Launches and sign-ups 11 November 2015
Launches and sign-ups from the egaming industry in the last seven days (5 November 2015 to 11 November 2015)
FanDuel to “experiment” with UK launch
Daily fantasy sports operator submits licence application with GB regulator, plans to launch sometime next year
Daily fantasy sports (DFS) operator FanDuel has set its sights firmly on the European market by applying for a licence with the GB Gambling Commission.
FanDuel, which has offices in Edinburgh, New York and Florida, is aiming to launch in the UK sometime next year in a move its CEO Nigel Eccles (pictured) described as an “experiment”.
“Candidly, we’re going to test the waters, but it’s an unknown,” Eccles told Bloomberg. “Everyone needs to prove that there is a market outside the US.”
DFS has failed to gain much traction outside of North America due to the wide availability of real-money sports betting, which is illegal in all but a few US states.
888 makes bid for female wallet
888 is hoping to attract a larger share of female online casino players after launching a major marketing effort for its recently released 777 casino brand.
Launched in September, 777.com has been pitched at the female demographic with a particular focus on the UK, German and Swedish markets.
According to the firm, 777 offers customers “retro style-class, glamour, surprise and excitement” and has been built around the concept that players can experience a ‘jackpot moment’ at any time.
Seven days in launches and sign-ups:
PokerStars to launch BetStars sportsbook
PokerStars will launch a standalone sportsbook platform under the BetStars brand in the first half of 2016, Amaya Gaming CEO David Baazov has confirmed.
The announcement ends speculation around Amaya’s plans in the sportsbook vertical after media reports suggested the gaming giant had acquired the BetStars.com domain in recent months.
Speaking to analysts after Amaya reported its Q3 financial results, Baazov said the firm had taken the strategic decision to delay the rollout of its sportsbook while it rebrands and improves the platform. Its limited sportsbook product currently resides within the PokerStars platform.
Ladbrokes Australia unveils partial cash out
Ladbrokes’ Australian arm has launched partial cash out as the operator continues to consider a relaunch of its earlier withdrawn in-play betting feature.
Partial cash was soft-launched on Ladbrokes.com.au across a number of sports and horseracing markets last month, in the middle of the lucrative 50-day Spring Carnival.
The product, which is already available on bet365.com.au, provides customers with greater flexibility over their bet liabilities by offering the opportunity to close a proportion of their wager while keeping the remainder open.
DraftKings enhances football product ahead of UK launch
Daily fantasy sports operator DraftKings has struck a partnership with data provider Opta as it looks to improve its football product ahead of launching in new markets.
Opta will supply all of their live football performance statistics for the three leagues DraftKings currently offer contests on – Major League Soccer, English Premier League and UEFA Champions League.
The operator said not only will Opta’s data be used going forward, but historical stats have been added in order to create a “more engaging” product offering.
Sportsbet makes responsible gambling plea
Sportsbet is calling on friends of gamblers to be on the lookout for signs of irresponsible gambling in a marketing push promoting its self-exclusion Take A Break product.
The Australia-facing Paddy Power-owned brand’s one-month campaign aims to drive community awareness primarily to ensure friends of those that display signs of problem gambling are encouraging them to use the self-service feature to self-exclude themselves for 24 hours or more.
The campaign features two 30-second adverts which will be screened across some of Australia’s most prominent TV channels while the message is also being pushed across digital, social and radio platforms.
Playtech launches multi-channel Top Gun slot
Playtech had added to its growing portfolio of online games after launching a multi-channel slot game based on the iconic 1980s film Top Gun.
The 2-4-3 ways slot has been made available to all Playtech licensees and features special bonus rounds which include original action clips from the film which stars actor Tom Cruise.
Playtech said the timing of the launch “could not be better” with 2016 marking the film’s 30th anniversary while work is underway for a long-awaited sequel where Cruise is expected to return as Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell.