the hype pipe

[vinylweatherman]

What I find disturbing is the fact that Hype used a similar design to Lasseters (winner screenshots), they even had Shaman's Dream. There is no formal connection, but it seems they have licenced the games that used to be at Lasseters, and still are at AusVegas.
This gave Hype some credibility, although there were rumours of something not quite right starting with the inchilli issues, at which point we had a Hype rep attempting to convince us this was an isolated problem with inchilli, and not the Hype brand in general.
Fortunately, it was enough to make me dither and dally, and not join up despite the obvious attraction of slots like Shaman's dream in faster download form.
The software was also notoriously buggy - worse even than Microgaming

[Casinomeister]

They are in the "rogue" pit for a reason.

Stay alert - stay alive.

[jetset]

CASINO CAUTIONS

Too much Hype and too little customer sensitivity


After months of slow-paying players, business difficulties have reportedly beset the Player Preferred-powered Hype Casino. Insider reports from several sources last week indicated that a major falling-out has occurred between the owners of the online casino, an Australian outfit called Nix Court Limited, and the software provider and its associated management company Firebrand Interactive.

The dispute is allegedly over financial discrepancies in the March accounts, but conflicting reports are circulating about who terminated who in the argument. Solid sources have claimed that Nix Court ordered PP-Firebrand to shut the casino down on April 30, just before it was denied access to the back end. PP-Firebrand on the other hand have claimed in emails to angry and unpaid affiliates that the termination was on their initiative and the casino is now under new management.

Unfortunately, neither side appear to regard the unpaid players or affiliates as a priority in their confrontation, and official communications and statements have been largely absent, encouraging speculation and doubt. This places serious cautionary flags on the operation in our view.

As we went to press reliable sources informed that Firebrand may be facing further hassles this week following allegations that the main e-cash processor has withdrawn its services.

Until there is far more clarity, players and affiliates alike are urged to proceed with caution.

[macpomme]

What I find disturbing is the fact that Hype used a similar design to Lasseters (winner screenshots), they even had Shaman's Dream.

Comparing Lasseters software (pre-Orbis) and Player Preferred is fair. The software began life in Online Gaming Systems (OGS of Boca Raton and then Las Vegas). The company who developed the casino software for Lasseters was provided the software source by OGS, and is the same company that has provided the casino software to Hype, InChilli and Giant Palace.

They also supplied, a now defunct, operation called Samurai Gaming - which was funded by a Japanese group and who, in 2002/3, planned to target the Japoanese pachinko market. After 18 months of getting ready - they traded online for 3 days.

Also Action Online were initially going to use this same OGS ICE package as well.

I'm not sure whether or not they did the websites for Lasseters because Lasseters used to have their own small graphics team (now they were crazy, but good, guys!).

The link between the software starts with the relationship between the Lasseters' manager at the time that they converted from Access Systems "ACES" product, to the OGS "ICE" casino product, and the Oceania Manager for OGS.

In essence the casino software offered to licensees by Player Prefrred has its roots in the OGS "ICE" software with some modern games tacked onto the front.

The Oceania OGS Manager left Australia some time ago and started Mansion, and a little while afterward the former Lasseters Manager went and joined him in Gibraltar. The Oceania OGS Manager is no longer at Mansion.

[jetset]

What I find disturbing is the fact that Hype used a similar design to Lasseters (winner screenshots), they even had Shaman's Dream. There is no formal connection, but it seems they have licenced the games that used to be at Lasseters, and still are at AusVegas.

That's a very interesting observation, VWM because one of our sources claimed that one of the individuals involved in this debacle once worked for Lasseters!

[KasinoKing]

....
Until there is far more clarity, players and affiliates alike are urged to proceed with caution.

How do inChilli & Giant Palace fit into the picture...?
What's happening with them?

KK

[vinylweatherman]

That's a very interesting observation, VWM because one of our sources claimed that one of the individuals involved in this debacle once worked for Lasseters!

This was only thanks to the winner screenshots. When I first saw the Hype/inchilli lobby I was taken aback because it was almost the same as Lasseters, and when I saw the Shaman's Dream shot I was convinced some connection existed. This is why it is all the more disturbing that they have turned rogue. I am sure many players who had seen Lasseters found the fact Hype had many Lasseters games very reassuring.
Although Lasseters recently changed to Orbis, Ausvegas remains with the "Hype Like" earlier games.

