Playtech to scrap Marvel pokies

Top online casino provider Playtech will be removing all Marvel-themed casino games from its licensed online casinos and gambling sites.

Despite the popularity surrounding the online pokies and other casino games which are licensed by Marvel, Playtech has announced it will scrap all Marvel-branded games by the end of the month.

It has been reported its license with the comic book brand has expired.

Affiliates of online gambling sites which host the Playtech gambling games have said they’ve been contacted by the top provider.

In an email to their players, William Hill said they would be “removing their Marvel-branded games on March 31” which includes popular pokies like The Incredible Hulk, Fantastic Four, Iron Man and more.

A non-renewal of the gambling license was expected after Marvel Entertainment was acquired by Disney in 2009.

Disney has long been vocal about its anti-gambling stance and has even lobbied Florida politicians against bringing non-tribal casino gambling to the state.

Disney then came out against the licensing agreements between Marvel, Playtech, and Amaya Gaming in 2013 to alleviate accusations it was being hypocritical.

The family-friendly company announced it had “discontinued plans to initiate or renew slot machine licensing arrangements” which were tied to intellectual property.

The following year Cryptologic powered sites, then owned by Amaya Gaming, were forced to remove all Marvel themed casino games after its license expired.

Playtech has been able to continue offering its Marvel pokies and table games, such as Marvel Roulette, up until now.

But it isn’t all doom and gloom for Playtech.

A deal with Warner Brothers last year opened up a new superhero avenue with DC Comics and Playtech has since revealed plans for Batman and Superman titles. Six Batman-themed pokies were rolled out and have been well received.

Playtech then announced in February they’d be adding more games with a range of new characters from DC Comics to keep comic-book fans interested.

Playtech CEO Mor Weizer, commented on the deal saying it was a “hugely significant deal for Playtech” and the company is “delighted to have a wider-reaching exclusive DC film- and TV-branded content licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Consumer Products.”

“We’ve had phenomenal feedback from our licensees based on the high-quality and calibre of the DC-branded games we rolled out in 2016,” he said.

Many affiliates are also encouraging players to try out the Age of God titles by Playtech which offer a superhero vibe on a range of pokies and a roulette title.