Casino News and Analysis
Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Michigan iGaming Markets Still Growing
Financial figures are in for February from the PA, NJ, and MI gambling commissions so let's start off this week's digest taking a look at which online casinos are leading the way in each market.
Pennsylvania
In PA, iGaming revenue is still growing with figures for Feb 2021, four times the amount for Feb 2020, with online gaming up 299.1%. As expected, online slots were the biggest draw and revenue makers in PA, with DraftKings and BetRivers Casinos leading the way in popularity.
New Jersey
While the NJ market revenue shows signs of slowing down (compared with January’s 2021 revenue), it still represents a marginal year-on-year growth from 2020 (up from $287.3m to $288.3m). Breaking this down across iGaming and Sports Betting, and iGaming is still growing at break-neck speed (up to 80% on Feb 2020’s figures) and with Golden Nugget Casino the top-ranking casino brand in this market.
Michigan
And lastly, revenue figures are in for Michigan. As a new gambling market, there are no 2020 figures to use and compare revenue to, but the MI market is off to a flying start, and in its first ten days of legal gambling, the state cleared $47.3m. Figures are now in for February, which shows a 171.8% increase in January (note that MI opened online casinos in the last month of January). Thus far in Michigan, BetMGM leads the way as the most popular casino and sportsbook.
Unibet Launches Gamban on US platforms: Safer Gambling.
This month’s hot topic is problem gambling as it is a responsible gambling month in the USA. Continuing the streak of awareness and campaigns from operators, NGOs, and other iGaming stakeholders, this week, Kindred Group (Unibet Casinos) has integrated British software, Gamban onto its US platforms. Gamban and Kindred have a long-standing relationship, and the software is already integrated with Kindred’s European platforms. Gamban is the first interstate casino exclusion software to be used in the USA.
New York Senate Moves Approves New Budget with Betting Taxes Included
The New York senate has been busy this week finalizing and passing the 2021-22 state budget, including operator licensing fees, tax structure, and projections for sports betting revenue. This comes as part of NY’s proposed changes to gambling laws to allow mobile sports betting.
CT Governor Confirms Online Gambling Amendment in Mashantucket Pequot Compacts
Last week we brought you the news that CT Governor, Ned Lamont, had formed an agreement with Connecticut’s Mohegan Tribe, which would facilitate new online gambling regulations in the state. This week brings more good news, as Lamont has finalized agreements with CT’s Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, and amendments to the MP Tribe’s gaming compact have taken place. This was the final hurdle for Lamont in creating a new licensing and regulatory environment in CT and paves the way for online betting in the state.
Slots of the Week
This week we’ve got two brand new slots from US-licensed game providers to tell you about: Pop and Crown of Valour. You can play these games at our recommended US online casinos or via the provider in demo mode (free play).
Crown of Valour: Quickspin. RTP: 96.16%.
Grab your sword and head off to a besieged castle during medieval times with this high volatility spinner from Quickspin. Featuring cluster pays, tumbling wins, wilds, multipliers, and a bonus round with max payouts up to 15,619x your stake, this game is not one for the faint-hearted.
Gloomy, murky, and brilliant, this dark tale takes place on 5x5 reels with cluster pays (from 5-12 symbols) and is our slot game of the week. After each winning spin, you’ll get a second chance tumble, where burning wilds are guaranteed and come with progressive multipliers (the tumble and multipliers ends with a non-winning spin). Look to the right, and you’ll see a fire win meter, fill it with 18 wins, and the wildfire feature takes place, burning up the reels with extra wild wins. Lastly, watch out for the firey Powder Kegs as 3+ symbols on the reels begin free spins with extra bonus features and the game’s highest prize potential.
This brand new slot is exciting, immersive, and offers top-notch gameplay with cutting-edge graphics. Don’t miss out; start spinning this game at top-rated Quickspin Casinos from $0.20-100.
Pop: Big Time Gaming. RTP: 96.54%.
First came Donuts, then Chocolates, and now Pop, the third installment of BTG’s 4x4 reel series. Going against the grain, this title comes with 256 fixed ways to win (BTG are the creators of Megaways™, which piloted reel and symbol modifiers that change the number of ways to win per spin), royal spins, wild balloons, multipliers, and up to 66,960x your stake in prizes!
This high volatility slot is all about the bonuses and reactions. Set on 4x4 reels, the main symbols are balloons and A-9 icons. Winning lines trigger win reactions where the matching balloons pop and are replaced with more balloons or bonus symbols for more wins (basically, respins, which end when you lose). Wilds act to substitute for non-bonus symbols and help make winning lines and add up to 4x multipliers. Find 3+ golden balloons to trigger free spins where growing multipliers heat up the action for big prizes, plus you can re-trigger!
With bets starting at $0.10 and going up to $20, this game offers great fun for everyone! If you’re looking for some fairground, high volatility fun, then take this slot game for a test drive at our top BTG casinos.