Industry News

Rootz Promotes Two Team Members

Published

6 years ago

January 27, 2020

With Rootz having experienced one of the fastest initial growth periods in the history of European online casinos, we have decided to promote internally as Rootz expands its footprint and prepares to grow the company in 2020 and beyond.

We are pleased to announce the promotions of two of our team members – Melanie Hainzer and Tony Kjaldstrom – to C-level positions within the company.

Ms. Melanie Hainzer has been promoted from Head of Marketing to the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) role while Mr. Tony Kjaldstrom is being elevated from Head of Casino to Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Melanie Hainzer, CMO

Having joined Rootz in early 2019, Ms. Hainzer has demonstrated a robust understanding of the iGaming industry. With over 10 years of experience in roles ranging from CRM Manager to Country Manager, Melanie brings broad experience to this position. Melanie has been an integral part of the early successes. Most notably, Melanie has been at the forefront of the marketing efforts for Wildz Casino, Rootz’s first online casino brand.

Responding to the news of her promotion, Melanie remarked, “It’s an honour to be not only considered, but promoted to an executive position at Rootz. I’ve been very happy to work for this company and am excited to assume a larger role. I’m looking forward to 2020 and beyond.”

Tony Kjaldstrom, COO

Mr Kjaldstrom also joined in 2019 and helped shepherd Rootz through the opening months, demonstrating tremendous competence and the ability to troubleshoot and manage a brand new platform. Tony has helped build and manage the casino platform and is playing a central role in planning the future strategy.

Tony also had some comments related to his promotion. “These are exciting times at Rootz and Wildz. I’m very grateful for this new position and will remain committed to seeing that Rootz doesn’t rest on its previous success and instead redoubles its efforts to make fantastic casino products even better. Let’s go!”

CEO’s Statement

Lasse Rantala, the Rootz CEO, had the following to say about these latest promotions: “Melanie and Tony are two of the hardest-working people in a company full of impressive workers. To be able to excel where there are so many motivated people is a testament to their extraordinary work ethic and ability.

Both Melanie and Tony helped to guide the company through opening months. Those first month required extraordinary time commitments and a focused attention to detail as Rootz worked to finesse our strategies and our custom platform in those early months. I have no doubt that the elevation of these two talented individuals into C-level roles will be a tremendous asset to this company for many years to come.

It is especially satisfying that we were able to fill these roles with current Rootz team members. We take great pride in being able to promote internally and look to do so in the future as much as possible.”

About Rootz:

Rootz Ltd is an iGaming technology company providing a full-scope platform, Rootz. Automate the Game, the Rootz slogan, has influenced product development from Day 1. Rootz believes human beings should be left to pursue their creative talents while allowing repetitive tasks to be managed by machines. This focus has allowed Rootz to build the next generation casino product, Wildz.com, an online casino customised to each individual user. Rootz Ltd is based in Malta and holds an MGA license.

appointments

Behind The Gloves forms Advisory Board to scale beyond event activations

Published

8 hours ago

April 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

behind-the-gloves-forms-advisory-board-to-scale-beyond-event-activations

Behind The Gloves has formed an official Advisory Board as it moves from event-led activations to what it describes as a scalable, long-term business and community.

The board includes Michael Brady, Founder and Chairman of Bede Gaming and Chairman of Connexus Group; Rob Fell, CEO of RiskCherry; and Katie Byers, former SVP of People and Capability at Light & Wonder.

According to the organisation, the appointments are intended to support expansion into new verticals including corporate wellness programmes, brand partnerships and future digital products.

Behind The Gloves said it plans to continue operating as a “business for good” by reinvesting a portion of profits into community initiatives and charitable causes.

Lee McFarland, Founder of Behind The Gloves, said: “The foundation of our Advisory Board reflects Behind The Gloves’ commitment to building a strong business that can expand globally and reach more people than ever.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Katie, Rob and Michael to the Board and look forward to leveraging our industry’s unmistakable energy to support good causes and deliver accessible activities for all fitness levels on a larger scale.”

The post Behind The Gloves forms Advisory Board to scale beyond event activations appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Industry News

LuckyCasino launches in Spain as LCKY Group expands B2C footprint

Published

9 hours ago

April 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

luckycasino-launches-in-spain-as-lcky-group-expands-b2c-footprint

LuckyCasino has gone live in Spain, LCKY Group confirmed, marking the brand’s entry into the regulated market.

The operator said LuckyCasino is the second brand in the LCKY Group portfolio to operate in Spain, following OneCasino. The company positioned the launch as part of its long-term growth plans and noted the brand has previously operated in Sweden.

LCKY Group said the Spanish-facing offering includes more than 2,000 games, alongside localised offers and payment methods. It also claimed the catalogue includes “many LuckyCasino exclusives.”

Mark Schram, MD B2C Central & South Europe at LCKY Group, said: “Everyone at LuckyCasino is looking forward to showing off the mix of variety and innovation that’s made our platform such a huge hit elsewhere.

“With Spain being a key market for us going forward, we’re excited to build on the success LCKY Group has already enjoyed in the country with OneCasino, and we expect our vast selection of content will prove hugely appealing for Spanish customers.”

The post LuckyCasino launches in Spain as LCKY Group expands B2C footprint appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

game studios

Evoplay rolls out Season of Legends campaign with €512,000 spring prize pool

Published

1 day ago

April 14, 2026

Wladimir P.

evoplay-rolls-out-season-of-legends-campaign-with-e512,000-spring-prize-pool

Evoplay has launched Season of Legends, a year-long network campaign built around four seasonal phases, starting with a spring edition carrying a €512,000 prize pool. The spring phase launched in March and runs across March, April and May.

The studio said the new format follows its previous Big Adventures network campaign and is designed to drive sustained engagement through a more structured seasonal approach. Each season runs for three months with new mechanics and prize pools.

A new mechanic, Infinity Prize Drops, will run daily throughout each month and is not tied to tournament windows. The spring edition also includes a Tournament and Wheel of Fortune, each operating in four monthly phases: 1st- 5th, 9th- 13th, 17th- 21st, and 25th- 29th.

Evoplay said the €512,000 spring prize pool will be distributed across the three-month period via a consolidated leaderboard spanning participating operators. Players earn points through qualifying spins on selected Evoplay titles including Hot Triple Sevens, Piggy Bank: 3 Pots Bonanza, and the Penalty Shoot-out series.

Diana Larina, Head of Marketing at Evoplay, said: “Season of Legends marks the next evolution of our network campaigns. With Big Adventures, we saw just how effective long-term engagement can be, and this new format takes that even further.

“By introducing seasonal structure and mechanics like Infinity Drops, we’re giving operators the tools to maintain consistent player activity, rather than relying on short-term spikes. This is just the beginning, and we’re excited to build momentum throughout the year.”

The post Evoplay rolls out Season of Legends campaign with €512,000 spring prize pool appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.