Apricot Celebrates 30 Years, Redefining Microgaming Legacy with Platform Focus

Microgaming-rebranded-to-ApricotCelebrating its 30th anniversary, Apricot—formerly known as Microgaming Software Systems Limited—marks this milestone with a bold rebranding that looks ahead. Known for its pioneering work in online gaming, Apricot has transitioned away from content aggregation to focus on delivering advanced platform software solutions, setting a new course for its future. This evolution captures the company’s history while redefining its role as a platform-driven technology provider for the gaming industry.

Evolving from Gaming Content to Platform Expertise

The transformation of Apricot began in 2022 when Games Global acquired Microgaming’s game assets and distribution network, allowing Apricot to zero in on its platform services. With this shift, Apricot has dedicated itself to creating a secure, scalable infrastructure to support leading gaming brands worldwide. By focusing exclusively on platform software, Apricot now enables seamless, responsible gaming experiences, processing over 210 million bets daily and earning over 20 industry awards, solidifying its position as a trusted name in iGaming.

A Fresh Visual Identity Signaling Apricot’s New Path

Aligned with its platform-focused mission, Apricot has introduced a refreshed visual identity that captures both its evolved focus and its heritage as Microgaming. The updated look symbolizes Apricot’s shift from a content distributor to a dedicated platform provider, reinforcing its commitment to delivering robust technology for gaming brands. This cohesive design extends across all brand materials, enhancing Apricot’s recognition in the market and emphasizing a clear, professional focus on advanced gaming solutions. With bold, contemporary graphics, the revitalized brand breathes fresh life into Apricot’s people-first philosophy and dedication to innovation.

While Apricot’s visuals have transformed, core elements like the name and logo remain intact, preserving the brand’s legacy while representing its future ambitions.

New Website and Digital Presence

Alongside its rebranding, Apricot has launched an updated website that embodies its refined vision and showcases its historical achievements, present capabilities, and future goals. This digital platform provides users with a cohesive view of Apricot’s investments, partnerships, and the strength of its partner network. As an intuitive platform, it represents Apricot’s commitment to delivering reliable technology solutions that support seamless and responsible gaming experiences.

Looking to the Future

This 30th anniversary is not only a celebration of Apricot’s heritage as Microgaming but also a vision for its future as a platform-driven technology leader. Throughout 2024, Apricot aims to increase brand visibility, leveraging owned media and strategic partnerships to establish itself as a leader in iGaming software solutions. This enhanced strategy aligns with Apricot’s commitment to innovation and responsible gaming, promising continued support to its clients, partners, and the global gaming community.

In the years to come, Apricot’s dedication to platform excellence and industry evolution will remain at the forefront, underscoring its transformation from a pioneer in online gaming to a leader in platform technology.

Source:

Microgaming Unveils a New Chapter: A Platform for the Future, linkedin.com, 2024.

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IGT Launches Super Star Poker II and Celebrates Renato Ascoli’s Hall of Fame Induction

IGT-Brings-Award-winning-Poker-Portfolio-to-Spain-with-Casino-BarcelonaInternational Game Technology PLC (IGT) has made headlines with two major announcements. Firstly, the launch of the Super Star Poker™ II game pack on the PeakBarTop™ Buddy Bar™ cabinet at Casino Barcelona in Spain marks a significant enhancement to its gaming offerings. Secondly, Renato Ascoli, IGT’s CEO of Global Lottery, has been honored with an induction into the Lottery Industry Hall of Fame for his extensive contributions to the industry.

Super Star Poker II Launches at Casino Barcelona

IGT’s Super Star Poker II game pack has debuted at Casino Barcelona, featuring in the newly created “IGT Video Poker Area.” This area is designed to showcase IGT’s legendary video poker content, offering players an array of engaging themes and game types. Super Star Poker II includes single and multi-hand poker games, as well as Keno, roulette, and popular slot themes like Temple of Fire™ and Scarab™.

“Casino Barcelona is thrilled to offer our guests IGT’s world-class poker innovations in a specially designated video poker space,” said Erwin Alonso Buchhas, Slot Manager at Casino Barcelona. “Our collaboration with IGT brings a new level of gaming entertainment to players and will complement our robust collection of popular IGT slots games on our casino floor.”

