Welcome to our guide to the best Dragonfish. We compare the top Dragonfish casinos and give you the choice of slot bonuses available. The online gaming industry in the 21st Century is a multi-billion dollar business. Among the thousands of famous names which make up this market is Dragonfish. It is the company behind hundreds of different online bingo and of course, Dragonfish slot sites enjoyed by millions of players based all across the United Kingdom, Europe and North America.
And yet, Dragonfish isn’t really a proper independent company at all. You won’t find it listed on any stock market, nor registered as an independent business at recognised databases such as the UK government’s Companies House. This is because Dragonfish is really just a brand. Until recently, it has been wholly owned by the massive gaming industry behemoth 888 Gaming, although change is afoot.
| Total Dragonfish Casinos | 22 |
| Best Spins Bonus | 100 Bonus Spins |
| Best Deposit Bonus | 200% Bonus |
| Dragonfish Payment Methods | Apple Pay, PayPal, Boku (Mobile Phone Bill) + More |
Best Dragonfish Casinos
As promised, here we have a list of the best Dragonfish casino sites, we list all brands available with player favourites at the top.
First Deposit Bonus Deposit £10 and get £20 Bonus + 100 Bonus Spins |
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Claim Offer | Electric Spins is a basic online casino with a firm focus on the slot playing smartphone player. It is optimised for small screen play, and predominantly consists of slots rather than the more traditional side of the casino. Whilst James Bond may well not be sufficiently impressed to pour himself...Read More Terms & Conditions: 18+ Full T&Cs Apply. New UK Players Only.Welcome offer 200% Welcome Bonus and 100 Extra Spins on Fluffy Favourites. First-time depositors only (18+ country restrictions apply). Minimum deposit: £10. Maximum offer: £20 Games Bonus & 100 Free Spins on a pre-selected game. Promo code: SPINIT. Any Games Bonus winnings, if applicable, must be wagered 60x before withdrawal. Any Free Spins winnings, if applicable, will be credited as bonus funds and capped at £10. FS are valid for 7 days and any winnings must be wagered 40x before withdrawal. Games Bonus win cap: £100 + original bonus amount. Wagering contribution varies by game. Bonuses may be denied based on abusive bonus activity across sites operated by the Company. Deposit balance is available for withdrawal at any time (UK only). General withdrawal restrictions apply. Valid until 31.12.2023. www.begambleaware.org  |
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First Deposit Bonus Deposit £20 and get £20 Bonus + 100 Bonus Spins |
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First Deposit Bonus Deposit £20 and get £20 Bonus + 100 Bonus Spins |
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Claim Offer | This eye-catching casino is one of the many which is clearly optimised for small screen play. Its strikingly plain but colourful backgrounds, uncluttered gigantic graphics and bold, bright text and buttons makes it a top choice for play on smartphones and tablets. Given that the vast majority of online gaming...Read More Terms & Conditions: 18+ Full T&Cs Apply. New UK Players Only.Welcome offer £20 Bonus and 100 Free Spins on Fruit Blast. First-time depositors only (18+ country restrictions apply). Minimum deposit: £20. Maximum offer: 100% Games Bonus up to £20 & 100 Free Spins (on Fruit Blast). Promo code: GET100. Any Games Bonus winnings, if applicable, must be wagered 35x before withdrawal. Any Free Spins winnings, if applicable, will be credited as bonus funds and capped at £10. FS are valid for 7 days and any winnings must be wagered 35x before withdrawal. Games Bonus win cap: £100 + original bonus amount. Wagering contribution varies by game. We reserve the right to deny bonuses based on abusive bonus activity across sites operated by the Company. Deposit balance is available for withdrawal at any time (UK only).General withdrawal restrictions apply. Valid until further notice. Full terms apply. www.begambleaware.org |
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First Deposit Bonus Deposit £20 and get 50 Bonus Spins |
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Claim Offer | Terms & Conditions: 18+ Full T&Cs Apply. New UK Players Only. Welcome offer 50 Free Spins on Book of Dead on 1st deposit. New players only. Minimum deposit £20. Wager from real balance first. 50x wagering the bonus. Contribution varies per game, selected games only. Wager calculated on bonus bets only. Bonus is valid for 30 Days from receipt and free spins for 7 days from issue. Maximum conversion 3x bonus amount or from free spins £20. Excluded Skrill & Neteller deposits. Withdrawal requests void all active pending bonuses. Full Terms apply. www.begambleaware.org |
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First Deposit Bonus 100% Bonus Up To £50 + 50 Bonus Spins |
