Central Europe
Gaming Meets Business – Hamburg Games Conference 2024 brings the international games industry together

The 15th Hamburg Games Conference (HGC) gathered about 365 international trade visitors and 42 speakers from 255 companies in Hamburg on March 5 and 6. At the business conference, participants exchanged views on the status quo of the games industry and made valuable contacts in the historic Altonaer Museum. With a focus on current topics such as waves of layoffs and studio shutdowns as well as impulses for the future of the industry, the Hamburg Games Conference is once again positioning itself as a fixture in the games industry’s event calendar. On the first day of the conference, Hamburg’s First Mayor Dr. Peter Tschentscher gave a welcome address and took a tour of the conference to learn more about the current challenges facing the games industry.
The program offered a total of 17 talks, 5 panel discussions, the workshop “The Current Challenges for Public and Private Funding in Europe” with Prof. Odile Limpach, the roundtable “State of the Art of Artificial Intelligence Use Cases in the Games and Entertainment Industries” with Dr. Ralph Oliver Graef and Fabian Stösser, and the Indie Arena Booth Pitch Royal. In the Expo Area, 20 games companies and service providers, including Alibaba Cloud, Giants Software, Reactional Music, and several indie studios, presented themselves to trade visitors, who were also able to meet up in 470 meetings and an exclusive get-together event via the MeetToMatch matchmaking platform.
With the theme “Gaming meets Business”, the two stages focused on investments and licensing, current M&A trends, AI and technological innovations in game development, case studies on best practices, and panels on the state of the games industry.
Thanks to the free opportunity tickets sponsored by industry partners Plitch, InnoGames, Chrono Games, Marchsreiter Communications, Polaris, Immutable and IGDA, 70 people affected by layoffs were able to attend the HGC and benefit from the comprehensive program and matchmaking opportunities.
“In the current situation where waves of layoffs are the order of the day, our Opportunity Ticket campaign is our contribution to allowing those affected by layoffs to get in touch with potential employers. There is so much talent in the games industry and the industry needs to keep these experts,” says Wolf Lang, Managing Director of Super Crowd about the Opportunity Ticket campaign.
Exclusive in-person event with tailor-made matchmaking
“On its two conference days, the Hamburg Games Conference once again set topics, facilitated new collaborations, and made Hamburg the top choice for all things games. Whether in the lecture halls, in the Expo area, or the Meet to Match area, the need for exchange in the industry could be felt everywhere,” commented Dr. Ralph Graef, Managing Partner of GRAEF Rechtsanwälte.
Many international games companies on-site
The Hamburg-based companies Sunday, Bigpoint, The Sandbox, InnoGames, and 1SP Agency Holding supported HGC 2024 as enablers and on the Advisory Board. Many thanks also go to further sponsors Alibaba Cloud, 4Players, Bytro, Photon, Playa Games, Threaks, Tiny Roar, gamigo, Giant Games, Reactional Music, Neox Studios and Québec.
Speakers at this year’s Hamburg Games Conference came from the renowned companies Remedy Entertainment, Keen Games, Metacore, Thunderful Group, The Sandbox, Animoca Brands, Bigpoint, InnoGames, Sunday, Gamelight, London Venture Partners, Gamesindustry.biz, WINGS Interactive, Chrono Games, Lowbirth Games, Tabbler, Gamelight, Agnitio Capital, stillalive studios, Drake Star Partners, ROCKFISH Games, Spielworks, SpielFabrique 360°, Layer, The Sandbox, Rise and Play, Whow Games, 1SP Agency Holding, VIZTA Digital, Super Crowd Entertainment, GRAEF Rechtsanwälte, PATI, Dotemu, Team17, INSTINCT3 and Azerion.
Central Europe
CT Interactive grows its certified game portfolio in the Slovak market

