Wazdan, a prominent developer known for creating some of the most engaging casino games worldwide, has recently announced a significant partnership with Casino777.es, one of the leading online casino operators in Spain. This collaboration aims to enhance the Spanish gaming scene by introducing a selection of Wazdan’s most popular titles to Casino777.es’s platform.

Enhanced Gaming Portfolio for Spanish Players

As part of the agreement, Wazdan will supply Casino777.es with an initial batch of popular games including 9 Lions, Black Horse Deluxe, Choco Reels,Fortune Reels, and Burning Stars 3. These games are well-loved for their engaging gameplay and innovative features, and there are plans for more titles to be released in the future. Casino777.es customers will also enjoy Wazdan’s unique game features like Cash Infinity and Hold the Jackpot mechanics, which are known to significantly enhance player engagement and offer substantial win potential.

Andrzej Hyla, Chief Commercial Officer at Wazdan, expressed his enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, “We are delighted to partner with Casino777.es, a prominent operator in the Spanish market. This collaboration allows us to further expand our reach and deliver our engaging titles to a wider audience of Spanish players. Spain has been a key focus market for Wazdan, and we are committed to strengthening our presence in the jurisdiction through partnerships with respected operators like 777es. We look forward to working together to provide players with the very best in online slot entertainment.”

A Strategic Move to Enhance iGaming Experiences

This strategic alliance marks a significant milestone in Wazdan’s expansion efforts within Spain, where the company has been actively increasing its market presence. By partnering with Casino777.es, Wazdan reinforces its status as a leading supplier of innovative slot content in the country. The inclusion of Wazdan’s games is expected to substantially enrich Casino777.es’s slot offering and provide its growing player base with fresh, immersive gaming experiences.

César Paredes, Country Manager at 777.es, also commented on the collaboration, “We are excited to join forces with Wazdan to bring its innovative games to our platform. Its slot portfolio has already proven to be a hit with Spanish players, and we are thrilled to offer even more of its unique titles to our customers. With iconic Wazdan games joining our platform, we can deliver even more world-class casino entertainment to our players. This partnership reinforces our position as a leading provider of premium iGaming content in Spain.”

As Wazdan continues to expand its footprint in the Spanish market, this partnership with Casino777.es is expected to play a crucial role in its ongoing growth strategy, ensuring that Spanish players have access to top-tier gaming content.

Source:

“Wazdan signs deal with Casino777.es to secure further growth in Spanish market”, wazdan.com, May 10, 2024.

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The leading developer, owner and operator of integrated resorts in Europe and across Asia, Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited, announced it engaged in a strategic partnership with the largest conglomerate on the Colombo Stock Exchange and company with a rich history, John Keells Holdings PLC. Per the latest agreement, announced earlier this week, Melco was designated as the casino operator for John Keells’ integrated resort Cinnamon Life Integrated Resort.

Melco confirmed that under the terms of the collaboration, the Cinnamon Life Integrated Resort will be rebranded to City of Dreams Sri Lanka. In exchange for the rights to operate the casino, the company agreed to pay John Keells approximately $125 million. The announcement also comes after Melco recently secured a 20-year casino license from the Government of Sri Lanka. Ultimately, through the new deal, Melco secured access to the regulated gambling sector in the country, paving the way for its future growth.

Lawrence Ho, Melco’s chairman and CEO, revealed that the deal with John Keells marks a milestone achievement for the company’s development in the country. “We believe Sri Lanka has immense potential and this opportunity complements our existing portfolio of properties,” he added.

“We are thrilled to be part of this landmark development in Sri Lanka and to be in partnership with John Keells. We believe Sri Lanka has immense potential and this opportunity complements our existing portfolio of properties.“

Lawrence Ho, chairman and CEO at Melco

The Company Expects the Project to Boost Tourism in the Area

Additionally, Ho spoke about the exceptional potential of City of Dreams Sri Lanka, predicting that it will help propel tourism and lead to economic growth. He said that the company is expected to leverage its extensive experience in operating integrated resorts across the globe. Finally, Ho said: “We will continue to work closely with our esteemed partners and the Sri Lankan Government to ensure the success of this venture, and we expect to make a significant and positive impact on the local community and economy.”

The collaboration will see Melco operate not only the gaming area at City of Dreams Sri Lanka but also manage the top 5 floors of the venue’s hotel. The company will use its luxury Nuwa brand for 113 of the 800 hotel rooms at the integrated resort. Melco’s Nuwa brand is recognized for its luxury rooms, promising supreme hospitality experiences.

