Bellagio, MGM Grand to Stream Roulette, Baccarat Games to International Markets

Players at the casino floors of Bellagio and MGM Grand on the Las Vegas Strip will soon see multiple cameras positioned above specific baccarat and roulette tables. 

MGM Resorts International and Playtech, based in London, revealed on Wednesday the launch of a unique casino stream that will broadcast live from the two casinos in Las Vegas. The live casino offerings will be marketed as MGM Live and will be available for exclusive licensing in regulated online gaming markets outside of the United States. 

Bill Hornbuckle, the CEO and president of MGM Resorts, stated that the product advances the company’s “strategic vision to become the leading gaming entertainment company globally.”

"This alliance combines the strength of MGM Resorts’ global prestige with Playtech’s extensive international market knowledge and innovative games,” Mor Weizer, Playtech CEO, said in a statement to Casino.org. “As a leading technology provider in regulated markets, we are delighted that this partnership is pioneering a new live entertainment category and product offering for players in these regulated territories.”

MGM Live will start featuring single and double-zero roulette along with baccarat games. MGM and Playtech state that the offering will grow in the upcoming months to feature more entertainment, including branded TV shows and trivia hosted by celebrities. 

Gaming Entertainment Creation 

MGM Live will provide countless hours of gambling entertainment that viewers can watch and wager on globally, 24/7. In the markets accessible to the stream, audience members will be able to wager on the outcomes of roulette and baccarat through the iGaming interface available in their regulated market. 

Playtech is a top business-to-business technology supplier in the iGaming and live casino sectors. Playtech holds over 180 licenses across more than 40 gaming jurisdictions. 

Playtech runs a market in Italy where it owns and operates Snaitech, the top iGaming and sportsbook company. 

Expansion of Live Remote Play 

In the United States, online slots and table games are allowed in just seven states: Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia. Globally, iGaming is governed in various nations, including the entire United Kingdom, several European nations, and soon Brazil. 

In MGM’s earnings call in February 2023, Hornbuckle stated that the company aimed to acquire, develop, or collaborate with a live dealer distribution firm akin to the market leader, Evolution Gaming. Evolution operates live dealer games for licensed online casino sites in the US from its studios located in states where iGaming is permitted. 

MGM has already teamed up with Evolution for live dealer gaming in Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. In Atlantic City, for example, Evolution operates online roulette games from the Borgata casino, enabling remote players within New Jersey to wager on the outcome of the spinning wheel. 

Evolution has helped New Jersey's iGaming platforms expand their operations and clientele. The firm is intending to build a $75 million studio close to the Atlantic City Boardwalk to meet the rising demand. 

In December, Evolution revealed a comparable streaming service to MGM Live named Crazy Time. Already well-known abroad, the live game show currently streaming in the US blends elements of The Price is Right and Wheel of Fortune with casino wagering.