Archives February 2024

After becoming the latest casualty of new Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte a few weeks ago and being ordered to close 53 of its 137 bingo and electronic games parlors, operator Leisure And Resorts World Corporation has now been told that it may temporarily re-open some 20 of the previously shuttered venues.

According to a filing lodged with the Philippine Stock Exchange on Monday, Leisure And Resorts World Corporation revealed that its AB Leisure Exponent Incorporated subsidiary has been given permission to resurrect operations at electronic games venues located in malls, arcades and hotels as these are exempt from distance requirements that mandate such businesses should be at least 200 meters from any school or church.

“The approval was based on the recommendation of [the Philippine Amusement And Gaming Corporation’s] Gaming Licensing And Development Department and the legal opinion of its Corporate And Legal Services Department to honor the licenses of operators whose gaming sites are located inside malls, arcades and hotels and consider them exempted from distance requirements,” read the filing from Leisure And Resorts World Corporation.

However, Leisure And Resorts World Corporation explained that the Philippine Amusement And Gaming Corporation regulator is “still in the process of studying whether [it] will permanently maintain the exemptions of malls, arcades and hotels from the distance requirements”, which means that the sites could well be asked to close for a second time.

But, the news is not as good for under-fire online games developer PhilWeb Corporation after the Philippine Amusement And Gaming Corporation declared that it had rejected the company’s proposal to create a text-based Philippines lottery product that could be delivered via mobile telephone.

The scheme was seen as a way to help save the company after the government refused to renew its licenses last month and could have resulted in the firm generating annual revenues worth up to $2.06 billion.

“The current policy of the government is to strictly regulate and ensure non-proliferation of gambling avenues that are accessible to lower income brackets of society,” read a letter from Andrea Domingo, Chairperson for the Philippine Amusement And Gaming Corporation, sent to Dennis Valdes, President for PhilWeb Corporation.

The first stop of the Card Player Poker Tour will take place beginning today at the Live! Casino & Hotel of Maryland, continuing through the 14^th, with poker action taking place over 16 events. The most anticipated tournament of the series is the Main Event, which will include $200,000 in guaranteed prize money, kicking off on the 12^th.

The schedule of events for the Card Player Poker Tour includes several gaming options, such as the first event of the series, a $360 buy-in tournament with $100,000 in guaranteed prize money up for grabs. Players will also find bounty tournaments on the schedule with the $400 Black Chip Bounty and the $500 Double Black Chip Bounty events.

Players will be able to compete in a nice variety of events with several poker variants highlighted. For the most part, a poker series will traditionally offer Omaha and Hold’em, with a few other events mixed in. With this series, players will have access to several variants including Stud Eight-or-Better, Pot Limit Omaha and H.O.R.S.E.

Those who wish to compete in the majority of the events offered in the poker series can seek accommodations near the casino. The Live! property is currently working on their new hotel accommodations but do offer rooms via Live! Lofts, a hotel option located just a few minutes from the casino.

Serbian betting and gaming company Mozzart Bet now has access to all of Playson’s complete portfolio of premium video slots courtesy of a recent commercial agreement.

Under the terms of the deal, the Belgrade-headquartered operator has gained access to the casino software provider’s popular titles including the recently released Solar Temple, the follow-up to the developer’s all-time top-performer, Solar Queen, which was released in July 2019, along with God of Wild Sea and Playson’s Timeless Fruit Slots portfolio and Funky Fruits series.

Engagement tools:

Also included is a wide array of the Sliema-headquartered developer’s integration-free engagement tools, such as Jackpots, Extra Spins, Seamless Play, and regular Tournaments with separate mechanics. Each has been proven to promote player retention.

Chief Executive Officer for Playson, Alex Ivshin, commented on the collaboration in an official press release, saying…

“Both Playson and Mozzartbet have been working very hard on this deal and I’m delighted that it has now come to fruition.

Mutually beneficial relationship:

“Global expansion has always been a major focal point for all of us here at Playson, and we hope this integration with Mozzartbet will be the start of a mutually beneficial relationship continuing into the future.”

The largest betting and gaming company in Southeastern Europe, Mozzart Bet is licensed in Serbia, Romania, Bosnia, Macedonia, Malta and Kenya, and the new partnership further enhances Playson’s presence in Europe and the Balkans as it maintains its rapid growth.

For its part, Mozzartbet Chief Operating Officer Nemanja Savkovic added…

“Playson’s popular video slots will be a fantastic addition to our existing content, and we’re thrilled to have them on board.

“The company has a well-deserved reputation for supplying high-quality content and we know its exciting games portfolio is going to be a huge hit with our players across numerous markets.”

Growing portfolio:

As mentioned, the new partnership agreement is hot on the heels of Play’s latest release, Solar Temple. The  5-reel, 20 paylines, Aztec-themed game features a 10-spins cycle mechanic (Flaming Frames), that can also be found in the earlier version, Solar Queen, the developer’s most successful game to date.

The leading game developer supplies innovative content in more than 17 regulated jurisdictions and its portfolio comprises over 65 omni-channel casino games that are tested and certified for all major European regulated territories including Malta, Italy, Spain, Sweden, UK, Romania, and more.

Online gaming developer Play’n GO has announced the creation of a new online slot game that combines classic fruit-style slot machines with race day fun. Derby Wheel is the latest title introduced by the developer, offering a fun mix of reel spinning and horse racing.

The goal of the game is to get three Wheel icons on the reels to then gain access to the Bonus Wheel. It is there that players can earn multipliers plus the Horse Racing Bonus Feature.

Details of Derby Wheel

The new Derby Wheel game offers exciting reel spinning with plenty of unique features. The Horse Racing icon will take you to the Bonus Feature where you can watch a horse race. The 3D race gives you four picks to choose from, each offering its own features.

Choose No Bet and you can skip the race and earn a 40x multiplier. You can select Win and pick which horse you think will win with a chance to earn up to 800x the wager. Pick Exacta and you can choose who you think will be first or second in the race to try and win 1,800x the wager. The last option is the Trifecta, where you can choose who will finish first, second, and third to win 2,800x the wager.

With the amazing visual appeal, Derby Wheel is an exciting slot with plenty of cool features. The 3D virtual horse race option is one that ensures both slot and horse race fans will enjoy spinning the reels of the new Play’n GO title.

Charlotte Miliziano, the Head of Games at Play’n GO, commented on the new game by stating: “Pushing ourselves to the next level is what we do, it’s in our nature.

‘We pride ourselves on our ability to cater to a variety of clients, operators, and players and we do this by adding the same amount of dedication to originality, detail, and innovation in every game and we’ve really pushed ourselves with Derby Wheel. With just one click a virtual horse race unfolds – I couldn’t be prouder of the team, what an achievement.”

Joining Lordi Reel Monsters

The new game now joins other titles by Play’n GO including Lordi Reel Monsters. The online slot is one based on Mr. Lordi and his monster band. The band brings all types of monsters to the reels to create a rocking reel spinning experience including demons, trolls, and monsters.

One unique feature of this slot is the Monster Charger. Each winning icon that lands on the reels will count as one charge. Earn 15 charges and a monster is activated while 40 will give players a chance to select a feature in the game.