The part of the hotel which will be managed by John Keells is expected to be completed and start operating around the third quarter of this year. On the other hand, Melco confirmed that it expects to start operating the casino at City of Dreams Sri Lanka around mid-2025.

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Established iGaming industry stakeholders Playtech and the NorthStar Gaming Holdings extend the strategic partnership from June 2023 to reinforce their operations in the growing Ontario market. Their respective verticals, Playtech Software Limited and the NorthStar Ontario, will be able to exclusively focus on the operating goals set after Playtech has agreed to funnel CA$3.0m (US$2.2m) in short-term financing to NorthStar to facilitate player pool expansion in Ontario.

$4.0 Million Financing Facility

The original strategic agreement signed in June 2023 included a complete availability of Playtech Software’s services for the operator. The facility valued at $4.0 million was a key driver for NorthStar to increase its presence in the Canadian province in 2023 and grow revenues accordingly.

Six-Month Extension

The strategy seems to have proven successful as the deal is now extended. Under the extension, Playtech Software will continue with the provision of similar marketing services once again valued at $4.0 million. The renewed contract has been set for a six-month performance and will run through 31 October 2024.

Reimbursement Plan

Under the agreement, NorthStar will use the short-term financial facility to boost its marketing activities and repay the funds to Playtech Software from the income generated over the contract period. The operator will benefit from the balance between the revenue generated and the six-month financing cost, while the provider may benefit from the financing conditions.

Financing Ontarian Expansion

As for these conditions, NorthStar has already issued a $3.0m unsecured, interest-bearing promissory note to Playtech, with interest rate of 8.0% per annum, payable in arrears at maturity. According to NorthStar, the investment will help the company’s balance sheet adjustments and continued expansion in Ontario.

NorthStar chair and CEO Michael Moskowitz commented: “We are very pleased to continue to strengthen our relationship with Playtech, one of the world’s leading gambling technology companies. Their ongoing support has been instrumental in helping us to acquire new customers, provide a premium online gaming experience and fund the expansion of our brand in Ontario and across Canada.”

$12.25 Million Investment Boosts Collaboration

The extension of the 2023 strategic agreement comes after Playtech agreed to make a $12.25 million strategic investment in the NorthStar Ontario-based online casino and sports betting facility a few months earlier. In fact, the strategic partnership between the two companies dates back to December 2021. Since then, Playtech has supported NorthStar and the the existing contract for software and services has now been extended by 10 years.

Repayment Guarantee

Playtech’s investments are converted into equity and warrants related to Baden Resources Inc, a company acquired by NorthStar in March 2023.In this way, Playtech holds around 16% of shares belonging to NorthStar, as well as warrants to potentially acquire above 20% stake in this company. The transaction is additionally secured by the inclusion of Playtech’s chief financial officer Chris McGinnis in the board of directors of the subject entity.

Source: “Playtech renews Ontario deal with NorthStar and advances financing’’. iGaming Business. April 29, 2024.

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Thunderkick, the innovative Swedish company that creates games for online casinos, has announced that its presence on the Spanish market has become stronger after having signed an agreement with Paf, one of the top online casino operators in Europe.

The agreement will see Paf gain access to the impressive portfolio of games supplied by Thunderkick, including very popular titles such as Midas Golden Touch, Hot Potato and Esqueleto Explosivo 2. The deal will also see Thunderkick solidify its position on the Spanish market, one of the key regulated markets in the European Union.

A Top Operator

Moreover, an agreement with Paf can be regarded as a seal of approval because this online casino operator is one of the oldest in the business. The company was founded all the way back in 1966 in the Aland Islands, which is an autonomous region of Finland.

The company was founded by the local health charity Folkhälsan together with the local branches of famous international foundations such as the Red Cross, Save the Children and Dagens Barn. The operator is licensed and controlled by the Government of Aland, so its main purpose is to generate money which then will be redistributed towards social expenses.

Along with being an online casino operator, Paf also has its own in-house games studio which creates unique content for the company’s website. Moreover, Paf also operates 31 cruise ships which navigate the Baltic and the North Seas. The operator is licensed in Aland, Estonia, Latvia, Sweden, and Spain.

An Increasingly Popular Supplier

Thunderkick does have a bit of history behind its brand as well; the company was founded in 2012 and since then it has grown into one of the most reputable names in the iGaming industry. The deal with Paf means that its footprint continues to grow across the world because it comes after multiple other agreements secured with top operators.

