Tag Archives: online gaming

Asia Gaming Giant Set to Launch in US with Real-Money Gaming

Mobile Premier League (MPL), Asia’s largest esports and skill gaming platform, today announced the official launch of the MPL App in the U.S. with nine casual games. The app is now available on the Apple App Store and on Android for users to download.

The MPL App in the U.S. offers a seamless player experience and the unique opportunity to play, compete, and win cash prizes – all under one super app.     

Based in India with offices in Singapore and Jakarta, Indonesia, MPL was founded in 2018 and has quickly become Asia’s largest and most trusted gaming platform with more than 81 million registered users across India and Indonesia.   

MPL is backed by marquee investors such as Sequoia Capital, Moore Strategic Ventures, SIG, Pegasus Tech Ventures, Founders Circle, Telstra, Composite Capital, MDI, Go-Ventures, RTP Global, Base Partners, among others. The company has raised $225.5 million in funding till date, valuing it at $945 million. MPL’s investors have backed global marquee technology companies in the past.

MPL will offer nine high-quality casual games at launch, and new games will be introduced on a regular basis. The first slate of quick, fun, and fast-action games includes Baseball Star, Block Puzzle, Bowling, Pool, 21 Puzzle, and others.

The MPL App provides players the opportunity to compete in a variety of formats, including head-to-head matches or in tournament play, with the option to participate in free competitions or for low minimums ranging from 60 cents to $6.  All head-to-head matchups will be determined by MPL’s proprietary and best-in-class player matching technology.  For any games with real cash prizes, players need to be at least 18 years of age.

“It is a historic moment for MPL as we launch in the U.S. and continue to grow our presence around the world,” said MPL Co-Founder and CEO Sai Srinivas. “With our proven success in India and Indonesia, combined with the soaring popularity of casual real-money gaming in the U.S., we look forward to providing millions of players in the U.S. with a safe, fair and incredible gaming experience.”

MPL has been a leader in responsible gaming and is one of the first gaming platforms to pioneer groundbreaking technology to ensure player safety and fair play.  In the U.S., MPL plans to continue its commitment to protect players and the integrity of all games. 

PlayNJ: State Sportsbooks Nearly Hit $500 Million in Feb., But Uncertainty Lies Ahead

Super Bowl betting pushed New Jersey’s online and retail sportsbooks to a strong February, though the monthly handle fell short of $500 million for the first time since October. But the concern for New Jersey’s sportsbooks is what lies ahead, according to PlayNJ analysts, after the NBA suspended its season, the NCAA Tournament limited spectators, and other leagues mull suspensions.

“New Jersey’s year-over-year gains remained impressive in February, but we are in uncharted territory now,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for PlayNJ.com. “Obviously there are bigger concerns with coronavirus, but the NBA is a major revenue driver for New Jersey’s sportsbooks. So the suspension of the season, in addition to suspensions of other sports, will undoubtedly have a significant effect.”

New Jersey’s online and retail sportsbooks made a giant year-over-year leap in handle to $494.8 million, up 54.4% from $320.4 million in February 2019, according to official reporting released Thursday.

New Jersey generated $54.2 million in Super Bowl bets, but that was No. 2 to Nevada’s $156.8 million. Still, the Garden State could surpass Nevada, which posted a $458.6 million in handle in February 2019.

Despite losing $4.3 million on the big game, New Jersey sportsbooks managed to produce $17 million in gross revenue, resulting in $2.2 million in tax revenue for the state. Basketball, which produced a $6.6 million win on $219.3 million in wagers, helped sportsbooks overcome the Super Bowl loss.

“New Jersey bettors continue to show heavy interest in basketball,” Gouker said. “March Madness appears as of now as if it will be played, and it is one of the largest betting holidays in the U.S. But it is impossible to gauge just how much interest there will be if it is played at all.”

Online betting generated $436.5 million in wagers, 88.2% of the state’s handle in February. FanDuel Sportsbook/PointsBet led the way with $9.6 million in gross revenue from online betting, down from $22.2 million in January.

FanDuel Sportsbook at The Meadowlands again capitalized on the New York market. The retail market leader posted $1.4 million in gross revenue, up from $4.3 million in January.

ONLINE CASINOS

New Jersey’s online and poker industry set a revenue-per-day record in February, generating $52 million in revenue during the short month. February’s total was up 64% from $31.7 million in February 2019 and just shy of the record $55.1 million set last month.

Online casinos and poker generated $1.79 million per day during the 29 days in February, up from $1.78 million per day in January. March, which has historically been a big month for online casinos, could bring even more revenue in, as Atlantic City casinos brace for any impact from the coronavirus outbreak.

