Playtech has successfully launched its casino games in New Jersey, the United States, after partnering up with Bet365.
The British bookmaker Bet365 launched its first American online sportsbook and casino website in New Jersey back in 2019. Now, almost a year after its successful launch, Bet365 has entered into a partnership with Playtech, a casino game developed founded back in 1999.
Under the agreement, a selection of Playtech’s best-performing casino games including White King, Great Blue, Frankie Dettori’s Magic Seven, Buffalo Blitz, Gladiator Road To Rome, Halloween Fortune 2, Hologram Wilds, and so much more.
The news comes a few months after Playtech announced that it had finally been given regulatory approval by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE) to launch its games in New Jersey. Playtech has revealed that it has plans to partner with additional New Jersey-based gambling operators over the next few months to extend its reach across the state. It already has partnerships with GVC and 888 Casino.
What’s more, Playtech has revealed it’s started the licensing process for other American states to continue its expansion throughout the country. It’s thought that Playtech is looking towards launching in Michigan and Pennsylvania for now, with further extensions later down the road.
A spokesperson for Bet365 told SBC News: “We’re excited to partner with Playtech in order to expand our content offering to the US market. Given the range and calibre of Playtech’s content, being first to market it is a real differentiator for our platform. We look forward to developing upon our already solid partnership as we continue to grow our casino offering.”
Shimon Akad, the Chief Operating Officer at Playtech, added: “This is a significant moment for Playtech and our development in the US. Launching Playtech’s software int he US is a landmark, and we’re very pleased to be taking this step with one of our most trusted partners in Bet365.
“With more titles and content launching in the coming weeks and months, there are exciting times ahead. This launch also serves as a prime example of our commitment to partnering with leading operators to bring leading software services and great content to new and growing markets.”
News of Playtech’s launch in New Jersey comes after the game provider, which is known for its popular DC Comics-based jackpot slots, revealed that its B2B and B2C gambling divisions have taken a “severe” hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an updated on its first-half performance and current trading, Playtech revealed that its EBITDA equalled move than €160 million, most of which was driven by the company’s online gambling division and TradeTech performance.
The company’s B2B sports business was “severely impacted” in the UK and Greek markets and the firm lost “significant revenue” due to retail closures around the world during COVID-19 lockdowns around the world, including the United Kingdom. In a statement, Playtech CEO Mor Weizer praised the company’s resilience during unprecedented times, thanked all staff, and shared hopes for the future of the company.
He said: “Thanks to the outstanding response from our people and the early actions taken to protect the business. Playtech has demonstrated outstanding operational resilience during this challenging period.
“In addition to navigating near-term headwinds, we’ve continued to focus on setting up the business for success in the long-term. During the period, we’ve worked hard to add new brands, expand relationships with our existing customers and entered the New Jersey market with our long-standing strategic partner Bet365.”
He added: “It is pleasing to see the impacted parts of the business starting to demonstrate positive momentum and I am confident the actions we have taken will help us emerge strong and cement our market-leading position.”
Playtech’s launch in New Jersey isn’t the only expansion the game developer has undertaken in recent months. Last week, Playtech revealed it had entered the Latvian poker market after striking a partnership with Enlabs and its Optibet.lv and BestPoker.com brands.
Under the agreement, Playtech will provide Enlabs with its award-winning poker product as well as its popular casino games such as its DC Comics branded slots and the Sporting Legends Suite. All of this content will be available to Latvian players for the first time ever.
Maksims Gorbacs, the Head of Poker at Enlabs, said in a statement to iGamingBusiness: “We’re delighted to expand our Poker Casino offering with Playtech and bring its industry-leading content to our customers. Playtech’s scale and innovation are powerful tools when looking to deliver the best player experience in growing and established markets alike. We look forward to developing this partnership further as we continue to grow our content offering.”
Marat Koss, the Head of Poker at Playtech, added: “We’re truly excited to partner with Enlabs and welcome Optibet and BestPoker to the iPoker network. The Poker market is facing undeniable challenges, but at Playtech, we’re continuing to invest in expanding and evolving our software and network to address the future head-on.
“Our active development of new products and expansion into new markets demonstrates Playtech’s commitment to the Poker vertical. We are joining forces with a very professional and experienced Poker team led by Maksims Gorbacs and I have no doubt that this partnership will be fruitful and productive.”
The game provider has partnered with countless gambling operators. In addition to entering the Latvian market, Playtech has also launched its Spin & Win Live Roulette game in Spain after signing a partnership with Pokerstars Casino.
It’s also continued to expand its reach in the Czech Republic after extending its partnership with gambling operator Fortuna CZ, as reported by European Gaming. This allows the operator to launch Playtech’s Native Casino mobile app for Android and iOS devices which includes content such as Buffalo Blitz, White King, and Ways Of The Phoenix along with a range of table games too.
We can expect more announcements from Playtech regarding its expansion across the United States and the rest of the world within the coming months. With online gambling more popular than ever, it’s never been a better time to expand player reach and the game’s available.
