What does the future hold for online slot games, and how do you market them to millennials? Plus, with Ukraine in the process of establishing a regulated online gaming market, what opportunities does the country offer?

Simona talks with Yanina Kaplya, Head of Marketing at Evoplay Entertainment, for an expert view from inside Ukraine.

You can find out more about Evoplay Entertainment at https://evoplay.games/

Online betting operator Parimatch has teamed up with Sector X, an acceleration hub and Ukraine’s largest platform connecting businesses with start-ups. 

The partners are searching for the next successful start-up in the entertainment tech space, and there’s up to $5 million USD funding available to access from JKR Investment Group. 

Start-ups selected for the acceleration hub program will gain access to support and mentorship from experts at Parimatch Tech and financial investment from JKR Investment Group, and will be given the opportunity to launch a pilot of their product or service. 

Participants will also receive support from the community of entrepreneurs and resources at UNIT.City Innovation Park, home to Sector X. 

The project is looking for start-ups in the following areas:

• Sports event forecast models
• Non-cash rates
• Online quizzes
• Online payments
• Innovations in online casino products
• Online poker and player identification tools
• Slots/side games
• Innovation and optimization of online rates
• Solutions for integrating statistical and news information on sporting events into a product with a focus on personalisation
• Risk management in both traditional and esports betting
• Match prediction and e-sports media resources; content projects, analytics tools CS : GO, Dota2, HLTV parsers, Liquipedia;
• Optimization of video delivery speed
• AR effects in video streams, virtual studios, video production
• Uploading statistics to video
• Computer-aided data acquisition solutions

Further details and instructions on how to apply can be found here: https://sectorx.city/ 

AYO.NEWS says:

With a functional regulated gambling market now in the process of being set up, plus a vibrant esports scene, Ukraine is a land of opportunity for start-ups right now (despite the obvious geopolitical threats and stability issues), and the nation has a strong entrepreneurial streak, so it will be interesting to see which start-ups get involved. 

Staying with Parimatch, earlier this month the operator was confirmed as official betting partner of the new Dota 2 OMEGA League esports series.  

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020

Evolution Gaming Group subsidiary Ezugi has launched operations in Lithuania. 

Ezugi is the first Live Dealer provider to start operations in the Baltic state and will be offering various versions of blackjack, live roulette, and live baccarat, as they obtain regulatory approval in the country. 

Commenting on the news Business Development Director at Ezugi, Pang Goh, said:

“We are delighted to have secured certification and will be completing several successful launches in the coming weeks with our key partners in Lithuania

“The team has done an incredible job when it comes to ensuring our games meet the high standards set by the regulator making us confident of our ability to meet them.

“Obtaining approvals in regulated markets around the world is the driving force behind our growth strategy and the latest certification marks our arrival as the leading live dealer provider.

“We see huge potential in Lithuania and believe that live dealer will become a significant vertical in its own right as the market continues to grow and mature.”

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020

Gaming Innovation Group’s online gambling guide Super Lenny has launched in the potentially vast Indian market. 

SuperLenny.com/in/ provides content specifically localised to India, including what it calls “the most thorough” guide to online kabaddi betting – the ancient, indigenous Indian sport which is still popular across the entire subcontinent today. 

The company has appointed Tanvi Clarke, an experienced local editor-in-charge for its new Indian gambling portal. Clarke graduated from IGNOU, The People’s University in Delhi, with an M.A. in English. 

Commenting on her new appointment Clarke said:

“I am honored to be a part of such a great team and a market-leading organization. Performance marketing is nothing without performers, and luckily both SuperLenny and its mother company are filled to the brim with industry-wide recognized talents.”

According to the SuperLenny team, the Indian online gambling market is one of the most promising candidates to enter the group of top-earning markets worldwide. This is down to a combination of factors, including a huge population that is largely fluent in English, rapidly increasing digital penetration, and a deep rooted betting and gambling culture. 

India represents SuperLenny’s sixth market, after Finland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, German, and Canada, and the company says it is considering entering further markets. 

