• Bespoke 888 Casino branded studio planned for Riga, Latvia
• Range of Playtech live dealer tables and exclusive content like live slots
• Live dealer vertical continues to boom across the online casino sector

888 has signed a deal with Playtech to expand its live dealer operations significantly. The move reaffirms that live casino games online are hugely attractive to players.

Playtech will offer a bespoke live dealer branded studio for 888 Casino, based at its live dealer HQ in Riga in Latvia. The studio will feature an extensive quota of live dealer games, plus exclusive content from Playtech, such as live slots.

888 Casino has put a lot of emphasis on its live dealer offering, and this new deal reaffirms the significance it sees in future growth.

Guy Cohen, the Senior Vice President and Head of B2C at 888, said: “At 888, we are constantly looking for partnerships that strengthen our product offering, and I believe Playtech’s Live Casino and RNG content will do exactly that.

“The new games will expand upon our existing suite of games to provide new, exciting and engaging gaming experiences within a safe and secure environment. I look forward to welcoming Playtech’s content onto 888 Casino and growing our partnership together.”

Live dealer studio

Playtech’s live dealer studio in Riga’s walled city has an 8,500-metre capacity – larger than any other live casino facility. The studio offerings include blackjack, baccarat, roulette and casino poker. Other clients include William Hill, BGO, PaddyPower and Betfair.

Edo Haitin, the CEO of Live Casino at Playtech, said the 888 Casino deal was a reflection of the way the industry is heading.

He explained: “888’s significant investment in, and commitment to, the live casino vertical demonstrates just how important an entertainment-led experience is becoming for the modern player.

“Our partnership comes at a time when we are launching more new games and variants than ever. We’re delighted to be working with a market leader like 888 to deliver an exciting, innovative live and RNG offering for their players.”

Playtech’s Commercial Director, Yori Arami, added: “The new RNG content agreement means 888 will have access to Playtech’s substantial range of new and innovative online casino games, coming from its strong line-up of game studios.

“This will include access to Playtech’s branded content, including titles such as the Sporting Legends Suite and the recently launched Rubik’s Cube, all powered by the industry’s most popular progressive jackpots.

“We look forward to continuing the successful partnership across many markets over the coming years.”

888 Casino an industry force

888 has been a leader in the online gaming sector since launching back in 1997. 888 Casino won casino operator of the year at the EGR awards in 2019.

Some analysts predicted Playtech, which recently extended its reach in the United States, and 888 could merge at some point, which would make for a huge gaming giant. There is sure to be new speculation that the two could get closer following this deal.