Malta-based Gaming Innovation Group (GiG) has signed a long-term agreement with an unnamed ‘large European media group.’ 

The deal will see GiG supply its iGaming platform, data platform, and managed services to the unspecified large European media house. The mystery media group will use GiG to power its iGaming offering under its own license, and will integrate a third party sportsbook. 

According to GiG, the partnership is based on a combination of fixed fees and revenue share, and has a minimum term of three years. 

The media house is expected to launch its online offering sometime in the first half of 2021, with further details on the partnership expected to be revealed during the first quarter. 

Commenting on the new GiG CEO, Richard Brown, said:

“Media group entries into iGaming are to be anticipated as online markets expand and locally regulate. Leveraging their media data, brands and advertising inventory access as well as direct access to core demographics, presents an attractive proposition. GiG is extremely proud to be supporting this market entry and is confident that it will be a successful partnership.”

AYO.NEWS says:

Gaming and sports betting are clearly  potentially lucrative revenue sources for large media groups – many of whom are currently seeing traditional advertising revenue fall alarmingly fast. However, given the anti-gambling climate in many countries, they will have to work hard to avoid PR disasters. 

Staying with established European media groups and betting, last month British operator BetVictor announced a partnership with Axel Springer SE, the publisher of Germany’s most popular newspaper, to launch new sports betting platform BildBet. 

‘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.

The General Workers Union Malta (GWUM) has declared an industrial dispute with NetEnt and Evolution over last week’s redundancies. 

In a statement, the GWUM said it was declaring the dispute due to the following:

1. The Companies’ failure to acknowledge the GWU as an employee representative for the purpose of collective redundancies  under the Collective Redundancies (Protection of Employment) Regulations.

2. The Companies’ refusal to provide the union with a statement in writing giving all relevant information, with the reasons for the redundancies, the number of employees the company intends to make redundant, the number of employees normally employed by it, the criteria proposed for the selection of the employees to be made redundant, details regarding any redundancy payments which are due and the period over which redundancies are to be effected.

3. The Companies’ wholesale breach of the Collective Redundancies (Protection of Employment) Regulations and the Transfer of Business (Protection of Employment) Regulations.

The union added that it reserved the right to take industrial action with immediate effect. Elaborating, it said that the measures had become necessary due to the “manifest unwillingness” of both NetEnt and Evolution to consult it. 

The news follows last week’s shock announcement that over 300 employees would be laid off in Malta, following NetEnt’s acquisition by Evolution. 

AYO.NEWS says:

This is a tough one. As we said last week, the timing of these redundancies is unfortunate, coming immediately before Christmas and during the COVID-19 employment crisis – but it was also entirely foreseeable.

Malta needs to think carefully about the long-term consequences of any industrial action. Both NetEnt and Evolution already have facilities around the world, and could very easily relocate operations. Plus, with so many markets now regulated, the Maltese license isn’t as valuable as it once was. 

Aside from tax rates, what really still makes Malta attractive to gaming companies is access to a relatively cheap, flexible, and skilled workforce (and, crucially, the ability to attract foreign workers to the island fairly easily). For some time the soaring cost of living has been making it harder to attract workers, and the COVID crisis has exacerbated that. If Malta now gets a reputation for industrial action, it may well cause many gaming operators to think twice about investing in the country. 

But, it is the season of goodwill, so maybe Evolution will step up, and do something to diffuse the dispute?

‘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.

RubyPlay has today announced the launch of their jolly new slot, Christmas Fortune.

A winter wonderland slot that is overflowing with Christmas cheer. From Santa himself to gifts, toys, ornaments and the beloved Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, you can celebrate this festive holiday all year round with Christmas Fortune.

Christmas Fortune is a 5-reel slot that is brimming with festive symbols. Landing 6 Christmas ornaments triggers the Jackpot Mania, and if Santa thinks you are on the nice list, he may fill all the reels with ornaments, and the Grand Jackpot might just be yours. Collecting ornaments as you play fills the meter and when it’s full, you’ll be blessed with super ornaments that contain bigger prizes!

RubyPlay’s Chief Operating Officer Ittai Zur said:

“We couldn’t wait for one of our favourite holidays to bring you this game, and so we have created Christmas Fortune. Obviously I’m biased but I think it is one of the most Christmassy games on the market, and hopefully it helps to get people in the festive spirit!”

For more information on Christmas Fortune, go here. 

To stay up-to-date on all things RubyPlay you can follow them on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Innovative game development studio Evoplay Entertainment has released its latest immersive slot game for all players looking for an adventure this winter, Tree of Light.

Set in the magical forest of Winland, and crammed with adorable characters, the title takes players on a voyage with the brave adventurer Lupine and his loyal companion, Mino.

On a quest to discover the legendary Tree of Light, which grows the tastiest fruits and largest prizes of all, players are in for a tumble of fun as they look to trigger winning combinations by activating an ancient scroll displaying supernatural patterns.

