By Contributing Author
When people think of Israel, one of the first things that come to mind may not necessarily be technology, online gaming, and sports betting. The country though is as up to speed as any when it comes to keeping up with the latest trends technology-wise, but the picture is very interesting when it comes to online gaming. For a start, gambling laws in the country are extremely complex and restrictive, however, Israel is still the place where even some of the world’s biggest companies choose to run some of their operations from.
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You could look at William Hill as a starting point that saw Israel begin to gain a foothold in the industry. When the betting giants looked to get involved in online betting and gaming, they entered into a deal with Playtech. Playtech is one of the biggest online gaming and casino operators around today and the company was founded and is part owned by Teddy Sagi, an Israeli businessman.
Since then, Israel and Tel Aviv more specifically has become an important part of the William Hill set up, with their office there boasting over 250 employees. William Hills impact in the country has also seen gaming companies such as NeoGames set up and then developed. They’re now responsible for some of the best instant win and slot games out there, providing a high caliber gaming experience for players through operators. With online betting and gaming so important to the gambling industry, on the whole, the fact that heavyweight game developers such as Playtech and NeoGames as well as sports betting powerhouses such as William Hill are operating out of Israel tells its own story.
The online gaming industry is one that has not only grown at a rapid rate but it continues to do so. It’s worth billions and possibly even trillions and it’s said that Israel control around a 15 percent market share. It’s easy to appreciate why when the likes of Playtech, 888 and William Hill are mentioned but one of the main reasons is because the country stays ahead of the competition when it comes to technology. The relationships the country has with the world’s finest software developers only makes staying ahead of the competition even easier. In fact, nowadays, it is quite common for near enough all reputable gaming brands to be employing technology, games and related services that have all originated from Israel.
So while people in Israel can’t enjoy online sports betting and gaming due to the laws in the country, they can and do certainly play a hugely influential role in helping to keep the industry growing and relevant through the use of the latest technological advances. It’s the biggest place in the world for start-ups too, outside of America, and the rise of NeoGames is evidence that Israel’s figure of 200+ gaming companies will continue to grow, with revenue into the country from the sector exceeding $1 billion annually.
With online operators now taking advantage of rising of gambling and gaming on the go, it certainly confirms Israel’s status as a powerhouse in the industry for a good few years yet. It also sends out a positive message to other countries that aren’t necessarily big in size that if you stay up to date with the latest trends and technology, you can become a key player in industries such as online gaming, bringing huge amounts of revenue with it.
