Category Games News

After just days ago signing a landmark content agreement with casino software provider, SkillOnNet, Malta-based multi-product content provider, Pragmatic Play, has announced the launch of its latest title, John Hunter and The Aztec Treasure.

A further expansion of its portfolio, the new 5×6 slot sees the return of the adventurous hero from the wildly popular Da Vinci’s Treasure, as the dashing John Hunter uncovers the secrets of the Aztec civilization as he navigates the reels.

“We are delighted to release our newest John Hunter adventure”

According to the official press release…

…the variable pay ways video slot is set deep in the dangerous jungle and is there that the Indiana Jones-esque Hunter battles the deadly inhabitants that protect the ancient temple.

Random win multiplier:

If our lead character finds three or more Aztec amulets among the reels’ black panthers, cards J, Q, K & A, Toucan, serpent, cowboy hat, lasso and torch, the extra spins mode is triggered. When that happens, our hero is transported to a ‘gold-drenched version of reality’ that once existed in the heart of the former Aztec world, while the reels expand and lead to higher wins by way of a random win multiplier.

“John Hunter and the Aztec Treasure contains a thrilling bonus round”

Supporting the game’s title is an immersive presentation featuring a moving backdrop complete with detailed ruins, both of which are further complemented by an engaging soundtrack.

Commenting on the new online slot, Chief Business Development Officer for Pragmatic Play, Yossi Barzely, said…

“We are delighted to release our newest John Hunter adventure, where everyone’s favourite hero battles through the jungle to gain untold riches.

“John Hunter and the Aztec Treasure contains a thrilling bonus round, and with its huge win potential we look forward to players getting their hands on ancient trinkets.”

Award-winning portfolio:

The Maltese developer’s new launch is the latest addition to its popular library of games and follows the release of the treasure-filled, Pirate Gold, in May, that joins top-performing titles such as Mustang Gold, Da Vinci’s Treasure, and the highly-rated howler, Wolf Gold.

Strategic signings:

In addition to the previously mentioned deal that sees the company significantly increase its presence in a number of regulated markets through SkillOnNet, including the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Schleswig Holstein, Spain and Portugal…

…in a move that has expanded its Latin American footprint, Pragmatic also recently inked content supply deals with Colombian operator Wplay.co., and has taken its pioneering live casino portfolio live with international online betting company, Parimatch.

Pragmatic’s entire portfolio of live casino games, scratchcards, bingo, and video slots is available to all of its operator partners by way of a single API.

A lucky online casino player in Sweden is celebrating this week after taking home €7,832,262 ($8,833,383) in cash courtesy of the progressive jackpot tied to the Joker Millions video slot from developer, Yggdrasil Gaming Limited.

Mobile pay-day:

The Malta-based firm used an official press release to detail that the life-changing sum was won late on Friday evening after the aficionado used their mobile phone to wager some €0.48 ($0.55) on the five-reel and 25-line title via the LeoVegas.com domain from Swedish online casino operator, LeoVegas AB.

Record-setting windfall:

Fredrik Elmqvist, Chief Executive Officer for Yggdrasil Gaming Limited, declared that the progressive jackpot attached to its Joker Millions game has been awarding players with cash prizes since 2015 before explaining that the most recent windfall represents the attraction’s largest ever payout.

Elmqvist’s statement read…

“We are thrilled to see a player win such a life-changing sum of money, especially this close to Christmas and while playing one of our slot games on mobile. Joker Millions is our first progressive slot and it is beloved by both operators and players. With more operators continuing to join the Yggdrasil Gaming Limited network, the jackpot will be building up again quickly.”

Prizes a-plenty:

Yggdrasil Gaming Limited is a subsidiary of Swedish online casino giant, Cherry AB, which is responsible for over a dozen domains including SunnyPlayer.com, SveaCasino.com and CherryCasino.com, with the firm stating that its network of global progressive jackpots has so far awarded video slot aficionados with approximately €26.9 million ($30.3 million) in cash.

Operator is ‘really happy’:

For his part, James Ford from Stockholm-headquartered LeoVegas AB, proclaimed that progressive jackpots ‘always create excitement’ and that the operator had ‘been keeping a close eye on this one’ excitedly waiting for it to be hit.

Ford’s statement read…

“What a record win. We’re really happy it was triggered at LeoVegas.com and pass huge congratulations on to our lucky player.”

Henrik Tjärnström, CEO of Kindred Group, announced the company’s plans for the US markets. He stated that the company might not be capable of keeping up with the high costs of the market after releasing its sportsbook platform.

A decrease in revenue:

The company’s revenue in Q4 last year hasn’t met expectations in many markets worldwide, but in North America, the loss was the most significant. EBITDA losses were about $18 million during the quarter, and marketing costs alone were $11.1 million. The gross win revenue was $5.3 million, which is 38 percent less than the last year’s. However, one of the reasons for that was the record payout – Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale has won $5.3m with the Unibet brand sportsbook. So, if that didn’t happen, the company would increase by 24%, with the revenue reaching $10.6m.

The company has already left Iowa’s market. It was the first one to leave because of the high marketing costs and lack of regulation of the iGaming market in the state. Tjärnström said that more markets are about to be left, but the company wanted to give its new sportsbook a chance to try and increase the profit before making any final decision. 

He spoke with the investors and said: “We have always been clear that we are looking at things on an ongoing basis. As we said before, we have refocused our investments from across all states in our footprint to focus on the multiproduct states. 

“We exited Iowa in December, and we have chosen not to pick up one of the unnamed market access opportunities we had in our portfolio, and for sure, (more exits) could be an outcome going forward as well that we do further refinements on that.”

The new platform will be released in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Ontario later this year, and after careful analysis, the next steps will be determined. The company will continue to analyze the various markets and reduce its costs. The goal is to focus on multiproduct markets where they can be among the top ten operators. 

The tough year for the company:

Last year’s revenue was $1.2 billion, 16.7% less than in 2021. The fourth quarter did note an increase of 20%, but it wasn’t unexpected since that’s when the FIFA World Cup was held. However, even from this quarter, the company expected more, and the results haven’t met the expectations. 

There is still hope – in some markets, the increase has been recorded. E.g. in the Netherlands, the increase was 12% compared to the previous year. 

Closing his remarks, Tjärnström concluded: “2022 has been a difficult year in many ways, not only for Kindred. However, while the geopolitical uncertainty and cost-of-living challenges remain, the actions now taken and a large customer database from the fourth quarter will strengthen our path towards our 2025 financial targets.”

Swintt, a popular online casino content provider, has made a debut in Serbia by entering a partnership with a leading Serbian online gaming operator, Admiral Bet. The deal will help the Serbian gambling brand extend its offerings with the widely popular titles of the Malta-based game studio to make the most of the provider’s latest market debut for both entities.