Hailing the move as a ‘big step forward’, RAW iGaming will integrate a host of content into BetMGM’s online casino lobby in the Canadian province, adding to the over 3,600 titles currently offered by the operator across North America. 

Tom Wood, CEO of RAW iGaming, stated: “This deal proves that paying attention to what players want really helps a market entry. We know that the more attractive our content is, the better we are, and we’re excited to see the results. Our thanks to BetMGM for supporting us and our innovations.”

Within RAW iGaming’s content offering, BetMGM’s Ontario-based players will gain access to games that utilise the studio’s range of in-house developed mechanics, such as SuperSlice, Supertracks, SuperSymbols, Dynamic Ways and SuperStretch. 

The operator will also benefit from games using the supplier’s proprietary AI-supported VIBE gamification feature, said to allow in-game characters and symbols ‘more autonomy in what, where and when they interact with players’. 

Oliver Bartlett, BetMGM’s Vice President of Gaming Product & Content, added: “BetMGM welcomes RAW iGaming to Ontario and expects its entertaining titles to be a great compliment to our award-winning online casino.”

Forming this alliance with BetMGM sees RAW iGaming make its first move in Ontario’s igaming sector after gaining a provisional licence to operate in the province towards the end of last year. 

Meanwhile, the studio recently enhanced the visibility of its proprietary igaming content by partnering with sportsbook and online casino platform provider Digitain.

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The agreement will see the Digitain platform host games from RAW iGaming for its partnered operators to utilise, boosting the developer’s distribution reach.

Titles that will be made available to Digitain-partnered operators include Ave Caesar, Raging Super2Ways and the latest release Twisted Toy Tales, all of which encapsulate the developer’s “Stand Out or Stand Down” approach to slots.

Tom Wood, Founder and CEO of RAW iGaming, commented: “Players like to try new things, but they are not willing to spend time and money learning something entirely new. They want to play, and they want to be entertained, and we ensure that’s the case when they engage with any one of our titles.

“This partnership with Digitain is a big step forward as it significantly increases the reach of our games among prestigious operators as well as challenger brands looking for something new.”

RAW iGaming’s titles also include innovations such as SuperSlice, SuperTracks and SuperSymbols. 

SuperSlice uses wheels instead of reels, SuperTracks uses pathways or tracks to determine wins, while SuperSymbols sees adjacent matching symbols combine to create bigger win potential.

Earlier this week, live dealer online casino games supplier Imagine Live, which is part of the Digitain Group, launched a studio with a 1920s Great Gatsby theme for its new title – American Roulette.

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This partnership, which comes hot on the heels of Svenska Spel gaining Kambi as a new long-term partner and sportsbook supplier, will see the Swedish state-owned gambling operator gain an additional igaming uplift.

As a result, players within the Nordic nation will gain access to a portfolio and slot and skill-game content via the provider’s RAW Arena aggregation platform. This includes titles from the group’s in-house studio, as well as a hand-picked selection of third-party entities.

“Player preferences are always changing and, as an operator, it’s our job to stay on top of these trends and ensure our game lobby offers what our players are looking for,” stated Niklas Örtbrant, Head of Online Casino at Svenska Spel Sport and Casino. 

“In RAW, we have a content partner that is completely reinventing casino content with mechanics that stand out. This difference is something that we and our players are seeking, which in turn makes this one of our most important integrations to date.”

Under the terms of the agreement, games such as Joker & The Thief SuperSlice, SuperTracks Railways, Mad Joker SuperSlice, Lucky McGee’s SuperSlice Swirl, Raging Super2Ways, Ramses & the Book of Rings SuperSlice and latest release Aztec Supertracks will be integrated by Svenska Spel.

In addition, as evidenced above, the deal will also include RAW’s SuperSlice, SuperTracks and SuperSymbols mechanics. The former uses wheels instead of reels, SuperTracks uses pathways or tracks and the positioning of symbols on those to determine wins and the latter sees adjacent matching symbols combine to create bigger image pixel counts.

“This calibre of operator partner shows the company is now a top-flight content provider to the industry’s power players,” commented Tom Wood, CEO of RAW Group.

