Live casino provider Evolution has partnered with US-based operator FanDuel. 

The agreement will see FanDuel add Evolution’s live dealer products to its existing casino offering for customers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. FanDuel already offers live games from Ezugi, which Evolution acquired in January 2019. 

Commenting on the news GM of Casino at FanDuel Group, Jesse Chemtob, said:

“We’re really excited to offer our loyal customers more Live Casino games. We see live casino as a key driver for continued online casino market growth in the US and FanDuel will now have access to Evolution’s entire Live Casino portfolio.”

While CEO Malta and CCO at Evolution, Johan Nordstrom, added:

“Late last year we signed a landmark deal with Flutter Entertainment brands Paddy Power and Betfair. Now we are delighted to be working with another Flutter brand, FanDuel, in the fast-growing US market.”

Staying with Evolution, earlier this week the supplier became the first to launch live casino products in the Colombian online gaming market. Meanwhile, in October, FanDuel announced an agreement with Entercom, described as the radio industry’s “largest advertising commitment ever.”

AYO.NEWS says:

In the age of COVID, where human interaction is more coveted than ever, it’s not surprising that Live Casino is booming – with several operators expanding facilities to cope with rising demand. 

Further illustrating the importance of the emerging US markets, just last month, Evolution also entered an agreement to supply its Live Casino products to William Hill in the country. 

‘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.

Global online gambling content publisher, Yggdrasil Gaming, has entered a Strategic Affiliate Partnership with Game Lounge. 

The agreement with the Malta-based online marketing company is aimed at building a wider reach for Yggdrasil’s content, and will see Game Lounge manage the commercial elements of Yggdrasil’s affiliate site, Yggdrasil Casino. 

Yggdrasil Casino shares official insights about all the titles in Yggdrasil’s games portfolio, including RTP, default bet size, max wins, bet ranges, and slot volatility, as well as guiding players to online casinos. 

Founded in 2015, Game Lounge has established itself as a leader in SEO marketing and now operates over 150 sites across thirteen markets, including the US, Nordics, Germany, UK, and Japan. 

Discussing the partnership CEO of Yggdrasil, Fredrik Elmqvist, said:

“Our partnership with leading affiliate company Game Lounge will strengthen our affiliate site, Yggdrasil Casino, by expanding our capabilities with a world-class affiliate sales team and SEO talent. We are strong ambassadors in playing to each other’s strengths and this deal demonstrates just that.

“Our gaming expertise combined with Game Lounge’s lead generation skills will enable us to bring a truly unique asset to the affiliate space, including unique game IP to customers and operators alike.”

While Founder of Game Lounge, Jonas Cederholm, added:

“We are thrilled to partner with such a strong supplier as Yggdrasil and to help them further push their brand and exciting games portfolio. With their unique products and our vast knowledge and access to numerous markets we are certain this will be a successful collaboration benefiting all parties.”

AYO.NEWS says:

There’s no doubt that the igaming affiliate marketing sector isn’t what it used to be. With constant regulatory changes, and even incoming bans on affiliate marketing in jurisdictions like Germany, it takes a lot of expertise and resources to be successful while remaining compliant. It looks like Yggdrasil has realised this and is opting to offload some of the stress onto specialists. 

‘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.

Brazil-based esports organisation FURIA has announced online poker operator PokerStars as its new “master sponsor.”

The partnership makes more sense when you consider that André Akkari, a co-owner of FURIA, is one of the most successful Brazilian professional poker players, and a PokerStars Ambassador. As part of the collaboration, Akkari will be leading a new team of poker streamers, including top Latin American female poker professional Lali Tournier, and Rafa Moraes. 

Financial details of the agreement have not been disclosed. 

Commenting on the partnership Akkari said:

“Poker plays a natural part in Furia’s DNA. It’s all about making optimal decisions in the moment for long-term results. The partnership is a natural step for expansion as we look to move beyond eSports.”

While Associate Director of Public Relations at PokerStars, Rebecca McAdam-Willets, added:

“The team at Furia work very hard, lead by example, and are always looking to improve and evolve.

“This approach, as well as their general ethos, sits extremely well with what we aim for at PokerStars. It will be exciting for us to see what we can bring our community and how we can engage new audiences by working together with such a passionate team.”

FURIA is well-known for fielding a particularly potent Counter-Strike: Global Offensive teams, and recently acquired a slot in the Brazilian League of Legends Championship (CBLoL) franchise. 

The organisation also has commercial partnerships in place with Aim Lab, AOC, GamersCard, HyperX, Legion by Lenovo, Nike, Nvidia, Rivalry, and Unilever. 

In April, FURIA also teamed up with Swiss blockchain-based mobile app solution Blocksport to improve fan engagement.

AYO.NEWS says:

While we see partnerships between betting operators and esports organisations, this relationship seems set to take collaboration to a new level, so it will be interesting to see how it pans out, and if it will inspire other esports organisations to get involved with traditional gaming. 

‘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.

Casino game and software developer Red Tiger has expanded its reach in Central Europe with bet-at-home. 

The operator’s players now have access to the NetEnt-owned provider’s full suite of titles via its popular casino tab. 

Commenting on the deal Commercial Director at Red Tiger, Chris Looney, said:

“Developing games that push the envelope is what we pride ourselves on at Red Tiger, and it is exciting to be entertaining bet-at-home’s legions of fans with our award-winning slots.

“They are one of Europe’s most successful online betting and gaming providers, and we look forward to forging a prosperous business relationship in the years to come.”

While a bet-at-home representative, Claus Retschitzegger, added:

“Our aim is to give customers the most immersive gaming experience possible, and that’s something for which Red Tiger’s innovative suite of slots is industry-renowned.

