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GR8 Tech’s Bet It Drives Wraps Season 1 with Stephen Crystal—From Las Vegas Legends to Global Gaming Leadership

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GR8 Tech’s drive-time podcast Bet It Drives closes out its debut season in the fast lane with Stephen Crystal, Founder of SCCG Management and a 30+ year veteran of the gaming world. From reshaping tribal and riverboat gaming to owning iconic Las Vegas casinos and driving more than $3 billion in finance, M&A, and technology projects, Stephen has spent his career at the center of the industry’s biggest moves.

In the passenger seat with host Yevhen Krazhan, GR8 Tech’s CSO, Stephen takes listeners from the glitter of Vegas to the global stage—where he has advised 120+ client-partners across 100 countries, built US operations for the UK’s largest bookmaker, and cut high-profile sports betting deals with teams like the Cincinnati Bengals and Vegas Golden Knights.

On this ride, Stephen opens up about:

  • Whether industry events really bring the business
  • Why he believes in connecting people to people above everything else
  • How he’d reshape iGaming conferences (hint: more case studies, less fluff)
  • The single-sentence keynote he’d deliver if given the mic
  • The people and principles that shaped his journey
  • The art of closing deals and the mindset behind his business approach
  • Which song he cues up when it’s deal-done time
  • His take on when it’s “network” and when it’s definitely “not work”

“Stephen brought the kind of wisdom you only get from decades at the very top of gaming and a career spent building, betting, and believing in people,” said Krazhan. “It was a very inspirational, motivational talk—and Stephen officially earned a Bet It Drives seatbelt of honor.”

As always, Bet It Drives trades the studio for the streets of London, filming each episode entirely on the move with a multi-camera crew capturing both the ride and the real talk. The result is a podcast that has blended insider insights with unscripted, human moments all season long—from Alex Pratt and Helen Walton to Rohini Sardana, and now Stephen Crystal in the finale.

Watch Episode 4 with Stephen Crystal now on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

That’s a wrap for Season 1. But don’t unbuckle just yet—Bet It Drives will be back soon. Follow GR8 Tech and stay tuned: Season 2 is already on the horizon, promising more bold voices, more candid conversations, and more reasons to hit play.

The post GR8 Tech’s Bet It Drives Wraps Season 1 with Stephen Crystal—From Las Vegas Legends to Global Gaming Leadership appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Bet It Drives

GR8 Tech’s Bet It Drives Season 2 Finale: Kelly Kehn on Opening iGaming to New Founders

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Lisbon’s streets set the pace for Season 2 of GR8 Tech’s Bet It Drives—the drive-time podcast where iGaming’s most interesting voices speak freely. Hosted by Yevhen Krazhan, Chief Sales Officer at GR8 Tech, each episode captures raw insight, candid stories, and the energy you can only find on the road.

Episode 4 of the Season 2 finale puts the spotlight on Kelly Kehn, founder, board member, and startup advisor in gaming. As co-founder of Defy the Odds (DTO), she’s building a launchpad and community connecting startups, investors, and operators—with a focus on female and minority founders. Previously, she co-founded the All-In Diversity Project, held ecosystem roles at happyhour.io and SBC, and serves on boards including FUNNZ.

During the ride, Kelly opens up about:

  • Why iGaming events matter: the community, access, and acceleration you only get in the room.
  • Defy the Odds (DTO): why she and her co-founders built it, what it is, and how founders plug in.
  • Women in iGaming: real challenges and how to lower the barrier to entry; inclusion as a growth strategy.
  • Pitch ideas that paid off and common startup pitch mistakes.
  • The next possible unicorn in iGaming and what makes it possible.
  • Soundtrack to success: the song for a win, the pre-coaching track, and the one that sums up her career.
  • The boldest ideas: intention, asking for help, and doing the homework.
  • The unwritten rule of iGaming.
  • Halloween rubric: the scariest moments in life and career, and why saying the hard thing out loud matters.
  • Kelly’s Champion Rule: Be kind to yourself and to others.

“As Kelly said, ‘When we open the space to more people and more perspectives, we all win and the pie gets bigger.’ This episode was the perfect finish of our Season 2 in Lisbon,” said Krazhan.

Watch or listen to Season 2, Episode 4 with Kelly Kehn on:

Season 2 of Bet It Drives launched with Rasmus Sojmark, kept pace with Tiago Pereira and Kyrylo Korobka, and now crosses the line with Kelly Kehn in the finale. But still, don’t unbuckle yet: Season 3 is coming soon with more interesting conversations and more reasons to hit play. Follow GR8 Tech to stay in the loop.

The next chapter of iGaming belongs to champions who play smart and bold. Join GR8 Tech at SiGMA Central Europe 2025, Rome, November 3–6, booth 5028-2, and discover the Heavyweight Rulebook—built for operators ready to scale, localize, and win.

The post GR8 Tech’s Bet It Drives Season 2 Finale: Kelly Kehn on Opening iGaming to New Founders appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Anna Hargrave

GambleAware Warns Outdated Gambling Advertising and Marketing Regulations are Leaving Children at Risk of Gambling Harm

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Regulations for online gambling marketing must urgently be brought into the digital age, a new report from the charity GambleAware has warned.

