Industry News
Digital Chain is a business statement. Iryna Kurochkina, Founder & CEO of DC, on the agency’s rebranding and ambitious plans
1. So, the first big gaming exhibition of the new decade, ICE London 2020, is here, and so is the crazy surprise: Digital Choo rebranding into Digital Chain! Tell us more about the idea and how long were you planning it.
The rebranding is a major change, and it came to us really naturally. Over the course of 3 years on the market we’ve developed an interconnected in-house infrastructure of services, won over great global companies as our clients, created many award-winning campaigns, and, in the end, we’ve changed. We have a larger grasp of understanding who we are and what value we present to our clients, partners, the advertising markets, and the world in general. So the aspiration for change came from the inside as a natural desire to match our external image with our internal values, the very essence of DC.
Digital Chain, ICE London 2020
What is Digital Chain? It is the power to break barriers and go above and beyond in pursuit of the outstanding results. It is intrinsically us — the international marketing agency that commits to using its complex knowledge and services to drive the process of brand establishment for every company that shares the same passion and beliefs with us.
2. Could you elaborate more on the practical implementation of the concept of rebranding?
The most obvious change is our brand identity embodied in all external branding, POS materials, merchandise and so on. However, Digital Chain is much more than visual changes. It is a business statement. It is about our plans, goals, and the services we bring to the market.
Every piece of our new image communicates exactly who we are and what value we carry to the world. Liquid metal is a key element of our renewed style: a symbol of the agency’s strength yet flexibility, the skills and expertise that complement the DNA chains of new strong brands that we help to create. Other new corporate colors add vibrancy to this philosophy, with Stark White to represent fearlessness, absolute freedom of action, purity of thought, the absence of chaos in our work processes, and Rich Black to reflect our passion for exploring the essence and solid, confident steps to conquer the unknown.
We are bold and daring in our aspiration to develop the international community, and this is essentially what the story’s about. In the near future, Digital Chain will connect even more markets all over the world, introducing its services to Asian and African clients. We will also contribute our expertise in niche verticals to the development of markets that have only recently adopted the global practices and undergo gambling legalization. And of course, we are about to expand our client portfolio both in niche and mainstream categories.
3. A general question on rebranding: If you are doing well, why should you rebrand? As they say in the US, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Isn’t this the mantra?
Change is the only constant thing in the world. To keep yourself in an old framework when you’ve grown, and become so, so much more, is simply wrong. True freedom comes from being sensitive – first of all, to yourself; from being honest; from accepting who and what you are and bringing the corresponding image into the world with responsibility and good intentions. This is how real difference is made- by being yourself to the fullest. It is exactly the same for businesses as for individuals.
4. A number of big companies have fallen off their hallowed perch in the last decade or so. Kodak, Thomas Cook, Nokia, the list goes on. Changing technologies played a big part in that. Do you think in this era of rapid emergence of disruptive technologies, just rebranding alone can help the companies to flourish?
In a fast-paced world that we live in today, visionaries and pathfinders set the reality that everyone else is battling to succeed in. So yeah, technological advancement must underlie any other changes, without a doubt!
Watching the global market closely, over some time you start to see the pattern of all sales, mergers, acquisitions – an ever-evolving live organism that aspires to reach its maximum potential. It is important to keep everything connected so if one part changes, the others naturally follow suit as well.
5. Specific to the gaming sector, how should a company go about rebranding? What should be the underlying factors a company should consider before making a decision to rebrand?
This company should answer a nominal question “Why?”. As indicated, one of the lasting trends in the gaming/gambling industry, which is highly relevant in 2020, is market oversaturation. Target audiences have difficult time telling companies apart from each other. You may ask if rebranding is the answer. It could be, but it also could not be the one. It is a combination of factors and external influences that have to be taken into account to decide whether rebranding is truly what a company needs.
During the process, you have to be true to your brand essence, consistent, and… there are really many ingredients to the development of a perfect rebranding. A reliable and proven marketing partner is highly recommended to ensure all the details are perfectly set, and that the new brand really stands out and communicates the right messages in the right tone of voice.
TipRanks, a leading financial research platform with more than 9 million monthly active users, has announced a strategic sponsorship with Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura, a 5-time US Chess Champion who is currently ranked 2nd in the world. Powered by a new set of AI tools, the partnership is designed to help investors make better, data-driven decisions through the combination of TipRanks’ cutting-edge tools and Nakamura’s strategic mindset.
As part of the partnership, Nakamura will create and manage a Stream Portfolio on TipRanks. Viewers and fans of Hikaru will be able to track his investment research in real time on his widely followed video channels and social media — plus share ideas in the stream chat to help shape the portfolio’s holdings. Working with TipRanks’ award-winning platform, Nakamura will showcase how he evaluates opportunities, while emphasizing that all content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
Nakamura’s dominance in chess stems from his ability to absorb vast amounts of information, analyze multiple outcomes and make decisive moves under pressure—skills that closely mirror successful investing.
“TipRanks offers a wide variety of insights on thousands of stocks and equities, helping me to think strategically about all of my investments. Just like in chess, beating the market depends on making wise, fully informed decisions. Harnessing data to think several moves ahead is second nature to me,” said Nakamura.
