Admin, Author at BestCasinos.co.nz

Casumo player roars to victory with Red Tiger pokie jackpot

May 20, 2022 by Admin

Something great happened at Casumo online casino on May 12^th.One lucky winner from Auckland claimed a massive Mega Drop Jackpot of $194,824.69 while playing Wild Wild Chest by Red Tiger Gaming.

The winner, only identified as K, was in a state of shock following their momentous win and has said that he still needs some time to absorb the news.

Wild Wild Chest is a popular Western-themed Red Tiger title where special golden boxes can award you an array of modifiers, including cash prizes, respins, reel swaps, and transforming symbols. The jackpot aside, you could claim wins of worth up to over 1500x your stake from a single spin.

Mega Rewarding

The Mega Drop is one of Red Tiger’s trio of progressive jackpot offerings that increases with a small percentage of every bet placed on games at online casinos that include the feature. The jackpot value keeps increasing until it is won, after which it will reset in anticipation of the next lucky player.

The Must Drop jackpot has to pay out before it hits $1000 so if a lot of players are active, there could be many winners in a single day. The Daily Drop Jackpot is guaranteed to pay out before a specified time each day, and mostly reaches values of a few thousand each time.

Mega Drop is the largest of the three jackpots, and as you read above, it can dish out huge multi-million-dollar prizes to fortunate players.

There’s not telling at what point these prizes will drop or how much they could be worth so every second that you’re not playing could be a major missed opportunity.

All you must do to be eligible to receive these amazing prizes is make sure you have an account at Casumo Casino and play any qualifying Red Tiger game.

Yggdrasil’s LatAm journey begins with a new RSI agreement

May 13, 2022 by Admin

Yggdrasil has confirmed its imminent debut in the Latin American market after the iGaming provider signed a deal with Rush Street Interactive’s Colombian brand, RushBet.co.

Yggdrasil ‘s catalogue of slot titles will go live on the site allowing players to enjoy top titles like Raptor Doublemax and Hades Gigablox, as well as the popular Vikings Trilogy and other titles from its YG Masters collection.

Andrew Pegler, the Chief of Commercial Operations at Yggdrasil, said,

“RSI is a market-leading operator in Colombia, and we are very proud to have been given the trust and confidence to introduce our best-in-class games to their local audience. We are excited about this opportunity and look forward to growing our presence in the region together with RSI.”

A statement from Yggdrasil added that the new deal with RSI would enable it to make inroads into Latin America via Cambodia and was “yet another milestone achievement” in its strategy to expand into key markets.

Richard Schwartz, the CEO at RSI, stated,

“Yggdrasil is well-known for its high-quality slots content and offers a diverse portfolio of fan-favourite and new games that is sure to impress our growing customer base in Colombia. We are excited to be the first to offer Yggdrasil’s impressive games portfolio in Colombia and look forward to a long-term successful partnership.”

Building on Progress

This new development follows a productive April for Yggdrasil. The provider signed partnership deals with Slotbox and Livespins while also making changes to its leadership. Fredrik Elmqvist vacated his CEO position and handed the reins to Björn Krantz.

Krantz comes to the table with over 12 years of C-level experience, and he previously worked at major iGaming provider NetEnt for ten years. His transition to Yggdrasil came in January 2020, when he was appointed to manage the group’s publishing arm. He also recently filled the role of Chief of Global Market Operations.

Pragmatic Play elevates its Drop & Wins live casino promotion with exciting upgrades

May 10, 2022 by Admin

Pragmatic Play is one of iGaming’s leading providers and is famous for its crowd-pulling promotions that reward players for playing across its two most popular verticals.

Randomly awarded wins will go to lucky players from 4th May 2022, with the freshly-launched Prize Drops, Mega Drops, and Daily Blackjack draws, comprising a weekly pool of $125 000 for the Drops & Wins Live Casino edition.

Regular Rewards

Players can win Prize Drops five days out of the week on engaging Live Casino games like Mega Roulette, Sweet Bonanza Candy Land, and Mega Wheel to mention a few. Fridays and Saturdays will see a special boosted prize pool and the Daily Blackjack Prize Drops are a card player’s dream come true.

Until 8 February 2023, players will have a shot at claiming their share of a $1,000,000 monthly prize pool, across the provider’s Pokies and Live Casino verticals. The Drops & Wins promotion offers a flurry of cash rewards, multipliers and free round bonuses as rewards. The free round bonuses will apply to Drops & Wins Pokies and will be instantly credited so that players can continue with their games uninterrupted.

