Playtech and MGM outline MGM Live concept at SBC Summit

Playtech and MGM Resorts International presented their MGM Live concept at the recently concluded SBC Summit in Lisbon, Portugal.

The companies announced the new concept which will rely on live casino products broadcasted directly from the hospitality giant’s land-based venues in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Playtech and MGM set out to collaborate on "elevated experience"

This collaboration will enable the companies to spread the excitement and "the spark" of Las Vegas to players all over the world, the partners stated cited by SBC Events.

MGM Resorts International SVP, Head of Interactive Chrisitan Stuart called this an "elevated experience" that will bring more opportunities to players across regulated markets.

"We’ve been looking at the live dealer space for quite some time. It’s a large industry that represents about 20-30% of operator revenue, and we were trying to find our footing in what we could do in this space. After much searching around, we landed on Las Vegas – that’s our distinctive feature," Stuart explained, suggesting that the move has been long in the works.

With Vegas Strip venues such as MGM Grand and Bellagio, MGM Resorts is well-positioned to grow its footprint globally. The excitement was shared by Shimon Akad, Playtech’s COO, who added that working with MGM Resorts was a reason for the company to feel pride.

Commenting on the MGM Live concept itself, Akad said: "The concept was that everyone knows Vegas. Vegas is the undisputed, unchallenged, almost official capital of the gambling world. Everybody who loves gambling wants to travel to Vegas."

Stuart and Akad were both happy to take questions from journalists, with some asking about the challenges that lay ahead. Stuart said that "Vegas is a global brand" and that Vegas is set to "cut through all markets."

"A lot of times when you’re looking at a US product selling to a certain jurisdiction, you worry about how it needs to be tailored to that market. But we believe that Vegas is a global brand that will allow us to cut through a lot of the noise," he said, outlining the ambition of the partners to deliver Las Vegas experiences all across the world.

Overcoming global boundaries to spread the "Las Vegas brand"

All content that may be borne out of the MGM Live concept will also be delivered in a "regulated fashion," with the company observing all regulatory prerequisites to ensure that the product hits its intended mark without roadblocks.

Teasing about the future of MGM Live, Stuart explained that there will be a lot going on with the concept. For example, the games may be streamed live at first, but then – there may be a dedicated studio, where celebrities will make guest appearances to liven up the mood and add to the excitement.

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