Launches and sign-ups 19 February 2014
Launches and sign-ups from the egaming industry in the last seven days (13 February to 19 February 2014)
Rational Group plots sportsbook launch
PokerStars and Full Tilt owner planning online sports betting platform as diversification away from poker continues
Rational Group is in early-stage discussions over the launch of a sports betting platform as it continues to push ahead with plans to diversify its product range, eGaming Review can reveal.
Plans for the sportsbook are still in their early stages, however, eGR understands Rational’s Full Tilt brand has been selected to carry a sports betting product with a number of sportsbook providers having already been contacted.
With a supplier yet to be selected, a release is not expected until 2015, although it is understood a number of providers are keen to work on the project.
A spokesperson for Rational Group, which is also the parent company of poker giant PokerStars, wouldn’t comment on plans beyond confirming it was looking into the sports betting vertical.
GTECH makes £18m Probability bid
International gaming supplier GTECH looks set to acquire mobile gaming company Probability after making a cash bid of 50p per share, valuing the company at around £18m.
The deal will see GTECH acquire the entire issued share capital of the company, with Probability becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary.
Directors of the London-based firm owning an 11.3% stake in the company have unanimously agreed to vote in favour of the deal and the acquisition has also been backed by shareholders holding a further 43.5% stake.
Seven days in launches and sign-ups:
Unibet’s standalone poker product to launch this week
Unibet is to release its new standalone poker product this week as it begins its migration away from the Microgaming Poker Network.
The Swedish-listed operator has been working on the product for several months and an initial launch will take place today, with a wider roll-out of the product planned to take place in subsequent weeks.
The new product, which features software developed for both Unibet and its Maria brand by Relax Gaming, comes after the operator also invested 1.25m in the Estonia-based supplier.
Major bingo brands make Bede Gaming switch
Eight bingo brands including Crown Bingo, Svenska Bingo and Bingo.ie have all migrated to the Bede Gaming platform.
The brands, which are operated by European Domain Management, will continue to use software from Virtue Fusion that has been integrated into the Bede Gaming platform.
The integration allows Bede to offer its clients a range of additional slot games including Clover Rollover and Ash Gaming titles, Michael Brady, the company’s chief executive, told eGR.
Danske Spil launches “100% Danish” live casino
Former Danish monopoly Danske Spil is backing the launch of a “100% Danish” live casino to help it compete with fresh entrants to the newly-regulated Danish market.
The live casino is scheduled to launch this summer, and the operator has refused to rule out further product launches as it looks to retain its market share.
The state-owned Danish company has signed an agreement with egaming services provider Evolution for the live casino product that it has been lacking from its online casino offering.
Caesars Interactive completes Pacific Interactive acquisition
Caesars Interactive Entertainment (CIE) has confirmed its acquisition of House of Fun developer Pacific Interactive for an undisclosed fee.
The deal will see Pacific Interactive and its entire workforce of more than 100 integrated into Caesars’ social casino business Playtika.
Playtika was acquired by CIE in 2011 for $103m and operates the market leading Slotomania game, along Buffalo Studios’ Bingo Blitz which was added to the group last year.
32Red appoints media strategists for £6m marketing push
32Red has appointed London-based media planner M.i. Media to help maximise a planned £6m UK marketing push.
The Gibraltar-based operator, which currently has a number of marketing deals in place including its sponsorship Late Night Film on Film 4, made the appointment as part of its plan to ramp up marketing activity in 2014.
M.i. Media will be tasked with looking after the 32Red’s UK media planning and buying account in order to fully optimise 32Red’s marketing spend.
LeoVegas adds Yggdrasil Gaming content
Games provider Yggdrasil Gaming has signed a licensing agreement with LeoVegas to supply the operator with its entire lottery and casino games portfolio.
Yggdrasil’s full suite of 23 lottery and instant lotto products, including slots, keno, mobile and online scratch games, will be added to LeoVegas’s mobile and desktop sites.
The deal represents the second in as many weeks for Yggdrasil, following its agreement with Mr Green.
Golden Palace eyes World Cup with new sportsbook
Belgian operator Golden Palace Group has launched a new sports betting product in preparation for this summer’s FIFA World Cup as competition in the country intensifies.
Golden Palace was the first operator to be granted a Class B+ gaming licence by Belgian authorities when the market regulated in April 2012, however competition is expected to increase in the coming months with other established operators keen to enter the market.
Ladbrokes reshuffled its European management team at the start of this year ahead of an online launch into Belgium, appointing Alexis Murphy as the new director of the firm’s Belgium-facing business with Ian Catchick stepping in as digital director for Belgium.