AYO.NEWS says:

Over the last couple of years it has become increasingly clear that India is going to be one of the most important markets for iGaming, sports betting, and esports, over the next few years. 

Despite the country still having serious infrastructure and poverty issues in many places, the sheer scale of the country, and its population of more than 1.3 billion, is staggering and means the growth potential is off the charts. 

Getting Super Lenny established in the nascent online market now seems like a very smart investment on GiG’s part! 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020

The UK’s largest trade union, UNISON, has announced a partnership with the Young Gamers & Gamblers Education Trust (YGAM). 

As part of a £10 million National Gambling Education Programme supported by members of the Betting & Gaming Council, the charity is providing free accredited workshops and resources to anyone who works with or cares for young people. 

Designed to build digital resilience, the workshops cover key information on gaming and gambling in the UK. The resources will provide UNISON members with the tools needed to safeguard young people from the potential risks of gambling and gaming-related harm, including lesson plans, activities, signs to look out for and information on where to go for advice and support. 

Research from the Children’s Commissioner shows 93% of children play video games and Gambling Commission research shows there 55,000 11-16 years olds classified as problem gamblers in England, Scotland and Wales.

Due to the COVID19 pandemic, YGAM has accelerated the digital transformation of their training so it can be delivered online. UNISON members can book onto the free session by visiting the YGAM website – https://www.ygam.org/book-a-workshop/.

Commenting on the partnership Head of Learning and Organising at UNISON, Teresa Donegan, said: 

“We are really pleased to have developed this relationship with YGAM, their training and resources are really excellent and will be an invaluable resource to our members to support them in their work with young people across public services whether it be in youth, community or social services or in the further or higher education sector.”

UNISON has over 1.3 million members and have initially organised for YGAM to run several national sessions and hope to follow this up with a host of regional training through the UNISON regional education teams across the country.

Operations Director at YGAM, Kev Clelland, added: 

“We are delighted to be working with UNISON. We are constantly listening to the needs of practitioners and young people and it is very clear from these conversations that the workers that UNISON represents need and appreciate our resources more than ever.  

“YGAM’s vision is for all young and vulnerable people to be safe from gaming and gambling related harms and this collaboration will help us reach thousands of young people to raise awareness of the potential risks of gambling and gaming related harm.”

YGAM recently launched a new leading-edge ‘Parent Hub’ website to provide resources and expert advice around gaming and gambling to support families to build up their children’s resilience and establish a healthy online/offline balance. 

The new website has received endorsements from parents, teachers, safeguarding officers and the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) who labelled the resources ‘vitally important’ for parents. www.parents.ygam.org 

AYO.NEWS says:

Here at AYO.NEWS we’ve always been very enthusiastic about education when it comes to addressing problem gambling. However, given the extremely political nature of UNISON, and it’s very particular ideological stance, there is the very real danger that this program will be hijacked to further the cause of the UK’s anti-gambling crusaders.

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020

Malta-based online casino game provider Swintt has announced a partnership with White Hat Gaming. 

The deal will see Swintt’s growing product suite distributed to the casino brands running on the White Hat Gaming platform. 

The line-up includes an exclusive selection of land-based games, already popular in various European markets, plus Swintt’s portfolio of 33 proprietary games, including the recently released Sea Raiders.  

Commenting on the news CEO of Swintt, David Flynn, said:

“White Hat Gaming are known for having an industry leading platform, supporting many popular casino brands. We are ecstatic to be partnering with White Hat Gaming to see our suite of products made available to their clients.”

While CEO of White Hat Gaming, Andreas Söneby, added:

“Swintt is a provider that’s made huge strides in a very short space of time, and we are not surprised at their success given their extensive product suite. We believe their content will be welcomed by our clients and players and we look forward to seeing their games live on our platform.” 

White Hat Gaming, which is also based in Malta,is a market-leading full-service platform, regulated in multiple jurisdictions including the UK, Sweden, and Malta, offering a turnkey solution for online casino operators. 

Last month Swintt announced the launch of its games with fellow Malta-based Rootz – operator of the Wildz and Caxino online casino brands. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020