Michigan Becomes First US State to Feature NetGaming Titles After License Approval

The Michigan online casino market is fast becoming the number one target for industry partnerships in the United States. Recent developments involving the grant of an iGaming supplier license to NetGaming is evidence of Michigan’s positioning among other states in the country.

At the last public board meeting, the Michigan Gaming Control Board approved the application of NetGaming, with the Wolverine State becoming the first US market where the developer holds a license.

Here’s what this new license may mean for online slots and gambling at Michigan online casinos.

NetGaming first grabbed the attention of stakeholders when it launched in 2019 and released its first title about a year later. The Malta-based online supplier has offices in London and three other jurisdictions in Europe and Asia.

Before seeking a launchpad in the United States, it operated under licenses from the Malta Gaming Association, United Kingdom Gambling Commission and Curacao.  Its products are certified in Belarus and Georgia, while it obtained a license from Greece in the past year.

Plans to enter the US market began late last year when it submitted an application to the Michigan Gaming Control Board. After the recent approval of this supplier license, NetGaming secured its first ever casino license from North America. However, according to the brand’s representatives many more applications are simultaneously being processed.

This goes to show that Michigan is only the first stop in a long line of licenses to roll out in the coming months. In a press release, NetGaming CEO Pallavi Deshmukh expressed his satisfaction at the process and stirred up anticipation towards the immediate launch of its products at Michigan online gambling sites.

“We are thrilled to receive the license. The licensing process in the US is arduous and is a big undertaking. We worked relentlessly to ensure all the i’s were dotted and the t’s were crossed,” Deshmukh said in a statement “For a start-up to receive an iGaming license in the US is no small feat. I am incredibly proud of our team, who are my strength. We can’t wait to go live with our launch partner.”

NetGaming’s newly acquired license will permit it to supply games in its catalog to registered operators in Michigan. Although the developer currently has over 34 games in its suite, only four of these titles will be available immediately to online gamblers in the state.

The four games are Casino Punks, 3 Wild Jokers, Juicy Gold 100 and Aped, which is the first ever Mutant Ape NFT slot. Lovers of online slots across top operators in Michigan are in for one big adventure, especially as the first few games to arrive have been a mainstream success in other continents.

Other titles will be added subsequently after all stakeholders implement a working strategy to ensure steady supply of the software developer’s products. NetGaming is also considering ways to leverage web 3 tech to distribute its products. If it achieves significant progress in this regard, Wolverine State players may be the first to enjoy such innovation in the country.

In 2022, Michigan recorded multiple partnership deals and collaborations that have spiked a significant rise in revenue. Only in December 2022, the Michigan Control Board approved the license of Design Works Gaming and subsequently that of Play’n GO. These developments brought some of the finest gaming options into Michigan online casinos, thereby driving player participation and revenue.

Figures released by the state’s gambling regulator showed that online casinos pooled over $1.4 billion in total revenue for 2022. This represents a 27% increase from the $1.1 billion revenue posted at the end of 2021. Many industry experts believe that as the industry continues to expand and attract the best operators into the market, it would surpass other states in little time.

Back in 2021, Michigan contributed a gross amount of $2.67 billion to the overall gaming revenue of casinos in the US and was the sixth highest earning state. The prospects are higher in 2023 with new developments like interstate plays and the influx of world-class software developers.