Among the studio’s online casino partners we can find big names such as 888casino, Mr. Green, Casumo, and LeoVegas along with powerful aggregators such as Pariplay and QTech Games. The company currently has over 80 employees and 77 different games in its portfolio.

Source: “Spanish Fiesta with Paf!“. Thunderkick. March 25, 2024.

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Kambi Group, a provider of premium sports betting services to licensed B2C gaming operators, announced that it has extended its retail sportsbook platform deal with PENN Entertainment. As a result, Kambi will continue to supply its partner’s land-based casinos with its sports betting suite.

Under the terms of the original partnership deal, Kambi was set to provide PENN with its sportsbook platform until July 2024. However, the extended deal will instead see the former firm provide the American entertainment company with sports betting solutions through December 31, 2025.

As per the original deal, Kambi will power PENN’s retail casinos across the United States with market-leading retail sports betting products, such as kiosks, point-of-sale terminals, odds board and Bring Your Own Device technology.

The deal currently spans 13 states and covers 30 PENN Entertainment properties.

Kambi Secured an Important Additional Revenue Stream

The announcement also pointed out that, over the course of the extended term, PENN Entertainment plans to migrate its retail sportsbook to its proprietary technology. Because of that, the amended agreement makes it clear that “any retail sports betting revenue generated by PENN, either via Kambi’s platform or via PENN’s proprietary sportsbook in jurisdictions previously supported by Kambi, will be subject to the same level of revenue share payments to Kambi through December 2025.”

Kambi’s co-founder and chief executive officer, Kristian Nylén, commented on the extended agreement, sharing his excitement about the opportunity to support PENN Entertainment through December 2025. This, according to him, will be an important additional revenue stream for Kambi.

Nylén promised that Kambi will continue to leverage its best-in-class products to help PENN maintain its presence in the US.

As the industry’s leading sportsbook provider, both online and in retail, we are committed to providing our partners with cutting-edge technology and a premium service which PENN’s vast retail estate will continue to benefit from throughout the duration of the extended contract.

Kristian Nylén, co-founder & CEO, Kambi Group

Speaking of Kristian Nylén, the CEO recently announced his intention to depart from the company. He, however, agreed to remain on board until a suitable successor has been appointed.

In December, Kambi agreed to power Bingoal’s new sportsbook in Belgium and the Netherlands and empower its business with reliable sports betting solutions.

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The leading supplier of technology and games, powering the online gambling industry across the globe, Playtech, announced it extended its existing partnership with Sony Pictures Television for the provision of games based on the famous Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? TV quiz show. The company uncovered details regarding the latest partnership extension on Thursday.

Per the agreement, Playtech will continue to collaborate with Sony Pictures Television through 2028, paving the way for more games inspired by the globally recognizable quiz show. Currently, audiences across the globe recognize the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? show which has been gaining popularity ever since its launch.

Thanks to the collaboration between the duo, Playtech Live rolled out games inspired by the show such as Video Poker Live. Other hit titles within the operator’s portfolio of live games include Live Roulette and Live Trivia, all of which have captured the attention of players across the globe.

Unique traits for Playtech Live’s games that are based on the famous TV show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? are features such as Ask the Host, Ask the Audience and 50/50. According to Playtech, besides the announced two-year extension of its agreement with Sony Pictures Television, the company anticipates growing the reach of the popular games based on the famous TV quiz show.

The Deal Represents a Unique Opportunity for Playtech

Sasha Uman, Playtech Live’s chief commercial officer, spoke about the importance of the company’s collaboration with Sony Pictures Television. She explained that this strategic partnership underlines Playtech’s dedication to providing its partners and their customers with exceptional games and quality content.

“Collaborating with Sony Pictures Television has been a tremendous opportunity for us. It showcases our commitment to securing top iconic brands in the game show and entertainment industry, and our dedication to offering high-quality and innovative gaming options to the audience.“

Sasha Uman, chief commercial officer at Playtech Live

Uman added that the landmark partnership enabled the company to deliver quality games such as Video Poker Live, Live Trivia and Live Roulette, titles that resonate well with audiences across the globe. “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? has been a global favorite for many years, and we are thrilled to be able to bring the excitement of this iconic game show to players worldwide, especially to our North American audience,” she explained in conclusion.

Earlier this month, Playtech confirmed it extended its partnership with BoyleSports. At the time, the company confirmed a three-year extension of its collaboration with the brand for the UK and Ireland, prolonging their successful relationship through 2028.

