Gambling in the USA
Aruze Introduces Gong Gong Lai Fu Titles to US Market with ActivPlay™, Video Slots and Suite of ETGs to IGA 2023
Aruze Gaming America (Aruze), a leading developer of gambling entertainment solutions for the global casino market, today announced the US release of Gong Gong Lai Fu at the 2023 IGA show. Gong Gong Lai Fu has two title options, Mighty Buddha and Caishen Riches, exclusive to Aruze’s top performing cabinet the Muso Curve 55.
Aruze has spent its history innovating the classics without discarding classic offerings. Casinos need to continually offer a portfolio of games that draw on familiarity while also offering a new experience, leveraging new technologies to create active gameplay and new play styles. Aruze demonstrates this by continuing to introduce new and exciting video slots, like Gong Gong Lai Fu, and ETGs, in addition to its now industry-famous Activ-Play™ offerings such as Go Go Claw. By asserting both sides of its offerings, it encourages casinos everywhere to innovate game offerings without sacrificing game elements that gamblers have come to love.
“No industry can survive without innovating, and that includes casinos. Imagine a casino without ETGs or even video slots; it might be hard to fathom, but that was once a reality,” said Global CEO of Aruze Gaming, Yugo Kinoshita. “Innovation is tricky, and we recognize that. Casinos that lean too far into innovation risk abandoning their original audience, and casinos who focus on tradition over any innovation risk falling into obscurity. That’s why we create the best of both worlds; new innovative games like Go Go Claw, and iterations of classics, like Shoot to Win Craps and high performing slots on our exceptional family of cabinets. We believe players deserve the best that casinos can offer, and we are dedicated to equipping casinos with whatever they need to deliver that.”
Key products for sale on the IGA floor:
- Gong Gong Lai Fu Mighty Buddha and Caishen Riches: Ring a gong and bring good fortune. A new set of reels will appear during Gong Gong Lai Fu Feature, awarding credit prizes or bonuses. With each gong appearance, it resounds — the gongs stay through the feature, adding to players possible winnings. Players who have Buddha’s lucky blessing can get all 15 gongs, putting the grand jackpot right in their pocket. Dragons, gods and merchants appear larger than life when this game is featured on Aruze’s Muso Curve 55.
- Firestorm Lion and Firestorm Bull: Fireballs and blazing prizes are held behind a pride of beasts in Firestorm Lion and Bull on the larger-than-life Muso Curve 55. Transforming symbols kick off bets to be rewarded with free games, special wins and grand prizes. Special scatters can trigger a collect feature in which all prizes displayed on the collected scatters are won, including bonuses and jackpots. Even more special symbols unlock additional symbol rows during the “collect” phase bringing even more hot wins.
- Gong Cash: Fortunes abound in Gong Cash Dragon and Lion. Will your future be overflowing pots of gold? Featured on Aruze’s Muso Curve 55, one of the largest cabinets of its caliber, special symbols trigger different surprises. A “Gong Spin” feature awards players with free spins. The Jackpot feature allows players to pick 12 different icons until a match is found, and the Jackpot level is revealed. Players are drawn in with the classic themes, hoping for luck from the beasts of prosperity.
- Bomb Collector: With bright visuals, charming music, and chances for free games and bet multipliers, Bomb Collector is sure to be a blast for gamers. This five-reel, three-row video slot on Aruze’s T-32 cabinet, has 10 bet configurations, from 75 to 750 credits. Each bomb stack gives players the chance at one of these exciting wins: Wild Boom, Prize Blast, Free Games Explosion or a Jackpot Feature. Watch out for those Wild Booms! When a player spins a wild, they could win a Mini, Minor, Major or Grand Jackpot.
- Diamond Pays Arabian Oasis and Diamond Pays Oriental Princess: Win dazzling treasures in a successive chain of prize collecting in a far-off land on Diamond Pays Arabian Oasis and Oriental Princess on the Muso Curve 55. This brilliant game features persistent bonus symbols, triggering free spin after free spin, increasing players’ chances at a jackpot. These free spins compound into a highly appealing, easy-to-play game full of mystery bonuses and major jackpots.
- Shoot to Win Craps Lucky Roll: A revitalization of Aruze’s legacy Shoot To Win Craps™, Shoot to Win Craps™ Lucky Roll is an immersive experience with interactive play and spectacularly upgraded visuals. The overhead display features a wrap-around LED Display in the center unit. The platform now uses a new system for dice sensing, as well as new dice, with the upgraded security system and an updated camera system. Clients can utilize custom settings, including odds, commission, simultaneous bets, jackpot features, don’t bet areas, and side games. It also includes useful functionality for operators.
- Go Go Claw Dream Prize: Go Go Claw Dream Prize uses its classic concept and nostalgic gameplay to turn passersby into players. Players use a classic arcade-style claw to grab a prize ball, which could give them a jackpot for the ages or a reason to try again. Go Go Claw Dream Prize gives players the opportunity to put their skills to the test for prizes in a unique gameplay experience.
- Muso Dragon: The Muso Dragon is a sparkling red and gold dragon-themed signage option for the Muso Curve-43 cabinet. With a unique molded design, the Muso Dragon pulls in players with its bright accentures making it a design staple for any casino floor. The signage perfectly spaces out cabinets, giving players room to enjoy their gameplay without sacrificing the sense of community many come to expect from casino floors.
PENN Entertainment announced that its stand-alone Hollywood Casino app has launched in New Jersey. The new Hollywood Casino platform is available on Android, iOS, and desktop and can also be accessed via the ESPN BET app. Customers can login to Hollywood Casino using their ESPN BET credentials, allowing for a seamless experience across PENN’s online betting and casino platforms.