“Svenska Spel Sport and Casino is a big name not only in Sweden but the wider European gambling market and for it to have selected our titles for its lobby proves there is tremendous demand for genuinely fresh content that offers new experiences to players. This is something our games provide in spades.

“Svenska Spel is just the sort of partner we like to work with – established, trusted and just as committed to being a disrupter as we are.”

Last month, it was found that licensed gambling companies in Sweden recorded a slight drop in revenue year-on-year through 2023’s second quarter, with the figure of SEK 6.7bn down a little over one percentage point from SEK 6.77bn.

However, this did represent a slight nudge of 1.77 per cent from the SEK 6.58bn witnessed through Q1. For the year-to-date, overall revenue was down less than half a percentage point after closing at SEK 13.28m (2022 SEK 13.33bn).

Looking at this in a little more detail, online betting and gaming maintained its front running status when highlighting each individual reporting segment, despite revenue dropping 1.5 per cent to SEK 4.18bn (2022: SEK 4.23bn).

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The latest addition of the gaming developer and aggregator’s commercial team will be tasked with forming an experienced team to manage existing customers, which include tier-one brands, as well as driving a wider awareness of RAW and its portfolio of games.

This latest hire comes hot on the heels of RAW iGaming stressing confidence of achieving significant success after making its Ontarian entry. The group proclaimed that it would be key in helping Ontario operator’s differentiate their product offerings from that of rivals.

Central to this strategy are the SuperSlice, SuperTracks and SuperSymbols mechanics. The former uses wheels instead of reels, SuperTracks uses pathways or tracts to determine wins and latter sees adjacent matching symbols combine with a view to heightening win potential.

“Alexander is a highly valuable asset to any business, and we are thrilled to be able to welcome him to RAW and for us to leverage his passion, experience and skills as we continue to grow at scale,” commented Tom Wood, Founder and CEO of RAW iGaming.

“This is a hugely exciting time for RAW and with Alexander installed as our Director of Account Management, we will continue to go from strength-to-strength by standing out in a sea of sameness and delivering new and exciting player experiences.”

Lapinniemi counts past experience at the likes of Jackpotjoy Group, where he occupied the roles of CRM Agent and Platform Specialist.

In addition, he has enjoyed a three year and eight month stay at Play’n Go, in addition to being a key account manager at Yggdrasil between September 2021-2023.

“RAW igaming is whipping up a storm right now and I’m thrilled to be joining the ride,” noted Lapinniemi.

“This is an industry that I love and am passionate about, feelings that are baked into RAW’s DNA.

“Its suite of games really do push boundaries and are proven to hit the mark with players in markets across the world. My job now is to support operators in launching the edge-of-the-seat experience our games deliver and ensure they stock them in their lobbies.”

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The paths of the pair recently crossed as July saw RAW iGaming’s Raging Super2Ways become the 10,000^th title released by Videoslots, which is said to have paved the way for a deal to be agreed between the two parties.

At the time, Ulle Skottling, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Videoslots, hailed the company as “a great partner”, with the aforementioned title welcomed as “an exciting addition to our platform”.

As a result, Ontarian players will be able to access an additional suite of games via the operator’s platform, which includes Big Money Bass, Rise of Shinobi and Ave Caesar DynamicWay.

“Videoslots are an award-winning operator and who better to partner with than the biggest operator globally,” stated Tom Wood, CEO at RAW iGaming. 

“Our portfolio continues to expand across Ontario and the launch with Videoslots will undoubtedly boost the outreach of our titles.”

Upon entering the jurisdiction in June, Videoslots noted that it was looking to build on past “great success in Canada” within the “promising jurisdiction”. Recently, the group went live with its first TV campaign in a bid to enhance its presence in the territory.

Ulle Skottling, Deputy CEO at Videoslots, said: “To partner with one of Ontario’s leading igaming providers is fantastic for Videoslots as we look to become market leaders in terms of our choice of games. 

“RAW iGaming launched our 10,000th title and we are delighted that our relationship with them will continue to grow within Canada.”

During Q1 (April 1 to June 30, 2023), iGaming Ontario reported total gaming revenue for the Canadian province came in at C$545m, up 3.6 per cent compared to FY2022-23 Q4’s $526m.

