Sports betting has been all the rage at Hard Rock International since its launch this past month, but it’s social gaming (no money involved) recently made headlines at the prominent operator.
Hard Rock International’s Hard Rock Digital division announced it bolstered its social casino offerings by launching Hard Rock Games online casino. A move that comes after the company acquired a mobile social gaming company, WGames.
Who is WGames?
Hard Rock Digital’s purchase of WGames is a relatively normal move for digital gaming companies that want to expand their gaming portfolio and game-creation capabilities without building their in-house studio.
WGames is a relatively small gaming shop based in Toronto that launched in 2017. The company’s website lists two games: Jackpot Planet and Neverland Casino.
The company’s CEO, Daniel Kajouie, spent seven years at gaming firm Imperus Technology before launching WGames. Kajouie will now serve as the managing director of Hard Rock Games.
How Hard Rock Games has changed since bringing in WGames
Hard Rock Digital’s social gaming platform was sparse and remains that way after the acquisition. Before WGames, Hard Rock’s social casino offered four titles:
- Hard Rock Blackjack: Blackjack plus casino table games
- Seminole Slots: More than 250 slots titles, many of which are also at brick-and-mortar Seminole casinos
- Hard Rock World Tour: A slots and table-game RPG in which the player travels the world
- Hard Rock Adventures: a puzzle game where you unlock venues
And while none of the games require money to play, they offer seasonal prizes. For example, Hard Rock Gaming’s current promotion is a giveaway that will award one social gaming customer a three-night stay at a Hard Rock Hotel New York Platinum Suite, a 758-square-foot room that costs anywhere from $251 to $645 a night.
In a Hard Rock Digital press release, executive managing director Rafi Ashkenazi said:
“With the addition of WGames’ world-class games, technology and operations, we have set the stage to accelerate growth for our social gaming business. Hard Rock Games’ enhanced capabilities will allow us to better engage our worldwide player communities with exceptional digital experiences and entertain our players like no one else can.”
Adding WGames’ existing portfolio of games should boost customer loyalty, as adding high-quality games to a social platform is a widely-used strategy for keeping players happy. And though the company’s website shows only two games (which are now listed on Hard Rock Gaming’s website), the company has a “full suite of gaming titles,” according to Hard Rock’s press release.