CT Interactive has further strengthened its presence in the regulated Slovak iGaming market with the successful certification of 10 additional games. This achievement brings the total number of certified titles in Slovakia to 30, underscoring the company’s commitment to delivering high-quality, engaging gaming content tailored to local market needs.
Among the newly certified titles, five are part of the popular Buy Bonus product line, specifically designed to enhance player engagement and elevate the overall gaming experience. Notable additions include 20 Mega Star, which extends the thrill, and the classic 50 Treasures, a game that consistently ranks among CT Interactive’s top 10 most popular titles globally.
“Certification in Slovakia is a key part of our European expansion strategy,” said Martin Ivanov, COO of CT Interactive. “With these 10 new games, our portfolio in the country now totals 30 titles, strengthening our market presence and offering diverse, premium content to the regulated Slovak market.”
As part of CT Interactive’s broader growth strategy, the company remains focused on adapting its portfolio to meet the specific requirements and preferences of each market. It continuously explores the latest technologies and game mechanics that resonate with a wide range of players, all while ensuring full compliance with local regulatory standards.
The post CT Interactive grows its certified game portfolio in the Slovak market appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Central Europe
CT Interactive Announces Strategic Partnership with Ecasino

CT Interactive has announced a strategic partnership with Ecasino, a leading online casino platform provider in the Czech Republic. This exciting collaboration means that CT Interactive’s top-performing games are now available on the eCasino platform, further strengthening the company’s foothold in the regulated Czech iGaming market.
This integration delivers added value to eCasino’s diverse player base by bringing CT Interactive’s certified and player-favorite content to the platform. Ecasino is now well-positioned to enhance its portfolio with a wider range of high-quality and engaging games that meet the evolving demands of the local market. Among the best-performing titles now available on eCasino are Lucky Clover, Hot 7s x2, 40 Treasures, Pick the Pig and Big Joker.
“Partnering with eCasino is a crucial part of our European expansion strategy. The Czech Republic is one of our key markets in Europe, and Ecasino’s strong local presence makes them an ideal partner. This collaboration enables us to deliver our certified, high-quality content to a broader audience and further solidify our position in the region’s regulated iGaming sector,” said Martin Ivanov, COO of CT Interactive.
The post CT Interactive Announces Strategic Partnership with Ecasino appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Central Europe
Brightstar Lottery Upgrades Retail Central System for Lotto Saxony in Germany via New Seven-Year Contract

Brightstar Lottery PLC announced that it will deploy its comprehensive retail central system technology, Aurora, along with advanced cloud-based software for Sächsische Lotto-GmbH (Lotto Saxony) in the State of Saxony, Germany via a seven-year contract. The contract was awarded to Brightstar following a competitive public procurement.
“The quality and reliability of Brightstar’s world-class lottery technology and operational support, along with its team’s knowledge of Lotto Saxony’s business needs are some of the reasons why we have partnered with the Company for 30 years. We look forward to upgrading our central system to Brightstar’s sophisticated platform and the many benefits its components will produce,” said Herr Frank Schwarz, Lotto Saxony Chief Executive Officer.
“This new seven-year contract marks an exciting chapter for Brightstar and Lotto Saxony as we work together to modernize lottery solutions throughout the state. Brightstar’s high-performing central system and peripherals will enable Lotto Saxony to manage its business more efficiently with the confidence in knowing the technology is secure, dependable, and responsible,” said Marco Tasso, Brightstar Chief Operating Officer International and Italy Operations.
An integral part of OMNIA, Brightstar’s player-centric, omnichannel solution for lotteries, Aurora helps drive lottery innovation and profitability. The platform will provide intuitive, user-friendly applications, tools and reporting capabilities to handle Lotto Saxony’s transaction processing, game management and back-office operations. Lotto Saxony will receive key cloud-based Aurora products including, Anywhere, to securely connect external applications to the retail system, and Performance Wizard, to deliver targeted insights and analytics.
The post Brightstar Lottery Upgrades Retail Central System for Lotto Saxony in Germany via New Seven-Year Contract appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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