Latest News
Ahead to giveaway multiple PS5 + XBOX Series X on Madden Stream & Host Panels with top gamers and athletes
Ahead To Kick off Their New Streaming Series Super Bowl Weekend to Connect and Educate
with Potential New Customers
Ahead Streaming Series: Super Bowl Edition Will Host A Gaming Stream along with Groundbreaking and Informative Panels to Educate Viewers on how to be more Financially Savvy
WHO: Anu Shultes; Ahead CEO, Kimberly Morgan; Ahead COO and Head of People, Keisha Howard; Sugar Gamers, Brandon Pitts; CEO & Founder x Play One Up, Just Blaze; Super Producer, DJ, Gamer, Edgerrin James; Hall of Fame Former RB x Indianapolis Colts, Corey Mays; Former LB x Kansas City Chiefs, Deon Grant; Former Safety Super Bowl New York Giants, Ngum Suh; Founder & CEO NLS Consultants, Anthony Brown; Founder of Breakr, Monica McNutt; Host MSG AM x Madison Square Garden Networks, Analyst ESPN, Santia Deck; Athlete x Los Angeles Fames, Jisset Pena; Athlete Management x Roc Nation Sports, Shea Dawson; Head of Athlete Relations at Overtime, Kimberly Miale; Roc Nation NFL Player Agent Rico Williams, Dubby, Skimbo, TDavis, IBeStrafing, OneGreatUser, BunnyMightGameU
WHAT: Ahead, a digital banking and financial health platform, will intersect with the world of gaming in an effort to speak directly to their audience as a pre-game to the Super Bowl through their new streaming series: Ahead Streaming Series. Ahead focuses on inclusivity and innovation, with a goal to help their customers more financially fit and secure. This stream will provide opportunity to educate our younger viewers on financial responsibility while integrating the competitive gaming aspect to the show. Ahead understands the importance of connecting with their customers culturally and personally.
During the stream, two sets of teams will compete to receive a scholarship of $2500 provided by PlayOneUp. Each team will be composed of celebrity gamers and students. Ahead will also raffle every hour a total of 8 PS5 + XBOX Series X during the tournament. In addition to gaming, the stream will include informative and interesting panels with topics that cover how gaming and banking intersect, and a half time show featuring top artists. The panels will include:
Panel 1: The Business & Cultural Impact of Gaming and Esports
Gaming is now a billion-dollar industry, and has transformed into a global phenomenon that has influenced culture and economies across the world. Incorporating the professional competitive aspects of esports, the value of gaming is increasing exponentially as it enters the mainstream a new and evolving form of entertainment media. Over the last 30 years, gaming has significantly influenced the way people engage themselves and each other from a cultural, social and economic perspective. Moderator: Erin Simon Panelists: Keisha Howard; Sugar Gamers, BunnyMightGameU; Gaming-Recording Artist x Podcaster, Brandon Pitts; CEO & Founder x Play One Up, Just Blaze; Super Producer, DJ, Gamer, Malik Forte; Host, Writer
Panel 2: Show me the money: Even with Football being the main method of earning a living—how athletes are investing in different ventures to secure financial success off the field. Recent trends show that athletes are more interested in taking an active interest in their business dealings beyond their field of sport. According to a recent study, the number of U.S.-based athletes and coaches who have invested in startups has more than doubled during the past four years. With the average NFL career lasting only 3.5 years, how effective is entrepreneurship and investing in ensuring long-term success of athletes? Moderator: Rashaun Williams Panelists: Edgerrin James; Hall of Fame Former RB x Indianapolis Colts, Corey Mays; Former LB x Kansas City Chiefs, Deon Grant; Former Safety Super Bowl New York Giants, Ngum Suh; Founder & CEO NLS Consultants, Kimberly Morgan; COO Ahead Financials
Panel 3: Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Addressing Gender Equality in Sports
The glass ceiling doesn’t just exist in the corporate world. New Stanford research reveals that in general female athletes are paid less than their male counterparts, even in sports where they far outshine their male peers. Whether in the locker room or the boardroom equality between men and women in sports is a controversial issue that has its importance in the spotlight and needs to be addressed. Moderator: Karen Civil Panelists: Dr. Monica McNutt; Host MSG AM x Madison Square Garden Networks, Analyst ESPN, Santia Deck; Athlete x Los Angeles Fames, Jisset Pena; Athlete Management x Roc Nation Sports, Anu Shultes; x CEO Ahead Financials
“As we launch Ahead, we are honing in on the ways culture impacts our digitally plugged in customer,” explains Kimberly Morgan, COO and Head of People at Ahead. “We are actively engaging with our potential clients and the goal is not only to connect digitally, but on a personal level as well. Ahead is not just any financial institution, we want to engage with our clients, learn more about their interests, as well as share our wealth of knowledge and network we have built to ultimately set them up to be more financially successful.”