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Claim Offer | This slot and casino game focused site is well stocked with entertainment. It’s powered by Dragonfish software, which is a name until recently more associated with bingo. It’s a brand which is spreading its wings however, so more and more slot and casino specialist sites are rolling off the Dragonfish...Read More Terms & Conditions: 18+ Full T&Cs Apply. New UK Players Only.Welcome offer 100% bonus on 1st deposit up to £50 plus free spins. Available to players (18+) with active, verified, unrestricted accounts. 1st time depositors only. Players must be 18+. Minimum Deposit £10. Maximum games bonus £50. To withdraw Games Bonus & related winnings, wager x35 the amount of your bonus funds. Games bonus funds may be used on selected games only. 50 Free Spins are valid on a pre-selected game. Free Spins are capped at £20. Free Spins wins are granted as Games Bonus after all Free Spins are used. Games Bonus funds generated from Free Spins winnings must be wagered x35. Maximum Games Bonus funds transfer to real money: £100 + the initial bonus amount. Wagering requirements vary by game. Country restrictions apply. UK only: deposit balance is available for withdrawal at any time. Full Terms Apply. www.begambleaware.org |
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First Deposit Bonus 200% Bonus Up To £50 + 26 Bonus Spins |
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Claim Offer | As you may assume from the title, this casino game specialist is focused firmly on the slots. So if you’re looking for a new online casino and keen on spinning reels for gaming entertainment then Spinzilla could be a good option. They have a snappy name, a well-designed site optimised...Read More Terms & Conditions: 18+ Full T&Cs Apply. New UK Players Only.Welcome offer 200% bonus up to £50 + 25 Spins plus spin the Spinzilla Wheel. Available to players (18+) with active, verified, unrestricted accounts. 1st time depositors only. Players must be 18+. Minimum Deposit £10. Maximum games bonus £50. To withdraw Games Bonus & related winnings, wager x35 the amount of your bonus funds. 25 Free Spins are valid on a pre-selected game for 7 days. Free Spins are capped at £20. Free Spins wins are granted as Games Bonus after all Free Spins are used. Games Bonus funds generated from Free Spins winnings must be wagered x35. Maximum Wheel prize 20 spins. Each wheel segment has an equal chance of winning. Maximum Games Bonus funds transfer to real money: £100 + the initial bonus amount. Wagering requirements vary by game. Country restrictions apply. UK only: deposit balance is available for withdrawal at any time. Full Terms Apply. www.begambleaware.org |
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First Deposit Bonus Deposit £10 and get 51 Bonus Spins |
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Claim Offer | Fortune Fiesta is fun-filled and full of fantastic games. It’s a really good bet if you are looking for somewhere to enjoy playing slots and casino games online. The online gaming market is a pretty competitive one these days, with hundreds, maybe thousands of different sites all competing for your...Read More Terms & Conditions: 18+ Full T&Cs Apply. New UK Players Only.Welcome offer depost £10 and get 50 free spins plus spin the Fortune Wheel to win up to 50 more spins. Available to players (18+) with active, verified, unrestricted accounts. Valid until further notice. 1st time depositors only. Players must be 18+. Minimum Deposit £10. 50 Free Spins are given as 25 Free Spins on Temple of Iris and 25 Free Spins on Shaman’s Dream and valid for 7 days. Free Spins capped at £25. Free Spins wins are granted as Games Bonus after all Free Spins are used. Games Bonus funds generated from Free Spin winnings must be wagered x35. Maximum Games Bonus funds transfer to real money: £100 + the initial bonus amount. Maximum Wheel prize 50 spins. Each wheel segment has an equal chance of winning. Wagering requirements vary by game. Country restrictions apply. UK only: deposit balance is available for withdrawal at any time. Full Terms Apply. Valid until further notice. 1st time depositors only. Players must be 18+. Minimum Deposit £10. Free Spins are granted as follows: 20 Free Spins on Temple of Iris upon first deposit, 10 Free Spins on Stampede 1 day after first deposit and 20 Free Spins on Fruit Blast 2 days after first deposit. FS wins are granted as Games Bonus after all FS are used. Total FS wins cap £60; £20 per slot. Games Bonus funds generated from FS winnings must be wagered x50. Maximum Games Bonus funds transfer to real money £100 + the initial bonus amount. Maximum Wheel prize 50 spins. Each wheel segment has an equal chance of winning. Wagering requirements vary by game. UK only, deposit balance is available for withdrawal at any time. General withdrawal restrictions and Full T&Cs apply. www.begambleaware.org |
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First Deposit Bonus Deposit £10 and 1 Bonus Spins |