“Online casinos and sportsbooks should help buoy their land-based casino counterparts in Atlantic City should the coronavirus impact casino operations,” said Eric Ramsey, an analyst for PlayNJ.com. “The Golden Nugget’s online casino already generates more revenue than its retail casino, and others have been closing the gap. That online revenue stream could prove vitally important in the coming months.”

For more, visit PlayNJ.com/news.

Gambla Puts a Green Spin on Online Gaming

As the global online gambling market looks set to generate USD 94.4 Billion by 2024, one company is proposing how a portion of those dollars could be used to create a positive impact on the environment.

Gambla is a trailblazing new online casino guide that could well become the origin of a new gambling trend – gambling for good. The website is the first of its kind to give users the incentive to plant trees in the Amazon in return for their patronage.

Right now, for every new depositing customer that Gambla generates through its gambling guide, they will donate one planted tree in the Amazon through OneTreePlanted.org. As of 6 October, Gambla’s Green Gambling Charity Official Count was sitting at a total of 1000 USD, which equates to 1000 trees planted in the Amazon.

“Gambla is a great, new gambling guide where you can find information about gambling sites, compare sites and their offers and view site rankings directly from users,” explains Gambla founder, Erik King, “We consider ourselves industry innovators and as such, we liked the idea of doing good for the world at the same time as giving our users a world-class service and supporting a profitable business model. This initiative means our users can use our guide to find the best casinos and make the world greener while doing so.”

Gambla chose OneTreePlanted.org as its charity partner because of its trustworthy reputation.

The organization started in 2014 and is dedicated to making it easier for individuals and businesses to give back to the environment by planting trees, one at a time.

Gambla founder Erik King has been in the online gambling industry since 2011, working on the industry, operator and affiliate sides and was the ideal person to bring an innovative platform like Gambla to life.

“After a successful casino launch in the UK and many very positive reviews from our users, I am excited for the future of Gambla. We will now be expanding to further markets in Europe, where we hope we can be of service to casino players in those areas and continue to grow with an innovative and socially conscious mindset, as we have started.”

GAN Launches Internet Gambling for Parx Casino in New Jersey

GAN plc, an award-winning developer and supplier of enterprise-level B2B Internet gaming software, services and online gaming content in the United States, today announces that GAN and Greenwood Gaming & Entertainment, Inc. trading as ‘Parx Casino’ (“Parx Casino”) have launched Internet gaming in the State of New Jersey now available online 24/7 since Friday October 4, following a three-day soft launch period.

Parx Casino patrons can also link their Reward Card online to their counterpart Internet gambling account, enabled by GAN’s U.S. patented integration framework. This represents the second U.S. State that GAN has launched Parx Casino in, following the launch of Internet sports betting and Internet casino gaming in Pennsylvania on June 24 and July 15, respectively.

Highlights

  • Parx owns and operates the #1 land-based casino property in Pennsylvania located a short distance from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s largest City. In the most recent fiscal year ended June 30, 2018 Parx Casino generated $570m from slot machines and table games on-property representing a 18% share of the Pennsylvania’s $3.2bn gaming market.
  • GAN’s US-patented technology enables Parx Casino patrons enrolled in the on-property loyalty program, to sign up online and instantly link their reward cards to their online account permitting those guests to trade in their reward points earned from on-property gaming for cash online and/or to earn rewards points from Internet gaming and/or sports betting, to be subsequently redeemed on-property.

Management Commentary

Dermot Smurfit, Chief Executive Officer of GAN commented:

“Launching the largest casino in Pennsylvania online has now logically extended across the border into New Jersey, extending their reach into New Jersey’s fast-growing and established Internet gambling market. This represents an incremental revenue opportunity for GAN and is a logical extension of our technology infrastructure to serve Parx Casino patrons who routinely cross the invisible border between these two populous States.”

John Dixon, Chief Operating Officer of Greenwood Gaming & Entertainment, Inc commented:

“GAN has now ably demonstrated it abilities to serve our business needs in multiple States which aligns with the cross-border nature of our existing retail gaming customer base. GAN’s launch in New Jersey was a case study in on-time delivery and professional excellence and will enable our patrons to gamble online in either Pennsylvania or New Jersey, as they wish.”

Sugarhouse Casino’s Launch Of Online Sports Betting A Boost To Pa.

The fledgling Pennsylvania sports betting market is about to change forever with the launch of online sports betting, which will inject millions into the state’s sportsbooks. The race to be the first online sportsbook to launch in the Keystone State ended Tuesday with SugarHouse Casino’s entry into the market, the first of what will likely be several Pennsylvania sports betting apps and sites to go live soon, according to analysts from PlayPennsylvania.com.

