Tag: Industry News

Online casino content provider Pragmatic Play has taken its complete slot offering live with Dominican Republic operator Superbets, with two more verticals to follow shortly.

Superbets customers will now be able to access Pragmatic Play’s latest hits, including Voodoo Magic and Madame Destiny Megaways, as well as the top-performing John Hunter series, following a smooth integration period.

The operator will also have access to Pragmatic Play’s Live Casino, and Virtual Sports offerings shortly, accessible through the supplier’s single API integration.

Victor Arias, VP of LatAm at Pragmatic Play, said: “Superbets is an important operator in Dominican Republic, and we’re delighted see our slot portfolio available for its customers.

“Our presence in LatAm continues to grow and we can’t wait to roll out the rest of our products with Superbets.”

Felix Arburola, Operations Manager at Superbets, said: “After a straightforward integration process, Pragmatic Play’s slot offering is now live on our online casino and we couldn’t be happier.

“Adding innovative products for our players is vital and we’re eager to add the rest of Pragmatic Play’s verticals to our line-up in the near future.”

Swiss casino operator Stadtcasino Baden Group has appointed new experienced executives to manage its two igaming brands, Casino777 and Jackpots.ch.

Brian Christner has been named as chief of online gaming for Grand Casino Baden. He is an IT specialist and previously spent more than a decade in the industry as a systems engineer and support manager for International Game Technology (IGT) between 2000 and 2011. Since then he has predominantly worked in cloud computing, most recently running his own consultancy to help companies deploy cloud-based solutions across their businesses.

Casino Davos, the property jointly owned by Stadtcasino Baden Group and Belgium’s Ardent Group, has appointed Robert Kocher to oversee its Casino777 igaming site. Kocher is an igaming industry veteran, having worked in the sector since 1998.

Christner and Kocher join a management team that has undergone significant restructuring in the past year. This has seen Christian Stegemann appointed chief financial officer and Dr Alexandra Körner brought in to oversee legal and compliance from May and June 2020 respectively. Stadtcasino Baden Group then brought in Michael Böni as its new chief executive in November last year, replacing long-serving incumbent Detlef Brose.

“I am convinced that with [this] new crew I have found a coherent management team to take our ‘House of Entertainment’ into the future respectively,” Böni commented following Christner and Kocher’s appointments.

Playtech Plc is facing a shareholder revolt with regards to how the company handled succession duties following the departure of Alan Jackson as Non-Executive Chairman last year.

The Times reported that shareholders of the FTSE250 technology group are unhappy that Playtech’s board suspended its executive search for Jackson’s replacement last May – a move that saw Claire Milne extend her role as interim chair of the company.

The firm maintained, however, that it will proceed to name a full-time chairman appointment “once it completes its selection process.”

Playtech claimed it was forced to temporarily suspend its search for Jackson’s replacement citing that standard governance procedures had been interrupted by significant limitations and restrictions of COVID-19 pandemic.

Furthermore, Milne had been charged with leading an internal review of Playtech’s compliance failings related to its defunct B2C subsidiary PT Entertainment Services (PTES), the former operating company of TitanBet and Winner.co.uk brands, which was fined £3.5 million by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) for serious customer care failings.

The Times stated that “several investors” are frustrated by governance’s failure to appoint a high-profile chairman during a critical juncture for the company, which requires an experienced leader to represent Playtech to the investment community.

US investor, Jason Ader who holds 5% of Playtech shareholdings through New York investment fund SpringOwl, openly stated his frustrations.

“We do not support Claire Milne as the future chairwoman of Playtech. We believe there are better candidates to lead this company into US gaming markets and lead it in its various endeavours over the course of the next decade,” he quoted.

Omni-channel content solutions provider Vermantia has launched the first mobile-optimised Virtual Football League, a brand new virtual game, packed with casino-style features and a wide range of customisations which is now available for mobile and online.

Following the great shift towards mobile betting, a trend that accelerated by the pandemic, Vermantia has designed its mobile-first Virtual Football League to meet the needs and expectations of today’s mobile and online players who are looking for fast draws, interactive betting experiences and high prizes. The game features all the casino-style modules from 2minute rounds and a “Skip” option for instant results to jackpots, providing users with the ease and fast-paced experience of casino-type games.

Spyros Stavropoulos, Commercial Director at Vermantia, said: “Our society has changed into a fast-paced race where everything is done on the move, and betting follows suit for a few years now. Player is heading towards the betting on the go, and this is why we developed our HD Virtual Football League with a mobile-optimised approach blended with casino-style, fast-paced features.

“Our new hybrid game is the perfect mix that gives a flavour of the classic Virtual Football League to the more ‘traditional’ sports betting players but also the thrill of a mobile-first, fast betting experience that the modern players’ crave for.”

Online platform Lottery. com has entered into an agreement of cooperation for a 30-year term with Turkish company Inball to offer select Lottery.com products in Turkey, both physically and electronically.

The Company also is targeting mid-February 2021 to sign a definitive agreement for a business combination with Trident Acquisitions Corp.

“Lottery.com has long had the goal to further our expansion, not only domestically, but internationally. We believe Inball is going to be a great partner to introduce us to the Turkish market and we feel confident and grateful to be partnered with such a strong brand. The expected business combination with Trident Acquisitions should provide Lottery. com with the necessary capital to support our international expansion,” Tony DiMatteo, CEO of Lottery. com, said.

“We are very keen to launch this business in Turkey as soon as possible. We are working with officials to finalize legal approvals and to begin distribution of U.S. lottery products in Turkey,” Niyazi Mete, CEO of both Inball and Mete Group, said.

Suzohapp has appointed Tim Kennedy, current director of sales for the UK, to the position of vice president of sales for Europe, effective immediately.

