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SAZKA Group teams up with Sir Keith Mills in bid for Fourth UK National Lottery Licence

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SAZKA Group, Europe’s largest lottery operator, today announced it has appointed Sir Keith Mills as Bid Chair of the UK team for the Fourth National Lottery Licence Competition. Sir Keith, a successful entrepreneur whose creative talent conceived the loyalty programmes so ubiquitous today, brings a wealth of experience from his roles across sport, charities, and business. He played a pivotal role in London’s successful bid to host the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and subsequently, their successful staging. For the past six years he has chaired the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, a role he hands over to Lord William Hague next month. He is also Chairman of the Invictus Games, the international adaptive multi-sport event created by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.

Commenting on the announcement, Sir Keith said, “I am driven by organisations that make a real contribution to society. I chose to team up with Sazka for the Fourth National Lottery Licence Competition because I believe the UK National Lottery needs to grow and be engaging if it is to continue to fund the thousands of good causes every year. Our lottery is a national treasure with nearly 26 years of history; however, the landscape has changed immeasurably since it was first launched back in 1994. The challenge now is to ensure the lottery connects with people right across the country, making it fresh and exciting as it once was, bringing new ways that are relevant for today and tomorrow’s generation. I feel passionately that it needs to be restored to the nation’s hearts, especially in these difficult times. I teamed up with Sazka because they have a proven record of taking established lotteries, growing them and evolving them to be relevant for the future. I am cognisant that much has to be done for us to make a winning case in this competition, but I believe that over the course of this process we will be able to demonstrate how Sazka’s expertise coupled with the experienced British team that we are building in the UK will offer the right stewardship for the UKNL for 2023 and beyond.”

As Bid Chairman, Sir Keith will lead a team with world-class bidding and delivery experience, including for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and Comic Relief. Sazka has appointed former London 2012 employee, Alastair Ruxton, as the Bid Director, together with British experts in key areas such as Player Protection, Good Causes, Innovation, Digital, Retail and Customer Experience.

Commenting on the agreement, SAZKA Group CEO Robert Chvátal said, “We are thrilled to be partnering with Sir Keith Mills and have him lead our entry in the Fourth National Lottery Licence Competition. We are hugely excited to be participating in this competition and for the chance to take stewardship of the National Lottery, helping the UK to fall back in love with this vital institution. Operating in five different national markets (Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, Greece, and Cyprus) has given us an unprecedented level of insight and experience in running lotteries. In addition, we have consistently increased participation and revenues for the lotteries we operate. We want to bring this deep knowledge and customer insight to revitalise the UK National Lottery increasing sales and money raised for good causes, thereby providing a much-needed long-term boost to community, arts, sports and heritage institutions across the UK.”

After submitting the Selection Questionnaire earlier this month, SAZKA Group has been accepted into the competition by the Gambling Commission, the body running the Competition. The team will now review the final bid application documents and continue to assemble a strong consortium capable of submitting a winning bid in 2021.

About Sir Keith Mills
Sir Keith Mills GBE DL is a British business entrepreneur who founded the Air Miles and Nectar customer loyalty programmes and has established numerous businesses, both in the UK and internationally.  In September 2003, Sir Keith was appointed International President and CEO of London 2012 established to bid for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.  Having won the bid, he established LOCOG to organise the Games, where he was Deputy Chairman alongside Lord Sebastian Coe.  In 2007 Sir Keith established an Olympic related charity, International Inspiration, which he chaired, and in 2008 he established a UK charity, Sported, which he funded and chaired for 10 years. In 2014 Sir Keith established, and was Chairman of, the Invictus Games, working with Prince Harry to deliver a new major international sport event for wounded servicemen and women.  Sir Keith Chairs the Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and the Invictus Games Foundation.  Sir Keith is also a Director and an investor in a number of private companies.
Sir Keith has received numerous awards including: Master Entrepreneur of the Year, Chief Executive of the Year, and the Sports Industry Businessman of the Year, and was knighted by The Queen in 2006 and again in 2013 when he received the Grand Knight Cross for his services to sport.

About SAZKA Group
The SAZKA Group is a national lottery, instant lottery and digital gaming operator, with our trusted brands and industry-leading technology delivering over €17bn in annual sales. Established in 2012, SAZKA Group is already one of Europe’s largest and fastest growing lottery companies and our strong performance across our markets is helping to fund good causes in the Czech Republic, Greece, Cyprus, Austria, and Italy.
Since entering the lottery market in 2012, SAZKA Group has quickly expanded from the Czech Republic into four other European markets. SAZKA Group has consistently taken on established lotteries and made them better, while also expanding into new market segments through market-leading technology platforms. The Group’s unique experience of operating in different jurisdictions enables it to adopt a tailored approach to customer experience in each market, helping to increase sales and returns to good causes.
Responsible gaming and funding good causes are at the heart of SAZKA Group’s business and culture. it promotes responsible gaming in all of its markets and is committed to having a positive impact where it operates. From building children’s hospitals in Greece to support for the Czech Olympic Foundation, SAZKA Group has put its business skills to the benefit of the local community.

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REEVO Announces a New Partnership with Apollo Games

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REEVO has announced a new partnership with Apollo Games, a Czech game studio renowned for its distinctive fruit and joker-style slot games. This collaboration marks another exciting step in REEVO’s continued expansion, further enriching its aggregation platform with proven, entertainment-driven content that appeals to players across multiple markets.

