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About Haunted Harbor
Across some 8,000 pachinko parlours in Japan, machines filled with metallic balls fill expansive spaces, similar to slot machines on a casino floor. Winning balls are tallied and exchanged for non-cash prizes at the parlour, which can then be taken to nearby third-party exchange outlets for cash.
“Pachinko is a huge part of the culture,” says Leckert. She explains the “ease of walking into a pachinko parlour” is irreplaceable.
The sheer scale of pachinko underscores Japan’s complex relationship with gambling. Valued at around $130 billion in 2020, the industry represented roughly 2.5% of Japan’s GDP, highlighting its significant place in the country’s leisure economy.
What is Haunted Harbor?
The response extends to potential customers. Yashin says that of around 50 leads generated through events and the company’s network, only one decided against integration, leaving Swipe Games prioritising a queue of prospective partners.
“We have a term within our team called ‘hot pie’,” Yashin says. “It is our internal term for a really hot product that is easy to sell. It is something new for the market and the market is ready.”
The early player data is also giving Swipe Games confidence that it has created more than simply an eye-catching interface.
About Haunted Harbor
Last month the UK Gambling Commission agreed a regulatory settlement with Evolution of £4.75 million, after finding its games had been accessible via a handful of unlicensed operators in the UK.
In July the Commission said its investigation had discovered the supplier had failed to maintain adequate anti-money laundering and customer due diligence controls in the UK.
It considered suspending Evolution’s licence, but the supplier acted swiftly, carrying out ring-fencing controls across Europe to prevent its games from being used in grey markets.