A selection of premium live casino and pokie content, including titles like Gates of Olympus, Sweet Bonanza, Big Bass Bonanza, and Starlight Princess are included in the promotions. As with Drops & Wins promotions of the past, Pragmatic Play is funding the entire prize pool.

Yossi Barzely, the Chief Business Development Officer at Pragmatic Play said,

“We are always looking for new and innovative ways to engage our audience, and the Drops & Wins promotion does exactly that. By February 2023, we will have awarded players millions in cash prizes over the lifespan of the initiative, a testament to our dedication to customers and clients.”

Pragmatic Play delivers up to six new pokies per month while maintaining its varied portfolio that is available through a single API and includes Live Casino, Virtual Sports, and Bingo.

Stakelogic’s Phoenix Queen: Hold ‘N’ Link pokie promises royal rewards

May 6, 2022 by Admin

Greenlogic’s gaming production division, Stakelogic, has teamed up with developer Net Game Entertainment to release Phoenix Queen Hold ‘n’ Link, a new pokie with a breath-taking mythical Asian theme and fantastic winning potential.

The legendary phoenix is the focus of this medium volatility game and the delicate beauty of the myth is finely woven into the gameplay experience.

Fabled Features

The paytable features Golden money trees and exotic birds alongside a gilded phoenix and the Queen wild symbol that substitutes for all regular symbols.

The blue lotus free spins symbols trigger the Hold ‘N‘ Link bonus feature when at least 6 of them land on a single spin. The grid clears and only the triggering symbols are locked in place while 3 respins are awarded. Every time a new free spins symbol appears, the respin count goes back to 3 and you could claim a maximum prize of 500x your stake if you fill the grid with 15 symbols.

Once this bonus sequence is over you will be transported to the free spins round where you will be awarded free spins equivalent to the number of blue lotuses you managed to land during the Hold ‘N’ Link round. Multiplier-boosted bonus symbols boost your winning potential, giving you a shot at the game’s maximum prize per spin of 4752x your stake.

Cooperation is Key

Salvatore Campione, the Head of Greenlogic at Stakelogic spoke about the new collaborative title, saying,

“Phoenix Queen Hold ‘N’ Link is another great example of how our Greenlogic Partner Program allows us to partner with some of the most exciting up and coming studios to produce thrilling slots that deliver exciting and entertaining player experiences. NetGame Entertainment have been able to stick to the phoenix theme and create a slot that takes players on a mythical adventure where big win potential can be discovered with every spin. This is a great addition to our portfolio and a game that will be a big hit with players.”

Win a dragon’s hoard of riches in Yggdrasil’s Megapearl Gigablox pokie

May 3, 2022 by Admin

iGaming giant Yggdrasil and ReelPlay have joined forces again to bring you another immersive online gaming experience in Megapearl Gigablox.

This freshly released six-reel, 40-payline pokie integrates Yggdrasil’s crowd-pulling Gigablox mechanic and is draped in a richly illustrated Chinese theme that features dragons winding around elaborate pillars that border the reels. At least one giant symbol appears on every spin and an imposing dragon represents the wild symbol.

Ferocious Bonus Features

Land six or more glistening pearls to trigger the bonus respins feature, where squares of pearls merge to create mega symbols.

You are given a starting tally of three spins and every time a pearl lands, the respin count will reset to 3. This is a ‘Hold and Win’-type bonus sees where every pearl has a multiplier based on your bet.

If you fill an entire square, all the values will combine and be multiplied for massive winning potential. If you are lucky enough to be in a selected region, you can skip the hassle and jump right into the respins round using the buy feature. The game’s winning potential comes in at over 16 000x your stake and the low volatility means you should brace for a flurry of wins.

Proud Pedigree

Megapearl Gigablox is Reelplay’s newest game launched via the YG Masters program. The game is powered by Yggdrasil’s cutting-edge GATI technology, which allows its partners to rapidly develop and deploy premium content utilising a preconfigured, regulation-ready, standardised development toolkit.

Stuart McCarthy, the Head of Product & Programs at Yggdrasil said.

“We’re very pleased to collaborate with ReelPlay again to launch an exciting, Hold and Win style Gigablox title. The licensing of our GEM’s has expanded the potential of the program significantly and we look forward to seeing what further innovations will be created.”

David Johnson, the CEO at ReelPlay added,

“Megapearl Gigablox is another strong addition to our portfolio through the YG Masters program. Combining the popular Gigablox™ mechanic with a rich Chinese theme, ReelPlay have produced an engaging and re-playable experience for a wide audience.”