Through this partnership, Apollo Games’ portfolio is now available on the REEVO aggregation platform, providing operators with seamless access to a collection of engaging titles through a single integration. The addition reinforces REEVO’s commitment to delivering a diverse content ecosystem that combines established player favourites with innovative experiences from leading studios.

At REEVO, building a world-class aggregation platform means partnering with studios that understand what keeps players coming back. Apollo Games has established a strong reputation for combining classic casino appeal with modern mechanics, intuitive gameplay, and memorable entertainment. This makes the studio a valuable addition to REEVO’s growing portfolio of premium content providers.

As REEVO continues to expand its global footprint, every new partnership strengthens its ability to offer operators greater variety, stronger player engagement, and scalable content solutions through a single integration.

Daniel Cuc, Head of Account Management at REEVO, said: “Apollo Games brings a style of content that has stood the test of time while continuing to evolve with today’s players. We’re excited to welcome them to the REEVO platform as we continue building an aggregation ecosystem that combines trusted content with fresh experiences. Every new partnership is about giving our operators more opportunities to succeed, and Apollo Games is another excellent addition to our growing network.”

Robert Mikudik, CCO at Apollo Games, said: “We are truly excited to begin this new chapter with REEVO. This partnership will significantly strengthen the distribution of Apollo Games’ portfolio across multiple markets and help us bring our games to an even wider audience. I would like to thank everyone from both teams who contributed their time, energy, and expertise to successfully bring this project to life. A special thank you to David Ciolovan and Daniel Cuc for their dedication and for playing a key role in making this deal happen. We are very much looking forward to everything we can achieve together.”

This partnership reflects REEVO’s continued momentum as it expands its aggregation platform with providers that combine quality, innovation and commercial value. By growing a carefully curated content ecosystem, REEVO remains focused on helping operators deliver outstanding gaming experiences while supporting sustainable business growth.

The post REEVO Announces a New Partnership with Apollo Games appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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MGD – the Tax That Could Cost Britain its “Great Seaside Holiday”

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Bacta has warned how an increase in Machine Games Duty will have a devastating impact on the country’s seaside piers and arcades forcing closures and undermining the appeal of the Great British seaside holiday.

The warning comes after research conducted by VisitBritain showed an 18% year-on-year decline in trips to England’s coast, an alarming down-turn that has seen it launch the domestic coastal campaign – #AllOnTheCoast – which encourages the supply chain of seaside businesses and partners to share videos and social posts to inspire Brits to discover England’s seaside and coastal destinations.

Commenting on the VistBritain campaign against the backdrop of the recent Social Market Foundation proposal to increase Machine Games Duty, Bacta President Joseph Cullis said: “Such a decline in trips to the coast, as reported by VistBritain, is extremely concerning.

“What’s perfectly clear is that any increase in the tax burden for already under pressure destination venues such as piers and coastal arcades will directly impact the appeal of a trip to the seaside as businesses either close permanently, are forced to pass on tax increases to holiday makers or have to reduce the hospitality offering. However individual businesses respond, the outcome is inevitable – a significantly reduced and more expensive experience that will serve to either transform two or three- night breaks into a day trip, and/or encourage families to holiday abroad.”

Increasing the tax burden would also have a significant impact on regional economies.

“Many seaside piers and amusement arcades rely on the income from their gaming areas to stay viable year-round. That income helps keep staff employed beyond the summer season and it helps maintain the attractions and buildings that are part of Britain’s coastal heritage. Take it away and the damage spreads throughout the broader business community of bars, cafes, newsagents, restaurants, convenience stores and B&Bs. Healthy, well-maintained piers and sea-front arcades make the difference between resort status and simply being somewhere that visitors go for a coastal walk,” noted Cullis.

“A pier does not survive on warm words about heritage, an arcade cannot pay wages with nostalgia and games creators aren’t able to invest in new products if the market is taxed into decline. It would be painfully ironic if the government chooses to implement a destructive tax regime that will destroy the Great British seaside holiday at the same time as funding VistBritain’s #AllOnTheCoast campaign.”

The post MGD – the Tax That Could Cost Britain its “Great Seaside Holiday” appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Andreas Hackl

Bet-at-home Goes Live with Fast Track

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Bet-at-home, the European online sports betting and gaming operator, has gone live with Fast Track, using the platform to manage player engagement across its sportsbook and casino.

Founded in 1999 and listed on the Regulated Market of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Prime Standard), bet-at-home operates online sports betting and gaming across European markets, with Germany among its core markets. The agreement is the next step in bet-at-home’s player engagement strategy, as the operator continues to deepen the experience it delivers to players across regulated markets.

Fast Track gives bet-at-home’s team a single real-time customer model across CRM, Rewards and Greco, enabling the operator to scale player engagement, gamification and loyalty strategies, and build a gameplay intelligent bonus strategy from one connected platform. bet-at-home also uses Fast Track AI to power fully agentic CRM workflows, allowing its team to work with the platform in natural language and delegate end-to-end CRM tasks to AI agents.

“We needed a platform built for the realities of operating in regulated European markets, with the data foundation and agility to engage players consistently across our brands. Fast Track gives us exactly that, and we are excited about what this partnership will let us build for our players,” said Andreas Hackl, Head of Operations at bet-at-home.

“bet-at-home has built one of European betting’s most recognised brands over more than two decades, and across exactly the kind of regulated, competitive markets Fast Track was built for. We are looking forward to the work ahead together,” said Simon Lidzén, Co-Founder and CEO of Fast Track.

The post Bet-at-home Goes Live with Fast Track appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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