ONLINE GAMBLING INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT : 2012 Quarter 1
03/14/2012 : Online gambling industry covering the period December 17, 2011 through March 17, 2012.
ONLINE GAMBLING INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT:
– 888 Holdings:
– Independent B2B arm, Dragonfish and Caesars Interactive Entertainment have extended their UK software licencing agreement to cover the US which will result in Dragonfish powering CIE’s US-facing poker brands in the event that online gaming is legalised.
– 888 will power Irish budget airline Ryanair’s internet gambling platform accessed from the airline’s website.
– Action Poker Network has morphed into the "Chico Poker Network
– Amaya Gaming:
– Signed content provision deal with the Société du jeu virtuel du Québec (SJVQ), a subsidiary of Loto-Québec, to provide online gaming content for its gaming website, Espace-jeux.
– Signed a three-year development and licencing deal with Aristocrat Leisure Limited allowing subsidiary Chartwell Technology to adapt a number of Aristocrat gaming titles for use in online and video lottery terminal applications.
– Struck a deal to acquire the remaining shares it does not already own of gambling software maker CryptoLogic with an offer that values the firm at about US$ 35.8 million.
– Aristocrat Technologies :
– will provide its nLive online virtual casino to Scioto Downs Casino and Racetrack in Ohio, initially for the free-to-play application.
– partnered with Bally Technologies interactive division to offer the benefit of their poker networks as a business-to-business product for US operators
– Bally Technologies :
– acquired Chiligaming Limited’s B2B internet gaming arm Chiligaming.
– launched its new Bally Remote Gaming Server product for online and mobile gaming.
– Betfair – An interesting development called “Betfair Everywhere”, is a web tool that will show punters, who are browsing on competitors websites, Betfair's own odds. Betfair Everywhere is a Google Chrome add-on using keyword technology that will overlay Betfair's odds on other selected sports content websites. The add-on not only allows customers to view Betfair's odds but to also place bets.
– Betfred:
– Totepool brand signed a seven-year Northern Racing deal that covers pool betting services and on-course betting shops at all ten of its UK racecourses.
– Betfred upgraded its poker lobby with new features, a new points accumulation system, loyalty plan and has moved over to a weighted contribution system on its cash tables.
– Gibraltar-based Victor Chandler rebranded as BetVictor across the wide range of internet gambling products it offers.
– Betgenius Limited :
– Signed a licencing agreement with long-time customer Irish bookmaker Paddy Power for its Connextra video advertising banner product.
– Licenced its Connextra adserving product to Paddy Power’s Australian subsidiary Sportsbet.com.au.
– Extended its existing contract with Spanish operator Codere for another two years.
– Betsson:
– completed its acquisition of Artic Invest SAS, Betsafe’s holding company, with a final payment of Euro 12.5 million.
– extended its relationship with Leander Games adding a further four games to its inventory.
– entered into a new game supply deal with Swedish online gaming provider Jadestone for content on Casino Euro, Betsson and Betsafe brands.
– Spanish land-based gaming operator Grupo EGASA will build its online presence utilising Betware's gaming platform.
– US horseracing giant Churchill Downs acquired well-known Atlanta-based poker information media firm Bluff Media.
– Bodog Poker expanded into Asia with the addition of Bodog88 on its network.
– Leeds-based gaming start-up operation Buzz Sports partnered with Austrian operator Planet Win 365 for the supply of its online ZonePlay offering.
– bwin.party digital entertainment:
– launched online poker and casino games in Denmark for Danske Licens Spil, a wholly-owned subsidiary of former monopoly Danske Spil A/S.
– bwin.party digital's Gioco Digitale.it went live on 888 Holdings' Dragonfish CasinoFlex platform in the Italian market
– The B3W Network is now known as the "Poker Pack Network" and added another three operators namely; Black Stack Poker, B4 Poker and The Poker Barrel, to its Yachting Poker flagship brand.
– Caesars Interactive Entertainment :
– entered into a long-term technology partnership with Groupe Lucien Barrière SAS and its Barrière Poker (BP) operation specifically targeted at expanding the WSOP Europe brand.
– US land gambling giant Caesars Entertainment affected a complete buyout of Israeli internet social games developer Playtika.
– Slot manufacturer Casino Technology will supply its portfolio of games to AliQuantum customers, including subsidiary Plus-Five white labels, in return for access to its customer base that includes the newly regulated Bulgarian market.