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Claim Offer | This sophisticated looking site is an excellent site to enjoy your spins. Vegas is the renowned world capital of the casino industry, so what better theme to choose for an online casino keen to promote its offering. Does it live up to its glamorous, glitzy image, or is there little...Read More Terms & Conditions: 18+ Full T&Cs Apply. New UK Players Only.Welcome offer spin the wheel to win up to 450 spins on Fluffy Favourites. New players only. 18+ Valid until further notice. Minimum dep £10. 1 wheel spin. Wheel prizes and odds vary & include free spins, Game Bonus, and Coins. Free Spins wins granted in Games Bonus over 5 days & valid for 3 days. Games Bonus valid on selected games only. WR: 35x Games Bonus; 35x Free Spins Wins. Games Bonus wins cap: £100 + initial bonus. UK: deposit balance can be withdrawn at any time. Country restrictions apply. Full T&C apply. www.begambleaware.org |
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First Deposit Bonus 50% Bonus Up To £300 + 30 Bonus Spins |
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Claim Offer | This colourful casino site is a good choice for fans of online slots and traditional table games. You can play here on any kind of device, but its design is optimised for small screen play, on your smartphone or tablet. What will you find if you do decide to sign...Read More Terms & Conditions: 18+ Full T&Cs Apply. New UK Players Only.Welcome bonus 50% up to £300 plus 30 free spins. Available to players (18+) with active, verified, unrestricted accounts. 1st time depositors only. Players must be 18+. Minimum Deposit £10. Maximum games bonus £300. To withdraw Games Bonus & related winnings, wager x35 the amount of your bonus funds. Games bonus funds may be used on selected games only. 30 Free Spins are valid on a pre-selected game for 7 days. Free Spins are capped at £20. Free Spins wins are granted as Games Bonus after all Free Spins are used and must be wagered x35. Maximum Games Bonus funds transfer to real money: £100 + the initial bonus amount. Games Bonus wins cap: £100 + the initial bonus amount. Wagering requirements vary by game. Country restrictions apply. UK only: deposit balance is available for withdrawal at any time. Full Terms Apply. www.begambleaware.org |
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First Deposit Bonus 100% Bonus Up To £50 + 25 Bonus Spins |
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First Deposit Bonus 250% Bonus Up To £50 + 26 Bonus Spins |
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Claim Offer | At the time of writing, you are welcomed to Winzino’s landing page by an animated game show host brandishing a smartphone. Presumably, he is not doing this in a Michael McIntyre kind of way, but to indicate how compatible the site with play on compact devices. Either way, you won’t...Read More Terms & Conditions: 18+ Full T&Cs Apply. New UK Players Only.Welcome offer 250% first deposit bonus up to £50 and 25 spins plus spin the Winzino Wheel. Available to players (18+) with active, verified, unrestricted accounts. 1st time depositors only. Players must be 18+. Minimum Deposit £10. Maximum games bonus £50. To withdraw Games Bonus & related winnings, wager x35 the amount of your bonus funds. Games bonus funds may be used on selected games only. 25 Free Spins are valid on a pre-selected game for 7 days. Free Spins are capped at £20. Free Spins wins are granted as Games Bonus after all Free Spins are used and must be wagered x35. Maximum Wheel prize 20 spins. Each wheel segment has an equal chance of winning. Maximum Games Bonus funds transfer to real money: £100 + the initial bonus amount. Games Bonus wins cap: £100 + the initial bonus amount. Wagering requirements vary by game. Country restrictions apply. UK only: deposit balance is available for withdrawal at any time. Full Terms Apply. New Player Offers www.begambleaware.org |
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First Deposit Bonus Deposit £10 and 1 Bonus Spins |
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Claim Offer | Moon Games is the sister site of the highly rated Moon Bingo. Both share the kind of likenesses and shared characteristics you would expect of sibling sites. Both are very professionally organised, with an exceptionally large range of games to play. Both also show a complete absence of any sign...Read More Terms & Conditions: 18+ Full T&Cs Apply. New UK Players Only.Welcome offer deposit and spin the Wheeel to win up to 500 Spins on Fluffy Favourites. New players only. 18+. Valid until further notice. Minimum dep £10. 1 wheel spin. Prizes and odds vary & include free spins, Games bonuses and Coins. Free Spins wins granted in Games Bonus over 4 days & valid for 3 days. Games Bonus valid on selected games only. WR: 35x Game Bonus. Games Bonus wins cap: £100 + initial bonus. UK: deposit balance can be withdrawn at any time. Country restrictions apply. 18+. Full T&C apply. www.begambleaware.org |
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First Deposit Bonus 100% Bonus Up To £200 + 77 Free Spins No Deposit |
