Games developer NetEnt is looking to further strengthen its position in the US market, having had a presence in the country since the fourth quarter of 2015.
Already established as one of the market leading suppliers in New Jersey. NetEnt has submitted its license application for Pennsylvania, with it also eyeing other regulatory opportunities closely.
Building on the vital role he played in the firm’s expansion in Europe and with WLA customers, Managing Director of NetEnt Americas Erik Nyman, has been tasked with spearheading NetEnt’s growth in North and South America.
Nyman emphasised how the firm’s experience in New Jersey could accelerate prosperity in other states, as it’s now in a far better position to attract US casino players: “In the beginning, US online casino players recognized the land-based content so it’s taken some time to familiarize New Jersey players with our games. However, we have a strong market position, and this has been achieved through a very tight collaboration with our partners, raising the general awareness of what works and what doesn’t with the online casino player top of mind.
“Our strong portfolio has really made a difference for us in New Jersey, and it’s positive that we can capitalize on our learnings as we expand into other regulated states.”
Mapping out the state of play for online casino in the US after the repealing of PASPA, Nyman highlighted: “Sports betting is a new business segment in the US as it has been illegal both from a land-based and online perspective, apart from in Nevada. Hence a new vertical is easier to introduce than expanding casino to online as you need to figure out how to cross market and utilize your existing player base.”
Looking ahead to whether the firm can partner with flourishing sports operators in the US, he revealed: “If a sports betting operator wants to introduce online casino to their offering, we will certainly be interested in discussing a partnership. Our core objective is to provide the ultimate player experience through our world class games, which in turn helps operators grow their business.
“This is something we do very well and sometimes that also includes helping operators expand into new verticals. We are fully focused on developing our business and are continuously evaluating new partnerships.”
Further detailing the importance of partnerships, he continued: “For us, every partnership counts, and NetEnt has a business partner mindset at the top of its agenda. We do not have any specific qualification criteria as such, the importance is that we see a great fit, and that we have a common view on the partnership, and what we want to achieve together.
“All partnerships are for the long term, so we are truly dedicated to every one that we decide to enter into. Operators in each state are of course in the strongest position but we do have a good number of existing customers that we would love to expand business with. Every new prospect is carefully considered, and we do thorough due diligence prior to entering a partnership.”
