Launches and sign-ups 14 November 2012
Launches and sign-ups from the egaming industry in the last seven days (8 November to 14 November).
Hills-GVC to seal 65p-a-share Sportingbet takeover in December
Joint bidders William Hill and GVC Holdings will seal improved 65p a share takeover offer, source close to negotiations says – Paul Roberts, director of business development and B2B to leave.
Joint Sportingbet bidders William Hill and GVC Holdings will seal an improved 65p a share takeover offer for the UK listed operator at the beginning of December, a source close to the negotiations has told eGaming Review.
Earlier today Sportingbet confirmed it had granted both bidders a further extension until 5pm on 4 December to lodge a firm “put up or shut up” offer for the business. In accordance with the Takeover Panel rules this could again be extended, however eGR understands William Hill and GVC are likely to complete the deal in the coming weeks as the remaining details over how the deal is structured are pieced together.
An improved offer of 61.1p a share is currently on the table. This comprises 48.9p in cash, a 1.1p dividend declared by Sportingbet and the rest in GVC paper, valuing the group at £408m, or £530m including Sportingbet’s convertible bonds and share options.
Hills is bidding to acquire Sportingbet’s Australian business, its newly regulated Spanish business where it enjoys considerable market share of in sports betting as well as its UK customer base but not its brands here.
Exclusive: GameAccount Network signs multimillion dollar platform deal with Aristocrat
Australian slot manufacturer Aristocrat is to replicate GameAccount Network’s Internet Gaming System, principally for land-based US casino customers, after talks to buy the gaming software specialists for a multi-million pound sum over the summer broke down.
The UK-based gaming software business, that supplies a large number of European operators with its Internet Gaming System (IGS), skill and casino games across its European networks, has signed a deal with Aristocrat to effectively replicate its core internet gaming system for the US market.
The two companies originally struck a multi-year US partnership in August last year with Aristocrat setting up hardware in Nevada and licensing GameAccount Network’s IGS and its games content to Aristocrat in order for it to sign-up some of its 300 existing US land-based casino clients online with a range of freeplay slots, casino table games and skill games, including recreational poker variants. This solution became the Aristocrat ‘nLive solution in the US and premiered at G2E in 2011.
Seven days in launches and sign-ups:
Paddy Power’s BetDash gets official launch
Paddy Power has officially launched its social sports betting game BetDash after running in beta for more than a year.
The game allows users to play for free or real money and although BetDash includes social elements, it never makes public how much real money a player has staked. Users have the task of turning £100,000 in virtual currency into a virtual £1m within 10 days, with the chance to win an amount 25 times the size of the real-money stake.
BetDash’s social aspects include a live feed showing every bet a player has placed, as well as the chance to challenge or even ‘laugh at’ bets.
Evolution to launch live roulette in Spain
Evolution Gaming is to design and launch a live roulette studio in Spain for Grupo Orenes’ land-based casino Rincón de Pepe in Murcia.
The agreement also allows for any Spanish egaming operators licensed by the Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ) to stream live roulette games to their players from Evolution’s studio.
The live offering will be launched later this month while the broadcast studio has already been installed on the casino gaming floor. The live stream will also be iPad compatible
Betsson joins Micro in preparation for IGT Poker shutdown
Swedish operator Betsson is to join Microgaming’s Poker Network (MPN) as its third poker supplier as IGT Poker grinds to a halt and shuts down next month, it has announced.
Microgaming will temporarily become Betsson’s third poker supplier alongside IGT Poker and Ongame, however this will soon become two as IGT poker, formerly known as Entraction, shuts down its £70m online poker network next month after citing the ring-fencing of liquidity in certain dot.country markets as the primary cause for the move.
