Launches and sign-ups 30 October 2013
Launches and sign-ups from the egaming industry in the last seven days (24 October to 30 October 2013)
Playtech reveals mobile growth blueprint
Single sign-on features and accelerated games releases part of plan to drive expansion of mobile B2B business
Playtech revealed the roll-out of a single sign-on across its sports betting and casino apps from its major clients would be a key driver for its rapidly expanding mobile business, with Coral already live on the new mobile gaming platform.
Speaking during the company’s Q3 results analyst call this morning Playtech CEO Mor Weizer labelled its B2B mobile arm Mobenga’s single sign-on feature as “the future”, adding it has already been rolled out by its licensee Gala Coral.
Weizer explained that the ability to cross-sell customers from sportsbook, which remains the primary acquisition vertical, into other more lucrative casino products using a single sign-in was still absent from most operators’ offering.
BetVictor launches in-house live casino
Gibraltar-based operator BetVictor has launched its in-house online live casino, the first privately owned live studio from a major egaming operator.
BetVictor has constructed a custom-built studio at the company’s Gibraltar offices, with 40 croupiers employed to manage games and communicate with players 24 hours a day.
“This is an exciting development for the company, being able to offer our customers, old and new our very own ‘Victor’s Casino’,” Victor Chandler, chairman of BetVictor, said.
Seven days in launches and sign-ups:
Delaware to launch online gambling this week
Delaware Lottery director Vernon Kirk has confirmed history will be made in the state next week when regulated online gambling goes live on 31 October.
The state will become the first to offer legal online casino games, not just poker as in Nevada, ahead of New Jersey which is due to launch egaming on 26 November following a five-day trial period.
Delaware was the first US state to pass law regulating a full suite of online gambling in June 2012, when Governor Jack Markell signed the Delaware Competitive Act of 2012 into law.
BetVictor launches new mobile site
BetVictor has released a new mobile site with the addition of live streaming and tailored push messaging.
In addition, the new site also has improved design and navigation while a number of new football coupons are also accessible through mobile.
“The benefit of the push messaging is we can target users with promotional messages based on their previous betting patterns,” Shane Courtney, deputy head of BetVictor’s mobile channel, told eGaming Review.
“The current version of the app only lets us send messages to all customers but with each new version we will be adding more push messaging functionality.”
Ontario lottery delays launch of online gambling site
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation has delayed the launch of its PlayOLG.ca website in order to further develop its platform.
In an interview with eGR North America earlier this year, OLG chief exec Rod Phillips (pictured) said the site, the first to offer regulated online gambling in the state of Ontario, would go live this autumn. But now a spokesman for the OLG says no official date has been set for the launch.
“We are in active development of what will be Ontario’s only regulated internet gaming site. It is important to get it right. We have been observing the international industry to ensure we have the best practices in place for our offering. When we have a launch date, we will announce it,” he said.
Regulated Nevada online poker firm Ultimate Poker has added Omaha 8 Hi/Lo games in both limit and pot-limit formats to its offering. The new tables are currently available in full ring at 50c/$1, with limit games in 25c/50c and $2/$4 full ring as well as $10/$20 6-max.
Stan James has renewed its sponsorship of the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham and will now back two new races, due to be held on 17 November. The StanJames.com Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham and the StanJames.com Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown will act as trials for the Champion Hurdle, held on 11 March 2014.
Irish operator SeanieMac has signed two new sponsorship deals with Donedeal.ie and Attheraces.co.uk. Both websites are to host SeanieMac banners, with the operators live odds feed added to the Attheraces.co.uk odds comparison grid.