LeoVegas-owned Blue Guru Games premieres its pilot pokie

April 29, 2022 by Admin

Leovegas’ independent iGaming studio, Blue Guru Games recently announced the launch of its first-ever pokie, The Nemean Lion.

The developer has a team of 30 and is housed under LeoVentures, LeoVegas’ investment subsidiary. The studio was founded in 2021, following a significant investment by the parent company.

Blue Guru has already secured a series of distribution deals with numerous aggregators, such as Relax Gaming and Oryx Gaming, with its Blue Guru’s introductory title already live with a few major operators.

Blue Guru’s CEO, Andrew Braithwaite called this development an “important milestone” that is just the first in a planned series of releases scheduled to go live in the months ahead.

Reaching Out

In its push for optimal expansion, Blue Guru Games has turned its focus to the lucrative US market, which the company said it intends to make an impact in with the introduction of a premium selection of games later in 2022.

Braithwaite continued his thoughts, saying,

“It’s really nice to be releasing our first game. This is an important milestone of course and there’s so much more to come. We’re particularly excited about the US which provides such an exciting opportunity. We’re a great team having lots of fun making games, and we can’t wait to get our ideas out and see them played.”

Blue Guru is not LeoVentures’ only project, the subsidiary has invested in CasinoGrounds, Pixel.bet and BeyondPlay, to provide the LeoVegas Group with strategic resources.

Gustaf Hagman, the CEO at LeoVegas said,

“Blue Guru Games’ first game launch is a milestone. It is fantastic to see how quickly they have moved from concept to inception and a real testament to the strong commitment and entrepreneurship we have within the group and our portfolio companies,” said “We now have our eye firmly on the US market, where the thirst for high-quality games perfectly complements our aims and capabilities. I look forward to our continued development and growth.”

Yggdrasil eyes market share boost with new Slotbox distribution deal

April 27, 2022 by Admin

Yggdrasil, a global leader in the iGaming industry has recently finalised an agreement with Slotbox, allowing the provider the opportunity to widen the reach of its content. The partnership gives Slotbox access to Yggdrasil’s entire collection of core games and a selection of YG Masters titles.

Slotbox customers will now have access to a premium variety of top-performing games, enhanced by Yggdrasil’s powerful Game Engagement Mechanics.

Slotbox is an online division of Coastline, a prominent Irish casino and gaming operator that boasts eight locations across the Emerald Isle. Coastline launched Slotbox in 2020, employing Gaming Innovation Group’s platform, which operated as a springboard for the company to significantly expand its global presence.

Yggdrasil looks to gain greatly from the deal as its popular content will now be exposed to a wider market across the globe.

Andrew Pegler, the Director of Commercial Operations at Yggdrasil gave his take on the mutually beneficial alliance.

“This alliance with Slotbox will see us enhance our presence globally and it’s fantastic to work with such a renowned and established operator with a strong land-based history. We continue to strike important strategic partnerships and grow our global presence, taking our fantastic slot collection to even more players,” he shared.

A representative from Slotbox shared the company’s enthusiasm at the new arrangement, saying,

“Our online brand is going from strength to strength and we are thrilled to further bolster our offering with Yggdrasil’s premium slots. We aim to offer our customers engaging and entertaining experiences and Yggdrasil’s slots have proven longevity and a big fan-following.”

Have a festive Cinco de Mayo with Play’n GO’s new Puebla Parade pokie

April 22, 2022 by Admin

Play’n GO’s new Mexican-themed pokie, Puebla Parade, is an explosion of colour, culture, and music as traditionally-attired dancers twirl across the reels in celebration of Cinco de Mayo and your winning chances.

The game’s theme is a collection of sensory delights with vivid visuals and charming animations, paired with a selection of thrilling bonus features. The pokie’s Vihuela guitar-infused soundtrack is provided by an authentic Mariachi band with a song custom-composed for this premium gaming experience.

When the Señorita Wild and Señor Wild appear on the reels they join together to form a 2x Pareja Wild and trigger a pair of respins and expand the reel set up to seven rows high, generating even more ways to win.

The free spins round is even more rewarding with the Pajera Wilds being upgraded to a 3x multiplier and roaming across the reels, creating winning chances where they land.

Charlotte Miliziano, the Head of Games at Play’n GO said,

“One of the reasons that our portfolio is the most diverse in the industry are the themes, celebrations, and culture we include in our games. We’re a community at Play’n GO and our games are a positive reflection of that. We’re dedicated to going the extra mile, you won’t find the Free Spins music in a sample library for instance. Everything from the lyrics to the music was devised and performed just for this game.”

