Central Europe

German games industry feeling positive about 2023

Published

1 year ago

December 9, 2022

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The ongoing war in Ukraine, high energy costs and huge uncertainty regarding Germany’s economic development – in spite of the numerous problems, game companies in Germany are feeling confident about the year ahead. This is the conclusion of the game association’s industry barometer based on a survey of its members and published on the occasion of the general meeting of game – the German Games Industry Association. According to the barometer, around half of all game companies (48 per cent) are expecting the German game industry to develop positively or even very positively over the next twelve months, while just 16 per cent are assuming that the opposite will be the case. The companies have an even more positive view of their own prospects, with just under two thirds of the companies surveyed (64 per cent) saying they are expecting their own development to be positive or very positive in the year to come. A mere 9 per cent are anticipating a negative development. This optimism is also reflected in workforce developments – more than half of all game companies (52 per cent) say they expect their employee headcount to develop positively in the year to come. Only approximately 6 per cent are anticipating a negative development. A look at positions that currently remain unfilled suggests that finding skilled workers is not easy, with just under one in two game companies (49 per cent) saying they currently have vacancies. The number of vacancies illustrates how high demand is for skilled workers in the German game industry – 10 to 20 per cent of vacancies remain unfilled at almost one in four game companies (23 per cent), with a further 7 per cent of companies even having over 20 per cent unfilled vacancies.

‘The various economic challenges are leaving their mark on the game industry too. The generally uncertain economic environment or the rising costs are weighing heavily on game companies’ plans. game association’s industry barometer nevertheless indicates a general sense of optimism looking ahead to 2023 and clearly shows that the German game industry has really thrown itself into the race to catch up with other game locations around the world,’ says Felix Falk, Managing Director of game – the German Games Industry Association. ‘Overall, we can therefore expect further growth in the global game market in the years to come. The parameters for game development in Germany, which have finally been improving for a few years, will be decisive here. The German government’s promotion of games remains an important foundation, and the temporary stoppage of this fortunately did not bring this positive development to an end after all. To enable the industry to remain competitive globally, the funding provided must be based on the actual needs and be increased to 100 million euros. At the same time, further steps need to be taken, as already outlined in the federal government’s strategy for the game industry.’

Central Europe

Playtech Expands iPoker Network into the Czech Republic in Partnership with Fortuna Entertainment Group

Published

5 days ago

May 10, 2024

Niji Narayan

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

Playtech announced the expansion of its iPoker network into the Czech Republic, in partnership with Fortuna Entertainment Group (Fortuna), marking the first introduction of Playtech’s iPoker network in the Czech market.

This launch represents a significant milestone for both Playtech and Fortuna, as it introduces poker into the Fortuna Entertainment Group for the first time. Through Playtech’s iPoker network, Fortuna’s players in the Czech Republic will now have access to a diverse range of poker games, benefitting from a strong international liquidity pool of players from all around the world, plus a high-quality player experience and state-of-the-art poker product.

The iPoker network has experienced explosive growth over the past few years, and the addition of Fortuna will contribute to the continuation of this trend. The Czech Republic is a prominent hub for live poker tournaments in Europe, with prestigious events held year-round in cities like Prague and Rozvadov. By joining forces with Fortuna, Playtech aims to tap into the potential of this vibrant market, bringing an unmatched online poker experience to the Czech audience.

Marat Koss, VP of Interactive Gaming at Playtech, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Fortuna to expand our iPoker network into the Czech market. Playtech is committed to providing a high-quality player experience through its cutting-edge poker product and continuous innovation and together with Fortuna’s continued success and significant growth trajectory as the leading betting and gaming operator in Central and Eastern Europe, this partnership will offer a modern, seamless, and engaging user experience for Fortuna’s players.”

