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World Cricket Championship 3 wins IGDC “Studio Game of the Year”

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WCC franchise wins three consecutive awards

World Cricket Championship 3 (WCC 3) won the ‘Studio Game of Year’ award at the Indian Game Developers Conference (IGDC) today. This is a consecutive award for the World Cricket Championship (WCC) franchise in this category, WCC Rivals having bagged the runner-up spot last year.

Earlier this year WCC won the AatmaNirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge conducted by the Government of India and more recently, the third edition of the game bagged the ‘Google Play Best of 2020 award’ in the ‘Users’ Choice’ category, only after a few weeks of its launch.

WCC from Next Wave Multimedia Pvt Ltd. is the leading and longest running mobile cricket gaming franchise from India and now having won three consecutive prestigious accolades recently, P.R. Rajendran, co-founder and CEO, says “It is absolutely thrilling to win another title. The team has put a lot of hard work and innovation behind the game and this award comes as a hattrick for us at WCC. This is a validation of all our effort. We look forward to continuing to provide value to our fans and the industry at large.”

The WCC franchise has crossed 143+ million downloads globally. This ‘Made in India’ game franchise filled the cricket void this pandemic by giving fans a near-actual and immersive cricket experience, resulting in more than 22 million downloads between February and August, 2020. Alongside this, the game also recently witnessed more than 100% growth in-app purchases between February and November 2020.

The latest edition of WCC comes with a host of new features, including a comprehensive career mode set across 3 brackets, 25 series, and 400+ matches with a built-in challenging performance decision system which determines your rise in ranks starting from a local club to the national or international level, alongside the much awaited women’s cricket mode which is a tribute to the changing face of women’s cricket across the globe. To add a dash of extra realism, the game has been infused with simulation of actual cricket, updated gameplay features like brand new controls, fabulous animations, real-time motions of athletes and professional cricketers, bilingual commentary by professional cricketers, Aakash Chopra and Matthew Hayden and much more.

Apart from the aforementioned accolades, the franchise also has multiple others to its name including Google Editor’s Choice (2016-2020). WCC2 has also been listed as Google’s Best of Games in 2015, 2016 & 2017 and Apple’s Best of Games 2016, 2017 & 2018.

Furthermore, the cricket game has also been featured among the Top 10 Games for Monthly Active Users by the App Annie Report for 3 years in a row (2016-2018) and was also listed under Top 10 games by time spent in Android & IOS by App Annie 2016 report.

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Paco Rabanne Becomes EPIC League Broadcast Partner

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Paco Rabanne partners with this season’s main esports Dota 2 tournament — EPIC League. The Invictus men’s perfume will be presented during the international championship with a $500 000 prize pool. The competition among the strongest teams in the world will become a podium for introducing the esports audience to the aroma of strength, pride and victory — the Invictus bottle is made in the form of a trophy cup.

The brand’s advertising campaign was developed by Starcom media Agency (part of Publicis Groupe Russia) together with ESforce Holding and Bridge A[gency]. During the EPIC League final part, which will be held from December 8 to 13, partners will organize large-scale integration of Invictus into the virtual world and tournament media space.

Polina Protsevskaya, Senior Digital Manager, Starcom:

“Bearing in mind the Paco Rabanne strategic goals and the global benchmarks, we have found an innovative approach to expanding the Invictus brand positioning. The spirit of competition is in the brand’s DNA, but the perfume category has been poorly represented in esports until today. This is why the brand entered this territory and immediately became a partner of the largest esports tournament of the current Dota 2 season — EPIC League”.

Sergey Barkhudaryan, Commercial Director, ESforce Holding:

“One of the esports industry dynamic growth indicators is the interest of the largest companies from completely different areas. We thank Paco Rabanne for their trust in implementing this landmark collaboration and are happy to help such a vivid brand communicate with the esports audience”.

Irina Putintseva, CEO, Bridge A[gency]:

“Invictus is an ancient aestheticized masculinity and the will to win. A trophy that the conqueror has already appropriated and keeps on the shelf. The visual embodiment of the bottle in the form of a сup is a perfect match for the tournament style, because gamers have an uncompromising thirst to win. They are persistent in everything.

