Promoted feature: Play’n GO enters North America market

EGR North America (EGR NA): Everyone is excited about the Ontario market opening this week. How do Play’n GO view the jurisdiction in short and long terms? 

Magnus Olsson (MO): North America is right at the top of Play’n GO’s priority list for 2022 and Ontario is just the first step we plan to take.

I’m sure all EGR NA readers will by now know the opportunity that Ontario presents – it’s home to 40% of the entire population of Canada and we’re confident that it’s going to be a very strong market for our portfolio of world-leading games.

We design our titles to be fun and entertaining first and foremost, and I’m certain our titles that are already top of the charts across regulated markets in Europe such as Book of Dead, Rise of Olympus or Reactoonz, as well as new titles such as Raging Rex 2 and Def Leppard, will do very well in Ontario.

With the new market opening there are certain to be a number of operators on both the sports betting and igaming sides going for aggressive, and costly, acquisition strategies this week. What we’ve seen from other regulated markets is that it might be a necessity in the very short term but burning through acquisition budgets won’t be a successful long-term strategy. Retention is the name of the game.

And the best way to retain players is to give them an entertaining experience, every time, through high quality content. Play’n GO has that in spades and we’re looking forward to sharing our content with the North American market throughout 2022.

EGR NA: You mentioned Ontario being just the first step for you in North America. Is the US next? If so, how do you view the development of igaming there?

MO: Yes, I can confirm that Play’n GO will be entering America for the very first time, very soon.

It’s a really exciting development for us of course, but likewise for operators in those states that currently offer igaming. We have strong relationships with operators who are already reside in a number of igaming states and the volume of requests for Play’n GO titles that we have been receiving has now become simply too loud to ignore.

Combined with our entrance into Ontario this week, Play’n GO are going to be one of, if not the leading gaming entertainment supplier in North America.

Our portfolio is unmatched in the industry, and our focus on regulated markets is unparalleled too. We have been watching the development and expansion of the North American gaming market with keen interest and believe that now is the time to bring our offering to the table.

The US, in particular, has been fascinating to watch from afar. Igaming might only be live in a handful of states right now, but I think you’d get very long odds for that number staying the same forever. Expansion is almost guaranteed.

Operators thinking for the long term can set themselves up for success now by paying particular attention to the hidden costs of working with too many suppliers. Managing a plethora of suppliers isn’t easy and costs a fair bit more than many assume. Keeping up with game certificates per jurisdiction, ensuring availability of content, invoicing etc, impacts operators’ ability to stay focused on their business goals. Suppliers should be selected with care. Diversified content is a must, but so too is high uptime, stability in delivery, highly automated processes and compliance functions you can trust.

The industry has moved away a bit from the ‘one hit wonder’ phase and it’s all about portfolio value now. Igaming in the US will be no different.

Play’n GO is ready to enter North America.

Magnus Olsson is chief commercial officer at Play’n GO, one of the largest game producers in the world and industry leader in providing premium entertainment to regulated casino operators in more than 25 jurisdictions Olsson is responsible for carrying the Play’n GO portfolio to market in addition to leading growing teams including sales, account managers, support and integration functions.