Major games developer Pragmatic Play has provided its full catalogue of best-selling slots to the platform StarCasino.it, a part of Betsson Group’s Italian empire. The deal, which amounts to an expansion across the Italian market for Pragmatic Play, signals the continued growth of the developer and an ambitious move in a time of great uncertainty for the Italian gaming industry.
Italy’s new populist coalition government was sworn in on the 1st of June, and, given that it consists principally of members of the left-leaning Five Star Movement and the far-right League party, it is bound to face some tensions, both internal and external, in terms of direction. The leaked draft of a new gambling bill in late May did nothing to reassure the established Italian gaming industry; the bill suggested a tightening of regulations and the shutting down of numerous slots and live terminals. It remains to be seen, however, if anything comes of the draft.
Meanwhile, Pragmatic Play and many other operators are powering ahead. Pragmatic Play’s Chief Commercial Officer, Melissa Summerfield, offered the following statement in the wake of the new deal: “We are proud to bring our games to StarCasino’s players, and are confident that our flair for engaging features, enjoyable themes and exceptional underlying maths will make them … favourites. This agreement is an important milestone for us, building on our brand presence with yet another highly regarded operator.”
Pragmatic Play has been a fast-growing player in the game development scene for some time now, producing content for both desktop and mobile providers. Its current portfolio offers more than 80 slot titles, providing gaming across twenty-six languages.
Betsson Group is a great catch for them in terms of partnerships. The company runs over twenty gaming brands and has an impressive fifty-plus-year track history. Andrea Rossi, Betsson Group’s Managing Director for Southern Europe and Latin America, offered the following statement: “At StarCasino, we work hard to give players the best possible online casino experience… offering them fresh and exciting games is obviously an important part of that.”
Pragmatic Play’s latest release (it tends to launch two titles every month) is Ancient Egypt, a 3×5 slot with 10 paylines that offers free spins and bonus action. Some of their most popular legacy titles include Chilli Heat, Wolf Gold and Star Jackpot. They look set to continue with their consistent growth, and are widely expected to approach further new market spaces in the future.