“With its popular and inventive new games, such as Gonzo’s Quest™ MegaWays™, I’m sure our players will be thrilled with the new partnership.”

Red Tiger’s parent company, NetEnt, recently reported dramatic revenue growth for the 3rd quarter of 2020. 

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

Ukraine is the CIS market that offers the best growth opportunity for online betting and gaming operators, a survey of the expert speakers at this week’s SBC Digital Summit CIS virtual conference and exhibition has found.

The online event on 4 – 5 November will provide an in-depth assessment of the sports betting, casino and poker industries in the CIS, Ukraine and Georgia, with insights from senior executives from the region’s major operators and suppliers. 

Ahead of the event, SBC asked those experts which local market offers the greatest potential for online operators over the next five years? Ukraine’s newly-legalised gambling industry was the clear winner, with 51% of the vote, ahead of the more-developed market in Russia, which polled 20%.

There was some excitement about the likely legalisation of sports betting in Uzbekistan, which attracted 17% of the vote, while 9% of the speakers identified Georgia’s well-established market as still having the best opportunities in the region, and 3% opted for Kazakhstan. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s move to create a regulated gambling market is the topic of the event’s first panel session. Boris Baum (Advisor to the Deputy Head of the President’s office), Ievgeniia Derbal (Chief Legal Officer, Parimatch), Ilya Machavariani (Senior Partner at 4H Agency & Independent Consultant to the Ukrainian Government) and Dr. Ekaterina Hartmann (Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs, European Gaming and Betting Association) will analyse what the development means for operators.

Russia’s gambling industry will also be put under the spotlight, with an assessment of the likely future direction of sports betting and igaming in the region’s largest country. The event-closing panel will feature Konstantin Makarov (CEO, Betboom), Asker Thalidzhokov (CEO, BR Labs), Erik Shahbazyan (Founder, Russian Poker Tour), and Vladimir Voloshin (Co-Founder, Ironstar & Rosa Run). 

A further panel will investigate the potential opportunities in Uzbekistan following the government’s indication that it intends to legalise sports betting in 2021, while a session on Georgia will evaluate openings for further growth in the region’s most developed online gambling market. 

Lasha Machavariani, CEO of SBC’s local partner Sports Media Holding, said:

“The industry within these markets is buzzing right now. The whole world is watching attentively and following with great interest, as the CIS markets still have major growth potential.”

Away from the market-specific sessions, the agenda includes panels addressing key issues for the development of the betting and gaming industry across the region. Delegates can expect expert insights on topics such as the impact of gambling regulation on the economy, how to operate a gaming brand in a multicultural environment, the most effective marketing strategies, developments in payments technologies, and how to benefit from the booming popularity of esports. 

The speaker line-up includes a host of senior executives from the region’s largest operators, including Dmitry Sergeev (CEO, Parimatch CIS), Irakli Asanishvili (Deputy CEO, adjarabet), Maxim Afanasyev (CPO, Liga Stavok), Luka Kapanadze (CCO, Betlive), Alina Yakirevich (CMO, Fonbet), Aleksey Tserkovnyi (Marketing Director, FavBet), and Veiko Krunberg (Managing Director, OlyBet).

Afanasyev said:

“SBC organises the best gaming events, which always have a great set-up, top speakers and the most relevant topics under discussion. If you want to be on the cutting edge of all gaming innovations, you won’t want to miss SBC Digital Summit CIS.” 

The speaker roster also features a host of experts from suppliers, regulators, legal and financial firms, and professional sports. They include Dmitry Starostenkov (CEO, EvenBet Gaming), George Shamugia (CEO, Singular), Nik Rudenko (CEO, 8Lab), Oleksandr Iaroshenko (CEO, Betbazar), Pavol Krasnovsky (CEO, RTSMunity), Giorgi Tavtavadze (Payment Services Director, Liberty Bank), and Georgi Kinkladze (Former Manchester City, Ajax and Georgia midfielder). 

Starostenkov said:

“SBC Digital Summit CIS is happening at the right time. Until now, we lacked a place to discuss recent developments in the CIS gaming market, such as Ukraine’s legalisation, Russia’s further regulative movements, and changes in the Republic of Kazakhstan.”

In addition to the conference, the event will feature an interactive product display area with leading suppliers showcasing the latest sportsbook, casino and payments innovations tailored to local markets, together with a variety of networking opportunities to make it straightforward for delegates to connect and talk business. 

Click here to register for a free pass for SBC Digital Summit CIS.

After eight years, online gambling brand 32Red is shutting down its Italian operations. 

Kindred says it is closing 32Red.it on 30 November, and has advised all customers to withdraw funds from the site by 29 November, as the site will be inaccessible from the end of the month. 

The operator says it will be focusing on promoting its Unibet.it brand in the Italian market, and has said 32Red.it players will get a warm welcome there.

In a statement, Kindred said:

“We are sorry to inform you that starting from November 30th 32Red will no longer be operational. It was a difficult choice to make. We hope, however, that these years spent together have been fantastic for you, as they have been for us.”

Kindred acquired 32Red in 2017 for $226M USD, though the brand has been active in the Italian market since 2012. 

AYO.NEWS says:

Despite the Italian market showing strong demand for online gambling, the difficulties in marketing thanks to the ‘Dignity Decree’, which banned gambling advertising, coupled with a distinctly anti-gambling political climate, make operating there tough – so it’s not surprising to see operators consolidate their businesses. 

Staying with market exits, last month Betsson withdrew eight of nine brands from the UK with immediate effect, citing unsustainable regulatory and compliance pressures. 

‘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.