Reflecting on RLX Gaming’s entry into the US

How do you reflect on RLX Gaming’s entry into US markets? 

The US offers opportunities and strategic growth potential that are incredibly exciting for the company, and our successful entry demonstrated our ability to grow further beyond Europe. The process to go live by 2023 was driven by a high level of focus from our team, and together we made sure no stone was left unturned ahead of our launch in New Jersey with BetMGM.

Our primary objective last year was to lay the foundations for a strong launch in the region, highlighting the dedication with which we set our US ambitions and how much we value the market potential.

We continue our work to strengthen RLX Gaming’s brand presence, expand operator reach, increase player awareness of our outstanding games and continue the company’s exciting journey in North America by exploring expansion into other states.

Which games have gained the most popularity in the US? 

Despite it still being early days, we have observed similarities between Europe and the US from a performance perspective and also in terms of what ‘sticks.’ Audiences seem to be resonating with the same content and, overall, we are highly encouraged by the trajectory. 

Although at present we are live with a curated selection of our extensive portfolio, games such as Great Western and Temple Tumble are already seeing strong engagement, and our plan is to launch many more existing titles, as we continue to learn about the market and its preferences.

In a previous edition of Gaming America, you touched on the popularity of table games among American players. How is RLX looking to leverage this opportunity? 

Our overall approach and positioning of blackjack and roulette within the US mirrors what we do in Europe, where our games have successfully taken significant market share, while also offering operators a reliable and cost-effective way to engage their players.

Our table games are high-quality, competitively priced, commoditized titles that operators can justify giving an additional push to.

You launched firstly in New Jersey, but which other states does RLX plan on entering? 

New Jersey represents the beginning of RLX Gaming’s journey in the US market. Following a strong start here, our continued growth plans within the state remain a priority, including exploring further operator integrations, delivering new products to the market and building player familiarity with our games. 

Other states feature heavily within our plans for strategic growth in the US, including Pennsylvania and Michigan. We are extremely excited about our upcoming market entry roadmap, and our teams are working diligently to ensure our brand delivers on all fronts when we are ready to go live with our content inthese states.

You have been present in Ontario, Canada, since 2022. How big is the potential of the market there? 

Ontario was a strategic North American entry point for the company and provided us with a strong base. The market has shown fantastic growth potential and quarterly developments since regulating, and as such offers a great growth opportunity in its own right.

Ontario contains a mix of European operators and North American ones that share distribution in the markets of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan. This is of course valuable in shaping conversations, as we look to make our debuts in additional states.

RLX has signed several partnerships in recent months, but which has been most important?

Naturally, our go-live in New Jersery with BetMGM was pivotal; however, every operator we partner with as we enter a new market is extremely important, particularly during the initial stages of establishing our brand and increasing awareness.

We are grateful and excited to all our operators who have embarked on a partnership with RLX Gaming and embraced our product offering. 

Money Train 4 (Great Western 4) won the Online Slot of the Year at the Global Gaming Awards in London back in February. How pleased have you been with the overall performance of the game?  

Great Western 4 (known as Money Train 4 outside of the US) is a beautifully crafted, highly anticipated, feature-rich title, embraced by players worldwide. We are grateful to both players and operators for supporting this legendary release and helping build excitement around the launch. This made all the hard work the team put in worthwhile. 

The Money Train franchise has arguably been one of the biggest in slot history, and it is important to bear that in mind by not only celebrating Great Western 4/Money Train 4 in its own right, but also using the opportunity to assess success from a holistic perspective.

For RLX to have this in our arsenal is wonderful! Witnessing the game grow to four titles, each building on the previous iteration and keeping the audience entertained, is a true testament to its longevity.

We knew when the flagship game was first released that we had something special to build upon and, four games later, our stance on the franchise certainly has not changed.

David Thompson

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