Looking to stay on top of the online gaming market and making the most if its recent merger with Gocorp, Lasseters Online underwent a major upgrade this week.
Lasseters, Australia's first government-licensed and regulated online casino, has nearly doubled the amount of games offered on the site, and company officials feel they're now better equipped to contend in the highly competitive Internet gaming world.
The new games, which went live today, are the product of a nearly AU$2 million investment in the development of new technologies and a system which includes improved navigation, faster downloads of games and an enhancement of the graphic design of the overall site. The move marks the site's first major upgrade since the site's inception in April 1999.
Company officials said their choice of which new games to feature was based on what's popular at the company's land-based casino in Alice Springs in Australia's Northern Territory. Additionally, frequent players at Lasseters Online took a survey to help the company determine what to add and how to integrate new technologies available to the company after its merger with Gocorp (and the subsequent implementation of Gocorp's AusVegas online casino system) in April 2001.
At the heart of the overhaul is the addition of nine new slot games, which are targeted at the majority of the company's players. Baccarat is now offered through the site as well.
The new additions bring the number of games available to 21, up from 11.
Lasseters Managing Director Peter Bridge said the upgrade will give the site a much needed edge with the increasing player base of Internet casino visitors.
"The development and direction of our online casino has been driven by feedback from our players," he said. "We need to offer both gaming variety and the best site performance to be competitive internationally."
He added, "Site improvements and modifications such as these allow us to be more responsive to players' demands for new and improved games. It also significantly reduces the amount of time our players spend with site housekeeping and provides faster and simpler access to their winnings."
Bridge said that, before the overhaul, the site drew nearly 5,000 users a month. The company is hoping that number will increase as a wider player base can now be tapped.
The upgrading of the site was fast tracked, Bridge said, thanks to the recent merger with Gocorp.
"The availability of this technology reduced development costs and the time to market," he said.
Lasseters Online has over 146,000 registered players in more than 212 countries around the world.