Hacksaw Gaming and betOcean partner to expand gaming options in New Jersey

Dig Deeper

Related stories

2025/10/22: Hacksaw Gaming partners with Esportes da Sorte to expand in Brazil 2025/02/06: Payflo and MoneyGram partner on new payment options for US bettors 2025/10/28: RubyPlay increases US presence with Ocean Casino partnership 2025/10/08: Playson partners with High Flyer Casino to expand in Ontario

The Backstory

A fast-moving market sets the stage

New Jersey’s online casino market is expanding at a pace that rewards speed, variety and compliance. That backdrop helps explain why operators are racing to add fresh content and why suppliers are pushing deeper into regulated U.S. jurisdictions. The state’s internet gaming revenue jumped sharply this spring, underscoring the stakes for every platform competing for share. According to state data, New Jersey online gaming revenue climbed 28.5% year over year in May, rising to $246.8 million. Seven of eight online casino licensees grew, led by Golden Nugget and Borgata. Ocean Casino Resort was the outlier with a decline, heightening pressure on its digital arm to regain momentum.

Against that demand curve, the content pipeline becomes a lever for differentiation as operators seek to convert traffic into time on site and repeat play. Suppliers, in turn, need distribution in markets with scale and reliable enforcement. New Jersey checks both boxes, which is why the state continues to draw international studios and payments firms looking to plug into a rising revenue base with strong oversight.

Ocean’s digital push and the content race

Ocean’s recent moves signal an intent to bulk up its catalog and sharpen its user proposition as rivals extend their leads. Earlier this year, the operator’s online platform betOcean struck a deal to bring a slate of titles from RubyPlay, including U.S. debuts and upcoming exclusives. The company positioned that agreement as a way to deliver distinctive themes and mechanics tailored to the market. The collaboration is detailed in RubyPlay increases US presence with Ocean Casino partnership, which notes Ocean’s focus on content that aligns with player preferences and its plan for phased rollouts of new games.

The timing tracks with the revenue scoreboard. With Ocean posting a year-over-year dip in May, the operator has reason to accelerate portfolio refreshes to boost engagement. The trend line from the state’s regulator, outlined in New Jersey online gaming revenue climbs 28.5% YoY in May, shows players gravitating to platforms with deep, regularly updated libraries. Ocean’s response has been to broaden content partners, debut new titles first on betOcean and market those launches as reasons for customers to return.

Hacksaw’s North America strategy takes shape

For suppliers, New Jersey is part of a larger U.S. grid where distribution partnerships layer market by market. Hacksaw Gaming has been building that footprint in parallel with an expansion drive in Latin America. In Brazil, the developer aligned with Esportes da Sorte after the operator secured a permanent license, a move that opened national reach under the country’s emerging federal framework. The terms and timing are detailed in Hacksaw Gaming partners with Esportes da Sorte to expand in Brazil, which also notes the studio’s July launch in Pennsylvania via FanDuel.

That two-track approach — planting flags in regulated U.S. states while entering large, newly regulated Latin American markets — gives Hacksaw a diversified growth map. The U.S. path hinges on state-by-state approvals and distribution through operators that can showcase its higher variance slots. The Brazil track broadens brand recognition and provides volume that can fund further development. Together they create a content engine that can feed into New Jersey as operators seek games with strong engagement metrics.

Payments infrastructure clears friction

Growth at this scale depends on more than game launches. It requires funding flows that are fast, compliant and familiar to a wide customer base. Payments firms have taken notice. A new tie-up between Payflo and MoneyGram aims to bring cash-in and cash-out options to U.S. online gaming and lottery operators, with an emphasis on cost control and know-your-customer safeguards. The companies frame it as an expansion of access that meets players where they are while easing operator back-office burdens. Details are outlined in Payflo and MoneyGram partner on new payment options for US bettors.

For New Jersey operators, the ability to offer cash-based deposits and withdrawals through a widely recognized network can reduce abandonment at the cashier page and help capture cohorts that prefer cash management. For suppliers, a smoother funding experience can lift session frequency and dwell time, improving performance metrics for newly launched titles. Compliance is the thread that ties it together. MoneyGram’s KYC protocols, paired with operators’ own checks, are designed to preserve regulatory confidence as volumes rise.

Cross-border momentum informs content choices

The North American content race is not confined to U.S. state lines. Ontario’s open, regulated market has become a proving ground for studios refining mechanics and live ops before or alongside U.S. entries. Playson’s latest move into the province via High Flyer Casino extends its Hold and Win portfolio to more Canadian users. The company stresses engagement-forward design and mobile-first execution, as detailed in Playson partners with High Flyer Casino to expand in Ontario.

Cross-border momentum matters in New Jersey because operators scan results from adjacent regulated markets to guide merchandising decisions. Games that perform in Ontario often earn prime placement when they arrive stateside. Conversely, studios that gain traction in Pennsylvania or Michigan can parlay that proof into negotiations in Atlantic City’s digital arc. The feedback loop helps platforms like betOcean curate mixes that balance volatility, theme diversity and bonus cadence to match local tastes.

The competitive calculus

The stakes are straightforward. New Jersey’s internet gaming handle is expanding, but the gains are not evenly distributed. Leaders like Golden Nugget and Borgata are widening their cushions with nonstop releases and aggressive promotions. Ocean’s digital unit is trying to close the gap by deepening supplier ties and pushing first-to-market content. The industry narrative, traced through Ocean’s RubyPlay collaboration, Hacksaw’s Brazil and Pennsylvania moves and the state’s May revenue surge, points to a simple formula: more games, fewer checkout hurdles and a steady stream of localized launches.

What to watch next: the cadence of content approvals, the breadth of payment options that convert, and the ability of midtier operators to turn new titles into sustained revenue lifts. If payments partnerships like Payflo–MoneyGram scale, they could expand the addressable audience for online casinos. If cross-market performers like those highlighted in Playson’s Ontario expansion translate into New Jersey wins, the platform gap could narrow. For suppliers, the message is clear: bring distinctive content that can travel, meet regulators’ standards and integrate with the operator tech stack without friction. For operators, the mandate is speed.