Rush Street Interactive’s New iGaming Engine Allows for Multiplayer Events

Posted on: November 1, 2021, 03:40h. 

Last updated on: November 1, 2021, 10:52h.

Steve Bittenbender Read More
Expertise: Legislation, Sports Betting, Horse Racing.

Online gaming giant Rush Street Interactive has unveiled a multiplayer engine that enables tournament play with some unique features.

Rush Street iGaming
Officials prepare for the April 23 grand opening of the BetRivers Lounge at PPG Arena in Pittsburgh, shown here. BetRivers is a Rush Street Interactive online gaming brand, and RSI has announced a new engine that will allow for tournament play on its brands’ iGaming apps. (Image: BetRivers/Facebook)

Called “RushArena,” the Chicago-based company developed it based on the free bingo game it offers on its iGaming platform. RSI’s first offering in RushArena is a slot tournament contest called RushRace.

RushRace is akin to the slot tournaments land-based casinos host regularly, but with several key distinctions. First, while players hit the slots at the same time at brick-and-mortar casinos, Rush Street’s product will allow players to enter during any point of the tournament window.

Players can also choose what game to play and can switch games during the tournament. It also allows entrants to change their wagering amounts. Meanwhile, players can keep track of their standing as leaderboards are updated in real-time.

Players can earn entries into tournaments in a variety of ways. That includes purchases in Rush Street’s bonus store using points they’ve amassed through their online play.

Richard Schwartz, Rush Street Interactive’s CEO, said in a statement that the tournament platform is about enhancing the playing experience for its users.

We listen to our customers, and by owning, building, and innovating the framework, we can tailor our games to deliver what our casino players, or insights obtained from them, have told us they want,” he said.

Rush Street operates BetRivers and PlaySugarHouse online sports betting and iGaming apps in the US, and RushBet.co in Colombia.

Peer-to-Peer Contest Planned

While the engine behind RushArena is being launched for tournament play, Rush Street has bigger plans, according to its release.

Future developments call for the rollout of peer-to-peer gaming, which will allow players to challenge each other online.

“We use these ground-breaking game mechanics to create new experiences, which is consistent with our goal to increase retention, loyalty, and business” key performance indicators, Schwartz said.

Online Casinos a Lucrative Market

Rush Street currently has live iGaming apps in Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. It has partnerships in place in 12 other states that have yet to launch online casino gaming. Internationally, iGaming is offered in Colombia and RSI has a market-access agreement in place to enter Ontario when it officially launches there.

The company recently released a social gaming app in the Canadian province.

While a lot of attention is paid to online sports betting, which is expanding more rapidly across the country, market research shows that iGaming is by far the more lucrative platform.

In an investor presentation given in August, iGaming has generated about 2.5 times the revenue sports betting did for Rush Street’s apps in Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Online casino games also attract a more diverse clientele, as women account for 55 percent of the players. In sports betting, men are 86 percent of the market.

Online casino customers are split approximately equally between male and female but are typically older than online sports bettors, therefore likely having more disposable income,” the company’s presentation said.

The presentation also pointed out that RSI leaders see “near-term catalysts” to make iGaming legal in more states in the coming years.