Hollywood Casino is the license holder for some of the top Pennsylvania online casinos within the state. Two of its top partnerships are with BetMGM Casino PA and DraftKings. BetMGM’s VP of Gaming, Angus Nisbet, dropped some interesting nuggets in a podcast to Pierre Lindh of iGaming Next, discussing what makes the operator’s online casinos so successful.
Since retail casinos can issue multiple licences, Hollywood Casino is also partnered with its own online brand, Barstool and PointsBet casino.
While online casino revenue is not distributed by specific operators, BetMGM is a huge reason the team of Hollywood Casino licenses have amassed $284.8 million in 2023 revenue just through April.
BetMGM Casino exclusive games set it apart from competitors
Nibet mentioned on the podcast the massive customer base BetMGM already has. The operator includes 30 million people signed up for BetMGM Rewards.
Part of the huge appeal for BetMGM is the games it provides. BetMGM has 85 games made in-house, with more coming by the end of this year.
“The games that do well have MGM branding. It might be a game with the MGM Bellagio or Riches,” Nisbet said.
In April, a Pennsylvania player won a $1 million jackpot on a $1 spin playing an exclusive MGM Grand Millions slot title. The game is only available on BetMGM platforms.
Nisbet stressed the importance of BetMGM building its own library of games rather than using suppliers. Of course, there’s always a point and time to use game manufacturers. One of BetMGM’s popular slot titles is the newly launched Buffalo Wild Wings through Inspired Entertainment.
While Buffalo Wild Wings made sense for BetMGM, Nisbet offered this statement about suppliers:
“What I’d say to the suppliers, while there’s space for success, you have to be very clear in what you’re offering. For us, you have to understand our player, and you have to understand our objective of what we’re trying to achieve. How are we, at BetMGM, going to sustain our No. 1 position? By leveraging our brand and players.”
BetMGM focused heavily on online casino content
According to its Q1 2023 presentation slides, BetMGM is the No. 1 online casino operator in the US with roughly a 27% market share. Although it’s difficult to see its exact market share in Pennsylvania, BetMGM is clearly a top player.
BetMGM caters to the certain states it operates in. As of now, BetMGM offers online casinos in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Michigan and West Virginia. Since sports are obviously a huge focal point in the US, Nisbet mentioned how important sports partnerships are for online casinos.
He rattled off three Pennsylvania sports teams that have slot or table game titles on BetMGM’s platform.
“We’ve got exclusive games with the Philadelphia 76ers, doing roulette blackjack with them. We’ve got slots for the Detroit Lions, Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets. We have National Hockey League slots that are now exclusively with us. That’s just what we’re doing on our own.”
Potential for new games and new customers for BetMGM
Nisbet has a lot of experience working on the supplier side. He worked for Playtech in London for more than four years from 2018 to 2022.
Nisbet mentioned how London has more of a library for bingo games. Could it evolve in the US anytime soon?
“There’s a whole host of content that works within the U.K. bingo space that hasn’t been fully leveraged in the US,” Nisbet said. “I think there are other opportunities to move into another space within gaming.”
Nisbet also mentioned how FanDuel and DraftKings market well to the young, male demographic. As BetMGM evolves, Nisbet is targeting other demographics to reach.
“What are you doing for the female demographic? What are you doing for the 50-year-old stay-at-home mom who likes to play bingo? That convergence into the social sector could be quite interesting.”
