FTSE100 gambling group Entain has received regulatory approval to acquire Baltics-focused gaming operator Enlabs. 

Last week Entain upped its offer for Enlabs by a very significant 32.5% to SEK 53 per share, after its original offer of SEK 40 per share was rejected by shareholders, including Texas-based hedge fund Alta Fox. 

51% of Enlabs shareholders had already irrevocably agreed to accept the new offer, with the acceptance period expiring on 18 March. Now, with approvals secured from all necessary competition and gaming regulators, the acquisition can proceed to final stages. 

Entain has issued a statement saying it reserves the right to extend the acceptance period, and postpone the date of settlement. 

Staying with Entain, earlier today we reported the group had extended its contract with Scientific Games, so that its iGaming brands will be powered by SG Digital until 2024.

Live dealer games supplier BetGames.TV has made its Nordic debut after integration with iGaming tech and services supplier Finnplay. 

Commenting on the news, Liliya Alenina, VP of Games at Finnplay said: “We are very excited to offer BetGames.TV titles to our partners.  The company has been on the rise, winning industry accolades and strong demand from operators.  The games bring an exciting, immersive and unique experience to players and we are very pleased to have them onboard our platform.” 

While Aiste Garneviciene, COO of BetGames.TV, added: “We are proud to have our award-winning iGaming experience available on the Titan platform.  Finnplay is a highly respected technology provider with international reach and a strong track record of growth, compliance and technical performance.  BetGames.TV will bring its award-winning, immersive gaming experience to many more players around the world through the Titan platform.”

Staying with BetGames.TV, last week the company announced a major recruitment drive to staff its new southern European hub in Malta, and expand its team at its Vilnius headquarters.

The much-awaited sequel of the blockbuster Lara Jones is Cleopatra has been made available by Spearhead Studios, gaming developer within EveryMatrix Group. The new high-volatility title can bring wins up to a massive 17,000x.

Lara Jones is Cleopatra II sets its action inside the tomb of the famous Egyptian Queen, Cleopatra. Fresh from her adventures in the highly successful prequel, Lara Jones is on her way to hunt the treasures buried within the Queen’s tomb.

Lara Jones is Cleopatra II is a high volatility, 5×3 video slot with ten pay lines and brings a Return to Player (RTP) of 96.10%. The base game offers Cleopatra Cascade Spins where all winning symbols stick, and re-spins keep occurring until the wins can no longer be improved. When reaching the free spins feature, where all wilds become sticky, players can choose between the standard or high volatility options.

Kevin Corti, Game Development Director at Spearhead, says: “I am, once again, extremely proud of what our team have achieved with this game. The math model is extremely engaging, the artwork is unquestionably stunning, and the audio captivates players’ attention. The Cleopatra Cascade base feature can be very rewarding for players, and the two volatility options provide them with the opportunity to seek out the bonus feature experience they most desire.”

The game, which was developed using Spearhead Studios’ proprietary game development technology and tools, is optimised for mobile gameplay and is highly responsive across devices. The UI responds fluidly to the device and orientation, and the file size is best-in-class for premium-quality games of this type. It is available in a wide range of currencies and languages and is certified for all major jurisdictions.

Earlier this month, Spearhead Studios announces its newly obtained certification for the Croatian market, bringing the total available markets to 12. Under the vision of creating Local Games for Local Markets, Spearhead Studios provides high-quality content in Malta, Spain, Romania, Sweden, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Colombia, Germany, Belarus, and Croatia, with US and other territories to follow.

SG Digital has announced a three-year extension to its existing contract with FTSE100 gambling group Entain Plc. 

The renewal will see Entain’s iGaming portfolio continue to be powered by Scientific Games Corporation’s SG Digital unit, using its OpenGaming ecosystem as lead games and content aggregation platform until 2024.  

Entain’s portfolio includes major gambling brands like Ladbrokes, Coral, bwin, Party Casino, and Gala, and the company operates in regulated markets across Europe including the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Greece. 

