Launches and sign-ups extra 5 December 2014

Online games supplier Microgaming has unveiled its latest branded slots title Game of Thrones simultaneously on desktop and mobile.

The 5×3 reel game based on the hit HBO series is set in the seven kingdoms of Westeros and features the four great Houses of Baratheon, Lannister, Stark and Targaryen.

“We revealed our licensing agreement for the Game of Thrones series in February, and anticipation for the game’s launch has been building ever since,” Roger Raatgever, CEO of Microgaming, said.

“With the game going live today to both Microgaming and Quickfire operators, online and on mobile, players can now enter the fantastical world of Game of Thrones with our new online slot! It’s an exciting day for us all,” he added.

Slots developer Quickspin has signed a multi-year content agreement with Paddy Power as the Stockholm-based firm continues its Western Europe expansion strategy.

The deal will see the Irish operator gain access to Quickspin’s full portfolio of slots games including Firestorm and Treasure Island, with the first games set to go live before the end of the year.

“[Paddy Power] is a major player in our industry and it is an operator that in many ways leads by example, setting standards for others to follow,” Daniel Lindberg, Quickspin CEO, said. “Very much in line with our own strategy and ambition,” he added.

Paddy Power is the latest UK and Ireland operator to work with Quickspin following recent deals with the likes of William Hill, Ladbrokes, bet365 and Gala Interactive.

UK bookmaker William Hill has selected gambling compliance firm NMi to test if its entire portfolio of online casino games meet the requirements of the UK Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act.

The new Act came into effect on 1 December and the deal with William Hill sees NMi extend its partnership with the operator after previously testing the majority of its Category B fixed odds betting terminals and games.

“As a high profile organisation, we value partnerships with innovative organisations that can both complement and facilitate our business goals,” Shane Kelly, head of QA and test for William Hill, said.

“This is a significant development and we look forward to a long standing relationship,” he added.

The Football Pools has announced the launch of what it describes as a new “punter-friendly” pool betting product featuring pools technology from Longitude.

MatchXtra was originally soft-launched by the Sportech-owned firm in October and allows customers to place pools-based bets on a number of fixed odds-type markets.

“The benefit to customers is that it’s a pool mechanism, not fixed odds and therefore the prices become market-driven at low betting margins,” Conleth Byrne, managing director of The Football Pools, said.

“Working alongside Longitude to develop this new concept has been a really positive experience and an important step for The Football Pools,” he added.

Ladbrokes has launched a new tablet-optimised sportsbook which aims to build on the success of the Mobenga-powered mobile product launched last December.

Speaking to eGR ahead of the launch, Ladbrokes director of mobile and devices Andrew Bagguley said the release was the first of a number of new tablet products the operator had in the pipeline as it looked to continue its push on the platform.

The tablet-optimised sportsbook, developed in collaboration with Playtech subsidiary Mobenga, has been designed to utilise a number of key features added to the sportsbook in recent months, most notably the ‘My Accas’ accumulator tracker and Ladbrokes’ ‘Watch & Bet’ service that allows customers to live stream sport and place bets on the same screen.

LeoVegas is set to expand its portfolio of mobile casino titles after signing a deal with games developer Nektan.

The mobile casino will integrate Nektan’s remote game server and host Nektan’s HTML5 casino games on its casino apps for both smartphone and tablet.

Johan Styren, CEO at LeoVegas, said the addition of Nektan’s games to its portfolio was an exciting prospect for the operator and added it would “further accelerate LeoVegas’ fast growth in the UK market”.

Daily fantasy sports operator DraftKings has inked a deal with National Basketball Association (NBA) team the Philadelphia 76ers to become its official gaming partner.

Under the deal, DraftKings branding will appear on the team’s digital platforms, including its official website, newsletter and mobile application, as well as the Sixers Radio Broadcast.

“DrafKings is pleased to be aligned with one of the league’s flagship franchises, the 76ers, as our first NBA partner,” DraftKings CEO Jason Robins, said.

GTECH has moved a step closer to completing its planned US$6.4bn acquisition of International Game Technology (IGT) after dissenting shareholders exercised their right to sell their shares back to the firm.

The Italian lottery giant said in a statement that dissenting shareholders represented less than 20% of the company’s capital, with the takeover still on course to complete in H1 2015.

The deal will see Italian lottery operator GTECH pay $4.7bn in cash and stock while it will also assume $1.7bn of IGT net debt.

Pala Interactive CEO Jim Ryan says the firm is “watching” the daily fantasy sports sector and is in “early discussions” about entering the fast-growing market.

Ryan said it was “quite interesting” that no land-based casino operator had yet made a move in the sector, and that the firm needed to do “a bit more learning” before making a decision to enter the sector.

“Given that we are operating with the intention of being regulated in US states that pass online gaming legislation, what we don’t want to do is put ourselves in harm’s way by going down a strategic path that may preclude us from operating in any given market,” Ryan told eGR.