The gaming developer is already active in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Michigan. In West Virginia, it has partnered with DraftKings, BetMGM, Rush Street Interactive (BetRivers), and Delaware North’s Betly (RSI). It is likely to collaborate with other companies in the future. 

In a company statement posted on Playtech’s website, Jonathan Doubilet, VP U.S. Business Operations, commented, “Our expansion into this regulated iGaming state reflects our strong strategic focus on delivering engaging, innovative, and responsible entertainment to players, while supporting our partners with the latest in gaming technology. 

“Supporting our customers across all regulated states and countries in which they operate is at the heart of what we do. The trust and confidence they place in us as an agile and scalable partner is what helps in meeting the demands of the ever-expanding US iGaming industry.”

Regulated States Creating New Opportunities

The move into West Virginia means Playtech is now operational in four of the seven states that have legalized online casinos. As more states consider legislation, it marks an area for potential growth for gaming developers. 

Massachusetts and Ohio lawmakers are also considering bills to bring legal iGaming to the states. Indiana, Maine, and Arkansas also introduced bills this year, but attempts to pass the legislation failed. 

There are additional efforts in New York, Maryland, and New Hampshire, but opposition remains. 

Playtech saw revenue increase 10% in 2024, mainly due to expansion in the US. Any states that successfully pass legislation would be earmarked as targets for future growth. 

Playtech: A Leader In Game Suppliers

The company is estimated to hold around a quarter of the market share for iGaming software. It has been dominant in Europe, with a strong presence in the continent’s biggest gambling markets: the UK, Italy, and Spain. 

Last year, the company generated €848 million ($991 million), with €754.3 million of that from the B2B segment. That marked a 10% increase from 2023, with growth in the Americas up 22%. The company sold Snaitech, its sports betting platform in Italy, to Flutter, signaling increased focus on the B2B side of the business. 

As well as entering more states in the US, Brazil’s newly regulated market is also an area targeted by the company. It also partnered with Betway in South Africa last year to further enhance its global reach. 

CEO Confident About The Future

Commenting on the financial results from last year, CEO Mor Weizer said, “2024 was a landmark year for Playtech. We successfully reached an agreement to sell Snaitech to Flutter Entertainment, delivering significant value to our shareholders while enabling Playtech to refocus predominantly on its core strengths as a pure-play B2B business.”

Weizer also noted the growth in North America and plans for future expansion, stating, “Meanwhile, our expansion in the US and Canada continues to gain momentum as we sign up and launch with a growing list of operators. 

“The combination of Playtech’s industry-leading technology with its exposure to attractive markets underpins our confidence in the Group’s new medium-term targets. We are excited about the future and the many opportunities ahead.”

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Octopus Treasure – Play’n Go

Promising “great features to keep players entertained for longer,” gaming content developer Play’n Go has lauded an “excellent week” which has brought about the launch of Octopus Treasure.

This 5×3, 20 fixed payline slot uses key symbols paired with treasure chests to unlock one of four feature rounds for players to enhance their chances of big wins.

The features that can be triggered are; wild coins which results in the player choosing three coins to reveal which symbols will turn wild, gold pile which involves the octopus to upgrade symbols to help increase wins, treasure grab where the octopus collects treasure symbols and pays instant prizes, and wild reels invites players to pick a pot to transform an entire reel to stacked wilds.

“It’s obviously great to be recognised with an award, especially for three years in a row! It shows we are continually creating engaging, high-quality content, and that’s our goal.

“Octopus Treasure is another example of this. It’s packed with great features, is simple to play but has a lot going on to keep players entertained for longer, and that’s what they want.” – Martin Zettergren, chief product officer at Play’n Go.

Clover Rollover 2 – Eyecon

Eyecon, the Playtech owned Alderney headquartered games studio, has developed and will distribute a sequel to the company’s successful Clover Rollover title, 12 years following its release.

Boasting a graphics update, as well as a slight redesign, one key difference from the original is the inclusion of Eyecon’s three tier jackpot system.

This features a mega, maxi and mini jackpot which all build up and drop at various frequencies, allowing for more frequent jackpot winners, whilst still providing a potentially large win for some.

“With the original Clover Rollover slot being one of the most popular across the Playtech Bingo network, we are extremely excited to see the launch of Clover Rollover 2.

