Exclusive Q&A: Evolution North America CEO Jacob Claesson on G2E Ezugi launch 

Claesson broke down Ezugi’s goals for the US, its localized portfolio and its goals for the year ahead.

Firstly, what does Ezugi mean and what does the brand stand for?  

Ezugi is a global leader providing live dealer gaming solutions to its partner, with a uniquely local focus, and is widely recognized for its proficiency in creating retail environments. As a prominent figure in the live casino sector, Ezugi has been delivering outstanding and locally tailored live casino content since its establishment in 2012. They guarantee clients a robust portfolio featuring various games, including custom game formats and native-speaking dealers, providing players with a fully immersive gaming experience. 

You’re expanding the presence of Ezugi in the States. What states are you targeting and why?  

Live dealer is in its infancy in the US compared to Europe, where live dealer is a significant share of the total online casino sector. In the US this number is much lower, and there are multiple reasons for this. We believe one big factor required to grow live casino is to introduce more exciting features and games to attract a wide range of different players, especially those who haven’t played live casino before.  

We want to be the drivers for this growth and to bring live dealer online casino games to more players in the US. This is a significant step in Evolution Group’s expansion in North America, as both investing in our partners and in growing the live dealer sector in the region.  

As part of this expansion, you’re also building new live casino studios. Are these studios going to be in the US or in another part of the world and why?  

We are building a new studio in Grand Rapids, Michigan to increase our capacity and to keep up with the increased demand from a recruitment perspective. We feel a dedicated Ezugi studio focused on the brand’s games portfolio and offering, will be an excellent way to capture the unique local focus that is so important to us, making it as successful as possible. We are starting with this studio in Michigan, but will expand the offering in Pennsylvania and New Jersey as well.  

You’re planning to launch both core games and unique Ezugi games in the US. What was the development process like for these games and how have they been tailored to the US market?  

We are focusing on bringing core games in Ezugi’s portfolio, such as Live Dealer Blackjack, Baccarat and Poker, as well as unique localized game variants such as Triple Zero Roulette, a casino favorite found on the gaming floors across Las Vegas, as well as several other unique Ezugi games, to players. Part of Ezugi’s company DNA is to be agile and adapt the offering to the local market needs, something which this game does perfectly for a US audience.  

In general, how does Ezugi tailor games to specific markets?  

Ezugi provides cutting-edge innovations, pioneers new markets and specializes in meeting the needs of players and customers with the best localized content. Ezugi’s historic regional expertise in geographic markets, such as Latin America and South Africa, has shown exceptional success in creating games in players’ native language, fostering connections with others who share a common linguistic background. 

This time next year, what do you want Ezugi’s presence in the US to look like?  

By next year, we will have been live for some time in our state-of-the-art Grand Rapids, Michigan studio, with the potential for an additional state studio opening. We will have established Ezugi as the clear second live casino brand in North America. We hope that live dealer has grown in popularity in the United States than today, and Ezugi will have played an important role in this transition. 

Beth Turner

Visit Profile

Players trust our reporting due to our commitment to unbiased and professional evaluations of the iGaming sector. We track hundreds of platforms and industry updates daily to ensure our news feed and leaderboards reflect the most recent market shifts. With nearly two decades of experience within iGaming, our team provides a wealth of expert knowledge. This long-standing expertise enables us to deliver thorough, reliable news and guidance to our readers.