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Claim Offer | 777 Casino, along with its bigger sister brand 888, is a giant of online gaming. Together, they are two of the biggest names in the online casino industry. It’s also true to say that this success and good reputation has been earned by a providing an exceptional range and quality...Read More Terms & Conditions: 18+ Full T&Cs Apply. New UK Players Only.Welcome offer 77 Free Spins on Registration, no deposit required plus 100% bonus up to £200 Instant Free Play on 1st deposit. New players only. Use code WELCOME777 on 1st deposit. Free Spins must be claimed in 48 hrs. 14 day expiry for FreePlay and Free Spins. Free Spins wins credited as bonus & capped at £10, excl. JP win. FreePlay valid on 1st deposit only. FreePlay wins credited as bonus & capped at the amount received, exc. JP win. Valid for selected games. Bonus wins capped at £500, excl. JP wins. Pre-1st deposit only: Bonus wins & maximum redeemable amount capped at £100, excl. JP wins. 50x wagering for Free Spins and 30x wagering for FreePlay – req. vary by game. Bonus expires in 90 days. Payment method & country restrictions apply • Withdrawal restrictions & full T&Cs apply. www.begambleaware.org |
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First Deposit Bonus Deposit £10 and 1 Bonus Spins |
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Claim Offer | Wicked Jackpots is a sleek looking site with a lot to offer for prize seeking players. You will find a broad selection of games covering all casino tastes from the most traditional card games to the most recent slot releases. Let’s take a more detailed look… Games Selection and Software...Read More Terms & Conditions: 18+ Full T&Cs Apply. New UK Players Only.Welcome offer spin the wheel to win up to 450 spins on Fluffy Favourites. New players only. 18+. Valid until further notice. Minimum dep £10. 1 wheel spin. Wheel prizes and odds vary & include free spins, Game Bonus, and Coins. Free Spins wins granted in Games Bonus over 5 days & valid for 3 days. Games Bonus valid on selected games only. WR: 35x Games Bonus; 35x Free Spins Wins. GB wins cap: £100 + initial bonus. UK: deposit balance can be withdrawn at any time. Country restrictions apply. Full T&C apply www.begambleaware.org |
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First Deposit Bonus 110% Bonus Up To £50 + 1 Free Spins No Deposit |
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Claim Offer | The online casino market is becoming increasingly crowded and competitive. Does Jazzy Spins have enough to keep up with its increasingly innovative and attractive rivals? Games Selection and Software Mmmm… for slots fans, the answer is not really. It ‘boasts’ of more than 300 titles. It is rare for an...Read More Terms & Conditions: 18+ Full T&Cs Apply. New UK Players Only.Register and win up to £200 Slot Bonus on the Wheel of Wins, no deposit required. Plus get 110% Bonus up to £50 and 50 Free Spins on Chitty Bang on 1st deposit of minimum £10. |
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First Deposit Bonus 200% Bonus Up To £100 + 30 Bonus Spins |
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Claim Offer | This is a bingo focused gaming site which could be a great choice for a wide range of players. It’s a Dragonfish title, so you know you are going to get a wide range of games with a top quality, smooth-running site and service. But how does Lucky Pence compare...Read More Terms & Conditions: 18+ Full T&Cs Apply. New UK Players Only.Welcome offer 200% bonus up to £100 and 20 Enchanted Price spins plus 1 lucky penny toss which will win either 10 or 20 more Fluffy Favourites spins. New players only. 18+. Valid until further notice. Minimum dep £10. 200% Bingo Bonus maximum £100 + 20 Free Spins on Enchanted Prince. Free Spins valid for 3 days, maximum wins cap 0.25p per spin) + 1 lucky penny toss, Tails earns you 20 extra Free Spins and Head will earn you 10 extra Free Spins. Extra Free Spins playable on Fluffy Favourites (wins capped per spin £0.15). Free Spins wins granted in Games Bonus after all Free Spins used & valid on selected games only. WR:4x Bingo Bonus; 35x Games Bonus. WR vary by game. Games Bonus wins cap: £100 + initial bonus. UK: deposit balance can be withdrawn at any time. Country restrictions apply. Full T&C apply. www.begambleaware.org |
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First Deposit Bonus 100% Bonus Up To £100 + 88 Free Spins No Deposit |
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Claim Offer | 888 Casino is one of the foremost names in the online casino business. If you’re looking for the biggest in just about everything: sheer number of games; range of games, number of players… Everything is big here… and I mean Las Vegas big! This place is so outsized it even...Read More Terms & Conditions: 18+ Full T&Cs Apply. New UK Players Only.88 Free Spins with Uncapped winnings, no deposit required, on sign up plus 100% bonus up to £100 Bonus on 1st deposit. |
Contents
- Best Dragonfish Casinos
- What do Dragonfish do?
