Published on 10th March 2012 by Becky Mosley

Software giant Microgaming has just announced details of an agreement with Pedigree Group Limited, owner of the famous Shoot Football magazine. This will result in a branded slot using imagery from Shoot, which will undoubtedly attract scores of UK football fans. The magazine has been around since 1969 and quickly gained a reputation for being the best in its class, with informed, quality writing and contributions from star players like Kevin Keegan, Bryan Robson and Charlie Nicholas.

The agreement is far from simple, with digital involvement from AT Media, but is expected to be well worth the trouble with this summer’s Euro 2012 tournament helping to further ignite interest in the game and consequently any branded merchandise that’s associated with it.

Shoot’s popularity as a weekly publication seemed to hit its peak in 1996, after which it went monthly in 2001 before being re-launched as a weekly again in 2008 before being sold off. However, it has since been reborn as an online publication and application accessible through iTunes, and as such is flourishing again.

With a dearth of credible soccer-related slot games on the market Microgaming seem to be about to score a winner here. Football fan demographics have been identified by industry experts as closely linked to those of slot game enthusiasts, so the game should have no trouble finding a loyal fanbase…