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Swedish online casino shutter would cause instant ‘black-market boom’, says BonusFinder MD

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Government considers ‘extreme measures’ as activity rises amid COVID-19 restrictions but closures would drive more players to unlicensed sites instead of protecting them

9th April, 2020 ­­– The Swedish government’s threat to temporarily shut down licensed online casinos would have a disastrous effect on the industry and drive thousands more players to the black market, BonusFinder.com has warned.

The minister in charge of gambling policy, Ardalan Shekarabi, this week warned that “extraordinary measures” would be implemented if operators do not take action to slow the increase in igaming activity seen in the last two weeks, as people are told to stay at home because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

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According to new data from Sweden’s gambling regulator, Spelinspektionen, there has been a 33% increase in registrations and logins to play online casino games with 17 of the 60 licensed operators in the country in the last 14 days.

Last month, Swedish market research carried out by BonusFinder.com found that almost a third of Swedish online casino players are searching for ‘unlicensed casinos’, with growing numbers turning to black-market brands due to the market’s restrictive gaming regulations, introduced in January 2019.

Instead of protecting players, a shutdown of online casino brands, however, is likely to lead to thousands more players searching for and depositing funds on unlicensed sites, as well as causing further financial damage to licensed operators, according to BonusFinder.com.

Fintan Costello, Managing Director, Bonusfinder.com, said: “The Swedish government will make a colossal mistake if it chooses to temporarily close down online casino sites in an attempt to protect players. As our research has shown, almost a third of online casino players are already looking to the black market for a more attractive offering since restrictive rules were imposed in January 2019. These latest plans would create an immediate black-market boom.

“Swedish legislation requires operators to have strict responsible gambling procedures in place, therefore the right measures are already there. The focus should instead be on ensuring these are adhered to rather than taking a knee jerk reaction to close down all legitimate brands and forcing even more players to unprotected sites.”

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a leading online casino licensed and operating exclusively in the Garden State of New Jersey

Playstar Casino partners with Fast Track to accelerate growth in US market

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Fast Track, the leading provider of player engagement solutions to the online gaming industry, is proud to announce its latest partnership with Playstar Casino, a leading online casino licensed and operating exclusively in the Garden State of New Jersey.

Playstar Casino is renowned for its relentless focus and passion for providing the best player experiences in the market. Understanding this need as core to future success, Playstar sought a partner capable of delivering unparalleled solutions to enhance player engagement through AI-powered customer journeys and build 1:1 experiences at scale for each player and found Fast Track.

Using advanced AI, machine learning and real-time data insights, Fast Track provides the ideal solution to streamline operations and amplify player engagement, enabling Playstar to execute its strategy at scale and increase productivity.

Jon Bowden, Chief Marketing Officer of Playstar Casino, expressed his confidence in their choice, stating, “At Playstar, the player experience is paramount. Fast Track was the obvious choice for us due to their commitment to supporting our growth goals. We’re keen to automate the bulk of our strategy and work with the most advanced technology for personalization and modeling.

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Jean-Luc Ferrière, Managing Director Americas at Fast Track, echoed this sentiment, remarking, “It’s always exciting for us to partner with an operator so dedicated to offering an unparalleled player experience. The team is very keen to start collaborating with Playstar to help them achieve and exceed their business objectives.”

The partnership between Fast Track and Playstar Casino marks an exciting chapter for both organizations as they work together to elevate player experiences and drive sustainable growth in the US online gaming market.

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BetMGM

Boldplay™ to make U.S. debut after signing exclusive partnership deal with BetMGM

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Boldplay™, the casino software supplier, has announced its much-anticipated U.S. debut after teaming up with BetMGM, a leading iGaming and sports betting operator, and providing its first set of games Cyborg City, Toro Bravo™, and Gold Metal Ox™.

The new partnership will see Boldplay’s extensive collection of innovative video slots, table games, virtual scratch and keno titles become available to customers in the U.S. market for the very first time, enabling countless players to experience the brand’s signature range of bonus features and jackpots.

Notable highlights to come out of the studio include Boldplay Spins™ – a unique twist on Free Spins that sees the reels spin both vertically and horizontally to create more winning pay lines – and the brand’s flagship jackpot, the Boldplay Superpot™, which gives players of all bankroll levels a chance to win big.

The exclusive nature of the deal will also see BetMGM gain a significant market advantage in the U.S., where it will initially be the only platform able to offer Boldplay™ games. Given these titles have already garnered plenty of critical acclaim from players and operators across Europe, their presence at BetMGM will be a huge draw and will help the platform further enhance its standing in the industry.

This latest collaboration represents another significant step in Boldplay’s evolution from up-and-coming studio to one of the industry’s most sought-after software providers and will allow the brand to extend its reach into new regulated markets – a move CEO, Valli Fragoso, is clearly optimistic about.

“Boldplay™ is thrilled to announce that we’re teaming up with BetMGM in an exclusive partnership that will see our games be made available in the U.S. for the very first time,” she said. “By joining forces with such a prestigious operator, we’ll be able to raise the profile of our brand in the country as we continue to expand and we’re looking forward to what should be a hugely successful collaboration.”

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CCO at Thunderkick

Thunderkick enters social casino space with High 5 Casino deal

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Partnership marks the provider’s first foray into sweepstakes and the US market

Independent slots studio Thunderkick has announced its entry into the US market and social casino space through an exciting new partnership with High 5 Casino.

This collaboration will see the provider’s highly acclaimed games integrated into High 5 Casino, a free-to-play social casino gaming platform, signalling the provider’s first venture into sweepstakes.

As part of the agreement, Thunderkick will provide its popular titles, including both Pink Elephants and Sword of Khan, to High 5 Casino’s players across more than 40 states in the US.

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Founded in 1995, High 5 Casino is one of the industry’s largest independent casino brands, with operations in the land-based, online, and social markets across six continents and in more than 150 countries.

This partnership, facilitated by Thunderkick’s existing relationship with Relax Gaming, represents the provider’s first move into the burgeoning US market. High 5 Casino is the first customer to benefit from this collaboration, with more brands expected to follow in the coming months.

Svante Sahlström, CCO at Thunderkick, said: “Entering the sweepstakes market and partnering with High 5 Casino is a significant milestone for Thunderkick. We are excited to introduce our games to US players for the first time and to explore the potential of this market segment.

“This collaboration allows us to showcase our innovative content to a wider audience and deliver an engaging gaming experience that closely resembles real money gambling. We are confident that our partnership with High 5 Casino will be a successful one, and we look forward to working with them to bring our games to players across the United States.”

Jerry Wilson, VP of Creative at High 5 Games, added: “Thunderkick’s games have proven to be very popular in Europe and we are excited about helping them launch, not only in the US for the first time, but with social players too.

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“We’re sure our players will take to these titles, and they will become fan favourites in no time at all. We’re delighted about the launch of our new partnership.”

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