By Mark Seavy  

Popular licensed franchises and in-house developed brands made it clear they are betting on commercial gaming in 2025 at the recent Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas. 

Sports betting and iGaming are forecast to post double-digit percentage revenue gains in the coming years. Sports betting, in particular, continues to grow as 38 U.S. states have legalized the practice to date (with another seven states expected to approve it by 2027).  

Physical casinos, meanwhile, are faced with a slowing business as inflation chips away at consumer spending and recreational travel, said Dan Wasiolek, Senior Equity Analyst at Morningstar. This anticipated downturn follows a sharp post-pandemic recovery for the category in 2021-2023. To offset a potential decline in the physical casino business, many suppliers unveiled slot and other gambling machines at the G2E event featuring licensed brands in a bid to attract casino goers.  

Slot machine cabinet supplier Light & Wonder, for example, expanded its assortment of Universal Monster products, adding Dracula to line that launched last year with Frankenstein. The games feature the characters as seen in Universal Pictures films, including actor Bela Lugosi in the case of Dracula. Light & Wonder also extended its Warner Bros.-licensed Wizard of Oz machine line with an I’ll Get You My Pretty version, which takes a darker turn by including the Wicked Witch of the West’s castle and flying orbs as cash-on-reels symbols. 

International Gaming Technology (IGT), meanwhile, featured a Wheel of Fortune Zone as the centerpiece of its booth as it unveiled 11 new licensed slots games and three new cabinets, further expanding a license that has been part of its business since 1996. In addition to new cabinets with 49-inch screens for video poker, IGT also showed Wheel of Fortune electronic table games (craps, roulette) as well as video lottery terminals.  

This year marked IGT’s first appearance at the G2E event since it launched plans to spin off its Gaming and Digital business (IGT Gaming), combining it with fellow machine supplier Everi into a new holding company owned by Apollo Global Management.  

Aristocrat Gaming expanded its licensed National Football League (NFL) slot machines as a follow up to those introduced a year ago. The NFL line includes electronic bingo games and its Product Madness division is developing a version for its social casino business, Chief Financial Officer Sally Denby said. The company also recently formed a partnership with the Dallas Cowboys that includes signage throughout the team’s AT&T Stadium.  

These new licensed product introductions at G2E came as American Gaming Association CEO Bill Miller struck an optimistic note about the industry’s future during a keynote presentation, noting that the average age in casinos is 42 years old (down compared to 50 years old in 2019). The pandemic was instrumental in bringing younger crowds to casinos, which were among the few entertainment options available during COVID-related restrictions, he said. It also helps, according to Miller, that many casino games provide a similar experience to videogames, a category that has seen significant growth in recent years.  

“2024’s G2E show saw no letdown in strong game and cabinet content across the industry,” Bill Jonas, an analyst at Truist Securities, said in a research note. “Operators we spoke with still saw Aristocrat on top, with Light & Wonder still making gains amidst a diverse offering. Some operator concerns remain over impending mergers and acquisitions between IGT and Everi, [which] could create near-term opportunities for others.”