Earlier this year the Australian Minister for Human Services, Alan Tudge, announced that he would be introducing legislation to amend the Interactive Gambling Act of 2001 to remove any loopholes that currently allowed operators with licenses in Australia to offer online in-play sports betting. Today, Tudge has filed such legislation that if passed into law, would create fines for those who offer online gambling services to bettors in Australia without having a local license.

The proposed amendment, known as the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016, is a portion of the approach being made by the government to change the online gambling market in Australia. Included in the changes is in-play applications being banned, creating a National Consumer Protection Framework and cracking down on online operators who are internationally licensed.

The Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016 will amend the current law to make it clear that any operator who takes wagers from individuals in Australia without obtaining a local license will be in violation of the law. The Australian Communications and Media Authority will be authorized by Tudge to impose civil penalties on those who violate the law without calling in the Australian Federal Police. Such fines could include AUD1.35m a day for individuals, which is equal to $1m US dollars, or up to AUD6.75m for companies in violation.

On top of fines, disruption measures will be put in place to further prove the point that Australia does not want unlicensed operators offering services in their country. This will include placing directors or other principal officials of offending companies on a Movement Alert List. This means as soon as the individual sets foot in the country, they would be arrested.

Tudge has plans to meet with state ministers on the 25^th of November to discuss the National Consumer Protection Framework. The details of the NCPF could include a ban on punters credit being offered by operators, a self-exclusion list for the country as well as a voluntary pre-commitment scheme.

The new rules put in place, if the amendment were to pass, would force many operators to make tough choices in the country. Those who are in violation would be placed on a ‘name and shame’ list which would be harmful to their reputation. Such companies that operate in Australia currently without a license include PokerStars and PartyPoker.

Less than a month after premiering its Wins of Fortune video slot and the Quickspin development subsidiary of online gambling software innovator Playtech has re-launched its Goldilocks and the Wild Bears title complete with improved HTML5 graphics.

Quickspin was acquired by Isle of Man-based Playtech in March of 2016 and it declared that Goldilocks and the Wild Bears video slot now also comes complete with its Achievements Engine technology, which has been designed to offer players “a more entertaining and rewarding experience”. This innovation makes use of six unique game events to reward competitors with tokens for triggering free spin or other special features.

“Goldilocks and the Wild Bears was hugely popular when it was first released and, thanks to developments in HTML5 technology, it was an obvious step for us to give her and the game an enhanced look,” read a statement from Daniel Lindberg, Chief Executive Officer for Stockholm-based Quickspin. “With improved graphics and the addition of our innovative Achievements Engine, we are confident that players will enjoy this latest version even more than the original.”

First released in 2014, the real-money Goldilocks and the Wild Bears now offers multiplier wild symbols as well as payout-intense free spins, which are triggered when the greedy golden heroine taunts the three bears to send them wild.

“Goldilocks and the Wild Bears follows the release of successful titles including Wins of Fortune and other blockbuster games such as Sakura Fortune, Leprechaun Hills, Hot Sync and Phoenix Sun,” read a statement from Quickspin.

Do you love these old Western movies? If so, you’ll definitely enjoy this Wild West adventure! Pragmatic Play’s newest slot release, The Wild Gang, takes you to the world of cowboys, sheriffs, and saloons! Take on your cowboy boots – the adventure begins!

Explore the Wild West:

The slot has a 3-4-4-4-4-3 reel formation, and symbols are classic – bottles, sheriff badges, and all stuff that resembles the Wild West. If at least three symbols land from left to right, the win is secured.

There are four Wilds that represent the gang members. They can be found on the second, third, and fourth reels. During the base game, all characters are the same, and the reels make the difference – if they appear on the second or third reel, they can replace all paying symbols and multiply the win by up to x4.

If at least three of them land in the base game, they work as a Scatter symbol, unlocking the free spins bonus round. Wanted Free Spins round activates, and during it, the players get a chance to win x2 when they land for the first time in the round and x3 multiplier if they land twice in the same round.

If four Wilds land, the Dead or Alive Free Spins round will be activated. When the round is activated, the game grid expands to 6×4, and then the players will have up to 4.096 ways to win some of the great prizes. If additional Wild lands, the 4x multiplier is granted.

All multipliers are gathered in a meter, and they are applied to each win during the bonus round.

This is the newest release in Pragmatic Play’s portfolio, which already contains thrilling and captivating releases such as Timber Stacks and Chase for Glory.

Irina Cornides, Chief Operating Officer at Pragmatic Play, said: “We are inviting players to join The Wild Gang in this fantastic new release, with a unique reel formation and multi-functioning Wilds that we are excited to present. The Wilds are the name of the game, with chances to unlock two thrilling bonus rounds alongside multipliers, an expanded game grid, and more. The Wild Gang is a perfect showcase of Pragmatic Play’s continued aim to release dynamic, feature-rich slots that are a thrill to play every time.” 

Extended partnership with bet365:

But the new slot isn’t the only news for Pragmatic Play. The company extended the already successful partnership with bet365, and through this partnership, Pragmatic Play expanded to Spain and Sweden.

Their Spanish fans can now enjoy a range of titles such as Gates of Olympus, Sugar Rush, Big Bass Bonanza, and Sweet Bonanza. Also, apart from the slot titles, Swedish players can play live games, such as Mega Wheel and Boom City, while waiting for an upcoming bingo solution.

Previous collaboration with bet365 opened the doors to the UK and Ontario.

Following last year’s successful launch of its market-leading casino games across Coral’s network, Red Tiger Gaming has launched a selection of its titles across the online gaming brands of British-based betting and gambling company Ladbrokes Coral.

