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Leicester Riders announce Ygam as Charity of the Year in groundbreaking British Basketball partnership
- Leicester Riders announce partnership with Ygam, a charity with a mission to prevent children and young people from experiencing gaming and gambling harms.
- Ygam has been appointed Leicester Riders ‘Charity of the Year’ for the forthcoming 24/25 season, alongside the Riders Foundation.
- This is the first partnership of its kind for any team in the history of professional British basketball.
- The partnership will involve key home games dedicated to Ygam and the charity’s work, with awareness raising and fundraising events throughout the season, alongside delivering Ygam’s City & Guilds Assured CPD training to all coaches and staff associated with the club.
Leicester Riders, the UK’s oldest professional basketball club, have announced a new partnership with Ygam, a charity with a mission to prevent children and young people from experiencing gaming and gambling harms.
This collaboration, a first for any team in British basketball, signifies a major stride in the Riders’ commitment to the digital safeguarding of all children and young people associated with the Club.
Through its Foundation’s Academy and partnerships with Charnwood College and Loughborough University, the Riders organisation’s commitment to young people extends beyond the basketball court. Collaborating with Ygam further enhances the organisation’s capacity to safeguard and equip young people with essential skills and knowledge to thrive in later life.
Ygam has been appointed Leicester Riders ‘Charity of the Year’ for the forthcoming 24/25 season, alongside the Riders Foundation.
The latest report from the Gambling Commission revealed that 40% of 11- to 17-year-olds have had some experience of gambling over the last 12 months. 1 in 4 have spent their own money on gambling in the past 12 months and 35% of young people have encountered gambling advertisements at sports events. Research from the Bristol Hub for Gambling Harms revealed that basketball has one of the highest gambling participation rates for young people aged 18-24 in the UK, compared to other popular betting sports like football, horse racing, and MMA.
A recent Mumsnet survey, commissioned by Ygam, revealed that children spend an average of 16.9 hours a week playing video games: more than half the amount of time they spend in school each week. Boys aged 11 to 17 are gaming the most with an average of almost a day a week (23.4 hours) spent playing video games.
Basketball is a growing sport at grass roots level in the UK, with nearly 1.25 million children and young people playing the sport at least once a week, and over 1200 licensed coaches nationwide. Popularity of professional basketball in the UK has also seen immense growth over recent years, where viewership of live and on-demand games across YouTube and Sky Sports has jumped from 1.4 million to over 20 million since the 2022/23 season.
This partnership aims to build greater awareness and educate more children and young people about the potential risks associated with gaming and gambling, both within a sporting context and beyond.
Simon Winfield, Interim CEO of Leicester Riders, said: “We’re excited to be working with Ygam. We have a deep admiration for their efforts in promoting gaming and gambling awareness among the youth of today.
“The Riders organisation takes seriously its responsibility to the young people who have entrusted us with their futures, both at Charnwood College and Loughborough University. A large part of that responsibility is ensuring that they are well set up for life beyond the Riders. Through Ygam’s education on the potential risks and dangers associated with gaming and gambling, we are fulfilling our commitment to ensuring their well-being and long-term success.
“We’re also excited at the prospect of helping to educate thousands of young people across Leicestershire, who we work closely with through the Leicester Riders Foundation. Through this partnership, we uphold the Club’s dedication to its local community, ensuring that we leave a lasting, positive influence on the lives of generations to come.”
Sacha Kent, Programme Lead for Education, Sports, and Youth at Ygam, said: “We are honoured to partner with Leicester Riders for the upcoming season and extend our reach within the sport of basketball. With gaming and gambling so heavily intertwined with professional sports, it is vital that we are doing all we can to safeguard all young people who participate in the sport they love.
“Leicester Riders do fantastic work in surrounding communities, including one of the country’s largest Basketball Apprentice schemes at Charnwood College, and a partnership with Loughborough University. The club’s community programmes also reach nearly 20,000 young people from across the city and wider county, and we are excited to use sport as a vehicle to make a real difference in the lives of young people, helping them navigate the digital world safely and responsibly.”
