Borgata to replace bwin.party platform with GAN

New Jersey operator the Borgata has selected GAN to replace current platform partner bwin.party with the switch set to take place by the end of the second quarter, eGaming Review understands.

Sources close to the situation confirmed GAN will power the BorgataCasino.com site after EGR revealed the operator had placed its partnership with bwin.party under review last month.

The operator is also understood to have a similar agreement in place with a new poker platform supplier, which EGR understands to be California-based Pala Interactive.

The trigger for the review and subsequent switch was GVC Holdings’ recent acquisition of bwin.party, a deal which raised concerns over whether GVC would qualify for a New Jersey egaming licence and its long-term commitment to bwin.party’s operations in the Garden State.

The Borgata reached an agreement with GAN in December to use its simulated gaming platform, and confirmed to EGR the deal had been extended to real-money gaming.

“We entered in to an agreement with GAN about a month ago to provide a platform for the launch of Borgata’s simulated online experience,” a Borgata spokesman said.

“Bwin.party has been our partner for RMG since we launched in 2013, and that partnership remains in effect. However, GAN’s technology can also provide a platform for real-money online gaming.

“Given GVC’s acquisition of bwin this agreement allows for a contingency plan to deal with the uncertainty associated with any such change of control of a material service provider,” he added.

EGR understands the Borgata is currently locked in sensitive contract negotiations with bwin.party and new owners GVC.

GVC has already submitted its licence application in New Jersey, and was recently given permission to continue operating in the state while the regulator conducted its investigation.

However, a spokesman for bwin.party denied its partnership with the Borgata was at an end and said there had been “no change” in its relationship with the casino.

“We are in the process of applying for a New Jersey licence and remain focused on securing all the necessary permissions to continue to provide the Borgata with its market-leading online poker and casino offering,” the spokesperson added.

Pala Interactive has built its casino and poker platforms in-house from the ground up under the watchful eye of former bwin.party co-CEO Jim Ryan.

The operator launched its PalaCasino.com offering in the Garden State back in November 2014 under the Borgata’s interactive wagering permit, but has yet to roll out its poker product.

A spokesman for Pala Interactive was unavailable for comment.