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Sports Information Services (SIS), a leading supplier of nonstop live betting services, has negotiated a “landmark distribution deal” with sports tech specialist Genius Sports. As a part of the tie-up, the latter company will distribute SIS’s Competitive Gaming product.

Under the deal, Genius Sports will leverage its extensive sportsbook network to help SIS expand its global reach. This footprint expansion aligns with SIS’ philosophy of building mutually beneficial partnerships with leading gaming and betting platforms.

Competitive Gaming is a comprehensive library of sporting content, encompassing 150,000 live events a year. As agreed, SIS will make the entire Competitive Gaming portfolio available through Genius Sports.

The Competitive Gaming content covers both of SIS’ sports simulation products, esoccer and ebasketball, allowing sportsbooks to keep fans engaged throughout the off-season. These proprietary products adhere to the highest integrity standards and allow fans to enjoy a bet any time of the day.

SIS Competitive Gaming is a product with an impressive track record in driving superior margins to operators. As a result, it is sure to provide a significant boost to Genius Sports’ offering. The addition will further cement the provider’s reputation as an essential partner to leading sports betting companies.

Genius Sports is considered a global leader in sports data and technology. A few weeks ago, the company unveiled a new automated pricing solution that provided it with an additional edge over its competitors.

SIS Is Looking Forward to Mutual Success

Genius Sports’ global partnership director, Matt Stephenson, commented on the deal. According to him, the addition of SIS’ Competitive Gaming content to his company’s offering will affirm the provider’s commitment to supplying its clients with the “widest range of content and the best opportunity to add value and grow revenues.”

Genius customers expect market-leading solutions, and in SIS’ Competitive Gaming they will have a product that stands out from the competition in terms of quality and integrity.

Matt Stephenson, global partnerships director, Genius Sports

SIS’ head of commercial partnerships, Andy Kelly, also shared his thoughts on the matter, saying that Genius Sports is a world-leading provider for a reason. Because of that, the current deal is very important to SIS, which seeks additional expansion across regulated markets.

This is an agreement that is perfectly aligned with our respective established relationships, and we look forward to mutual success moving forward.

Andy Kelly, head of commercial partnerships, SIS

In other news, SIS recently grew its own offering with racing content from Korea.

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Crypto casino Thunderpick has unveiled a $1 million Counter-Strike 2 tournament, providing the best esports teams in the world with another chance to showcase their skills. The so-called Thunderpick World Championship 2024 will kick off on April 1 and will run until October.

As the title suggests, the championship will welcome professional esports teams from all over the world. As a result, the crypto casino will host six qualifier rounds across three different global regions, including Europe, North America and South America. The qualifiers will be remote events that will be held locally.

Details about the schedule of the qualifier events are set to be published at a later date on Thunderpick’s official website.

This is not the first time Thunderpick has graced the esports sector with such a tournament. The previous edition of the Thunderpick World Championship saw FaZe Clan, one of the most influential esports organizations in the world, dominate the finals.

Kelly Sanders, Thunderpick’s head of strategy, promised that the Thunderpick World Championship 2024 will be “one of the most exciting tournaments of the year.” She said that the event will feature many of the fan-favorite CS teams as they battle it out for a huge prize. 

This tournament not only underscores our dedication to the diverse and growing esports community but also marks a new milestone in our event series.

Kelly Sanders, head of strategy, Thunderpick

Thunderpick Renews Partnership with Grid ahead of the Event

Thunderpick has celebrated the announcement by renewing its esports services and data deal with Grid. As a result, the latter company will continue to provide its partner with tournament and data visualization tools and an automated infrastructure.

Grid’s head of tournament operations, Fabian Logemann, expressed his team’s excitement about supporting Thunderpick through 2024. He praised the crypto operator for its invaluable contributions to the Counter-Strike esports sector and said that his team is proud to support the Thunderpick World Championship with its Grid Esports Solutions.

Our team is looking forward to supporting this world-class CS2 championship series again, providing tournament services and important data points behind every incredible play to come.

Fabian Logemann, head of tournament operations, Grid

Last year, Evil Geniuses, one of the top esports organizations in the world, selected Thunderpick as its marquee partner.

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Gaming Innovation Group, the industry-leading platform and media provider, has extended its deal with Casumo, one of its long-term partners. Under the extended agreement, GiG will continue to provide the online operator with its robust iGaming platform.

According to the announcement, GiG will now continue to provide Casumo with its platform until 2027. The expanded deal will also see GiG inject its innovative new suite of solutions into Casumo, providing its Dunder brand with many opportunities to grow and evolve.

