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Stakelogic and Pariplay go live with casino games

July 28, 2020 by Admin

Games developer and supplier to the casino industry, Stakelogic have signed a landmark deal with Aspire Global’s Pariplay. As per the agreement, Stakelogic will be able to disseminate its product offering to Aspire Global’s international player base through Pariplay’s Fusion aggregator platform.

Stakelogic’s titles that have been added to Fusion include the freshly released Dragon & Magic and Super Stake. Players can look forward to the future releases of titles such as Eureka Moments, Sidewinder, and Gods of Death thanks to the deal.

Aspire Global’s acquisition of Pariplay made this deal possible and Fusion is the official Pariplay global distribution platform.

Big deal for Stakelogic

Sales Director for Stakelogic, Salvatore Marino relayed that he and his team regard this deal as a massive developmental milestone for the company as it has been presented with an opportunity to have its premium iGaming content hosted by an industry leader.

Vice President of Sales at Aspire Global, Jov Spiero advised that his team too were excited about the new collaboration as it marked the joining of two industry powerhouses.

“Their brand is constantly working tirelessly toward the goal of providing its partners with only the highest quality online casino games available today. And this is exactly why respective revenue growth is now once again at the order of the day, it’s what happens when two giants come together.” He commented.

This is one in a series of recent deals forged by Stakelogic with other industry heavyweights, including GVC Holdings and Microgaming, greatly increasing the provider’s market reach. This will be achieved through various platforms including PlayCasino, Ladbrokes, Partypoker, and Sportingbet which are all managed by or contracted to GVC.

iGaming and sports betting form a large part of GVC’s operations and it has gained a reputation for integrity and professionalism.

Gold Digger Pokie by iSoftBet breaks new ground

July 17, 2020 by Admin

The renowned iGaming development company, iSoftBet, has released a new, quirky character-driven title Gold Digger. This pokie is packed full of bonus features and Gus the prospector is the star of the ga,e, digging his way through perilous mines to unearth their riches.

Look and feel

Gold digger is set on a 5 reel, 20 payline format, and boasts a range of thrilling special features including symbol transformations, instant respins, and win multipliers. With a maximum win potential of 8,230x your original wager as the cherry on top, this pokie has plenty to offer.

The pokie’s visuals exude charm and silliness with an animated Gus standing to the left of the reels, reacting to the results of your spins, and even using his tools to blast certain symbols away.

Feature forward

The game’s Gold Nugget symbol unlocks the slot’s true potential. If 5 or more nuggets appear on the reels, they will become locked in place and trigger free spins or the “Gold Link Round”.

If any additional nuggets land during the Gold Link Round, they will also lock in place and reset the free spins back to 3. Special gem symbols can also appear with specific features relating to their colour. Red gems add respins, blue gems add additional reels and green gems increase multiplier values.

Gold Digger has all the features a discerning real money pokie fan could ask for and is available now.

Mega Moolah delivers a mega sub-aquatic win

May 19, 2020 by Admin

Atlantean Treasures: Mega Moolah has awarded its first Mega jackpot win through Microgaming’s Mega Moolah progressive jackpot. The jackpot amount was an astounding $7,784,425.63, just a couple of months after the slot’s initial release on 25 February 2020.

The lucky player snagged the huge prize on 8 May 2020 at River Belle Casino, joining the growing list of millionaires created by Microgaming’s progressive jackpot network, which has paid out over $1.1 billion since its creation. As with all past wins, the $7.7 million win be paid to the player as a lump sum.

Atlantean Treasures: Mega Moolah is an aquatic adventure and was developed exclusively for Microgaming by Neon Valley Studio. This 5×3 reel, the ten-payline slot has an enchanting marine aesthetic, featuring detailed artwork and vividly coloured sea creatures, coupled with exciting features, including expanding wilds and respins. The potential of the Mega Moolah progressive jackpot is by far the most enticing feature. Since its release, Atlantean Treasures: Mega Moolah has paid out over $14.2 million across 238,594 jackpots, this includes 45 Major jackpots.

Microgaming’s partnership with its network of independent studios continues to bolster its industry-leading progressive jackpot network with a stream of new progressive titles. Atlantean Treasures: Mega Moolah and Absolootly Mad™: Mega Moolah (Triple Edge Studios) debuted in February and May, following the February release of the refreshed WowPot jackpot in Wheel of Wishes. This is just the first of a series of new games being placed on both the jackpot and the network. Triple Edge studios are responsible for Sisters of Oz, the next title in line.