We are pleased and happy that today such advertising campaigns destroy the stereotypes that perfumes are far from the usual Russian guy, on the one hand, and that esports athletes are always blinkered and unkempt, on the other hand. And it’s great that such advertising campaigns open your eyes to reality and make visible the heroes of the esports world, who value not only their skills, but also the impression they make and how they are perceived by the world around them. After all, they win not only on the virtual fields, but also in the real world”.

boss.gaming-solutions-signs-up-with-enteractive-to-boost-player-deposits

BOSS.Gaming Solutions signs up with Enteractive to boost player deposits

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Databases for NRCs and NDCs will utilise (Re)Activation Cloud solution

Enteractive, the leader in player reactivation and retention for the iGaming industry, is to provide its unique (Re)Activation Cloud services to BOSS.Gaming Solutions, with a focus on activating NRCs and NDCs across both Boss Casino and Bootlegger Casino.

Enteractive started calling players in November across BOSS. Gaming markets including Germany, Canada, Finland, Norway, and the Netherlands.

Employing a more personalised approach to player engagement by calling them directly to discuss their accounts and confirm that they are able to deposit without any responsible gaming concerns, Enteractive is unique in the extent of its CRM offering.  The company has over 100 native call agents for all major European markets and operates around the world in markets including Japan, New Zealand, Latam, and North America..

Daniel Fernández, Head of CRM at BOSS.Gaming Solutions, said, “This partnership with Enteractive will help us convert more players from non-depositing segments that can be harder to reach with our regular CRM activities.  The personal approach shows our players that we have them front of mind, and lets them engage more closely with our brand.”

With Enteractive’s Retention-as-a-Service platform, BOSS. Gaming expects to boost player retention rates through one-2-one conversations with players, while promoting sustainable entertainment through accredited responsible gambling procedures.

Mikael Hansson, Enteractive founder and CEO, commented: “Players demand a closer relationship with iGaming brands these days, like so many other sectors.   Our personal calls promote trust and loyalty which allows operators to reduce churn and garner more fruitful communication with their players.”

The ease of integration and solid ROI for clients means Enteractive’s personalised, responsible approach sets the company apart from other conversion or reactivation offerings, adding value to the players brand experience with each and every call. With its global reach expanding to new markets in 2020, more iGaming brands than ever are now benefiting from Enteractive’s ability to re-engage with inactive players in a scalable and personal way.

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LeoVegas awarded Casino Operator of the Year

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LeoVegas is the Casino Operator of the Year. Accepting the award, Matthew Jakes, Casino Portfolio Specialist at LeoVegas said:
“It is fantastic to receive this award, not just because everybody wants the prestige of being operator of the year, but it is really showing how much work we have, as a collective as Team Leo, put in during what has been an exceptional year.”

“Our commitment to innovation and providing the greatest and safest gaming experience for our players is something we are very much proud of. It seems a long time ago that we brought our own Branded Megaways and Multiplay to life and most recently it is the massive appeal of LeoJackpot, we really enjoy being King of Casino and we equally appreciate such recognition today”

LeoVegas was named Casino Operator of the Year at the SBC Awards 2020. TV presenter Kirsty Gallacher, Vinnie Jones actor and former professional footballer and goalkeeper legend Petr Cech hosted the event, which was held virtually this time. The annual SBC Awards recognise the achievements of operators and affiliates in sports, betting and igaming.

new-sports-betting-mobile-app,-tipico,-now-live-in-new-jersey

New Sports Betting Mobile App, Tipico, Now Live in New Jersey

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German Market Leader Launches Fully Compliant and Easy to Use Mobile Sportsbook Platform on iOS and Android; Debuts new U.S. Brand Campaign

Tipico, a global sportsbook operator, is excited to announce it has officially launched its new app to the state of New Jersey and is fully operational in the United States. Sports fans across the Garden State are now able to download the fast, secure and user-friendly new app to place bets across a wide variety of sports and teams.

