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How Age of the Gods unintentionally became the biggest slot franchise of all time

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If you know anything about online slots then you’ll be aware of the Age of the Gods, a legendary collection of fantasy-themed games created by veteran Estonian slot studio Playtech.

Despite having only existed for five years, the Age of the Gods slot series is widely considered to be the most successful and recognizable slot franchise of all time, with over 20 games available to play at online casinos around the world.

Each individual Age of the Gods slot has totally different bonus features and mechanics and is themed around famous mythical Gods, demigods, and heroes from a variety of time periods and cultures such as Roman, ancient Greece, and Norse mythology.

How Disney’s acquisition of Marvel Entertainment led to the creation of Age of the Gods

Interestingly, the Age of the Gods series was never intended to become as big as it did, in fact, it’s debatable as to whether the Age of the Gods series would even exist at all, if not for Disney’s acquisition of Marvel Entertainment in 2009.

Why does Disney’s acquisition of Marvel have any bearing on an unrelated Playtech slot series developed seven years later? Well, before Age of the Gods existed Playtech’s most popular series of games was actually Marvel slots, these featured some of the brand’s most iconic superheroes and villains.

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Throughout the mid-2010s Playtech’s game selection featured a who’s-who of Marvel Entertainment, offering the following slots: Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3, Spider-Man: Attack of the Green Goblin, The Incredible Hulk, Thor: The Mighty Avenger, Blade, Captain America: The First Avenger, Daredevil, Elektra, Fantastic Four, Wolverine, X-Men and Ghost Rider.

In 2013, when Disney gained full control of all of Marvel Entertainment and their subsidiaries, they announced that they were cleaning up the brand image of Marvel, ultimately, this marked the end of Marvel slots upon the expiration of their licensing agreement with Playtech in 2017.

Years and years of hard work from dedicated teams of online slot developers had gone into creating this huge collection of Marvel slots, so it seemed almost unimaginable that these games would be released into the ether, never to be seen again.

In addition to the wasted time and effort, there was also an issue regarding players. The Marvel slots were much-loved progressive jackpot games, if their favorite slots were deleted would they go and play another provider’s games instead?

Thankfully, someone at Playtech had the grand idea of rebranding all of the Marvel slots, so rather than get rid of them entirely, they developed a new brand (Age of the Gods) and created new artwork, essentially placing it on top of the old slots in a like for like swap. 

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Players would still be able to play their favorite Marvel slots with the same bonus features, mechanics, jackpots, and mathematical models, just with different branding.

What makes the Age of the Gods series so popular?

Just like their predecessors, the Age of the Gods slots proved immensely popular mostly down to the fact that there were so many games for players to sink their teeth into, each Age of the Gods slot offering unique mechanics and bonus features.

In addition to this, the Age of the Gods slots series played host to the Age of the Gods Progressive Jackpot, a truly legendary four-tiered jackpot made up of the Power Jackpot, Extra Power Jackpot, Super Power Jackpot, and the Ultimate Power Jackpot.

These jackpots could drop at any time and can see players win in excess of £1,000,000, the most lucrative of these four jackpots payout every 40 days (on average) whilst the other three payouts on a daily and hourly basis, so it’s not hard to see why players were drawn to them. 

What’s more, fans of the original Marvel slots immediately recognized these progressive jackpots, as they’re exactly the same jackpots that existed prior to the Age of the Gods release.

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How has Playtech kept the Age of the Gods series fresh?

With so many Age of the Gods games out there the series was bound to go stale after some time, however, in a bid to freshen things up Playtech has enlisted the help of smaller studios that fall under their management to create several brand new games. 

Playtech Vikings, Playtech Origins, and Ash Gaming have all stepped up to the plate in recent years to create their own titles. This has also led to an entirely new Age of the Gods series known as Age of the Gods Norse.

This brand new series of Age of the God slots features a clean new design that looks significantly more attractive than the original slots, however, despite being a lot of fun, it’s fair to suggest that they don’t really have the same charm as the original games.

What does the future of the Age of the Gods series look like?

Despite it only being a few months since their last release, it feels like a long time since we’ve heard anything about a new Age of the Gods game.

