Launches and sign-ups 8 February 2012
A round-up of the egaming industry's launches and sign-ups from the last seven days (2 February to 8 February 2012).
888 in “advanced talks” over US B2C deal
Expects to make announcement during full-year results at the end of March acting CEO Brian Mattingley tells eGR.
888 is in “advanced negotiations” with a US firm over a “nationwide” B2C deal and expects to make an announcement during its full-year results presentation next month, its acting CEO has told eGaming Review.
Brian Mattingley (pictured), who has led the business to three consecutive record-breaking quarters since the departure of former chief executive Gigi Levy in April last year, told eGR that following last week’s extension of its current B2B partnership with Caesars Interactive to supply poker software, the re-invigorated business “sees a huge opportunity” for a B2C deal.
“We are already in pole position in the US as we are the only supplier to have gained suitability approval from Nevada regulators, plus we also have a terrestrial partner in Caesars, that’s two out of the three requirements,” he said.
“We have filled in all the forms and are now awaiting Nevada regulators to carry out the necessary testing and investigations and expect to hear back on an interactive gaming licence as and when they get back to us.”
Amaya agrees to buy Cryptologic in $36m cash deal
Amaya has agreed to acquire online casino pioneer Cryptologic for a cash sum of US$36m and now has 28 days to formalise the deal with shareholders.
The deal marks the second acquisition for the Canadian software supplier after buying Chartwell for £14.5m in May 2011 and rebranding as Amaya at the beginning of this year. Should the deal go ahead, Amaya, that held an existing 5% stake in the business, will initially acquire a majority 52% of Cryptologic with other shares being bought in the coming months.
The recommended cash offer of $2.535 per share represents a premium of around 55% to the closing price of $1.64 on 14 December “ the last day prior to the date of the announcement of a possible offer.
Unibet in AU$20m Betchoice acquisition
Unibet is gearing up for an entry into the Australian egaming market with the acquisition of Northern Territory-licensed bookmaker Betchoice.
The initial outlay for the deal amounts to AU$20m (£13.6m), payable in cash on closing, with Betchoice founder Mark Morrissey receiving an earn-out based on five and a half times 2014 EBITDA in Australia and AU$2.4m being paid to other shareholders providing Australia EBITDA reaches AU$4.4m in two years time. This makes each one of Betchoice’s 35 employees worth AU$388,000.
Expected to be completed before the end of the second quarter this year, the acquisition follows Unibet’s £4.8m acquisition of EurosportBet owner Solfive in November, a move which saw the Swedish operator enter the French market in earnest earlier this year.
Betfair launches iPad app
Betfair has launched a bespoke app for the iPad, the first product to be developed by the exchange betting operator’s San Francisco development centre.
The native app offers customers a landing page with functionality mirroring that of the company’s website. It also links to the website, and allows players to deposit and withdraw funds from anywhere within the app, making betting on the tablet easier than ever before.
The launch is the first in a stream of products to come out of the company’s San Francisco office, led by Raj Vemulapalli, who was recruited from Yahoo in May last year.
888poker beta-testing Android app
888 has begun beta-testing a new poker app for Android devices, which will initially just allow customers to play cash games.
The app is currently unavailable on the Android marketplace, however players have been invited to download it via a QR code on the 888poker Google+ page.
Leander in Sky Vegas deal
Leander Games will provide a selection of its games to SkyBet’s casino brand under the terms of a new deal.
Among the games included are Reely Poker and Reely Roulette, both of which were included in the supply deal the Argentinian solutions provider signed with Betsson last month.
Bally expands mobile games library
Bally Technologies has announced the release of four new games on its mobile platform, which are now available to download through iTunes.
The free-play offerings are based on Bally’s land-based casino games, and are available on iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. The games also feature a GPS-enabled element which allows players to locate the games in a land-based casino.
NextGen Gaming releases 5 new slots on QuickFire
NYX subsidiary NextGen Gaming has announced the launch of 5 slot games on Microgaming’s QuickFire platform.
Evolution to launch Dutch live casino tables
Evolution Gaming has signed an exclusive deal with Dutch operator Oranje Casino to supply two localised live casino tables.
Smarkets launches multi-currency and mobile site
London-based betting exchange Smarkets has launched its mobile site and added a multi-currency option.
Customers will now be able to bet in Euro amounts, demonstrating the company’s intention to branch out beyond its core UK market.
Last month saw Smarkets lower its commission rate to a flat 2% rate across the board, down from the 4% rate which it introduced in 2011.
CEO Jason Trost said: “We’ve made great strides technologically and with the number of international sporting events taking place this year, I anticipate that business will accelerate.”
A mobile version of NextGen Gaming‘s ‘Doctor Love’ slot is now available for download from the Apple App Store. The slot is one of several NextGen titles available on SlotsPoint, the Facebook app launched last month by parent company Nyx Gaming Group.
Egaming recruitment consultancy Pentasia has opened a new office in Macau, with the company’s managing director for the Asia Pacific region Jonathan Pettemerides explaining: “Having a presence in Macau, the largest casino gaming market in the world, was a natural and necessary progression for the business.
Ladbrokes has extended its sponsorship of horse racing festival and classic race the St Leger for a further three years.
Evolution Gaming has released its new ‘Ventuno’ Italian blackjack table. The game features native Italian dealers headhunted from land-based casinos, and follows the launch of its ‘Venezia Roulette’ product, launched in September last year.