Issue N29, 2007
July 27, 2007
Playtech Announces the Release of Four New Games
One of the top companies in the world of online casino software development, Playtech, announced the addition of four new exciting games to its portfolio. Playtech’s CEO, Mor Weizer said of the releases: “These new games reflect Playtech's efforts to frequently release high quality games to our licensees. We are very excited that this release includes two exclusive-to- Playtech games as it provides our licensees with a distinct advantage over their competitors.”
The exclusive games referred to by Weizer are 21 Duel Blackjack and Wild Viking. The first is based on traditional blackjack but comes with an exciting twist – both the player and the dealer base their hands on communal cards instead of being dealt separate cards. Wild Viking is a combination of two online casino classics, roulette and poker and comes with great side bet features and interactive tutorial – a first by Playtech software.
The two new 25-line video poker games, come with exciting themes and rich graphics, as is by now expected by Playtech. Forest of Wonders comes with two bonus rounds and delightful forest-related symbols, while the West-West themed, Wanted, packs great action such as its ‘Shoot the Villain’ bonus round, into the slot game.
Mega Moolah Reaching Record Heights
The popular progressive online casino slot game, from the house of Microgaming, is reaching the $2.5-million milestone and shows no sign of slowing down. The fantastic African-themed game was introduced in 2006 and has created 11 instant millionaires so far, including the record-breaking payout of $8-million to first time player, Omar Basseo earlier this year. Mega Moolah has paid out a total of $225-million since its inception, which explains why players flock to this game.
Mega Moolah’s progressive jackpot works in a four-tiered way. The major jackpot begins at a whopping 1-million British Pounds, with the others starting at slightly less. The major jackpot begins at 10,000 British Pounds, the minor jackpot begins at 100 British Pounds, while the mini at 10. 7000 players around the world have enjoyed the fruits of playing this progressive slot machine and it remains to be seen how soon an announcement of another winner will be made.
EU Warns France to Change Online Gambling Draft Law
In a bid to uphold the European Union’s treaty 49, which deals with the free provision of services, the European Commission has ordered France to change the draft of its law concerning online gaming. The Commission criticized the French draft law, which blatantly excludes foreign operators from joining the local online gambling market. In a letter sent to France this week, the European Commission warned France that if it did not change the law to include foreign operators, it would face legal action. The country was given until August 24th to change the law before proceedings would begin against its policy.
Microgaming’s Viper Download to Power Globet.com
Last year, Globet.com, the online casino arm of Global International Sports Betting Limited (based in Gibraltar), signed a deal with Microgaming to supply it with flash games for its site. After a year of successful play, the site announced this week that it would be including the entire Viper suite so that its customers could enjoy the fully downloadable games portfolio from now on. Microgaming will thus be supplying Globet.com with over 300 online casino games that are world-renowned for their rich graphics and wonderfully unique features. Players would be able to access the suite in a multitude of languages and enjoy popular games such Hitman and others. Microgaming is planning to release a number of exciting new games this year, including the long-awaited Osbourne slots, featuring the whacky singing family.
Future of Italian Online Gambling Industry Looking Up
Interactive gambling in Italy could grow by nearly 250% by the year 2010 – to an incredible $5.1-billion, a report has recently revealed. The Media and Entertainment Consulting Network (MECN) announced its findings that Italy’s switch to a more liberal and regulatory gambling industry meant that more and more companies would be looking at investment options in this country, making it a promising destination for online and offline entrepreneurs.
In its report entitled “The Italian Gambling Market: A Forerunner in the Liberalization of European Gambling Markets”, MECN noted that Italy granted over 14,000 betting licenses recently and as a result many top names in the industry, including Ladbrokes, William Hill and Betfair, have entered the Italian market. If things go according to forecasts, it is predicted that a new phase of gambling liberalization will begin in 2010, with the market expecting to turn over $84-billion in that same year. 70 international operators were approached to give their opinion of the gambling market for the writing of MECN’s report and it is considered one of the most reputable and comprehensive reports in the gambling world today.