Entain has unveiled a new in-house studio, Retrigger Games, which will be focused on developing games for the operator’s North America-facing JV BetMGM, EGR can exclusively reveal.
Retrigger Games will become the third in-house entity under the Entain Studios umbrella, alongside CR Games and Vertical Games.
The studio will have a keen focus on the US and producing games for BetMGM, which Entain runs in partnership with MGM Resorts International.
Retrigger Games will tap the MGM ecosystem, which includes brands, influencers and ambassadors, to deliver branded content.
Jackpot slots will also be a key part of the portfolio.
EGR understands the core of Retrigger Games team will be based in the UK and will be headed up by Gareth Childs.
Childs, who spent more than eight years with Inspired Entertainment, previously led one of Entain’s previous in-house studios, Win.
Win, which focused on developing table games, has been consolidated within the wider Entain Studios arm.
The focus on developing content for BetMGM comes as the JV continues to be an igaming-first operation.
As per its Q3 earnings report, igaming revenue was up 21% year on year (YoY) from $376m to $454m. In comparison, sports betting revenue rose 46% to $202m.
Average monthly igaming actives also jumped 21% during the reporting period.
Management said exclusive content and improved player management had led to “continued strong growth in player acquisition, retention and activity”.
Entain has ramped up its in-house content in recent years, with Pig Banker, a leading light.
The title delivered double the revenue of an average in-house new game within 60 days of launch.
It was also the top game in the UK, Brazilian and Canadian markets for the FTSE 100 operator.
Speaking to EGR, Entain director of in-house studios Benedict McDonagh said the launch of Retrigger Games came against a backdrop of “opportunity and scale”.
He added: “We’ve hit the highest number of games I want our current studios to make per year, and there’s still headroom. We’ve got a huge JV partner with BetMGM. BetMGM has access to our UK studios we’ve seen those games resonate.
“It’s opportunity and scale. We’ve seen there’s a good appetite for our games that we’ve made historically. We want to make more of them. Retrigger is principally going to be focused on making content that works first for the US.
“When we were deciding why we wanted to invest in and build a brand, the US was absolutely a key part of the motivation for that. We’re going to be creating new IP that we can serialise and we will invest, but the first consideration is going to be, ‘Does this style of game work for the US, both thematically and functionally?’”
The post Exclusive: Entain unveils new North America-focused in-house studio first appeared on EGR Intel.
Retrigger Games to develop content for operator’s BetMGM JV, as it joins CR Games and Vertical Games in FTSE 100 company’s portfolio
The post Exclusive: Entain unveils new North America-focused in-house studio first appeared on EGR Intel.