GAME: Madden 21 : The Yard Experience
WHEN: February 6, 2021
TIME: 5pm ET – 9pm ET
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888.it
R. Franco Digital Shortlisted for Casino Platform Excellence at EGR Europe Awards 2026
R. Franco Digital, the leading Spanish iGaming provider, has been officially shortlisted for Casino Platform Supplier of the Year at the prestigious EGR Europe Awards 2026. The nomination recognizes a landmark year for the company, characterized by the explosive growth of its IRIS Open Omnichannel Platform and a major commercial breakthrough into the Italian market.
The winners will be announced during a gala ceremony on February 18, 2026, at the Hilton Malta, where the industry’s top-tier operators and suppliers gather to celebrate European gaming excellence.
IRIS: The Engine of Omnichannel Growth
The core of R. Franco Digital’s success lies in its IRIS platform, a highly scalable, multi-jurisdictional solution that unifies casino, sports betting, and retail management.
IRIS Platform Milestones (2025-2026):
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Jurisdictional Reach: Certified in 6 jurisdictions and operational in over 10 regulated markets.
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Content Depth: Seamlessly integrated with over 1,600 games from global third-party providers.
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Operational Stability: Provides 24/7 multilingual support and advanced real-time analytics for operators.
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Commercial Momentum: Secured 50+ new operator partnerships and entered three new markets within the last 12 months.
Performance Highlights: 4 Billion Game Rounds
R. Franco Digital’s games portfolio has seen a massive surge in engagement, bolstered by 20 new high-performance slot releases in 2025. Standout titles such as Strange Spins, Aphrodite, Zorro: Final Duel, Ovomon, and The Phantom contributed to a record-breaking year.
| Metric | 2025–2026 Achievement |
| Total Game Rounds | 4 Billion+ across regulated markets |
| Revenue Growth | 30% Increase during the judging period |
| New Content | 20 New slot titles launched |
| Expansion | Debut in the Italian regulated market |
Strategic Italian Market Entry
A major factor in the EGR shortlisting was R. Franco Digital’s successful entry into Italy. The provider rapidly localized its content to meet the specific demands of Italian players through tier-one partnerships:
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Stanleybet.it: Launched 19 games, including the Italian-exclusive debut of Strange Spins.
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888.it: Successfully rolled out the popular Super 7 3×3 title.
“We’re proud to be shortlisted for this award, which reflects the strength of our IRIS platform and the quality of the content we’ve delivered over the past year,” said Javier Sacristán Franco, International Business Director at R. Franco Digital. “Our team has worked hard to support operators with reliable, innovative solutions… we are delighted to see that effort recognised.”
The post R. Franco Digital Shortlisted for Casino Platform Excellence at EGR Europe Awards 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Big Hot Flaming Pots
Big Hot Flaming Pots: Tasty Treasures – Lightning Box Brings Land-Based Hit Online
Light & Wonder has officially launched Big Hot Flaming Pots: Tasty Treasures, the digital debut of its highly successful land-based franchise. Developed by in-house specialist studio Lightning Box, this 3×5 slot offers 243 ways to win and a high-energy “three-pot” mechanic that has already become a staple on casino floors worldwide.