“It was very important to us that the essence of the original game continued through to the sequel, and by introducing Eyecon’s jackpot mechanics we have been able to deliver a fresh and engaging experience to our players.

“Additionally, Eyecon has done a fantastic job in overhauling the graphics within the game introducing some impressive animations and giving a new look to an old favourite.” –James Chambers, slots manager at Playtech Bingo.

Pragmatic Play – Ultra Hold Spin and Win

The 3X3 title, developed in partnership with Reel Kingdom, sees players aim to collect a stack of three bonus coin symbols to trigger the free spins round.

During the ‘Hold and Spin’ round, silver coins have a value of between 1-9x a player’s stake, and gold coins can pay out up to x20 the bet.

These remain fixed on the reels for the duration of the free spins round, where the total of all coin values is rewarded to the player. Should the diamond money symbol land, then a coin can be worth up to 500x multiplied, leading to  wins of up to 2,460x their stake.

“Ultra Hold and Spin is another exciting addition to our slot offering, giving players the chance to stack up big piles of coins on the reels.

“We continue to look for ways to enhance our offering and our partnership with Reel Kingdom has added a unique edge to our portfolio.” – Melissa Summerfield, chief commercial officer at Pragmatic Play.

Realistic Games – Super Graphics Game Changer

Content developer Realistic Games has revamped its Super Graphics Upside Down title to introduce Super Graphics Game Changer, the sixth Realistic Game Changer slot to hit online markets.

The 5-reel, 40-line slot boasts the addition of the Game Changer round, offering players the chance to win a prize of up to 100,000x their bet on over four billion different feature board layouts.

In this iteration, as players move around the game board, they collect free spins and super wilds to take with them into the free spins round once the feature comes to an end.

The game’s heroine, Satsuki, awards three extra spins, while the white and gold cat offer two, and the king, queen and jack award one.

As players land on any wild symbols, these will count to an upgrade to take into the feature. The more wilds hit, the more exciting the wild symbol in the free games.

These range from exploding to roaming or trapped wilds, with some ‘left and right’ and ‘up and down’ wilds in between, ensuring the free spin round delivers a wide range of exciting prizes.

“Super Graphics Game Changer is the perfect combination of one of our most popular game titles and the innovative bonus round mechanic which has transformed our portfolio.

“Adding in the fact that this is our first ever 40 win line slot along with the affordable entry level of just £0.05 per spin, it offers players spectacular winning potential, which we have already seen at Ladbrokes, creating the perfect recipe for a game that will keep players returning time and time again.” – Robert Lee, commercial director of Realistic Games.

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The agreements, which include some of the industry’s largest content providers, enhances the offering of Playtech Games Marketplace for its customers, while also significantly expanding the scale and reach of the gaming content.

Anthony Evans, VP of Product Strategy at Playtech, said: “Playtech’s scale and distribution is a powerful offering for potential partners. But more importantly, this is a great example of how we can collaborate with the industry’s leading content providers to create an offering with significant mutual benefits.”

Through the Playtech Games Marketplace, licensees are provided with a single, unified platform for content discovery, configuration and insight. 

As a result of the partnerships, content providers will now gain access to deliver their games through the Marketplace, via the Playtech Open Platform, thus gaining further customer exposure by benefiting from Playtech’s scale and distribution network. 

Evans added: “While these content providers gain greater exposure, we know our customers will love the expanded content offering now available to them. Playtech Games Marketplace is fast becoming the industry’s home for great content, emphasising Playtech’s wider role as the essential infrastructure of the industry.”

Bonusing technologies will also be a key aspect of these ongoing partnerships, which seek to build an integration which is compelling both to Playtech customers and their player base.

Moreover, as well as being able to configure the third-party content, customers will be able to apply the functionality of IMS bonusing, and the wider Engagement Centre capabilities, to the content, creating a stronger and more unified engagement experience for its players.

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The budget – which curbs the administration’s spending plans somewhat, lowering Italy’s 2019 deficit target from 2.4 per cent to 2.04 per cent – now passes to the lower house for final approval.

The legislation seeks to increase taxation on various types of gambling activities. Tax on AWP gaming machines and video lottery terminals will rise from January 1, while there are also increases in betting tax, to 20 per cent, and online gaming tax to 24 per cent.

In a statement, Playtech said it currently estimates that this is expected to reduce its 2019 Adjusted EBITDA by “approximately €20-25 million” before any mitigating actions.