Making Moves

Play’n GO has had a productive year so far, making its debut in two major iGaming markets. The provider was granted a Remote Gambling Operator’s License by the Licensing Authority of Gibraltar in late March. This gave its partners that hold B2C licences from Gibraltar access to its impressive catalogue of pokies.

The supplier was also granted a supplier licence by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario in the same month and made its entry into the province’s newly-launched iGaming market on 4 April.

Waikato district loses $8 million to pokies in a year

April 19, 2022 by Admin

Between 2020 and 2021, players in South Waikato collectively lost over $8 million to pokies, a situation that has created severely negative impacts on the area’s families.

These figures came to light when community members provided feedback to the South Waikato District Council regarding its Gambling Class 4 and TAB Venue Policy. In total, $8,057,439 across 160 class 4pokie machines was lost in the 2020-21 financial year.

A South Waikato woman, who asked to remain anonymous, described the impact of gambling on whānau as devastating.

“Growing up, both of my parents were gamblers and we knew that. They would always disappear to the pub to play the pokies. You don’t realise how impactful it is until you’re older and realise how abandoned you felt. It was really hard and lonely as a child when you have younger siblings who are wondering where their parents are or who is going to feed them,” she said.

“I’m a grown woman now and this issue has always existed here for us. It isn’t getting better, it has increasingly gotten worse over time. I’m sure pokies have economic benefits but it is devastating families here,” she continued.

Andree Froude, the Problem Gambling Foundation’s Communication Director expressed sympathy, stating that problem gambling is holistically detrimental to peoples’ lives.

“Harmful gambling has long tentacles – one person’s gambling can impact up to seven other people. Gambling can lead to job loss, relationship breakdowns, child neglect, and loss of homes, fraud and suicide. One of the most consistent findings is when children have a close family member with a gambling problem they are far more likely to develop problems themselves,” she explained.

A 2016 survey discovered that gambling harm was disproportionately represented in high deprivation areas.

An excerpt from the survey findings reads, “For those who gamble on pokies in pubs or clubs regularly, research shows that 49 per cent of participants experienced some gambling harm … Pacific and Māori peoples were also twice as likely to experience gambling harm.”

Public Testimony

The South Waikato District Council received 13 submissions as part of its public consultation process and ten of those who made the submissions are set to speak at the hearings on 5 May.

The district has also re-emphasised its commitment to its Sinking Lid policy, which has halted the issuing of any new licences for gambling activities in pubs and clubs while preventing existing ones from being shifted to different locations.

The South Waikato woman continued her statement, adding that she hopes for a future where her region is free from pokies, saying,

“I really hope that other whānau don’t experience harmful gambling. I also hope that one day, we don’t have to see these machines here. We’ve seen them for too long.

SkyCity thrilled at Orange status but isn’t quite ready yet

April 15, 2022 by Admin

Major casino and hotel operator, SkyCity has praised the country’s shift to the orange traffic light level, stating that this is a welcome development for the tourism and hospitality industry.

The status comes with a relaxed set of rules, including an end to gathering limits and the removal of the requirement for restaurant patrons to be always seated and separated.

The country’s Covid-19 Minister, Chris Hipkins, recently announced the transition to a less stringent pandemic response strategy, citing falling case numbers and saying,

“We are over the peak, we are coming down the other side; in some places we’re coming well down”

Callum Mallett, SkyCity’s CEO expressed the company’s excitement at the news but added that, even with increased capacity, it would still take a few days for the company to return to normal operations.

“The ability for customers to find those bookings in the time that we have could be challenging but most operators will move pretty quickly to ensure they can welcome as many guests as possible,” Mallett said.

Normalcy Returns

Australians are now permitted to enter New Zealand without the requirement of isolating, provided that they are vaccinated and test negative for Covid-19. As a result, booking figures for flights between the two countries have increased slightly, but the casino operator has remained realistic, predicting that an immediate huge influx of visitors is unlikely.

Mallet advised that while the current numbers are minimal low, this is a positive development, nonetheless.

“The Australian market being open is a significant step because now even if they don’t rush to book, the opportunity exists for them to book and as airlines increase frequency of flights we’re really confident that the Australian market over time will return to like it was pre-Covid,” he said.

The CEO concluded by stating that the Asian market still has a long road to recovery, with low expectations of the overall numbers returning to anything resembling pre-Covid levels in the coming summer.