There’s nothing on Playtech’s roadmap to suggest we’ll be getting a new mythical-themed slot any time soon, which is quite disappointing. That being said, with so many fingers in so many pies, it’s hard to tell what Playtech is doing at any given moment.

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There was some debate as to whether Age of the Gods was on the way out following the landmark release of Kingdoms Rise. The groundbreaking Playtech slot series features many similarities to Age of the Gods, and many thought it was a like-for-like replacement.

However, like Age of the Gods, the Kingdoms Rise series seems to have gone on the back burner in recent months. We’re genuinely not sure what to expect from the series going forward, perhaps Playtech will pass the franchise onto some of their smaller studios to work on? 

However, if Playtech is to continue their trend of releasing exciting new live casino game shows then we might well see the Age of the Gods characters appear in more of these games in the future, rather than online slots, but who knows? Only time will tell.

BitLine

Bitline and Everi Announce Crypto Liquidity for Choctaw Casinos & Resorts in Industry First Development

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Bitline, the only provider for casino chip access directly from cryptocurrency, has announced its first major collaboration in the U.S. casino market, teaming up with Choctaw Casinos & Resorts through its collaboration with Everi, a premier provider of financial technology and gaming solutions. This collaboration introduces cryptocurrency and digital assets as a new source of liquidity for casino patrons and marks the first time that such a functionality has been enabled within the American gaming industry. 

Leveraging Everi’s CashClub’s comprehensive payment infrastructure, Bitline’s solution is able to efficiently board, screen and verify patrons looking to leverage their digital assets whilst also allowing patrons to move screened assets into custody within minutes. Bitline’s integration with Everi Cash Club, the leading financial access services suite for casino payments, will enable the technology for the benefit of Choctaw Casinos & Resorts, and is the first time that such a functionality has been possible in the U.S. regulated casino market.

Catering to the growing demand for greater cryptocurrency and digital asset integration within the casino industry, the collaboration between Bitline and Everi’s forms a transferable blueprint that offers casino operators and their patrons an alternative way to manage funds, access liquidity, and leverage the benefits of cryptocurrency and other digital assets. 

This milestone reflects a strategic shift in how casino operators view and manage financial interactions with their guests. The introduction of cryptocurrency as a liquidity solution provides additional options for guests and lays the foundation for Choctaw Casinos & Resorts as it looks to the future of gaming sector finance, setting a new standard in financial accessibility and convenience. 

“Working with Choctaw Casinos & Resorts and Everi to make this a reality is a historical moment for both the casino and blockchain industries. Bitline was conceptualized to advance the gaming sector and offer a wider variety of financial options for the casino industry,” said Richard Jones, CEO at Bitline. “We’re entering an era where digital assets can fundamentally enhance the gaming experience, providing casino operators with a future-ready financial framework that can expand and evolve as the industry does. This collaboration is just the beginning of our vision to modernize casino payment capabilities on a global scale.”

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Victor Newsom, SVP Product Management, Payments Solutions at Everi comments “This unique integration combines BitLine’s additional payment accessibility options with Everi’s ability to enable seamless, secure, and regulatory compliant financial transactions for casino patrons. Designed from the ground up to exceed the rigorous compliance demands of the industry as well as the discerning expectations of gaming VIPs around the world, Choctaw’s patrons are now no longer limited to the access, times, amount, and speed constraints of the legacy financial systems. This also significantly reduces risk for our casino customers, such as Choctaw.”

“We are excited to be the first casino in North America to offer our guests another way to play,” said Thomas McDonald, Senior Director of Cage and Credit at Choctaw Casinos & Resorts. “Through our long-term relationship with Everi, a leader in fintech solutions, we will continue to invest in innovative offerings that provide the discerning gaming VIP access to funds in a safe and secure manner.”

The Choctaw Casinos & Resorts integration represents only the first phase of Bitline’s broader mission to bring cryptocurrency solutions to casinos and casino patrons worldwide. As cryptocurrency and digital assets continue to gain traction in the gaming sector, Bitline’s easy to integrate and patented payment model stands poised to become a key player in transforming gaming finance. Future plans include expanding  services across other major casinos and gaming markets, both domestically and internationally, establishing cryptocurrency as a new standard feature of the gaming experience.

The solution is to be formally rolled out on March 7, 2025, with the first transaction taking place at Choctaw’s Durant, Oklahoma, location.

