Industry News
Germany to Officially legalize online gambling and poker
Germany’s relationship with online gambling has been in a grey area for quite a long time. It was largely illegal, except for about 20-something operators who had permission. There were not many legal gambling sites in Germany, and the process of obtaining a license was extremely hard and complicated.
According to a new regulation that will take place starting the 1st of July, Germany will be legalizing online casinos and poker officially, on a state level. The legislation was passed at a meeting in Berlin.
When will it go into effect?
The changes will be implemented slowly as the regulatory body Glücksspiel Neuregulierung Staatsvertrag /GlüändStv/ will be instantiating online casinos and poker among legal ways to gamble online.
As of now, only sports betting will be allowed for companies who obtain the license from Darmstadt Regional Council, for which 30 companies have already submitted an application, and about the same number is allegedly making plans to do so in the near future.
What do you need to know?
Sports betting will also be one of the subjects that will undergo some changes with new guidelines. Mainly, live betting will be limited to a degree, specifically how the bets are made on final results and the next scorers.
Besides poker and sports betting, most other casino games will be fully allowed as well, including the oft-desired slots which are very popular all around the world. Due to their popularity, slots will come with some very strict guidelines that need to be followed by each and every casino offering them. As an example, the maximum bet per spin will be limited to €1, along with a mandatory €1000 deposit limit. Slots will also need to be advertised and offered separately from all other table games, and they may not be advertised between the times of 6AM and 9PM.
One of the main advantages that this change will bring is the safety of the consumer. As stated, online gambling is a grey area in many countries, and that includes Germany. The government officially stepping in to regulate the environment ensures that people may safely try out a lot of different casinos. Comparing the best casino bonus codes is something that many gamblers use as a main deciding factor for choosing an online casino, but what they often miss is the safety aspect of it, meaning how trustworthy and legitimate a casino is. There’s also the issue of reliability of the software itself, payment processing and more. With the government officially setting standards, the bar will be much higher, ensuring higher overall quality for all players.
While these regulations are in place for the consumer’s protection and are made with the best intentions in mind, many in the gambling community, and also from the regulatory environment as well, are quite discontent with these changes. The German Sports Association (DSWV) president responded that while this was a good and positive step towards modern and regulation-compliant gambling market, these changes also may lead to some “undesirable structural developments”, which may pose challenges for future regulations.
The primary concern that many experts have risen is that these changes and regulations may lead people to search for other international options where limits are much higher. This results in an increased risk of playing at websites that are, to an extent, shady, or worse – illegal. Benevolent as they may be, how these regulations turn out to work will only be shown by time, but for now, experts are optimistic in their anticipation.
Ainsworth Game Technology
AGEM Announces Board Of Directors Elected at 2026 Annual Meeting
The Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) announced that its membership elected a new Board of Directors at its 2026 Annual Meeting. AGEM Board Chair Ryan Comstock, Acting Chief Executive Officer at Ainsworth Game Technology, was not up for election as he transitions into the second year of his two-year term as Chair and led the meeting which approved one-year terms on the Board of Directors for:
• Elaine Hodgson, DIRECTOR (President / CEO, Incredible Technologies)
• Lauralyn Sandoval, DIRECTOR (Vice President of Gaming Strategy & Business Development, Aristocrat Gaming)
• Phil O’Shaughnessy, DIRECTOR (Vice President, Global Communications, Government Relations & Sustainability, IGT)
• Steve DiMasi, DIRECTOR (Senior Vice President of Global Government Affairs & Business Development, Light & Wonder)
• Randy Gilbert, SECRETARY (Chief Executive Officer, TableTrac)
• Thomas Jingoli, TREASURER (President & Chief Operating Officer, Konami Gaming).
The AGEM Board of Directors also approved one-year terms as ex-officio/non-voting members on the Board of Directors for:
• Cassie Stratford, EX-OFFICIO DIRECTOR (Senior Vice President, Legal Operations & Compliance–Boyd Gaming Corporation; Global Gaming Women Advisory Board Member)
• Bob Parente, EX-OFFICIO DIRECTOR & ASSISTANT TREASURER (Executive Vice President & Chief Business Development Officer, Light & Wonder).
The post AGEM Announces Board Of Directors Elected at 2026 Annual Meeting appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Industry News
QTech Games recruits banking and AI leader Jonny Youssef as CTO to drive next phase of its growth journey
QTech Games, the leading game aggregator for emerging markets, has appointed Jonny Youssef as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to lead the next phase of the company’s technology organisation, innovation and technology strategy as QTech accelerates its global expansion. Jonny will lead the continued development of QTech’s platform architecture and engineering organisation, focusing on scalability, AI-driven capabilities and next-generation tools designed to support operators and content partners across fast-growing markets. Jonny brings more than 20 years of technology leadership experience across banking, fintech, SaaS platforms and AI-driven innovation. His background combines enterprise-scale infrastructure expertise with hands-on experience building and scaling digital platforms and emerging technology systems. Previously, Jonny served as Head of Innovation for Swedbank Group Lending & Payments, where he led digital initiatives across lending, payments, APIs and digital channels within one of the Nordic region’s largest banking groups. He has also held senior technology leadership roles at Entercard Group, overseeing technology infrastructure and mission-critical production environments supporting large-scale payment operations across Nordic markets. Alongside his enterprise leadership experience, Jonny has founded and scaled several technology ventures and digital platforms. As a technology founder and CTO, he has led the design and development of international platforms operating across Europe and Asia, building distributed engineering teams and scalable digital infrastructure.
