Leading gambling operator Aspire Global has announced a partnership with Ireland’s brick-and-mortar Funfair Casino.
Under the partnership, Funfair Casino, which currently operates more than 20 casinos across the country, use Aspire Global’s AspireCore Platform (PAM) to launch enter the online casino market.
The new online casino will be based on Funfair Casino’s branding, and it will offer Aspire Global’s services, including customer support, risk management, VIP services, a wide selection of games and promotions, and more.
As reported by GamblingInsider, Philip O’Leary, the Director of Funfair Casino, said in a statement: “Our search for a platform solution for Funfair was predicated on finding a partner that had the technology, expertise and product set to create a rich and seamless casino experience for our players.
“Joining forces with a provider as renowned for these qualities as Aspire Global enables us to make progress in delivering a premium omnichannel operation.”
Tsachi Maimon, the CEO of Aspire Global, added: “Funfair has an established presence in the Irish casino market and we are looking forward to developing an online solution that presents its players with a great omnichannel experience while helping to support its entry into the digital world for the first time.
“This deal constitutes an excellent example of our PAM and fully managed services being utilised to take a land-based operator online. It is a union that will provide great opportunities for both parties.”
The news comes as Aspire Global continues to boost its presence worldwide after having struck partnerships with Pariplay, Luckster, and numerous others, and after expanding its gambling service by launching its sportsbook platform BtoBet.
Meanwhile, EveryMatrix, the operator of several online casinos, has announced the launch of its new game development studio, Armadillo Studios.
According to CasinoBeats, the new game studio will be based at EveryMatrix’s headquarters in Miami. It will create online casino games for the US market, with game logic and US player preferences in mind.
Razvan Haiduc has been appointed as CEO of the studio after joining EveryMatrix’s payment division in 2019 and having worked at game developer iSoftBet for five years. David Stoveld, who has numerous positions at studios such as NetEnt and Yggdrasil, will act as COO.
Ebbe Groes, the Group CEO of EveryMatrix, said in a statement: “We’re more than happy to contribute to US gaming culture with a wide portfolio of casino games which will be managed entirely by our team in Miami.
“Having Razvan and Dave in the studio’s management team brings us confidence that we can be a leading casino supplier in the US market by 2023.”
Razvan Haiduc added: “The US market holds a lot of promises, and I am sure that investing in this direction is the right move for us. Armadillo’s games will bring loads of excitement and entertainment to casino aficionados across states.
“Dave and I will be building the American dream together along with Erik [Nyman] and the rest of the team at our US headquarters in Miami later this summer.”
Erik Nyman, the President of the Americas at EveryMatrix, added: “I have seen the need for American focused games for years, and I am happy that EveryMatrix responds to the market’s call.
“I am very excited that David Stoveld, who I worked with in the past will be the creative lead and Razvan managing these efforts. It is a great pleasure having them here in our US headquarters close to our customers.”
Armadillo Studios have not yet revealed when they will be releasing their first casino games, but the launch of the studio comes after EveryMatrix launched Spearhead Studios in 2020, and the firm has since released dozens of casino games.
Meanwhile, leading game developer Microgaming has revealed its breaking into the live casino market after partnering with On Air Entertainment.
Microgaming has revealed its backing On Air Entertainment, a Malta-based live casino provider that, according to Gaming Intelligence, operates a live game studio in Riga, Latvia, and has developers based in Estonia and Latvia.
John Coleman, the CEO of Microgaming, said in a statement: “On Air Entertainment represents a new evolution of live casino gaming, possessing all the experience, talent, and passion required to innovate in the live casino space.
“I am delighted that Microgaming is playing an integral part in their exciting journey.”
Andres Rengifo, the Managing Director at On Air Entertainment, added: “Our vision is to be the global innovator of choice for tailored live casino experiences, and to achieve this we’re bringing together the very brightest and best live casino talent from across the industry.
“Powered by Microgaming, we will have access to unrivalled customer and market reach – this is a game-changer for us, and we can’t wait to begin broadcasting together.”
On Air Entertainment was founded in January this year by a team of “senior industry professionals”. The firm has predicted a period of “rapid growth” in the coming months as it launches its “competitive, customisable, and world-leading content”.
The news comes after Microgaming announced its game release roadmap for June 2021. It also comes as the leading game developer has continued to strike partnerships with various firms to boost its player reach and continue releasing groundbreaking games.
Last month, Microgaming partnered with BLOX to release its games in Italy, partnered with Solverde Group to launch in Portugal, and Microgaming added Gold Coin Studios to its aggregation platform.
