Launches and sign-ups extra 13 January 2017

Partypoker has launched a new live global tour for 2017, headlined by the partypoker Million event.

The first event will take place at the Playground Poker Club, Canada, in May and feature a CAD $5,000,000 guaranteed prizepool with CAD $1,000,000 guaranteed for the winner, all for a CAD $5,300 buy-in.

The new partypoker LIVE tour will also host partypoker Million Nationals which will have a buy-in of $1,100 and guaranteed prizepools in excess of $500,000.

“Listening to feedback from the players at the Caribbean Poker Party it was clear that there was a desire for events that not only offer high guaranteed prizepools but also fun off the felt,” group head of partypoker Tom Waters said.

Sky Betting & Gaming (SB&G) has launched what it claims is egaming’s first artificial intelligence chatbot to be used in the recruitment process.

Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling, the face of the new virtual recruitment chatbot, can pose and respond to questions with the use of interactive buttons in chat on the company culture, an applicant’s status, business locations, benefits and social opportunities.

‘Ask Jeff’ uses artificial intelligence and natural language processing to give applicants access to the recruitment process at any time of the day.

It also offers a responsive and interactive experience from the moment an application starts, right through to someone’s first day with the company.

Russian sportsbook operator Fonbet has struck a deal with Digital Sports Tech to integrate its player proposition betting product, marketing the supplier’s entrance into the Russian market.

Fonbet will integrate Player Prop into its sportsbook in Q1 this year, with the UI fully translated into Russian, including player names.

Player Props allows users to create and customise their own bets on player performance across a range of statistics and sports in real-time.

“We’re really looking forward to offering Player Props to our customers, and in particular giving them the opportunity to customise their own bets on player statistical performance,” Alexandra Sergeeva, Fonbet CMO, said.

Platform provider Digitain has reached an agreement with Betsoft Gaming to integrate the supplier’s full suite of slots and table games into its product portfolio.

Following the deal, Digitain will now be able to offer its operator clients titles such as Sin City Nights, Birds and The Tipsy Tourist, as well as a range of table games including blackjack, poker, and three card rummy.

“Joining forces with Betsoft Gaming allows us to strengthen our game portfolio with a wide range of new titles and themes,” Digitain CEO Suren Khachatryan, said.

Anna Mackney, account manager at Betsoft, added: “Digitain has impressive expansion plans for the coming year, and we are delighted to be working with them as they enter new markets.”

Magnet Gaming has released a new Wild West-themed game where players hunt for gold, the supplier announced this week.

Gold Rush – Valley of Riches features nine aptly designed reels and two progressive jackpots available on desktop and mobile.

Players can gain entry to two separate bonus games by matching either three ‘Gold Digger’ or three ‘Gold Canyon symbols. Players lucky enough to match all three are then handed the chance to sieve for top prizes, or ride the runaway cart to jackpot glory, depending on which bonus round they enter.

Thomas Nielsen, head of gaming licensing at Magnet Gaming, said: “High quality graphics and sound are always at the forefront of our minds when putting together new ideas and Gold Rush could be our best yet.”

Live casino site Codeta has launched a second funding round in an attempt to accelerate its growth plans.

The operator, which has gone live in markets including the UK, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, is seeking additional funding to expand into new markets across Europe and strengthen its product offering.

“To keep building momentum, we need to enter new markets, continue to launch new products, and put additional weight behind our marketing campaigns,” Edward Ihre, CEO of Codeta.com, said.

“This funding round will allow us to do all of this, and continue with our mission to bring live table games into the mainstream.”

EveryMatrix has announced it has been granted two Class II Licences from Romania’s National Office for Gambling (ONJN) to offer its sports and casino solutions to online gambling operators in the market.

Romania is home to the supplier’s largest office, with more than 50% of its workforce based in Bucharest.

“Our access to the Romanian market comes as a natural consequence of our long-time investment in this country,” said Ebbe Groes, EveryMatrix CEO.

“At the same time, Romania is one of the largest European countries and it is therefore an important addition to our portfolio.”

Betstudios has agreed partnerships with three major clients in Italy after launching its innovative sportsbook and gaming platform.

The Malta-based software provider has already seen Nexigames become the first operator to go live through its flexible technology, and Betstudios now plans to push ahead with further expansion in Italy and other jurisdictions.

“Our advantage is that we have written a brand new software with the latest technologies,” André Genovese, managing director of Betstudios, said. “Established competitors in this B2B market do not have the luxury of starting a new project and writing something completely new, so their software has become old and clunky.”