“There is no question that the growth of the Pennsylvania sports betting market has been slowed by the delayed launch of online apps,” said Jessica Welman, sports betting analyst for PlayPennsylvania.com. “The launch of sports betting apps will give us our first true look at Pennsylvania’s potential as a market, which we believe should rival New Jersey and eventually Nevada as the nation’s largest market.”

Pennsylvania has so far generated $125.6 million in sports bets since legalization in November, but the importance of online betting to Pennsylvania sports betting revenue would likely mirror other legal jurisdictions in the United States. In New Jersey, the market that most resembles Pennsylvania, online sports betting accounts for 80 percent of the state’s entire handle.

In Nevada, approximately 65 percent of all sports bets are made online, according to analysts from PlayUSA.com, an affiliate site to PlayPennsylvania.com. The growing popularity of sports betting apps has also helped Nevada, which set a single-month record in March with a handle of $582.3 million, thrive even with increased competition from other legal jurisdictions.

“There is no reason to believe that Pennsylvania sports bettors would be any different in their preference for online sports betting than those in New Jersey and Nevada,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for PlayPennsylvania.com. “Bettors are attracted to the convenience and ease-of-use of sports betting apps, and online sportsbooks that excel in both categories tend to rise to the top. The more innovative a product, the better it tends to do.”

Pennsylvania sports-betting market leader Rivers Casino — which like SugarHouse is powered by sports betting services company Kambi — is expected to join SugarHouse online sportsbooks in days. SugarHouse is already operating a sports betting app and site in New Jersey.

PlayPennsylvania.com

Parx Casino and Valley Forge Casino Resort, which has partnered with New Jersey market leader FanDuel Sportsbook for its online product, are also expected to be among the Pennsylvania pioneers.

PlayPennsylvania.com expects 4 to 6 online sportsbooks will launch before the NFL season begins.

“Pennsylvania’s online sports betting market will expand quickly,” Welman said. “Casinos such as SugarHouse and Valley Forge-FanDuel will have an early advantage because of their experience in other states, but the competition will be fierce. And that will be a win for the state’s sports bettors.”

For more information on Pennsylvania sports betting, visit www.playpennsylvania.com.

Pokerstars Launches UFC Spin & Go as Part of Partnership With UFC

The exclusive global partnership will give fans the chance to get involved in UFC-themed PokerStars promotions and products featuring cash prizes and exclusive UFC experiences

PokerStars, the undisputed champion of the online poker world and flagship poker brand of The Stars Group, today announced the launch of UFC-branded Spin & Go’s as part of PokerStars’ exclusive global partnership with UFC®, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization.

PokerStars became UFC’s first-ever “Official Poker Partner” at the end of last year, which is a new sponsorship category for UFC. The famous red-spade will be present on the canvas of UFC’s world-famous Octagon® at UFC® 236: HOLLOWAY vs. POIRIER 2 in Atlanta, Georgia, on Saturday, April 13 and at UFC® 237: NAMAJUNAS vs. ANDRADE in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Saturday, May 11, as well as all Pay-Per-View events throughout the remainder of the year.

The PokerStars brand will also be broadcast around the world on exclusive digital advertising real-estate and across social media channels. UFC fans are welcomed into the fold with UFC-themed PokerStars promotions and products featuring cash prizes and exclusive UFC experiences to be won in 2019.

Poker fans will see UFC branding emblazon newly relaunched Spin & Go’s, fast-paced, three-player poker tournaments with randomly assigned prize pools and big cash prizes for the taking. The UFC-branded Spin & Go is now live on PokerStars where, for the first time, players can play poker inside the UFC’s world famous Octagon®, feel the thrill of an arena atmosphere, and win millions. But the fun won’t stop there. More special UFC and PokerStars products and rewards are still to come and select UFC athletes will be announced as sponsors in the future.

“It’s been great to work on exciting, new and innovative ideas alongside PokerStars since our exclusive partnership went live,” said Paul Asencio, UFC Senior Vice President, Global Partnerships. “UFC Spin & Go is a great example of how PokerStars are integrating our brand into their world and bringing exciting new products to our fans.”

“UFC is the perfect pick for PokerStars,” said Christopher Coyne, Chief Marketing Officer, Stars Interactive. “UFC fans have a high propensity to engage in gaming and many of our players are fans of UFC. Our plan is to thrill as far and wide as possible with games, promotions, content and competitions that trigger passions and enhance the overall experience at PokerStars. We’ve so much in store. This is just the beginning.”

Read more about PokerStars’ exclusive global partnership with UFC® at PokerStars Blog.

UFC branded Spin & Go’s will be available on all licenses, other than PokerStars.pt and .cz.