Crypto platform CoinsLoot has launched the world’s first crypto loot boxes. 

Though common in the video gaming world, the crypto loot boxes, which are purchasable with ERC-20 tokens, are being billed as a “world first.” Each loot box contains a secret selection of cryptocurrencies and prizes, with some seriously big ticket items, like a Tesla model X, hiding in some of them. 

Users can also buy the platform’s native LOOT token from the IEO and stake them to earn rewards on every Loot Box transaction. The company says the boxes use a provably fair algorithm to guarantee safety and fair returns. 

According to CoinsLoot, its Loot Boxes offer the average crypto enthusiast an easier way to own an instant crypto portfolio, which they can spend on real-life items and services. 

Each Loot Box has multiple cryptocurrencies inside, a no-loss guarantee, and up to 10% free crypto included. 

AYO.NEWS says:

The whole loot box issue is nothing if not controversial, with many arguing they are straight-up hardcore gambling, and other pointing out they are no different to accepted non-gambling purchases like trading cards packs.

Either way, this novel idea yet further blurs the boundaries between investing, trading, gambling, and gaming – so we’re sure it will catch on, and in good time, completely befuddle various regulators. 

‘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.

Startup Italian iGaming platform provider BLOX Limited has partnered with Live Casino provider Evolution.

The agreement will see Evolution’s unmatched range of live dealer games, including various versions of Live Blackjack, Live Roulette, Live Baccarat, Live Poker, and Game Shows, like the smash hits Dream Catcher and Crazy Time, added to BLOX’s cutting-edge platform.

Evolution’s games are widely regarded as the benchmark by which all other Live Casino offerings are measured, providing operators with uniquely engaging games created with the industry’s highest production values.

Regarding the news Chief Commercial Officer at BLOX, Karl Grech, said:

“With the COVID-19 crisis still keeping land-based casinos closed in Italy, now is the perfect time for online operators to upgrade their Live Casino experience and capture more market share. But to make the most of the opportunity, not just any old Live Casino games will do.

“When experienced players think of Live Casino, they think of Evolution. In terms of production quality, glamour, variety, and a constant flow of entertaining new games, no one else comes close, so we’re absolutely thrilled to be able to offer our operator partners the chance to provide the very best to their players.”

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International entertainment tech company SoftSwiss has expanded to the Indian, Japanese, and South Korean markets. 

SoftSwiss’ Online Casino Platform is now fully equipped and integrated with all the local ready-to-use payment systems (Arubex, InPay, VenusPoint etc.), along with game content available in Japan, South Korea, and India. A large selection of live casino games are now also available in the Japanese and Korean languages. 

The improvements mean SoftSwiss clients can fully localise their offerings for the growing markets, and maximise the potential of the casino platform. 

The company’s newly launched sportsbook solution has also been adapted to the Indian market, providing players with an opportunity to bet on their favourite sports, including cricket and horse racing. 

Commenting on the news CCO at SoftSwiss, Max Trafimovich, said:

“The turbulent 2020 has been quite a year for us in terms of global growth and expansion, and we’re looking forward to continuing that tendency in 2021. The iGaming market is taking its momentum right now both in Japan and South Korea, therefore it’s a great opportunity for us to provide our innovative products such as SoftSwiss Online Casino Platform to even more of our new clients targeting Asia, while our newly-launched sports betting platform Sportsbook will now be able to satisfy the needs of the Indian end users to the fullest”.

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International Game Technology (IGT) is set to supply Finnish state-owned gambling operator Veikkaus with its remote game server and casino content. 

The partnership will give Veikkaus, which is a World Lottery Association (WLA) member, access to IGT PlayRGS and its PlayCasino content, via the supplier’s PlayDigital solution, and includes maintenance, monitoring, and support. 

IGT already supplies Veikkaus with its PlayBingo solution, core lottery central system, sports betting, and land-based slot machines. The company also supplies PlayRGS to fellow Nordic WLA members Svenska Spel, Norsk Tipping, and Danske Spil. 

Commenting on the deal casino games VP at Veikkaus, Jan Hagelberg, said:

“This solution ensures that Veikkaus can offer the games players want while responsibly growing our digital program to serve our players with the best customer experience and safest online casino available.”

While IGT PlayDigital SVP, Enrico Drago, added:

“By adding our powerful PlayRGS solution and player-tested PlayCasino digital content to its offering, Veikkaus is re-affirming its status as one of the most technologically advanced operators in the world.”

Veikkaus has also announced it will be introducing mandatory authentication on all its land-based slot machines from 12 January 2021, with players also being given access to more responsible betting tools, including the option to ban themselves from slot gaming completely. 

AYO.NEWS says:

IGT seems to be cleaning up with the Nordic state-owned gambling operators, but things haven’t been easy for the company this year. Just last week, it announced its intention to offload its Italian B2C gaming business for €950M cash – which is largely earmarked for paying down its eye-watering debt, which stood at around €7.42B on 30 September 2020. 

‘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.

Malta-based online casino operator Videoslots has gone live with games from slots supplier Playzido. 

Videoslots’ players can now enjoy exclusive Deal or No Deal™ games, and recent titles Elephant Gang and Buffalo Wild, among others. 