With U.S. headquarters and operations in Hoboken, NJ, Tipico has built a new and proprietary online sportsbook tailor-made for the serious U.S. bettor and inspired by decades of experience as an international leader in the sports betting and mobile interactive gaming space. Wagering on live sport markets across the globe, with odds managed by Tipico’s in-house trading team, is now available 24/7. Additionally, to celebrate this launch Tipico will be offering a variety of attractive sign-up promotions and cash offers for consumers, which are now available in the app and on www.tipico.com/us.

“After months of getting ready for launch, we are so excited to finally announce that the app is live and to share our offerings with the New Jersey market,” said Adrian Vella, Managing Director, US Business, Tipico. “Tipico is a betting experience unlike any other, and we are confident that as we expand our reach in the U.S., users will love the new features we are regularly adding to the app. This is just the start, but we are proud to call New Jersey our home and it’s been great to see the positive response from sports bettors across the state!”

Designed to streamline the betting process for consumers, the world-class Tipico app is a clean and user-friendly experience. Whether live betting the spread or locking in a parlay, the app allows for effortless movement throughout with a simplistic menu of options. Original odds from Tipico’s in-house oddsmakers and top-of-the-line data to inform decisions means each user has a leg up on the competition.

In addition, Tipico has debuted a new brand platform and advertising campaign for the U.S. market, showcasing the company’s commitment to treating the serious sports bettor with the respect they deserve. “For nearly two decades, Tipico has built one of the strongest and most recognizable brands in all of sports betting and online gaming,” said Keith Gormley, Head of U.S. Marketing, Tipico. “Our inaugural campaign, developed with agency Öpinionated, recognizes the deep commitment that U.S. sports bettors have for their craft, while tapping into the passion for sports that defines the Tipico brand world-wide.”

Beyond New Jersey, Tipico has exciting plans for expansion in the U.S., including its recently debuted partnership with Century Casinos, which will help the company brings its world-class sportsbook to the state of Colorado. Discussions to bring the brand to additional markets are ongoing. For more information, please visit: www.tipico.com/us.

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Sportradar partners with Australia’s Hungry Jack’s National Basketball League (NBL) for Global Broadcast Rights and OTT

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Sportradar, the world-leading provider of sports data intelligence and sports entertainment solutions today announced a multi-year partnership with Australia’s Hungry Jack’s National Basketball League (NBL) to bring its Live broadcast to a wider audience as the international media (broadcast rights) distributor and OTT partner, starting from the upcoming NBL season due to commence in mid-January 2021.

Sportradar will work closely with the NBL to enhance distribution and coverage for its media rights across broadcast and online platforms, utilising its global network, unique combination of audiovisual technology and data expertise to deliver the best possible fan experience for global audiences, including basketball nations such as China, South East Asia, the US and Europe. As part of this partnership, Sportradar will also be powering the NBL’s OTT platform with plans to include NBL1 games on the relaunched platform for the first time.

In addition to the exclusive Global Broadcast Rights and OTT deal, Sportradar will also become an official integrity partner to the NBL. Sportradar will provide odds monitoring services across Australia’s top men’s and women’s competitions – including the NBL, NBL1 and Big V – to detect any betting irregularities through its market-leading Fraud Detection System. This would see 1,781 matches across professional and semi-professional basketball in Australia monitored by Sportradar.

The Hungry Jack’s NBL’s global profile is rising, breaking new records for online viewership and attendance during  the 2019-20 season and it is now widely considered to be one of the premier leagues in the world outside of the NBA.

A record audience of nearly two million fans watched last season’s game between the SKY Sport New Zealand Breakers and Illawarra Hawks featuring recently drafted NBA players LaMelo Ball and RJ Hampton live on Facebook.

David Edwards, Director of Sports Media and Partnerships – Oceania, said, “There’s no question that the NBL has rapidly become one of the top basketball leagues in the world, with a great mix of homegrown and imported talent across the competition. Sportradar is looking forward to expanding the NBL’s global footprint through our technology-based, data-driven approach to rights distribution, and helping the league unlock new commercial partnerships and opportunities off the back of that increased engagement.”

“The Sportradar-powered OTT platform will also be featuring a high volume of live and VOD matches across the NBL1 (state) leagues. We’re proud to help showcase the next generation of Australian basketball talent via a single dedicated streaming service for the very first time.”

