Esports Entertainment Group (EEG) has completed the $30M USD acquisition of the business assets of Lucky Dino Gaming Limited. 

The acquisition was carried out via EEG’s MGA-licensed subsidiary, Esports Entertainment (Malta) Limited, and used funds raised in EEG’s recent equity offering.

Lucky Dino’s acquisition gives EEG access to the operator’s proprietary technology stack, including payment servers, affiliate marketing software, and CRM system, along with around 25K monthly active casino players. 

MGA-licensed Lucky Dino reported $21.5M in revenue and EBITDA of $4M for FY20. 

Commenting on the development, Esports Entertainment Group CEO, Grant Johnson, said: “Over the past five years, Lucky Dino has evolved from a single brand white-label casino operator into a multi-brand, class-leading casino operator and technology business.

“In addition to further strengthening our tech stack, Lucky Dino’s assets will give us a substantial foothold in multiple new jurisdictions across Europe, particularly in Scandinavia where esports are extremely popular, and with Lucky Dino’s 25k monthly active casino players we will have tremendous cross-selling opportunities with our SportNation and VIE.bet betting platforms.”

Grant also confirmed EEG would be looking to launch Lucky Dino’s casino offering in the United States, alongside its VIE.bet esports offering, in the future.

AYO.NEWS says:

Well, EEG certainly didn’t lose any time in spending the new capital it raised in February!

The changes we are now seeing in the online gaming and betting industry are profound. Just a few years ago, we were used to seeing traditional iGaming and sports betting operators adding esports offerings to their line-ups. These days we are increasingly seeing esports-first operators adding traditional sports betting and casino products to their offerings. 

Considering that the esports-first operators clearly have the advantage with the crucial younger markets – on every level, but especially marketing and engagement – while traditional online gambling operators largely rely on tired, recycled, formulaic products and marketing, and on ever-aging customers, its seems obvious who’s going to win in the long term. 

Staying with esports-first operators, earlier today we reported that Canada-based Rivalry has completed a $20M funding round. 

Casino game developer Evoplay Entertainment has unveiled a new collection of classic-themed slot games. 

Ice Mania, Fruit Nova, Fruit Nova Super, and Unlimited Wishes may be classic in terms of theme, but have been developed with a new tech-first approach, and are said to be one of the industry’s most advanced retro-inspired series. 

Designed to work flawlessly across global markets and all devices, the new collection offers something for all player types. 

Introducing the collection CEO at Evoplay Entertainment, Ivan Kravchuk, said: “We’re giving punters the chance to enjoy the retro slot experience on the move, with our classic collection of time-honoured titles to celebrate the original casino themes that RNG-gaming fans know and love across the globe.

“Deploying the latest in state-of-the-art in-game technology, our catalogue is 100% mobile adaptive – exactly what other suppliers lack while developing classic slots. Our vision was to provide players with a unique entertainment experience that features the best of all worlds – and I can’t wait to see what they make of it.”

Evoplay Entertainment’s classic collection will also deploy the studio’s cutting-edge game engine, Spinential. Delivering load-times that are 10x faster for regions lacking connectivity, it also enables an enhanced UI, autospin feature and game history mobile bar, allowing players to re-view each winning spin.

The award-winning studio’s catalogue joins a high-tech portfolio of more than 100 slots, table and instant games, comprising other recent favourites including Treasure Mania, Wild Bullets and Pachin Girl.

Staying with Evoplay Entertainment, last month the company announced a partnership with major social casino operator SlotCube.

Canada’s Torstar Corp. is the latest traditional publishing company to turn to gambling as a way of remaining financially viable. 

The company publishes more than 70 regional and community newspapers across Canada, including the country’s largest daily newspaper, The Toronto Star, along with the Hamilton Spectator, and the Niagara Falls Review. 

However, as with publishers globally, the company is finding its traditional business model is becoming ever more challenging due to technological and societal changes – with the ongoing COVID-19 crisis significantly accelerating those changes.

In an effort to generate revenue that can support its publishing operations, Torstar has announced plans to launch a new casino gaming app. 

The plans are subject to the anticipated launch of a regulated gambling market in the province later this year, and approval from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

“As an Ontario-based media business and trusted brand for more than 128 years, we believe Torstar will provide a unique and responsible gaming brand that creates new jobs, offers growth for the Ontario economy and generates new tax revenue to help support important programs in our province,” said Torstar executive Corey Goodman.

