Aspire Global-owned Pariplay has signed a Latin America distribution deal with Ainsworth Game Technology. 

The partnership will see Ainsworth harness Pariplay’s Fusion™ platform to launch its digital titles across the rapidly growing LatAm markets. 

Jason Lim, Ainsworth’s General Manager of Online, said: “Ainsworth is continuing its online growth strategy and this partnership with Pariplay will significantly strengthen its offering and further consolidate its position as a top-tier slot developer in Latin American markets.”

Andrew Maclean, VP of Sales at Pariplay, added: “We are pleased and very excited about the beginning of this alliance. The new opportunities and reach that we will have in a greater number of regulated markets by the hand of a great company like Ainsworth, with experience and knowledge, is encouraging.”

Times have been tough for Australia-based Ainsworth, with the pandemic severely affecting its substantial land-based business operations. In November 2020, the company was predicting a loss of some AU$15M for the first half of 2021. However, the company’s investment in the booming online sector, through deals like that with Pariplay, give cause for optimism. 

This year, Pariplay has added games from several studios, including ESA Gaming, Thunderkick, and Neobiz Creative, to its Fusion™ platform, and entered new markets including West Virginia and the Netherlands. Last month, the company announced it had signed a multi-jurisdiction distribution agreement with Canada-based gaming platform provider FansUnite Entertainment.

Yggdrasil is thrilled to introduce the fourth installment in the ever popular and iconic Vikings series which has become part of the supplier’s legacy and trademark.

With Vikings Go Berzerk Reloaded, Yggdrasil enhances the renowned series which has remained popular over the years and keeps captivating players across the globe.

Vikings Go Berzerk Reloaded is the fourth title in Yggdrasil’s blockbuster Vikings series that has symbolised the supplier’s heritage over the last decade since the first game was released in 2015. The new title is long-awaited by slots fans with the last game in the series, Vikings Go to Hell, released in 2018.

The title includes familiar features from the prequels including Berzerk Mode and Ragnarök Free Spins but also comes with an abundance of new, immersive experiences including wild multipliers that will wow players as they enter the fray.

The Free Spins Gamble feature offers players a 50/50 chance to upgrade Free Spins, unleashing up to four Berzerk Vikings into the fight with the potential to massively boost win potential. During free spins, wild multipliers of up to 8x can drop onto the reels and a treasure chest can appear on the last reel offering prizes such as extra Berzerk Vikings, additional wilds or multipliers.

Ragnarök Spin is a random feature available in the base game as well as in Free Spins. When the feature is triggered, all high pays that land in a single spin are turned into wilds. If the feature is triggered in the Free Spins mode, the wilds stay sticky for the rest of the feature session.

Yggdrasil’s CEO Fredrik Elmqvist is the mastermind behind the Vikings series, and the titles have been created through a perfect collaboration between the company’s game developers and maths team to create titles with a slightly more gambling oriented profile.

Fredrik Elmqvist, CEO and Founder of Yggdrasil, said: “Three years after the last chapter in the Vikings series we thought the time was right to create another sequel that takes the gameplay to the next level while maintaining the thrilling elements that has made the original titles so popular.

“Our Vikings series has had players spellbound for years and have proven that longevity is possible with the right combination of a great theme, action packed gameplay and wild features. The previous trilogy remains extremely popular with Vikings Go Berzerk our best performing title of all times. We are very proud of them all and we’re excited to introduce Vikings Go Berzerk Reloaded to fans. The Vikings have reloaded for another epic battle and have returned more furious than ever.”

Gambling technology company Playtech has agreed to sell its financial trading division, Finalto, to Gopher Investments, its second-biggest shareholder, for US$250M. 

The all-cash offer was unanimously approved by the Playtech board, and the transaction is expected to be completed in H1 2022, subject to the usual formalities and regulatory approvals. 

Playtech had previously agreed to sell Finalto to a Barinboim Group-led consortium for $210M, but that deal collapsed in August, when it was rejected by the majority of Playtech’s shareholders. 

For H1 of the 2021 financial year, Finalto generated an adjusted EBITDA loss of $0.6M. Playtech says its sale will allow the group to focus on its tech led gambling offering, and improve the predictability and stability of the group’s cash flows. 

Commenting on the news, Playtech CEO, Mor Weizer, said: “We are very pleased to have successfully reached an agreement with Gopher regarding the sale of Finalto. This transaction delivers on our strategy to simplify the group to focus on the high-growth B2B and B2C gambling markets.

“I would like to thank everyone at Finalto for their tremendous contributions to Playtech and wish them every success. We are pleased to recommend this transaction to our shareholders, and we remain well placed to capitalise on the exciting market opportunities ahead, driving sustainable growth for the benefit of all our stakeholders.”

Leading slot developer Blueprint Gaming has launched its flagship game of the year with the release of The Goonies™ Return, the long-awaited sequel to the company’s critically acclaimed title inspired by the classic 1985 film.

The award-winning slot first released by Blueprint in 2018 has been given a fresh makeover, featuring enhanced graphics and sounds, as well as brand new bonuses and modifiers that offers an exciting new gaming experience for players to enjoy.