The expected impact from this legislation is in addition to the previously announced impact from the 2018 Dignity Decree, the company said.

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Under the terms of the agreement, Playtech will also strengthen the Fortuna offering by increasing the number of casino games available to Fortuna CZ players, including: Buffalo Blitz, White King and Ways of the Phoenix, plus a range of roulette and blackjack games.

Anton Golikov, Program Manager at Playtech, commented: “We’ve worked in close collaboration with the Fortuna CZ team to deliver bespoke versions of our Native Casino app to a robust timescale, and are delighted to be supporting the expansion of the brand’s Casino games portfolio.

“Removing the hosting obstacles that can come with wrapper-based games creates a flexibility that will allow Fortuna to continue to build on its game selection and enhance player experience. We look forward to continuing our collaboration on the upcoming approved projects.”

Playtech’s native app is fully customisable, including the option to add extra sections and promotions to the home screen, as well as being available in 24 languages.

David Vozábal, Group Head of Product Development at Fortuna, added: “We’ve been delighted with both the fast progress on the Native casino app project and the end result, which, as well as tackling potential technical restraints, opens up a true native experience for our players. We look forward to continuing to build on an excellent working relationship with Playtech.”

James Frendo, Director of Casino at Playtech, concluded: “Since introducing our omni-channel solution to Fortuna in its core Czech market earlier this year, our partnership has gone from strength to strength.

“We’re very pleased to have the Native casino app in place so quickly to seamlessly deliver such a wide range of Casino games and look forward to building on our relationship with Fortuna as a key strategic partner in the region.”

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The iPoker network becomes the first cross-border B2B poker network across the two nations, each of which is a significant regulated poker markets in its own right.

The network launch boosts marketing and revenue potential for operators in the countries, partly through large-scale cross-territory network partnerships and promotions. It will also significantly expand on the offering for players in both markets, with greater prize pools and more cash game tables.

Shimon Akad, chief operating officer at Playtech, said: “Sharing liquidity across major European markets represents a huge opportunity for the industry.

“This is a significant move forward for us, our operators and our players. The presence of six key operators as launch partners highlights the opportunities that exist, while also giving encouraging signs towards the future direction of the network. This move further reinforces Playtech’s position as a leader in regulated markets, as well as our continued commitment to poker.”

The shared liquidity agreement also allows for extension into Portugal and Italy, meaning additional operators could join the network in the future, potentially attracting yet more new players.

Playtech’s poker software is currently licensed in 10 European markets, with more than 35,000 players live across the iPoker network at peak times.

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Executive search firm Egon Zehnder has been tasked with bringing in the next Playtech chairman. Brian Mattingley joined Playtech in April 2021, following an extensive career in the gambling industry. Before this, close to 10 years ago, he became the chairman of Evoke PLC (formerly 888 Holdings).

During Mattingley’s time at Playtech, he weathered some of the company’s more diverse times, including incidents with shareholders. Most notably, nearly one-third of the company’s investors fought against a bonus plan for Mor Weizer, the Chief Executive, which was said to be over $100m.

Mattingley was also essential to navigating Playtech through some of the most challenging moments in the gambling industry, such as selling Snaitech, the company’s Italian branch, which was sold for $2.3bn. With the sale of this consumer gambling division, Playtech evolved solely into a B2B organization.

Under Mattingley’s leadership, Playtech has seen its shares rise by around 60%. Despite controversies around pay disputes and asset sales, the company appears to be more stable than it was beforehand.

Playtech is one of the most prominent names in the gambling industry. Its growing list of partners includes dozens of established names, including Bet365, Entertain, Sisal, Betfred, Fortuna, Betfair, Admiral, Paddypower, Hard Rock Digital, LeoVegas, Sky, and dozens more. It has offices in 20 countries, supports 180 licensees, and employs just shy of 8,000 people worldwide.

In December 2024, Playtech partnered with Veikkaus to launch live casino games in Finland through network games like Mega Fire Blaze Roulette and Blackjack tables. This is the first of the Playtech Live titles to enter the country and shows the company’s expansion into Scandinavia.

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In February, Veikkaus selected Playtech as its first live casino provider, building on a pre-existing relationship that covers online casino, online poker, retail VLT machines and a casino management system.

