It’s been a busy week for casino news, including a couple of key headlines from MGM Resorts. We’ll start off with a merger between two top companies who are working to expand their online slots portfolio.
ReelNRG Partners With Pariplay Limited
ReelNRG, which develops casino games out of London, has signed into a partnership with Pariplay Limited. Pariplay Limited, which hails from the Isle of Man, will offer eight video slots games for ReelNRG, including Goddess of Asia and Ella’s Riches, among others. ReelNRG has this same sort of agreement with BetVictor, so this is only going to boost its portfolio. Ella’s Riches is the game that Pariplay Limited is known for, though, as this five-reel, 30-payline game is very popular.
Luxor Builds Esports Arena
We’ve seen different esports and gambling brands starting to mesh together and now they’re going to have a strong bond on the Las Vegas Strip. MGM Resorts International and Allied Esports have come to an agreement to build a venue that is only for esports in the Luxor hotel. The venue, which is set to open on March 22, will be called the Esports Arena Las Vegas. In terms of size, it will be 30,000 square feet with a 50-foot video wall, along with a studio for production. There will also be telescopic seating in the venue and the food/beverage menu will be chosen by Jose Andres, a celebrity chef who owns restaurants all over the United States.
Once the venue is open, there will be a series of gaming events that will go on for a few days and the highlight will be a live-stream tournament that is invite-only. This event will go on sale to the public for $20 for a day pass, although that price hasn’t been set in stone yet. They are currently looking for sponsors to bring this price down a little bit.
The plan is to make Las Vegas (and Nevada as a whole) the place to go when it comes to esports, which has grown in popularity by leaps and bounds over the last few years. The thinking is that the same crowd that likes electronic gaming will also like the type of gaming that’s found in the casino.
MGM Cotai To Open In February
Speaking of MGM Resorts International, we finally have a date for the long-awaited opening of the MGM Cotai, which is set for February 13. This facility has been due to open a few times in the past, but it has been pushed back due to typhoon Hato last August and the death of a construction worker back in March 2015. The new date is ahead of the Chinese New Year, so they would like to cash in on that.
The MGM Cotai is reported to have room for up to 500 gaming tables in the casino but MGM China Holdings Limited won’t be specific on the number. This casino has been designed to serve the Macau market, which is one of the largest gambling markets in the world.