Built in partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, the latest slot adventure featuring the iconic gang includes the newly-developed One-Eyed Willy Riches big money bonus that uses hold and win mechanics. Landing cash symbols or character symbols resets the spins counter to three and brings numerous different benefits, including win multipliers, total respin boosts and additional columns to the game field.

The Goonies™ Return also contains the all new One-Eyed Willy Exchange, where after any win of 15xbet or higher, players can choose to collect the win or spin the wheel to win either entry to one of the bonus rounds or a mystery prize.

The company has kept the key characteristics of the original game that made it so popular, including the legendary Skeleton Key that can be randomly activated on any spin, as well as the iconic animation of Chunk’s truffle shuffle.

Jo Purvis, Director of Key Accounts and Marketing UK at Blueprint Gaming, said: “Hey again you guys! The biggest game of 2021 has finally arrived and offers a feature-rich adventure that doesn’t disappoint.

“The original slot inspired by the cult classic film proved to be an overwhelming success and continues to attract players to this day. With this new instalment, we are providing fans of The Goonies™ with the sequel they truly deserve, as well as an exciting new gaming experience for players worldwide.”

Trans World Hotels & Entertainment (TWHE) has selected Pragmatic Solutions casino platform to launch its first online brand, Palasino. 

TWHE has over 25 years of experience in the land-based casino sector, and its new Malta-based online division will be launching its new Pragmatic Solutions powered casino later this year. 

Pragmatic Solutions is the platform technology sister company of iGaming content provider Pragmatic Play. It provides operators with enterprise platform technologies built around a core Player Account Management (PAM) platform that contains a player account, wallet, CRM tools, bonus management tools, payment tools, KYC/AML and fraud prevention services, and is underpinned by rules-based automation. 

Additionally, Pragmatic Solutions also provides a Content Management System to power gaming brand frontend clients, and an Integrations Hub to connect operators to third-party content, payment gateways, and other services. 

Colin Stewart, Director of Operations at Trans Worlds Hotels & Entertainment, said: “We found Pragmatic Solutions to have the right technology and experience to support our business as we expand into online gaming. We look forward to a long and successful partnership. Access to over 2,000 of the most popular online games from “best in breed” GSPs including Pragmatic Play, Yggdrasil, Playtech, NetEnt and Red Tiger, first in class live table game streaming and access to a worldwide poker network as well as an active and attractive bonus filled loyalty program, will be waiting for our loyal players.

“Our online players will also have the chance to enhance their casino experience in reality by visiting our land based German and Austrian facing casino operations where they can enjoy the same live atmosphere experienced online through tournaments, bonuses and rewards.”

Ashley Lang, Pragmatic Solutions’ CEO, added: “We are delighted to announce our partnership with Trans World for Palasino, as we continue to grow our client base and deliver better services tailored to the specific needs of our clients. We believe established land-based operators have great potential to lead in the online market and look forward to support Palasino in the launch of their first online brand. We are grateful for their business.

“Pragmatic Solutions is rapidly earning a position as the leading technology partner for today’s most successful gaming operators. We achieve this by providing advanced and reliable technology solutions that allow our clients to focus on driving their business goals.”

International hosting supplier Internet Vikings has announced a long-term partnership with PlayStar Casino in the United States.

The company will support the Swedish online casino operator’s advances into the U.S. market by providing them with bespoke iGaming-specific hosting services in New Jersey, where Playstar is expected to commence its operations in early 2022.

PlayStar’s Chief Business Development Officer, Adam Noble, commented: “We are thrilled to enter this agreement with Internet Vikings to support our launch into New Jersey. Sportsbook and iGaming hosting is a very different landscape in the US compared to Europe that presents a number of challenges. This partnership allows us to get on with our core business, safe in the knowledge our technology stack is in good hands.”

Internet Vikings, having earned itself the reputation as one of the leading hosting services provider for iGaming businesses across Europe, began its expansion into America in July. In less than two months, the company has successfully established itself in West Virginia and Colorado. It is now set to launch in New Jersey.

New Jersey is crucial for the U.S. iGaming industry, being second to none in terms of competitiveness and revenue in the country.  Owning an impressive 21.5% of the total U.S. Online Sports Handle out of 15 states for the first half of 2021. As for online gaming revenue figures, it has reported a dramatic increase of 29% in the month of August compared to the same period last year, making $113.2m.

However, when it comes to online gaming, New Jersey is one of the most difficult markets to enter.  The state has some of the most expansive and complex gambling laws in the country, with multiple regulatory bodies, as well as robust licensing processes for casinos, online gaming, racing and related personnel. A simple example of the unique measures for IT suppliers in place is that every server requires an official label to guarantee that it has received governmental approval.

Internet Vikings CEO, Peter Ekmark, said: “ We are extremely proud for two reasons. First of all, entering New Jersey is an achievement on its own. Currently, it’s the most sought after, yet difficult to enter, state in the U.S.

“Secondly, we are very excited to continue this journey alongside our clients who place their trust in us and our products to support them at such a pivotal stage of their business life-cycle. And we are not planning to stop here. We will continue to expand and transform so that we can fulfill the needs of our clients at every step of their growth process.”