The new game, NHL Gold Blitz, is right now available at the company’s online casino platform in New Jersey, where BetMGM offers players and fans of the NHL to immerse themselves in what is a gripping and captivating ice ring experience.

New NHL Slot Set to Take the Front Stage at BetMGM New Jersey

The game is developed by Digital Gaming Corporation, which is a prominent local partner to BetMGM, and a developer of innovative content that is fully focused on building products for the regulated online casino sector in the United States and North America.

The new title comes with a 6-row, 4-reel grid along with 4,096 paylines and numerous features that make the entire experience more fun for the end user. Among the games that players can get their hands on are such options as the Instant Cash Collection feature and the Wild Multiplier Free Spins, along with native jackpot rewards.

Apart from relying on a thematic hook for sports and hockey fans, Digital Gaming Corporation and BetMGM have decided to create an experience that stands well on its own and delivers outstanding and fun gameplay across the board.

Much like other sports-themed and backed slots, BetMGM and Digital Gaming Corporation have agreed that the key to hockey fans’ hearts is personalization and offering tailored experiences. This is why players can see all 32 NHL teams and their logos.

Commenting on this opportunity, BetMGM VP of Gaming Product & Content Oliver Bartlett said that the company was ecstatic to have embarked on this meaningful collaboration with NHL and Digital Gaming Corporation, adding:

The iconic NHL brand combined with the great action of the game make this a real winner. We are proud to offer this and many more unique games exclusively at BetMGM.

BetMGM VP of Gaming Product & Content Oliver Bartlett

DGC B2B iGaming Division CCO Neill Whyte was similarly pleased with the resulting product and its significance for the market. He hailed BetMGM for its forward-thinking approach to iGaming and insisting on building titles, products, and experiences that follow the players and their specific needs and preferences.

Building Upon a Solid Brand IP and Franchise

“A great game, a great brand and a great team,” Whyte said commenting on the launch of NHL Gold Blitz with BetMGM. This is not the first time that BetMGM has used NHL assets and imagery.

In 2022, the company rolled out branded NHL roulette, baccarat, blackjack, and even a live Mone Wheel game – Dream Catcher, to further reinforce the league’s standing within the iGaming sector, which has seen players respond with excitement and pounce at the opportunity to play an NHL-themed game indeed.

Major leagues have been more prominent among casino companies of late, with Aristocrat launching a series of NFL-themed games that resonated with players across the land-based sector.

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Public opinion in Osaka, Japan is on the rise in support of an integrated casino resort in the prefecture according to an exit poll conducted over the weekend by the local news outlet, Mainichi Shimbun. The survey was taken by Japan’s oldest newspaper over the weekend as the Osaka Mayoral Election was held as part of the 20th Unified Local Elections in the country.

Plans call for Japan’s first casino to be built as part of a large integrated resort (IR) on Yumeshima island – a man-made land mass that is part of Konohana-ku, one of the 24 wards of Osaka, Japan.

According to the trusted outlet, the survey queried 6,190 voters as they left 145 polling places. A majority, 53% said they supported the IR development while 45% said they were opposed to it.

Osakans Want the Integrated Resort Casino

Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura was not shy about his support for the development and the issue was seen by many as a key element of his potential re-election which he handily won with more support for a second term than he garnered when he won the governorship the first time. He assumed office in April 2019.

According to a report on Inside Asia Gaming’s website, only a third of those who voted to re-elect the governor were opposed to the development.

Hirofumi Yoshimura was endorsed by Osaka Ishin no Kai (Japan Reformation Association). He is the Deputy Leader of Nippon Ishin no Kai. Osaka (city) is the capital and most populated city in the Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan with a population of 2.7 million.

Also endorsed by Osaka Ishin no Kai was political upstart Hideyuki Yosokawa who was elected mayor of the city. His victory was more robust than that of the governor however with a record 2.44 million votes – the most ever cast for a mayoral candidate in Osaka. His margin of victory was about two-million votes over his closest competitor.

The party also won 55 seats on the city council and retained its majority.

Governor Yoshimura was supported by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party as well. He had stated earlier that he may resign as a representative if a majority was not maintained.

Hard Work Ahead for Next Four Years

Speaking to constituents after the election Yoshimura said, “I believe that we have received a certain amount of public support to promote the IR attraction. I want to work hard for the next four years with the strong desire to make Osaka grow.”

The prefecture and city tendered an application to the central government in early 2022. Partnering in the endeavor are MGM Resorts and the Japanese multinational ORIX Corporation, a publicly owned Tokyo-based international financial services company established in 1964. ORIX is listed on the Tokyo and New York Stock Exchanges.

When Japanese lawmakers finally passed legislation that was signed by the late Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, it was hoped by many that at least one IR would be approved and operating before the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics opened. However, deep-seated religious and secular political opposition to gambling remained and the fight was taken to a local level where anti-casino voices, mixed with complicated cultural and political machinations won out and drove most casino operators away from the fight.

Current projections, reportedly affirmed by the Governor, project an IR opening in 2029. Investment costs have been estimated to be as high as $10 billion to complete the project.

Out of a large field of deep pockets and top-tier global casino operators that initially vied for approval, MGM’s Osaka bid is seen by many as the last hope to build not only a world-class casino resort in Japan but the country’s only casino.

Various numbers have been tossed about since long before the Diet and Cabinet codified gambling liberalization in Japan. The latest projections indicate that the MGM/Orix consortium’s development could attract as many as 20 million visits each year and generate revenue approaching US$4 billion (JPY 520 billion).

Source: Exit poll shows majority support for Osaka IR as governor wins re-election, Inside Asian Gaming, April 11

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