The partnership will involve key home games dedicated to Ygam and the charity’s work, with awareness raising and fundraising events throughout the season, alongside delivering Ygam’s City & Guilds Assured CPD training to all coaches and staff associated with the club.
More details about the partnership and the initiatives planned for the upcoming season will be announced soon.
The post Leicester Riders announce Ygam as Charity of the Year in groundbreaking British Basketball partnership appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Berlin
BLAST and Brawl Stars bring their first-ever joint Live event to Berlin as part of new global competitive ecosystem
Global esports entertainment company BLAST, in partnership with Brawl Stars, is bringing the first-ever live in-person Brawl Cup to Berlin from 15–17 May 2026. The three-day event promises top-tier international competition alongside a full fan experience at the Uber Eats Music Hall.
This landmark event is part of BLAST’s new multi-year partnership with Brawl Stars, creating a refreshed, large-scale competitive ecosystem for the mobile action game available on iOS and Android. The collaboration introduces a global calendar of events, expanded live broadcasts, and blockbuster arena shows, setting a new standard for Brawl Stars esports.
A Milestone for Brawl Stars Competitive Scene
As BLAST’s first standalone live event for Brawl Stars, Brawl Cup Berlin marks a key milestone in the new competitive season. The 3-day format showcases BLAST’s growing footprint in Europe and reinforces Supercell’s commitment to expanding Brawl Stars’ global competitive circuit.
Under this partnership, BLAST will:
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Deliver 32 broadcast days per year across six competitive seasons
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Host three major live events annually
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Enable teams to qualify through regional competitions across EMEA, North America, South America, APAC, and China
Top teams from each region will compete in marquee in-person events, bringing world-class competition directly to live audiences.
Event Details: Brawl Cup Berlin
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What: Brawl Cup Berlin
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When: 15–17 May 2026
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Where: Uber Eats Music Hall, Berlin, Germany
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Tickets: On-sale dates and pricing to be announced
What Fans Can Expect
The Berlin event will deliver a full arena experience, combining:
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High-energy live competition
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BLAST’s signature broadcast spectacle
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On-site fan activations and interactive experiences
Further announcements will reveal participating teams, broadcast schedules, and detailed fan experiences in the coming weeks.
Media and Press Opportunities
Media representatives will have access to:
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Accreditation for the full event weekend
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Player and spokesperson interviews
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Exclusive coverage of the new-look Brawl Stars competitive circuits
This event represents a pivotal step in BLAST and Supercell’s mission to elevate Brawl Stars esports on a global stage.
The post BLAST and Brawl Stars bring their first-ever joint Live event to Berlin as part of new global competitive ecosystem appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Anakatech
Anakatech’s SpinOro Partners with Dynabit Gaming to Unlock Fresh Slot Titles
Dynabit Gaming has made a noteworthy move to strengthen its position in the European market by collaborating with SpinOro by Anakatech, a highly respected aggregator.
Jeff Letlat, COO at SpinOro, said: “Dynabit Gaming perfectly matches our mission to deliver fresh, high‑quality entertainment. With proven titles, popular mechanics, and sleek, intuitive design, they keep raising the bar for modern slots.”
Vika Prudnyk, Chief Commercial Officer at Dynabit Gaming: “Thrilled about our new partnership with SpinOro by Anakatech! It’s a prime opportunity for growth and collaboration, and we can’t wait to team up and deliver top gaming experiences to players across Europe.”
The post Anakatech’s SpinOro Partners with Dynabit Gaming to Unlock Fresh Slot Titles appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
AI
2026 Rewards AI Capability, Not AI Talk – HIPTHER Prague Summit Unveils the Next-Era HIPTHER Academy
HIPTHER Prague Summit proudly introduces the Hands-On HIPTHER Academy and next-gen career advancement. Because 2026 won’t reward AI Talk – It will reward AI Capability.