The right sequences give strength to the game’s charming characters, powering the quest for eye-catching rewards if players are brave enough to take on the challenge.

The bonus game takes players into an additional magical round, where players will need to choose from one of three fruits from the Tree of Light to unlock some of the biggest prizes.

Commenting on the launch, Ivan Kravchuck, CEO at Evoplay Entertainment, said:

“We are delighted to unveil Tree of Light, a fun-filled journey through the enchanted forests of Winland, where lovable companions, immersive gameplay features and a chance to bag amazing rewards awaits prize-hungry explorers.

“The title marks a fantastic addition to our coveted portfolio, which undoubtedly merits the host of plaudits it has received from across our industry. With the launch of a widely anticipated new product on our agenda for 2021, as well as continued commercial expansion, we’re set for another exciting year.”

The intrepid title joins Evoplay Entertainment’s 100+ catalogue of multi-award nominated slots, table and instant games.

Tree of Light preludes the dynamic content studio’s flagship 2021 game, set to follow on from Dungeon: Immortal Evil, the casino industry’s first ever RPG-inspired ‘hack and slash’ slot – launched to great acclaim at ICE London 2020.

Want to find out more about Evoplay Entertainment? In summer, AYO.NEWS’ Simona Pinterova caught up with Yanina Kaplya, Head of Marketing at the developer. 

Gaming Corps AB has announced a partnership with major igaming operator Interwetten.

The deal will see Gaming Corps, a publicly listed Swedish gaming and igaming developer, supply Interwetten with casino slots distributed via aggregator.

Since being founded in 1990, and becoming the second operator in the world to go online in 1997, https://ayo.news/2020/08/04/interwetten-greek-super-league/Interwetten has grown to be a major force in the igaming industry, with a focus on German-speaking markets. 

Commenting on the news Chief Commercial Officer at Gaming Corps, Mats Lundin, said:

“I am happy to present this new agreement today, having had great experience working with Interwetten in the past. It will be a positive partnership for both parties I am sure.

“ Interwetten has a dominant position in the German-speaking markets, as well as a loyal following in many other markets too, and that will have an effect on the distribution volume of Gaming Corps’ products. My colleagues and I look forward to what we believe will be a successful partnership for the long term.”

While Head of Product Management, Content and CRM at Interwetten, Mario Bilic, added:

“We are excited to engage another developer and add more content to the Interwetten game portfolio. Gaming Corps is a young, ambitious company with the drive to grow, and that fits our strategy as we continue the geographic expansion of Interwetten. I am excited to see this partnership evolve over the coming years and bid Gaming Corps welcome!”

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

SiGMA has announced its flagship European igaming show is set to go ahead in Malta between 13-15 April 2021. 

According to SiGMA, the show can now go ahead because the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has approved a COVID-19 vaccine. 

Founder of SiGMA Group, Eman Pulis, said:

“The early release of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine makes us hopeful that a sense of normality will now resume within the next four months. Our recent Virtual expo was a huge success, but we hope to now continue building these relationships in person as we launch into what looks set to be a very exciting year.”

Echoing Pulis’ optimism, Malta’s Minister for the Economy, Silvio Schembri, has also expressed confidence that the country’s economy will get back on track, and even experience growth next year. 

SiGMA’s digital events for the Latin American and Asian markets will still go ahead in 2021, along with summits focused on the MedTech and MedCann industries. 

AYO.NEWS says:

While we very much hope Pulis and Schembri’s optimism is founded, we can’t help but think that April might be pushing it. 

Of course, it is absolutely true that UK regulators have approved one vaccine, and there are plans to start giving it to key workers and the most vulnerable before the end of the year, but the consensus seems to be that it will take many months before anything like normality can return. It should also be noted that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has only been approved in the UK so far, and questions have been raised about its effectiveness and the thoroughness of the approval process – not least by Anthony Fauci in the US, and experts in several European countries. 

Also, as the UK government has made clear, even with the army setting up vaccination centres across the country, the vaccine will be in very limited supply for some time, and there will be a strict pecking order, with only the most vulnerable and key workers getting it first (and, as far as we’re aware, igaming professionals aren’t defined as ‘key workers’). As many experts have pointed out, even when the vaccine becomes available in large quantities, social distancing, lockdowns, and travel controls may still be needed for many months, to bring COVID-19 under control. 

And, its worth bearing in mind that, even if the vaccine proves miraculously effective on its own at dealing with the specific strain it was designed for, there are multiple strains already in circulation, and the virus is still mutating – meaning any vaccine could be rendered useless very quickly (which explains the mink culling in Denmark and elsewhere). 

So, while we very much hope for a return to normality, to believe the world, or even just Europe, will be back at the point where people can be jetting off and meeting for large in-person events by April, is looking a tad over optimistic to say the least. 

But hey, if 2020 has taught us one thing, it’s that anything can happen!

‘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.