There’s a new kid on the block in the competitive US online casino market: White Hat Studios.
It’s a young company – still less than a year old in fact – but originally expected to make its debut in Q1 this year. The rollout encountered some delays, but the company has been hard at work signing deals with US operators, including several Michigan online casinos.
Finally, though, its first two slots titles have appeared at BetMGM Michigan. Michigan Casino Review Bank was able to confirm that as of the time of writing, Thriller Gorilla and Rolling in Gold are both available for real-money play.
Many more should follow, as the company has a total of 32 games (including both slots and table games) on the US roadmap on its website. It lists April 25, 2024 as the release date for all of them, so they are presumably just waiting for regulatory approval at this point.
In the company’s announcement today, CEO Andy Whitworth said:
We’re delighted to see our products go live in the US, starting with BetMGM in the great state of Michigan. Our games are tried and tested, and we are confident our content will thrill US players.
It’s been an incredible ride getting to this point from a standing start last September. This is a huge milestone to go live, my team has been exceptional to move at such speed, the next step is to launch into all states and get live the 15+ operators that we have signed so far.
Sign up with BetMGM today to give Thriller Gorilla and Rolling in Gold a try!
Where did White Hat Studios Come From?
It may seem surprising that a company less than a year old already has nearly three dozen games ready to go. That’s because the slots themselves aren’t brand new, even if the company is.
White Hat Studios is the content division of White Hat Gaming, which has been around since 2012. Its core business is providing the software to run an online casino, managing games portfolios, customer accounts and the like. Its clientele is largely outside the US but includes Barstool Sportsbook.
White Hat Gaming established this content division last year by acquiring the requisite technology and a portfolio of games from Blueprint Gaming.
Blueprint’s slots are all the rage at British online casinos at the moment, but it hasn’t expanded to the US.
What White Hat Slots Can I Play at BetMGM Michigan?
As mentioned, Michigan Casino Review Bank was only able to find two White Hat Studios games ready for play on the day of the announcement.
Thriller Gorilla
This 5×3 reel video slot has medium volatility and a jungle theme with a bit of a video game feel to it. The base mechanics will be familiar to any slots player, but it’s absolutely loaded with bonus features.
A cartoon gorilla next to the play area can randomly wake up on any spin and activate one of three power-ups: Barrel Blast, King Kong Trail or Big Money Bonus. Additionally, landing three scatter symbols will take you into Golden Kong free spins mode for potentially big wins.
Rolling in Gold
This game has a more unusual layout than Thriller Gorilla. It’s got six reels, of which the last four have been expanded to include four symbols each, rather than the usual three.
Its main bonus feature is a cash-on-reels minigame. If you hit two Wild dynamite symbols on the first two reels, spinning a gold nugget or diamond on the other reels activates the bonus game. Here, you’ll get to keep spinning as long as you keep striking gold. Once you’ve filled the reels or your luck runs out, you’ll collect all the cash you see. Collect three diamonds in the bonus game and you’ll trigger free spins with guaranteed cash and a multiplier applied.
In the main game, there are also TNT barrel mystery symbols. These explode after the reels stop spinning, and all barrels will contain the same type of symbol, increasing your chances of making a winning combination.
Other White Hat Studios Games Coming to Michigan
As interesting as those two games look, they’re not all you’ll have to choose from.
BetMGM Casino won’t be the only place you can play either. Among Michigan operators White Hat Studios also has deals in place with DraftKings, FanDuel, Golden Nugget and Eagle Casino.
Exactly which games are available at which sites remains to be seen, though BetMGM has the two above listed as exclusives. Here are the other slots brands White Hat Studios has on its roadmap for Michigan:
- Crazy Fishin’
- Bankin’ Bacon
- Divine Lines
- Dr. Wild and the Eye of the Dead
- Mirror of Fortune
- Super Lucky Frog
- Ted
- Wish Upon a Fairytale
- Jackpot Royale
- Wolf Legend
- Almighty Buffalo
- Gorilla Power
- Prospector Extra Gold
- Vikings Unchanged
- Almighty Sevens
- Genie Wishmaker
- 46,656 B.C.
- Irish Riches
- Mighty Griffin
- King of the Watering Hole
- Paws of Fury
- Sausage Party
- Worms Reloaded
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