Light & Wonder Bringing ‘Willy Wonka,’ Other Warner Bros. Classics to Online Slots

Posted on: July 13, 2023, 05:34h. 

Last updated on: July 14, 2023, 10:25h.

Todd Shriber @etfgodfather Read More
Expertise: Financial, Gaming Business, Mergers and Acquisitions.

Slot machine behemoth Light & Wonder has announced an expanded agreement with Warner Bros. The goal is to bring more of the entertainment company’s hit movies to the gaming firm’s portfolio of online slots.

Willy Wonka
Gene Wilder in “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” Light & Wonder is bringing slots inspired by the movie to internet casinos. (Image: Delish.com)

Las Vegas-based Light & Wonder will work with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment to introduce more internet slot titles that are themed with Warner Bros. movies. The menu of movie-inspired slots will start with Willy Wonka: World of Wonka, which has long been a favorite among slots players at land-based casinos.

The long-term agreement will see Light & Wonder’s in-house game development teams leverage a series of highly successful brand licensing offerings from its long-term partner Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment, with titles across a range of verticals set to hit regulated markets worldwide through the OPENGAMING ecosystem,” according to a statement.

Financial terms of the expanded agreement weren’t disclosed. Light & Wonder has previously offered Willy Wonka-inspired lottery tickets in some states.

‘Wizard of Oz’ on Deck

Light & Wonder will roll out the internet version of the Willy Wonka: World of Wonka slot game in the US, UK, and Europe. The company added other Willy Wonka-inspired online slots will be developed in the future.

As for other Warner Bros. movies that could be leveraged for iGaming content, “Wizard of Oz” could be on deck behind “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.”

Light & Wonder is also set to bring another land-based hit, The Wizard of Oz: Road to Emerald City online as part of the global rights agreement, with additional branded games from the Warner Bros. Discovery portfolio to follow,” added the gaming company. “As with the Wonka titles, more hit “Wizard of Oz” games are planned for release across 2024 and beyond.”

The press release didn’t mention other Warner Bros. content that could eventually be used for themed slots. But the entertainment company has a rich content library, including Batman films and Looney Tunes cartoons, among many more.

Why it Matters

News of the expanded Light & Wonder/Warner Bros. agreement comes at a time when iGaming operators are increasingly looking to bolster their slot portfolios, and that includes leveraging established and unique content to appeal to bettors.

That’s a practical approach, because slots are higher-margin games, and players are usually devoted to particular brands and titles. As such, there’s an increasing intersection between online casino operators and slot machine manufacturers.

For slot machine manufacturers such as Light & Wonder, there are obvious benefits to boosting exposure to the online casino market. Notably, iGaming is projected to grow more rapidly and deliver better profit margins over the long term than brick-and-mortar casinos and sports wagering.