Weekly Live Casino News Roundup #8

We may be less than one week into the New Year, but there’s already been some big news in the live casino world. New developments, partnerships, offers and deals never stop coming. Luckily, we never stop reporting on them either! This week we’re covering a massive tax pay-out for Playtech, a big-time TV deal you might not have heard of, and some great new offers from Unibet and Mr Green.

So, grab yourself that left-over bottle of festive tipple (or maybe just a back-to-work coffee) and let us catch you up on the biggest live casino news of 2019 so far.

LotoQuebec Partners with Evolution Gaming

Being the only regulated live casino developer with a studio in Canada, Evolution Gaming was the obvious choice when the time came for the government-owned Crown Corporation of Quebec to pick a provider for their new live casino project. Known as Casino en Direct in the French language spoken by most Quebecois, the service will stream six dedicated live tables (with French speaking live dealers) from Evolution’s Vancouver Studio.

The second most populated province in the country, Quebec’s gambling market has been growing considerably in recent years. This will be Evolution’s second joint-venture with a Canadian Government owned lottery corporation, after they started working with the British Columbia Lottery Corporation early last year.

A New York Weekend for a New Year, With Unibet

Starting today (Monday 7^th of January 2019), live casino players with Unibet have a chance to bring in the New Year in the right way: with a £7,500 weekend trip for two to New York. Featuring a guided day-tour, a pair of tickets to a Broadway musical of your choice and three nights at the opulent five-star Pierre Hotel (overlooking Central Park no less) this is a truly fantastic opportunity. And that’s not all, as there are also 30 £500 cash prizes available too.

All you have to do to earn a ticket into the draw is deposit and wager £50 at any live casino table during the promotional period, which ends on Sunday the 13^th of January at 23:59. Any one player can obtain up to 50 tickets per day. Cash prizes will be distributed within 7 days of the promotion ending and come with no wagering or withdrawal requirement. The usual Unibet T&Cs apply.

PlayTech to Pay €28 Million in Back-Dated Taxes to Israel

2018 was an interesting year for Israeli developer PlayTech. As we reported back in December, they were one of the hardest hit by Italian tax hikes on gambling operators as they had just expanded into the country that year. Now, after a comprehensive audit by their home country-government, they face a further pay-out to start 2019. However, their recent investments in the new regulated markets of Sweden and Poland may help them keep the books topped up in the long run.

We here at LiveDealers.com hope so anyway, as PlayTech live casino games are up there with some of the best in the business and we’d hate to see them disappear from the market. For now, you can play PlayTechs’ games at a variety of online casinos including William Hill, Ladbrokes and BGO.

Portomaso Gaming Teams Up with FashionTV

Unashamedly, this writer had never heard of FashionTV before researching this story. However, it turns out they are a truly global brand with an audience of over 400 million; which is pretty hard to ignore for long. Live casino developer Portomaso Gaming certainly seems to think so anyway, having launched an entire new section of its Malta-based studio to stream on FashionTV’s channels. Fashion Roulette and Fashion Punto Banco (Baccarat) will begin streaming from an exclusive room in Portomaso’s land-based casino over the coming months.

“FTVGG is bringing the glamour of FashionTV into the gaming world with a variety of luxury gaming products, and we are proud to collaborate with a trusted and reputable partner, such as Portomaso Gaming” said a FashionTV spokesperson regarding the deal.

For the moment, you can check out Portomaso’s live streamed games at Betsson and Jetbull.

£50 Cash Bonuses for NetEnt Live Players at Mr. Green

As if there weren’t enough reasons to try Mr Green’s Live Beyond Live Experience already, the Green gentleman is offering £50 cash bonuses for the most loyal players of their NetEnt developed live casino games. To claim your cash (no wagering requirements) prize, simply bet a cumulative £200 on any NetEnt live casino title for three consecutive days in a row, before the 27^th of January 2019. On the completion of the third £200 threshold, your £50 cash bonus will become available instantly. You can even claim it multiple weeks in a row!

£200 may be a substantial sum for some players, but if you have the bankroll then a £50 cash bonus is nothing to be sniffed at. Plus, the NetEnt Live Beyond Live Experience is already a top-tier attraction and well worth checking out anyway. New Year – sorted!