Multi-product iGaming provider Pragmatic Play awarded Class II license by Romanian regulator, allowing operation of new Bucharest live casino studio.

Multi-product iGaming provider Pragmatic Play has been awarded a Class II license by the Romanian regulator (ONJN) allowing it to operate its new live casino studio in Bucharest.

The new state-of-the-art gaming studio currently has a capacity of 43 tables with the possibility of future extension, and is now fully licensed to provide both online and land-based casino operators with fully compliant Pragmatic Play brand live games.

Pragmatic Play’s live offering currently consist of casino favourites like Live Roulette, Live Blackjack and Live Baccarat, with more games including Live Speed Roulette, Live Auto Roulette and Live Baccarat Super Six already planned.

Discussing the news Chief Business Development Officer at Pragmatic Play, Yossi Barzely, said:

“We are pleased to have been granted this licence to operate our cutting-edge studio, an important step as we build the industry’s first-choice live casino solution. It features a solid and reliable platform, the most advanced technology and an artistic, cinematic approach, all managed by a team of professionals with extensive experience in the field.

“Pragmatic Play’s Live Casino vertical is a new landmark for our company. We enter this extremely competitive market with an outstanding multichannel solution that gives us every confidence we can reach and surpass the highest industry standards.”

Over the past year, Pragmatic Play has entered deals with several major operators including Casumo, Kindred and PokerStars, and in January 2019 it completed the acquisition of virtual sports supplier VSoftCo.

Online casino and poker leaglised in US state of West Virginia after Governor Jim Justice signs bill H 2934, the Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act, into law.

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice has signed bill H 2934 into law, legalising online casino and poker in the state.

One of the first states to legalise sports betting after the repeal of PASPA in May 2018, The West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act has now finally been signed into law after passing the House of Delegates in February, and being amended and passed by the Senate.

The state’s land-based casinos, of which there are five, will now be able to apply for one of the five casino and poker licenses, which will cost $250,000 each, with a $100,000 renewal fee every five years. Platform and service management licenses will also be available at $100,000 each, and supplier licenses for $10,000 each.

All five casinos in the state already have sports betting partners (The Greenbrier: FanDuel, Hollywood Casino: William Hill US and DraftKings, Mountaineer Casino: William Hill US, Mardi Gras and Wheeling Island: Miomni), and those deals will probably be extended to cover casino and poker.

AYO.NEWS says:

Ever since PASPA was declared unconstitutional in May 2018, we have expected states to first legalise sports betting and then follow with the legalisation of online casino and poker in short order, as prohibiting casino games and poker on moral grounds is difficult to justify if other forms of gambling are allowed.

Gambling.com subsidiary KAX Media America granted approval by New Jersey DGE to expand deals with operators in state.

KAX Media America Inc., a subsidiary of Gambling.com Group Plc, has been granted approval by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE) to expand business deals with operators in the state.

The approval follows an application for an Ancillary Casino Service Industry Enterprise License, and will allow the Group to expand its existing commercial agreements with online sports betting, online casino and online poker operations in New Jersey to include components of revenue share in addition to fixed fees and flat fees per referred customer.

Discussing the news CEO of Gambling.com Group Plc, Charles Gillespie, explained:

“At the present moment there is no online gaming market more interesting than New Jersey. The world has been watching the explosive growth in the market since launching sports betting in 2018 and we have been active in the state for over a year.

“This approval allows us to increase our exposure to this lucrative market. Our application for an Ancillary CSIE license should be taken as clear statement of intent for our big plans in New Jersey. It also demonstrates our commitment to working with New Jersey to make the state the model for licensing and regulating affiliates, as more states come online with gaming and sports betting in 2019 and 2020.”

AYO.NEWS says:

This news is an indication of the high hopes operators and affiliates have for the rapidly growing New Jersey online market, and can also be taken as a wider vote of confidence in US online betting in general, for New Jersey is fast emerging as a model for other states as they individually legalise different forms of gambling.