Evolution Gaming: How It Grew to Dominance by Bringing the Authentic Casino Experience Online 

Evolution Gaming was founded in 2006. The company started as a niche Swedish startup and became a global behemoth. Its main achievement was turning live casino from a relatively basic online imitation of casino tables into a highly produced entertainment format, and it has succeeded in doing so like no other company on the planet.

There is an expectation these days that what you find in the real world should be immediately available online. For example, you can find downloadable scratchcards at Jackpocket online that work exactly the same way as buying them in the store. Evolution basically performs the same trick, but by bringing live dealer casino tables to people’s computers and smartphones.

A dominant position globally

The company dominates live dealer tables worldwide, with something in the region of 70% of the market share; an outstanding figure for a multi-billion-dollar industry that spans every continent. It operates 24 massive studios to facilitate this, which features 100s of croupiers presenting games in a variety of different languages.

While the scale of the operations is important, the real magic comes in the console technology, allowing bets and the table action to play out in real time. It was miraculous back in the early 2010s when these games became widespread, and it still feels miraculous now.

One of the interesting things is that Evolution has not rested on its laurels. It has been determined to change the perception of what casino games could be, introducing the concept of “game shows,” which are casino games presented more like television game shows. Examples include Crazy Time and Monopoly Live. In a recent interview, Evolution’s Head of Product, Todd Haushalter, explained that Crazy Time had overtaken traditional table and card games in betting volumes, calling it the “new blackjack”.

Strengthening from a position of strength

Like any successful company, Evolution has also strengthened from a position of strength. It went on a massive spending spree across the early 2020s, purchasing casino gaming studios like NetEnt, Big Time Gaming, Red Tiger, Nolimit City, and many more. It meant that, at a stroke, the company became the most consequential of B2B casino products, basically allowing it to dominate both the virtual game space and the live one.

Interestingly, in a time when all tech companies are talking about AI’s impact, including AI-induced layoffs, Evolution seems to be taking the opposite stance. Haushalter talked about the fact that the company had no plans to replace human croupiers with AI ones. In fact, he was adamant that he believed casino players would not be happy with such a transformation.

You can see where he was coming from. In the 1990s, when the first online casinos launched, there was a stated goal of replicating what went on in real casinos, i.e., a goal of bringing authenticity to online casino gaming. That was achieved when Evolution – as well as rival companies – started rolling out live dealer games. To replace those live dealers with AI avatars now would feel regressive, as if it were a step back.

While profits are healthy and the scope to grow remains solid, especially in light of the liberalizing US online casino market, we do not know what will happen with Evolution Gaming. It is in the driving seat of the industry, and it will continue to influence the direction of travel from its position of dominance, but the industry may also evolve, incorporating technologies like AI, even if Evolution does not see it happen,

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