- The Full Monty
- The Dragonfish Software platform
- Game selection with Dragonfish
- Customer Service
- Support services
- Banking and payment services
- IT support, security and fraud prevention
- Licencing and regulatory compliance; responsible gaming
- The Dragonfish Skin Solution
- Types of Site
- Dragonfish Reputation
- Dragonfish Corporate Structure and Ownership
- 888 Holdings Re-structuring
- Sale of Dragonfish Bingo
- Acquisition of William Hill
- The Future Dragonfish Sites
What do Dragonfish do?
Dragonfish is predominantly designed to develop and market its services to other businesses. In the industry jargon, it is mostly a ‘business to business’ (B2B) operator. These client businesses are mostly online bingo and casino owners, who use Dragonfish’s expertise to design, launch and market their casino and bingo sites.
Dragonfish provide a full suite of services and products which enable its clients to easily and efficiently set up new online casino and bingo brands for their customers to enjoy. It is difficult to describe exactly what this specialised division does without descending into industry jargon. Dragonfish self-describes itself as a ‘strategic partner’ which offers a ‘dynamic and flexible range of services’ in order to provide a ‘fully managed, turnkey service package or a skin solution’.
Allow me to translate… the ‘strategic partner’ bit means that Dragonfish will work with other businesses to help them set up their casino and bingo sites (that’s the ‘B2B’ bit). ‘Dynamic and flexible range of services means basically that prospective site operators can pick and choose what bits of the Dragonfish service they wish to use. They may want an all-in, comprehensive service. This would be what Dragonfish refer to as a ‘turnkey’ solution: the casino operator simply pays a (large) fee, and in return receives a fully functioning site which is more or less ready for launch. They just ‘turn the key’ and off they go.
The Full Monty
This is the package where Dragonfish take care of just about everything. From site design to payment services and even regulatory compliance, it’s all included:
The Dragonfish Software platform
The biggest advantage of this kind of site launch is surely the ability to use Dragonfish’s Casinoflex software. Sites can be designed to a standard template, or customised to better suit the operator’s desired brand.
Either way, the site architecture will be focused on mobile compatibility, as the vast majority of contemporary gaming takes place on mobile devices. All game designs use the latest HTML5 technology, and all software is designed to run seamlessly on both Android and iOS operating systems. No matter the device: smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop, Dragonfish software will run exceptionally efficiently and smoothly – assuming you have a decent Wi-Fi or broadband connection of course.
Game selection with Dragonfish
Operators choosing the Dragonfish platform can select from the portfolios of dozens of the very best software providers. These include the likes of NetEnt, IGT and of course 888 Gaming itself. This means that their casinos can offer several hundred different slots, including al the best known games. This wide variety of potential suppliers enables different casinos to include all the best known and most popular games. Yet it also provides client operators with the option to offer a more niche selection of titles, in order to differentiate themselves from the mainstream if desired.
Customer Service
Dragonfish can also supply and train a full customer support service. This can be provided via e-mail, live chat and / or telephone as each individual client operator prefers. It can do this because it runs its own teams of multi-lingual support professionals. These teams work round the clock, and are based in several different locations situated all across the world, according to operator requirements.