Jean-Luc Ferriere Chief Commercial Officer at Microgaming came forward to applaud this latest win

“Congratulations to the winning player for hitting the first-ever Mega jackpot on Atlantean Treasures: Mega Moolah. The tremendous $7.7 million win marks another milestone for Microgaming’s progressive jackpot network, and we look forward to further enhancing our growing portfolio with additional progressive games to deliver even more entertaining gameplay experiences and opportunities to win.”

NZ casino study panned as unsound & unbalanced

February 14, 2020 by Admin

Juxtaposing the potential downfalls associated with low-risk gambling like occasionally playing the Lottery or casino games from time to time against severe physical disorders such as cancer and physical bodily harm is purely salacious, according to leading New Zealand economic advisor, TBD Advisory.

TBD recently distributed a video commentary, addressing a report on the effects of low-risk gambling, commissioned by the national Ministry of Health. The report, “Measuring the Burden of Gambling Harm in New Zealand” has been characterized by TBD as essentially flawed and possibly even purposefully misleading and biased.

A waste of time and resources

The report reportedly cost the health department NZ$319,000, but this may have been an ill-advised splurge as the research value is highly questionable. According to TBD Advisory, the analysis of low-risk gambling detailed in the report contains no fewer than 10 glaring research flaws.

The research in the report suggests that low-risk gambling is comparable to various diseases and complete physical incapacity due to mutilation. A severe addiction to casino games, sports betting or any other type of gambling is placed alongside suffering from terminal cancer or even the long-lasting effects of a major stroke.

Another identified error purported by the hypothetical “research” is the supposition that gambling is a unique addiction unto itself and is, therefore, damaging and even capable of robbing the addict of up to 20% of their quality of life. This position, unfortunately, disregards the fact that any addiction is rooted in deep, fundamental causes and cannot be seen as stand-alone harm all unto itself.

Questionable survey techniques

The findings of the report are also suspicious because the survey respondents may have been biased towards particular leanings regarding gambling-related harm. The participants were also allegedly not selected completely at random.

The Gaming Machine Association of New Zealand has demanded either the complete withdrawal of the report or that it should be re-published, accompanied by a warning, detailing the potential flaws and biases contained therein. The organisation’s position is that the research report does not paint an accurate picture of the casino industry and is, therefore, of little to no value.

Aristocrat set to unveil next Gen Concepts at ICE – ICE 2020 Core Games Product Preview

January 14, 2020 by Admin

Aristocrat Technologies is hoping to draw all the right attention at London’s ICE Show on 4th – 6th February, with one of its broadest and most comprehensive ranges of core casino concepts to date. Their offering will comprise of a selection of proven, improved and never-before-seen game mechanics across an expanded range of hardware platforms. The 2020 collection will be on full display at stand S5-150 in ExCeL’s South Hall and shines a light on the future for EMEA casino floors over the next 12 months.

Ian Adams, who is the Product & Marketing Director for EMEA, was on hand to elaborate.

“The diversity of markets across Europe, the Middle East and Africa present a tremendous challenge in that the range of content and delivery platforms can often be highly heterogeneous. Aristocrat’s global design & development allocation remains amongst the highest in the industry and we are fortunate to be in a position of selecting the very best games from the global portfolio and tailoring offerings to individual market needs.

“Our D&D teams have built on previous successes with a balance of proven and brand-new maths models and, taking advantage of new hardware technologies, delivering more advanced audio-visual packages to satiate players’ evolving demands for engaging gaming entertainment.”

The new MarsX™ upright cabinet which has already been introduced to a selection of pilot site gaming floors across Europe, makes its debut at ICE, showcasing inventive design and new Gen9 technology, opening the door for a new wave of dual screen casino games.

Accompanying the launch of online slot titles of Buffalo Gold Revolution™ and the Fu Dai Lian Lian™ and Mighty Cash Ultra™ game families, there will be a further selection of MarsX-dedicated game families.

