Check in on the slots fans in your life – they’re not okay. After Pragmatic Play pulled their entire slots library from US sweepstakes casinos last month, many players are left searching for games that offer the same level of challenge and entertainment.
Pragmatic Play is the developer behind popular slots like Sugar Rush, Gates of Olympus 1000, and the Big Bass franchise. Their decision to pull out of the US sweeps market came after a civil lawsuit against Stake.us, which named Pragmatic Play as a software provider. It’s a sign that regulatory pressure is affecting game providers as well as casino operators.
So, what does that mean for sweepstakes casino players in the US now that Pragmatic Play has left the United States? While sweeps casinos offer thousands of other titles, it can be hard for players to find something that matches the experience of Pragmatic Play games. Pragmatic is one of the biggest providers in the industry for a reason, consistently bringing top-quality graphics, ongoing franchise IPs, and good RTPs.
We took a look at four popular sweeps casinos to see what they’ve added to their libraries recently. The titles below are all recent additions looking to fill the void left by Pragmatic Play’s exit.
Luckybird.io
Luckybird has just added Rogue Games to their list of providers, with several titles in their menu. At first glance, Riches of Olympus appears to be a good substitute for Pragmatic’s Gates of Olympus 1000, with the same high volatility and Ancient Greece theme. However, Riches has a 94% RTP compared to Gates’ 96.5%, so players won’t see the same returns.
Some of Rogue’s other titles include 1.21 Gigawatts and Power Ups. Both offer fun graphics and bonus features, but again the RTPs fall short of the industry average of 96%.
| New Release | Developer | RTP | Volatility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riches of Olympus | Rogue | 94% | Medium |
| 1.21 Gigawatts | Rogue | 94.04% | Medium |
| Power Ups | Rogue | 95.53% | Medium-high |
McLuck Casino
McLuck has released seven new, exclusive titles this month. While it’s a small number overall, exclusives are a good tactic to retain players with games that they won’t find at other casinos.
Unfortunately, not all of their new titles offer the challenge and reward of Pragmatic’s library. Turbo Diamonds has a disappointing 92.72% RTP and few extra features. The best bet at McLuck is Captain Bones Big Bounty, combining a decent RTP with a medium volatility for broad player appeal.
| New Release | Developer | RTP | Volatility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo Diamonds | Penguin King | 92.72% | Low |
| McLuck Dragon’s Fireworks | Evoplay | 96.02% | High |
| Captain Bones Big Bounty | M2Play | 96.24% | Medium |
WOW Vegas Casino
WOW Vegas doesn’t appear to have inked any new partnerships this month, but they’ve added new titles from existing providers. These games cover a range of themes, but none have quite the same charm as the Fisherman in Pragmatic’s Big Bass Bonanza games.
Hacksaw Gaming has enough industry experience to be a potential successor to Pragmatic at sweepstakes casinos, so we focused on their new titles at WOW Vegas. Stormborn, Le Zeus, and Tiger Legends all come close to matching Pragmatic’s RTP, over 96%. The exciting bonus features in these Hacksaw games provide an added draw.
| New Release | Developer | RTP | Volatility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stormborn | Hacksaw | 96.26% | High |
| Le Zeus | Hacksaw | 96.26% | High |
| Tiger Legends | Hacksaw | 96.3% | High |
Crown Coins Casino
True to their name, many of Crown Coins’s new releases have crown-based titles like Spinning Crowns and Crown Coins Knockout. The other new games in their list, like Gold Blitz Extreme, have good RTPs but also lean toward higher volatility. There doesn’t seem to be a standout choice for casual players here. However, Pigeons from Space seems promising to fill the animal-cuteness gap left by Pragmatic Play’s Dog House series.
| New Release | Developer | RTP | Volatility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age of Conquest Diamonds & Dragons | Games Global | 96.00% | High |
| Pigeons from Space | Playtech | 96.97% | Very high |
| Gold Blitz Extreme | Games Global | 96.00% | High |
Time will tell if other developers step up to partner at these casinos, or follow Pragmatic Play’s lead and withdraw from the sweepstakes market altogether.
