Central Europe
Hamburg Prototype Funding 2021: € 252,000 for 6 games projects in first funding round

The location initiative Gamecity Hamburg supports six promising games projects with a total of 252,000 euros. The non-repayable grant will enable the selected start-ups from Hamburg to develop prototypes in order to position themselves in the growing global games market. A total of 23 game developers and companies have applied with their projects for the 1st funding round 2021. The quality and number of applications shows the great potential of Hamburg as a games industry hotspot. The application phase for the second funding round 2021 will run from August 30 to October 18.
Dr. Carsten Brosda, Hamburg’s Minister of Culture and Media: “Hamburg is one of the leading games industry hubs in Europe. To maintain this position, the Senate of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg provides tailored support to the games industry, through the Prototype Funding program and other measures. It gives studios and developers who plan to start up, settle or open a branch in Hamburg the opportunity to develop and implement their ideas here and thus further strengthens Hamburg as a business location. The projects submitted this year were once again convincing through their multitude as well as their high quality and demonstrated the large potential of the games industry location Hamburg.”
“After we were able to launch the new Hamburg Prototype Funding and our Games Lift Incubator in 2020, this year already shows how well these two funding instruments work together. For example, Crumbling is the first game project to receive prototype funding that has previously successfully completed our incubation program. With the help of feedback from our mentors, the team has made a great leap forward and developed a convincing concept for the game and a marketing plan around an innovative virtual reality game mechanic,”, says Dennis Schoubye, Project Lead Gamecity Hamburg.
The application phase for the funding ran from March 29 to May 17. In an online pitch day, a pre-selection of the best project teams presented their ideas to the awarding committee.
The awarding committee, consisting of Hamburg games industry experts Nina Müller (Head of Publishing Goodgame Studios), Michael Schade (Co-Founder and CEO ROCKFISH Games), Valentina Birke (Project Manager Super Crowd Entertainment), Jens Unrau (Head of Department Media and Digital Economy of the Ministry of Culture and Media in Hamburg) and Dennis Schoubye (Project Lead Gamecity Hamburg) made the funding decision for the six projects.
In addition to a convincing presentation of the project and team, other criteria such as feasibility, promotion of young talent, location effect and market potential were factored in in the decision. A further prerequisite for funding from the Hamburg Prototype Funding is that the funded teams must be based in Hamburg or relocate to Hamburg if funding is approved, or open a branch office in the city.
The funded projects:
- THE INVITATION by tool1 – 60,000 euros
- ARC BREAK by SpiceVR – 50,000 euros
- Rocket Science GONE WRONG (working title) by James Rucks & Clemens Runge – 48,000 euros
- Crumbling by Team Crumbling – 39,782 euros
- The Hunt for Epic Treasure (working title) by Elecular – 35,200 euros
- Fantasma Ville by Torito Games – 19,140 euros
For the first time, there will be a second round of prototype funding in the current year 2021. Further teams of developers will be able to apply for funding for their project prototypes from August 30.
Further information on the Hamburg Prototype Funding can be found at: https://www.gamecity-hamburg.de/funding/
The application phase for the Games Lift Incubator will start on June 21. In this second funding program under the umbrella of Gamecity Hamburg, teams are supported with up to 15,000 euros and a three-month coaching and mentoring program by experienced, international experts from the games industry. All information about the Games Lift Incubator is available at: https://www.gamecity-hamburg.de/incubator/
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Central Europe
SYNOT Games Delivers Bespoke Games Exclusively for SazkaHry.sk in the Slovak Market

SYNOT Games has accelerated its growth in the Slovak market through the delivery of branded games exclusively for SazkaHry.sk. Building on its extensive experience and success in the Czech Republic, the company is reinforcing its commitment to providing high-quality, customised gaming experiences tailored to local audiences.
As part of this expansion, two branded SYNOT Games titles originally created for Sazka CZ, Pirátska Plavba and Výlet do Vegas 27, have been translated into Slovak. These are not only localised games but exclusive, tailor-made titles that have already been successfully running on the Czech platform. Their adaptation for the Slovak market for the SazkaHry.sk offers a uniquely personalised and immersive experience for local players.
Martina Krajčí, CCO at SYNOT Games, said: “Our long-term partnership with Sazka in the Czech Republic continues to bring excellent results, and we are proud to expand our expertise to Slovakia for Allwyn Slovensko. By providing exclusive localized content for SazkaHry.sk, we ensure a more tailored and engaging experience for players, while continuing to uphold the highest standards in certified, secure gaming.”
Jan Horyna, member of the Allwyn Slovensko Board of Directors, said: “We’re pleased to cooperate with SYNOT Games in Slovakia. Offering branded games exclusive for SazkaHry.sk in the Slovak language is a natural step in offering original content that resonates with Slovak players and builds our position as a trusted operator.”
The post SYNOT Games Delivers Bespoke Games Exclusively for SazkaHry.sk in the Slovak Market appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Aquisitions/Mergers
NOVOMATIC successfully completes sale of ADMIRAL Austria to Tipico and focuses on international growth markets

