BetMGM becomes Cincinnati Reds’ official sports betting partner

The sponsorship precedes the launch of legalised sports betting in Ohio, which will take place on January 1 2023.

The bills that introduced sports betting in the state – Senate Bill 176 and House Bill 29 – were introduced in May 2021. Eventually, an evolved version of House Bill 29 made it to Ohio’s state House and Senate, where it was passed.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

Metric Gaming to launch B2C sportsbook Bhet

The sportsbook will build on Metric’s previously announced partnership with Lacerta Sports. Lacerta was founded by a team from London-based data betting syndicate and consultancy Starlizard, whose data solution will power the sportsbook’s pricing, risk management and player profiling.  

“The pricing will be among the most player-friendly in the industry, and the scope and availability of live in-game wagering will be significantly more innovative and engaging than competitor brands,” said Metric CEO Keith Hayes.

The new venture will be funded through Metric’s latest debt financing round, during which it had raised $15m. Metric said it has received strong “indication of interest,” from an unnamed “high-net worth” strategic investor who is seeking to increase the size of the round to $30m and close it out entirely.

“Metric has made significant progress on its strategic plans and will soon announce a number of partnerships that will power Metric into 2023 with some truly innovative products and services,” Hayes continued.

“Metric has had a strong focus on the European market in recent times and those plans have come to fruition as we are also set to announce new sportsbook customers in a newly regulated European territory. These are clearing very exciting times for Metric and to underpin these plans we have sought new strategic investment.

“We firmly believe this interested party will share our vision for Metric’s expansion and look forward to closing out this process in Q3, increasing the overall round size pending shareholder approval.”

Martin deKnijff, Chairman of Metric Gaming, added, “In many ways, the Bhet Corp sportsbook launch will be the culmination of Metric’s clear vision when it first entered the market – an aspiration nearly a decade in the making to create something ground-breaking in an industry ripe for disruption.”

Live casino supplier OnAir Entertainment to launch in US

The business is currently live in nine markets, but plans to enter states that permit online casino, launching games localized for the US market.

Chief commercial officer Simon Field said the business was excited to launch products aimed specifically at the US market.

“Since 2021 we have built and delivered a significant portfolio of proven, differentiated live casino content with many of the world’s largest igaming brands integrating our products, and delivered record results for our partners. 

“OnAir Entertainment never stops innovating and we have a roadmap of classic, US market specific, state-of-the-art content that no other supplier in the industry can match. 

“Our exceptional performance in Ontario proves that we are top of the league when it comes to live products for forward-thinking operators, and we expect our games to perform just as well in the US.”

Read the full story on iGB North America

MGA extends deadline for responsible gambling consultation

The closed consultation launched on 30 September, covering licensees’ obligations for their responsible gaming policies and procedures, as well as the introduction of five markers of harm that must be considered when determining processes to detect and address problem gambling.

The MGA said this followed a review of its player protection directive by “an expert in the field”, as well as MGA research and the work of its Responsible Gaming Unit.

The consultation had been due to run until 14 October but will now be extended by 10 days until 24 October to allow for further input from interested parties. 

As the document is a closed consultation, only MGA licensees may respond.

“This extension will allow all stakeholders additional time to thoroughly review the amendments and provide feedback,” the MGA said.

The consultation came after the MGA in September also revealed in its annual report that it had cancelled only seven licences in 2021 and did not issue any licence suspensions, down from 14 cancellations and three suspensions in 2020. 

Instead, the regulator issued more penalties during the year.

Devil’s Trap by Stakelogic

Ghosts bring you big wins and bonus witches crank the wheels to brew instant wins of up to 200x the bet.

Let the wild pumpkins infest the reels as random wilds, and set your sights on a good multiplier with nudging wilds.

Go-live date (expected):20/10/2022Game special features:– Bonus reel
– Random wilds
– Free spins
– Nudging wilds
– Buy featureNumber of paylines:20Number of reels:3 reels with 5 rowsRTP% (recorded/theoretical):96.26%Variance/volatility:4/5Number of symbols to trigger feature/bonus:3Number of free spins awarded:10Stacked or expanding wilds in normal play?NoStacked or expanding wilds in feature play?NoNumber of jackpot tiers:NoAuto-play function?Yes

Tipico receives German online slots licence

The licence will allow Tipico to offer slots under two domains, games.tipico.de and goldrummel.de.

Tipico had already been licensed to offer online sports betting at a number of domains, and has a large network of retail betting shops across Germany.

Tipico is the tenth business to be licensed to offer online slots across Germany.

Tipico now joins recent licensees Rootz, Solar Operations and Crazy Buzzer on the German whitelist. Crazy Buzzer is one of six Gauselmann-affiliated groups licensed to operate in Germany.

