The award-winning crash game Aviatrix is arriving in South Africa for the first time, exclusively with leading betting operator Hollywoodbets.

Hollywoodbets players will enjoy exclusive access to a range of daily tournaments and promotions, making their Aviatrix adventure even more thrilling. Anastasia Rimskaya, Chief Account Officer at Aviatrix, said: “Bringing Aviatrix to South Africa exclusively with Hollywoodbets is an exciting milestone for us. We’re excited to offer South African players a unique experience where they can build, customise, and pilot their own planes while competing for rewards. With Hollywoodbets, we’re confident Aviatrix will soar to new heights in this vibrant market.”

Wayde Dorkin, Head of Product at Hollywoodbets, said: “Everyone at Hollywoodbets is ready for take-off with Aviatrix. Players will be able to exclusively enjoy the game in South Africa, building their own planes, soaring through the skies and earning incredible rewards along the way. Aviatrix delivers an unmatched gaming experience that will keep players on the edge of their seats!”

Aviatrix was recently named ‘Game of the Year’ at the EGR Operator Awards 2024.

The title is constantly updated with new features and functionality, such as the ability to claim free bets with promo codes within the game.

The Competition Tribunal (“Tribunal”) has issued an interim order directing Google Ireland Ltd and Google South Africa (Pty) Ltd (collectively, “Google”) to permit Lottoland South Africa (Pty) Ltd (“Lottoland”) to access its advertising services known as “Google Ads”, for so long as Google permits any firm in South Africa to utilise Google’s Ads Services to advertise fixed-odds betting on the outcome of lotteries. The Tribunal’s order applies for a period of six months from its date, or the conclusion of a hearing into the prohibited practices alleged by Lottoland, whichever is the earlier.

This platform enables advertisers to display ads to users who utilise Google search, with Google Ireland acting as the service provider for Google Ads in South Africa.

The Tribunal’s order follows an interim relief application by Lottoland, a licensed bookmaker, which, inter alia, offers fixed-odds bets on the outcome of various lotteries around the world, including the South African national lottery, sporting events and other betting contingencies. Lottoland competes with other licensed bookmakers in South Africa such as Hollywood Bets, World Sports Betting, Betway, Betfred (which owns Lottostar) and Netbet (which trades as Sportingbet).

In summary, Lottoland alleged that Google terminated its access to Google Ads without justification while allowing access to its competitors, causing it financial harm and distorting competition in the market that Lottoland operates in, to the detriment of consumers.

Google contended that Lottoland’s offering of fixed-odds bets on the outcome of the national lottery in South Africa contravenes sections 57(1) and 57(2)(g) of the Lotteries Act. It submitted that in terms of its online advertising policies, which are designed to protect users, restrictions are placed on the promotion of certain gambling activities. Of particular relevance, the promotion of lotteries is limited to state-licensed entities and that this restriction is in place to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Lotteries Act.

Reasons for Decision

A non-confidential version of the Tribunal’s reasons will be published in due course once any confidentiality claims in relation to the reasons have been finalised with the parties involved. In deciding the matter, the Tribunal considered the following three factors holistically, balancing each factor against the other to determine what is reasonable and just:

• Evidence relating to the alleged prohibited practice;

• The need to prevent serious or irreparable damage to the applicant (Lottoland); and

• The balance of convenience.

 Booming Games proudly informs about its newest partnership with leading operator Hollywoodbets.

Booming Games is thrilled to announce this significant collaboration with Hollywoodbets, one of the largest operators in Africa.  The South African online gaming market is one of the world’s most exciting and rapidly emerging regulated markets. This tier-one partnership will allow Booming Games to provide its entire portfolio of slot games, ensuring a broad and engaging selection for players. Among the top-performing titles included are Ronaldinho Spin, Burning Classics, Gold Gold Gold 5000, TNT Bonanza 2, and Cash Pig. Both companies are confident that this partnership will bring unparalleled gaming experiences to the South African market.

Solomon Godwin, Head Africa at Booming Games, said: “South Africa, a robust market on the continent, offers tremendous opportunities for Booming Games. Partnering with a top-tier operator like Hollywoodbets enhances this potential. Hollywoodbets exemplifies the tier-one client we seek to support our growth ambitions in the region, and we are thrilled to collaborate with them.”

Wayde Dorkin, Head of Product at Hollywoodbets, said: “We are excited to partner with such a progressive slots provider. We expect our customers to take well to Booming Games and are planning to launch some of their groundbreaking new content exclusively in South Africa.”