NetEnt Announces Its Entry Into The PA Online Gambling Market, While Opening Up Its Company Site To Affiliates
By Bill Grinstead on Sep 19, 2018 Industry Online Casino
With all but two PA casinos purchasing licenses to offer some type of online gambling, the state's iGaming market is starting to take shape.
Today, another piece of the puzzle was put in place, as NetEnt, an elite slot and table game producer, announced that it has applied for a license to operate in the Keystone State market.
In a separate release, it revealed in addition that it would launch its own affiliate business, by advertising international online casinos alongside the demo games it provides on its website for curious gamers.
"We are excited to continue our strategic expansion in the US," said Erik Nyman, NetEnt Americas managing director (who we interviewed earlier this month). "We have enjoyed success in New Jersey and believe that this will continue in Pennsylvania. We will launch with a mix of our table games, video slots, jackpot games and unique features like free spins that have been greatly appreciated by our customers and their players. Our ambition is to be live in Pennsylvania as soon as the market opens."
Smooth transition from NJ to PA
Indeed, NetEnt is heavily entrenched in the Garden State, and has licensed its games to multiple of NJ's online casinos. Golden Nugget, for example, offers nearly 70 of the Swedish manufacturer's gaming titles, which run the gamut from slots and blackjack to roulette.
Innovative and beautifully designed slot titles, however, are the company's bread-and-butter – games like Asgardian Stones and Fairytale Legends feature jaw-dropping graphics which competitors can rarely match.
The company is especially known for the massively popular Divine Fortune jackpot slot, which is currently offered at 10 NJ online gaming sites, and is responsible for more progressive payouts than any of the state's other jackpot slots. NJ Online Gambling provides a dedicated tracker where you can find updates of each jackpot amount daily.
Fees, fees everywhere!
NetEnt's entry into PA will not come cheap, as manufacturers and gaming suppliers are required to pay a $1 million fee to become licensed. While the state of PA boasts a much larger population than New Jersey, profit margins on NetEnt games in the state will likely be lower due to the oppressive 54% tax Commonwealth regulators will levy on slot machines.
Operators will keep a much bigger chunk of table game revenue, though, which is set to be taxed at 16%.
NetEnt's $1 million licensing fee is but a drop in the bucket compared to the $10 million top-level land-based casino licensees must pay to enter the market.
So far, though, it hasn't been much of a deterrent. Eleven of the state's casinos have applied for some form of online casino license, netting PA a whopping $110 million in proceeds.
Monetizing NetEnt.com
NetEnt's other big news of the day came with its announcement that it would essentially become an affiliate for several international online casinos. The company, which already offers consumers a chance to play demo versions of its games on its website, will monetize that traffic by enticing players with bonuses from casinos like Cashmio, ComeOn!, Casumo and LeoVegas.
"This is both an important and natural step for us, positioning us in an attractive part of the value chain, as we continue to offer the ultimate entertainment experience," said NetEnt CEO Therese Hillman. "This new strategic initiative is a great way for us to strengthen our relationship with both operators and players."
The new site is located at https://games.netent.com/. Players anywhere in the world can try the demo games for free, but patrons in the U.S. cannot take advantage of the new bonus offers, as these casinos are not regulated inside the U.S.