Casino games developer NetEnt is launching a new platform it hopes will make it easier for its partners to access a larger array of content. NetEnt Connect is an aggregation platform that will, over time, integrate games from its growing list of options, saving its network of clients’ valuable time and resources as they seek to introduce new offerings. The platform is now in testing, with a full rollout coming shortly.
In a press release from yesterday, the company indicates that it is operating closed beta testing with Casino Room of Ellmount Gaming Ltd. The testing is using games from Red Tiger, an online game supplier NetEnt acquired this past September for about $263 million in an all-cash deal. Another $23 million could be forthcoming, based on achievement of performance goals, by 2022.
NetEnt Malta Managing Director and Chief Product Officer Henrik Fagerlund states of the NetEnt Connect implementation, “The speed with which we have been able to go live with Red Tiger content on some of NetEnt customers bears testament to the hard work and collaboration since the acquisition was completed. It also shows great promise for NetEnt Connect which is a key part of NetEnt strategy going forward.”
The beta test will give the Sweden-based firm a chance to ensure that everything is running smoothly before a bigger launch, which could happen sometime early next year. The plan is to offer the service to partner game suppliers as it is introduced to individual markets based on the response of those markets.
Red Tiger Gaming CEO Gavin Hamilton adds, “A key incentive to work with NetEnt was to tap into the reach and markets it has built up. I’m very excited that the early collaboration between the two companies since the deal was completed has allowed NetEnt customers to go live seamlessly with Red Tiger too.”
Across the globe, although somewhat controversially, online casinos have picked up a lot of action over the past couple of years. In many ways, it is the next step in the evolutionary cycle of gaming, with younger generations more willing to participate in virtually gambling activity and less inclined to visit brick-and-mortar venues. These retail establishments have realized what is happening, and are trying, in vain, to prevent the transition from occurring. The staggering price NetEnt paid for Red Tiger, as well as other similar deals, is a testament to the important role online gaming has in the larger gambling industry.
