Latest News

Kalamba Games: a year of milestones and evolution

Published

5 years ago

December 7, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

As 2021 draws to a close, a look back over the last 12 months reveals a period of success for Kalamba Games, and also one of great change. Kalamba CEO and Co-Founder, Steve Cutler runs us through his highlights and what he expects for 2022.

It doesn’t seem like that long ago that the team at Kalamba Games was celebrating our first anniversary, but since then, and approaching our fifth birthday in December, we’ve gone from a start-up to a recognised provider of quality products to the igaming industry. Despite 2021 still suffering from the effects of the global pandemic, it has witnessed one of the greatest years of growth for us.

Such successes don’t come easily, or without a solid product to back yourself with and we’ve been fortunate enough to have an amazing team in place that has been able to produce just that. Our line-up of games this year has been one of our strongest and most diverse ever – from the eerie fairground of Ducks Till Dawn to the spiritual sequel to one of our best performing games ever, Blazing Bull 2 – a game on which we registered the billionth spin ever made on a Kalamba game!

It’s difficult to choose the best among such a list, but the highlight was probably the eighth in our successful Joker series, Joker Times. Its classic Vegas-style reels with a twist proved a hit among players and it has even been updated for a festive outing this December with Joker Times Xmas Edition.

Launching before that, however, was Age of Huracan, which enjoyed the honour of being our 50th game release. A lot has changed since the early days of our first-ever title, and we’ve come a long way as a company, which is evident in this landmark title.

It wasn’t the only half-century we clocked up either, as our ever-growing team of tenacious innovators welcomed its 50th member. One of the great things about a company like ours is seeing how people come in and strengthen a group of hard-working colleagues that continues to support our growth ambitions and the partners we enjoy working with every day.

Our expanding portfolio of games and tools has made the job of collaborating with new clients in new jurisdictions and regions incredibly easier too. Since the turn of the year, we’ve taken our games into Italy, Spain, Greece, Colombia, Portugal, Netherlands and Sweden and these markets are set to be followed by a host of others as we move into 2022.

Perhaps the crowning glory of our recent commercial success is the award of our MGA licence, which, on top of local certifications in Sweden, Croatia, Portugal, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands; will allow us to push even further into regulated markets. It’s also been a busy year for awards, with numerous nominations and short list, particularly being nominated for Innovator of the Year at the iGaming Idol Awards, and winning silver for Best Game Soundtrack at the SBC Awards.

It’s unfortunately been another difficult year for Trade Shows, but we did manage to attend a few, with the latter half of the year culminating in a truly excellent SiGMA event which finally saw us catch up in person with so many of our past, present and now future partners.

One of the biggest shifts we’ve undertaken since our founding has been evolving into a future proof technology provider, as well as a leading games studio. The launch of our Bullseye brand, which incorporates our proprietary remote gaming server (RGS) and promotional tools product offerings is integral to our plans.

These tools began rolling out in 2020, but this year has seen a host of improvements, and 2022 will see many more that will make Bullseye an even stronger proposition for operators. Its player engagement credentials include tournaments, leaderboards, metagames with standard progressive and mystery jackpots, plus a new AI-driven predictive CRM platform, StarGazer, which is set to lead us into the new year with renewed purpose and will open up a whole new avenue for our and our partners growth roadmaps.

Bullseye, with a laser focus on an expanding games portfolio serving regulated markets, represents the next stage in the core strategy and vision we established back in 2016. Naturally, we look forward to building further on our games library but making titles interconnected via meta-features and layers will ensure we build a player driven and market-leading slots experience, not just for 2022 but for many years to come. Onwards and upwards!

eSports

Esports Foundation names Faker Game Ambassador for EWC and ENC through 2028

Published

9 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

esports-foundation-names-faker-game-ambassador-for-ewc-and-enc-through-2028

Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok joins Cristiano Ronaldo and Magnus Carlsen in the Esports Foundation’s Ambassador Program.

The Esports Foundation (EF) has appointed Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok as a Game Ambassador for the Esports World Cup (EWC) and Esports Nations Cup (ENC) through 2028, the organization said on July 15, 2026 in a statement issued from Riyadh and Paris.

EF said Faker joins Cristiano Ronaldo, listed as the Foundation’s Global Ambassador, and Magnus Carlsen as part of the Esports Foundation Ambassador Program. The Foundation said Faker will represent “the perspective of esports players” across its international events, athlete initiatives, media engagements and leadership forums.

