Evolution Releases Fan Tan, Keeps Growing Footprint & Acquires DigiWheel

Evolution is one of the leading developers of live dealer games. Over the last couple of years, the company has expanded its footprint, made several important acquisitions, including the purchase of NetEnt, and significantly expanded its portfolio of live casino content.

The company continues to push forward, further cementing its market positions and continually keeping its range of high-quality content fresh and appealing to customers worldwide. Today, we will discuss Evolution’s latest moves, aimed at keeping the supplier at the top of the rapidly-growing live casino segment.

Fan Tan Hits the Market

Evolution expanded its range of live casino titles by launching the live version of the popular Asian bead game Fan Tan.

This ancient game uses a repeated division of beads, initially covered by a glass dome. Once the betting starts, the host will separate a random number of beads with a metal cup. All the selected beads are then sorted into lines of four. The dealer uses a special stick to do so until a final line of beads remains. This line is placed at the centre of the table, while the player’s main goal is to predict the final number of beads remaining.

Although very popular in the past, Fan Tan is largely forgotten today. By giving it a modern live casino twist, Evolution wanted to pay respect to it. According to Todd Haushalter, Chief Product Officer at Evolution, a whole new generation of players will have the chance to play this game.

Evolution pointed out that Fan Tan should be particularly loved by baccarat players, as it represents an exciting addition to the popular game.

DigiWheel Acquisition

Earlier this month, Evolution acquired DigiWheel, the renowned developer of spinning gaming wheels. The all-cash deal includes an up-front payment of €1 million, while an additional earn-out payment will depend on DigiWheel’s EBITDA over three years. According to available information, the acquisition should be completed by the end of the year.

The move should further bolster Evolution’s portfolio by allowing the company to use DigiWheel’s innovative technology in the live casino supplier’s games and game shows. Evolution’s lineup already incorporates several popular wheel-based titles, including Dream Catcher and Crazy Time.

DigiWheel will join other brands operating within the Evolution Group. In addition to Evolution, the list includes such renowned names as NetEnt, Red Tiger, Big Time Gaming and Ezugi.

DigiWheel’s flagship product is an HD gaming wheel, fully rotating in 360 degrees, functioning as a live casino game, running any wheel game from Evolution’s portfolio.

Eyeing New Markets

At the same time, Evolution continues to expand its presence in markets across the world.

In September, Evolution inked an agreement with SunBet to go live in South Africa. Customers in this country will now have the chance to enjoy an extensive lineup of the developer’s live dealer games. But there’s more, as the deal includes Ezugi’s portfolio.

The future looks promising for Evolution, as the company plans to further bolster its footprint in the US. In addition to the recently-launched Michigan studio, Evolution is keeping an eye on a number of US states, notably Illinois, Indiana, and Virginia. Since Connecticut has already legalised online gambling, Evolution is looking to go live there during this autumn.

With more states preparing to offer online gambling to their residents, Evolution will be poised to further increase its presence. However, the exciting new jurisdiction in North America is not in the US but in neighbouring Canada. With a population of around fifteen million, the province of Ontario is larger than any currently legal online gambling market in the US. At this moment, Evolution is working closely with several operators interested in doing business in Ontario and hopes to offer its content in this jurisdiction by the end of the year.