Titles from the Isle of Man-based games developer including Dragon’s Luck and Rainbow Jackpots have already been launched across the operator’s Ladbrokes, Coral, and Gala Casino-branded sites. Later this year, the games will go live on Gala Bingo, with additional titles from Red Tiger Gaming to be rolled out across all brands in the approaching months.

The integration is on the heels of the launch last year that saw online title Dragon’s Luck made available for the very first time via betting terminals situated in the London-headquartered bookmaker’s retail betting shops throughout the country.

Also to be integrated by Ladbrokes Coral is Red Tiger’s Smart Spins bonusing platform. A range of bonuses are offered to customers via the platform’s in game-communication module, in addition to its range of progressive jackpots.

Managing Director for Red Tiger Gaming, Gavin Hamilton, said, “We are thrilled to be launching our games across the Ladbrokes Coral brands, marking yet another Red Tiger integration with a leading industry operator.”

“Our games are proven to boost player retention and we’re launching superb new titles every month. Along with our exciting jackpots proposition and Smart Spins bonusing, they take the player experience to the next level. They will undoubtedly bolster Ladbrokes Coral’s leading position in the market.”

Also commenting on the integration, director of gaming content for Ladbrokes Coral Rich Barr, added, “We are committed to offering players across all our brands the most exciting and entertaining games on the market, and Red Tiger certainly meet that criteria with its wide range of slots.

“We have been extremely pleased with how Dragon’s Luck has performed in Coral’s retail shops, and believe Red Tiger’s games will enjoy similar success with our online players.”

Be sure to check out Red Tiger Gaming at Stand: N2-320 at the 24th edition of ICE Totally Gaming ExCeL London Feb. 6-8, 2018.

The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement has reportedly ordered a subsidiary of Rush Street Gaming to pay a fine of $30,000 after determining that it had allowed people below the age of 21 to place wagers via its domain at PlaySugarHouse.com.

Underage gambling infractions:

According to a Thursday report from CalvinAyre.com, the regulator’s January 7 ruling found that the American casino operator’s Rush Street Interactive NJ subordinate had violated sections of the eastern state’s Casino Control Act by ‘permitting individuals under the age of 21 to wager online’ up to January of last year.

Multi-year exploration:

It’s been reported that the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement filed its complaint concerning allegations of underage gambling at PlaySugarHouse.com in June although the regulator’s inquiry had looked as far back as November of 2016, which was only two months after the online casino and sportsbetting domain launched in partnership with Philadelphia’s SugarHouse Casino.

Software error:

As part of its investigation, the NJ regulatory body reportedly found that some 13 people between the ages of 18 and 20 had been able to establish accounts and wager via PlaySugarHouse.com although only three had gone on to deposit actual cash. The regulator moreover established that this issue had arisen from a flaw in the domain’s know-your-customer software that had ‘allowed for a three-year variation’ in the date of birth verification process.

Committed to ‘responsible gaming’:

In agreeing to pay this first-of-its-kind fine, Chicago-headquartered Rush Street Gaming told the Associated Press news service that it had alerted the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement about the defective software and that this flaw had since been rectified.

According to the statement from Rush Street Gaming…

“We take this matter very seriously. As soon as our team discovered the mis-configuration, we self-reported it to the gaming commission and took immediate action to correct and prevent recurrence. Responsible gaming is a top priority for us.”

One of the most famous iGaming aggregators and content providers. The company’s newest slot release, Dead Man’s Trail Dream Drop, takes the players to the high seas on a great treasure-hunting adventure.

Thrilling treasure hunt:

This slot is placed across five reels and has 40 paylines. The slot is high volatility, and it hides various thrilling features and mechanics that enhance the excitement and increase the winning potential of the game. 

The players will be happy to try the coin feature, Trail Bonus, as well as the already popular Dream Drop Jackpot.

What’s a treasure hunt without the map? If three or more bonus symbols land on the reels, the player will get access to the pirate map, which shows the way to the Trail Bonus. Once the Bonus is activated, the players start collecting loot across the map, taking up to 9 steps in each turn.

If the ship symbol lands on the reel, one of fifteen reactions can grant the player various awards, from multipliers to coins.

If the Scout symbol lands, it adds the 100-1000x to the normal tiles. The One-Eye symbol grants the multiplier that goes from 2x to 5x, as well as the Commander that multiplies all of the tiles from 3x to 5x. There is also a Collector, which collects all of the values of normal symbols.

Coin symbols randomly appear on the reels, and if the whole board gets filled with coin symbols, it grants the players its total value. 

If the reels get filled with Dream Drop symbols, the special treat of the game, the Dream Drop Bonus, is activated. Whenever the player comes across the Jackpot icon, the jackpot meter is filled. Once it’s full, the jackpot is triggered.

The company’s Chief Product Officer, Shelley Hannah, commented: “Dead Man’s Trail is one of the most played Relax games, to be able to boost this legendary title with the addition of the Dream Drop Jackpot is fantastic. We can’t wait to see players climb aboard the ship and sail off in search of prizes.”

Impressive portfolio and the long-expected launch:

This is the newest addition to Relax Gaming’s impressive portfolio, which currently consists of more than 4.000 online casino games. The company offers a wide selection of proprietary slots and third-party games the company gained through its advanced partnership programs.

But the company’s portfolio will get one more expansion soon – and the time couldn’t come fast enough! Relax Gaming’s hit series Money Train will get its fourth and final installment on September 20. This will be the end of the fantastic journey that started back in 2019 when the first game, Money Train, was released.