ESL has announced the European ESL Mobile Open is expanding to the Middle East and North Africa for its second season.

The expansion follows a successful inaugural season in Europe, which attracted over 500,000 participants. More titles are also being added for the second season, with players now able to compete in Asphalt 9, Clash of Clans, Auto Chess, and PUBG Mobile, and the prize pool will be €85K. 

Though Vodafone was presenting partner for Season 1, no sponsor has been announced for the second season. 

Discussing the news Senior Global Product Manager at ESL, Oliver Maxfield, said:

“We’re very excited to build on the success of 2019’s Season 1 by expanding ESL Mobile Open into the MENA region for 2020, while continuing to expand in Europe. We have also introduced the game titles Auto Chess and Clash of Clans. The bar for success is high, but Season 2 will be bigger and better than its predecessor and we wish the players the best of luck in the competition.”

Meanwhile, across the pond, qualifiers for the sixth iteration of the North American tournament start on 12 October, with online finals slates for 13-15 November. The US tournament is presented by AT&T. 

AYO.NEWS says:

Mobile esports is witnessing insane growth right now, especially in developing regions, where mobile internet access and gaming is often dominant, so it’s great to see ESL acknowledge this and serve North Africa and the Middle East. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020

Gaming Innovation Group (GiG) has entered a long-term partnership with new Irish online casino Slotbox. 

The agreement will see Malta-based GiG supply Slotbox with its iGaming platform (PAM), omnichannel solution, and frontend development, to enable the launch of its new online casino – founded by one of Ireland’s leading gaming and casino operators, which currently runs land-based venues in eight locations across the country. 

Structured as a combined fixed fee and revenue share agreement, the deal is expected to enable the new Slotbox online casino to launch before the end of 2020, and should make a positive contribution to GiG’s revenue from 2021 onwards. 

Discussing the partnership Head of Marketing at Slotbox, John Doyle, said:

“Slotbox is founded by a team with extensive experience in the gaming industry and has strong retail operations in Ireland. At Slotbox, we are focused on building loyalty and value with our customers through a combination of excellent digital products, operational excellence, technological leadership and great service. 

“With our customer-first approach, we became Ireland’s most popular casino chain. We look forward to continuing to innovate and build on that success with GiG, and deliver a first-class omnichannel experience for our players. In addition, we aim to be an industry leader in the area of professional development for our employees.”

While Chief Executive Officer of GiG, Richard Brown, added:

“Partnering with Slotbox, who has extensive experience and presence across the Irish retail casino gaming market, provides a great opportunity to both parties. We look forward to delivering their online solution and omnichannel experience to their customers. I am confident that the two companies’ alignment in player first focus will drive a top class product and further enhance GiG’s track record of extending land-based gaming operations online.”

Staying with GiG, last month the company announced a similar agreement to help Hungarian operator Casino Win launch its online offering.

AYO.NEWS says:

The ongoing COVID-19 crisis (which is currently seeing Ireland face the real prospect of another total lockdown) has obviously convinced the last land-based only holdouts of the urgent need for a strong online presence. For those new to the online gaming world, partnering with a highly experienced company like GiG makes a lot of sense, enabling a quick and hassle free setup. 

Of course, the question is, though the pandemic has boosted online gaming, with unprecedented unemployment looming as government job support schemes end, will there be enough spending power in the economy left to support yet more online operators? And, for that matter, as unemployment takes hold, will more countries follow Sweden’s lead and introduce ‘temporary’ spending restrictions?

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

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Clarion has announced new dates for the 2021 editions of ICE London and iGB Affiliate London.

According to the company, ICE London will now take place from 29 June to 1 July, at the ExCel London Exhibition Centre, while iGB Affiliate London will be held at the same venue on 1 and 2 July. 

New dates have also been confirmed for iGB Live 2021 in Amsterdam, which is now set to go ahead from 28 September to 1 October. 

ICE London 2021 had already been postponed from February to April, but Clarion has delayed the event again to allow more time for the industry to stabilise and travel restrictions to lift. 

Commenting on the news Clarion Gaming managing director, Kate Chambers, said:

“This extension provides a number of important advantages compared with April, not least enabling the very best possible space configurations and accessibility at ExCeL London.

“As well as the significant logistical benefits, we are also very much aware that it provides additional market recovery time – which we believe will further enhance and support the delivery, outcomes and experiences for all participants.

“The whole team is excited about this new chapter for our events to deliver the experience that you rightly expect from ICE London and iGB Affiliate London – and I very much look forward to any feedback that you may have.”

A series of digital events, called ‘The Road to ICE and iGB 2021’ will be held from February, providing exclusive previews and networking opportunities. 

