ICE London 2024 round-up

Check out the top game launches from ICE London 2024, the biggest online casino conference in the world

ICE London 2024 offered a plethora of new online casino games and promotions on show from the industry’s leading suppliers.

Over three days, more than 35,000 delegates from across the world get together to check out the latest games, payments, technologies and more.

Casino managers then bring these to their game lobbies and online casinos so that you can enjoy the best possible experience when playing at their brands.

I walked the floor of ICE London 2024 over the three days – racking up more than 30,000 steps in the process – to share with you the launches that caught my eye.

Playtech – Breaking Bad

The Playtech stand was always likely to showcase this game, which brings one of the most iconic TV shows of all time to the world of branded slot content.

Breaking Bad is a collaboration between Playtech and Sony Pictures Consumer Products. It is the latest game to join Playtech’s list of Cash Collect titles, which also includes The Walking Dead and Gold Rush.

This 5 x 3 slot has four fixed jackpots, and also offers a Hold & Win feature. The reels appear like elements on the periodic table, just like in the programme’s opening credits, and players can see clips from the show as they play. Iconic characters from the show appear in the game, with “the one who knocks” himself Walter ‘Heisenberg’ White popping up as a Wild symbol.

Anyone who has seen Breaking Bad will know the themes of the show must of course be approached with a certain sensitivity, and Jade Pecorella, Head of Casino at Playtech, outlined how the supplier has attempted to do that.

Pecorella told Comparasino: “We are always looking for the next themed slot game, as we have a history of being associated with top-quality brands. Through our partnership with Sony, we wanted to focus on the positive things about Breaking Bad, so you won’t see any reference to some of the more sensitive topics in Breaking Bad, but only to the special features within the game.

“Things like Cash Collect and random features like we had in our Gold Rush game, as well as the link feature; those are the things we wanted to focus on.”

Gaming Corps – Piggy Smash

This was the perfect time for Gaming Corps to be attending ICE London 2024, as the supplier announced during the week that it has been granted a licence to operate in the UK by the Gambling Commission.

The market entry in the UK almost crossed over perfectly with the launch of new game Piggy Smash. The aim of the game is to smash the single active ball that will be in play. The ball is laid out in the middle of the game screen, with two racks on either side of the active ball each holding eight balls. With each wager made, players then attempt to smash the active ball.

Should the ball be smashed, then an instant prize will be awarded, with additional features and multipliers also potentially being unlocked. After a ball has been smashed, one of the other four balls will be dropped from either of the racks and become the active ball. If the ball is not smashed, the wager will be lost.

Piggy Smash is the first Gaming Corps product to offer the supplier’s brand new Smash4Cash mechanic, which gives players a greater chance to make the most of bonus rounds.

Connor Blinman, Head of Games at Gaming Corps, told Comparasino: “The new Smash4Cash mechanic is something we’re very excited about, and we think this will take the gaming experience for players to the next level. Piggy Smash is quite a unique game launch for us in that regard, and we’re planning to use the mechanic in future game releases too. 

 “We’re extremely thrilled to have the opportunity to launch our premium games suite in the UK, and I’m sure UK-based players will enjoy making the most of Piggy Smash and the other game releases we have in the pipeline.”

Zeus Games – VR Blackjack

Zeus Games is building its reputation as a provider of blockchain games, while also giving the player the chance to live out their gaming experiences in virtual reality.

Ihad the chance to try out VR Blackjack, which will launch in September and can be deployed both in live and online formats.

Players can purchase a Zeus VR headset before playing. The player takes their seat at the table, puts on the headset, and is transported to a virtual world, with the dealer and other players at the table appearing as animations. Players can pick up chips and place them on the table, with action buttons like Stand and Hit appearing after the hand has started.

VR Blackjack follows the release of VR Baccarat by Zeus; another game which brings a classic casino table experience to the world of virtual reality.

All Zeus’ games are played using cryptocurrency, which the company says is to remove any complications regarding currency exchanges across different territories.

Pragmatic Play – Blackjack League

Pragmatic Play was showcasing a range of bonuses at its stand, with one promotion in particular rewarding consistency at the blackjack table.

A total of £1,000,000 will be on offer every month with the upcoming launch of the supplier’s Blackjack League, which will run across its live casino blackjack product.

The Blackjack League will be broken into Privé, Gold, Silver and Bronze tournaments. All four tournaments will run daily at a range of stake levels offering a top prize of £10,000. The more players win at the tables, the more points they can rack up.

Players can join any of the 100+ participating tables provided by Pragmatic Play, with no additional integration needed for the operator.

IGT – Prosperity Link online launch

IGT frequently brings something new to the table at ICE London, and the supplier is now set to roll out an omni-channel launch of its Prosperity Link games.

Prosperity Link is a multi-level progressive video slot which offers four separate titles for players to enjoy; Cai Yun Heng Tong, Wan Shi Ru Yi, Dian Shi Cheng Jin, and Ri Jin Dou Jin.

While these titles have previously only been available in land-based casinos, the family of games is set to launch online and become part of IGT’s PlayDigital offering in the coming months.

ICE London 2024 really was an even to remember and you’ll soon see these games and promotions landing at online casinos in the UK.