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Evolution is flipping the script by bringing popular online slot games to US casino floors. The partnership with Gaming Arts marks a bold shift in how hit games reach players.
North American players have long enjoyed NetEnt slots online. Now, Evolution and Gaming Arts are bringing four of the most popular online casino titles to land-based casinos.
What makes this move unusual is the direction of content flow. Instead of proven land-based titles moving online, the collaborators are reversing the trend. Once fully operational, casino players will be able to spin popular NetEnt slots in physical locations.
Online casino favorites prepare for a new life in land-based venues
The first set of games will launch on Gaming Arts’ MOD EX cabinet hardware in Q4 2025. The move merges Evolution’s IP with Gaming Arts’ land-based engineering capabilities.
As a result, familiar real-money online casino games will be accessible to players in person. Speaking about the collaboration, Todd Haushalter, chief product officer at Evolution, said: “What excites us is reversing the old flow from online to offline. We are taking the most successful online games back to the floor.”
Greg Colella, chief product officer at Gaming Arts, added: “The idea is to customize classics for land-based play. This project will feature new enhancements built to appeal to modern slot lovers.”
When and where NetEnt slots will arrive in North American casinos
The first wave of NetEnt favorites will debut in select North American casinos in Q4 2025, showcased on Gaming Arts’ MOD EX cabinets. These machines are designed for both performance and style, with large screens, interchangeable panels, and flexible layouts.
Gaming Arts’ setup will add visual punch to titles like Starburst and Divine Fortune. The rollout is expected to wrap by year’s end.
New Divine Fortune Ascension slot expands beyond online play
Divine Fortune has long been a crown jewel in Evolution’s online slot lineup in the US. The game has spawned popular spinoffs such as Divine Fortune Megaways and Divine Fortune Black. Now, this classic title is heading to brick-and-mortar venues, joined by a new release: Divine Fortune Ascension.
The Ascension edition adds a fresh twist with a three-pot “perceived persistence” feature designed to heighten engagement by giving players visible progress toward bonus content, even between big wins. With its iconic branding and mechanics, Divine Fortune (classic and Ascension) could dominate casino floors much as it has dominated online casinos.
NetEnt’s Starburst slots get multiplayer twist for casino floors
Starburst is NetEnt’s most popular international game, adored for its sparkling gems, expanding wilds, and win-both-ways gameplay. In Q4 2025, it will enter land-based casinos as a two-game pack featuring:
- Starburst Classic
- A new Starburst Supernova
Both editions are designed as multiplayer games, allowing players to experience the excitement together. They also feature a new persistent bonus system and a hold-and-spin element that adds suspense to every session.
The upgrade preserves Starburst’s magic while adding multiplayer play and bonus features, introducing a social element by turning a solo game into a lively group experience.
Why online slot hits are returning to land-based casinos
For years, casino games primarily moved from the floor to the web. To many, it seemed like the only path forward. But this collaboration signals a different kind of innovation—one that adds value to existing gambling systems.
In an Asia Gaming Brief editorial, Haushalter echoed this view: “The real excitement comes from reimagining our most popular online titles for land-based players. This project is about providing Gaming Arts with our world-class IPs and watching them adapt those games for land-based play.”
If the rollout proves successful, it could spark a new trend, with more studios adapting online hits for casino floors.
The future of casino gaming: Online slots on the floor
Experts say this marks more than a shift — it’s a deliberate push to enhance brick-and-mortar play.
With social elements, visible bonus mechanics, and reliable hardware in place, expectations are high. Evolution and Gaming Arts aren’t just reviving online hits in physical casinos—they’re reshaping how operators and players think about gaming content.
