Launches and sign-ups 20 April 2016
Launches and sign-ups from the egaming industry in the last seven days (14 April 2016 to 20 April 2016)
Ladbrokes strikes early in Euro 2016 customer war
Operator launches recreational punter-focused television campaign starring Chris Kamara and Ally McCoist
Ladbrokes has launched a major television advertising campaign kicking-off with the promotion of its in-play product, as the firm puts down an early marker in the battle for the Euro 2016 recreational punter.
The first in a series of adverts aired on 16 April and features the return of former Scottish footballer Ally McCoist and Ladbrokes’ ambassador Chris Kamara (pictured) – the pair first appeared together in a commercial for the Magic Sign back in 2007.
The campaign, which will run across all major UK TV networks, has been developed in conjunction with creative agency The Moment with the script written by comedy duo Ivor Baddiel and Phil Kerr.
Ladbrokes said the campaign was timed to tie into the end of the domestic football season while later ads in the series would take a more “continental twist” in a bid to appeal to the Euro 2016 recreational punter.
Paddy Power unveils pay out escalator on mobile app
Paddy Power has unveiled a new innovation on its mobile betting app which give users the chance to multiply their winnings based on the margin of a team’s victory.
When placing a bet on football matches, bettors can now place a ‘Kicker’ bet in addition to their normal stake via the bet slip, giving them a chance to earn escalating pay-outs.
For example, adding a ?10 Kicker on a team to win at evens, returns an extra ?20 (including stake) if they win by two goals, ?41 if they win by three and ?103 if they win by four or more.
Seven days in launches and sign-ups:
Betgenius merges with SportingPulse to create Genius Sports
Betgenius has undergone a merger with data management firm SportingPulse with the enlarged firm rebranding to Genius Sports.
The deal brings together Betgenius’ expertise in sportsbook management and SportingPulse’s experience in sports data collection and distribution, a combination Genius Sports said would create a “powerhouse in the sports and betting data sectors”.
Mark Locke, co-founder of Betgenius and now CEO of Genius Sports, described the merger as a “perfect match” and said the deal would enable the firm to “exploit the multi-billion dollar opportunities opening up in the US, China and India”.
Unibet looks to stand-out with new product launches
Unibet has launched a new in-play pooled quiz competition as well as its voice activated bet placement feature, as the operator looks to differentiate its sportsbook product ahead of this summer’s all-important European Championships.
The second-screen live betting game BetUp, developed by supplier Commologic, was launched exclusively on Unibet earlier this month, and is also available as a separate app in the Apple Store.
BetUp customer entry fees are combined to create a prize pool which can be won by answering predictive questions during a particular football match, such as which team will win the next throw-in.
Gamesys takes first steps into real-money poker
Gamesys has taken its first steps into the real-money poker market for the first time with the launch of Wild Seat Poker.
Wild Seat has launched under its Virgin Games site, and has been designed to offer a more social experience to players, which Gamesys said continued its tradition of delivering innovation to the gaming market.
The game features a chat element, as well as poker chat hosts who play in the tournaments and give players the chance to try their luck and skill against them.
Intertain migrates InterCasino to Vera&John platform
Intertain has re-launched its InterCasino brand on the firm’s proprietary online gaming platform, a move the operator described as an “important step” in its wider strategy to realise synergies across the group.
The online casino has been migrated to the operator’s in-house Plain Gaming platform, which also powers Intertain’s other online casino asset Vera&John. InterCasino had previously been operating on an Amaya platform.
Plain Gaming, which is owned by Vera&John parent company Dumarca Gaming, currently has more than 30 game providers with approximately 1,000 web games and 400 mobile titles.
Matchbook launches site to help punters win more
Betting exchange Matchbook has launched a new microsite designed to inform and educate punters about smarter gambling and the mechanics of its exchange.
The initial launch of the site, called the Knowledge Base, features articles of varying levels of complexity, from details of the Martingale staking system, down to an explanation of laying a bet.
“Knowledge is power, and nowhere is this truer than in the world of betting,” said the firm in a statement. “The more you understand, the more you win and being armed with the information to spot and capitalise on the best bets is the difference between winning and losing.”
Oddschecker eyes gaming expansion with casino TV ad
Oddschecker kicked-off its first casino-focused TV advertising campaign this week as the price comparison site looks to expand its reach into gaming verticals.
The casino ad was produced in collaboration with creative agency Fall Off The Wall and debuted across a number of Sky TV channels including Sports, Entertainment and Movies.
As part of a new six-week multi-channel marketing campaign, Oddschecker has partnered with NetBet, LeoVegas and Sky Casino to provide customers with exclusive bonus offers.