Launches and sign-ups 19 June 2013
Launches and sign-ups from the egaming industry in the last seven days (13 June to 19 June 2013)
Perform in “advanced talks” over £40m Opta deal
eGR B2B Award winner set to add to portfolio with acquisition of UK-based sports data firm
Sports data provider Perform Group could expand its sports data portfolio with the acquisition of London-based business Opta.
The two parties are believed to be in “advanced talks” over a deal worth around £40m, according to British newspaper The Daily Telegraph. The £40m figure is understood to represent the amount sought by Albion Capital, the venture capital firm which holds a stake in Opta.
If completed, the deal would allow Perform – named sports data provider of the year at this year’s eGaming Review B2B Awards “ to enhance its live data offerings. The owner of the Goal.com network of football news sites confirmed in April that it was looking at further additions to augment the 120m acquisition of RunningBall in 2012.
Caesars enhances social division with WSOP studio acquisition
Caesars Interactive Entertainment has added poker to its social casino portfolio, taking full ownership of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) mobile and social games.
The operator has acquired a number of WSOP gaming assets and intellectual property from Electronic Arts, with the games developer transferring global rights to mobile and Facebook poker games to Caesars for an undisclosed sum.
Seven days in launches and sign-ups:
Paddys’ Roller Casino inks Sky Sports sponsorship deal
Paddy Power’s mobile casino brand Roller has landed a deal to be the main sponsor of Sky Sports News’ Through the Night programme.
The partnership will run from 1 July to the end of November with short Roller Casino ads appearing before, after and throughout each Sky Sports News bulletin between the hours of 11pm and 5am, seven days a week.
Dafabet seals Aston Villa sponsorship
Asian egaming operator Dafabet has signed a two-year sponsorship deal to become the official sponsor of English Premier League club Aston Villa.
The agreement will see the Dafabet logo will feature on the home and away Aston Villa shirts as well as a range of other unspecified sponsorship opportunities. Last season the AsianLogic-owned brand, which offers sports betting, casino and poker, was the international betting partner for Everton and West Bromwich Albion.
Bet365 launches Playtech-powered iOS live casino
Playtech has bolstered its mobile live dealer offering with the launch of its Mini Baccarat and Ultimate Blackjack games.
Lottomatica launches Live Casino Hold’em in Italy
Lottomatica has announced the launch of Evolution Gaming’s Live Casino Hold’em table, the first AAMS-certified variant of the game to go live in Italy.
Webis launches Quickfire Poker on MPN
Power 50 operator Webis has become the first partner to go live with the Microgaming-powered, fast-fold Quickfire Poker offering.
Favourit launches B2B arm
Australian social sports operator Favourit has announced the official launch of its B2B white-label business, aiming to build on its existing partnerships with Paddy Power and TABcorp.
Amaya bolsters lottery business with Diamond Game deal
Amaya has increased its North American lottery footprint with the acquisition of games designer and manufacturer Diamond Game.
High 5 acquires Electrotank as platform launch nears
High 5 Games has finalised a deal to acquire the assets and IP of social games developer Electrotank as it looks to strengthen its Facebook offering.
NetPlay announced as Big Brother headline sponsor
NetPlay’s SuperCasino brand has been announced as the headline sponsor of this year’s series of reality TV gameshow Big Brother.
IGT expands Loto-Québec deal
International Game Technology (IGT) has expanded its casino supply deal with Canadian operator Loto-Québec to incorporate mobile gaming products.
NeoGames in deal with Portuguese lottery
NeoGames has signed a deal with Portuguese lottery operator Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa (SCML) to provide SCML with a range of scratchcards and instant win games.
LVFH in US Digital Gaming partnership
Canadian software developer Las Vegas From Home Entertainment (LVFH) has finalised a business development agreement with US Digital Gaming, the firm has announced.
Bally announces iSoftBet deal
Bally Technologies has agreed a partnership with iSoftBet to launch its suite of online gaming products in the European market.
Bally inks Interblock deal
Bally Technologies will integrate content from Interblock onto its iGaming Platform, after announcing a deal with the US-based multiplayer gaming machines provider.
Industry veterans Mark Irvine and Martin Linham have launched Yello, a gambling-specific call centre on the Isle of Man. GoldenBoys Bet founder Linham will serve as CEO, with former Inspired Gaming online business development director Mark Irvine taking on the role of COO. “Customer support is a vital aspect of e-Gaming and I am sure that Yello will prove an asset to the Island’s fastest-growing sector and I welcome them to the Island,” said Howard Quayle, the Isle of Man Government’s Political Member for egaming
Net Entertainment has launched Disco Spins, the latest addition to its NetEnt Touch portfolio. The five-reel 1970s-themed title is a mobile version of an online slot, which chief product officer Simon Hammon said has proved a real success.