As the HIPTHER Prague Summit celebrates 10 years of impact across Gaming & Tech, the 2026 edition shifts the spotlight toward what truly defines the next era of professional growth: practical AI capability, personal authority, and reputational strength.
This year, HIPTHER places a powerful new emphasis on the HIPTHER Academy – the summit’s applied learning environment designed to move beyond theory and into real execution professionals can use immediately.
From AI Hype to Real-World Application
The message shaping 2026 is clear:
The future won’t reward those who talk about AI.
It will reward those who know how to use it.
Positioned as the practical layer of the summit, the HIPTHER Academy delivers:
- 80% hands-on, applied AI workshops
- Real operational use cases, including vibe coding, compliance automation, AI-driven workflows, and responsible implementation boundaries
- Immediate, role-ready takeaways professionals can implement the moment they return to work
This applied focus distinctly separates HIPTHER Prague Summit from generic “AI trend” events – emphasizing execution over theory and capability over buzzwords.
Authority, Reputation & the Human Edge
Technical skill alone is no longer enough.
In an AI-accelerated landscape, positioning, leadership presence, and trust define who stands out.
That’s why the HIPTHER Academy integrates human authority and reputational growth alongside AI capability.
Featured workshops include:
- From Profile to Authority: Positioning Your LinkedIn Presence for Trust – Marija Hammond
- Personality and High-Stakes Conversations in the Workplace – Maria Loumpourdi
- How to Build a Company’s Reputation – Magdalena Radomska-Trzaska
Together, these sessions shape a new professional equation:
HIPTHER Academy = AI capability + personal authority + reputational strength.
Inside the 10th Anniversary Edition of HIPTHER Prague Summit
Under the theme “Decoding the Future: 10 Years of Impact,” the 2026 summit marks its most ambitious edition yet.
Taking place at OREA Hotel Andels Praha on 24–25 March 2026, the event brings together a global audience across:
iGaming, eSports, Blockchain, AI, Fintech, Compliance, Regulation
Attendees can expect eight dedicated Academy workshops delivering applied knowledge.
HIPTHER’s Co-Founder & Head of Business Zoltan Tündik, stated about this year’s HIPTHER Academy in Prague: “While 2025 was dominated by conversations about AI, 2026 is the year we are witnessing real acceleration. New developments, real projects, and genuinely useful tools being created at unprecedented speed. I recently noticed this while recording a podcast: we no longer say ‘this wasn’t possible a few years ago.’ We now say ‘this wasn’t possible a few months ago.’ That shift in language says everything about the pace of AI-driven innovation.
The market will not reward AI commentary anymore. It will reward AI capability. That’s exactly why the HIPTHER Academy focuses on practical application, giving professionals the ability to execute, not just discuss. In 2026, competitive advantage belongs to those who can apply AI confidently, responsibly, and effectively in real business environments.”
More Academy Highlights
Insightful sessions expanding the Academy’s practical scope include:
- Branding in the Attention Economy – Marija Hammond, Brand Advisor & Speaker
- LinkedIn as a Dealflow Engine – Marie Zamecnikova, Personal Brand Strategist and Executive Advisor
- Communications & Growth Execution – Wojciech Trzaska, Chief Communications Officer at SB Software
- AI-Powered Marketing & PR – Uliana Korobeynikova, Head of Public Relations at iAffiliate
Alongside AI insights from The Playa, Murmur Intelligence, and further expert-led workshops to be announced.
The Career-Advancement Layer of Prague 2026
With the HIPTHER Academy, the Prague Summit evolves beyond a conference into a career acceleration environment — equipping professionals not just to understand the future, but to operate inside it with confidence, credibility, and authority.
Because in 2026, the real competitive edge isn’t access to AI.
It’s knowing how to apply it — and being trusted when you do.
Join the 10th Anniversary HIPTHER Prague Summit — invest in career-growth and personal authority. See you there!
The post 2026 Rewards AI Capability, Not AI Talk – HIPTHER Prague Summit Unveils the Next-Era HIPTHER Academy appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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