The post Bitline and Everi Announce Crypto Liquidity for Choctaw Casinos & Resorts in Industry First Development appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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BESTSEAT360 AND 1/ST TRANSFORMED THE HORSE RACING VIEWER EXPERIENCE AT THE 2025 PEGASUS WORLD CUP

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Bestseat360 proudly produced an unprecedented multi-view streaming experience for the 2025 Pegasus World Cup, held at Gulfstream Park on January 25, in collaboration with 1/ST CONTENT, a pioneering force in enhancing the visibility and engagement of U.S. horse racing. This year’s event introduced a streaming experience that set a new benchmark for the industry, featuring 13 live races streamed on the Pegasus World Cup website.

In a landmark first for the U.S. racing landscape, the multi-view experience allowed fans to interact with a variety of camera angles, including innovative jockey cams, drones and automated trackside cameras. This collaboration with JockeyCam, renowned for its cutting-edge POV camera technology used in prestigious events like the Royal Ascot, Saudi Cup, Kentucky Derby, Melbourne Cup and Breeders’ Cup, adds a new dimension to race viewing.

“By working with partners like Bestseat360, 1/ST CONTENT continues to innovate and reshape the media landscape of horse racing with a focus on the type of engagement and storytelling that modern audiences are looking for,” said Pete RotondoSVPRacing and Wagering1/ST.

“The integration of Bestseat360’s interface offers racing enthusiasts the best seat at the racecourse or from the comfort of their own homes,” said Craig MeekFounder Director for Bestseat360.

“We are thrilled to be introducing an interactive Multiview video player that will revolutionize sports betting and enhance how punters engage with their bets. Using smart AI algorithms, viewers will be able to easily identify their horses during the race, making their experience more immersive.”

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Bestseat360 is set to expand its innovative Multiview platform across various sports in the U.S., UK, Europe, and Australia. Their flexible business model includes sponsorship, advertising, and pay-per-view options, making this revolutionary technology accessible to a broader audience and ensuring the continued growth of engagement in horse racing and other sports.

The successful streaming of the 2025 Pegasus World Cup not only highlights the event’s significance but also sets the stage for future advancements in the viewing experience, ensuring that horse racing continues to captivate and engage fans worldwide.

The post BESTSEAT360 AND 1/ST TRANSFORMED THE HORSE RACING VIEWER EXPERIENCE AT THE 2025 PEGASUS WORLD CUP appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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Play’n GO to set the stage at the 2025 edition of Next.io’s New York Summit

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 Play’n GO, the world’s leading casino entertainment provider celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025, is to set the stage at the latest edition of Next.io’s New York Summit next week in Manhattan by enabling globally available live streaming of the prestigious event for the first time.

Taking place over two days next week, Next.io’s NYC summit has rapidly become the can’t miss executive event in the industry. One of the primary sponsors of the event since its inception, Play’n GO is this year enabling live streaming to a global audience for the first time.

Representatives of the Swedish gaming giants, including Chief Commercial Officer Magnus Olson, Head of Government Affairs Shawn Fluharty, Head of Brand & Communications Andrew Pink, and Regional Marketing Lead USA Anna Fältström, will speak on panels across the two days on the main stage as well as the new one-day responsible gaming summit.

The Manhattan-based summit takes place at a perfect time for Play’n GO as its USA-based business has thrived over the past 12 months.

Play’n GO saw US player numbers grow 48% in 2024, in addition to hitting all-time highs across key metrics for both January and February this year.

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Andrew Pink, Head of Brand & Communications at Play’n GO, said “Play’n GO has been a proud supporter of the Next.io NYC event since its inception and it’s been extremely pleasing to see it grow in increasing importance year after year.

“This event is one of the few in the industry where senior leaders from operators, regulators and suppliers come together to truly share knowledge and discuss vital issues that affect the entire global gaming industry, such as the expansion of iGaming in the US and how to create a sustainable industry in regulated markets.  

“Over the past 12 months we’ve seen further proof through record US-based revenue and player numbers that Play’n GO’s core proposition of keeping entertainment at the core of everything we do works. We’ll be taking that message to the main stage this time for a global audience to tune into.”

The post Play’n GO to set the stage at the 2025 edition of Next.io’s New York Summit appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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