In August 2020, Torstar was acquired by investment company Nordstar, which has committed to continue to focus on “world-class journalism”, while finding new ways to generate revenue, like online gambling. 

AYO.NEWS says:

Newspaper and media publishers getting involved in the online gambling space is nothing new, especially in mature gambling markets like the UK, but the fact that a traditionally very moralistic publisher like Torstar is diving into the online casino world shows just how tough things are for publishers. 

On the plus side, if handled carefully, the considerable reach and assets a company like Torstar can bring to bear should enable it to make an impact in the gambling market. However, publishers with such a long history that are trusted to be impartial by millions, and are so integrated into communities, clearly run the risk of tarnishing reputations if things are handled poorly. 

Staying with newspapers and gambling, in October 2020, British bookies BetVictor announced a partnership with Germany’s most popular newspaper, to launch a new sports betting platform called BildBet. 

Tom Horn Gaming has released its latest slot, Wheel of Luck: Hold & Win.

The 3×5, medium/high volatility video slot invites players to experience the delights of the high life whilst promising an unforgettable player experience full of excitement and big wins.

Aside from the great theme and beautiful visuals accompanied by relaxing lounge soundtrack, the game offers a lot in terms of gameplay, bonus games and payouts.

The game features free spins, Hold&Win respin and the ultimate bonus round – Wheel of Luck.

Ten retriggerable free spins are launched by three Scatters. Should five Wheel symbols land on the reels during this mode, then players get to play Hold&Win respin, in which Cash and Wheel symbols steal the show.

When appearing on the reels, Cash symbols remain fixed on the reels for the duration of free spins and reset the spin count to three. The suspense builds with every Wheel symbol landing on the grid as they are the ones to watch out for to get to spin the Wheel of Luck. 

After securing three Wheels, players have one chance to spin the wheel. Its three levels take this bonus game up the notch, with each ring on the wheel presenting players with higher winnings. When reaching the top level, players can maximise their winnings by a whopping 1000x their bet.

“We constantly look for ways to enhance our content offering. In 2021 we plan to deliver more fun and a variety of slots with thrilling features to engage and excite players in different markets. Wheel of Luck. Hold&Win is the first in line of many unique titles we have in the pipeline. We’re positive the game’s features, dynamic gameplay and well-known theme will resonate with players, keeping them entertained and immersed throughout the game,” said Ondrej Lapides, CEO at Tom Horn Gaming. 

Therese Hillman has stepped down as CEO of gaming supplier NetEnt, with immediate effect. 

Hillman joined the company, as CFO, in January 2017, before being made acting CEO in April 2018 and permanent CEO a month later. During her time at NetEnt, she oversaw the $275M USD acquisition of slot developer Red Tiger, and NetEnt’s takeover by Evolution in December 2020, in a deal worth $2.32B. 

In a LinkedIn post published on 28 February, Hillman confirmed she had now left the company, thanked everyone at NetEnt, and said:“I would lie if I would say that my 3 years as the CEO have been easy and fun. It has truly been a challenge from day one and a lot of tough decisions had to be made.

“We have had our highs and lows and I am very thankful for the hard work that was carried out with exciting game releases, new market entries, the Red Tiger acquisition and much more, and at the same time, going through savings programs and re-organisations.

“Now, our group has been integrated to Evolution and is in the best of hands. I am excited to see how the business will continue to develop and I am also looking forward to see the product innovations that will be offered to operators and players around the world!”

Games provider ESA Gaming has secured a supplier licence from the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) as it looks to grow in regulated markets across the globe.

The MGA licence will allow the supplier to distribute its collection of mobile gaming products, aimed at increasing player engagement and cross-sell across sportsbook and casino players, to an array of new partners.

The supplier’s EasySwipe™ products are lightweight HTML5 mobile-first games that offer added revenue opportunities to sportsbooks and allows users to enjoy the best quality casino games without disrupting the sports betting experience.

ESA Gaming has recently struck several deals with operators and aggregator platforms across a number of markets, expanding the reach of its growing EasySwipe™ portfolio which has been proven extremely popular with players.

The supplier also holds certifications in the Italian and Colombian markets with a strategy to grow its product range internationally through its seamless integration process.

Zorica Smallwood, CEO at ESA Gaming, said: “The accreditation of our products by the MGA marks a very exciting step for us as we look to continue our upward trajectory.

“Being granted our MGA licence is vital for us as we continue to gain partners across a number of jurisdictions, while also allowing us to maintain the highest level of compliance with our products.”