|  Playtech - home page of the online casino software provider Playtech. History of PlaytechPlaytech History article by WCD StaffPlaytech was founded in 1999 by a group of entrepreneurs that came from the casino, software engineering, and multi media industries, the perfect recipe for success in online gaming! This group had kept a close on the Internet gambling industry since the mid ‘90s and in 1999 they decided it was time to enter this newly exploding market with a brand new point of view. During this time choice was very limited for online casino operators. The lack of competition ultimately resulted in poor quality, lack of customization, and ultimate boredom, the same game over and over again, no creativity, no innovation. Playtech’s founders saw this as opportunity knocking on their virtual doors, and by all means, they planned to answer! The year 2000 brought hard work to the Playtech team, and lots of it! Collaboration with land based casino operators helped the Playtech team find and examine weaknesses in the online market. Playtech found that the many of the current online casino operators had become enchanted by the novelty of digital gambling, and saw this as an end in itself. Playtech planned at this point to bring online gambling closer to its original land based casino roots. Eliminating some of the things online gambling enthusiasts had learned to live with, such as slow response times, jumpy cards, and the lack of identity, that created an anonymous online presence. Playtech set out to bring Internet gamblers smooth games with a realistic appearance that compared favorably to land based slot machines, as well as bring customer service that a player might find in a brick and mortar casino to the World Wide Web’s casinos. All of this was taken into consideration, when finally; the first blueprints of Playtech’s software architecture began to take form. In 2001, it all really started coming together for Playtech beginning with the launch of Club Dice casino. Club Dice casino featured version 1.1 of Playtech’s client software, which included fresh features like player comp points, a VIP club, transaction histories, multi-platform compatibility and a multiplayer mode. After all, it wasn’t a small splash in the market Playtech was after here. Playtech put all of last years research, sweat and hard work into Club Dice, developing a game that brought Playtech’s vision to life. An online casino that spoiled its players in the same way a land based casino would. This new casino brought the power of player retention to online casino operators topping anything else available at the time! Players found the casino to be compact, easy to download, server connections were as near to real time as one could find anywhere. Playtech also included fabulous affiliate tracking properties that actually began to track new online casino players before they actually signed up and began to play. This new software tracked users personalities, brought incite into their likes and dislikes, tracked habits, just as if they were playing in a land based casino, getting to know the staff there on a first name basis. Swiss Casino marked Playtech’s first major deal with an existing online casino operator. This deal brought on the introduction of Playtech’s software version 1.2 which included 6 brand new games, and progressive jackpots, multi-line slots, and more. Once again, Playtech takes another step towards bringing online slots games closer to those we play in land based casinos. Next up; City Club Casino was opened due to a deal with yet another existing online casino. Now its one thing for Playtech to tell us they were great, that their idea’s were winning ideas, and that they planned to take the market by storm with their big changes and bigger ideas, it’s another thing entirely when we see that evidence with our own eyes as we did with Playtech in their very first year of operation. Nearing the end of 2001 Club Dice Casino was chosen as one of the top 10 Online Casinos by Jupiter Media Metrix. This was a huge honor for a company that was still in its first year! This award was the beginning of something huge, and it was time for the online gaming world to take notice. As a nice way to finish off their first successful year in operation, Playtech and a Russian group of land based casino operators together launched Brandy Casino. Playtech started out 2002 with the opening of both Tropez and Gold Gate online casinos, which featured Playtech’s ‘new generation’ client software. This new software featured 45 new casino games, richer, more realistic animated 3D graphics, faster, and smaller yet, client software downloads. More payment options for casino players to choose from, and yet another upgrade to the affiliate management and advertiser tracking programs. The new update featured a multilevel marketing ability allowing affiliates to recruit sub affiliates ten levels deep. Later in 2002, Playtech embarked on a tremendous challenge that was the talk of many gambling related magazines, web logs, and online casino portals, and in the air at every trade convention, could they do it? Sunny and Intercontinental Casinos were both on their way to Playtech, moving over from another well established 3rd party software designer. Sunny group launched Casino Fortune, Miami Beach Casino and Mapau Casino, and Intercontinental Casinos introduced USA Casino and New York Casino. The challenge here was to transfer and integrate many very big and successful operations and transfer them to a new integrated version of Playtech’s ‘New Generation’ software. Not only did they succeed with flying colors, Playtech also launched a new progressive network exclusive to Sunny Group, the Sunny Progressive. Moving forward, and acquiring still more established clients, such as; Pair of Dice ltd, who launched Black Widow Casino, and Grand Banks Casino using none other than the Playtech platform, Playtech goes to work once again, improving upon their software some more. Now we are into the summer of 2002 where Playtech launched software that included live online support that worked much like Instant messenger programs. This was the first occurrence live help in an online casino, actual person to person assistance, which brought Playtech casino’s light years ahead of all others in terms of player confidence, and online casino customer service! Not to mention, keeping in line with Playtech’s original vision, of bringing the land based casino experience to the internet, and losing the anonymous existence held by internet