Launches and sign-ups extra 2 October 2015
A round-up of the latest launches and sign-ups in the egaming industry including William Hill and Draft Kings
William Hill announces accelerator programme finalists
William Hill’s WHLabs Shoreditch tech hub has announced the five companies accepted into its first start-up accelerator programme.
The programme, run in conjunction with co-investor L Marks, will support the start-ups for three months, with each firm receiving an up-front investment of £25,000, along with 12 weeks of mentoring support and office space at WHLabs in Shoreditch and Tel Aviv.
The finalists include Asylum Labs, creator of a social bingo game, and BetGame, which provides a way for online gamers and eSports fans to bet with friends.
The five firms were selected from more than 250 applicants, and the winning company will be awarded a further £150,000 investment.
“As an industry-first initiative, the interest in the accelerator programme has been outstanding,” Crispin Nieboer, William Hill’s director of corporate development and innovation, said. “We’re looking forward to working closely with all of the finalists to create products that can truly disrupt the market,” he added.
DraftKings set for UK push
Daily fantasy sports operator DraftKings has signed a three-year deal with the NHL’s International Series in the UK.
The agreement will see DraftKings’ branding at fan activities in the UK as well as at the three NFL matches to be held at Wembley Stadium later this year.
“Our partnership with the NFL’s International Series provides the ideal platform in which to introduce fans to DraftKings in the UK as we expand beyond the United States,” DraftKings CEO Jason Robins said.
Genesis Gaming teams up with Big Stack Technologies
Video slot provider Genesis Gaming has agreed a partnership with Big Stack Technology to deliver video slot games to social casino operators as part of Big Stack’s egaming platform.
“We are excited by the amount of interest there is in deploying social casinos in the United States, especially from existing land-based casino resorts,” Geoffrey Hansen, Genesis Gaming’s managing director, said.
“And we are pleased to have a proven partner that can enable delivery of our games to a wide range of these social casinos,” he added.
Postcode Bingo signs Jean Johansson as new ambassador
TV presenter Jean Johansson will become the new face of People’s Postcode Lottery’s Postcode Bingo and Postcode Scratch brands.
The scratch card and lottery products, which give 10% of their revenue to Dogs Trust, will use Johansson in marketing campaigns.
“I am delighted to be named as the new face and ambassador for Postcode Bingo and Postcode Scratch,” Johansson said.
“As a dog lover, I am especially delighted that 10% of the revenue from Postcode Bingo and Postcode Scratch goes directly to Dogs Trust.”
BuzzTrade agrees FC Porto sponsorship deal
Online financial trading platform BuzzTrade has signed a two-year deal with Portuguese football team FC Porto to become the club’s official online trading partner.
The agreement secures BuzzTrade a significant branding presence at the stadium on LED hoardings, media boards, and in hospitality areas.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for BuzzTrade to partner with one of Europe’s largest football clubs,” BuzzTrade CEO Tamar Schoppik said.
“They have great heritage and a history of success on and off the pitch. FC Porto’s global fan base will enable BuzzTrade to introduce our innovative trading products to new audiences, who will be able to enjoy our user-friendly trading environment,” he added.
Dafabet sponsors eSports team Fnatic
Dafabet has agreed to sponsor one of the world’s top eSports teams, Fnatic, in a move it says marks the beginning of its commitment to the sector.
The firm said the deal, which makes Dafabet the team’s main sponsor, will “raise awareness of regulated betting on eSports to an engaged audience”.
Dafabet currently offers odds on a number of eSports markets including Dota2, League of Legends, Counter Strike: Global Offensive and StarCraft matches.
Play’n GO launches Eye of the Kraken
Gaming specialist Play’n GO has unveiled its new HD slot Eye of the Kraken, which is live with operators including Betsson, BetVictor, LeoVegas and Mr Green.
“With stunning graphics, unique animations and peerless performance, Eye of the Kraken is a slot in a league of its own,” Martin Zettergren, COO of Play’n GO, said.
“Launching simultaneously on both mobile and flash ensures the game will be available on all devices,” he added.
NetEnt launches first games in New Jersey
A selection of NetEnt games is now available to New Jersey players for the first time after the firm received a transactional waiver at the beginning of September for the Borgata and bwin.party brands.
“We’ve focused on establishing our footprint in North America and our goal was set to be live during the second half of this year,” Per Eriksson, CEO at NetEnt, said.
“I’m very pleased that we have delivered on our promise, and excited to follow and act on market opportunities going forward,” he added.
Vermantia signs SNAI live sports channel agreement
Provider Vermantia will provide two live sports betting channels for Italian operator SNAI as part of a new agreement.
The channels will allow SNAI to offer live sports videos combined with supporting data and statistics to customers.
“We are very pleased that SNAI selected Vermantia to further extend its gaming portfolio,” Vermantia CEO Filippos Antonopoulos said.
“With this agreement, we aim to establish a long standing collaboration with SNAI by continuously offering new products and premium services to its existing and future customer base,” he added.