The PeakBarTop™ Buddy Bar™ cabinet, an evolution of IGT’s award-winning PeakBarTop™ cabinet, enhances the gaming experience with a premium 23-inch high-definition curved LCD screen. This design combines a classic feel with contemporary ergonomic features, ensuring exceptional image quality and player comfort.

“IGT is excited to partner with Casino Barcelona to bring our performance-proven Super Star Poker II game pack on the PeakBarTop Buddy Bar hardware to players in Barcelona,” said Nick Khin, IGT Chief Operating Officer, Gaming. “Casino Barcelona’s dedicated IGT Video Poker Area is a great environment for players to enjoy celebrated IGT poker themes that are loved by players throughout the world.”

Renato Ascoli Inducted into the Lottery Industry Hall of Fame

Adding to the celebrations, Renato Ascoli, CEO of Global Lottery at IGT, will be inducted into the Lottery Industry Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2024. This accolade recognizes Ascoli’s nearly two decades of influential leadership in the lottery and gaming sectors.

“With nearly 20 years of experience serving in high-level positions in the lottery and gaming industries, Renato Ascoli is an accomplished senior executive whose leadership has been paramount in driving new business and innovation,” said Vince Sadusky, IGT CEO. “Renato has a keen ability to identify and realize business growth opportunities, and his contributions will benefit the lottery industry for years to come. IGT congratulates Renato on his well-deserved induction into this year’s Lottery Industry Hall of Fame.”

In his role, Ascoli oversees global lottery and iLottery sales and operations, product and sales development, and technology support for IGT’s numerous lottery customers. Since the merger of GTECH and IGT in 2015, Ascoli has led both the Global Lottery and Global Gaming business units. His notable achievements include launching sports betting with the Rhode Island Lottery, initiating operations with the Mississippi Lottery, and deploying lottery terminals in Walmart stores.

“I am incredibly honored to be inducted into the Lottery Industry Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024,” said Ascoli. “Working in the lottery industry with many great leaders and innovators has been an absolute privilege. The future of the lottery industry is bright, and I look forward to helping our customers propel the modernization of lottery worldwide while continuing to generate funds for philanthropic causes.”

Ascoli’s earlier tenure at Lottomatica, one of the largest lotteries in the world, saw him lead the successful launch of the Gratta e Vinci (Scratch & Win) instant ticket brand in Italy and secure the exclusive Lotto concession in Italy with a consortium led by IGT.

Sources:

IGT Brings Award-Winning Poker Portfolio to Spain with Casino Barcelona, July 15, 2024.

IGT IGT CEO Global Lottery Renato Ascoli Inducted into Lottery Industry Hall of Fame, July 17, 2024.

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Rivers Casino Pittsburgh Celebrates 15th Anniversary With New Events Space

Rivers Casino Pittsburgh turns 15 years old in August. In anticipation of celebrating its quindecennial, the resort owned and operated by Chicago-based Rush Street Gaming recently finished a $6.6 million refreshment of the property.  

Rivers Casino Pittsburgh events rewards
The newly opened Bridges Ballroom at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh overlooks the Ohio River. Rivers Casino recently spent $6.6 million to update and expand its events spaces and offer VIPs a dedicated players’ lounge. (Image: Rivers Casino Pittsburgh)

The investment focused on events, with the $6.6 million budget primarily allocated towards updating and expanding the casino’s ballrooms.

The project included a new events room called the Bridges Ballroom, a 7,044-square-foot second-floor venue overlooking the Ohio River. The indoor-outdoor space features a balcony and panoramic views of the river. Bridges can be broken down into three smaller rentable spaces ranging from the 1,151-square-foot Fort Duquesne Room to the 4,036-square-foot Fort Pitt Room.

Rivers added four private meeting rooms, too. The breakout spaces offer executives and boards an array of configurations.

With the [city’s professional sports] stadiums and other nearby attractions on the North Shore — not to mention our own full-service gaming floor, BetRivers Sportsbook, and The Landing Hotel — our events calendar fills up quickly,” Bud Green, general manager of Rivers Pittsburgh, said in a statement. “We’re happy to provide new spaces and more dates for hosting conferences, weddings, and special events.”