The integration and regulatory approval process for the live casino offering has now been completed, resulting in the launch of the first batch of Playtech Live titles on the Veikkaus live casino platform with more games to follow in the coming months.

“We are thrilled to have completed the launch with Veikkaus, marking a significant milestone in our successful partnership,” commented Fredrik Sylvander, Commercial Director at Playtech.

“We take pride in supporting Veikkaus in delivering a premium live gaming experience through our state-of-the-art studio and exclusive game offerings.”

Playtech Live titles that are now available to Veikkaus live casino players include network games such as Mega Fire Blaze Roulette, exclusive Blackjack and Roulette tables from a newly designed and Veikkaus branded studio, as well as game shows like Adventures Beyond Wonderland, Spin a Win and The Greatest Cards Show. 

The operator’s studio features Finnish-speaking dealers, “representing Veikkaus brand values to their players, offering an authentic and engaging gaming experience”.

Sylvander added: “Leveraging our expertise and market knowledge, we have crafted a tailored Live offering that meets the needs of the Finnish market and provides an unparalleled gaming experience for Veikkaus’ customers. 

“We are excited to have started this new chapter and to continue supporting Veikkaus in achieving their vision in Live casino.”

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$1.66bn

Wynn Resorts outlined its financial forecasts for its upcoming Wynn Al Marjan Island resort in Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), where it projects gross gaming revenue of up to $1.66bn.

The figures followed recent reports that Wynn has been awarded the first commercial gaming facility licence from the UAE’s regulator that formed last year, the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA). 

The Las Vegas-based casino operator also shared expectations for its operating revenue and adjusted property EBITDA at an analyst and investor update meeting this week about the resort based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

CEO Craig Billings and other members of the Wynn Resorts global leadership team were in attendance at the invitation-only event to deliver presentations.

Wynn Resorts has been developing and constructing a resort at Wynn Al Marjan Island in RAK over the past year as part of a joint venture between affiliates of Wynn Resorts, Marjan and RAK Hospitality Holding.

At the meeting, the operator revealed that it expects Wynn Al Marjan Island to generate “strong gaming and non-gaming revenue”.

This is based on assumptions that the UAE market size is approximately $3bn to $5bn, in addition to two competitive integrated resorts operating in the country with Wynn GGR market share at 33% and a “Wynn Premium” of 1.2x GGR fair share based on 11K positions in the market.

€2.3bn

Playtech has been accused of “the most egregious case of shareholder value expropriation in the history of UK public markets” regarding the bonuses senior executives will receive following the €2.3bn sale of Snaitech to Flutter Entertainment.

Last month, Playtech agreed to the sale with the igaming provider stating that it will be focusing on its “technology-led offering in high-growth B2B gambling markets with an accelerated growth plan and an extensive portfolio of strategic ventures”.

The company described the transaction as unlocking “significant capital” and in line with the board’s stated strategy to maximise value for shareholders, as once practicable to do so following the transaction’s completion, it intends to return €1.7bn to €1.8bn to shareholders, with the final amount to be determined with reference to the ongoing business’ capital needs.

However, this return to shareholders has been criticised, as it features bonus awards for a maximum aggregate amount of €100m to be paid to members of Playtech’s senior team including CEO Mor Weizer and the company’s executive directors.

A separate aggregate cash bonus pool of €34m will also be paid to the senior management team of Snaitech, of which CEO Fabio Schiavolin will be the largest participant.

In an open letter to Playtech’s Remuneration Committee Chair Anna Massion, one of the company’s shareholders, Jeremy Raper of Raper Capital, protested against the transaction, calling it “the most egregious case of shareholder value expropriation in the history of UK public markets”.

Raper added that the transaction exemplifies “crony capitalism at its absolute worst”, highlighting how several components of the company’s plan directly violate many aspects of the Governance Code, as well as notifying that he has forwarded the letter to the Financial Conduct Authority as a formal complaint.

100%

Autorité Nationale des Jeux, France’s gaming authority, launched a new information campaign about online casinos – “100% winner?” – to remind the French public about the dangers of illegal online gambling websites.

The campaign is part of the ANJ’s 2024-2026 strategic plan to tackle several objectives in the country’s gambling market, which includes combating illegal gambling.

It also follows a 2023 study conducted by the PWC for the ANJ on illegal gambling in France, which noted that between three to four million people have gambled on illegal sites, with online casinos being the most popular.

