Pre-ICE launches and sign ups
Less than 24 hours before ICE 2013 there has been a flurry of announcements. Here are some of today's highlights. Make sure you stay tuned to the eGR website all this week for more news as it emerges from the show.
Microgaming launches Playboy branded live dealer studio
Microgaming has launched a Playboy Live Dealer bringing “bunnies and the high life” to the world of online casinos, according to the supplier.
The Playboy branded studio will be available to Microgaming licensees and will first launch with 188BET. It provides operators with a “huge marketing opportunity” to acquire new players, as it is a “unique gaming platform that will appeal to a worldwide audience”, Microgaming said in a statement this morning.
The studio encompasses a full suite of live dealer games including roulette, blackjack and baccarat, while the licensing agreement also allows the creation of RNG casino games and the development of a real-money video slot, due for release to Microgaming operators in the next few months.
Established by Hugh Hefner in 1953, Playboy has more than 7.8 million Facebook fans and 17 million monthly unique visitors to Playboy.com. Dealers will be dressed in signature Playboy bunny costumes and will work from an “opulent” studio coupled with “striking lights” setting the glamour associated with the brand and its nightclubs.
Nigel Singer, 188BET’s managing director, said: “It’s very exciting to be one of the first operators to go live with Microgaming’s Playboy live dealer. Live dealer forms an integral part of our product portfolio and this provides an opportunity to drive new and existing players to a studio that is like no other.”
Jason Turner, Playboy’s senior vice president and general manager of Digital Ventures, said: “The Playboy partnership with Microgaming is another example of partnering our iconic brand with a best in class gaming provider. We are thrilled that the gaming experience of playing with a live Playboy Bunny Dealer can now extend from our land-based Playboy Clubs to online gaming.”
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BetVictor announces B2B launch
BetVictor has launched a B2B website showcasing its new products and services. Ron Regan, head of business development for BetVictor B2B said: “This will allow any potential partners to have a more visual experience when learning about our solutions. Our aim is to allow you to compete with the major operators without huge operational costs and overheads.”
In September last year the Gibraltar-based business acquired London-based trading solutions company Botsphere for an undisclosed amount. The business, which currently provides trading solutions for BetVictor as well as other operators such as Betfair, attracted attention that month after eGR revealed it had closed down the accounts of traders tied to rival operators following investigations into high data usage. It also provides solutions for Betfred and Boylesports, and was set up in 2006 by Oddschecker founders Stewart Vassie and Julian Leach.
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Betting Promotion launches B2B website
Sports data provider Betting Promotion has also launched a B2B website. “The development of the new website follows research and requests for an easier to understand presentation of our core B2B services which we are able offer bookmakers and betting exchanges”, said CMO, Richard Hogg.
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AsianLogic and TotelFootball close deal to bring fantasy football betting to Asia
Fantasy sports pools betting provider TotelFootball secured a deal with leading AsianLogic which will see the land-based and online gaming operator spearhead growth throughout the Asia-Pacific region, it announced this morning. TotelFootball offers daily, weekly and season-long betting competitions across all main European competitions.
The technology is built around a networked pools model that pools players from various operators to deliver scale and liquidity. The service can be localised in terms of football competitions, language and currencies. TotelFootball said it will work closely with AsianLogic to tailor the service to appeal to local customers and to establish strategic relationships to instigate growth of the service throughout the region.
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Basic Instinct comes to iSoftBet
Online gaming platform iSoftBet has signed an agreement with producer Studiocanal to release a branded slot based on the classic thriller Basic Instinct starring Sharon Stone. The new title is the first of iSoftBet’s new range of slots aimed at Spain and Italy. Offering 243 ways to win, the Basic Instinct slot follows iSoftBet’s “core principles of providing the best in online gaming with stunning audio quality alongside state-of-the-art visual effects”. The slot features action footage from the movie.
“Players can relive the action, drama and intensity of the classic movie with an impressive progressive jackpot, three stacked wilds, free spins, and enticing bonus award coins,” said iSoftBet in a statement.
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Reel Sports launches Racing Riches archive following global rights agreement with Pitch International
Interactive casino and sportsbook games developer Reel Sports has launched Racing Riches Archive. The non-skill, fixed odds game allows players to wager on embedded video clips of historic sporting action. Reel Sports acquired the global rights from Pitch International for a range of sports and events, including classic FA Cup ties and England internationals, as well as vintage world championship boxing, to develop the sports roulette casino game across online, mobile and social platforms. All clips appear within the game screen itself and Racing Riches archive features commentary from sports presenter Jim Rosenthal as well as a selection of international basketball, cricket and tennis footage.
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Adyen launches automated PayOut service
Global payment company Ayden has launched PayOut, a fully-integrated service that automates the processing and reporting of electronic payouts for gaming businesses. Developed to streamline outgoing payment processes to suppliers or third parties around the world, PayOut provides a simple and effective way for businesses to manage the approval or decline of any incoming payout requirement.
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Eurocoin signs deal with Sheriff Gaming
Land based gaming manufacturer and distributor Eurocoin Interactive signed a deal with 3D games developer Sheriff Gaming for a selection of its most popular land based games. Under the agreement and together with Eurocoin, Sheriff Gaming will develop an initial package of three online games. The games will be redefined to focus on worldwide player demands and become available for online as well as mobile use. Two titles “ Jack in the Box and Royal Crowns “ have already been released.
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Microgaming launches Thunderstruck II on mobile
Microgaming launched well-known slot title Thunderstruck II to its Android and iOS compatible Mobile Air client. Originally launched in May 2010 on the casino platform, Thunderstruck II was one of the first online video slot games to implement gamification through an innovative player achievements memory structure, whereby returning players’ past wins are recorded.
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BetTech Gaming launches in Europe
Gaming technology provider BetTech Gaming is to announce its European launch at the show. The company was co-founded in August 2009 by chief executive officer Jesse Hemson-Struthers and chief operating officer Mark Bosman. Focused on regulated markets, BetTech’s existing clients include multi-national lottery organisations, blue chip casino groups, online bookmakers and online casinos.