– Cake Poker network has released what it calls a ‘significant' upgrade to its 2.0 poker client, with improvements in speed, stability, navigation and graphics.
– Chiligaming selected by Golden Nugget as its online gaming partner in the US.
– ComTrade will provide its online development services to Bally Technologies to expedite the conversion of Bally’s land-based slot portfolio to the online gaming environment.
– Russian software provider Connective Games LLC and Asian software provider and operator Cybertech International Holdings merged and will begin building a new Asian gaming network.
– CTXM:
– Signed up three new Asian-facing internet gambling websites: 2win22win.com, 3win33win.com and 8win88win.com, all in the YDL group. The three casinos are additionally offering live dealer action from CTXM partner, Entwinetech.
– Will supply Asian online casino operator Bet16 with a full RNG online casino solution.
– Endemol launched its Games UK division specialising in online games and headed-up by managing director Jurian van der Meer.
– EveryMatrix:
– Supplied iGame with a new back office platform, its OddsMatrix sportsbook and a mobile solution. Deal covers domains iGame.com, NoiQ.com, 24hpoker.com and pokerihuone.com
– Will provide XPRO Gaming with its live casino games to be integrated into the website’s GamMatrix gaming management platform.
– Evolution Gaming – Live dealer technology and services provider:
– European publishing company Mondadori signed up for Evolution Gaming's AAMS-certified Live Casino solution for its online gaming portal Glaming.it.
– Ålands Penningautomatförening (PAF), the Finnish online gambling operator, added live dealer action from Evolution Gaming.
– Inked its first Dutch deal with the Oranje Casino.com, for which it will provide services from two fully localised, dedicated live casino tables staffed by native speaking Dutch dealers.
– Unibet went live with Evolution Gaming's AAMS-approved live casino solution for the Italian market. Evolution Gaming additionally launched an exclusively dedicated and branded Unibet Live Casino Room in addition to Unibet’s existing live casino offering.
– France-Pari acquired BetNet.fr who was declared bankrupt last November.
– Frelix Entertainment's online gaming website WinaGames.com entered into a game supply deal with Sheriff Gaming.
– Online skill games developer and operator GameAccount Network signed a games supply agreement with Cogetech online sportsbetting and gaming subsidiary IZAPlay.it on the Italian market.
– Hornfull Limited acquired GigaMedia Limited’s 67.087 percent interest in casual gaming firm T2CN Holding Limited for a cash consideration of $ 4 738 588.
– International Game Technology :
– extended its existing licencing agreement with the Hasbro brand.
– launched its IGT Cloud solution for land-based, mobile and online operators. A result of a collaboration between CA Technologies and IGT.
– International Game Technology’s Entraction Network has been rebranded "IGT Poker".
– International Arts Management Corp launched GEOBet.com, a global gambling network operated by Olympian Trading Limited and North Star Entertainment Limited. The GEObet solution includes products from EveryMatrix, Microgaming, CTXM and Merge networks offering sportsbook, casino, bingo, poker, affiliate tracking, automated banner delivery and back end systems across all channels.
– Greek gaming firm Intralot introduced its Cloud solution with the launch of the NEFOS Intralot Cloud solution for land-based, mobile and online gaming operators.
– Swedish online gaming developer Jadestone completed a management buy-out from former parent company, the Åland based gaming operator Paf.
– Kiel-based financial holding firm JAXX SE has announced its entry into firm negotiations with a group of unidentified investors towards the sale of its lottery operations for a proposed consideration of Euro 12.5 million.
– California-based image recognition technology developer Jumio followed its successful Netswipe online product with a new online ID verification offering branded Netverify.
– Live dealer gambling technology provider Kenilworth Systems Corp. entered in to a joint venture with South African payment technology company Phortner Limited to develop financial transaction software for use in online gambling.
– Swedish gaming firm King.com acquired Stockholm-based games developer Fabrication Games, a company founded by Jadestone Mobile and then spun off.
– Ladbrokes entered into an acquisition agreement for a majority stake, initially of 65 percent, of U.S. sports book supplier Stadium Technology (Stadium) for a consideration of $3 million.
– Lottomatica Group :
– GTECH in six year partnership with Szerencsejatek Zrt, the Hungarian national lottery operator to provide its Margin Maker online sports betting platform.