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Better Collective 

Better Collective North America has named Brandon Boone as Vice President, Communications Strategy & Public Relations. His remit is to lead all communications for the  North American brand portfolio, including Action Network, RotoGrinders, VegasInsider.com, Playmaker HQ, and Canada Sports Betting. 

He will also oversee the sports media group’s expansion into new states and, said the statement, “drive widespread recognition of the company’s contributions to the data, insights, and sports media communities”.

Action Network CEO Patrick Keane said: “Brandon brings an extensive and impressive track record of great experience, and we think he will be an exceptional leader for

“us. He cares deeply about telling stories that drive impact. We are eager to bring his strategic, creative, and collaborative approach to our team.”

Esports Entertainment Group

Esports Entertainment Group has confirmed the promotion of Michael Villani to Chief Financial Officer, effective from 29 August.

Villani served as the interim CFO of EEG following the departure of Damian Mathews in January. Prior to this interim appointment, he had served as the financial controller for the Nasdaq-listed firm.

EEG highlighted Villani’s credentials, noting his nine-year tenure as a director and manager at the ‘Big-Four’ accountancy group, KPMG. Additionally, he led audits for Tiresias Capital, Harman International, and AIG Financial Products Corp.

“We have witnessed Michael’s leadership and operational and financial skills firsthand as we restructured the company over the past several months,” said Alex Igelman, Esports Entertainment CEO.

OpenBet

Sam Depoortere has been named Vice President of Platform Products at OpenBet, where he will be responsible for driving the sports betting provider’s platform solutions product strategy.

Previously, Depoortere was Marketing & Sportsbook Manager at TOTO, and he has also held positions with brands such as Betway and Media Odds. 

Based in Athens, he will report directly to Nikos Konstakis, Chief Product Officer at OpenBet, taking charge of product lifecycle management. 

“With Sam joining the ranks, we are poised for even greater success. His in-depth understanding of best practices and unparalleled industry experience makes him a valuable addition to the team,” noted Nikos Konstakis, Chief Product Officer at OpenBet.

“As we look to the future, we are confident that with Sam’s extensive experience and leadership qualities, OpenBet will continue to redefine the standards in sports betting entertainment.” 

Flutter Entertainment

Mary Turner is to step down from the role of Non-Executive Director and all Committee appointments with effect from September 30, 2023, Flutter Entertainment has announced.

This will see Nancy Cruickshank step into the position of Chair of the Workforce Engagement Committee from October 1, 2023.   

John Bryant, Chair of Flutter, noted: “I wish to take this opportunity to thank Mary for her exceptional contribution to the board. We wish her well for the future.”

Raw iGaming

Victoria Bonner has praised a company that boasts “one of the strongest visions I’ve been privileged to be part of” after disclosing that she is to join Raw iGaming as Head of Marketing.

Making the announcement on social media, she noted that “I’m thrilled to join the journey”, before adding “with so much to talk about, we’ve got a lot to do and I’m ready for it!”

In the role, Bonner will build on a wave of experience that has been built-up at the likes of NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, Relax Gaming, Sportingtech and Gaming Corps.

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The content developer has said that its latest addition was “a no-brainer” as RAW looks to capitalise on the “tremendous opportunities” that it says it has identified within the arcade games space.

As per the transaction, FunFair’s gaming suite will be integrated into the Raw arcade offering, which will become bolstered by titles such as The Wheel of Steal, Astroboomers to the Moon and Hugo Up & Away.

“We had conversations with several studios about our popular crash games, but as soon as we connected with Tom and the team at RAW, we knew we’d found the right one,” stated Lloyd Purser, COO at FunFair Technologies.  

“RAW, like FunFair, is focused on innovation and we’re happy that our multiplier games will be distributed globally as part of a market-leading portfolio. We wish RAW the very best of luck in creating the next-generation arcade offering.”

This deal comes after FunFair Games officially closed in March after it was confirmed that parent company, FunFair Technologies, had pulled its funding.

Speaking via social media, CEO Mark McGinley confirmed that the decision had been made “due to challenging conditions in a challenging market”.

This forms the latest in a number of similar such acquisitions made by RAW, with previous purchases coming via the full arcade games portfolio of Green Jade Games, after it also closed down operations, as well as the entire asset portfolio of Spigo from Lady Luck Games. 

