PlayAIO data shows Light & Wonder title maintains visibility ranking

European data and AI supplier PlayAIO provided SBC Americas with its latest monthly online casino visibility data, allowing stakeholders across the gaming industry to gain insights into how content is consumed.

PlayAIO, leveraging its Rank IQ Engine, collects data using AI and machine learning to measure the visibility of iGaming tiles offered by major operators in the U.S. The operators include BetMGM, DraftKings and FanDuel.

PlayAIO’s latest round of data in August showed a recent disruptor in casino gaming maintaining its status as the most visible title across several operators in regulated states.

Huff N’ More Puff not a one-hit wonder

In July, Light & Wonder’s online casino title Huff N’ More Puff shook things up in the industry by surpassing IGT’s Cash Eruption as the most visible game. Cash Eruption held the top spot as the most visible title for three months before Huff N More Puff reached new players after moving from an exclusive FanDuel release to being widely available.

Huff N’ More Puff carried the momentum into August with the title maintaining its status as the most visible online casino game. Across all three releases of Huff N’ More Puff content, Light & Wonder titles made up 12% of the top 10 games across the market. Light & Wonder is building more brand affinity through the new and exclusive release of Huff N’ Lots Of Puff.

The global games company is garnering strong interest from FanDuel’s exclusivity rights of Huff N’ Lots of Puff, with the game being ranked as the top FanDuel title in terms of awareness in August. That month, Light & Wonder benefited from a large promotional campaign for the title. White Hat Studios also showcased its viability as a content provider in August, ranking as the highest average provider during the month.

Notable White Hat Studios titles such as 7s Fire Blitz Power 5 Jackpot Royale Express and 7s Fire Blitz Hot Stepper contributed to its success during the month, with the content provider averaging 15.5 days in the top 10 games category across all operators.

PlayAIO’s Rank IQ Engine also identified a trend in August spurred by market competition. Its data found in August that as online casino gaming becomes more competitive, the industry leaders of online casino content continue to dominate top-of-screen visibility. 

Industry leaders are also continuing to find new ways to connect with players with IGT’s interactive music title Whitney Houston emerging as a new title in the top five.

Whitney Houston is bringing music-themed online casino games back to the top of the charts with the genre being a historically difficult theme to gain momentum in visibility rankings. However, IGT showed in August that with a notable name and strong game features, music-themed content can drive engagement — particularly across BetMGM, Hard Rock and Hollywood Casino.

Jackpot-linked titles posted a slight decline in August, representing 35% of Top 30 game placements compared to 45% the month prior. PlayAIO data shows that Hard Rock, FanDuel and DraftKings continue to prioritize jackpots as part of their operations.

Newcomers add to the competition

Online casino content providers release new games to keep players engaged and a flurry of new titles solidifies the competitive nature of U.S gaming.

AGS, Games Global, Light & Wonder, White Hat Studios and IGT delivered new titles that posted strong visibility rankings in August. The providers included innovative features in the fresh releases.

Light & Wonder likes to keeps things exclusive

Light & Wonder is committed to offering exclusive titles that have resonated with players.

The company had several games with exclusive rights finish in the top rankings for visibility for exclusive titles. AGS, Evolution and IGT also offer visible exclusive titles.

PlayAIO provides regional data

PlayAIO also measures how location impacts game visibility, collecting data from the seven regulated U.S. online casino markets.

In August, Light & Wonder, White Hat Studios, IGT and Reel Play continued to show aligned success, delivering consistent performances in three key markets: Pennsylvania, Michigan and West Virginia.

PlayAIO aggregates a variety of factors to determine a game’s ranking, including but not limited to its position on the page, tile size and number of visible states.

The company’s Rank IQ Engine allows operators and providers to gain insights for both their mobile and desktop products offered in the U.S., a first for the American market. PlayAIO plans to provide additional visibility data to SBC Americas in the coming weeks.