GAMES AGREEMENT BETWEEN 888.COM AND CTXM

GAMES AGREEMENT BETWEEN 888.COM AND CTXM Wider entertainment offering made possible by new partnership Gibraltar-based online gambling group 888.com and the Riga, Latvia-based gaming software developer CXTM SIA have signed a partnership agreement which will see a wider range of gaming products available to 888.com websites and white label licensees. Financial details of the arrangement were not disclosed. The agreement follows a similar arrangement signed with NextGen Gaming at the end of last (March) month (see previous InfoPowa report). 888.com spokesmen said that the CTXM partnership is part of the company's plan to become an entertainment destination by widening its entertainment offering through the integration of third party games. The partnership is the culmination of a long association between the two companies. CTXM's games have a proven track record of popularity and will soon become readily available to customers of 888 and its white label partners, with customisation available to the large variety of clients and audiences 888 serves worldwide. A company statement says that the partnership intends to release a number of games customised for 888 on a periodical basis, incorporating full integration between 888's Integration Platform and CTXM's  'White Label Platform.' The launch initially includes customised versions of two of CTXM's games, 'Cards HiLo' and 'Wild Wheel.' Gabi Campos, Senior VP, Head of Offering for 888 commented: "Given the broad appeal of casual gaming, and CTXM's track record in this space, this agreement is a logical extension to 888's gaming environment, and continues the expansion of what 888 offers customers. "The 888 Integration Platform was set up to enable third party game providers to swiftly connect into 888's gaming environment, wallet, cashier and customer support systems, and our brand and marketing engines make 888 the best platform in online gaming for third parties to debut or expand." CTXM products have been used by many leading companies in the industry, including Bwin, Sportingbet, Ladbrokes, Expekt, VCBet, Blue Square, Betsafe, Paddy Power and others. The company provides a full scope of IT services to leading I-gaming operators including the reviving of legacy systems, custom development of sportsbooks, racebooks, and casino platforms, software and system maintenance, data-centers design and build projects, security consulting and game application development.  The games development unit at CTXM products both to the gaming industry (Microsoft Xbox Division for example) and to some of the biggest i-gambling operators. CTXM virtual sports and soft fix odds games feature rich multimedia effects using Flash, and Java technologies and are designed for use across platforms supporting Internet, Mobile technologies (WAP, J2ME) and ITV. Closing off a busy week for the online gambling group, the Financial Times reports that 888 has also announced its intention to move into payment services, which will be offered primarily to gaming companies, but also to companies not in the sector. The FT says that the service will be aimed at "…highly rated companies that transact more than US$50 million a year".