Light & Wonder Partner with PENN Entertainment to Launch New Product

It may not be the parent company of one of our best sports betting sites, but PENN Entertainment is certainly doing its best to make moves to continue to make a name for itself and promote growth.

The iGaming group Light & Wonder has announced that it is launching its new player engagement product portfolio on PENN Entertainment’s online Hollywood Casino platform in the Michigan online casino market.

Robert Hays, the Chief Commercial Officer of iGaming at Light & Wonder, said, “Launching the Wonder Drops marketing jackpots system with Hollywood Casino in Michigan is a key step in our strategy to offer operators a flexible system that provides for innovative and engaging gaming experiences. We believe this strategy will redefine how players all over the world interact with the content we offer.”

According to the agreement between Light & Wonder and PENN, PENN gains exclusive access to the new player engagement tools ahead of Light & Wonder’s global rollout. This includes Light & Wonder’s new Wonder Drops system, which allows operators to offer progressive or static cash prizes layered on top of any game across Light & Wonder’s network catalog.

Other player engagement tools in the agreement include Free Rounds and Multiplayer Games. Additional tools, such as tournaments, Hot Seats, and daily free games, will also go live in the coming months. Light & Wonder games can be found across our best real-money online casinos.

Jason Birney, Vice President of Interactive Operations at PENN, commented, “We’re pleased to be the first operator to launch Light & Wonder’s player engagement portfolio. Gaining access to these tools enhances our ability to creatively engage our players in Michigan by adding unique elements to the popular Light & Wonder games on Hollywood Casino that they already know and love.”

PENN challenged by investors

The announcement of the partnership between Light & Wonder and PENN comes only days after the most recent update to the continued legal challenges between PENN and one of PENN’s investors, HG Vora, a hedge fund known to invest in casino equities. 

The conflict has been ongoing since 2023, when it was revealed that HG Vora held 18.5% of PENN shares, making it one of the largest PENN investors. HG Vora demanded that PENN grant it seats on the board of directors. HG Vora has since voiced various complaints against PENN, including claiming that PENN is in violation of its own articles of incorporation and the Pennsylvania Business Corporation Law of 1988.

In May 2024, another PENN investor, the Donerail Group, chastised PENN’s board, stating misuse of investment funds and missteps in the iGaming market. Much of the investors’ complaints are directed at PENN’s declining stock value in the last four years, which is approximately 1/7 of what it traded for in March 2021.

However, PENN Entertainment is making moves to change this decline, entering into a partnership to enter the DC sports betting market with its sportsbook platform, ESPN BET. Additionally, the company had rebranded more of its retail sportsbooks with the ESPN BET brand. 

Light & Wonder continues to change and expand

Light & Wonder, meanwhile, has been undergoing a series of changes and expansions. It recently appointed its new Chief Executive Officer, Simon Johnson. At the same time, its Asian operators saw the introduction of Ken Jolly as VP of Strategic Development and Glenn Hubrecht as VP and Managing Director.

This month, Light & Wonder also successfully launched into the newly regulated Brazilian market, providing Brazilian operators with platforms and over 3,500 games from its global network of in-house and third-party game studios.