More Big Casino Brands Close To UK Players

Author: Paul Aitken
Published: 07/11/2024
Last Modified: 20/11/2024

In the past few years, we’ve seen InTouch Games grow from one of the most exciting casino operators in the United Kingdom into a heavily penalised company at the heart of some eyebrow-raising accusations. And it seems that the damage caused by the site’s previous fines and suspensions is still being felt as many of the sites it sold have now shut up shop.

What’s the Latest News?

Viral Interactive Limited recently decided to terminate several of its brands, with the following domains announcing to players, affiliates, and partners that they would soon cease to exist:

• MadSlots
• JammyMonkey
• mFortune
• PocketWin
• Luck

These sites are no longer accepting new players, and all current players are being advised to withdraw any existing funds. They’re no longer accepting deposits, but existing players can still withdraw their money. If you’re one of those players, visit the site and go through the normal withdrawal process. If you have any questions about this or need assistance, contact the respective site directly.

What Brought Us Here?

Although they are currently operated by Viral Interactive Limited, these sites once flew the flag for In Touch Games (ITG), an operator that prided itself on doing things differently. It didn’t work with a litany of third-party creators and, instead, created all of its own games. It was a unique approach that won the brand a lot of attention and acclaim, and it’s also what attracted investors to the company.

One of those investors was Teddy Sagi, an Israeli businessman best known for founding Playtech.

In 2022, Sagi approached the owner of ITG with an offer. Within a few months, he purchased the brand through his new company, SkyWind. It is claimed that he saw the brand as a “money-spinner”, and thus handed over £53 million to acquire it.

At the time, In Touch Games had received several fines and warnings from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). It was assumed that it had turned over a new leaf and was back on track. However, that proved not to be the case.

The Collapse of In Touch Games

As noted in a previous news article, ITG was eventually fined over £6 million by the UKGC. The issues occurred before the acquisition, but the nature of such penalties meant that the new owners were forced to shoulder the burden of responsibility.

The UKGC then stated that it had received information suggesting the company had “knowingly altered” information, which led to a raid on ITG headquarters and the eventual suspension of its licence.

A Change of Licence

The sites remained active after changing hands and operated under a licence provided by Viral Interactive Limited. At the same time that SkyWind attempted to sue former ITG bosses for the issues raised by the UKGC, the sites continued as normal.

But it seems that the damage was already done, and those domains are now being pulled.

It’s unlikely that this decision was entirely the fault of the drama that followed the acquisition. It seems that general market conditions may have also played a role, with many UK casinos and bingo sites pulling out of the market in recent years due to tightening regulations, increased fines, and higher operating costs.

Either way, it spells the end of one of the biggest online casino sagas of the 2020s, one that began with some very promising ideas (even we had praised ITG in previous reviews) and ended in an unprecedented litigious mess that may leave an indelible mark on all parties involved.