The NBL’s Chief Commercial Officer Brad Joyne said: “The Hungry Jack’s NBL is delighted to work with Sportradar.  Through a combination of NBL’s local market reputation and growing fanbase and Sportradar’s focus on integrity and technology excellence proven in global markets, we feel confident that we can expand the NBL’s sphere of influence together and I very much look forward to seeing it happen.”

This is the latest in a series of high-profile deals for Sportradar in the Asia Pacific region. The firm has leveraged its global experience, cutting edge technology and expertise in intellectual sports property rights to bring live games to audiences the world over during a difficult environment for sport. In late 2019, Sportradar signed a partnership with Korea’s K LEAGUE which helped the league expand its reach globally through online and broadcast platforms.

In addition, the company extended their relationship with Tennis Australia, leveraging its audiovisual (AV) and data content, encoding technology and Integrity Services to protect matches and expand their presence across global audiences. Sportradar is also powering the National Premier League OTT platform, NPL.tv, in cooperation with Football New South Wales and Football Queensland.

 

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Save the date for the Gaming Americas Q1 Virtual Meetup (28 January 2021)

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GamingAmericas.com announces the date and draft agenda of the first virtual quarterly virtual meetup in 2021.

We are excited to announce that the registrations are open for the Q1 Virtual Meetup which will take place on 28 January 2021.

The title of the first meetup of the year is Gambling Industry Reboot and you can already register here!

As an update to the previous announcement about the virtual meetups, we have made the meetups free to attend.

The aim of the quarterly virtual meetups is to increase the access to quality information, but also provide an excellent opportunity to participate in engaging discussions about the North and Latin American gambling industry.

The draft agenda includes the following discussions:

  • Reclassification of DFS entry fees by the IRS
  • US Legislation Update – Which states to monitor in 2021
  • The synergy between land-based and online operations (Multichannel convergence, omni-channel, availability on mobile)
  • The Gambling Industry on the stock exchange (fanatical evaluations, IPOs, M&As, SPACs, consolidations)
  • The US Gambling Industry seeks innovation (eSports is not the so near future, next generation of sports betting, interactive arenas, betting experience in the future, user experience, sports hospitality, fan engagement)
  • Canada – Online Gaming, onwards and upwards in 2021 (sports betting bill, Single-Event Sports Betting and online gambling licensing)
  • Learning the ropes: The Payments Industry in North America (obstacles of the payment industry in North America and positive news)
  • Blockchain and the Gambling Industry, why are we not talking about it? (time to ditch technophobia in North America, transparency and fairness solutions offered by blockchain, data privacy)
  • Latin America – Regulation updates: Colombia experience, Panama, Argentina, Brazil
  • Debate: Is Latin America learning from the European mistakes?
  • Emerging Latin American markets: Chile, Uruguay, Peru (Lotteries representatives)
  • Top regulators roundtable
  • Focus on the Caribbean region

The final version of the discussions will be announced in mid-January.

The meetups feature several panel discussions per region and topics that are joined by key industry experts, CEOs, C-Level Executives, Business Development Managers, and sometimes government officials/regulators.

All meetups offer the opportunity to network online in special break-out sessions, but also join a round table discussion which answers all burning questions of the industry at a certain point in time during 2021.

Visit the official website of the event to stay up to date with the speaker announcements and register in order to secure your virtual seat!

For further sponsorship/speaking and marketing inquiries, make sure to reach out to Andrada Marginean (B2B Sales Executive at Hipther Agency).

For media-related inquiries, please contact Alexandru Marginean (Marketing Specialist at Hipther Agency).

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Statement from William Hill CEO Ulrik Bengtsson on the Gambling Review

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“William Hill welcomes the gambling review which the Government has launched today. Our industry is more committed than ever to keeping gambling as safe as possible and we have been getting on with raising standards. Whether it’s ensuring under-18s and vulnerable people are not exposed to gambling adverts or identifying at-risk players through technology, we are continually driving up standards to ensure gambling remains a safe and fun pursuit for millions of people in the UK.