Magnus Silfverberg told eGaming Review this afternoon that IGT Poker would remain a supplier until it closes its doors adding that Ongame would continue to supply a large number of its dot.com players, while Microgaming would soon be able to offer new and existing players a choice of where to play. Its recently acquired Danish business Betsafe will also follow the same strategy, he added.
iGame goes live on Microgaming network
Former IGT Poker skin iGame Malta has completed a “smooth transition” of its three brands to the Microgaming Poker network.
iGame, 24HPoker and Pokerihuone have all joined the network, whichadded Betsson to its members last week, ahead of the planned closure of IGT Poker next month.
IGT revealed earlier this year that it would pull back investment from the network which it acquired last year, before later confirming that the network would close down in the second week of December.
Bally to introduce SHFL’s online content
Bally Interactive has signed an agreement enabling it to offer online casino table games from SHFL Entertainment, the software provider has announced.
The content will be made available to all operators signing up to Bally’s iGaming Platform, which already has deals in place with companies including Ongame and Winamax.
The agreement marks a partial revival of June’s B2B partnership between Bally, SHFL, Aristocrat and Ongame “ the element covering interaction between Bally and SHFL having been regarded as “no longer in effect”after the collapse of the latter’s agreement to acquire Ongame from bwin.party.
Intralot launches social gaming suite
Intralot has announced the launch of a social gaming suite in partnership with games publisher Lazyland.
The gaming supplier’s Italian subsidiary Intralot Italia has already rolled out the Lazyland Social Gaming Suite in the Italian market under the new brand, Giochi di Intralot.
Intralot’s gaming content will be made accessible through social networks such as Facebook, and implements a “flexible gaming architecture” based on a virtual goods economy.
Playtech and High 5 Games sign distribution deal
Playtech has agreed a game distribution deal with High 5 Games (H5G) which will see the latter’s titles offered in regulated jurisdictions to the Israeli egaming platform provider’s partners.
The agreement will see a “double-digit” number of H5G’s games distributed and the deal was finalised at last month’s European iGaming Congress and Expo (EiG) in Barcelona.
H5G was behind the development of IGT’s Da Vinci Diamonds game, which launched on IGT’s DoubleDown Casino in June.
Rank Interactive‘s sports betting arm Blue Square Bet has renewed its sponsorship of horse racing’s Lingfield Winter Carnival ahead of this weekend’s Churchill Stakes Day. The deal covers the Blue Square Bet Sprint Series and the Blue Square Bet Winter Derby, as well as the Blue Square Bet Sprint Series, which will take place in January and February.
Blue Square Bet PR and sponsorship manager Emma Newell said: “We’re delighted to be renewing our sponsorship deal with Lingfield Park Racecourse and confirm our position as the betting industry’s leading supporter of all-weather racing.”
Betfair is set to host the World Series of Backgammon (WSOB) 7 Series following a partnership with the online backgammon portal of the same name. The operator will host guaranteed prizepool tournaments with added prize money, and WSOB director Andy Bell described the agreement as “By far our most exciting online offer yet, mimicking the format of our very best live tours and offering players an exciting tournament series for low stakes but with big money and prestige at stake.”
Microgaming has added two new HTML5 games, Agent Jane Blonde and Avalon, to its Microgaming Go mobile portfolio. Head of product channels Neill Whyte said: “The addition of Agent Jane Blonde and Avalon to our HTML5 mobile offering is part of an uncompromising strategy to regularly produce games that we know perform extremely well and players love to play.”
Alderney-licensed developer Sheriff Gaming has launched two new 3D slots, “Billion Dollar Movie” and “Incash”. Spokesman Erik Roskamp said: “By delivering entertainment value through rich graphics, entertaining animations and innovative features, I am positive that both Billion Dollar Movie and InCash won’t fail to capture the playing audience.”
Greentube has launched a number of slot titles from Novomatic, including Diamond 7, Flame Dancer and Knights Quest. CEO Thomas Graf said: I am very pleased to follow these positive developments Greentube is currently undergoing in terms of creating new products, technology and building bridges to potential B2B customers.”