Commenting on the news Head of Commercials at Videoslots, William Ahlberg, said:

“Playzido has been on a radar for some time now and we’re very pleased to have their content live in the lead up to Christmas.

“They provide high quality games which will be a great addition to our portfolio and I’m sure our customers will enjoy playing them.”

While Managing Director at Playzido, Stuart Banks, added:

“Videoslots and its catalogue needs no introduction and we’re very excited that our games will take their rightful place among the industry’s largest selection of slots.

“We have some exciting plans for 2021 and we look forward to cementing this new partnership with some great new games in the coming months.”

Staying with Videoslots, last month the operators launched a permanently visible responsible gaming bar in the UK market. 

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A building with weak or cracked foundations is a disaster waiting to happen. Eventually the building will fall apart – and no fancy mouldings or shiny new roof will be able to hide it. 

Likewise, hosting is the absolute foundation of your business structure, and iGaming operators especially should keep that in mind when choosing a provider. Because, at the end of the day, if your website is down due to a DDoS-attack and lack of customer support, what difference does everything else make? What’s the point in having the best games and a fantastic looking site, if no one can access it?

Internet Vikings is an established provider of advanced digital solutions, boasting a long history of deep involvement with the online gaming industry. So, here are 5 key reasons why iGaming operators really should consider Internet Vikings as their hosting provider. 

We’ve deliberately left out all the complicated tech talk, because for a premium global HSP, it’s a given. Of course, if you want to find out more on that side of things, everything is available at the Internet Vikings’ website. But, for now, we’ll focus on the iGaming side of the question.

1. Experience in the industry

Internet Vikings have been focused on iGaming as their primary market since 2015. Over the past 5 years, the company has identified the most important areas for iGaming providers regarding hosting, and consistently excelled in them. Here’s what the Chairman of Internet Viking’s board, Jesper Kärrbrink says:

“An iGaming operator is like a bank. If players don’t trust it, they  don’t use it. So as a hosting company, we can’t be down and can’t let down our partners. Then there is also flexibility, the ability to move with the customers into new markets. Being innovative in finding new solutions for our customers to grow and to reduce the cost. I think we have our strengths in all those areas.”

2. Global presence 

As a company focused on iGaming, Internet Vikings has offices in key industry hubs, like Stockholm and Malta. The company also has branches in Germany, South Africa, and Ukraine. Even better, their state-of-the-art data centers can be found on every continent (except Antarctica), in carefully chosen locations, that allow the Vikings to reduce latency to key markets to minimal values. Co-founder and CTO Victor Jerlin explains:

“If you have customers in Asia and hosting in Sweden, it adds 250 ms just because of the speed of light – it can’t go faster. That’s why we opened up in Taiwan, that is why we opened up in Amsterdam, that is why we are going to open up in other strategic locations for iGaming.”

3. Regulatory compliance

There’s no doubt that regulatory compliance is a very hot topic for the iGaming industry. The Vikings certainly have their house in order in that regard – all their data centres have ISO 27001 certification. But there’s more. Because the ‘Privacy Shield’ framework for transatlantic exchanges of personal data has not been valid as of July 16, 2020, using US-based cloud service providers can become a major security issue for companies. This is because US authorities now have the right to demand personal and other data from US-based providers. Given this, migrating to a European provider ASAP could save your company a whole lot of hassle and potential liability. As a European provider Internet Vikings is 100% compliant with, and fully protected by, GDPR.

4. Compatibility 

This is something that is often overlooked by iGaming operators. Perhaps no one can explain the significance of compatibility better than the co-founder and CCO of Internet Vikings Rickard Vikström: 

“There is an issue in working with giants of the hosting industry such as AWS, GCE, or Microsoft Azure. It works well when everything is good, but if there is a problem you don’t want to work with a player that is so much bigger than your company. Internet Vikings is specialized in hosting for the iGaming industry and as we are on the same level with our customers and care about them. I would say that this is one of the main things.”

5. Trust from operators and game developers 

Operators and developers all over the world trust Internet Vikings to handle their most valuable data and support their demanding operations. The client portfolio of the company includes Green Jade Games, BetHard Group, GameLounge Ltd, and many other companies related to the industry. This is no surprise when you consider that Internet Vikings have consistently demonstrated stability throughout their history. In the words of Peter Ekmark, Internet Vikings CEO: 

“This company has a legacy. It didn’t start just yesterday. It has been growing slowly but surely for 12 years. In a nutshell that means, we were there yesterday and we’ll be here tomorrow.” 

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AYO.NEWS says:

The Internet Vikings have raised some interesting points there. Latency, especially, is becoming a major issue for iGaming, and even more so video gaming and esports, companies. Never underestimate how long a split second can seem to an impatient customer, or how annoying a fraction of a second lag can become. And, of course, as data demands grow, latency issues will only get more critical. So, having your customers served by local data centres can be a very wise investment. 

Likewise, the US issue deserves serious consideration. Though the European Union has often been criticized for over-regulation, its laws, like GDPR, actually afford a much greater degree of privacy protection than those in the US, and handing over the data of European customers to US authorities could potentially land operators in all sorts of hot water – even if they are legally obliged to stateside. Considering this, it’s probably smarter to just avoid those headaches all together. 

‘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.