OpenGaming was developed as a custom-built end-to-end games management system and was launched in 2019. It offers partners access to more than 3,000 iGaming titles from SGC accredited and licensed game suppliers, minimising market-by-market game compliance costs. 

Commenting on the news Valery Gelfman, Chief Product Officer at Entain, said: “Over a number of years, OpenGaming has been a key component of our online gaming offer, helping to establish it as the world’s biggest and best casino portfolio. 

“Extending our partnership with Scientific Games will enable us to continue to build our market share in regulated markets in Europe and beyond. We’re committed to OpenGaming and look forward to delivering even more exciting content to our ever-increasing player base.”

While SVP Gaming, Digital at Scientific Games, Dylan Slaney, added: “We have an extensive roadmap of exciting new titles that Entain brands will receive over the coming months through our content aggregation platform. With the robust regulatory tools that are embedded within OpenGaming, we’re in the perfect position to provide valuable support for Entain as the group grows its reach within regulated markets.”

Staying with Entain, yesterday the group marked International Women’s Day by launching global initiatives to support women in tech. 

Pragmatic Play slot games are set to go live with Broadway Gaming, one of the UK’s largest bingo networks. 

The slots, including award-winning Wolf Gold, hits like Big Bass Bonanza and Chilli Heat, as well as newer releases such as Pyramid King, will go live across all five of Broadway’s bingo sites, including its flagship brand, Butlers Bingo. 

Broadway Gaming brands will also be offering Pragmatic Play’s mini-games in website lobbies to maximise cross-sell potential. Additionally, the operator will have access to the supplier’s Drops and Wins promotion tool, available through Pragmatic Play Enhance, along with the Pragmatic Replay feature. 

Bhotesh Maheshwari, VP of Commercial Strategy and Operations at Pragmatic Play, said: “Our bingo range is already live with Broadway Gaming and we’re delighted to take this agreement further, now including our slots portfolio as well.

“This deal is yet another example of our multi-product approach bearing fruit and we look forward to enjoying a long and prosperous relationship together.”

David Butler, CEO at Broadway Gaming, said: “We’ve already got a strong working relationship with Pragmatic Play after taking the supplier’s successful bingo offering, and it made sense for us to extend our product range to include slots.

“Taking such well-regarded content across our brands is important for us, and we can’t wait to see how our players react.

Staying with Broadway Gaming, last month the operator announced it was expanding its slots offering through a partnership with casino game developer Eyecon.

British gambling group Entain has marked International Women’s Day by launching global initiatives to support women in tech.

Girls Who Code, an international non-profit organisation dedicated to closing the gender gap in technology, will receive $250K USD from the Entain Foundation. The funding will be used to support global programs to bring young women into the technology industry, particularly in the UK, US, Canada, and India. 

The Entain Foundation will also be providing $50K AUD to the Tech Girls Movement Foundation in Australia. The organisation works to challenge perceptions that limit girls’ participation in STEM (science, technology engineering and mathematics) through community and industry collaborations. 

Entain’s support of Girls Who Code and the Tech Girls Movement Foundation follow recent senior female appointments at the group, including that of new CEO, Jette Nygaard-Andersen, and non-executive board directors, Stella David and Vicky Jarman. 40% of Entain’s board, and almost 50% of the group’s total workforce is now female. 

Commenting on the news CEO of Entain, Jette Nygaard-Andersen, said: “I’m proud to be leading a global technology company which is making real strides in promoting women’s careers, not just in the West, but also developing markets like India where creating opportunities for young women is especially important.

“One of the biggest impediments to career choices around the world continues to be cultural, based on preconceived notions of what society and young women themselves believe they can do. That is why we are focusing on initiatives to support their education and build stronger pathways into technology-related careers.”

While Dr. Tarika Barrett, incoming CEO of Girls Who Code, added: “Passionate, ambitious and diverse young women are the key to transforming the world and the technical workforce. This International Women’s Day, we’re excited to partner with the Entain Foundation to support young women around the world on their journey into the technical workforce. Our work together will help spur the creation of a fairer and more equitable workforce, helping more women of all backgrounds rise to the top and achieve their goals of working in tech.”