Beginning in October, the “100% winner?” information campaign aims to raise awareness amongst the French public about online casinos being illegal in the country, as only online poker, online sports betting and online horse racing are regulated.

The campaign will also provide education on the dangers of illegal websites in order to help reduce risky behaviours and problem gambling.

22

Bally’s Corporation demolished Tropicana Las Vegas as part of a farewell display which included fireworks and a drone show, before concluding with a 22-second implosion of the resort.

Tropicana’s two 22-story towers were imploded to make way for the construction of a baseball ballpark and entertainment resort, part of a partnership that has been in place since May 2023 between Bally’s, Gaming and Leisure Properties and the MLB’s Oakland Athletics, who will be moving into the stadium.

Several figures connected to the Athletics and Bally’s were in attendance at the event, honouring Tropicana’s history and looking forward to its future. 

This included Bally’s Chairman Soo Kim, Athletics owner John Fisher, Tropicana General Manager Arik Knowles, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority President Steve Hill and Clark County Commissioner Jim Gibson. 

“Bally’s is honoured to have been part of this historic moment, bidding farewell to the iconic Tropicana,” said Kim. 

“As we celebrate its legacy, we look ahead to building a world-class entertainment resort, the future home of the Athletics, and cementing Las Vegas as the ultimate sports and entertainment capital.”

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Last month, Playtech agreed to the sale of Snaitech to Flutter for a cash consideration of €2.3bn, with the igaming provider stating that it will be focusing on its “technology-led offering in high-growth B2B gambling markets with an accelerated growth plan and an extensive portfolio of strategic ventures”.

The company described the transaction as unlocking “significant capital” and in line with the board’s stated strategy to maximise value for shareholders, as once practicable to do so following the transaction’s completion, it intends to return €1.7bn to €1.8bn to shareholders, with the final amount to be determined with reference to the ongoing business’ capital needs.

In addition, Playtech will repay amounts outstanding on its bond of €350m due March 2026, “significantly strengthening” its balance sheet.

However, it is the €1.7bn to €1.8bn return to shareholders that has been criticised, as this features bonus awards for a maximum aggregate amount of €100m to be paid to members of Playtech’s senior team including CEO Mor Weizer and the company’s executive directors.

A separate aggregate cash bonus pool of €34m will also be paid to the senior management team of Snaitech, of which CEO Fabio Schiavolin will be the largest participant.

Playtech also outlined a transformation plan in which “one-off awards will be granted to plan participants (including Playtech’s executive directors) entitling them to share in a pool of value which is equal to up to 10%” of any future shareholder distribution value.

In an open letter to Playtech’s Remuneration Committee Chair Anna Massion, one of the company’s shareholders, Jeremy Raper of Raper Capital, protested against the transaction, calling it “the most egregious case of shareholder value expropriation in the history of UK public markets”.

Raper added that the transaction exemplifies “crony capitalism at its absolute worst”, highlighting how several components of the company’s plan directly violate many aspects of the Governance Code, as well as notifying that he has forwarded the letter to the Financial Conduct Authority as a formal complaint.

Within his letter, Raper also stated that no details are provided on a bonus upper limit or if a portion would be paid in shares, communicating that it is “rather both retroactive and ad hoc; and simultaneously open-ended and tied to any future asset sale management may consummate, irrespective of the fundamental value achieved in any potential transaction”.

He noted: “Management is thus incentivised under the new plans to pull the trigger on any future deal, no matter how destructive to the company, and collect their 10% take, rather than persist in the better course of simply growing the business independently for all shareholders.”

A similar open letter was sent by Palm Harbour Capital Managing Partner Peter Smith on behalf of the investors in the Palm Harbour Global Value Fund, who are Playtech shareholders, to the company’s board Chair Brian Mattingley.

Smith stated that the payment has come “simply because there is a large cash inflow and for no other reason”. 

He said: “There is already in place a strong remuneration package with part of it linked to shareholder returns. There is absolutely no need for this additional payment.”

Although no date has been set, Playtech did state that a shareholder circular, required resolutions and a general meeting on the transaction will take place within the next month. 

Upon announcement of the deal, the company noted that shareholders who hold interests in ordinary shares representing, in aggregate, approximately 34.38% of the entire issued share capital of Playtech have “irrevocably undertaken to vote” in favour.

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