Kennedy has over 30 years of experience in the industry. Prior to joining Suzohapp, he served as an advisor for the preeminent international gambling consultancy, Regulus Partners. He also spent time at the sports betting platform provider, OpenBet, where he ran the Retail and Omnichannel divisions.

“Tim has proven himself an invaluable team member and trusted partner to our customers. He has delivered solid results in the UK and we look forward to what he will accomplish throughout Europe,” Sim Bielak, Global President of Suzohapp, said.

“It’s an exciting time to be at Suzohapp. Our European team is very strong with many years of experience, allowing us to add immediate value to our customers’ businesses whether it be a simple fulfillment or a complex customization. I look forward to working with this team and sharing these developments with our European customer base,” Kennedy said.

Interactive Gaming Group (IGG) has appointed Cristina Niculae as its new CEO.

Niculae was previously the chief strategy officer at GiG and, prior to that, was the company’s chief operating officer, overseeing operations in its iGaming Cloud arm.

“I am delighted to accept the role as CEO of Interactive Gaming Group and lead the company into its next phase of growth. I have been impressed by the innovative and experienced founding team and I believe in this motivated and highly skilled group of people driven by a mission to rapidly become the best streaming affiliate in the industry,” Cristina Niculae said.

Niculae sees a bright future ahead for iGaming and understands what is needed to make a company technologically and digitally superior in an industry that continues to become more crowded.

“In the casino space, rapid digitalisation and increased competition between online casinos are creating a strong value proposition for what streaming communities have to offer. Therefore, I feel inspired by the tremendous potential of Interactive Gaming Group to innovate and create long term value in this exciting space,” she said.

The Dutch National Lottery (Nederlandse Loterij) has appointed speed skater and four-time Olympic champion Sven Kramer as its brand ambassador.

Kramer joins the team of Nederlandse Loterij sports ambassadors in the run-up to the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing. The deal confirms the lottery’s role as a partner of skating Netherlands and as a co-main sponsor of the Royal Dutch Skating Association (KNSB).

“Within the rich history of long track speed skating, Sven is the undisputed number one. As a partner of TeamNL, we have of course been involved in the Olympic Games for many years and have already enjoyed his achievements a lot. He is a great sportsman with an unprecedented winning mentality, which we as a gaming organization are big fans of,” Judith Keizer, Sponsor Manager of Nederlandse Loterij, said.

“When Lotto, one of the seven game brands of the Nederlandse Loterij, was a partner of the skating team, I already worked with them a lot and I got to know the Nederlandse Loterij as a committed partner with a real heart for the sport. I look forward to the collaboration,” Sven Kramer said.

Entain plc has appointed Jette Nygaard-Andersen as its Chief Executive Officer with immediate effect. Jette is currently an independent non-executive director of Entain.

Shay Segev, the outgoing CEO, will remain available to Jette, the Board and management until July 8, to facilitate an orderly transition.

In addition, Rob Wood, Entain’s CFO, will have the role of Deputy CEO added to his current role with immediate effect, and Sandeep Tiku, Entain’s Chief Operating Officer, will be appointed to the Board later in the year.

Barry Gibson, Chairman of Entain, said: “We are extremely fortunate to have such an outstanding candidate and readymade CEO in Jette. She is already deeply immersed in Entain’s strategy, and clearly shares our ambition to be the world-leader in sports betting and gaming entertainment.

“Jette and I have been immensely impressed by Rob. He is extremely well regarded internally and externally, and the additional responsibilities will enable him to further develop his operational skills as well as overseeing a key tenet of our growth ambitions through M&A.

“Sandeep has been integral to the development of Entain’s unique proprietary technology platform, which is a source of significant competitive advantage. His appointment not only reflects his contribution to the success of Entain but is also aligned with our aim to have a broader range of experiences and inputs on the Board.”

Jette Nygaard-Andersen said: “I am very excited to have the opportunity of continuing the extraordinary momentum that Entain has in its existing markets, as well as helping it enter new regulated markets and reach new audiences. I am delighted that Rob has agreed to take on broader responsibilities and that the importance of our proprietary technology is recognised through Sandeep’s appointment to the Board. I am deeply wedded to Entain’s commitment to providing industry-leading levels of player protection, and to its philosophy that the most sustainable business in our industry will be the most successful business in our industry. I cannot wait to get started.”

Vermantia, a leader in omni-channel content solutions, has extended its partnership with Azerbaijan’s state-licensed operator, Topaz.

The deal sees Caspian Tech provided with premium live racing betting content from the supplier’s market-leading Ultimate Live Greyhound Channel via its integration into the Vermantia CONNECT platform. On Caspian Tech’s behalf, Vermantia will set-up, and operate the bespoke satellite channel across its 500-strong Topaz branded shop estate.

“Caspian Tech represents a very important partner for us and I would like nothing more than to see us expanding our collaboration together. Topaz customers are now able to enjoy top quality live racing content, complete with high-definition pictures, a powerful bet acceptance system and a full data service,” Spyros Stavropoulos, Commercial Director at Vermantia, said.

“CONNECT has proven to be a game-changer in other markets already, combining the highest picture quality with genuine low-latency in a cost-effective solution that allows the operator to choose exactly what content they need,” Spyros Stavropoulos added.

“Our partnership with Vermantia meets both our quest for a trusted partner with an international content distribution experience and our goal to offer fast-paced and exciting betting products to our customers,” Mustafa Onder, Deputy Technical Director at Caspian Tech, said.

“We are very excited to be launching an upgraded service which we believe will prove to be an immediate hit, and no doubt enhance our retail offering with exciting action-packed betting opportunities,” Mustafa Onder added.