Europe’s leading gaming technology group has successfully completed the sale of ADMIRAL Austria to Tipico. This transaction underscores NOVOMATIC’s long-term focus on global expansion and marks another important milestone in its international growth strategy. ADMIRAL Austria will remain an important technology partner under its new owner Tipico and will continue to rely on NOVOMATIC’s innovative technology solutions in the future.
Stefan Krenn, Executive Board Member of NOVOMATIC AG, emphasized: “The completion of this transaction marks an important step in our global expansion strategy with a clear focus on international growth markets. ADMIRAL has developed into an established market leader over the past decades, and we thank all ADMIRAL employees for their great commitment. We are pleased to have found a strong and reliable technology partner in Tipico, who will successfully continue the company’s operations in Austria.”
Axel Hefer, CEO of the Tipico Group, stated: “We are delighted about the successful completion of this transaction. ADMIRAL is a leading Austrian company with a strong legacy, and clear potential for future growth. Both companies are synonymous with state-of-the-art technology, innovative products and a high focus to player protection. Our future collaboration is very good news for our customers.”
The closing of the transaction followed the receipt of all required regulatory approvals.
The post NOVOMATIC successfully completes sale of ADMIRAL Austria to Tipico and focuses on international growth markets appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Central Europe
Promatic Games and SYNOT Interactive Announce Strategic Partnership to Strengthen iGaming Expansion in Central and Eastern Europe

Promatic Games, a recognized provider of innovative iGaming content and one of the leaders of the Polish market, and SYNOT Interactive, a dynamic technology company headquartered in the Czech Republic, have officially announced a strategic partnership. The objective of the cooperation is the distribution of the Promatic Games portfolio to SYNOT Interactive’s aggregation customers, with a focus on the strategic markets of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The cooperation will accelerate growth for both parties by combining Promatic Games’ tailored gaming portfolio with SYNOT Interactive’s proven platform and extensive presence in regulated European markets.
SYNOT Interactive will be the first aggregation partner for Promatic Games in the Czech and Slovak markets.
“Up until now we have taken a few important steps to enter the Czech and Slovak markets. We have a portfolio of certified games for those markets, and we have integrated with a few platform providers. We have also launched our games with several operators. But obviously, cooperation with a brand like SYNOT Interactive brings new perspectives to our business there,” said Maciej Makuszewski, Head of iGaming at Promatic Games. “We are excited to work with SYNOT Interactive’s aggregation customers to generate great value for them. We are confident that our content will match customers’ tastes in these strategic markets, just as it has been proven in Poland, where we are one of the leading iGaming suppliers. We are of course looking forward to scaling up in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, but we are also ready for other challenges with our strategic partner. SYNOT Interactive’s Central European footprint aligns perfectly with our expansion strategy.”
By integrating Promatic Games content into SYNOT Interactive’s modular platform, operators in multiple jurisdictions will gain access to Promatic Games quickly and efficiently. The cooperation will begin with Slovakia and the Czech Republic—both highly regulated markets where SYNOT already maintains a strong operator base—and will later extend to Romania, Croatia, and other Balkan markets. This geographic overlap between Promatic Games’ strategic goals and SYNOT Interactive’s established infrastructure makes the partnership especially powerful.
“At SYNOT Interactive, we are dedicated to building partnerships that create lasting value for both operators and players. We know Promatic Games’ content is strong in Poland, and we believe that, given the content’s quality and type, it can be a great fit for our Central European casino partners. By joining forces, we can accelerate innovation and deliver an enhanced player experience in regulated markets. We appreciate the technology that Promatic Games provides, and we are confident it will work well on the scale that SYNOT Interactive can offer,” said Petr Březina, Head of Sales, from SYNOT Interactive.
The agreement underscores how strategic alliances are shaping the future of the iGaming industry. With regulatory landscapes becoming increasingly complex, operators require diverse gaming content that meets local compliance standards. The cooperation between Promatic Games and SYNOT Interactive demonstrates how combining expertise can generate synergies in distribution, compliance, and player engagement, creating mutual benefits for both companies and their partners.
The post Promatic Games and SYNOT Interactive Announce Strategic Partnership to Strengthen iGaming Expansion in Central and Eastern Europe appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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