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Some live casino games have struggled to keep players interested despite offering large potential payouts, according to Evolution’s chief product officer.
Todd Haushalter attributed the problems to several factors, including complicated features, extra decisions, and long stretches between wins.
Haushalter discussed the games in an article published Nov. 2. His comments describe Evolution’s experience with its global portfolio. The feature does not include player counts or revenue figures to measure the games’ performance.
Evolution supplies New Jersey online casinos with live dealer blackjack, roulette, and game shows. For players, the examples highlight two things a game’s maximum payout does not show: how much attention it demands, and how frequently wins occur.
Gonzo’s Treasure Hunt failed to gain traction after changes
Gonzo’s Treasure Hunt launched in 2021, using the character from NetEnt’s Gonzo’s Quest slot in a live game show. Players searched for prizes hidden behind a wall of 70 stones while a presenter hosted the game.
The title included an animated Gonzo through augmented reality and an optional virtual reality mode using a headset and controller.
Haushalter said the game was probably too technologically advanced and suggested that the wall itself put players off. Evolution initially suspected that the absence of a bonus round was the problem, but he said adding one did little to improve interest.
The company later reworked the title into Gonzo’s Treasure Map. Haushalter said that also failed to deliver the result Evolution wanted. He said identifying why a game struggles can be difficult, with its theme, pace, interface, and rules all possible factors.
Gold Bar Roulette required players to manage saved multipliers
Gold Bar Roulette arrived in 2022 with a feature that let players save multipliers for later rounds of live roulette.
A winning bet on a single number could award Gold Bars. Players could place saved bars on numbers of their choice or stack several on one number to increase the potential payout. The ball still had to land on that number for the multiplier to pay.
Players therefore had to track their saved bars as well as place their roulette wagers. Haushalter said Evolution thought Gold Bar Roulette and Lightning Blackjack were simple and quick. “Players begged to differ,” he said.
Evolution subsequently changed Gold Bar Roulette into Gold Vault Roulette. In that version, multipliers are assigned to numbers automatically each round. A winning single-number bet can receive the multiplied payout without the player having to save or place bars.
Haushalter described the conversion as a change that worked. He also cited revisions to Red Door Roulette, which is available in New Jersey and combines roulette with features from Crazy Time and Lightning Roulette.
Card limits and payout patterns shaped the experience
Haushalter also discussed Mega Ball, where players buy cards and watch numbered balls fill them. He stopped short of calling it a flop, saying it had players but had gained only modest traction. He said the number of cards players could buy made it difficult to follow what was happening on each one.
Evolution limited MONOPOLY Big Baller’s main game to four cards per player. Haushalter said the smaller number made it easier to see when a card was close to completing a winning line.
He also identified payout patterns as a possible reason players stop returning. Two games can pay out similar amounts overall while producing different sessions, with one offering steadier results and another having longer losing stretches between larger prizes.
Those losing stretches can erode a game’s appeal, even when it offers a large potential payout.