– Long-term extension through GTECH Corp of its online lottery supply contract with Grupo Empresarial en Linea s.a. (“Gelsa”) in Colombia.
– GTECH G2 software supply deal sign-ups for new Spanish offerings with some of the largest land-based operators in the Spanish market and extensions of existing partnerships include: Casino Barcelona Grup Peralada, Acrismatic, Grup Comar, Grupo Orenes, Winga, Suertia, Sportingbet and bet 365.
– GTECH G2 to provide its partners with its new mobile solution and enhanced Gaming Management System (GMS).
– European bookie firm Stan James and GTechG2 will collaborate towards attaining certification of GTech G2’s Margin Maker World Till retail cash betting system for launch in South Africa.
– French National lottery operator La Française Des Jeux's (FDJ) sports book software subsidiary LVS has entered into a deal with Loterie National de Cote d’Ivoir (LONACI), the Ivory Coast's exclusive gambling operator, for the provision of its Advanced Betting Platform (ABP).
– UK gaming and advertising group Media Corp entered into a joint online venture with the soon-to-be launched Hippodrome Casino for the provision of a branded online offering covering online casino, poker, sportsbetting and bingo. Based on revenue sharing.
– Microgaming Quickfire:
– To supply Malta-licenced Comeon.com with online gambling software.
– AliQuantum Gaming has become a QuickFire master licencee.
– Prima Networks Limited (powered by Microgaming) partnered with Media Providing S.r.l and new Italian offering Betflag SPA for the provision of its QuickFire casino software.
– Sheriff Gaming’s 3D games will be deployed via NYX's Open Gaming System along with other gaming titles from NYX Interactive, NextGen Gaming and Microgaming.
– Net Entertainment – to provide Betsson, Unibet, Bet24 and Sportingbet (including Scandicbookmaker and Danbook) with online casino for Danish market launch.
– Neogames:
– Italian gaming operator Sisal SpA launched Neogames' soft games offering via a dedicated "Quick Games" tab on sisal.it
– Multi-year licencing agreement with CryptoLogic’s Instant Click platform.
– NeoGames marketing arm, AspireGlobal, launched into the Belgian online soft gaming market with GrandGames.be
– Novomatic acquired internet games software developer Mazooma along with the UK's largest gaming machine operator Gamestec, Bell-Fruit Games and RLMS.
– OMI Gaming launched its new mobile casino development titled Kazuri Casino Module.
– Danish operators Bet24 and Scandic Bookmakers migrated to the Ongame Network.
– Openbet:
– partnered with Aristocrat in a multi-year deal that will see the adaptation of Aristocrat land-based slot games developed by OpenBet for the online environment
– Atlantic Lottery’s PRO LINE retail and online sports wagering platform provided by OpenBet.
– Provides Sky Vegas with a range of instant win games.
– Passoker will provide its in-play betting product to independent bookmaker JenningsBet as well as to William Hill Online.
– PERFORM, Digital Sports Media Company:
– Provides bet365 with raw video streams which are integrated into the bet365 online in-play system by its in-house development team.
– Signed Paddy Power for football website Goal.com as its latest bookmaking partner.
– Partnered with South American rights agency Full Play Group S.A., adding an additional 900 South American soccer matches to its services each year.
– acquired live sports video content provider WatchandTrade Limited and Dutch firm Global Sports Media B.V. – owner of soccerway.com.
– acquired Spox Media GmbH and mediasports Digital GmbH from Cresces Sports Media AG. Spox owns and operates sports websites spox.com. Mediasports is a digital advertising sales agency representing spox.com’s inventory as well as comunio.de, kicktipp.de and formel1.de.
– Irish gambling group Paddy Power will supply product, pricing and risk management services to British Columbia Lottery Corporation in a three year agreement.
– Icelandic sports betting software developer Parspro will provide its ppTOTO fully automated sportsbook solution to Spanish gaming operator CIRSA.
– Playsafe Holding AS:
– Norwegian-based online gaming investment company Playsafe Holding AS sold its operating assets TigerGaming.com, PokerinCanada.com, PayNoRake.com, the ActionPoker brand player-base and processing company Action-Commerce Ltd to Julian International Holdings Ltd, a Seychellois gaming investment company.
– Playsafe domain ActionPoker.com transferred to Julian International’s new network Chico Poker Network.
– Playtech:
– Playtech signed up Grupo Caliente, Mexico's largest land-based gaming operator, as an online gambling software client.