Ranked by Eilers & Krejcik as the #2 overall iCasino product in the US, Hollywood Casino offers a variety of online slots, table games, and live dealer content, including original titles from PENN Game Studios, the company’s in-house casino game development studio. Hollywood Casino also includes bespoke live dealer tables and exclusive games such as the recently launched Devils Blackjack, an original title leveraging PENN’s partnership with the New Jersey Devils.
“We’re thrilled to introduce our dedicated, casino-first experience to customers across New Jersey. Hollywood Casino delivers a best-in-class experience with an extensive game library, seamless gameplay, and exclusive content from our in-house studio. This launch builds on the strong momentum we’ve gained since introducing our enhanced standalone app in December,” said Aaron LaBerge, Chief Technology Officer of PENN Entertainment.
The stand-alone Hollywood Casino platform debuted in Pennsylvania last December and is also available in Michigan.
Gambling in the USA
Bitline and Everi Announce Crypto Liquidity for Choctaw Casinos & Resorts in Industry First Development
Bitline, the only provider for casino chip access directly from cryptocurrency, has announced its first major collaboration in the U.S. casino market, teaming up with Choctaw Casinos & Resorts through its collaboration with Everi, a premier provider of financial technology and gaming solutions. This collaboration introduces cryptocurrency and digital assets as a new source of liquidity for casino patrons and marks the first time that such a functionality has been enabled within the American gaming industry.
Leveraging Everi’s CashClub’s comprehensive payment infrastructure, Bitline’s solution is able to efficiently board, screen and verify patrons looking to leverage their digital assets whilst also allowing patrons to move screened assets into custody within minutes. Bitline’s integration with Everi Cash Club, the leading financial access services suite for casino payments, will enable the technology for the benefit of Choctaw Casinos & Resorts, and is the first time that such a functionality has been possible in the U.S. regulated casino market.
Catering to the growing demand for greater cryptocurrency and digital asset integration within the casino industry, the collaboration between Bitline and Everi’s forms a transferable blueprint that offers casino operators and their patrons an alternative way to manage funds, access liquidity, and leverage the benefits of cryptocurrency and other digital assets.
This milestone reflects a strategic shift in how casino operators view and manage financial interactions with their guests. The introduction of cryptocurrency as a liquidity solution provides additional options for guests and lays the foundation for Choctaw Casinos & Resorts as it looks to the future of gaming sector finance, setting a new standard in financial accessibility and convenience.
“Working with Choctaw Casinos & Resorts and Everi to make this a reality is a historical moment for both the casino and blockchain industries. Bitline was conceptualized to advance the gaming sector and offer a wider variety of financial options for the casino industry,” said Richard Jones, CEO at Bitline. “We’re entering an era where digital assets can fundamentally enhance the gaming experience, providing casino operators with a future-ready financial framework that can expand and evolve as the industry does. This collaboration is just the beginning of our vision to modernize casino payment capabilities on a global scale.”
Victor Newsom, SVP Product Management, Payments Solutions at Everi comments “This unique integration combines BitLine’s additional payment accessibility options with Everi’s ability to enable seamless, secure, and regulatory compliant financial transactions for casino patrons. Designed from the ground up to exceed the rigorous compliance demands of the industry as well as the discerning expectations of gaming VIPs around the world, Choctaw’s patrons are now no longer limited to the access, times, amount, and speed constraints of the legacy financial systems. This also significantly reduces risk for our casino customers, such as Choctaw.”
“We are excited to be the first casino in North America to offer our guests another way to play,” said Thomas McDonald, Senior Director of Cage and Credit at Choctaw Casinos & Resorts. “Through our long-term relationship with Everi, a leader in fintech solutions, we will continue to invest in innovative offerings that provide the discerning gaming VIP access to funds in a safe and secure manner.”
The Choctaw Casinos & Resorts integration represents only the first phase of Bitline’s broader mission to bring cryptocurrency solutions to casinos and casino patrons worldwide. As cryptocurrency and digital assets continue to gain traction in the gaming sector, Bitline’s easy to integrate and patented payment model stands poised to become a key player in transforming gaming finance. Future plans include expanding services across other major casinos and gaming markets, both domestically and internationally, establishing cryptocurrency as a new standard feature of the gaming experience.
The solution is to be formally rolled out on March 7, 2025, with the first transaction taking place at Choctaw’s Durant, Oklahoma, location.
The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) has taken decisive action against five offshore online casinos, sending cease-and-desist letters for violating state gaming laws. These websites offer a variety of casino games, such as slots, poker, blackjack, Keno, bingo, and game show games, in addition to sports betting.
The following unlicensed operators are now under scrutiny following the MGCB’s action:
BetWhale Casino, Curaçao
Black Lotus Casino, owned by TD Investments Ltd., Belize
Coins Game Casino, Curaçao
Love2play Casino, Curaçao and Costa Rica
Orion Stars 777 Players, Sichuan Province, China
“These illegal platforms not only violate Michigan’s gaming regulations but also put consumers at risk by offering unreliable withdrawal options and lacking essential consumer protections. Our top priority is safeguarding Michigan residents by ensuring that all online gaming activities are conducted legally and safely. These operators must stop their activities or face additional legal consequences,” MGCB Executive Director Henry Williams said.
Investigations into these illegal activities have revealed that the operators are in violation of multiple Michigan state laws.
Despite offering various payment options like Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, and cryptocurrencies (e.g., Bitcoin and Ethereum), these illegal operators impose strict withdrawal conditions, often requiring players to wager their initial deposits multiple times before they can access their winnings.
The MGCB has given these operators 14 days from the date of receipt of the cease-and-desist letters to halt their illegal activities.
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