L&W building game content across 3 pillars: Ken Jolly

Jun 07, 2023 Newsdesk G2E Asia 2023: Singapore, Latest News, Top of the deck  

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Casino gaming content and hardware provider Light & Wonder Inc (L&W) says it is getting more game development studios “on board” in order to generate content that can be used across what it terms the “three pillars” of its business.

“That’s land-based gaming, social, and digital. And we’re out there growing in all those,” said Ken Jolly, vice president and managing director – Asia for Light & Wonder. He was speaking to GGRAsia at the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia 2023 Special Edition: Singapore, held last week.

In terms of fresh slot product for land-based venues in Asia,“‘Duo Fu Duo Cai Grand’ is our new link,” said the executive. Given that “everyone” knows of Duo Fu Duo Cai, by creating the ‘Grand’ version, “we’ve got an extra ‘wealth pot’” with the play, that “gives more features,” stated Mr Jolly.

“For us as a company, it’s a whole new family of games,” added the executive, though he observed “we used the Duo Fu Duo Cai name, because people recognise that”. Referring to recurring themed characters in Duo Fu Duo Cai, known as the “Fu Babies”, Mr Jolly said of Duo Fu Duo Cai Grand: “We’ve used the babies… in the artwork,” but the new product has “two wealth pots and a whole lot more features”.

“We’ve got other products such as ‘Dragon Unleashed’” – a slot machine link – “which is one of the top-selling games in Australia in the last 18 months,” stated Mr Jolly.

The executive said that in terms of content crossover between land-based gaming and digital remote play – in markets where it’s permitted – “we have some great franchises” in the slots segment, including not only Duo Fu Duo Cai, but also “Jin Ji Bao Xi”.

“Those products, when they’re online, in digital, perform very well. There’s recognition from those gamers that go to land-based [venues], that when they’re back home, they get on their device and they want to dial in,” to get access to those products.

Mr Jolly noted that in Asia, one of the leading markets for online delivery was the Philippines.

He stated, referring to Philippines Inland Gaming Operator (PIGO) licences that have been made available to land-based casino operators: “During Covid they introduced PIGO, which is bets from inside the country to a casino if you’re a member of that casino. And it came basically by streaming from a single game that was back-of-house or in some cases you can do tables [-delivered games].”

“The PIGO numbers are strong enough for that part of the business to grow,” he added.

Regarding the rise of cashless transactions for gaming following the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr Jolly again noted that the Philippines was an early adopter in terms of the Asia-Pacific region.

“PIGOs in some way forced cashless [transactions] into the market,” because that sector “allowed the gamer from home to dial in,” he observed.

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