In recent years, Jonny has contributed to the development of next-generation AI and sustainability technology initiatives, including work with Circular Living and Biotonomy, where advanced AI, IoT and Edge AI systems are used to power intelligent environments, autonomous infrastructure and real-time operational insights. Beyond his commercial initiatives, he is also a board member and early contributor to The AI Community of Sweden, a national innovation network connecting professionals, enterprises and academia to collaborate on AI innovation. At QTech Games, Jonny will focus on strengthening the company’s technology foundations as it continues to scale globally, enhancing AI-driven functionality, automation and analytics capabilities that enable partners to unlock greater value from the platform. He will also oversee QTech’s engineering and technology teams to ensure continued innovation while maintaining the speed, reliability and integration flexibility that have become hallmarks of QTech’s aggregation platform.
QTech Games’ CEO, Philip Doftvik, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Jonny to QTech at an important moment in our growth journey.
“He brings a rare combination of enterprise technology leadership, platform-building expertise and forward-looking innovation in AI and automation. His experience across banking infrastructure, global digital platforms and emerging technology ecosystems makes him uniquely positioned to guide us through its next phase of technological evolution.
“As we continue to expand across emerging markets, Jonny’s leadership will help ensure we remain at the forefront of innovation — delivering scalable infrastructure, AI-driven insights and powerful technology solutions that help our partners grow.”
Jonny Youssef added: “QTech Games has built a strong reputation as one of the most innovative and reliable aggregation platforms serving emerging markets.
“What impressed me most is the company’s focus on speed, simplicity and partner success — combined with a clear ambition to continue evolving the platform through technology. I’m excited to join the team at a time when AI, automation and data-driven capabilities are creating new opportunities to deliver even greater value to operators and game providers.
“My focus will be on strengthening the platform architecture, scaling our technology capabilities with AI and supporting the next phase of QTech’s growth.”
The post QTech Games recruits banking and AI leader Jonny Youssef as CTO to drive next phase of its growth journey appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
GameOn
GameOn Expands Fractional CMO Division with Appointment of Roxana Nazalu
GameOn, the specialist iGaming marketing and PR agency, has added Roxana Nazalu to its growing GameOn CMO team.
Roxana joins as a Fractional CMO and in a consulting capacity. She will be responsible for supporting clients across campaign strategy, creation and implementation.
Roxana is one of the most experienced iGaming marketers in the industry, having worked for some of the biggest names in the business.
This includes the likes of Las Vegas Sands, Casimba Gaming, Aspire Global and Pragmatic Play.
This experience led her to launch Orange Synapse, a specialist agency serving iGaming providers in markets across the world.
Roxana’s appointment as a Fractional CMO Consultant marks a deeper collaboration between GameOn and Orange Synapse, allowing each to offer a wider range of products and services to its respective clients.
GameOn’s Fractional CMO service has gone from strength to strength since launching back in October 2024.
Led by Alex Wilson, it allows clients to unlock the benefits of a full-time CMO but on a fractional basis, making it the perfect option for start-ups and smaller organisations in growth phase. It’s also a great option for established organisations, allowing them to embrace marketing as a revenue engine and not just a support function, but with board-level accountability.
Alex Wilson, Head of Marketing Division at GameOn, said: “We are delighted to welcome Roxana to the GameOn CMO team at such a pivotal moment for our agency. Since launching our fractional service in 2024, the demand for high-level strategic leadership, without the overhead of a full-time executive, has exploded.
“Roxana is a powerhouse in the iGaming space and her track record with global giants like Pragmatic Play and Las Vegas Sands speaks for itself.
“By bringing her expertise into the fold, we’re not just adding a consultant, we’re significantly deepening our strategic offering and ensuring our clients have access to the very best marketing minds in the business.”
Roxana Nazalu, Fractional CMO Consultant at GameOn, added: “Joining forces with GameOn is a natural evolution for me and a fantastic opportunity for Orange Synapse.
“I’ve always admired GameOn’s reputation for delivering clear, results-driven PR and marketing within the iGaming sector. This collaboration allows us to offer a truly holistic service, bridging the gap between high-level strategy and technical implementation for slot studios, operators, affiliates, payment providers and other industry stakeholders.
“My focus will be on helping clients navigate complex markets and scale their brands with the agility that the fractional model provides. I look forward to working alongside Alex and the team to drive meaningful growth for our partners.”
The post GameOn Expands Fractional CMO Division with Appointment of Roxana Nazalu appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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