On the heels of welcoming back The Great Pigsby to its screens, B2B multi-product provider Relax Gaming has increased its footprint across regulated European jurisdictions, having partnered with online poker, casino and sports operator PokerStars for the Italian market.

The deal that makes the supplier’s portfolio of top-performing games accessible to operators in Italy for the first time, is also stage one of its plan to significantly broaden its European market presence throughout 2022.

Active in the southern European country’s market since 2008 (beta play-money-only site), PokerStars is among the three highest-ranking Italian operators, in company with the likes of  Sisal and Lottomatica, and its huge customer base there will now be able to experience popular titles such as the classic Aztec-themed Temple Tumble and the blockbuster hit Money Train 2. 

Leg up:

A statement from Relax Gaming’s Chief Commercial Officer, Nadiya Attard, read…

“It’s with great pride that we enter into operations within the Italian online gaming market with a B2C powerhouse like PokerStars.

“Their longstanding reputation and local demand will offer Relax Gaming an exceptional start in a leading market. We look forward to launching our proprietary content within Italy with leading titles, and the business growth to come.”

According to the supplier, in due course, the Flutter Entertainment brand is also to gain access to premier content from its more than 50 specially chosen studio partners, courtesy of its Powered By Relax and Silver Bullet partnership programs.

Strategic move:

Relax Gaming’s Chief Regulatory Officer, Alexia Smilovic Rønde, explained the significance of the company’s Italian market debut, calling it “another major milestone” on its path to increasing its footprint across regulated jurisdictions.

“Italy holds the crown as one of the continent’s most established markets, and we’re ready to show what we can do when it comes to driving differentiation. With a competitive landscape that offers a wealth of opportunities for providers of premium gaming content such as us, I’m sure we’re going to see excellent results.”

With multiple operators in its network licensed in Italy, Relax reportedly expects that it will be announcing many more partnerships in the coming months.

Latest slot release:

The commercial deal follows the return of The Great Pigsby, only this time with Australian developer Big Time Gaming’s Megapays progressive jackpot, which is available to all Relax partners.

Sequel to the original hit released in January 2019, the  6-reel, high volatility video slot offers 117,649 winning ways, along with 1 global and 3 local jackpot offerings.

Here, players form wins by landing at least three matching symbols on adjacent reels, starting from the far left, with 10-A royals comprising lower values followed by a cigar ‘n whiskey on the rocks, a gramophone, a diamond-encrusted tiara, and a high society gentleman and lady piggy, which must be the developer’s versions of Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan from writer F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby, serving as premiums.

Wild symbol:

Whenever a wild symbol lands during base gameplay, it is deposited into a golden piggy bank situated above the reels. When that happens, it is possible to trigger one of the following: Free Spins, a Great Pigsby Re-spin, or a Wild Re-spin. In addition to substituting for all symbols on the reels, it also expands to cover the entire reel.

What’s more, when a Great Piggy Re-spin is awarded, between three and nine of the highest paying Pigsby symbols are placed on the reels before any of them stop spinning. The Wild Re-spin feature sees one respin awarded where between two and five reels turn wild. The multiplier value on the wild reels displays the number of wild symbols the wild reel represents. Full wilds can appear on all but the first reel.

Megapays feature:

The game’s pièce de résistance is the Megapays feature which triggers at random. The higher the stake the greater the chance of winning one of four jackpots, Mini, Midi, Major, or Mega.

At the start of the feature, the game reveals a random symbol as the Megapays symbol. Then, a special respin takes place, and if at least one of these symbols land, all of the others are removed from the reels. Megapays symbols drop and lock into place, followed by another respin, with the process continuing until Megapays symbols stop hitting, or until the Mega jackpot is won. The size of the jackpot is determined by the number of Megapays symbols that land.

Fan favotite:

Commenting on this spitfire of a game, Simon Hammon, Relax Gaming Chief Product Officer, said they “couldn’t be more thrilled” to welcome The Great Pigsby back to their screens.

“He’s a firm fan-favourite, and we’re confident players will enjoy this release thanks to the impressive Megapays Jackpots and lucrative bonus features and mechanics.

“We always strive to drive differentiation at Relax, and I believe The Great Pigsby’s return showcases exactly what makes us special at Relax – offering an unbeatable catalogue of premium games loved by players the world over.”