Germany’s slot market was introduced as part of the Fourth State Treaty on Gambling (GlüNeuRStv), which was enacted on 1 July 2021.

Some of the measures outlined in the GlüNeuRStv were hotly debated, with the 5.3% tax on online slot and poker stakes proving controversial.

Greentube acquires US-facing Present Creative

The purchase of the development studio represents another in-road into the rapidly expanding American market, following a year in which the company has made significant progress in establishing its position nationally in igaming.

In September 2021, Greentube first entered the US and is now live in Michigan and New Jersey, as well as Ontario in Canada. The business has stated in its public statements that it has further plans for US expansion.

Present Creative has experience creating content for the igaming and ilottery segments, with experience in both real-money and casual gaming offerings, having had a number of its products approved to be released by the Michigan State Lottery.

“We are thrilled to announce this acquisition as Present Creative is a very good fit for us,” said Greentube CFO Michael Bauer. “They have strong experience of developing exciting games and know the intricacies of the North American market well, enabling us to add even more local flavour to our games.”

Michael Bauer

Bauer further hinted at the company’s plans in the region:

“The US is a market of great importance to us, and we have bold plans to become a leading supplier in the region. This acquisition will propel that expansion.”

“We are excited to now be part of the Greentube family and this acquisition will allow us to speed up our development processes and take our content to new heights,” added Present Creative co-founder and CEO Ben Sutherland.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for Present Creative and we look forward to working closely with Greentube to bring exciting new content to local players through their impressive operator network.”  

The deal is similar in format to the one the business completed in November 2021, when Greentube fiinalised its acquisition of Capecod Solutions in the course of expanding its Italian presence.

Max Megaways by Big Time Gaming

The folks at Big Time Gaming like to play different. With every base game spin and reaction there is a chance of scoring a bonus in the form of maximum Megaways, vertical wilds, horitzontal wilds or wild bombs.

Once players make it through to the free spins round, they can select two doors to reveal free spin bonuses, or better yet, three doors in the enhanced free spins. With five different free spin bonuses to discover this game is licensed to kill!

Max Megaways offers an entirely new experience and features both Bonus Buy and Win Exchange for those thrill-seeking players who want to jump right into the action.

Download the First Look Games affiliate pack for Max Megaways here!

Go-live date (expected):Already live!Game special features:– Win Exchange
– Bonus BuyNumber of paylines:117,649Number of reels:6RTP% (recorded/theoretical):96.37%Variance/volatility:HighNumber of symbols to trigger feature/bonus:N/ACan feature be retriggered?N/ANumber of free spins awarded:N/AStacked or expanding wilds in normal play?N/AStacked or expanding wilds in feature play?N/ANumber of jackpot tiers:0Auto-play function?Yes

Great Pigsby Megaways by Relax Gaming

Drape yourself in glitz and glam, the party is in full swing in this decadent 5×3 video slot. Let the champagne flow and Megaways carry you away to the golden age as this medium volatility game is all about good times.

Trigger 10 free spins featuring expanding wilds and raise your glasses to bigger wins, as every second spin replaces low-value symbols with the same mid or high-paying symbol.

Hitting the Great Pigsby spin can lead to the American Dream as the reels are enriched with extra Pigsby symbols for bigger wins. This all sounds like a great excuse for a party, so let’s get rowdy!

Download the First Look Games affiliate pack for Great Pigsby Megaways here!

Go-live date (expected):19/10/2022Game special features:MegawaysNumber of paylines:117,649Number of reels:6RTP% (recorded/theoretical):96.08%Variance/volatility:HighNumber of symbols to trigger feature/bonus:N/ACan feature be retriggered?N/ANumber of free spins awarded:N/AStacked or expanding wilds in normal play?N/AStacked or expanding wilds in feature play?N/ANumber of jackpot tiers:0Auto-play function?Yes

Gold Fish Feeding Time – Treasure by Light & Wonder

Go for a swim with these playful fishes and feed them until they outgrow their fishbowl. Lap up the underwater vibes as you find your way to the epic bonus round where big wins and jackpots await!

Download the First Look Games affiliate pack for Gold Fish Feeding Time here!

Go-live date (expected):12/10/2022Number of paylines:50Number of reels:5RTP% (recorded/theoretical):94%-96%Variance/volatility:MediumNumber of symbols to trigger feature/bonus:3Can feature be retriggered?NoNumber of free spins awarded:6-24Stacked or expanding wilds in normal play?ExpandingStacked or expanding wilds in feature play?ExpandingNumber of jackpot tiers:4Auto-play function?Yes