AYO.NEWS says:

While we admire the optimism of Clarion Gaming, given the current situation in the UK, it’s hard to put much faith in the new dates. 

With no effective vaccine likely to be widely available for many months, if not years, the outbreak showing no signs of slowing down, and the hopes of so-called ‘herd immunity’ vanishing with the discovery that antibodies only last a few months, it seems certain the COVID-19 crisis will still be with us far into 2021. 

Given that, and the fact that as long as the outbreak continues we’re likely to see continued local lockdowns being introduced at a moment’s notice (already around a third of the UK’s population are under lockdown restrictions), continued nationwide curfews on bars and restaurants, and bans on group gatherings (currently limited to just 6 people nationwide), and constantly changing travel and quarantine restrictions, its extremely difficult to see how any large events will be permitted, even next summer.

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020

NetEnt’s Live Casino games are now available to Svenska Spel Sport & Casino players. 

Following a successful integration, NetEnt’s Blitz Blackjack, Auto Roulette Studio, and Perfect Blackjack games are live with the Swedish state-owned operator, significantly increasing the supplier’s reach in the important market. 

Over the past year, NetEnt has made major improvements to its Live Casino portfolio, launching new games and optimising player experience with better UIs, graphics and usability. The partnership will also give Svenska Spel Sport & Casino access to marketing tools with tailored campaigns to improve acquisition and retention. 

Commenting on the news Director of NetEnt Live, Andres Rengifo, said:

“We are proud that all the hard work we have put into our offering is showing in the products. Launching with Svenska Spel Sport & Casino is a major step in the growth of our live casino business and I’m sure that their players will enjoy our games.”

While VP Casino at Svenska Spel Sport & Casino, Jonas Nygren, added:

“We are very happy to have NetEnt Live on-board and look forward to be offering their games to our players. We believe NetEnt´s existing and upcoming games have value to offer our players.”

Staying with NetEnt, yesterday the company announced a major partnership with Scientific Games in the United States. 

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Online casino supplier NetEnt has announced a partnership with Scientific Games in the United States. 

The agreement will see NetEnt’s content launched on Scientific Games’ OpenGaming platform in US markets.

Several NetEnt releases have already been integrated and are available to partners in New Jersey, with launches in Michigan and Pennsylvania planned soon. 

Commenting on the news VP commercial, NetEnt Americas LLC, Brain Kraft, said:

“Expanding our presence in the US market is of high importance to NetEnt. Collaborating with Scientific Games leveraging the power of their OpenGaming platform made strategic sense for us, given the company’s strong reputation and partnerships with multiple US operators.

“We’re excited about working with Scientific Games in the US and look forward to launching our popular slots with more operators in the coming months.”

NetEnt saw revenue grow 37% year-on-year, to SEK 573m ($64m USD), in the second quarter of 2020, powered in part by growth in the United States.  

In September, NetEnt expanded its US reach with BetMGM in West Virginia, and was selected by long-term partner Hard Rock International to deliver its  OpenSports™ and OpenGaming solutions across regulated markets in the U.S. 

AYO.NEWS says:

The COVID-19 crisis has clearly catalysed the demand for online casino in the fledgling US markets, and suppliers like NetEnt, which established a foothold in the country early on are now well placed to capitalise on the potentially huge opportunities. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020

Following Caesars Entertainment’s agreement to acquire William Hill, 888 Holdings has expressed its interest in acquiring the British bookies’ European operations.

As reported yesterday, Caesars Entertainment has agreed to acquire William Hill in a £2.9bn ($3.72bn) deal, subject to shareholder and regulatory approval. It also confirmed it only intends to keep William Hill’s US operations, and will seek to sell its UK and European businesses. 

Now, according to the Financial Times, 888 Holdings CEO, Itai Pazner, has suggested his company may be interested in acquiring William Hill assets from Caesars, saying:

“We are going to look at any asset that can be relevant for us, and within that list, if that opportunity (to buy William Hill’s assets) comes our way, that could be relevant for us.”

888 Holdings saw revenue surge 37% year-on-year, to $379.1m, in the first half of 2020 as it benefited from a surprise uptick in online poker. Profit before tax also rocketed 130% to $50.9m. Indeed, 888 Holdings’ stock price has risen a dramatic 260% since the COVID-19 pandemic started.  

AYO.NEWS says:

Like many other online gaming operators, 888 Holdings has benefited from a surge in business during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, with furlough and job support schemes winding down in many countries, including the UK and Germany, Europe is facing the real possibility of unprecedented unemployment. 

If this happens, and consumer spending power plummets, it could well be that only the biggest operators have the economy of scale to survive – so it makes sense that 888 is looking to ‘strike while the iron is hot’ and snap up William Hill’s assets… or at least online ones.  

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020