Ka-Ching Ca$h™, with an added twist of the widely popular hold & spin mechanic, where jackpots are allocated to individual reels.
5 Coin Frenzy Jackpots™, sporting a novel ‘Frenzy’ persistence meter, expanding reels, pick bonus and jackpots.
Wonder 4™ Boost Gold, an offshoot of the high octane, multi-reel set game Wonder 4 Boost, including another four popular games; Buffalo™ Gold, Pompeii™ Gold, 5 Dragons™ Gold, and TimberWolf™ Gold – featuring free games, boost feature, and super free games.

Support for portrait form factors remains consistent, including the Helix XT™ and Arc™ Single cabinets. The new game families heading EMEA’s way include:

Cashman Bingo™, a game family incorporating a unique bingo board matrix that transfers cash values and jackpots from base game reels, creating intense anticipation.
Grand Fu Wheel™, Asian-themed fun focusing on a giant, transforming wheel that hands out credit prizes, boost multipliers, free games, and jackpots;
Rising Jackpots™, a trio of Aristocrat Classics, 5 Dragons™, Pompeii™ and Whales of Cash™, enhanced with changing triggers, player-dependant reel heights and wild multipliers, upgraded symbols at higher wager levels and a pick ‘em jackpot feature.
Reel Climb™, another novel idea, adding growing reels up to seven rows high, free games and expanding wilds;
Firecano™ Glory™, bringing a fresh experience of ‘Eruption’ free games with changing wilds and reels.
Fa FaFa™ Fortune Cash™, new hold & spin with reel growth (up to 3 reel sets) with cash-on-symbols, stacked reels that spread across reel sets and free spins.

Existing Helix(+)™ cabinets also get the windfall of several new game titles, some of which are enjoying multiple form and screen factor releases, with a spread of Aristocrat classic titles being added to the portfolio – Brazil™, TimberWolf™, Wild Panda™ and Golden Pyramids™ being amongst them, including the long-awaited multigame, Player’s Choice™ Opal Edition, with a collection of 10 titles combining a mixture of classics including Queen of the Nile™, 5 Dragons™, Big Red™ with more recent player-favourites, Buffalo™ Gold Collection, Wild Fiesta’Coins™, Cash Bull™, Fortune’s Way™, Miss Kitty™ Gold, Big Red™ Gold, and 5 Dragons™ Gold.

Erik-Jan van den Berg, Vice-President of Sales & Business Development – EMEA, closed off the announcement, stating “No matter which cabinet, Aristocrat has a wealth of exciting new content to help invigorate EMEA gaming floors and we look forward to welcoming visitors at ICE to share our next generation vision for the new decade.”

Guinness Gambling World Records

January 7, 2020 by Admin

Gambling is an international pastime and passion, with its own set of astounding records and achievements. We scoured the Guinness world records archives to bring you some of the more significant records held today.

Guinness Gambling World Records: The Slot Machine

Most slot machines running the same game simultaneously

Online casino news details that the record for most slot machines running the same game simultaneously was 1610 machines. This was achieved by Bally Technologies on 27th April 2013 at the Mohegan Sun Montville in Connecticut, USA.

Largest jackpot payout from an online slot machine game

Jon Heywood (UK) achieved this enviable record on 6 October 2015. He won an eye-watering €17,879,645 ($20,062,600, £13,209,300) after hitting the jackpot on Microgaming’s Mega Moolah on the Betway website.

Largest slot machine tournament

Muckleshoot Casino in Auburn, Washington, USA, achieved this mammoth record with a tournament that involved 3173 participants on 30 April 2016.

Largest slot machine win

In 2003, an unsuspecting software engineer put $100 into a slot machine at the Excalibur hotel-casino in Las Vegas and was surprised by a massive $39,713,982 win.

Guinness Gambling World Records: Casinos

The oldest croupier

The profession of being a croupier is almost as old as organized gambling. Joanna Dodd (b. 15 January 1936, USA) is currently the world’s oldest croupier at age 79 and still plies her trade at the Flamingo Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The World’s Biggest Casino

The Cosmopolitan region of Macau on the Chinese South coast is home to a monolith of a casino. The Venetian Macau includes a massive 51,100 m2 gambling area, which opened on 27 August 2007. This casino-hotel resort is owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation and boasts over 3,400 slot machines and 870 gaming tables. The world’s second-largest casino is the Venetian Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas, owned by the same company.

Image: Venetian Macua

Guinness gambling world records: Table Games

Most players in an internet poker room

Online poker news reported that the most players recorded together online were hosted at PokerStars.com on 6 September 2009. The players numbered 307,016, playing at 42,814 virtual tables.

