NetEnt Launches Gonzo's Treasure Hunt Live in New Evolution Partnership

Gonzo's Treasure Hunt Live Bridges Slot IP and Live Casino Innovation

NetEnt, operating under the Evolution umbrella, has launched an expanded version of its Gonzo's Treasure Hunt Live title, the live casino game show that places the iconic Gonzo character — first introduced in the landmark NetEnt slot Gonzo's Quest — into an interactive live studio environment. The game represents one of the clearest examples of how the industry's consolidation trend is enabling cross-format IP deployment.

How the Game Works

Gonzo's Treasure Hunt Live is structured as a pick-and-win style game show hosted by a live presenter, with a large interactive stone wall containing 70 hidden stones. Players purchase stones before the round begins, choosing a bet level that determines their hunt multiplier. Key mechanics include:

• Stone wall with 70 positions, each concealing a random prize multiplier from 4x to 2,000x the bet
• Hunt multiplier set before the round starts, which amplifies all prizes discovered during a Free Hunt bonus
• Free Hunt bonus triggered when Gonzo appears on the wall during the main reveal, unlocking the player's pre-selected stones and revealing all multipliers underneath
• RTP ranging from 96.01% to 96.56% depending on the bet-level selection, with lower bets receiving marginally lower RTPs to account for the larger multiplier pools available
• Dual-camera studio incorporating real-time 3D animation of the Gonzo character overlaid on the live feed, creating the hybrid visual identity

The game is available to operators through Evolution's standard API and has been activated by major casino brands across European and Canadian markets.

IP-Driven Live Casino Strategy

The deployment of the Gonzo IP in a live format exemplifies the industry's growing interest in what product designers call "entertainment crossover" — the conversion of established slot brands into live game formats that attract both existing slot fans and live casino players who would not otherwise engage with a traditional RNG title.

Evolution's acquisition of NetEnt in 2020 made this type of cross-format collaboration structurally straightforward, as both the IP rights and the live studio infrastructure exist within the same corporate entity. Other game studios without comparable live operations must negotiate separate licensing agreements to achieve the same result.

Operator and Player Reception

Initial data from the launch window indicates above-average session lengths compared to standard live roulette and blackjack products — a finding consistent with the game show format's tendency to attract casual players who prefer entertainment-oriented products over strategy-based table games.

Industry Impact

Gonzo's Treasure Hunt Live sets a template for how slot IPs can be extended into live casino without requiring full slot-style gameplay. As more slot developers — particularly those within large B2B groups — assess their IP catalogues for live conversion potential, the game show hybrid format is likely to become a growing segment of the live casino product mix. For operators, the format offers a differentiated product that justifies premium lobby placement and dedicated promotional spend.