“With the purchase of Spigo’s skill-games platform, Green Jade’s assets and now FunFair’s crash games, we have compiled a portfolio of multiplayer skill and arcade games consisting of more than 30 titles that offer unrivalled choice and quality to players,” commented Tom Wood, CEO at RAW iGaming.

“That these games are delivered via a new, innovative arcade solution means we have something that the market has never seen before in the multiplayer arcade space. We can’t wait to flick the switch and launch our arcade offering to the market, which we will be doing this year.”

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The Videoslots integration will be facilitated by RAW iGaming’s aggregation platform, bringing EasySwipe’s 15-game collection to the online casino, including titles such as Pirate Mine, FruitBloxx, Baccarat, Fruitz & Spinz, Basketball Mine and ESA Gaming’s first crash-style game, Rocket Racers.

According to ESA Gaming, EasySwipe’s portfolio can generate cross-sell opportunities for operators, as well as growing overall player lifetime value and revenue.

“Catering to our customers’ needs is at the heart of what we do, and we are proud to bring our EasySwipe games portfolio to Videoslots, providing players with a fast, smooth and enjoyable experience,” noted Thomas Smallwood, Head of Marketing at ESA Gaming.

“Through the partnership we also widen our reach, getting access to players in numerous regulated markets thanks to RAW iGaming’s distribution network.”

Videoslots’ offering has grown to more than 9,900 games from over 200 providers since being founded in 2011.

Ulle Skottling, Deputy Chief Executive at Videoslots, stated: “ESA Gaming’s unique EasySwipe portfolio provides a seamless and exciting gaming experience for players, while also creating new revenue streams for our platform.

“We are thrilled to have ESA Gaming’s complete product portfolio available, further enhancing the diverse range of games for our customers.”

As previously mentioned, ESA Gaming has also completed a product integration with NetBet, bringing EasySwipe’s game library to online casino players in Italy.

Similar to the Videoslots deal, EasySwipe titles such as Fruit Staxx, Joker Poker, and Egyptian Reels are now available on NetBet, expanding the platform’s offering to players in the Italian market.

“We are delighted to collaborate with ESA Gaming and introduce their thrilling games to our Italian players,” commented Claudia Georgevici, PR Manager for NetBet Italy.

“NetBet Italy has always been dedicated to providing the best gaming experience, and this partnership aligns perfectly with our mission. We are confident that our new games such as Fruit Staxx, Joker Poker, and Egyptian Reels will be warmly welcomed by our customers and become instant favourites.”

Commenting on the NetBet deal, Smallwood added: “Our partnership with NetBet marks a significant milestone for ESA Gaming as we expand the reach of our content across regulated markets. We are thrilled to be working with such a well-respected operator and look forward to delivering our engaging content to their players.”

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Licensing expert David Clifton was joined by the UK Gambling Commission’s CEO Andrew Rhodes, RAW iGaming’s Chief Legal & Compliance Officer Dee Maher and Crucial Compliance CEO Paul Foster on the panel titled ‘UK Focus – mitigating the increased cost of compliance’ on day one of the summit.

As part of the Pascal Gaming-sponsored Global Casino track at the event, Clifton asked both Foster and Maher what stood out to them from the white paper. Foster mentioned the financial vulnerability and single customer view proposals, while Maher highlighted the deposit limits and the consultation process that needs to take place.

Both Foster and Maher noted as well that many in the industry want to understand the affordability topic in depth and have their opinions heard during the consultation process.

“People are still scratching around really trying to understand the changes that are going to take place,” Foster noted.

“In the last seven years, we’ve had a huge move from a kind of understanding what our customers are and who they are, to fully understand them, to very in-depth, very intrusive financial steps that have resulted in one our players not being very happy, and number two, they’ve been railing against it and often moving from operator to operator, which is never a good thing. 

“For me, it has been stated, they put some figures in there, interesting figures. I’m sure the industry will debate them. Unfortunately, we’ll have a consultation as well, so that will be the opportunity for the industry to say their words, but I think this whole area is key to businesses because a lot of businesses have been saying that they haven’t been making money because of affordability, which kind of isn’t true.”