The report reveals that despite gambling being an age-restricted product, children are being exposed to gambling marketing online, before they reach an age at which they can critically evaluate it. This is leading to gambling being normalised and portrayed as “risk-free”, which increases the risk of them experiencing gambling harm.

Gambling harms are becoming an increasing part of children’s lives, with previous research finding that in 2024, around 85,000 children in Britain were experiencing harm from their own gambling, a figure which has doubled since 20233. GambleAware’s new report highlights how seeing gambling marketing and content, online and via social and streaming platforms, could be encouraging children to gamble and contributing to the number experiencing harm.

The new report calls out poor regulation of gambling marketing online, highlighting how more needs to be done to ensure the rules reflect the unique challenges presented by the digital age and urges a reduction in self-regulation to protect children from being exposed to age-restricted gambling content. Alongside this, GambleAware is also calling for mandatory health warnings to be put on all gambling marketing so people are aware of the risks and support available.

Specific changes to help protect children could include moves to hold online platforms to greater account and ensuring existing government programmes, such as the Online Safety Act and Online Advertising Programme, more directly address gambling marketing and content online. Alongside this, other recommendations include the alignment and strengthening of online safety regulatory powers and programmes.

GambleAware research also found strong public support from children and adults for changes to gambling marketing and advertising regulation. Around four in five children (79%) say they want more rules around gambling content and advertising on social media. Alongside this, over seven in ten adults also agree, saying they want more regulation around gambling advertising on social media (74%) and gambling related content on social media (70%).

Anna Hargrave, GambleAware Transition CEO, said: “Gambling operators invest significant resources into online marketing because it works at getting people to gamble more. This has resulted in children and young people being exposed to gambling content online before an age at which they can critically evaluate it and understand the risks that come with it.

“The current regulations covering gambling marketing and advertising online were designed before most children had easy access to the internet. Urgent action is needed to update these rules and bring them into the digital age to help keep children and young people safe from gambling harm.”

The post GambleAware Warns Outdated Gambling Advertising and Marketing Regulations are Leaving Children at Risk of Gambling Harm appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Angelina Stasiuk Head of Business Line at SOFTSWISS Jackpot Aggregator

SOFTSWISS Jackpot Aggregator Marks Four Years of Growth and Global Expansion

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The SOFTSWISS Jackpot Aggregator, an award-winning player engagement solution, celebrates its fourth anniversary, delivering strong business results and expanding into new regulated markets.

Since its launch in 2021, the SOFTSWISS Jackpot Aggregator has become a trusted engagement and retention tool for operators worldwide. By the beginning of Q4 2025, the solution powers over 100 active brands, with more than 520 jackpot campaigns launched and 68,000+ jackpot hits. These numbers reflect growing adoption and consistent performance across regulated markets.

In early 2025, the SOFTSWISS Jackpot Aggregator obtained certifications in Brazil, Peru, and Estonia, strengthening its position in Latin America and Europe. These approvals allow operators in both markets to integrate the tool in full compliance with regulatory and technical standards.

Angelina Stasiuk, Head of Business Line at SOFTSWISS Jackpot Aggregator, shares: “Four years of consistent growth show how powerful engagement mechanics can be when built on flexibility and trust. Our recent expansion into new regulated markets marks an exciting new chapter, giving regional operators access to the same reliable and engaging jackpot solutions that have already proven successful worldwide. We’re proud to see the Jackpot Aggregator evolve into a solution that brings real value to both operators and their audiences.”

The flagship Prime Network Jackpot remains the key feature of the Jackpot Aggregator. The tool unites multiple operators under a shared prize pool, driving some of the industry’s most impressive payouts. One of its campaigns paid out a record-breaking €1,368,013, while a recent win in September 2025 saw a lucky player take home €758,262.71. The growing scale of the network confirms its power to increase engagement and deliver immersive gaming experiences for players worldwide.

Rosaria Freitas, Director of Product at Kirgo Casino, comments: “Congratulations to SOFTSWISS on four years of the Jackpot Aggregator. At Kirgo, we emphasise real play, real rewards, and zero distractions. This partnership enhances what our players can win without compromising that focus. By combining our local jackpots with the Prime Network, we’re offering Kirgo players exclusive community rewards and access to major shared prizes: simple, transparent, and designed for real enjoyment value.”

The SOFTSWISS Jackpot Aggregator continues to evolve as a cornerstone of player engagement strategy. This year, the solution introduced a major update – the Paid Participation Campaigns feature, which expands entertainment options for players and creates new revenue opportunities for operators. In this format, players contribute an entry fee to join jackpots, prize drops, multi-prizes, or even the Prime Network Jackpot. The feature also encourages closer collaboration with game providers, driving mutual promotion and long-term player engagement.

 

About SOFTSWISS

SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience in developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 35,000 casino games, Affilka Affiliate Platform, the Sportsbook Platform and the Jackpot Aggregator. The expert team, based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia, counts over 2,000 employees.

The post SOFTSWISS Jackpot Aggregator Marks Four Years of Growth and Global Expansion appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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