Light & Wonder expands Warner Bros. Discovery global licensing deal

New York-listed casino games supplier Light & Wonder has agreed an expanded licensing deal with Warner Bros. to develop the first online slots based on Willy Wonka and The Wizard of Oz.

The new long-term global licensing partnership will see Light & Wonder’s in-house game development teams leverage a series of successful brand licenses from long-term partner Warner Bros. Discovery.

Willy Wonka: World of Wonka will be the first title to be released as part of the expanded licensing agreement.

The slot features iconic characters and moments from the popular 1971 movie, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, which has been a major hit on land-based casino floors throughout the United States and across the world.

The digital version of the game is expected to be released in the US, UK and Europe, with a series of further Wonka-themed titles also set to be rolled out on Light & Wonder’s content aggregation platform across all iGaming verticals.

Light & Wonder is also set to bring another land-based hit, The Wizard of Oz: Road to Emerald City, to the internet as part of the global rights agreement, with additional branded games from the Warner Bros. Discovery portfolio to follow.

As with the Wonka titles, additional Wizard of Oz-branded games are planned for release in 2024 and beyond.

“The Warner Bros. Discovery brand portfolio is legendary, and our partnership has led to the creation of some of the world’s most popular casino content, including Willy Wonka: World of Wonka,” said Light & Wonder CEO of iGaming Dylan Slaney. “To bring this title online for the first time is incredibly exciting and we can’t wait to deliver for our operator partners and their players.

“This is a huge step forward in terms of presenting our omni-channel vision to the world, as we continue to develop the most entertaining branded content available anywhere on the market.”

Shares in Light & Wonder Inc (NASDAQ:LNW) closed 2.07 per cent higher at $66.20 per share in New York Tuesday.