We look forward to engaging with the Government throughout the review to ensure that any new regulations work alongside progress made by our industry and provide clarity and certainty for customers, operators and all those who work in the sector.  It is important that the review is evidence-led, strikes the right balance between protecting the vulnerable and the continued enjoyment of the many tens of millions who happily place the occasional bet, as well as  taking a critical look at the growing risks of the black market where there are no consumer protections”.

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Playtech agrees Online Casino and VLT games deals with Norsk Tipping

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Playtech, the world’s leading gambling technology company, today announces the signing of two new agreements to supply Norway’s national gaming operator Norsk Tipping with a range of Online Casino and Video Lottery Terminals (VLT) products. Both agreements follow two public procurement processes by Norsk Tipping.

These agreements further extend the long-term strategic partnership between Playtech and Norsk Tipping. Playtech has supplied Online Casino games to the operator since 2016 and VLT platforms, games, terminals, and services since 2003. The signing of the agreements will see this partnership extended and expanded within each product area.

The new online casino agreement means Norsk Tipping will be able to access Playtech’s ever increasing range of new and innovative online casino games, coming from its strong line-up of Playtech game studios including Origins, Quickspin, Vikings, Rarestone and Ash.

The VLT games agreement will see Playtech deliver its range of VLT games to Norsk Tipping’s terminals located throughout Norway. Playtech will supply its best performing VLT content to the market and will also work closely with Norsk Tipping to create unique custom content for the Norwegian market.

Shimon Akad, Chief Operating Officer at Playtech, said: “Playtech content has proven to be very popular with Norsk Tipping’s players. We are excited to continue supplying our strong roadmap of content to them as part of developing a market-leading, modern and responsible online and retail game offering to their players”.

“These new agreements are also a testament to our strength in games content for online casino and VLT retail markets, including the highly regulated and responsible-gaming oriented markets of Norway and the Nordic region. It also highlights our strategy of focusing on long-term partnerships with leading operators in regulated markets.”

Hans Erland Ringsvold, Head of Gaming Operations at Norsk Tipping, added:” We are excited to continue our partnership with Playtech and look forward to launching their strong roadmap of online casino and VLT games on our platforms. We are confident that Playtech’s proven VLT and online casino expertise in a wide range of regulated markets will continue to provide great value for Norsk Tipping and support us in the delivery of our overall content strategy”.

playtech-launches-new-rubik’s-cube-slot

Playtech launches new Rubik’s® Cube slot

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Playtech, the world’s leading gambling technology company, has launched a new slot based on one of the world’s most iconic puzzle games, Rubik’s® Cube as a limited exclusive with Buzz Bingo.

Bringing a new twist to the retro favourite, Rubik’s® Cube features striking 3D graphics and a compelling Sticky Wilds mechanic – plus, a built-in modifier that unlocks a choice of six different Free Games modes, including the chance for the players to choose volatility.

Building on the puzzle theme of the game, Buzz Bingo is supporting its exclusivity period with a specially designed, mini-game, evoking the retro feel of the Rubik’s® brand and bringing it to life for a new generation of players.

James Frendo, Director of Casino at Playtech, comments: “Some brands and themes are truly timeless, and few more so than the iconic Rubik’s® Cube. This legendary puzzle has fascinated players worldwide for over 40 years, so it’s very exciting to be bringing the spirit of the cube to a brand new slot game. Thanks to our game modifiers technology, operators can unlock six different free game modes, making this a truly innovative twist on a classic.”

David Evans, Digital Operations Director at Buzz Bingo, adds: “Millions worldwide have grown up with Rubik’s® Cube, so for our exclusive launch of the new slot, we really wanted to capture the spirit of what must be the most famous puzzle on the planet. Our specially designed mini-game gives a flavour of both the classic brand and the new slot, and we’re confident players will love both ways to play.”

Christoph Bettin, Global CEO at Rubik’s®, adds: “We’ve worked very closely with Playtech to bring the legendary Rubik’s® Cube to life in this new slot game, and are delighted with the results. Innovation is what has drawn puzzle fans to our brand for over 40 years, so it’s fantastic to see that spirit come through in the Rubik’s® Cube slot.”

Rubik’s® Cube slot game is now available network wide.