White Hat Gaming takes first US steps with BetMGM in Michigan
July 9, 2022
One of Europe’s leading iGaming providers, White Hat Studios, caused a stir of interest earlier this year when it announced that it would be entering the US market and making its services available to Stateside betting sites. Now, it has announced its first partnership to go live, and it is a big one – White Hat is now working with BetMGM to deliver their iGaming services in the state of Michigan.
There are definite benefits for both parties in this development. For White Hat Studios, it means access to a huge new market who will be able to access their games for the first time, and a launchpad for future collaboration. For BetMGM, they now have access to a range of slots and table gaming options that have proven to be a big hit with European customers who have had access to iGaming for longer than the US audience.
BetMGM will, going forward, have access to some of White Hat’s best-known branded slots, which include Deal or No Deal, Ted, and the UK TV drama tie-in, Peaky Blinders. This is in addition to a comprehensive slate of games that White Hat Studios has been developing since its inception as a separate company upon White Hat Gaming’s acquisition of Blueprint. This means access to gaming from European brands such as Merkur and Reel Time, who have been major players in the iGaming sphere for some years.
The ambitious Malta-based developer has not been backwards in making its case to become as big a player on US soil as it is on the other side of the Atlantic. Their stated goal is to be operational with at least one iGaming provider in each market where online casinos are legal in America. This will be easier to achieve given that they will now have a pre-existing relationship with one of the country’s biggest operators.
As of this moment, White Hat Studios has deals in place with more than fifteen providers, with BetMGM Michigan the first to go live. It is expected that the speed of development will now pick up, given that the first step is generally considered to be the hardest – and with iGaming now possible in 30 states plus the District of Columbia, there is a lot of uncharted territory for the developer to mark out for itself.
For BetMGM, it’s a significant coup to become the first provider to take a White Hat partnership live. This makes them the first provider to have access to White Hat’s expansive library, and keen casino players will be aware that wherever White Hat are involved, positive gaming experiences tend to follow. White Hat Studios’ CEO Andy Whitworth was bullish on the announcement of the partnership going live, saying that this collaboration proves his company’s ability to move at speed in a competitive market.
It’s unlikely to be the last we hear of White Hat Studios in 2022, so if you’re an iGaming aficionado in a state with online casino gaming, keep an eye out. You may be next to have a shot at the White Hat catalog.