The casino’s largest space — the 25,000-square-foot Event Center — also underwent a refurbishment. The concert hall has sold out numerous shows from such acts as Boyz II Men, K.C. & The Sunshine Band, and an appearance from “Long Island Medium” star Theresa Caputo.

Player Amenities

Along with the event capabilities being expanded and upgraded, Rivers Casino Pittsburgh added amenities for gamblers. In addition to a full-service Starbucks Coffee located just inside the casino’s front entrance, Rivers opened a dedicated lounge for its VIPs.

The Black Card Room is billed as the casino’s “ultra-exclusive” casino retreat for Rush Rewards Players Club members who have achieved the loyalty program’s highest tier. The Black Card Room opened at the end of 2023.

To become a Black Card member in the Rush Rewards program, a patron must acquire a minimum of 25,000 tier points in six months. Rewards players receive a single tier point for every $5 played on slots and for every $10 bet on sports. Table games excluding poker award points based on average wager and length of play. Video poker provides a half point for every $5 played.

100 points equals $1 in free food and beverage. 200 points can be redeemed for $1 in free slot play.

Black Card members receive complimentary stays at Atlantis in the Bahamas, free priority valet, free check cashing, slot holds upon request, and four annual complimentary nights at Rio Las Vegas.

Rivers Market Share

Pennsylvania’s 17 brick-and-mortar commercial casinos last year generated gross gaming revenue (GGR) of $3.435 billion on their slots and table games.

Rivers Pittsburgh won $267.3 million on its slots to rank third in the state. The casino’s felt kept $87.2 million of players’ bets to place fifth.

With a combined GGR of approximately $354.5 million, Rivers Casino Pittsburgh maintained a more than 10% market share of the Pennsylvania casino industry in 2023.

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SOFTSWISS Celebrates Success at 2023 iGaming IDOL Awards

softswiss-becomes-igaming-brand-idol-2023SOFTSWISS, the international supplier of software and content for online casinos and sports betting websites, has announced that the company has achieved great success at iGaming IDOL Awards 2023, an annual industry event that celebrates the best performers in the realm of online gambling.

At this year’s event, SOFTSWISS was designated Brand IDOL of the Year, an award that the company says represents “a significant milestone” in its history. The award recognizes the success of the brand awareness campaigns launched by SOFTSWISS over the past year, including “Bringing the Heat,” “Make Your Business a Classic” and “Grab Success.”

SOFTSWISS acknowledged that it has tried to develop “creative and eye-catching” marketing campaigns in order to expand its business throughout the European continent but also in Latin America and Asia.

Not The First Award

Valentina Bagniya, Chief Marketing Officer at SOFTSWISS, declared herself “truly honored to stand among the industry’s best and brightest at the esteemed iGaming IDOL.” The SOFTSWISS executive added that the award represents “a testament to the collective passion and dedication” shown by the company’s team.

The SOFTSWISS Chief Marketing Officer also added that the award will further motivate the company to seek to understand what the customers need and then create “top-tier products” by putting their creativity to use.

SOFTSWISS has already secured two other awards for its marketing efforts this year: EGR Marketing and Innovation Awards and Best Marketing Campaign at EiGE Awards. The addition of the Brand IDOL of the Year award further recognizes the prowess of the company’s marketing campaigns.

A Powerful Company

SOFTSWISS was a pioneer in the iGaming industry as in 2013 it was the first supplier to launch a Bitcoin-optimized online casino solution. Since then the company has grown significantly, becoming a respected international provider of software solutions for managing gambling operations.

The company now has a team of over 1,700 employees which are working in offices located in Malta, Poland, Georgia, Bulgaria and Belarus. The supplier has gained several gaming licenses and provides complete iGaming software solutions.

The product portfolio currently offered by SOFTSWISS includes the Online Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator which comprises thousands of online casino games, the affiliate platform named “Affilka”, the turnkey Sportsbook Platform and the Jackpot Aggregator.

Source: “SOFTSWISS Becomes iGaming Brand IDOL 2023“. SOFTSWISS. December 1, 2023.

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