Yggdrasil Teams Up With Caesars for Its First US Launch: Valley Of The Gods Hits New Jersey and Michigan
Yggdrasil has made its US online casino debut in partnership with Caesars Entertainment. Its 2017 flagship Valley Of The Gods goes live first on Caesars platforms in New Jersey and Michigan, with more games to follow.
Key takeaways
- Yggdrasil entered the US market for the first time on July 21 through Caesars Entertainment.
- The game is now live on Caesars Palace Online Casino, Caesars Sportsbook & Casino, and Horseshoe Online Casino in New Jersey and Michigan.
- The first game is the 2017 title Valley Of The Gods. Aristocrat Interactive handled the integration.
Yggdrasil is a provider that started in Sweden in 2013 and made its name in European online casinos. Until now, though, it had never released a game in the US market. On July 21, it took that first step. Its partner is Caesars Entertainment, one of the largest casino groups in the US.
Where it went live
Yggdrasil games are live in two states, New Jersey and Michigan. They launched simultaneously on three Caesars-operated brands: Caesars Palace Online Casino, Caesars Sportsbook & Casino, and Horseshoe Online Casino. The two states are among the few in the US where online casinos are legal, and are overseen by the New Jersey DGE and the Michigan MGCB, respectively.
The technical integration was handled by Aristocrat Interactive, the online division of the Australian slot machine giant Aristocrat. In the US, each state requires its own regulatory approval, so it is common to enter through a large platform that has already been approved.
A nine-year-old flagship as the first game
The first Yggdrasil game US players will meet is Valley Of The Gods. It was released in 2017. Rather than a new release, the company chose its longest-running and most consistently loved game. It is an ancient Egypt themed 5×5 slot that combines multipliers, respins, extra lives, and hidden treasure blocks.
The game also led to a sequel in 2020, Valley of the Gods 2. Choosing the original as the first US game reads as a decision to gauge the response with a proven title first. More games will follow over the coming months.
The core of Valley Of The Gods is the extra life. Treasure blocks cover the 5×5 board, and when a win lands, the block in that spot breaks and the respins continue. Each time the respins run out you lose a life, and the more blocks you break, the higher the multiplier climbs. It came out in 2017, but the structure still has not aged. For US players, it may even feel fresh.
Caesars’ choice is interesting too. Many games in US online casino lobbies are online versions of land-based casino slot machines. European-style online-only slots are relatively rare. Bringing in Yggdrasil reads as an attempt to show players a different kind of game.
What both sides said
Aurora Armaro, Yggdrasil’s head of LatAm and the US, said, “Launching our first US game with one of the strongest operators in the industry is a major milestone, and the first of many opportunities to bring premium content to the North American market.” Ricardo Cornejo Rivas, VP of online gaming at Caesars Digital, said, “We’re proud to introduce Yggdrasil’s innovative content to players in Michigan and New Jersey.”
European providers heading to the US
More European providers are heading to the US this year. Play’n GO continued its US expansion in September by teaming up with Amber Entertainment, and Evolution even created a new US-only slot brand. In Canada, major providers rushed in as the Alberta market opened. The view that North America is the next growth market after Europe has spread across the industry.
Yggdrasil also signed operators in South Africa, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Romania, the Czech Republic, and Italy over the same period. The US debut is the most symbolic step of them all. You can find more of Yggdrasil’s games in the Yggdrasil free slot collection.
Source: Yggdrasil official news