based casinos until Playtech’s introduction. Refer a Friend bonus programs were also introduced, these programs awarded online casino players both cash and prizes for referring friends and family to give the slots a spin as well. Playtech also included a compulsive gambling prevention tool, a great showing of humanity and compassion by Playtech developers, ensuring high standards of socially responsible gambling in all online casinos’s licensed by Playtech. Brand new games that were at this time exclusive to Playtech are also introduced, such as; Multi-Line Multi-Spin slot machines, and the game of Blackjack Switch. Blackjack Switch was designed in cooperation with a UK based games innovator. These new features must have been a hit, as several established and brand new internet casinos quickly began converting over to the new and improved Playtech software. To start 2003 out with a bang, Playtech launched their latest product, live internet gaming. This new innovative internet gambling option included a real time video streamed concept that featured live dealers. Again we see Playtech forging ahead; adding human contact to online gambling with dealers players can actually see and chat with. Internet players were now able to not only chat with their dealer, but watch the dealer actually spinning the roulette wheels, or tossing the cards into the air, and rolling the dice. The addition of live visible dealers not only brought forth more human contact between player and casino, it multiplied trust levels by unimaginable degrees, after all, if we see it, then we know it is real, thus relieving internet gamblers of any notions that online casino’s were cheating them. So having made more than a splash in the world of online casino’s, and becoming very quickly a well established and trusted casino software developer, what was next for Playtech? Online Bingo. Playtech announced their first licensed bingo operation, Ruby Bingo, in 2003. Ruby Bingo was, and is operated by InterContinental Casino’s (remember them from earlier, when New York and USA Casino came to Playtech). The world had already been introduced to online bingo; however, things were again going to change. Playtech already being known for their above and beyond attitude, obviously had some new introductions for the land of internet bingo. First up, the now ever popular ‘quick buy’ feature that allows online bingo players to buy several cards at one time with just a click or two of their mouse was introduced. Next, what's the point in having huge coverall games if no one knows about them? Playtech quickly solved this dilemma with easy to access pop up game schedules that showed online bingo players upcoming bingo games. Also included was an enhanced chat feature, greatly improving the online bingo players overall bingo experience, bringing the land based bingo hall into the online bingo room. Playtech started with private bingo chat rooms, added emoticons, real time help much like that already offered in their online casino software. Game histories were introduced that offered bingo players game histories that included all of their previously selected numbers, and more. There is a lot more involved in enjoying a game, be it land based or online than just the mechanics of the game, realizing this, and striving to provide the best only bingo experience to meld with their already superior online casino formats, Playtech once again took it a step further, upping the Bingo ante with new fully customizable dauber options, a very big deal in the land based bingo world. Game settings were now customizable as well, scratch cards were introduced, and of course, embedded slot machines and progressive games were added into the world of Playtech internet bingo. Having made a name for themselves around the globe in both the online casino and online bingo worlds, Playtech now took a step into sportsbooks by entering into a deal with a big name in Sportsbetting, BetWWTS.com, together they launched their flagship sportsbetting casino, Bet Casino. Later Playtech takes a stronger hold on the sportsbetting industry introducing the first online sportsbook licensed and regulated in North America, Sports Interaction. Sports Interaction Casino is a branded casino operating on the Playtech platform. So here we are at the start of 2004 and Playtech has made humongous headway in many online gambling industries, beginning with online casino’s moving into internet bingo, and making their way towards online sportsbetting, that leaves one more big industry in the world of online gambling. You guessed it, online poker! In 2004 Playtech introduced the world to the iPoker network. The iPoker network was the first ever to offer the choice between two dimensional and 3D side view playing modes in one online application. Multiple tournament options were included, along with animated avatars, and stronger, more advanced player collusion prevention tools. In 2005 Playtech released an all new customized software package directed at online sportsbook operators. This new software package included virtual horse racing, 14 brand new fixed odds games, flash games that were instantly accessible, and integrated live scores and odds data tickers. Not one to be sidetracked easily, Playtech launches yet another software upgrade for their gaming platform, this new update, code named NG, featured new games, up to date improved functionality, and brand new to the market features like, multi-game play. Playtech's expanded internet gaming portfolio now included brand new slot machines, Playtech exclusive arcade games, and additional card games. In 2006 Playtech launches an all new subsidiary, Videobet, offering a definite head start due to their involvement with and years of working with Playtech, now well known as an innovative force in the gaming industry. Videobet offered an inclusive land-based visual display unit for operators wanting to make their operations more efficient and increase industry performance. A milestone in the history of Playtech happened on March 28th of 2006, when Playtech shares were successfully allowed into the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange, valuing Playtech at roughly £548 million. Playtech’s stock is traded under the ticker symbol PTEC.L and have been placed with international institutional investors from both the US and the UK. This is clearly a statement that needs no words, publicly endorsing Playtech's offering, business model, vision and future prospects. | |
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