Launches and sign-ups 14 March 2012
Launches and sign-ups from the egaming industry in the last seven days (8 March to 14 March 2012).
Evolution launches dedicated Unibet live casino
Newly branded, dedicated casino room follows on from live solution Evolution provided Unibet three years ago.
Live gaming supplier Evolution Gaming has launched a newly branded, dedicated casino room for Unibet following on from the live solution it provided the operator three years ago.
The system upgrades the existing live games offering at unibet.com to five dedicated tables including one live roulette and four live Blackjack tables.
Unibet’s dedicated live dealer area is one of the largest hosted at Evolution’s new production studios in Riga. Tables and backdrops will be branded in line with Unibet corporate design guidelines, while dealers will wear special Unibet-branded uniforms.
Daniel Eskola, Unibet’s head of gaming, said: “The move to a dedicated and fully branded live casino with Evolution is a natural transition for Unibet. Live casino is an exciting growth area and with our own dedicated environment we can really capitalise on the value of our brand in key markets worldwide.”
Seven days in launches and sign-ups:
Sporting Index launches mobile platform
Sporting Index has announced the launch of its mobile spread betting platform, the second product to be rolled out by the operator this year.
The HTML5 product will give customers quicker access to live prices and bet placement. Specific versions of the app have been developed for iPhone, iPad, Android and Blackberry devices. It also features an improved layout and intuitive navigation, and follows the company’s Bet on the Move product, one of the first real-time mobile betting services to be launched, brought out in 2003 on the Mfuse platform.
David Turcan, head of channel development commented: “Mobile is changing consumer expectations and we’re committed to delivering an unrivalled spread betting experience for our clients on every platform.”
Three operators join DOGA
Three new operators have joined the Danish Online Gambling Association (DOGA), taking the number of companies associated with the organisation up to seven.
Ladbrokes, Bet24 and Betsson have become the latest operators to become members of DOGA, joining Unibet, Bet365, Sportingbet and Betfair. The association was formed in November last year, designed to act as a voice for operators in the regulated Danish market.
Morten Rønde, former legal advisor to the Danish Gambling Authority (DGA) was announced as the organisation’s chief executive shortly after.
King.com acquires Jadestone Mobile spin-off
Social gaming operator King.com has acquired Stockholm-based mobile games developer Fabrication Games in a bid to develop a mobile games offering.
Technology blog TechCrunch reports that the terms of the deal have not been announced, but King is thought to have acquired Fabrication’s 12 staff, products and development resources.
Partouche and France Pari partner for international expansion
Groupe Partouche has extended its partnership with French sports betting operator France Pari to relaunch Livebetting.com, the site sold to Partouche by Laurent Tapie in 2008.
The companies first established a partnership through Partouche subsidiary Partouche Images to launch an ARJEL-licensed sportsbook Placedesparis.fr, using France Pari’s software supplied through its Sportnco B2B subsidiary.
IGT and Lottomatica announce Italian VLT partnership
IGT has agreed a strategic partnership with Lottomatica to supply games and gaming machines for the Italian video lottery terminal (VLT) market.
Commenting on the deal IGT chief executive Patti Hart said: “Partnering with Lottomatica will allow us to engage the Italian VLT players with our leading game content. As a global leader in gaming solutions, we are proud to partner with the leading operator of gaming entertainment in Italy and one of the largest gaming companies in the world.”
Betting exchange Matchbook has introduced a multi-currency feature, allowing customers to place bets using US, Canadian and Hong Kong dollars, Pounds and Euros. It is also beta-testing its first iPhone app ahead of an upcoming launch.
Betsson has paid the final instalment for its acquisition of fellow Nordic operator Betsafe. The 12.5m (£10.4m) payment has taken the form of Betsson shares.
Intralot’s Dutch subsidiary Intralot Nederland has launched Miljoenenspel, a lottery-style game with a prizepool divided into separate prizes each totalling 1m. It has gone live with Dutch lottery company De Nederlandse Staatsloterij.