Groove has confirmed it will attend SBC Summit Tbilisi 2026, scheduled for 15–16 July at the Sheraton Grand Tbilisi Metechi Palace, as it targets growth across Eastern European and Central Asian iGaming markets.

The conference is expected to draw more than 2,500 industry professionals, according to the company, following 2025’s record attendance with delegates from 44 countries. Groove said it will bring a full commercial delegation to pursue partnerships with regional operators.

Yahale Meltzer, Co-Founder and CEO of Groove, said: “Eastern Europe and Central Asia represent some of the most dynamic growth opportunities in iGaming today. SBC Summit Tbilisi is where the region’s decision-makers converge, and we are arriving with a platform built for scale, speed, and regulatory precision.” He added: “Our Unseen Architecture of predictive auto-scaling, atomic transactions, and a real-time compliance mesh ensures operators can launch fast and adapt locally, whether they are entering Georgia, the Balkans, the Baltics, or Central Asia.”

Meltzer also pointed to the SBC Regulators Summit as a factor in the company’s focus on the event, saying: “With regulation front and centre as a business-critical priority, and direct access to regulators through the SBC Regulators Summit, this event is where commercial realities are forged. Groove delivers the toolbox, the content, and the expertise to turn ambition into measurable growth.”

Ana Sokhadze, Operations Manager at Groove, who will lead the company’s presence in Tbilisi, said: “SBC Summit Tbilisi is the meeting point for the region’s most ambitious operators, affiliates, and technology suppliers. This is where high-value networking translates into real commercial opportunity.” She added: “We are not here to hand out brochures. We are here to have conversations that become partnerships.”

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Collinge joins as Executive Vice President – Group Business Development & Strategic Partnerships, bringing 20+ years across retail and online gaming.

Soft2Bet has appointed Ryan Collinge as Executive Vice President – Group Business Development & Strategic Partnerships, adding him to its senior leadership team.

In the role, Collinge will focus on supporting Soft2Bet’s growth plans and strengthening relationships with operators and entertainment brands, the company said.

Andrew Cochrane, Chief Commercial Officer at Soft2Bet, said: “Ryan brings the commercial judgement, industry relationships and operational experience needed to support Soft2Bet’s growth. His appointment strengthens our executive team as we expand our work with leading operators and global entertainment brands.”

Soft2Bet said Collinge brings more than 20 years of commercial, product and operational experience across retail and online gaming, including work with private equity-backed start-ups and multinational gaming groups. The company added that his background includes global sales, commercial strategy and business development, along with iGaming content, product development and studio management.

Soft2Bet also pointed to Collinge’s experience in the casino content vertical, which it said will support client needs analysis and solution optimization.

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Creator-Powered Live Streaming Rollout takes Programme/Network Campaign of the Year; company also Highly Commended for Best Affiliate Network.

Hub Affiliations has won Programme/Network Campaign of the Year at the iGB Affiliate Awards 2026 in London, taking the prize for its Creator-Powered Live Streaming Rollout campaign. The company was also Highly Commended in the Best Affiliate Network category.

The iGB Affiliate Awards 2026 ceremony was hosted at The Shard and recognises performance across affiliate marketing and iGaming. Hub Affiliations said the winning campaign combined sports audiences, live streaming, creator distribution, editorial publishing, AI-supported optimisation, affiliate technology and performance marketing.

The company linked the result to the role of Sporticos within its wider media network, positioning it as the distribution and live engagement layer for major sports moments. Hub Affiliations said its media network recorded more than 500,000 visitors in a single day during the FIFA World Cup.

Hub Affiliations also shared internal performance metrics, stating it averages more than 20,000 FTDs per month, works with over 1,600 registered affiliates and reaches audiences in 187 countries. It added it has logged 51 international finalist placements and 12 international awards.

Commenting on the approach, Charles Herisson said: “The strongest affiliate companies will be the ones that can build audiences, not only buy traffic. Our goal with Hub Affiliations is to connect media, technology, creators and performance into one model.” Francesco Maddalena added: “Sporticos and live streaming allow us to reach sports fans when their attention is highest. The challenge is not only generating traffic, but creating a better user journey before conversion.”

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