I also saw a mention of Action Online, are they involved in this fallout? There is concern that they have been uncontactable since February, and the only thing that still seems to work is the deposit taking function.

The fact that Australian companies are involved in the Hype fiasco must be an embarrassment to Lasseters, given their selling point is the very strict government regulation that should prevent anything remotely like this happening to Lasseters players. Non Australians will not see how this can be, why Hype got away with this under the noses of the Australian government regulators.

[macpomme]

This was only thanks to the winner screenshots. When I first saw the Hype/inchilli lobby I was taken aback because it was almost the same as Lasseters, and when I saw the Shaman's Dream shot I was convinced some connection existed.

History of the Aussie Online World Part II.

Sidebar: Action Online's original management team, long since departed, submitted licence applications in both the Isle of Man and in Vanuatu. At that time they had planned to use the ICE package from OGS. Subsequently they became a PlayTech licensee. (The ICE package originally used is the only linkage here).

Ausvegas was originally designed and built by GoCorp Limited. GoCorp fell foul of the Australian Federal Government's Moratorium and subsequent legislation restricting online gambling. GoCorp was bought by Lasseters.

One of the main players at Player Preferred / Firebrand Interactive was the original Managing Director at Lasseters' Online Casino. (Lasseters' online casino was not solely his idea - it was an idea given to him by two employees working at Treasury in the Northern Territory when this particular person was a pit boss at the MGM/Grand Casino in Darwin. MGM/Grand mulled over the idea for a year but decided to not proceed, so the idea, and this person, moved to Lasseters). This guy was not at Lasseters' when they bought GoCorp as he had moved on and had started Golden Reef Casino on the MGS platform, a little later Aztec Riches Casino was started.

After a number of years with Golden Reef / Aztec Riches he moved on and then Player Preferred / Firebrand Interactive first hit the public eye.

InChilli was licensed by Firebrand Interactive / Player Preferred - and as is pretty well known now was really the ex-owners of Captain Cooks Casino and ISPYE.

Giant Palace was licensed by Firebrand Interactive / Player Preferred - and it is suspected to have been aligned with the Giant Vegas / Royal Dice group.

Hype as is publicly known was Nix Court Pty Ltd.

Lasseters' is a public company in Australia, with the 2 major shareholders being Singaporean brothers. (Lasseters' is currently focussing more on acquiring land based pubs than in growing its online assets).

Lasseters' is licensed by the Government of the Northern Territory. InChilli, Hype and Giant Palace all operated under sub-licenses of Firebrand Interactive's main license granted by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. (Inchilli and Giant Palace would not have been owned / operated by Australian companies)

Sidebar #2: GoCorp mentioned above had a web design and game development arm named Spin Cycle. It has evolved, changed ownership and management, and is now Next Gen Gaming who's games are pretty good, and you'll be seeing much more of in the coming months. The Managing Director of Next Gen Gaming is one of the guys working at Treasury in the Northern Territory when the online casino idea was put to the person working at MGM/Grand, who subsequently started Lasseters, Golden Reef and now PP / FI.

Apologies for using 3rd party references - it makes it seem more complex than it is in reality.

[dominique]

Games being used by different softwares isn't all that new. Some of the old Party Casino slots ( I have no idea what they have now) used to be shared by Intercasino and there are games definitely made by the same people at English Harbour.

[jetset]

To help with interpreting these interesting Aussie ownerships:

Inchilli was Tom and Mary Ann Dick (ex-Captain Cook's et al) and I believe Tom's son. Ohlson confirmed to me not long after Inchilli first appeared that they were no longer involved - reasons unknown. It is not clear whether Ohlson found someone to take over the license or if the casino continued to run for the benefit of Player Preferred.

Hype was Steve Sorenson and his partner Mark - Nix Court. That's pretty well documented already in this thread and is the latest owner to withdraw.

Giant Palace was alleged to be Brian Goodman (formally of RTG powered Kiss and Giant Vegas fame - now licensee of Playtech.) Circumstances unknown.

Player Preferred - David Ohlson - alleged to have a new licensee about to launch about which little is known. PP is not generous with its corporate information, as a visit to the website will demonstrate. The company does not appear to hold on to licensees for very long.

Firebrand Interactive - David Jenkins. Jenkins confirmed to me that this is the actual support and management arm of the casinos using Player Preferred, and there have been allegations that Firebrand is responsible for the payment of players on behalf of the various owners. The Hype - PP - FI dispute and current situation is covered in this and several other threads on this forum.