Games Global enters West Virginia: its fifth US state
Games Global has received a West Virginia Lottery Commission license and entered its fifth US state. Following Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the Thunderstruck, Gold Blitz and Mask of Fire series go in first.
Key takeaways
- It received its supplier license from the West Virginia Lottery Commission.
- It is the fifth US state, following Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
- The Gold Blitz, Mask of Fire and Thunderstruck series go in first.
West Virginia Lottery Commission license
Games Global announced its entry into West Virginia on October 8. It received a supplier license from the West Virginia Lottery Commission and can now supply games to online casinos in the state. It is the fifth US state to open up.
West Virginia is one of the few US states that have legalized online casinos. Its population is small, at around 1.8 million, but the market has grown steadily since online casinos launched in 2020. Regulation is handled by the Lottery Commission, which oversees the casino industry.
The US map, now expanded to five states
Games Global’s US expansion went in the order of Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. With only a handful of US states having legal online casinos, these five cover most of the big markets. Because there is no federal online casino law in the US, each state legalizes separately and issues supplier licenses separately. New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan rank near the top in US online casino revenue.
Chief Business Officer Mark McCombe said, “West Virginia is our fifth US iGaming state,” calling it “another important moment in our continued progress in North America.” He added, “Our studios make games for every kind of player.”
Thunderstruck goes first
The first titles going into West Virginia are the company’s flagship series: Gold Blitz, Mask of Fire and Thunderstruck. Thunderstruck is a long-running Norse mythology series, and Thunderstruck II, featuring Thor and Odin, is especially well known. Gold Blitz has expanded its series quickly in recent years with a bonus that collects gold coin symbols.
All three series are flagship titles from Games Global’s studios. Games Global is the company that took over the game business of Microgaming, and it has grown by gathering and distributing games from dozens of partner studios rather than relying on in-house development. You can try some of its games in Microgaming free slots.
North American expansion following Alberta, Canada
North America is the region Games Global is putting the most effort into. In September it entered Alberta, Canada. Alberta is a new market that opened its online casinos in July, and Pragmatic Play, Evolution and Hacksaw Gaming have gone in one after another. The situation at the market opening is covered in our Alberta article.
Counting Ontario, Games Global’s North American markets now total five US states and two Canadian provinces. The company said it is also entering West Virginia together with major operators.
West Virginia’s online casinos include major operators active across the US, such as BetMGM, DraftKings and Fanduel. These companies already use Games Global games in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, so once a new state opens, the same games are easy to carry over. That is why the US expansion builds up one state at a time.
Seen alongside August’s new jackpot
Games Global is pushing jackpots and market expansion together this year. In August it launched the frequently hitting jackpot network Jackpot Madness, adding Ontario and Alberta as supported markets. However, the West Virginia announcement did not mention jackpots. Because each US state requires its own separate approval, it may take longer for network jackpots to come in.
Source: iGaming Business