Pragmatic Play Games

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Although it is less experienced than industry giants such as Evolution Gaming, Playtech, and Microgaming, Pragmatic Play has already made waves in the world of interactive gambling. The company specializes in RNG-based casino games, and its portfolio is dominated by sophisticated video slots.

Its roster of licensees includes leading operators such as William Hill, 888, Betfair, LeoVegas, BetVictor, and Paddy Power, among others. Pragmatic Play stepped out of its RNG comfort zone only recently, rolling out a dedicated live casino product in mid-2019.

Its live portfolio is a bit limited at the moment, but the company will certainly expand it with new tables in the future. The software supplier currently offers about twelve live roulette, blackjack, and baccarat tables. Although the range is not very diverse, the live games are well-presented and perform seamlessly across all devices.

Pragmatic Play’s Story and Achievements

12015 Launch

Pragmatic Play entered the online gambling scene in 2015 and quickly solidified its position through hard work and a genuine commitment to quality. The company is privately held and headquartered in the Maltese resort town of Sliema, with additional offices in Gibraltar. It employs more than 80 people and reported annual revenue of $2.26 million in 2017.

2Extreme Live Gaming Acquisition

When it first launched, Pragmatic Play focused exclusively on developing and distributing RNG-based casino games, with video slots as its main priority. The company quickly realized it needed to expand its product range to keep pace with rival software providers.

This led to Pragmatic Play’s landmark acquisition of Extreme Live Gaming, a live casino solutions provider that previously belonged to the Austria-based gaming company Novomatic.

Completed in June 2018, the acquisition was a key step in the company’s commercial expansion, earning it integration deals with leading online gambling brands such as Mr Green, PlayFortuna, LeoVegas, Meridianbet, and BetVictor, among others.

Extreme Live Gaming is regarded as one of the most innovative providers of live dealer solutions and is highly valued by both players and gambling brands. At the time of the acquisition, Extreme’s platform featured around ten table games, streaming live roulette, baccarat, and blackjack from its London studio.

3Live Suite Diversification

Pragmatic Play continued to diversify its selection of live casino games in the years following Extreme Live Gaming’s acquisition. One of the latest additions to its ever-expanding live portfolio arrived in May 2020, when Auto Roulette joined Pragmatic’s live gaming suite.

The company had already launched Live Speed Baccarat and Live Baccarat a couple of months earlier, in March of the same year. At the time of writing, Pragmatic Play is authorized to distribute its services in more than twenty regulated markets worldwide, offering its games in over thirty languages.

4Other Achievements and Awards

Pragmatic Play has earned numerous accolades over the years. While most of these honors celebrate the company’s achievements in RNG-based games, this article focuses on Pragmatic Play’s live dealer offering. For that reason, we highlight the accomplishments of Extreme Live Gaming, now part of the Pragmatic family.

  • Nominated for Best Live Casino Supplier at the 2017 EGR B2B Awards
  • Nominated for Best Mobile Gaming Software at the 2017 EGR B2B Awards
  • Nominated for Best Multi-Channel Supplier at the 2017 EGR B2B Awards
  • Nominated for Best Live Dealer Overall Product at the 2018 Live Gaming Summit, held at Casino Barcelona (BetConstruct won the award)
  • Shortlisted for Best In-Casino Streaming Live Dealer Provider at the 2018 Live Gaming Summit, where the award went to Evolution Gaming

Live Dealer Studio Location

locationsExtreme Live Gaming (now branded as Pragmatic Play Live) originally targeted the live gaming markets in Asia. However, the company eventually decided to move its offices to the United Kingdom and set up its live dealer studio in the capital, London.

After the successful completion of the acquisition we discussed earlier, Pragmatic Play decided to overhaul Extreme’s live tables. The company reportedly went as far as hiring former employees of live-solution giants such as Ezugi and Evolution Gaming to assist with the overhaul.

Eventually, the company decided to move the studios from their London location to Romania’s capital, Bucharest. The revamped facility has the capacity to house around 43 live tables, although further expansion of the gaming floor is also possible.