Maher stated: “What I took up on it is the deposit limits and the discussion on having the mandatory deposit limits once a player registers. How effective does the commission think that will be? 

“Also the consultation process, will everybody be considered? Everybody’s view and not just the biggest shareholders, the biggest players in this industry, but a full consultation based on facts from within the industry, figures to support the view of what we would like to see as the end result and implemented next year.”

Rhodes reiterated what he said during his fireside chat with Clifton earlier in the day that the first set of consultations for the white paper is expected to be published later this summer in mid-July.

“Well, I do think the consultations will be more likely in July, and that’s what we’re aiming for,” he said. 

“There are some things that need to happen for that to take place, but we’ve always been preparing for this and we needed to see the final version of the white paper to know exactly what it says because it can change right up until the last minute because that’s the way politics works. That’s the timeframe we’re looking at and you’d expect a standard consultation period to take place.”

Rhodes was asked by Maher whether deposit limits were directly linked to loss limits, as a measure to gauge how much a customer can afford to lose. 

The UKGC CEO replied that through consultation, player-centric controls will be explored to find clarity and to make sure it doesn’t go against other controls that are in place. He added that due to the complexity, the consultation period needs to be completed thoroughly.

Foster said that part of the problem in the past was many companies produced their own definition of affordability, but now there is an opportunity to try and set a definitive answer that the industry must abide by.

However, he also stated that another impact the white paper could have is on the customer journey and making it as frictionless as possible, which is “the difference between a customer staying or leaving”.

Clifton then asked Rhodes if the UKGC’s consulting will ultimately create a finite definition of what affordability means in the UK gambling market. The CEO believes that they will be able to, but ultimately the definition varies depending on a player’s circumstances.

“I think we can handle this, but I expect a fierce debate about vulnerability because, to an extent, it is in the eye of the beholder.”

Clifton noted that technology could play a role in affordability, but Foster noted that while the technology is present to help with key decisions, the data to make sure the correct answers are achieved is not, and he recommended more “open source platforms” to help solve that problem, utilising data that is most applicable to a player’s profile.

Maher added that AI is a hot topic right now and that the industry is already using the technology with chatbots, and data is present as well from customer journey collections.

“We’re putting the right data set together can deliver at-risk results. You can predict exactly what the predictability is based on other people who have displayed signs of risks, and build that into your model, and then be better at offering a better user experience, that frictionless experience, the journey is not interrupted, and they’re having fun, which is what we all want them to do, be entertained by the system. 

“With the advancement in machine learning, and automatically, all the time updating from the information that’s coming into the system, will be paramount to an enjoyable experience for customers and while also, you’re addressing the human intervention on those high-risk customers.”

Facing its summer consultations, Rhodes noted that the UKGC aims to move towards a clearer standardization on assessing gambling harms, providing easier access to data

but different tech stacks in the market can slow down the collection process, adding that “we need to develop the technology and tools to be able to ask questions much more easily”.

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Through the deal, RAW iGaming games will be made available to Soft2Bet partners and players on the Soft2Bet B2B network.

“We are excited to have launched with Soft2Bet, one of the fastest growing B2B networks,” commented Tom Wood, CEO of RAW.

“Soft2Bets white-label and turnkey partners can now get access to our ground-breaking games and unique mechanics as well as a growing network of 3rd partner games.”

RAW titles that will be featured on the Soft2Bet B2B network include the patent-pending SuperSlice & SuperTracks games such as Thor Goes Wild, the new coming mechanic SuperStretch with Rise of Shinobi, and the next patent-pending engine SuperSymbols with Mighty Buffalo SuperSymbols.

Other titles from RAW Arena premium partners are also included in the partnership, such as Rogue Gaming’s Wildfire West, set to be released on June 9.

Daniel Mitton, Director of Gaming & Business Development at Soft2Bet, added: “At Soft2Bet we want to provide new and interesting content to our partners and collaborating with RAW will provide us with innovative games that differentiate our portfolio.

“We are excited to see how these new games from RAW and their partners will be received by the players.”

RAW’s titles will be available for Soft2Bet customers in Sweden too, as both parties recently received approval from the Swedish gambling authority, Spelinspektionen, to operate in the country.

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