The game transitions the whimsical “dumpling-tossing” theme to online audiences, combining vibrant Asian-inspired aesthetics with a deep mathematical model designed for high-engagement sessions.
The Three-Pot Mechanic & Seven Feature Combinations
At the core of the gameplay is the persistent pot system. Landing specific colored coins fuels three separate pots—Yummy, Spicy, and Upsized. These pots can trigger individually or in any combination, leading to seven distinct bonus paths.
| Feature Mode | Gameplay Enhancement |
| Yummy Mode | Increases the Hold & Spin respin counter from 3 to 4, significantly extending bonus life. |
| Spicy Mode | Introduces Chilli multipliers; landing a pepper adds its cash value to every symbol currently held on the board. |
| Upsized Mode | Unlocks a Dual Grid (two reel sets) for the Hold & Spin round, doubling the win potential. |
| Combined Modes | Triggering all three at once creates the “Mega Bonus,” featuring dual grids, 4 respins, and value-boosting peppers. |
Innovation: The Stack N’ Hit
Feature
Unlike traditional Hold & Spin mechanics where symbols simply lock until the round ends, Tasty Treasures introduces the Stack N’ Hit
evolution.
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Reel Clearing: When a vertical reel is filled with Bun symbols, the prizes are instantly collected, and the reel is cleared.
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Persistent Respins: Clearing a reel creates open spaces for new prizes to land, allowing the bonus round to continue far longer than standard industry alternatives.
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The Path to Grand: Each cleared reel activates a “Pepper Tracker” above it. Lighting up all five trackers awards the Grand Progressive Jackpot.
Jackpot Tiers & Base Game Depth
Operators benefit from a versatile math model that supports both consistent base-game performance and high-volatility jackpot chases.
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Progressive Jackpots: Grand and Major tiers for life-changing win potential.
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Fixed Jackpots: Minor and Mini tiers awarded through symbols landing during features.
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Nudge Wilds: In the base game, Wild symbols can nudge to cover entire reels, assisting in achieving the 243-way payouts.
“Big Hot Flaming Pots: Tasty Treasures carries forward a brand that has already made its mark in land-based venues,” says Michael Maokhamphiou, Studio Director at Lightning Box. “This release offers operators a flexible, high-performing title that combines familiarity with fresh layers of engagement.”
The post Big Hot Flaming Pots: Tasty Treasures – Lightning Box Brings Land-Based Hit Online appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Blask Index
How Venezuela’s iGaming market is reacting to US pressure
Blask data indicates Venezuela’s iGaming demand remained stable in the initial days following the US operation in Caracas.
On 3 January, US forces detained Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, transporting him from Caracas to face prosecution in New York. The raid came after months of intensifying American pressure throughout 2025 — naval presence, targeted strikes, and a fresh sanctions package.
For Venezuela’s iGaming sector, the disruption poses a critical question: will demand collapse, or adapt?
First results
Blask’s daily Index remained within a tight corridor from 1–4 January, hovering in the high-200K zone. It dropped 5% to 257.4K on the day of the operation, before recovering the next day.

The data reveals no abrupt demand shift during this period. A slight decline sits within Venezuela’s normal daily fluctuations and does not point to a fundamental market change.
Rapid expansion, growing dominance
Venezuela stood out as one of iGaming’s strongest demand gainers in 2025. Blask Index surged 134.9% year-on-year — the second-highest growth worldwide.

This expansion came alongside increasing market dominance. By December, Triunfo Bet commanded 59% of Blask’s BAP (Brand Accumulated Power, measuring a brand’s portion of total user interest nationally), gaining 15 percentage points since January. The top three brands collectively reached over 85%, up 11 points.
The post How Venezuela’s iGaming market is reacting to US pressure appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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