Let’s face it: There are many, many things that spring to mind about Israel before you start thinking about casinos and sports betting. But as mentioned in The Yeshiva World, the country is a “powerhouse” when it comes to the online gaming (iGaming) sector. Many important online gambling brands work out of Tel Aviv, in particular. 

But if we were to talk about Israel as having a signature iGaming company, it is undoubtedly Playtech that springs to mind. Of course, calling Playtech “Israeli” might be something of a misnomer, given it was founded in Estonia and is now a global brand with a listing on the London Stock Exchange. But the company has its roots in Israel and Tel Aviv’s tech culture through its founder, Teddy Sagi. 

Today, Playtech claims to be the world’s largest online gaming software provider. These things aren’t always easy to measure in the gaming industry, but it is certainly considered among the most prominent and well-known brands in the world. The company’s motto is “The Source of Success”, but where does Playtech’s success come from? What sets it apart from the scores and scores of other iGaming developers out there?

Playtech makes its games exclusive

The first thing to say is that there is something obvious that sets Playtech apart. The games it creates are different to other developers. Moreover, Playtech signs deals with only casino sites to keep its games exclusive. In short, you won’t find Playtech games on every site, but you will find them on the best casino sites. For instance, Mansion Casino in the UK, which is itself a global brand, has a huge range of Playtech games, including a Playtech-powered live casino platform.

Perhaps Playtech’s masterstroke was recognising early on that branding could be key to the success of games. In the 21st century, it’s not enough to create casino slot games based on bells, 7s, bars and cherries – Playtech saw that the games could be live video games. By the late 2000s, it had even struck a deal with Marvel to create a range of games based on movies like Iron Man, the Avengers and Hulk. 

These Marvel were hugely successful, although the games have now disappeared from the online market after Disney let the contract rundown after it purchased Marvel (Disney does not see gambling as being relatable to its family-friendly brand). However, Playtech moved on, creating a new range of games in partnership with DC Comics/Warner Bros. So, you can find Playtech superhero games like Justice League and the Dark Knight online today. 

Connecting games creates appeal

Another genius idea from the company was to link games through jackpot networks and other features. So, for example, the DC Comics slots are all connected with a jackpot game, and another two smash-hit series, Kingdoms Rise and Age of the Gods, also share characters and features. We know from the movies that there is an appetite for “cinematic universes” like Star Wars, Marvel and DC – Playtech basically follows the same idea for casino games. 

The company does other stuff that is perhaps unseen by the player, including platform solutions for online casinos to run on. It is also a huge employer in the ‘live’ casino industry, i.e., real casino games that are streamed to your device from a studio. Live casino arguably has the most growth potential in the sector, and Playtech is at the forefront.

Playtech has rivals – Evolution, Microgaming, IGT, among them – and it is far from being the only excellent casino software company. But since its founding in 1999, it has managed to mark itself out as a brand of quality and trust – that’s not always easy in an industry where gambling is involved. The global iGaming market is becoming more liberalised, and there are huge opportunities in countries like the United States, which is opening up to online gaming and sports betting after the 2018 Supreme Court decision. There are no sure things in betting, but you can be certain Playtech will be at the forefront of the iGaming sector for many years to come.