“While other investing websites might sponsor more popular spectator sports such as soccer, our partnership with a chess champion is pitch perfect. We are tailor-made for investors who seek to act strategically, just like Hikaru does,” said Uri Gruenbaum, Founder and CEO of TipRanks.
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PENN Entertainment has officially opened the doors of its new Hollywood Casino Joliet on Monday, August 11.
The $185 million state-of-the-art casino replaces the former riverboat property that operated on the shores of the Des Plaines River since 1992.
Legislators and area dignitaries, Illinois Gaming Board officials, Chicago Bears executives and NFL legend and Joliet native Tom Thayer joined the PENN team members for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Hollywood Casino Joliet then opened to the public at 4:00 p.m. and welcomed guests to experience approximately 1000 of the newest slot machines, 43 table games, a retail ESPN BET sportsbook, upscale national and Chicagoland celebrity-led dining and, above all, a premier guest experience.
“We would like to officially welcome players and guests to the all-new Hollywood Casino Joliet. After approximately 20 months of construction, we are thrilled to open the doors to this land-based entertainment destination. We are proud of our 30-year history in Will County and are committed to continuing our investment in the community by creating new jobs, providing important tax revenue, and serving as a new attraction to bring even more visitors to the area,” said Jay Snowden, CEO and President of PENN Entertainment.
“This opening marks an exciting new era of entertainment in Joliet. We’re grateful for the support from the city of Joliet, the Illinois Gaming Board, and our business and community partners who contributed to the successful development of this new property. We look forward to delivering an elevated experience with world class dining, entertainment, and gaming options for patrons across the region,” said Todd George, Executive Vice President of Operations for PENN.
The roughly 189,000 square foot entertainment destination employs approximately 600 team members and generated around 450 construction jobs. Open seven days a week and 24 hours a day, the fun and excitement will continue 365 days a year.
The post PENN Entertainment Celebrates Grand Opening of Hollywood Casino Joliet appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news again! Here, we are going through the weekly highlights of the American gambling industry which include the latest news and new partnerships. Read on and get updated.
Latest News
SA Gaming has announced that its game portfolio and Remote Gaming Server have officially obtained Gaming Laboratories International certifications in Brazil. This milestone underscores SA Gaming’s commitment to delivering premium gaming experiences, with a particular focus on the Brazilian market. The regulated Brazilian online gaming market, which launched on January 1, 2025, is projected to become the largest in Latin America. Under the new framework, only licensed operators are legally permitted to offer online gaming and betting services.
The National Indian Gaming Commission announced Gross Gaming Revenues of $43.9B for fiscal year 2024. This historic figure reflects a $2.0 billion increase over FY 2023, representing an overall growth of 4.6% across the Indian gaming industry. The GGR figure is calculated from independently audited financial statements from 532 independently audited gaming operations owned by 243 federally recognised tribes across 29 states. Two NIGC regions, Oklahoma City and Washington, D.C., reported double-digit growth over the previous fiscal year.
The Michigan Gaming Control Board has issued cease-and-desist letters to six unlicensed online gambling platforms attempting to target Michigan residents without state authorisation. The action underscores the MGCB’s relentless, ongoing efforts to shut down illegal gambling operations and protect Michigan consumers from financial risk, identity theft and unfair play. The targeted sites—Crypto Slots, NitroBetting, NewVegas, Las Vegas USA Casino, Grand Rush Casino and Slotgard Casino—were found to be operating in violation of Michigan laws that require licensure for internet gaming and sports betting. This enforcement action is part of the MGCB’s larger crackdown on illegal online gambling platforms.
Partnerships
Table Trac Inc announced that a new Nevada casino partner is installing the CasinoTrac CMS system, and a long-time customer is upgrading from its classic system to the latest comprehensive technology stack featuring enhanced capabilities for Loyalty, Bonusing, & Operations. Barton’s Club 93 Casino Hotel, under new ownership, GLM Gaming, as part of a significant property remodel and renovation is upgrading the slot system to CasinoTrac’s high-speed, Secure, Unified and Stable PlayerLINQ network, which drives player engagement through the programmatic, custom SlotSUITE platform while turbocharging efficiency and time on device with SelfPAY. Border Inn Casino will deploy CasinoTrac’s high-speed, Secure, Unified and Stable PlayerLINQ network, NV Tech Standard 3-compliant accounting and CTLoyalty for Patron & Club Management, powered by CasinoTrac’s bonusing, auto-tiering and reflexive rewards functions.
Caesars Entertainment Inc announced it is the first in the industry to launch IGT’s newest installment of its beloved slot title, Kitty Glitter Grand. The game is now live across Caesars Palace Online Casino, Horseshoe Online Casino, and Caesars Sportsbook & Casino in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, and Ontario. It’s also available at Caesars Rewards destinations in Atlantic City, including Caesars and Harrah’s, with Tropicana set to join the lineup soon, subject to final regulatory approval. This debut marks IGT’s first simultaneous exclusive launch of a game both online and in casinos in the US. As a result, Caesars is currently the only place where fans of the Kitty Glitter franchise can experience this latest installment, whether in person or online.
The post Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – August 4-10 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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