– acquired Ash Gaming for total cash consideration of up to GBP 23 million. Initial consideration of GBP 15.5 million and deferred contingent consideration of up to GBP 7.5 million
– entered in a 49.99 percent joint venture with German land-based gaming operator and owner of the Merkur gaming brand, Gauselmann as well as a 50:50 partnership with Peermont, a South African casino and resort operator.
– joint venture with Scientific Games SciPlay has been restructured to a simple supply relationship.
– acquired UK-based sports book developer Geneity for an initial cash consideration of GBP 11 million.
– A furore over changes to the Pokerstars VIP Club awards escalated to player sit-out’s and operator lock-outs. Subsequent negotiations resulted in a solution that accommodates both sides of the debate.
– Purple Lounge online gambling operator, a long-time licensee of Microgaming, is set to switch to the Swedish-based Entraction network.
– 188Bet added live dealer action promoted through Right Casino Media websites.
– Live streaming provider Satellite Information Services Ltd rolled-out its Dubai horseracing services to bookmakers Bet365, Paddy Power and OneXTwo.
– Dutch internet gambling games developer Sheriff Gaming announced the distribution of its entire portfolio of 3D games via the open gaming platform, NYX OGS.
– Skill-on-Net is powering live dealer casino games at EUcasino.com.
– Puerto Rico’s Hipodromo Camarero signed up with the UK-based tote and pool sportsbetting provider Sportech to launch the island’s first online wagering site at Gana Donde Sea.com
– Sportingbet completed its acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Danish-focused Danbook Limited and Scandic Bookmakers Limited for an aggregate maximum of GBP 8.5 million.
– Sports Betting Tech:
– to launch sportsbetting website at Red Star Sports.eu for Red Star Poker.
– partnered with UK Gaming Media Group for the launch of Mermaid Bet's Sportsbook in the newly regulated Danish market.
– Will supply a fully managed live betting solution to Sisley International’s European bookmaking business Betshop.
– Shuffle Master acquired Ongame Poker Network from Bwin.Party Services (Austria) GmbH for a cash consideration of Euro 19.5 million, subject to certain adjustments at closing, and may pay up to Euro 10 million in cash within five years of closing, contingent upon the commencement of legalised, real-money online poker in the U.S. within such period.
– Spectrum Gaming Group, an independent research and professional services firm serving public and private sector clients worldwide, announced the completion of the acquisition of New Jersey-based market research firm EE Johnson Research.
– Unibet:
– Unibet's online pool betting subsidiary Kambi Sports Solutions inked a two year deal to deliver Supertoto and Superscore services to the AsianLogic Group.
– Acquired Betchoice Corporation Pty Ltd, one of Australia’s foremost independent corporate internet bookmakers.
– Viaden Gaming released software version 2.9 which features integration with Playtech's gaming platform, upgraded referral analytics reports, a new online payment system and the addition of new games.
– Virgin Games partnered with online video hosting provider Vzaar.
– Visionary i-gaming powered online live casinos Castle Casino.com and Celtic Casino.com now carry 3D gaming content from Sheriff Gaming’s design studios.
– Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) expanded its online wagering platform HorsePlayer Interactive (HPI) through the northern Ontario region.
– Costa Rica-based Yatahay Poker Network has been renamed The Winning Poker Network.
– Internet gaming and sports betting firm Zukido partnered with Hattrick to launch a new website for its Croatian operator Prva Sportska Kladionica (PSK).
ShutDown’s and Exits:
– World Sports Exchange (WSEX.com) has shut down subsidiary World Poker Exchange.com, giving little reason why.
– Everleaf Poker Network exited the US following federal action.
– Microgaming Poker Network has stopped accepting Spanish players in compliance with that country's new internet poker regulatory regime, with the exception of operators who have applied for a Spanish licence.
– US Federal authorities seized the already defunct Bodog.com domain and served an indictment on founder Calvin Ayre along with others.
– Federated Sports + Gaming’s Epic Poker League filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy barely a year after launch.
– Playtech-iPoker-powered site ChiliPoker.com is closing following a merger with fellow iPoker site Poker770.
– Following its acquisition of Barcrest, Scientific Games withdrew from the analogue AWP manufacturing sector for UK pub retail business.
– Intralot-France exited the French market due to the stringent and difficult conditions in the market as did Italian operator Microgame.
