Play’n GO, a provider of online games and casino slots, has announced it will cease supplying its games to major aggregation partners. This decision, communicated on October 29, aims to prevent its titles from reaching unregulated gambling markets. The company is looking to close all channels that could allow its games to be accessed by offshore operators, including those licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA).
This latest move follows Play’n GO's exit from Asian markets at the end of September and reflects a broader strategy to mitigate its exposure to black-market operators.
Magnus Olsson, Chief Commercial Officer at Play’n GO, commented to NEXT.io about the shift. "We are interested in working with anyone that addresses locally licensed markets with the right compliance and licensing setup. Our strategy has been the same for years. We constantly review our traffic and take action when needed, and this is no exception. It does not constitute a change of direction. On the contrary, we are continuing to execute on our long-term strategy."
While estimates on the financial impact of this decision vary, it is generally believed that Play’n GO could face an immediate loss of up to double-digit percentage points in gross gaming revenue (GGR). Concurrently, the company recently laid off some staff, with the HR department facing the brunt of the reductions. However, these layoffs occurred months prior to the latest move regarding aggregation, indicating no direct link.
Play’n GO has consistently focused on regulated markets, seen in their previous announcements. In May, the company stated it would not supply games to sweepstakes casinos, and in June, reports surfaced of Play’n GO titles appearing through operators licensed in Curaçao, allegedly targeting black-market customers.
According to Shawn Fluharty, Play’n GO’s head of government affairs, certain websites seem to be clients of several large resellers and hold international licenses that allow access to pre-regulated markets.
The company’s licensing page warns that some providers are falsely claiming to be aggregators or distributors of Play’n GO titles, with products that superficially appear legitimate but are not authorized by the company. In September, Olsson also criticized operators for prioritizing short-term revenue at the expense of market sustainability, cautioning that while such practices may yield immediate gains, they are not sustainable in the long run.