Myke Foster, Group Head of Gaming & Commercial Strategy at Fortuna Entertainment Group, said: “Poker has a significant presence in the Czech market with an established player base and we are impressed by the quality of Playtech’s poker product. We see tremendous potential in this product and are confident it will deliver an exceptional and modern user experience to our customer base. We have had a very successful partnership with Playtech over the years and we look forward to watching this partnership continue to grow from strength to strength.”

The post Playtech Expands iPoker Network into the Czech Republic in Partnership with Fortuna Entertainment Group appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Central Europe

BF Games Enters Czech Market with Apollo Games

Published

6 days ago

May 9, 2024

George Miller

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Reading Time: < 1 minute

BF Games, the dynamic game development studio, has entered a new market through a collaboration with Apollo Games, a major licensed online casino operator in the Czech Republic. The content deal provides Apollo Games customers with the supplier’s most engaging releases, including titles like Stunning Hot Remastered and Cave of Fortune, which are now available.

ApolloGames.cz has been entertaining Czech players since 2021 and is part of the globally known Apollo Game Group, which boasts more than 17 years of experience in online games as well as land-based operations. The commercial partnership is part of the supplier’s plans to expand across Europe and supply thrilling games to operator partners worldwide.

Rok Hribar, Head of Sales and Account Management at BF Games, said, “Our new partnership with Apollo Games is a huge milestone for us as we make a significant entrance into the growing Czech market.
“We look forward to providing some of our most popular games to Apollo Games player base and bringing our creative content to their screens.”

Stanislav Jurecka, Casino Manager at Apollo Games, said, “We are watching the rapid development of BF Games’ offerings and are thrilled to sign this deal with the studio.”
“Adding BF Games’ slots to our online casino is a great win for us and our players, providing fantastic entertainment through a great mix of classic and innovative content. We look forward to introducing further games throughout the year and growing our successful partnership.”

The post BF Games Enters Czech Market with Apollo Games appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Central Europe

Apparat Gaming and edict egaming announce partnership

Published

3 weeks ago

April 22, 2024

George Miller

apparat-gaming-and-edict-egaming-announce-partnership

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Leading German software provider teams up with Hamburg-born aggregator to make full suite of slots available to customers in regulated markets worldwide

With immediate effect, German iGaming-business Apparat Gaming is teaming up with fellow Hamburg-founded company edict egaming. The former, having forged a reputation for providing premium casino content with a German accent, has thus joined forces with one of the country’s top aggregators in edict, one of the Merkur Group’s subsidiaries.

As a result of the deal, Apparat Gaming’s ever-expanding portfolio of 30+ quality slots, including recent releases like the high-octane Autobahn Alarm and the hotly-anticipated Fishin’ the Biggest, will be joining edict’s already widespread line-up of over 200 titles – making them now available to all operators who choose edict for their game aggregation needs.

This collaboration will give customers access to an even more diverse selection of games, all of which are fully compliant with the latest German regulation and certified for release in multiple markets.

Founded in 1998, edict was one of the industry’s pioneering online casino service providers before it was acquired by the Merkur Group a decade later. In 2021, the company added an aggregator solution to its offering, and it has been steadily developing this product ever since to a point where it now supplies content to over 150 operators and starts 8.5+ billion games per year.

Specialising in engaging titles that are supplied by some of Germany’s most popular studios, Apparat Gaming’s releases will certainly look right at home among the aggregator’s prestigious game portfolio – and both parties are already looking forward to a highly successful collaboration.

Martin Frindt, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Apparat Gaming, said: “Given Apparat Gaming’s German roots, we’re delighted to be teaming up with a Hamburg-born business-like edict. Adding our titles to their line-up will give operators access to our over 30 top slots that all come with our signature German accent, and we can’t wait to hear how they’re received by customers.”

Dominic-Daniel Lienard CEO at edict, said: “Since launching our aggregator solution, edict has compiled a stellar portfolio of releases from some of the top developers in Germany and beyond – and adding Apparat Gaming titles will strengthen this roster further. With great graphics, unique themes, and innovative bonus features, we’re sure their slots will be a huge hit with our operators.”

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