Industry News
Playtech and Stoiximan/Betano launch industry-first Live Cashback Blackjack
Playtech, the world’s leading gambling technology company, has partnered with Stoiximan/Betano, the leading Greek operator and one of the fastest growing in Europe, to launch an exclusive new scalable Live Blackjack variant, Cashback Blackjack Live.
Previously available as an RNG game, the new scalable Live Cashback Blackjack variant is an eight-deck game open to an unlimited number of players. In this game, players can choose to “cash out” during any action round instead of taking an action, placing a dynamically determined cashback amount depending on the round. Continuing the All bets Blackjack line, Six different side bet options are available to players and add to the excitement. This unique scalable Blackjack variant is the recent addition to the growing portfolio of scalable Blackjack games available from Playtech live and marks the fifth variant after Unlimited Blackjack, Quantum Blackjack, All bets Blackjack and the recent Majority Rules Speed Blackjack.
Stoiximan/Betano chose to work directly with Playtech to produce the industry-first live dealer version of Cashback Blackjack, adding a new collaborative dimension to an already successful relationship.
About the game
Players begin by placing their main bet, plus any additional side bets.
Six different side bets are on offer: 21+3, Buster Blackjack, Dealer Pair, Lucky Lucky, Player Pair and Top 3. Buster Blackjack (dealer’s hand) has the biggest win potential – a result of 8+ cards and player’s Blackjack pays out at 2000:1.
In the action rounds, players have five choices – Cashback, Hit, Stand, Double or Split. If a player chooses to Split during an action round, Cashback is offered for both hands. If a player chooses to Double, Cashback is not offered. The Cashback amount is calculated based on the cards on the table and may change for each action round. Cashback only applies to the main bet, with side bets resolved and paid out separately.
Edo Haitin, CEO, Playtech Live, comments: “The development of Cashback Blackjack Live has been a truly collaborative effort, and takes our partnership with Stoiximan/Betano to a new level. Stoiximan/Betano is already one of the leading operators in the Greek market, and we’re committed to working closely with them to not only build on this position, but also extend that success into further territories.
“Thanks to a fantastic initiative from our friends at Stoiximan/Betano group and a great effort from the development teams on both sides, we’ve been able to deliver a dynamic new experience for players in record time, which emphasizes our strategy of equipping our partners with scalable dedicated solutions while still providing players with a fun and personal game experience. The Cashback concept is of course well-established in Sports betting, so we’re very interested to see how players will respond to it in a Live Casino setting, where there’s interaction with a dealer and other players. We’re confident players will find Cashback Blackjack Live a highly engaging experience”.
Christos Mavridis, Live Casino Manager at Stoiximan/Betano adds: “Product innovation, wide game offer and an optimum customer experience have always been among our priorities at Stoiximan/Betano. We’ve already seen a fantastic response to Cashback Blackjack as an RNG game, so are very much looking forward to delivering a new experience for our players with the first Live version. Having worked closely with Playtech for some time now, we were well aware of their track record in producing innovative new content and game variants. As such we felt they were the ideal partner for the development of Cashback Blackjack Live, and we’re sure our players will be just as impressed with the finished product as we are”.
About Playtech:
Founded in 1999 and premium listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange, Playtech is a technology leader in the gambling and financial trading industries.
Playtech is the gambling industry’s leading technology company, delivering business intelligence-driven gambling software, services, content and platform technology across the industry’s most popular product verticals, including casino, live casino, sports betting, virtual sports, bingo and poker. It is the pioneer of omni-channel gambling technology through its integrated platform technology, Playtech ONE. Playtech ONE delivers data-driven marketing expertise, single wallet functionality, CRM and responsible gambling solutions across one single platform across product verticals and across retail and online.
Playtech partners with and invests in the leading brands in regulated and newly regulated markets to deliver its data-driven gambling technology across the retail and online value chain. Playtech provides its technology on a B2B basis to the industry’s leading retail and online operators, land-based casino groups and government sponsored entities such as lotteries. As of June 2018, through the acquisition of Snaitech, Playtech directly owns and operates the leading sports betting and gaming brand in online and retail in Italy, Snai. Snaitech operates a B2B2C model as a service provider, allowing franchisees to utilise the Playtech technology stack in the retail environment while operating the leading brand, Snai, directly online as a B2C business.
Playtech’s Financials Division, named TradeTech Group, is a technology leader in the CFD and financial trading industry and operates both on a B2B and B2C basis.
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Casino Content
ICONIC21 launches Football Cup-branded casino games and debut network tournament
ICONIC21 has rolled out three limited-edition Football Cup-branded casino games and launched its first network tournament, ICONIC Showdown Football Cup, running from 9th of July to 19th of July.
