Central Europe
Playtech Unveils New State-of-the-art Live Casino Studio in Zurich for Swiss Casinos
Playtech, the world’s leading gambling technology company, announces the launch of a new, dedicated, Live Casino studio in Zurich, Switzerland.
The new Live Casino studio has been built on the existing Swiss Casinos site in Zurich and is the first of its kind in Switzerland and the second of its kind in Europe. Swiss Casinos, which operates four of Switzerland’s largest land-based casinos, first partnered with Playtech in 2019 to launch Playtech’s Casino and Live Casino offering in the Swiss market, followed by the launch of the Playtech iPoker network in 2020. This next step in the partnership builds upon Playtech’s superior B2B strategy of growth in newly-regulated markets.
The Live Casino studio has been built in close collaboration with multiple teams and strengthens the close partnership between the two companies. As a result, the state-of-the-art studio offers Swiss players direct access to the Playtech Live tables via the casino website and includes Live Roulette, as well as the classic 7 Seat Blackjack and the scalable Blackjack version of All Bets. All tables are hosted by professionally trained, native-speaking dealers, ensuring Swiss Casinos’ players get to receive the best possible experience.
“We are thrilled to unveil our new Live Casino studio built in close cooperation with the Playtech Live team. The Live Dealer offering that we can deliver to our customers is unrivaled and the new, first-of-its-kind studio in Switzerland has been built to an incredibly high standard. Working so closely with the dedicated and skilled Playtech Live team has also been a great experience. We look forward to developing this partnership further as we continue to grow our product and content offering in Switzerland,” Patrick Mastai, Online Director at Swiss Casinos, said.
“The new Playtech Live studio in Zurich is a real testament to the close partnership that Playtech has established with Swiss Casinos. By both teams working closely together, we have been able to deliver an industry-leading online experience that mirrors the feeling of playing inside one of Swiss Casinos’ leading land-based casinos. From training the team of dedicated croupiers to work as Live hosts, to the bespoke design of the studio itself, this live experience is like no other we have delivered before. Playtech Live is leading the way on creating an entertainment-led experience that delivers on both a gameplay and presentation perspective. We have every confidence that the customers of Swiss Casinos will have an exceptional gaming experience,” Margarita Terlanova, Senior Customer Relations Manager at Playtech Live, said.
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Central Europe
Poland to Classify Gambling Streaming as Serious Crime
The Polish Parliament is considering a landmark draft law to curb harmful digital content, specifically targeting the phenomenon known as “patostreaming.”
Patostreaming is recognised as a new term to categorise criminal offences related to the broadcasting of online violence, abuse and sexually degrading content.
The proposed legislation would criminalize the broadcasting of violence, abuse, and sexually degrading material. Additionally, the bill seeks to outlaw the promotion of online gambling by social media influencers. By amending the Penal Code, supporters aim to bridge the legal gap between digital behaviour and offline criminal acts, ensuring online offenders face the same accountability as those in the physical world.
The bill carries the backing of ministers of Poland’s new Civic Coalition (KO) government, formed in late 2025 by the union of the Citizens Platform (PO), Modern (Nowoczesna) and the Polish Initiative (iPL).
Supporters call for clearer enforcement powers to treat the online broadcasting of serious criminal acts as a punishable offence, aligning digital conduct with crimes already sanctioned offline.
If adopted, the legislation would introduce prison sentences ranging from three months to five years for individuals who publicly share real or staged content depicting serious criminal acts via online platforms.
The same penalty range would also apply to influencers found to be illegally promoting online gambling activity that remains heavily restricted under Poland’s state-controlled gambling regime.
KO ministers have framed the initiative as part of a broader effort to strengthen online protections for Polish youth, citing rising exposure to violent digital content and illegal gambling promotions across social media platforms.
The post Poland to Classify Gambling Streaming as Serious Crime appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Casino-Groups
Sebastian Jarosch Becomes Head of AI at Casinos Groups
Sebastian Jarosch is no longer solely the founder and managing director of Casino Groups as he is also taking on the role of Head of AI, at least on an interim basis. This personnel decision marks a conscious step towards closer integration of corporate management and technological responsibility.
In future, Jarosch will not only be responsible for the strategic direction of the company, but also for the further development of the AI systems that already form a central part of the product landscape. Casino Groups is one of the best-known platforms, which has been using and continuously developing an AI-supported rating system for online casinos for some time.
The decision to anchor the role of Head of AI directly at management level was a conscious one. Artificial intelligence now influences almost all areas of the affiliate business, from content structures and data analysis to regulatory documentation and product logic. Such a development requires decisions that bring together economic objectives, technological possibilities and legal frameworks.
Sebastian Jarosch brings this perspective from years of experience in the iGaming sector. As an entrepreneur, he is familiar with economic dependencies as well as the challenges of increasing regulation. The additional responsibility in the AI area makes it possible to set technological courses more quickly, define priorities more clearly and establish innovation as an integral part of corporate management.
The new role of Head of AI fits in perfectly with current developments in the iGaming market. Increasing regulatory requirements, rising acquisition and content costs, and the growing influence of AI-powered search systems are changing the economic fundamentals of the affiliate business. Visibility is no longer achieved solely through reach, but through authority, consistency and verifiable quality.
With this appointment, Casino Groups is sending a clear signal to the outside world. Affiliate companies are increasingly being valued like media or technology companies. Partners and investors are placing greater emphasis on compliance, data competence and sustainable product development. The bundling of management and AI responsibility strengthens the company’s credibility in these areas.
At the same time, Casinos Groups is positioning itself as a player that does not delegate innovation, but actively drives it forward. The interim nature of the role creates space for further development and adaptation without diluting the strategic ambition. For the industry as a whole, this step underlines that AI expertise has arrived at the management level.
The role of Head of AI forms the organisational foundation for this development. It ensures that technological innovation, editorial standards and economic objectives are interlinked. Casino Groups is thus pursuing a clear line: technology as a tool, people as an authority and quality as a connecting element.
The post Sebastian Jarosch Becomes Head of AI at Casinos Groups appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Birgit Wimmer
Birgit Wimmer Named Chairwoman as NOVOMATIC AG Reshapes Supervisory Board
“As Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board, I look forward to working together with my colleagues on both the Supervisory Board and the Executive Board as we help to successfully shape the Group’s strategic and sustainable development,” says Birgit Wimmer.
Dr. Haig Asenbauer, an internationally experienced lawyer with particular expertise in cross-border M&A transactions, company reorganization, and complex investment structures, was elected to serve as Deputy Chairman. Martina Flitsch retains her position as a Member of the Supervisory Board. She has many years of experience in international group structures and in providing strategic and legal support for corporate investments. Dr. Robert Hofians, a recognized finance and capital markets expert who also has extensive experience in the fields of governance and regulation in his roles as a professor and public accountant, also remains a Member of the Supervisory Board.
As of January 1, 2026, the Supervisory Board of NOVOMATIC AG is now composed as follows:
- Birgit Wimmer, MSc., MBA (Chairwoman)
- Dr. Haig Asenbauer (Deputy Chairman)
- Martina Flitsch (Member)
- Dr. Robert Hofians (Member)
The post Birgit Wimmer Named Chairwoman as NOVOMATIC AG Reshapes Supervisory Board appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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