GTG Network inks Free-to-Play deal with Flutter Entertainment PLC

GTG Network (GTG), a Melbourne-based technology and data provider with staff in London and elsewhere worldwide has agreed to provide Flutter Entertainment with a free to play (FTP) suite to be deployed across Paddy Power.

GTG’s “Skill Zone” portfolio includes Hit the Spot, which was launched late last year as well as arcade basketball, trivia games, and an upcoming mini-golf game scheduled for release in June.

The FTP portfolio will first be available on Paddy Power apps and desktop

The games may become available on other Flutter verticals but will initially be found on the Paddy Power platform for desktop, Android, and iOS.

The London Stock Exchange-listed Flutter Entertainment PLC (LSE:FLTR) is the world’s largest online gambling group after the former Paddy Power Betfair company acquired The Stars Group (TSG) of Canada in a $12.2 billion merger approved by the United Kingdom Competitions and Markets Authority in April.

TSG’s PokerStars is the largest online poker site in the world. The conglomerate also owns Sky Betting and Gaming (SBG) serving the UK and FoxBet in the USA.

Paddy Power Sports Director, Ben Reilly, noted that the company was pleased with early results of customer engagement with the free to play Skill Zone.

Nathan Rothschild, a co-founder, and partner at GTG said: “...we’re fortunate to be in a position to have a suite of products to connect with fans whilst there is little sport being played. We have been excited about the response to Skill Zone. Already a unique offering for sportsbooks, the new features we are releasing will truly push the benchmark for industry innovation.”

Casino and Virtual Sports games widely available for free play

While free to play sports and trivia games are a somewhat new development to the industry, nearly all casinos offer free to play casino games.

Those with virtual sports have long offered free-play versions of virtual sports like Virtual Football and fixed odds gambling games.

Leap Gaming, a strategic partner of the 1×2 Network develops and provides instant sports and scheduled sports. The betting experience is nearly identical to betting on real-life competitions.

The games are a place that virtual and reality overlap, according to the company. The games feature 3D graphics and extremely well-rendered animations and sound effects. When available at a free to play for fun casino, titles such as Instant Speedway offer punters a 21st Century way to get their gambling fix or to practice using virtual betting slips.

The virtual sports can be tried for free on the Leap Gaming website. Look for instant and scheduled competitions including horses, football, greyhounds, speedway, trotting, cycling, and tennis.

Many promotional websites, as well as most of the online casinos themselves, offer free-play versions of all their games except for live dealer streams.

Visitors can play slots (excluding most progressives), blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps, and even scratch cards, keno, and bingo without risking their own money.