Largest prize money for a baccarat tournament

Lin Hasain managed a huge 100,000,000 HKD (12,890,500 USD) win at the Sands Cotai Central Sheraton Ballroom in Macau on 3 March 2015.

Largest functioning blackjack table

On 13 September 2013, the Viejas Casino (USA) in Alpine, California, celebrated its 21^st anniversary on a grand scale with a novelty blackjack table that measured 206.85 m2 in surface area. One hand of blackjack was played at the table, using oversized casino chips and cards to match the gigantic installation.

Largest roulette wheel in the world

The Casino Du Liban in Lebanon made waves in 2017 by installing a gargantuan roulette wheel that measures 8.75 m2 in diameter. The fully functional mechanism is mounted on the dome ceiling of the casino and can be used via electronic control.

Image: Casino Du Liban Roulette wheel

Guinness Gambling World Records: The Gambling World

Largest gambling city

In 2016, gambling revenue records revealed that Macau, China pulled in $27.8 billion in gambling revenue. Macau’s gambling industry is currently 330% larger than Las Vegas’.

Most money lost by a nation to gambling per capita

Sadly, there are no winners with this record. During 2010 Australia recorded that the average Australian, aged 17 or over, lost US$ 1,199. Approximately 70% of Australians participate in some type of gambling, with total average annual gambling losses hovering somewhere around the US$19 billion mark.

Yggdrasil beefs up their Pokies Portfolio with Yokozuna Clash

September 12, 2019 by Admin

Yggdrasil Gaming Limited has launched an all-out assault on the competition with the release of a new pokie called Yokozuna Clash. This sumo-wrestling themed extravaganza is more than just a five-reel pokie. Players get to experience the thrill of battling it out in a winner-takes-all tournament to snatch the championship title and win excellent rewards while they’re at it.

Yggdrasil, a Malta-based firm, has gained prominence in the online gaming development industry, with a reputation for innovation and exciting releases.

Built-in innovation

Yokozuna Clash combines the classic “243 Ways to Win” game experience with a fighting element that is increasingly popular with today’s gamblers.

The pokie is set against the backdrop of Tokyo and players are assigned a sumo wrestling character at the start of the game. The player enters dohyo, a traditional sumo-wrestling arena, to battle their opponents in an effort to ascend to the championship title. The fighting element of the game elevates it well beyond what the market currently offers. Yggdrasil, named after a mythical tree from Norse mythology, has shown their desire to change the face of gaming while planting the seeds of future successes.

A win-win, win situation

Yokozuna clash features Yggdrasil’s innovative winnings mechanics which allow the player many paths to attaining rewards. There are many hidden and exciting features, which are triggered randomly as the game progresses. A wide range of wilds and multipliers await users daring enough to take up this challenge.

Yggdrasil’s standard Prize Drop makes an appearance in this title, as well as their intriguing Mystery Prize Drop. Players trigger instant cash rewards, as well as other prizes, as they advance. On top of all of this excitement, free spins rounds are also included; these spins are randomly triggered and will give players advantages in each of their fights.

This medium-volatility pokie is available at all Yggdrasil powered desktop and mobile casinos and is sure to thrill anyone with a thirst for battle and winnings.

Gambling Law Change leaves Tasmania’s GST untouched

September 4, 2019 by Admin

Despite a possible increase in Tasmania‘s gambling tax rates, the state will not see a change in their Goods and Service Tax (GST) outcome.

Damien Febey, a Department of Treasury and Finance intergovernmental and financial policy branch assistant director, revealed this while answering a question from Murchison Independent MLC, Ruth Forrest, at a hearing in August

Forrest, the chairperson of the Legislative Council select committee, was conducting an inquiry into the Commonwealth GST distribution system’s impact on Tasmanian service delivery and expenses. The inquiry is being conducted, in part, through a comparison of actual and estimated expenses per capita in the state with the national average.

All income is equal

Tasmania currently receives 3.7% of the national GST pool. This will remain unchanged even if the state sees an increase in revenue due to higher gambling taxes. Febey advised that the state’s GST outcome would not be affected, as the income would be treated equally.

Earlier this year, the state government announced that it would introduce as much as a 15% point-of-consumption (POC) tax on net wagering revenue generated within Tasmania. The new tax is set to come into effect on 1 January 2020.

