Industry News
EPIC Risk Management Appoints Les Murray as Managing Director
EPIC Risk Management has appointed experienced business transformation expert Les Murray as its new managing director.
Working closely alongside Founder and CEO Paul Buck, Murray will be helping the organisation to maximise awareness of its education programmes and thought leadership in gambling harm prevention at a time when it has just launched both a US subsidiary, EPIC Risk Management US, PBC and the EPIC Risk Management Pro Sport Advisory Board. The latter is the first body to bring together leaders from around the world of professional sport and eSports in order to find ways of preventing and reducing gaming and gambling harm within those sectors.
EPIC has recently announced a four-year education programme with the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) to deliver projects for the benefit of both male and female professional cricketers within the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) system, as well as projects in major sports leagues, corporate institutions and both state and private schools or colleges.
Murray brings experience as a consultant, coach, and facilitator to the organisation, having worked with numerous large blue chip institutions to achieve growth or expand their global reach.
Murray led business transformation programmes as a Director with Collinson Grant, Chairman at Vistage UK, served as Business Development Director for Littlewoods, and a Director with PwC/IM in the consulting services division.
Commenting on his appointment, Murray said he was excited and privileged to take on the role:
“Demand for EPIC Risk Management’s life-changing training and consultancy services has continued to grow during Covid-19.
“I join a uniquely talented organisation established by Paul Buck, and built by the Senior Leadership Team, which increasingly pivots towards international markets. I am honoured to now shape and help lead this socially driven and commercially sustainable business on its future growth journey.
“The work on reducing gambling-related harm has never been more important with the Gambling Act Review in the UK, the acceleration of sports gambling across the US, coupled to enquiries for our support from leading organisations around the globe. I’m excited to get started and look forward to contributing to the high impact work EPIC delivers on helping to take the problem out of gambling.”
EPIC Risk Management Founder and CEO Paul Buck said: “In a field of exciting, high calibre candidates, Les stood out for his undoubted track record of taking organisations to the next level through consultancy and coaching, identifying their strengths and helping them to realise their potential.
“His previous clients have included numerous FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 multinationals, so with our work expanding on an increasingly global level, his experience will be vital in helping our organisation to spread the vital message of how to minimise gambling related harms.
“Les’ warm character is a perfect fit for our organisation, which puts an undoubted focus on the people who work for us and alongside us, and I look forward to seeing the longer-term benefits that his expertise will have on all of those individuals as we establish new projects and break new ground with the territories in which we’ll be delivering.”
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ESG
Play’n GO publishes 2025 Sustainability Report with emissions and governance updates
Play’n GO has published its 2025 Sustainability Report, framing the year as a milestone as the supplier marks 20 years in the gaming industry. The report covers performance across four pillars—Players, Partners, People and Planet—and positions sustainability as tied to product design, operations, and partner expectations.
On climate reporting, the company said it has “achieved and exceeded” its long-term 90% reduction target for Scope 1 and 2 emissions, and reported a 69% absolute reduction in Scope 3 emissions versus its 2023 base year. Play’n GO also said its total material emissions for 2025 were kept below 500 MTCO2e.
The report also points to a move into land-based delivery. In 2025, Play’n GO said it launched its first land-based gaming solution in partnership with Genting UK, positioning the rollout as part of a “player-first, low-footprint approach” for regulated venues.
On responsible entertainment, the company said it continues to reject game mechanics it believes “compromise player trust or wellbeing,” and highlighted participation in discussions on digital wellbeing and cognitive health, including at the United Nations and G7. “We have always believed that great entertainment should be fun, safe and fair,” said Vanessa Björkbacka, Director of CSR at Play’n GO.
The report also outlines internal development and reporting infrastructure. Play’n GO said 43% of employees engaged in AI-related learning during 2025 and that average training time exceeded seven hours per employee globally. It added that reporting was further aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and World Economic Forum Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics, alongside investment in “secure, AI-supported carbon data management.” “As expectations on transparency and accountability continue to rise, we see it as our responsibility to lead,” Björkbacka added.
The post Play’n GO publishes 2025 Sustainability Report with emissions and governance updates appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
complaint resolution
Casino Guru CRC returns $5.3m to players in Q1 2026
Casino Guru’s Complaint Resolution Center (CRC) published 3,986 complaints in Q1 2026 and says it resolved 1,321 cases, returning $5,304,894 to players during the quarter.
Casino Guru said March was one of the CRC’s most active months on record, with the second-highest number of published complaints to date. The company added that ongoing cases exceeded 1,300, pointing to rising demand for third-party dispute mediation.
By volume, the most active complaint markets were Germany (657), the United Kingdom (270), Canada (240), Italy (207) and Australia (194), according to the CRC update.
Delayed payments remained the most common player-reported issue. Casino Guru also reported a March shift in complaint mix, with self-exclusion-related complaints rising to the second most frequent category for the first time in CRC history. KYC-related issues and blocked accounts were also among the most common complaint types, often linked to withdrawal delays.
Casino Guru said the quarter’s results reflect the increasing role of independent mediation as players look to third-party platforms to resolve disputes.
The post Casino Guru CRC returns $5.3m to players in Q1 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
branded content
RubyPlay launches Firerose studio for operator-specific casino games
RubyPlay has launched Firerose, a new studio aimed at building operator-specific casino game experiences, as suppliers and operators push for more branded content to stand out in crowded markets.
The company said Firerose is designed to let operators combine RubyPlay’s existing game catalogue with the studio’s technology and creative resources, using operator-led insight to shape games around an operator’s brand identity rather than standardised supplier content.
RubyPlay said Superbet is among the first operators to launch Firerose-powered titles. The supplier did not disclose game names or specific performance figures, but said early results showed “strong engagement metrics”.
Firerose becomes part of RubyPlay’s multi-studio structure alongside Koala Games, Mad Hat Games, Ruby Studio, and Xslots, which the company said share technology, infrastructure and distribution.
Dima Reiderman , Chief Commercial Officer at RubyPlay, said: ”Firerose represents a deliberate shift in how we think about content creation and partnership. The market is no longer driven solely by volume, but by identity. Operators want experiences that feel native to their brand and help them clearly differentiate in increasingly competitive casino environments.”
Dr. Eyal Loz, CPO at RubyPlay, added: “Firerose was created to put the operator’s voice at the centre of the creative process. Every game starts with their brand, their audience and their story, and our role is to bring that to life through the full weight of RubyPlay’s creative capabilities.
“We’re shaping experiences that players immediately associate with the operator itself. That level of ownership is what allows operators to stand out in increasingly crowded casino environments.”
The post RubyPlay launches Firerose studio for operator-specific casino games appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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