Playtech to link betting shops with online accounts
New system, launched initially with Coral, will allow users to start playing in-store and continue online or on mobile
Sportsbook operator Coral is set to launch a new system linking its UK-based retail fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) with players’ online accounts through a deal with software supplier Playtech, eGaming Review has learned.
The system, which is due to be launched later this year, will enable players to place a bet via a terminal in-store and have winnings paid into their online account rather than cashing out in person.
Gala Coral’s sportsbetting brand Coral will be the first to benefit from the project, and other Playtech licensees are anticipated to follow later this year, according to an eGR source.
The system will use Playtech’s Information Management System (IMS), which allows players to access any product through a single wallet.
Playtech VP Operations Shimon Akad spoke about a potential deal in a recent interview with eGaming Review, which he referred to as a “big project with one of our licensees” that reflected major changes in the egaming sector.
“The big change the industry will see in the future is the ability to offer players a continuous gaming experience where all their game history and money is recorded and captured in a single platform,” Akad said.
“They can start playing on the video terminal and continue playing on their iPad or mobile device on their way home and when they get home they can play on their machine there,” he added.
Playtech and Gala Coral signed what the provider described as a “landmark” 10-year deal in July 2011, which has seen the operator launch offerings with Playtech across a number of verticals.
Gala Bingo went live on Playtech’s Virtue Fusion software last year, while the operator’s poker offering now sits on the top tier of the provider’s iPoker network.