The studio environment is sophisticated, featuring green and regal gold decorations, colors that usually evoke associations with high-stakes VIP gambling. The setting is lavish, yet very airy. As for the quality of the live stream, it is superb, as expected.

The live roulette games, in particular, use four high-end 4K cameras per table to deliver the action to players’ screens. Audio quality is just as good, allowing players to clearly hear everything the live dealers say.

Certificates and Regulation

1Overview

Pragmatic Play is a certified software provider that serves more than twenty regulated markets. The company holds licenses from some of the world’s most respected gambling regulators.

It operates in full compliance with each market’s regulatory requirements, ensuring a transparent and reliable gaming experience for its licensees’ customers. Continue reading for more details on the supplier’s permits.

2UK Gambling Commission (UKGC)

After a rigorous application process, Pragmatic Play received approval from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) on April 10, 2017. The company was granted a Remote Gambling Software Operating License, a major milestone in its history given the UK regulator’s strict standards.

3Malta Gaming Authority (MGA)

Pragmatic Play also holds a license from the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA). The company obtained a Class 4 MGA license in July 2019, the highest of the authority’s four permit classes, allowing the supplier to distribute its gaming products in many of Europe’s largest markets.

4Spelinspektionen (the Swedish Gambling Authority)

The company’s gaming content went live in the Swedish market at the beginning of January 2019, thanks to a license granted by the local regulator, Spelinspektionen (the Swedish Gambling Authority).

5Gibraltar Gambling Commission

Toward the end of November 2018, Pragmatic Play announced it had received a B2B Supplier License from the Gibraltar Gambling Commission. A permit from Gibraltar carries significant weight in the online gambling industry and was an essential step in Pragmatic’s ambitious plans for further market expansion.

6Spillemyndigheden

Pragmatic Play expanded into the Danish market after receiving certification from Denmark’s regulator, Spillemyndigheden, in August 2017. The company’s gaming content became available to Danish players through the locally licensed Vera & John Casino.

7Romanian National Gambling Office

The renowned software supplier was also authorized to offer its products in Romania under a license issued by the Romanian National Gambling Office (ONJN) at the beginning of December 2016. The company entered the competitive Romanian market with a Class II gambling permit.

8Gaming Laboratories International (GLI)

In addition to these licenses, Pragmatic Play holds certification from the renowned testing agency Gaming Laboratories International (GLI). This certification confirms that the company’s games meet the industry’s standards for fairness.


Key Features of Pragmatic Play’s Live Casino Platform

Pragmatic Play Live ensures a seamless experience for every fan of live casino gaming. Honestly, this is not surprising, as its live platform shares a similar interface and gameplay features with Evolution Gaming’s live software. This should not be frowned upon, though, because Pragmatic has created a faithful replica that is in no way inferior to Evolution’s offering.

Multilingual
HTML5
Support Chat
4K Quality
Special and Favorite Bets
Statistics
Player History Panel
Configurable Settings

Pragmatic Play Live Blackjack

The live blackjack tables provided by Pragmatic Play follow a uniform set of rules. This consistency makes it easier for less experienced players to switch between tables without checking the Game Help menu. The cards are dealt from a shoe containing eight full decks. Dealers offer card penetration of 50% or less, so card counting is not worthwhile here.

Manual Reshuffling
Deck Change
General House Rules and House Edge
Blackjack Features of Interest

Live Dealer Blackjack by Pragmatic Play: Gameplay

Pragmatic Play Live Roulette

The Pragmatic Play Live platform offers fans of the Devil’s Wheel about six live roulette tables. Players can change the interface language from the main settings menu, although the available options vary by casino. The platform also features several native-language tables, including Roulette Germany, Roulette Russia, and Roulette Italy. Speed and Auto Roulette are available as well.

General House Rules and House Edge
Other Features of Interest

Live Dealer Roulette by Pragmatic Play: Gameplay

Pragmatic Play Live Baccarat

Live baccarat is among the newest releases on the Pragmatic Play platform. The renowned supplier launched two variations of this classic game of chance in the spring of 2020: the traditional version and Speed Baccarat.

Table Style and Feel
General Rules and House Edge
Features to Pay Attention to

Live Dealer Baccarat by Pragmatic Play: Gameplay