Launches and sign-ups 4 February 2015
Launches and sign-ups from the egaming industry in the last seven days (29 January to 4 February 2015)
Rank targets CRM boost with Bede platform deal
Deal sees Rank switch from OpenBet as core platform provider and gives operator option to acquire equity stake in Bede Gaming
Rank Interactive will seize greater control over its core digital platform through a deal with supplier Bede Gaming in a move that Rank Group’s EO Henry Birch said will be a significant boost to player retention.
The operator announced the deal in its H1 report and said the new platform will not only increase flexibility and speed in integrating third party content but also improve CRM and analytics capability.
Birch told eGR the deal will see Rank drop OpenBet as its core platform supplier however the latter will continue to be a key content provider, as well as providing its remote gaming server for certain game integrations.
He said it will not affect Rank’s other existing platform suppliers including Playtech’s Virtue Fusion, with Bede’s platform complementing others via a central bonusing and loyalty system.
The Guardian ends online sportsbook venture
The Guardian newspaper has ended its sportsbook partnership with FSB Technology after just one year due to concerns from its readers over entering the gambling space.
GoWager was launched in February 2014 and offered a limited number of sports betting markets solely promoted through the Guardian’s website.
However the publication was soon forced to review its involvement in response to ethical concerns raised by its readers, and the FSB-powered product was switched to a standalone site unaffiliated to the Guardian last week.
Seven days in launches and sign-ups:
Mr Green targets Italy with Mybet Italia purchase
Online casino firm Mr Green is planning a launch in the Italian market after agreeing a deal to acquire former mybet subsidiary Mybet Italia.
Mr Green confirmed last week that it will acquire the operations of Mybet Italia and use the licence to launch the Mr Green brand in the country, subject to approvals from Italian regulatory body AAMS.
Mr Green did not confirm the price of the deal but said it would not appreciably impact liquidity and would be financed using existing cash assets. As of Mr Green’s last results disclosure for Q3 2014 the operator’s cash and cash equivalents stood at SEK136.5m (£10.9m).
Cherry acquires majority stake in affiliate business
Cherry AB has acquired a majority stake in Nordic-facing affiliate business Game Lounge in a deal worth up to 3.4m.
The casino operator has paid 1.4m upfront for a 51% shareholding with an extra conditional sum of up to 2m to be paid no earlier than 13 months after completion of the deal.
Cherry also has the option to acquire the remainder of the business after three years.
The deal will see Game Lounge use Cherry as a while label partner for SveaCasino.com with additional Cherry brands to follow.
CORE Gaming strikes GECO supply deal
CORE Gaming has partnered with fellow supplier GECO Gaming to add its range of titles to GECO’s remote gaming server.
The deal will see more than 100 of CORE’s HTML5-developed gaming titles made available via GECO’s remote gaming server starting later this quarter.
The first titles to be added will be roulette and blackjack-based products that will comprise a portfolio of table games including video poker and three-card brag.
RAY pens 20-year contract extension with Playtech
Finnish operator Raha-Automaattiyhdistys (RAY) has penned a 20-year contract extension with Playtech to receive its retail and online gaming products until 2035.
RAY initially signed with the supplier in 2011 to launch the Ray.fi online presence before extending the deal in 2013, however that deal was due to expire next year.
The new agreement includes the provision of multi-channel gaming software and content in order to support state-owned RAY’s online, mobile and retail presence, and the operator will also gain access to locally-themed products as well as Playtech’s suite of branded titles.