Industry News

Lottery must act to protect its market share, or risk losing it

Published

6 years ago

April 16, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The lottery sector must stick together to protect its market share and fight off the existential threat caused by global lockdown, according to Spinola Gaming CEO Ade Repcenko.

A small number of retail and online providers currently drive the industry from a technology aspect. In most cases, a lottery will only utilise one provider and they are locked into long term agreements which prohibit the use of external or additional technologies. These restrictive agreements make it harder for state-run operators to get online and continue to generate revenue, as their existing providers don’t have the appropriate technologies or capabilities to get clients online quickly.

Repcenko explains how this has to change for the industry to survive the existential challenge of Covid-19 lockdown. “In a time when people are keeping their distance, it’s important that we stick together to make sure lottery survives, not dies,” he explained. “It’s time for the lottery sector to unite and join forces, to help each other and our clients for the greater good by working together on utilizing technologies that enable all of us to add value to our existing relationships, which helps our clients continue to raise funds and generate revenues for good causes. Most importantly, we cannot let alternate options become more attractive to players than the games they are used to playing every week.”

As the global lottery sector faces its biggest ever challenge, the solutions provider CEO believes the industry is being forced to make the shift online earlier than planned. For many, it would have been an inevitability over the next 3-5 years, but with retail now unable to sell tickets, that process has to be accelerated. Most operators are backed into a corner through long term retail relationships, with such relationships being the cornerstone to sales for the past decades, but now that model has to adapt.

“Operators could take a leaf out of the online casino business model that treats affiliates in the same way that retailers are to lotteries. The affiliate model is easily implemented, requires no new forms of technology or advanced development and allows both operator and retailer to take advantage of the current situations,” suggested Repcenko. “At the same time, operators need to appeal to their existing software providers to look at ways in which they can remain active during these troubled times and will require a level of compromise from both sides. Operators need to look at new forms of revenue sharing to allow for the affiliate model to work and software providers need to open up to working with new and modern forms of technology to be able to provide the level of service that these state run operators very desperately need right now.”

The online sector has proven to be much more resistant to the current climate than retail, as is shown by the growth of third-party operators. However, to compete with these companies, there are many innovative digital lottery solutions on the market to help national operators and their software providers get online quickly. As lottery players begin to adapt to the global lockdown by moving online, the traditional lottery sector must do the same to keep their market share, or else it could be gone by the time retail reopens.

game studios

Evoplay rolls out Season of Legends campaign with €512,000 spring prize pool

Published

9 hours ago

April 14, 2026

Wladimir P.

evoplay-rolls-out-season-of-legends-campaign-with-e512,000-spring-prize-pool

Evoplay has launched Season of Legends, a year-long network campaign built around four seasonal phases, starting with a spring edition carrying a €512,000 prize pool. The spring phase launched in March and runs across March, April and May.

The studio said the new format follows its previous Big Adventures network campaign and is designed to drive sustained engagement through a more structured seasonal approach. Each season runs for three months with new mechanics and prize pools.

A new mechanic, Infinity Prize Drops, will run daily throughout each month and is not tied to tournament windows. The spring edition also includes a Tournament and Wheel of Fortune, each operating in four monthly phases: 1st- 5th, 9th- 13th, 17th- 21st, and 25th- 29th.

Evoplay said the €512,000 spring prize pool will be distributed across the three-month period via a consolidated leaderboard spanning participating operators. Players earn points through qualifying spins on selected Evoplay titles including Hot Triple Sevens, Piggy Bank: 3 Pots Bonanza, and the Penalty Shoot-out series.

Diana Larina, Head of Marketing at Evoplay, said: “Season of Legends marks the next evolution of our network campaigns. With Big Adventures, we saw just how effective long-term engagement can be, and this new format takes that even further.

“By introducing seasonal structure and mechanics like Infinity Drops, we’re giving operators the tools to maintain consistent player activity, rather than relying on short-term spikes. This is just the beginning, and we’re excited to build momentum throughout the year.”

The post Evoplay rolls out Season of Legends campaign with €512,000 spring prize pool appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

executive-moves

Swintt appoints Etienne Azzopardi as Managing Director

Published

10 hours ago

April 14, 2026

Wladimir P.

swintt-appoints-etienne-azzopardi-as-managing-director

Swintt has appointed Etienne Azzopardi as Managing Director, confirming its former COO in the permanent role after a three-month interim period that began in January. The move follows the departure of outgoing CEO David Mann, as the company continues a wider strategic restructure.

Swintt said Azzopardi will lead product strategy, future market expansion and team development. During his interim term, the company said it released 12 titles, including three games under its Elysium Studios label.

The supplier also pointed to two partnership deals signed during the same period: NetBet adding Swintt content for Greece, and SkillOnNet taking Select, Premium and Elysium Studios games across its .com, UK and MX brands.

Looking ahead, Swintt said it plans to maintain monthly content output and pursue further growth in regulated jurisdictions. The company added that Switzerland is scheduled to be its next major market target in 2026.

Etienne Azzopardi, Managing Director at Swintt, said: “I’m delighted to have been appointed Managing Director at Swintt. Since joining the company in 2021, I’ve had a hand in everything from operational management and roadmap optimisation to market licensing and game certification, and the experience I’ve picked up in those four and a half years will prove crucial in my new role.

Having spent three months acting as Interim Managing Director, I feel very privileged to be taking the role on a permanent basis and believe this will be the catalyst for Swintt to continue its outstanding recent growth in regulated markets worldwide. With a packed product roadmap already planned for 2026, it’s going to be an amazing journey and I’m excited to continue growing the Swintt brand.”

The post Swintt appoints Etienne Azzopardi as Managing Director appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Free spins

3 Oaks Gaming adds Flexible Free Spins to its promo tools

Published

11 hours ago

April 14, 2026

Wladimir P.

3-oaks-gaming-adds-flexible-free-spins-to-its-promo-tools

3 Oaks Gaming has added a new bonus mechanic, Flexible Free Spins, to its promotional tools offering, the company said.

The feature allocates free spins based on a total value rather than a fixed number of spins at a set stake. Players can then select how to use the award from up to 20 options, choosing between different combinations of bet size and spin count while staying within the same budget.

3 Oaks Gaming said each option is mathematically pre-calculated to remain within the defined value. When the award is issued, players see a modal pop-up with the available choices, with the default selection set to the median option.

Anna Nozdran, Acting Product Owner at 3 Oaks Gaming, said: “Flexible Free Spins deliver a fresh take on the traditional bonus setup within an online slot, providing players with greater control over their gameplay experience that suits their preferences.

“Every option is pre-calculated within the same budget, ensuring consistency for operators while offering a more dynamic experience for players. We firmly believe this new addition will complement the existing 3 Oaks Gaming portfolio and deliver greater value for our partners.”

The post 3 Oaks Gaming adds Flexible Free Spins to its promo tools appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.