PlayLive.co.za - South Africa’s Largest Online Casino and leaders in the ultimate Live Gaming experience, announces the launch of MONOPOLY Live on its Online Casino open to the South African market. With in-studio streamed games like Blackjack, Roulette, Wheel of Fortune, Poker and Baccarat - PlayLive has launched a range of extended live gaming experiences over the course of 2019.

Today, PlayLive CEO Rob Keats announced the launch of MONOPOLY Live on South Africa’s Largest Online Casino, with a very optimistic outlook on the future Live Games will have in a transparent online casino experience. Rob adds that for players in South Africa seeking the ultimate live casino experience, PlayLive is the place to be.

With the announcement of its latest revolutionary game offering, MONOPOLY Live is the next generation in Live Gaming entertainment. The game itself delivers truly cutting-edge elements with its 3D bonus round that brings the prototypical Rich Uncle Pennybags character to life in a colourful, digitally rendered mini-game, with classic and high value type features that can really top up your bankroll instantly.

Unveiled at ICE 2019 by its gaming partner Evolution, MONOPOLY Live is a unique variant of the hugely popular Money Wheel and MONOPOLY board game. The aim of the game is quite simple: a game host spins the large, vertically mounted wheel and participating players predict the area of value at which the wheel is going to stop after the spin. While the game is live streamed and hosted by a live host, a virtual MR. MONOPOLY sits alongside ready to jump in on the action.

The MONOPOLY Live wheel further incorporates ‘CHANCE’ segments that rewards instant cash wins and multipliers, with three ‘2 ROLLS’ and one ‘4 ROLLS’ segment. These latter segments activate a captivating, augmented reality, 3D Bonus game built around the adventures of MR. MONOPOLY and the traditional Monopoly board game. Rob Keats indicated the demand for Live Gaming has increased on PlayLive.co.za by 18% in 2019, as opposed to only 11% the year before.

“There is a definite increase in demand for Live and immersive type gaming experiences, and so our aim is to grow with the trend and build out verticals that supports the demand through key industry partners.” says Playlive CEO, Rob Keats  Created in partnership with Hasbro and available at www.PlayLive.co.za, MONOPOLY Live takes the excitement and suspense of our world-leading money wheel game and adds unique MONOPOLY game elements. It’s another hot property on the PlayLive platform, combining live game action and augmented reality to redefine Live Casino entertainment and offer PlayLive customers the chance to win big on its massive multipliers in doing so!

3D BONUS ROUND
When the Bonus game is activated, qualifying players join MR. MONOPOLY as he enters his augmented reality 3D MONOPOLY world and steps around the 3D MONOPOLY board collecting prizes, multipliers and more. The walk is determined by a pair of dice. Players qualify for the Bonus game by placing bets on ‘2 ROLLS’ and ‘4 ROLLS’ in the money wheel game. If players have not placed either of these bets, they will still be able to watch and enjoy the Bonus game, but they cannot win any prizes in it. All the familiar MONOPOLY board elements are here from GO, Chance and Community Chest, houses and hotels as well as Jail and Super Tax.

DEPOSITS/WITHDRAWALS
As the largest Online Casino in South Africa, Playlive dedicates itself to the best in customer experience with quick and easy deposit and withdrawal methods. With both Instant EFT and Credit/Debit Card options available, PlayLive’s automated payouts/withdrawals system ensures players are paid out swiftly and in a timely manner, directly into player’s local South African bank accounts.

“We are proud in what we have achieved on a customer satisfaction level. Our easy eft, credit card and fast withdrawals makes us more credible than other online casinos and gives customers of PlayLive a world class experience from the moment they sign up” says Rob Keats, CEO of PlayLive

MONOPOLY Live can be found on the home page as you enter the site. Proudly brought to you by www.playlive.co.za - South Africa’s Favourite Live Casino 

Bhagwan Gave Me This Life The return of a HIT play, in Hindi.

Bhagwan Gave Me This Life was written and directed by well-known theatre veteran Vivian Moodley and is brilliantly performed by Pranesh Maharaj.

Billed as a Hindi play, it is performed in the unique Durban patois that developed from Hindi, with smatterings of English and isiZulu. Set in Inanda in 1981, the drama focusses on the life reflections of a widower Balram. “Vivian had a script in his hand that he wanted me to read. I lunged at it, to get back to him a day later and say that I'll do it. That's when he gave me the ultimate twist in this production: He wanted me to perform it in Bhojpuri (Nataalie Hindi). The Producers at the time were not convinced that a theatre piece in Hindi, in this day and time, would ever work. To be honest, I was not convinced either. Then Vivian and I got to carving this piece of art and four weeks later it was ready to open. That full house and standing ovation on the opening night is what gave us hope. Hope that this kind of serious theatre has a place in this country and in this world. We made some promises back then about taking the play around... well, we are back.” - Pranesh Maharaj. 

The sight of those wood and iron, or tin houses as they were known, evoke strong feelings for many people. The corrugated walls, wooden doors with patterned glass panels, sash windows and the verandas with lush coastal vegetation around them speak of a bygone era, although many of those same houses are still standing today. We find a disconsolate Balram, snoozing on an upholstered car seat, propped up against the wall. He is not sleeping peacefully – his dreams recall the tragic dramas of his life and when he awakens, it is to find himself still alive – and alone. Loneliness is the biggest enemy that elderly people have to overcome – and when they have had a life surrounded by family members and the community, it can be a hard pill to swallow. We watch Balram struggle as an ageing man, portrayed with great sensitivity and authenticity by the much younger Pranesh, go through some of the daily rituals that help his day pass. He prays by the shrine, fills the upturned wheel rim with water for the birds and takes a nip of cane spirits from a small bottle hidden in a safe box. There are other treasures in that box and the sight of them bring to mind memories of his youth. The anklets with bells and the silver headdress that were worn by his wife, recall his first meeting when he was a shy young man in the marriage market. With amazing skill and expertise, Pranesh paints the portraits of the eccentric aunts that acted as marriage brokers, as well as playing the entire family of characters who attend the wedding.

Pranesh play out the male and female roles with an adroit combination of hilarious lip syncing and the use of his own tuneful and powerful voice. Most impressive are the tabla-like rhythms that he extracts from an old paint tin in his pursuit of happiness.We are carried along on the wave of the story, a story that, says Vivian, is a composite picture of the community he grew up in and and inspiration that stem from various 'Indian' communities within the Greater Durban area. The tale of the two brothers, the woman abused by her alcoholic husband, the grandparents longing for a child – all are grist to the mill of the story teller. Pranesh shoulders all the roles, giving each their weight and value, teasing out the comedic lines and giving full range to the dramatic tragedy that serves as the denouement. The human condition can be described as the unalterable part of humanity that is inherent and innate to human beings and is not dependent on factors such as gender, race or class. It includes concerns such as the meaning of life, the search for gratification, the sense of curiosity, the inevitability of isolation, or awareness regarding the inescapability of death. 

While Bhagwan (God) gave me this Life is almost 90 % Hindi, it was possible to follow the characters and their ranging emotions due to Pranesh’ expert acting and musicianship – ask anyone who has watched the piece already. One of the objects of this very worthwhile project is to take pride in mother tongue and to preserve its use, so ‘culture specific’ is to the point, yet it contains much laughter and 'edge of the seat' drama. Following back to back successes with lengthy runs at various venues in 2014/15, the play has been revived. So Come watch it at the Durban North Conference Centre on 02, 03, 04 & 05 May 2019. Tickets are R150 per person at COMPUTICKET online or at Shoprite / Checkers.