Why Play’n GO and Other iGaming Giants Are Going Landbased

Play’n GO, one of the most popular iGaming software provider, is now shifting its attention to developing games for landbased venues. The once digital-only game vendor teamed up with Genting Casinos, making an official announcement in October that Play’n GO titles will hit the landbased casino floors, bringing the Swedish developer’s fresh, quirky and engaging slots to a whole new market.

But this is not a one off. It is a good example of the changes that now face the gaming industry, as more providers are turning their attention to creating real life cabinets and gaming machines, expanding their services and tapping into additional revenue streams. NetEnt and Pragmatic Play have made similar expansions of their own in the last year, and there are many other parties who are considering the jump.

Play’n Go’s Foray Into Landbased Gaming

Play’n GO co-founder Johan Törnqvist says that the company has always considered itself an entertainment creator, and that digital gaming was just the primary medium the company used since it was founded in 2005. Venturing into land based gaming is not a trade off to increase brand visibility or income by selling skins. Play’n Go is scaling up, and will roll out land based versions of its top hits in 30 venues across the UK. This includes the Genting Stratford, one of the hottest landbased casinos in London.

The Swedish games manufacturer will start out with 13 of its most popular titles that will hit the UK in December 2025. These will include games like:

• Rich Wilde and the Book of Dead
• Reactoonz
• Honey Rush 100
• Buildin’ Bucks

There were early trials that went out at Resorts World Birmingham (also Genting owned). These were tested behind closed doors, giving Play’n GO and Genting the necessary player data point and metrics to consider a full public rollout. They will start small, and if the strategy works, then Play’n GO want to take their product international and distribute tens of thousands of landbased cabinets. This will not be a limited edition or exclusive gaming license; it is poised to be the start of Play’n GO’s multi channel entertainment rollout.

Genting Group’s Distributor Role

And through the Genting Group partnership, Play’n GO’s aspirations really have no limitations. The Malaysian company has land-based casino resorts in its home country, and also owns some of the largest properties in:

• The United Kingdom
• Singapore
• The Philippines
• The USA (including Las Vegas)

Genting Group is also in the race for one of the 3 NYC downstate casino licenses, and reports say Genting is monitoring the situation in Thailand. Though that could be a longshot, as the Entertainment Complex Bill was withdrawn this year following the suspension of Prime Minister Paetongtarn.

But with a huge portfolio of landbased casino resorts, especially in Singapore and the US, Genting can give Play’n GO the platform it needs to reach some of the world’s biggest gambling markets.

Landbased vs Digital Providers

Across the world, there are about 250 to 300 recognized game vendors, including online casino only providers, landbased machine manufacturers, regional VLT and AWP producers, and hybrid/omni-channel suppliers – the latter of which Play’n GO intends to become.

55-65% Digital Only

Of these nearly 300 vendors, 55-65% exclusively stick to online casino games. Whether these are slots, RNG table games, video poker, crash games, live dealer games, instant win titles, or new blockchain powered casino games.

Examples of which include the likes of BGaming, Hacksaw Gaming, ELK Studios, Relax Gaming and NoLimit City. The reason why most vendors make online games is because they don’t need hardware, and iGaming licensing is global, making it easily scalable. The entry costs to launching these are also cheaper than physical machines, explaining why there are so many indie studios.

20-25% Landbased Only

Only about 20-25% of game providers stick to landbased machines and don’t make online games. These vendors produce casino cabinets, VLTs, bingo terminals, slot machines, and other physical gaming stations. These are much older than the digital only platforms – with the likes of Konami Gaming, Sigma, Merkur, Ainsworth, and countless regional VLT builders.

15-20% Hybrid

The hybrid produces, who make both online and landbased gaming products, make up only 15-20% of all vendors – or in other words, around 40 to 60 studios. IGT only began investing in digital games in 2005, Novomatic was 100% landbased until it acquired Greentube in 2012 and launched online casino games. Scientific Games, now called Light & Wonder, was a lottery and landbased game machine manufacturer before it built SG Interactive and created online versions of its land slots. Other examples include Aristocrat – went digital in 2012, Zitro – went digital in 2020, and Merkur – went digital in 2014.

But the trend here is in reverse. Instead of seeing a landbased manufacturer take to digital platforms, Play’n GO has done the reverse.

A Trend in Reversal?

Play’n GO is not the only digital studio that has taken to land based gaming. Playtech, a company world famous for its digital content, entered the land based market by acquiring Videobet in 2006. Following this, the company focused on making retail gaming environments for UK betting shops, and regional VLT machines. It was one of the first prominent omnichannel suppliers that went from digital to landbased.

More recently, Pragmatic Play made a partnership with Novomatic to launch Big Bass Bonanza in physical casinos in the UK. And, back in September of this year, Evolution secured a deal with Gaming Arts LLC, with the goal of bringing NetEnt online slots to landbased casinos. NetEnt, being one of the most famous and well known software providers, was acquired by Evolution Gaming in 2020. The parent company announced that Starburst and Divine Fortune, two of NetEnt’s most iconic games, will hit physical casino floors on Gaming Arts’ high-performance MOD EX cabinets.

Interest in Landbased Gaming Venues

While online gambling continues to dominate the sectors all over the world, landbased gaming is going through something of a revival. Groups like Genting, Wynn, MGM, Caesars and Penn are constantly looking to expand their offering and keep their games fresh. Operators of these venues want premium games, and ones that will bring in new audiences. So why not channel the best and most recognizable online slots – after all these games need no introduction and don’t need major advertising.

They are already proven in the digital market and have their own fanbases who may be enticed to take their gaming to physical venues to try their favourite casino games in their newest medium. And for the studios themselves, it is a chance to strengthen their brands in regulated markets where retail gambling is very much alive and kicking. With North America expanding, Asia eyeing further liberalization, and Europe maintaining a stable retail base, the commercial incentive to go omni-channel has never been stronger.