Paddys and Hills sign up for Playtech mobile bingo app
William Hill and Paddy Power among first operators to launch mobile bingo app on Virtue Fusion network.
Playtech’s newly launched mobile bingo product has gone live, with two leading operators releasing the app within its first week.
The Playtech-owned Virtue Fusion bingo software has been made available on Android OS smart phones and offers 90, 80 and 70 five ball games alongside Deal or No Deal Bingo. The product also allows players to talk with other players regardless of the platform or device they use.
Last week Paddy Power became the first operator to launch the mobile bingo app, which is integrated with the Virtue Fusion web-based platform and allows players to manage their account via the Android device, while yesterday William Hill Bingo announced it had done the same.
Other major licensees are expected to follow soon, with Playtech saying in a statement last week that “a core group of partners” will launch the app in coming months.
Rhys Owen, head of bingo at Playtech, said of the launch: “This is a significant step for Playtech in terms of cementing our position as the leading supplier of bingo software in the industry as well as offering licensees the largest networked bingo and jackpot liquidity through a new and thriving channel.
“We’ve seen the trends in the sportsbook and casino arenas and its only logical that we develop a mobile offering which enables our partners to attract a new type of player as well as giving our licensee’s an additional medium through which to engage with their players.”
The mobile product has been in development for more than a year, and coming months will see Playtech release additional apps that would make the product compatible with iOS devices such as iPhone and iPad. A HTML5 based version will also be released.
Playtech acquired bingo network Virtue Fusion for an initial consideration of £29m in 2010 which at the time had more than 20 licencees inÂcluding Bet365, Crown Bingo, Ladbrokes, Mecca, Paddy Power, Sky, Virgin and Playtech joint venÂture partner William Hill.
The Israeli company has since signed up several more leading operators to the network, including long-term deals with Gala Bingo and Unibet.