas City Chiefs win against the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35.
New Jersey Regulator Releases New Responsible Gambling Initiative
This week, the NJDGE has announced a new responsible gambling initiative that will see operators share customer data to identify and prevent problem gambling through intervention.
The NJ DGE has given operators parameters of specific behaviors to flag, including:
- Consumers that play for an increasing amount of time with each session.
- Those who play until there is less than a dollar in their accounts.
- Those who frequently enact time-outs or visit self-exclusion pages without enacting a ban.
- Players who make large deposits in short periods.
- Those who make multiple requests to increase account limits within 24 hours.
Depending on the behavior displayed and the level of concern, operators will then interact with the consumer by sending responsible gambling messaging, requiring the player to watch an informative tutorial about using responsible gambling tools and limits or with direct contact. This is the first scheme of this type in any US gambling jurisdiction.
“We are using data to identify at-risk players, alert them to their suspected disordered gambling, and inform them about available responsible gambling features in online platforms and corrective actions they can take. This new approach will enable dedicated responsible gaming experts employed by the platforms and us to see the early warning signs and reach at-risk patrons before they find themselves in a financial catastrophe.”
- DGE Director David Rebuck.
888 Gets Approval for Michigan Online Casino
The Michigan Gaming Control Board has approved 888 as the new online casino partner of Hannahville Tribe, which operates Island Resort and Casino in Harris. Twinspires was the original partner; however, they withdrew from iGaming and exited the partnership.
Illinois Online Casino Bill
Senator Cristina Castro has introduced an online casino bill (SB1656) in Illinois. Should it pass, the bill would allow the state’s casinos and racetracks up to three skins each at $250,000 per license. The proposed tax rate would be 15%. It’s currently uncertain how successful this bill could be, as a similar one, also submitted by Senator Castro, was defeated just last year.
Slot Game of the Week
Prometheus: Titan of Fire (Fantasma Games, via Light & Wonder) RTP: 95.7%
Prometheus: Titan of Fire is a Fantasma Games slot currently trending in the US due to its awesome gameplay, more innovative setup, and brilliant bonus rounds. Staged on a 5-reel, 3-4-4-4-3 grid, it’s a medium volatility slot with 40 lines that can deliver max payouts of up to 1,356x your bet.
If you don’t know, Prometheus originates from Greek mythology and is known for creating humankind, as well as stealing fire from the Gods and giving it to humans in the form of knowledge and civilization - hence the slot's name.
You’ll start making wins by matching symbols on the reels; there’s also a wild symbol that can sub for other characters in a betline, along with four other bonus features - let’s take a look.
- Fire Collect Feature: Fire symbols can fall on reels 1 or 5. If a fire and coin symbol lands simultaneously, the value of the coin symbols is awarded (1-30x your stake).
- Double Collect Re-spins: If two fire symbols land then reels 1 and 5 are locked, and you get 3 re-spins. Only coins and blank symbols can land during the re-spins, and all coins lock in place. When your spins end, you get all the coin payouts x 2.
- Free Spins: 3 bonus scatter symbols anywhere on the reels trigger 12 free spins. Free spins have hot spots with progressive levels, which increase throughout the round to a max of level 5 - these essentially give the multiplier that any landing coin symbols pay by. If you score more bonus symbols during the round, they will be collected, and at the end, you’ll get more spins with extra hot spots added to the reels.
- Super Free Spins: Collect an extra 15 bonus symbols during free spins, and you’ll trigger the extra Super free spins bonus, which comes with your active hot spots in place, 3 locked coin symbols, and collect symbols locked on reels 1 +5. This means that whenever a new coin symbol lands, you’ll get an incredible 5 re-spins, making the bonus action of this slot seem never-ending!
Ready to spin the reels? Then check out Prometheus: Fire Titan at our top-rated Light & Wonder Casinos.