Support services
The optimum Dragonfish package also offers a full suite of customer relationship management (CRM) services. This can include full back office functions in order to optimise player recruitment and retention rates. These can be maintained via a selection of marketing and bonus strategies, including a variety of incentives and loyalty schemes.
Banking and payment services
The Dragonfish software platform is flexible enough to be able to offer the widest range of payment options available. These will include debit cards; a variety of e-payment services such as PayPal; via apps such as Apple Pay and also by pre-payment services like Paysafecard. Credit cards are not usually provided as a payment methods, as these are not permitted by most regulatory authorities.
IT support, security and fraud prevention
Dragonfish software works smoothly and efficiently to ensure its online casinos work seamlessly for both operators and players. IT support is there for any glitches which may occur and also to help resolve any issues players may encounter whilst playing or paying for games. Dragonfish also work closely with regulators, banks and law enforcement agencies to guard against fraud and money laundering.
Licencing and regulatory compliance; responsible gaming
Dragonfish can also take care of ensuring its clients’ new casino is properly licenced and registered for the market and territory it proposes to cover. This will usually involve dealing with the administration required by the local or national government body responsible got the regulation of gambling for that market. In Europe, it is usually the national government, or sometimes the European Union which is the ultimate authority. In the United States, it is the individual state, rather than the federal government, which is the responsible authority.
Different territories also impose alternative requirements regarding fair gaming and support for problem gamblers. In the United Kingdom for example, the UK Gambling Commission and the rules of Responsible Gambling apply, but all relevant authorities impose their own requirements. Government regulators, non-profit gambling support organisations such as charities, and academic experts are all consulted to ensure that their clients operate their sites as safely and as fairly as possible.
Of course, this fully comprehensive approach to launching a new online casino comes at quite a considerable cost. Fortunately, there is more competitively priced alternative.
The Dragonfish Skin Solution
Operators looking for a more customised service can instead opt for a less expensive package. They may not want the fully managed Dragonfish suite with all the bells and whistles. They may instead prefer to take on some of the responsibilities of running their new site for themselves.
By choosing a less extensive service, other options become available. They may for example, wish to organise their own marketing, or run their own in-house customer service operation. This will mean that they will save on their Dragonfish licencing fee, although of course they will need to pay for these now in-house services themselves.
If our prospective casino operator chooses a more minimalist package, and takes on most of the management, marketing and customer service functions for itself, this would be more of a ‘skin solution’, whereby Dragonfish simply provides the site software and licencing arrangements and the independent operator takes care of everything else.
Types of Site
- Casino – At the time of writing, around a dozen online casinos run on Dragonfish software. This number is expected to rise though, as recent changes in the brands corporate ownership and structure are worked through. The new ‘Casinoflex’ platform has been well received by industry insiders, critics and players. It measures up well when compared to its rivals, and is well up to contemporary industry standards.
- Bingo – This is where the Dragonfish brand made its name and fortune. It is perhaps the best known brand in online bingo with hundreds of different sites launched on its platform over the years. Some of these are no longer in operation as fashions and tastes in bingo change over the years.
It is renowned for its distinctive variety of 90 and 75 ball formats, often with a handy ‘speed’ bingo option added on to spice up the range. These sites all offer a selection of slots in order to provide players with some extra entertainment once they had finished playing their favourite game. It was therefore a bit of a no-brainer for the brand to diversify into the online casino industry.
- Poker – Dragonfish poker sites are focused more on the American market. It already has around twenty years of experience in operating in this unique market, where up until recently relatively few states permit the playing of online poker. However, recent years have seen a distinct trend toward the liberalisation of the online gaming market in the United States. Increasing numbers of states are now moving to allow regulated markets to develop. The company is very well placed to take advantage of this change in the regulatory mood across the pond.
Dragonfish Reputation
Dragonfish made their reputation within the industry with their market-leading online bingo platform. This was certainly effective, reliable and exceedingly successful. Its approach was not without its critics though. Many people felt that the platform’s architecture and style was so distinctive that the effect was to make every site virtually identical, save for the different name at the top of the homepage.