“You can’t talk about esports without mentioning Faker. He is the defining athlete of competitive gaming: a champion whose excellence, discipline and longevity have inspired an entire generation,” said Ralf Reichert, Chief Executive Officer of the Esports Foundation. “As our Game Ambassador, Faker represents something fundamental to the Ambassador Program: esports creates its own global sporting icons. Across EWC, ENC and NGSC, he will help ensure that the players who built this sport have a voice in shaping where it goes next.”

Faker said: “Competition has shaped my life, and I am proud to join the Esports Foundation as Game Ambassador. I want to continue competing for the biggest titles with T1 while representing the players and fans who have helped esports grow worldwide. Through the Esports World Cup, Esports Nations Cup and the Foundation’s wider platforms, I hope to inspire the next generation to pursue excellence, remain resilient and believe in how far competitive gaming can take them. There is still much more to achieve.”

EF highlighted Faker’s competitive record, describing him as a six-time League of Legends World Champion, EWC 2024 winner, two-time MSI champion and ten-time domestic champion with T1. The Foundation also said Faker became the first esports athlete to receive the Blue Dragon Medal in 2026, describing it as the Republic of Korea’s highest sporting honor awarded by President Lee Jae-myung.

The post Esports Foundation names Faker Game Ambassador for EWC and ENC through 2028 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Brand Partnerships

Midnite signs as Middlesbrough FC principal partner for 2026/27 season

Published

16 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

midnite-signs-as-middlesbrough-fc-principal-partner-for-2026/27-season

Midnite has agreed a partnership with Middlesbrough FC that will see the UK bookmaker become the club’s principal partner and front-of-shirt sponsor for the 2026/27 campaign, which Middlesbrough describes as its landmark 150th season.

The companies announced the deal alongside a fan activation at Riverside Stadium on Thursday, July 9, branded “This Season’s On Us”. The initiative offered supporters prizes including 2026/27 season tickets, 2026/27 shirts, match tickets, or a £25 club shop voucher, with fans required to answer Middlesbrough trivia and complete a football challenge.

Middlesbrough former players Craig Hignett and David Wheater attended the event, and, according to the company, took bonus attempts on behalf of participants who missed out.

Andrew Mook, Midnite’s Head of Brand Marketing, said:

“Middlesbrough have a storied history and we’re delighted to announce this partnership during such a monumental year with the club celebrating their 150th anniversary.

“It was great to see so many Middlesbrough fans at the “This Season’s On Us” activation, we hope they enjoyed taking part and meeting club legends, with David Wheater hitting top bins on several occasions and allowing fans to win big with season tickets.

“We can’t wait to get to Riverside Stadium in August to kick-off a new season and we’re excited to say that we have plenty of new and captivating campaigns planned.”

Lee Fryett, Middlesbrough FC Chief Commercial Officer, added:

“We’re delighted to welcome Midnite as our new Principal Partner.

“We’re looking forward to working closely with Midnite to develop engaging campaigns, content and unique experiences that bring our fans even closer to the club.

“We’re confident this partnership will provide real value for our supporters while supporting our ambitions both on and off the pitch.”

The post Midnite signs as Middlesbrough FC principal partner for 2026/27 season appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AGCO

ThrillTech secures AGCO supplier licence for Ontario launch

Published

16 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

thrilltech-secures-agco-supplier-licence-for-ontario-launch

ThrillTech has been awarded a Gaming-Related Supplier licence by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), clearing the company to launch in Ontario’s regulated market.

The licence allows ThrillTech to deploy its opt-in side bet jackpots technology with regulated online casino, sports betting and lottery operators across the province.

Benjamin Bradtke, Co-Founder of ThrillTech, said: “Securing our AGCO licence is a major step in our mission to transform how jackpots are delivered at scale across regulated markets. This latest certification is testament to our robust technology and trusted compliance frameworks, allowing us to continue our global growth trajectory. We are thrilled to bring our proven, compliant jackpot technology to Ontario, empowering locally licensed operators to uplift revenue without cannibalising existing spend.”

The company said its “ThrillPots” mechanics sit as an independent, player-funded side bet and do not alter the underlying game’s return-to-player mathematics.

ThrillTech said the Ontario approval enables its existing multinational partners that also operate in the province to launch its side bet jackpots locally, while it also holds talks with potential new operator partners. The company lists its regulated footprint as including the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands, Romania, Malta, Gibraltar, Brazil and Peru.

The post ThrillTech secures AGCO supplier licence for Ontario launch appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.