The new titles are Football Cup Roulette, Football Cup Blackjack 360, and Football Cup Gravity Blackjack. ICONIC21 said the releases showcase different customisation approaches, including green screen production for the roulette environment and an updated visual rebrand for its RNG blackjack table.
For Football Cup Gravity Blackjack, ICONIC21 said it used its latest LED technology and applied the Gravity Series multiplier mechanic, with a custom felt, a football gate, and bespoke 3D-printed decorations.
Alongside the three new games, ICONIC21 pointed to its previously launched slot Soccer World Championship, plus The Kickoff and Top Card, which it said received football-season branding and UI/UX updates.
The ICONIC Showdown Football Cup tournament covers 11 games in total and is positioned around the quarter finals, semi-finals and final period. ICONIC21 said 1,000 winners will share a €50,000 prize pool, and operators can enroll via their account manager or by contacting the company directly.
Edvardas Sadovskis, Chief Product Officer at ICONIC21, said:
“What I’m most proud of with this project is the turnaround. We built three fully branded, technically distinct games, enhanced existing ones with promotional branding, and launched our first-ever network tournament around them, all timed to coincide with peak player interest and traffic.
That kind of speed doesn’t happen by accident, it reflects how this team works. ICONIC Showdown is a meaningful first step for us as a provider, and launching it during the Football Cup, with this much energy around the game, feels like the right way to do it. We’re genuinely excited to see how the leaderboard shapes up and even more excited for the finals.”
The post ICONIC21 launches Football Cup-branded casino games and debut network tournament appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Brand Ambassador
Ronaldinho visits CreedRoomz Yerevan studio to front Marble Cup and Kickoff Roulette
CreedRoomz has brought footballer Ronaldinho to its headquarters in Yerevan, where the company filmed an “exclusive interview” with the former player in connection with two new live casino game shows, Marble Cup and Kickoff Roulette. CreedRoomz said Ronaldinho is the global ambassador for both titles.
In the interview, Ronaldinho said: “For me, it’s a great joy to be a part of this partnership. Since arriving here at the office, everyone has treated me with great affection. I already feel at home, very happy.” Asked to choose between the two games, he added: “Honestly, it’s difficult to choose one, both are wonderful, I loved them, so it’s very difficult to choose one, I think everyone will really like them, I think the whole world will really enjoy them.”
Ronaldinho also described his first impressions of the studio and gameplay: “I was surprised and very happy, everything is very beautiful, everything is very innovative, so I believe that’s why everyone will really like them, so I’m looking forward to everyone starting to enjoy them a lot.”
On why CreedRoomz expects the titles to gain traction, he said: “These are different games. I think that will attract attention, the fact that football is a global passion also helps, so I believe everyone will like it for those reasons.. and for the innovation of everything that is happening.”
CreedRoomz linked the interview to upcoming “World Cup and R10 Tournaments,” with Ronaldinho closing by telling fans: “A message of gratitude for the continued affection. I’m very happy and excited. for the next competitions for the next games, the games are all ready, I hope everyone enjoys them and everyone be very happy and have good times together.”
The post Ronaldinho visits CreedRoomz Yerevan studio to front Marble Cup and Kickoff Roulette appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Gamification
Soft2Bet launches MEGA Shoot World Cup gamification engine
Soft2Bet has launched MEGA Shoot, a football-themed gamification engine designed around the 2026 FIFA World Cup, aimed at helping sportsbook operators retain players during the tournament.
The product will be deployed across selected Soft2Bet brands including Betinia, Swiper, Campobet, ToonieBet and Elabet, with availability spanning markets including Denmark, Greece, Mexico, New Jersey, Ontario, Romania, and the rest of Canada, according to the company.
MEGA Shoot uses a player-versus-player best-of-five penalty shootout format. Players alternate between striker and goalkeeper, with the striker selecting where to shoot and the goalkeeper selecting where to defend. Each round resolves as a goal or a save before roles switch.
Soft2Bet said early internal results show 31.9% engagement among active players across selected brands, with 71.2% of MEGA Shoot players going on to play a second match. The company also claims a 13.5% player retention uplift.
Yoel Zuckerberg, Chief Product Officer at Soft2Bet, said: “The World Cup runs from 11 June to 19 July, so retention has to work across the full tournament calendar. MEGA Shoot gives operators a football game that players can understand quickly, with head-to-head competition tied to the sport they already follow. With almost 32% engagement among active players and about 71% converting into a second match, the early data shows how tournament-led gamification can strengthen sportsbook engagement during major football events.”
The post Soft2Bet launches MEGA Shoot World Cup gamification engine appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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