Online casino and sports betting group LeoVegas is set to venture into game development with the launch of its new in-house studio, Blue Guru Games.
The company said Monday that it has moved to start its development arm to craft new, innovative content. The newly established studio’s first games are expected to be released in late 2021.
LeoVegas has formed Blue Guru Games through its investment arm LeoVentures. The gambling operator has an 85% share in the new iGaming studio. From the very start, the young game developer boasts a team with over two decades of collective experience in the field.
The studio will develop online casino games exclusively for LeoVegas and its brands as well as for other operators. The company said that they hope to craft and release at least 20 new games in the coming two years through Blue Guru Games.
The studio’s future titles will complement the games already available in the lobbies of LeoVegas’ brands. The operator currently has access to content from more than 60 leading providers of games for the online casino industry.
Its to-be-released proprietary products will provide LeoVegas with IP rights that will offer the company and its brands greater flexibility in how the games and their individual characters may be used for improved player retention.
Driving Innovation
Commenting on their first foray into the game development sector, LeoVegas CEO Gustaf Hagman said that for a long time they have added exclusive games to their offering with the help of external providers and that they believe now is the right time to “take the step to do game development entirely on our own.”
Mr. Hagman went on to say that they will be drawing from their data and online casino industry knowledge to be able to drive innovation and develop games that their players will truly enjoy.
Of their future portfolio, the LeoVegas CEO said that it would include everything from niche, local titles for individual market to games with broader, international appeal. In addition to that, the company, through Blue Guru Games, plans to create unique game characters that it will be using in its marketing initiatives to build stronger loyalty to its brands.
LeoVegas anticipates having this flexibility in producing games will offer it a competitive advantage and will create a new revenue stream over time.
The online gambling group has been having a busy time over the past few months. Late last year, it launched its Pink Casino brand in Canada, the first market the operation entered since its initial launch in the UK.
In March, LeoVegas became the first iGaming operator to pass a thorough approval process and launch its online casino app in Google Play. It was in March again when the company strengthened its foothold in the Nordics with the acquisition of Expekt Nordics, one of the pioneers in the provision of online gambling services in the region.
Source: LeoVegas starts game studio, LeoVegas Newsroom, May 3, 2021