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/
Powered by WPeMatico
Central Europe
Spielbanken Bayern and Stakelogic Launch brand new Live-Casino Offering

Pioneering the next chapter of regulated iGaming in Germany, Spielbanken Bayern and leading live-casino specialist Stakelogic have gone live with brand-new online live casino solutions.
On 28 May 2025, spielbanken-bayern-online.de rolled out a set of Automatic Roulettes. The launch marks the inaugural step in a phased roadmap that will soon see more Roulette and Blackjack.
Bavaria became Germany’s first state to introduce online live-casino games in April 2024. Since beginning 2025, Spielbanken Bayern has worked hand-in-hand with the Bavarian regulator and Stakelogic to craft a best-in-class solution that combines strict compliance with an engaging, secure, and reputable gaming offering.
Stephan van den Oetelaar, CEO at Stakelogic, added: “It is both an honour and a privilege to develop further with Spielbanken Bayern on Germany’s first legal online casino. The timeline was ambitious, but our combined teams delivered. In the coming months, we will continue to optimise and enrich the portfolio with additional premium content.”
This landmark collaboration cements Spielbanken Bayern’s position as Germany’s online live-casino trail-blazer while underscoring Stakelogic’s reputation for marrying regulatory rigour with next-generation player experiences.
The post Spielbanken Bayern and Stakelogic Launch brand new Live-Casino Offering appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Central Europe
Gaming in Germany Conference returns to Berlin November 11, 2025

Gaming in Europe is pleased to announce that the 2025 Gaming in Germany Conference will take place on November 11, 2025, in Berlin.
The Gaming in Germany Conference is an annual event for everyone who is professionally involved in Germany’s regulated online gambling industry. The conference will cover topics such as regulatory developments, (black) market growth, player protection, marketing, compliance, and much more.
Confirmed speakers
Although the 2025 Gaming in Germany Conference is still some time away, we have already confirmed the following speakers:
- Dr. Jörg Hofmann, Senior Partner, Melchers Law
- Senior GGL representative
- Mathias Dahms, President, DSWV
- Dr. Dirk Quermann, President, DOCV
- Christian Heins, Director iGaming, Tipico
- Josh Hodgson, COO, H2 Gambling Capital
Don’t miss it. Save the date!
Willem van Oort, founder of Gaming in Germany said: “We are very happy that we have received commitments from major stakeholders in Germany’s regulated gambling market to speak at our event. As always, we aim to connect the industry with regulatory and social stakeholders, and vice versa. This year, major topics of discussion will be the true size of Germany’s regulated market, the increasing popularity of the black market, as well as the upcoming evaluation of the 2021 State Gambling Treaty. I am certain there will be plenty to discuss.”
Call for speakers
If you would like to share your insights, success story, innovation, or cautionary tale, please consider applying for a speaker slot at the 2025 Gaming in Germany Conference by sending an email to [email protected].
Your voice matters, and we can’t wait to hear from you!
The post Gaming in Germany Conference returns to Berlin November 11, 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Central Europe
Change of Chairmanship in the GGL Board of Directors as of 1 July 2025

On the occasion of the four-year anniversary of the Joint Gambling Authority of the Federal States (GGL) on 1 July 2025, Sandro Kirchner, State Secretary in the Bavarian State Ministry of the Interior, for Sport and Integration, has taken over the chairmanship of the GGL Administrative Board, succeeding Reiner Moser, Head of Office in the Ministry of the Interior, for Digitalisation and Municipalities for Baden-Württemberg.
During Reiner Moser’s term as Chairman of the Board of Directors, the GGL further established itself as a reliable institution for the supervision and monitoring of the online gambling market.
“The online gambling market has developed rapidly in recent years. The GGL has met the resulting challenges with great commitment and can already demonstrate remarkable results both in combating illegal gambling and in regulating and supervising the legal market. The exchange between the states and the GGL is always trusting and results-oriented. I would like to sincerely thank the Board of Directors and all GGL employees for this constructive cooperation over the past year,” said Head of Department Moser.
State Secretary Kirchner takes over the chairmanship at a time when the GGL is pursuing ambitious goals, including stronger international networking, particularly to further curb the illegal gambling market.
“The consistent prosecution of illegal offerings and player protection are my highest priorities. The work of the GGL must continue to be significantly geared towards ensuring that the business model of illegal gambling is not profitable in Germany,” said Sandro Kirchner.
With regard to his role as Chairman of the Board of Directors, he added: “I look forward to continuing the successful work of everyone involved over the past four years. We will certainly continue to face many challenges. However, I believe the GGL is well positioned to achieve this.”
The Board of Directors is the supervisory and steering body of the GGL. It consists of the heads of departments or state secretaries of the ministries responsible for gaming supervision in the 16 member states. The chair of the Board of Directors rotates annually on July 1st in alphabetical order of the member states.
The post Change of Chairmanship in the GGL Board of Directors as of 1 July 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
-
Balkans7 days ago
BFU and Elitbet Extend Their Partnership Until 2028
-
Baltics6 days ago
Betsson Lithuania Extends Sponsorships with FK Žalgiris and Lithuanian Basketball Federation Until 2027
-
Brazil7 days ago
SkillOnNet Expands Nolimit City Partnership to Enter Brazil
-
EurAsia7 days ago
Amusnet Sponsors the Most Traded NFT Collection at the Ortak x B.F.T.H. Arena Awards 2025
-
Baltics5 days ago
Swintt Joins Forces with TOPsport to Capitalize on Lithuanian Market
-
Africa7 days ago
Premier Bet Announces Francis Ngannou as its Pan-African Brand Ambassador
-
Endorphina Press Releases5 days ago
Endorphina’s Sticky Lips: Our Joker Returns, Ready to Stick You with Unforgettable Luck!
-
CP Games7 days ago
Zenith expands in LatAm with exclusive CP Games content distribution deal