Launches and sign-ups 17 September 2014
Launches and sign-ups from the egaming industry in the last seven days (11 September to 17 September 2014)
Stan James cuts more jobs as sale nears
Bookie makes Gibraltar-based product development team redundant as potential sale looms
Stan James is continuing to reduce the size of its Gibraltar-based team as the bookmaker holds advanced discussions regarding the potential sale of the business.
According to sources, Stan James management have held talks with a number of rival operators over a sale, with at least two firms having recently pulled out of the race after failing to agree a price.
However, a deal for Stan James is now said to be “imminent”, with one Malta-licensed operator thought to be close to formalising an agreement for the 41-year-old bookmaker.
It is understood Stan James is keen to complete a sale as soon as possible, with the onset of the Point of Consumption tax on 1 December believed to be a key driver behind the disposal.
Intertain plots aggressive M&A drive
The Intertain Group says it is pursuing an aggressive acquisition strategy with the Toronto-listed firm hoping to complete at least one more acquisition by the end of the year.
In an exclusive interview with eGaming Review, CEO and president John FitzGerald said Intertain was currently in discussions with around four companies, as it looks to expand into new verticals following its acquisition of Costa Bingo owner Mandalay Media.
“Off the back of the Amaya transaction, I think the investment community has woken up to the idea of online gaming and so access to capital might not have become easier, but there’s more people willing to talk and listen to our ideas,” FitzGerald said.
Seven days in launches and sign-ups:
666Bet prepares for Asia launch
666Bet will target the potentially lucrative Asian market after opening an operations office in Taipei City, the capital of the China Republic region of Taiwan.
The sportsbook operator has appointed former 188Bet business development director Robert Robinson to head up the office with Robinson set to split his time between Taipei and the UK.
Speaking to eGR, 666Bet CEO Barry Martin said the operator expected to launch an Asia-focused sportsbook site in the next few months as it looked to take advantage of the increased exposure the brand following a number football sponsorship deals.
Sky Poker eyes B2B expansion as revenue grows 24%
Sky Poker is exploring the possibility of developing a B2B model for its revamped product after the vertical recorded revenue growth of 24% year-on-year.
Head of Sky Poker Richard Milner told eGR that internal discussions were currently underway at the Leeds-based firm, although the B2B strategy will depend on a number of factors and has yet to be defined.
“We are coming at this from a position of strength and have a poker product that will certainly attract interest from others,” Milner said. “Provided it’s beneficial to our business our player ecology, we wouldn’t rule [B2B] out,” he added.
Ladbrokes launches new poker app
Ladbrokes has launched a new poker app, the first new poker product launched by the operator since it migrated to Playtech’s iPoker from Microgaming’s MPN poker network.
The native app, launched on iOS and Android simultaneously, feature cash tables and speed poker variants and becomes the first poker application for the UK market to facilitate deposits from eBay-owned payments provider PayPal.
“Ladbrokes is the first UK gaming company under the iPoker network to release a native mobile application available for Android and iOS,” Yoel Zuckerberg, head of poker at Ladbrokes, said.
Bgo recruits Dan Bilzerian for new £15m campaign
Online casino operator bgo Entertainment has recruited another famous face as part of a new £15m marketing drive following the success of its Mini-Me inspired ad campaign earlier this year.
From Q4 this year, professional poker player and renowned playboy Dan Bilzerian will appear in a series of TV and online ads for the brand, which regularly features in eGaming Review‘s Power 50 list.
Bilzerian is famed for his lavish lifestyle, much of which he shares with thousands of fans on social media networks such as Instagram where he boasts 4.5 million followers.
NetEnt looks to Spain for growth
NetEnt chief executive Per Eriksson says the casino games and system supplier is preparing to enter the Spanish market as it seeks to take advantage of slots regulation in the country.
Speaking to eGR, Eriksson said the company was looking into securing a local to the Spanish regulator following the announcement slots would finally be made available to licensed sites within the next few months.
“We are currently looking into the application process for Spain as slots will be included at the end of the year, which is great for us as we don’t have any traffic coming from Spain right now,” Eriksson said.
Bwin.party payment arm in Lat Am and Africa joint-venture
Bwin.party’s payments arm Kalixa has formed a 50:50 joint venture with telecommunications and media company Millicom, in a bid to expand into Latin American and African markets.
Operations are scheduled to begin in Columbia and Brazil later this year, with Kalixa and Millicom each making an initial investment of US$4m and appointing two directors each to the board.
The news comes just weeks after bwin.party teased a possible partnership in its H1 financial update, saying it was in “advanced discussions” with an international corporation that would provide Kalixa with access to new markets.
Full Tilt launches Evolution-powered live casino
Full Tilt continues to ramp-up its online casino offering after partnering with Evolution Gaming to launch its first live casino product.
The Isle of Man-based firm’s live casino room features one roulette table, three blackjack tables and unbranded casino hold’em and baccarat tables with dealers based in Riga, Latvia.
Full Tilt Live Casino is available on the Full Tilt software for Windows, with a launch on Macintosh desktop operating systems, as well as iOS and Android mobile devices, expected in the coming months.
Unibet’s Maria.com to launch new poker product
Unibet Group subsidiary Maria is to launch a new poker product next year as it looks to re-enter the vertical following Unibet’s decision to leave Microgaming’s MPN network earlier this year.
The operator’s female-focused brand removed its Fast Poker tab from Maria.com at the same time Unibet launched its new poker client in February.
Dersim Sylwan, Sweden country manager for Maria.com, told eGR that a new product, which would utilise the same software as Unibet Poker but with some adjustments to match Maria’s brand values, was under development.