The operator will benefit from GiG’s enhanced new frontend and marketing managed services, which include its customer relations management, search engine optimization, affiliate management and casino lobby tools.

The Dunder brand will leverage GiG’s advanced AI-led capabilities to reinforce its decision-making abilities and secure access to intelligent data insights. Thanks to the agreement, the operator will be able to bolster its acquisition and retention rates, allowing it to expand its overall footprint.

In the meantime, the Dunder brand will continue to rely on GiG’s cutting-edge account and commercial support. The latter company’s profound experience in the sector will help Casumo’s brand scale up its business and operations across many core markets.  

Last month, GiG unveiled next-gen iGaming and sportsbook solutions, further growing interest in its solutions. The announcement was made just in time for ICE 2024, allowing the GiG team to capitalize on the prestigious industry event.

GiG Looks Forward to Bolstering the Dunder Brand

GiG’s chief business officer, Andrew Cochrane, welcomed the expansion of the deal with Casumo, thanking the operator company for its trust. He added that his team expects a lot from its partner’s Dunder brand and is looking forward to providing it with cutting-edge tools.

Our anticipation and expectation for the brand are understandably high, aligning perfectly with our mission to drive sustainable growth and profitability of our partners through product innovation, scalable technology and quality of service.

Andrew Cochrane, CBO, GiG

Tim De Borle, Casumo’s chief operating officer, also commented on the matter, praising the partnership and the opportunities it has provided to the Dunder brand.

Through our continued and strengthening partnership with GiG, we are looking forward to taking full advantage of the opportunities we see for Dunder, having been impressed with the commitment to service management and innovative product development from the team at GiG.

Tim De Borle, COO, Casumo

Speaking of Casumo, the operator recently enhanced its RG and AML capabilities through a deal with Neccton.

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On February 11, the “inventor” of Barstool Sports, Dave “El Presidente” Portnoy, used his social media to make the big announcement regarding the new multi-million-dollar partnership that his company and DraftKings have agreed upon.  

Portnoy, who is also the owner of #DDTG Global and a “Brick Watch Man” and “2-time bee sting survivor” as he describes himself on his X (former Twitter) account, officially confirmed that the two companies have completed the multi-year sports betting media partnership, a deal that was initially reported by Sportico in January. 

His X message said “We’re back to our roots. DK is once again the exclusive sports betting partner of Barstool Sports. The more things change, the more they stay the same.”

The Partnership, Completed at the End of the Super Bowl

The agreement could only be completed after the Super Bowl came to an end, with the Kansas City Chiefs edging the San Francisco 49ers. 

The reason was a non-compete clause that Barstool Sports had to respect. The clause referred to the closing of the company’s relationship with PENN Entertainment after the operator decided to give up on its Barstool Sportsbook in favor of a new partnership with ESPN.

PENN paid $1.5 billion to obtain the licensing rights for ESPN Bet. 

In August 2023, the most innovative provider of gaming entertainment in North America sold 100% of outstanding Barstool Sports shares to Portnoy after inking an agreement with ESPN to rebrand their current sportsbook while eliminating Barstool from the equation. 

Originally, PENN acquired a stake in Barstool in 2020, gaining complete control in February 2023 in a deal valued at $551 million that was paid over two tranches.

First on the List, a Free-Throw Challenge

The “multi-year monster deal with DraftKings,” as Portnoy called it, will first lead to the latter along with various other Barstool Sports personalities including Dave, Big Cat, Hank, Jersey Jerry, Steven Cheah, Rico Bo$co, Mark Titus, Brandon Walker, Big T, Kirk, and other Bullpen members from participating in a free-throw challenge.

The goal of the event has been set to 41 made free throws in a row, which is the National Basketball Association’s Record for most free throws in a row. 

The event will be commented on by PFT commenter Nick Turani and KB. During each new round, Portnoy and Dan will pick five participants to join them as a team and try to reach the 41 throws in a row. 

Each team member must complete at least two free throws and up to 10 free throws. Portnoy will need to hit the 15th, 30th, and 41st free throws. 

The group will start with 75 mulligans. Once all are used, the group will only receive one extra mulligan every three rounds.  

The challenge will be streamed live and incorporate a series of questions that viewers will need to answer based on what they think will happen during the stream.

Those viewers who answer the most questions correctly win a share of the set $100,000 prize pool.

Elsewhere, DraftKings executives Jason Robins, Paul Liberman, and Stanton Dodge sold close to $78.8 million worth of stock before the release of the company’s fourth quarter and 2023 results. 

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