A fast-emerging development studio specialising in online casino software has secured a new lucrative partnership with one of Europe’s online gambling software pioneers. Northern Lights Gaming, which was established in Manchester in 2017, has confirmed the selection of Yggdrasil’s ground-breaking go-to market interface (GATI) standardisation platform. This will enable the studio to scale up the distribution of its innovative video slot games and expand revenue streams across some of the biggest online casinos in Europe.
Northern Lights Gaming was founded by a cluster of some of the world’s most experienced video slot designers and system architects. The studio’s CEO, Andrew Goodale, is a man with a proven track record in online slot titles. Goodale was the brainchild of household slot names such as Rainbow Riches that have featured heavily in the advertising campaigns of the biggest operators in the last decade.
Goodale and the rest of the Northern Lights Studio are also beginning to make waves with next-generation slots such as the gold mine-themed Rocky’s Gold. This title, for example, is widely promoted by providers like Betsafe, who are passionate about their customers playing online slots better equipped with high-definition visuals and audio for more immersive slot experiences.
By becoming a franchisee of Yggdrasil’s GATI platform, in the same way that YG Masters recently signed up, Northern Lights Gaming will be able to collaborate and meet the demand of slot fans across global markets. Goodale said that the new arrangement gives the studio “complete control of the entire development process” and a chance to innovate without “having to make any compromises”.
Yggdrasil’s head of partner strategy and sourcing, Stuart McCarthy also spoke in glowing terms of their new arrangement with Northern Lights Gaming and their addition to Yggdrasil’s “rapidly expanding operator and Franchise networks”. The benefit of the GATI platform is that studios will be able to design and build new video slots that are fully compliant with licensing conditions and packaged ready to deliver to consumers out-of-the-box.
Aside from Rocky’s Gold, Northern Lights Gaming has had plenty of other successes in its short three-year history. The studio was the creative force behind the hugely popular Niagara Falls slot, which was designed with a distinctly 1930s feel to celebrate the heritage of North America’s frontier land. With its high-definition piano soundtrack, it certainly transports players back in time. Meanwhile, its slightly tongue-in-cheek Trail Blazer slot is set within a post-apocalyptic town where there is non-stop action on the reels. Its razor-sharp visuals are helping to create a sense that video slots can look and play just like a casual mobile game.
There’s no doubt that these are exciting times for Northern Lights Gaming. Back in January, the studio also managed to secure strategic investment from venture capital firm Velo Partners. At the same time, the firm also penned a deal that would permit some of its video slot portfolio to be distributed exclusively through the Microgaming platform, forging links with the longest standing online gambling software company on the planet. Although they might still be considered a ‘boutique’ provider of casino content, Northern Lights Gaming are leading the way for iGaming innovation across the UK not just the north-west of England.
