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The chance of a large payout can draw players to a live casino game. But complicated features and long losing stretches can discourage them from returning, according to Evolution’s chief product officer.
Todd Haushalter discussed those problems in a Nov. 2 article examining games from Evolution’s global portfolio. His assessments were not accompanied by player counts or revenue figures showing how the titles performed.
Evolution provides Pennsylvania online casinos with blackjack, roulette, and other live dealer games. The examples Haushalter discussed concern the company’s broader catalog, rather than results specific to Pennsylvania.
Saved roulette multipliers created extra work between rounds
Gold Bar Roulette launched in 2022 with multipliers that players could collect and hold for future spins. Winning bets on single numbers could award Gold Bars, giving players another decision to make alongside their regular roulette wagers.
Players chose which numbers would receive their saved bars. They could also combine several bars on one number to increase its potential payout. To collect that multiplied payout, they still needed the ball to land on the selected number.
Haushalter said Evolution had viewed Gold Bar Roulette and Lightning Blackjack as simple, quick games, but players found the formats more complicated than the designers expected.
Evolution subsequently converted Gold Bar Roulette into Gold Vault Roulette. The revised version assigns multipliers to numbers automatically during each round, removing the need to collect bars and choose when and where to use them. Haushalter said the conversion produced better results.
A bonus round could not revive Gonzo’s Treasure Hunt
Gonzo’s Treasure Hunt launched in 2021, bringing the character from NetEnt’s Gonzo’s Quest slot into a live game show. A presenter hosted the game as players searched for prizes hidden in a wall of 70 stones.
An animated Gonzo appeared alongside the host through augmented reality. An optional virtual reality mode also allowed players to participate with a headset and controller.
Haushalter suggested the technology went beyond what players wanted and said the giant wall may have discouraged them. Evolution initially thought the game needed a bonus round, but adding one did little to improve player interest.
The company later turned the title into Gonzo’s Treasure Map. That revision also fell short of Evolution’s expectations.
Buying more cards made Mega Ball difficult to follow
Mega Ball uses bingo-style cards that fill as numbered balls are drawn. A completed line awards a win, but Haushalter said players who bought many cards could struggle to follow the progress of each one.
He described the game as having modest traction while acknowledging that it retained an audience.
MONOPOLY Big Baller’s main game instead allows up to four cards per player. Haushalter said fewer cards made it easier to recognize when a line needed just one more number to win.
Long losing stretches can discourage players from returning
A game’s appearance or bonus features may attract an audience at launch, but Haushalter said its payout pattern can weaken that initial appeal.
Two games can pay out similar amounts over time while offering different experiences from one session to the next. One might produce steadier results, while another has long stretches of losses between occasional larger wins.
For players experiencing those losing stretches, the possibility of a big prize may lose its appeal. Some may stop playing without ever receiving one of the larger payouts.
