Playtech and MGM Resorts International have joined forces to deliver the ‘spark’ of Las Vegas to online players around the world.
Speaking at an SBC Summit press conferences, the two came together to reveal the MGM Live concept, an array of live casino products broadcast directly from MGM’s world-famous Las Vegas establishments.
Christian Stuart, SVP, Head of Interactive at MGM Resorts International, expressed the company’s excitement in a collaboration that aims to bring the ‘elevated experience’ of Las Vegas to all regulated markets.
“We have been looking at the live dealer space for quite some time,” he said. ”It is a large sector, representing about 20-30% of operator revenue, and we were trying to find our footing in what we could do in this space. After much searching around, we landed on Las Vegas – that’s our distinctive feature!
“MGM has a major footprint in Las Vegas, it’s our home turf. We have billions of dollars’ worth of assets, but you have always had to travel to Las Vegas to see and experience them.
“What we are doing with Playtech is bringing that experience online, to the global regulated marketplace. You’ll be able to experience the excitement and the energy of gaming in Las Vegas.”
Playtech has produced live casino titles in two of MGM’s flagship venues on the Vegas Strip, Bellagio and MGM Grand, using the operator’s recognisable assets.
Shimon Akad, Playtech CEO, commented: “We take a lot of pride in the fact that MGM Resorts, the iconic casino operator from Las Vegas and across the world, has chosen to partner up with Playtech as its trusted technology supplier to work together on something that the industry has not seen before.
“The concept was that everyone knows Vegas. Vegas is the undisputed, unchallenged, almost official capital of the gambling world. Everybody who loves gambling wants to travel to Vegas.
“Partnering together with MGM Resorts and delivering some of that spark, some of that experience off the floor of Vegas directly into customers’ homes is a unique experience that players were looking for, but did not have before. This is a ground-breaking thing.”
Stuart and Akad were asked if they thought the MGM Live content would have a strong appeal with younger players, as well as players that have never set foot in Vegas before.
Christian Stuart said: “We see that for players in the UK who can now get on a table live-streamed from Vegas, they have all the social factors that come with it.
“I think it is going to appeal to current gamers as well as new gamers all in a responsible fashion.”
Asked if MGM Live content would become available in the US, Stuart pointed out that such expansion is tricky, with regulations only allowing suppliers to stream content in states where they originally built the studio, adding “It is not in our control but obviously we would love to be able to do it.”
