As the online gaming market grows in the United States, it is only natural for associated companies to expand service options. There are many ways to be involved in the industry. Operators, game developers, software providers, geo-location services, security, etc. are all elements needed in states where iGaming is legal. Companies can easily get started in one sector and move on to another. For Penn National Gaming, they remain focused on operations but are now also working on content development.
The company announced this week the creation of Penn Game Studios. This will be the in-house content development studio of the company where a dedicated team will work on creating exclusive content for the company’s customers. Several steps have been taken by Penn National to get the ball rolling on the new studio.
Penn Game Studios
To build its own studio, Penn National decided to acquire two studio company’s, HitPoint Studios and LuckyPoint Inc. The acquisition should be completed soon once closing conditions are accepted. LuckyPoint is the real money gaming company of HitPoint.
Penn National President & CEO Jay Snowden commented on the new gaming studio, stating that the company is excited about the launch. The studio is another important step for the company as it evolves into a top-rated omni channel provider for retail and interactive gaming needs, along with sports betting and entertainment.
According to Snowden, the company will now be able to use the studio to create exclusive content. They will also be able to leverage the Barstool Sports brand and its mychoice customer database to create cross-marketing options within its land-based facilities.
More About HitPoint
A key factor behind the studio launch is the acquisition of HitPoint. The company was founded in 2008 in Massachusetts and is considered an independent game design and development studio. Since its inception, the company has created over 50 games for major brands including Google, Microsoft, and Disney.
By 2019, the company created LuckyPoint to focus on the game development of real-money titles. They also started focusing on creating a remote gaming server. LuckyPoint brings slots and casino games to the table as well as options for mobile and desktop devices.
Once the acquisition is completed, the two companies will integrate within Penn National’s Penn Interactive division.
With the ability to create exclusive games, will the new studio push Penn National to the next level within the online gambling industry? It seems like the logical next step, but will it be fruitful? It is really too early to tell. We will have to see what type of games the studio creates and how well received they are by the gaming audience.
It will be interesting to see how quickly the studio starts to roll out games. Will it focus on slots or table games first? Perhaps a different option such as gameshow style? Only time will tell what the studio will create. We shall see just how long it takes the studio to get the ball rolling and what they will offer as the first new titles are released.