At the peak of the ‘bingo boom’ and during the early years of the 21st Century, it is fair to say that Dragonfish were a bit ‘marmite’: critics either loved them or hated them. Yet in fact, they were always popular with actual players. It was really just the pundits, or more specifically affiliate marketers, who became frustrated: constantly reviewing the launch of yet another identikit bingo title. The players themselves didn’t seem to notice, or at least were not discouraged as the Dragonfish bingo network grew and grew.
Bingo has always been a working class game, so to accuse Dragonfish’s critics of snobbery is a serious allegation, but in reality, their continuing popularity was not unwarranted. Their platform was very good – everything was easy to find and made its players feel ‘at home’ and able to just get on with the game. In this respect the criticism was somewhat unfair, in much the same way as different generations of music fans like to snipe at Bono or Sting or Ed Sheeran… become too popular, and people like to pretend to be ‘too cool for school’ and criticise the choice of the masses.
Dragonfish Corporate Structure and Ownership
Dragonfish was, until recently, wholly owned by the giant gaming industry conglomerate 888 Holdings plc. Its most famous brand is of course 888.com – one of the biggest names in online gaming. Founded in 1997 by a pair of Israeli entrepreneurs, the company has been listed on the London Stock Exchange since 2005.
Dragonfish in effect became part of the 888 Gaming group in 2007, when its then owners Globalcom Ltd were acquired by the 888 group of companies for over $40 million. 888 Holdings has gone from strength to strength since, via both organic growth and some impressive strategic acquisitions. The result of these acquisitions and a consistent period of growth over more than two decades is that 888 Holdings is now one of the giants of the industry, and a member of the London FTSE 250 – a list of the most valuable 250 companies in the United Kingdom.
Its most recent financial results at the time of writing are for the full 2021 calendar year. These are certainly impressive. They show that the company has close to 2,000 employees located across seven different international offices. It operates in over 100 countries, although 40% of its revenues are derived from the United Kingdom alone.
Total revenues for the 2021 financial year amounted to $980 million. All of this was generated from its online businesses, with 83% coming from gaming; 13% from sports betting and just 4% from B2B (the sector Dragonfish operates in). At the time of writing, the company’s shares are valued at around £2.
888 Holdings Re-structuring
Recent months have seen a comprehensive re-structuring of the 888 Gaming group. Major acquisitions and disposals have been announced which will have the effect of completely transforming the company’s strategy.
Sale of Dragonfish Bingo
In industry-shaking news announced in December 2021, 888 Holdings plc announced the sale of Dragonfish’s bingo business to Broadway Gaming for around $50 million. However, it is important to note that this sale includes only the bingo side of the business. The casino interests will be remaining with 888 Holdings, as it focuses on its core online gaming and sports betting businesses.
The deal is complicated by the need to split apart the bingo and casino sides of the business. This process is not expected to be resolved until mid-2022, and has still not been officially completed at the time of writing.
Acquisition of William Hill
May 2022 saw 888 Holdings move into a whole new sector of the gaming industry with the announcement of the purchase of international retail and online sports betting giant William Hill. The total cost of the acquisition is expected to amount to almost £2 billion.
Up until this point, all of 888 Holdings’ revenues had been derived from online services, but now the company will have close to 1500 high street betting shops in its portfolio. A significant proportion of future commercial income will therefore be coming from real world transactions for the first time.
The overall effect of these strategic moves will be to re-focus the company’s strategy toward its online casino gaming interests. It will also be rapidly expanding its sports betting businesses, both online and now in the real world too.
The Future Dragonfish Sites
The future of Dragonfish is a little uncertain. Usually, the word ‘uncertain’ is associated with bad news but in these circumstances this is not necessarily the case. The existing casino sites will remain with the 888 Gaming group. In fact, the future for such slot sites may well have been improved by recent corporate developments. This is because the parent company will now be fully focused on casino gaming, and not distracted by the interests of its larger (in terms of numbers of sites and revenue) bingo brothers and sisters.
What we can presume might well happen though is a re-branding. With the Dragonfish name forever linked with bingo, and with the bingo side of the business now belonging to someone else, it seems likely that Dragonfish sites may well find themselves operating under another name within the 888 Group.
But in the end, the effect of this extensive corporate re-structuring is likely to be positive for its casino interests. Massive resources are now likely to be devoted to the development of its casino businesses by 888 Gaming as the company re-focuses its strategy. It is likely therefore that the future will be bright for Dragonfish casinos, whatever they may be called.