This will put the state in line with South and Western Australia, as well as Queensland and ACT, which also charge a 15% POC gambling tax. Victoria and New South Wales charge a lower POC tax at 10% and 8% respectively. The Northern Territory stands alone as the only state yet to implement a similar tax.

This tax category, which first made an appearance in Australia in 2017, has not been universally accepted.

In a letter to South Australian officials, The Australian Trainers’ Association, as well as Thoroughbred Racing SA, blasted the 15% tax rate, describing it as disadvantageous. They explained that the rate put their operations in jeopardy, due to bookmakers encouraging real money gamblers to bet in states with lower POC rates.

Quarantined Grants Questioned

In addition to the Tasmanian portion of the GST outcomes, Forrest questioned why certain Commonwealth Grants were quarantined. Forrest mentioned the example of the funds granted to the Royal Hobart Hospital for a rebuilding project, pointing out that the grant had been not been subject to GST.

Economic and financial policy deputy secretary Fiona Calvert responded, saying that any quarantined payments had been negotiated with the federal treasury. She added that the treasurer would prefer payments not to be quarantined as they would prefer to dissuade similar requests from other states.

Spintec makes inroads into the “outback”

September 1, 2019 by Admin

“A great success”

This is how Slovenian electronic table game developer Spintec Gaming Technology described their time at the Annual Australasian gaming expo (AGE), which took place in Sydney, last week.

In an official press release, Spintec revealed how they thrilled customers and forged new alliances at the three-day event. This international expo allows exhibitors to demonstrate new and exciting technological innovations to the Australian gaming and hospitality industry.

The showcase

Spintec opened with an exhibition of an 8-station version of their Karma GEN2 automated roulette advance, which features inventive design concepts aimed at maximising player comfort and accessibility. This product exhibits how Spintech maintain a proven track record of keeping players engaged for longer sessions.

Also on show was their Aura multi-game amphitheater solution. Already a favourite with operators throughout Australia, Aura made an enduring impression on visitors encountering it for the first time.

The well-attended event allowed visitors to discover why Spintec can confidently claim that their innovative gaming solutions make the firm a gaming industry leader.

A new alliance

Spintec signed a milestone deal with Independent Gaming, a local gaming distributor. According to Spintec, the partnership with the Sydney-based firm had already resulted in several installations in various locations across Australia. The alliance is vital to the company’s strategy to grow into new market territory and acquire new partnerships and installations.

More expos on the horizon

Spintec call the Slovenian town of SempeterpriGorici home but have their eye on conquering the rest of the globe. Eager to ride the wave of their Australian success story, Spintec expect to wow attendees with their unique product line. They will begin in Johannesburg, South Africa, at the annual ICE Africa expo in October. Next, the company will exhibit in Las Vegas, at the prestigious Global Gaming Expo (G2E).

The growing pains of online gambling in New Zealand

August 29, 2019 by Admin

Online gambling has recently gained increasing popularity in New Zealand and while the industry is enjoying the boom, it has drawn attention from anti-gambling activists and other concerned groups who have proposed that government regulators have adopted an inappropriate approach with regards to dealing with this new trend.

A dicey situation

Despite its availability, online gambling is not fully legal in New Zealand. Players are able to access it via foreign companies, with up to NZ$381 million flowing out of the country over the last 18 months. This detail, in particular, has raised the ire of campaigners, who have in turn placed pressure on New Zealand’s government to take action.

Regulation revamp

Lawmakers have taken the hint and have begun the process of amending the country’s gambling laws. The Gambling Act, which has not been updated since 2003, is dated and inadequate for dealing with this new wave of technology. On July 31^st, the Department of Internal Affairs advised that four major reforms were in the pipeline for the online gambling industry. However, according to activists, these reforms are far too concerned with economic issues, rather than mitigating the potential negative impact on New Zealanders.

Reforms, but at what cost?

Anti-gambling organizations have pointed out that, rather than regulating more strictly, three of the reforms appear to allude to more avenues of gambling being made available to players, with the fourth doing nothing to change the status quo.

The option that seems most likely to succeed would grant the national lottery, currently the only legal online operator, an expanded mandate to introduce its own online gambling platform, including casino games. The issue is still currently pending as no firm decisions have been taken as yet.

The public has been encouraged to provide their input, which will form part of the final resolutions made at the end of September this year.