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Allwyn Appoints Ifor Evans as Group Chief Technology Officer

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Allwyn announced the appointment of Ifor Evans as its new Group Chief Technology Officer. Ifor will replace Tony Khatskevich, who, after six years of dedicated and exemplary service, has decided to move from his current role as Group Chief Technology Officer and become an Advisor to the CEO and Board of Directors. In this role, Tony will focus on offering strategic counsel on innovation, technology, IT and security matters. Ifor will take up the CTO role at Allwyn on 1 June 2024.

Ifor is an accomplished CTO with over 25 years of extensive experience in software engineering, systems and data architecture, IT management and project leadership. He joins Allwyn from Gamesys PLC/Bally’s Corp, where he has been Group Chief Technology Officer since 2019 and where he developed, maintained and operated highly capable gaming platforms.

Prior to Gamesys, he held the role of Group Chief Technology Officer (Southeast Asia) for Lazada, part of the Alibaba Group, working in Singapore. He also established Lazada eLogistics (LEL) as a separate entity within the Lazada Group, and led a team of over 400 individuals to create and implement a comprehensive technology strategy.

Robert Chvátal, CEO of Allwyn Group, said: “We are delighted to welcome Ifor as our new Group Chief Technology Officer to continue enhancing the innovation of the lotteries we operate. Allwyn wants to make its lotteries even more entertaining and attractive to new audiences, and in doing so have even more of a positive impact on society.

“Ifor is a dynamic business leader who has an excellent track record of delivering technology solutions across the gaming and IT sector. He has exceptional strategic capabilities, proven operational effectiveness and strong experience in our markets.

“I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Tony for his exceptional contribution and commitment to Allwyn over the past six years. He played a pivotal role in establishing a strong technology function for Allwyn, and conceived and led technology initiatives that have helped to drive innovation across the Group. In addition, Tony played a key leadership role in Allwyn’s winning bid in the UK and management of the transition. I’m very pleased that we will continue to benefit from Tony’s wisdom, knowledge, ideas and warm personality in his new role, where he will continue to help us to fulfil our business growth and ambitions.”

Ifor Evans said: “I am delighted to have been appointed as Group Chief Technology Officer of Allwyn. The company’s commitment to social impact is evident across its global footprint. I look forward to helping the team to develop even better lotteries and new game formats through the power of cutting-edge technology and future thinking.”

The post Allwyn Appoints Ifor Evans as Group Chief Technology Officer appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Expanse Studios

Expanse Studios Launches Proprietary Jackpot and Tournament System

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Expanse Studios, a subsidiary of Meridian Holdings Inc., announced the deployment of proprietary jackpot and tournament mechanics across its portfolio, providing B2B operator partners with engagement tools designed to enhance player entertainment value.

The system introduces two jackpot formats—Happy Hour Jackpot and Mystery Jackpot—alongside four tournament competition variants. Operators can control prize structures, scheduling parameters and promotional configurations through platform interfaces.

Happy Hour Jackpot provides scheduled jackpot events aligned with operator promotional strategies, enabling coordinated marketing campaigns and player communication around jackpot opportunities.

Mystery Jackpot delivers multi-tier progressive prize mechanics integrated into gameplay, with operator-configurable prize values and event parameters that support diverse promotional objectives.

Tournament mechanics include four competition formats:

• Bonus Buy tournaments create competitive environments for players who choose to engage with bonus purchase features, with scoring designed to reward strategic gameplay decisions.

• Spin Count tournaments track player activity across gameplay sessions, offering multiple entry opportunities and achievement-based progression that accommodates different play styles.

• Combo tournaments combine multiple competition elements, enabling operators to design promotional events that appeal to diverse player preferences and gaming behaviours.

• Time-based tournaments operate within defined promotional windows, allowing players to participate according to their own schedules while competing for tournament prizes.

“Content providers increasingly compete on operational capabilities, not just game quality. This positions our portfolio as solutions-oriented infrastructure that helps operators execute diverse promotional strategies while maintaining control over player engagement parameters,” said Damjan Stamenkovic, CEO of Expanse Studios.

Tournament formats integrate with game interfaces through standardised promotional systems designed to enhance entertainment value while providing operators with promotional flexibility.

For Expanse Studios, the deployment strengthens competitive positioning in B2B partnerships where operators increasingly evaluate content providers based on promotional feature capabilities in addition to game performance metrics.

The post Expanse Studios Launches Proprietary Jackpot and Tournament System appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Former German Air Force officer launches Sparky Space AI platform for iGaming teams

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Nils Ristau and Daniel Schmitz debut a work enablement platform aimed at day-to-day execution across product, retention and AI adoption.

Sparky Space, a new AI-powered work enablement platform founded by former German Air Force officer Nils Ristau and tech leader Daniel Schmitz, has launched and is now available globally for iGaming operators and suppliers.

The founders are positioning the product around execution support inside daily workflows as teams face tighter regulatory demands, faster product cycles and higher player expectations. The company cited industry research suggesting only 10-20% of learning is consistently applied in day-to-day work, creating a gap between training and on-the-job outcomes.

“In military operations, performance depends on clarity, structure, and disciplined execution in changing environments,” said Ristau. “The iGaming industry operates under similar pressure.

“Competitive advantage does not come from knowledge alone – it comes from how effectively teams apply it every day.”

Sparky Space said its platform supports areas including product development, player retention and AI adoption, with use cases spanning customer-centric experimentation, agile product and game development, decision-making and prioritisation, practical generative AI prompting, and cross-functional collaboration. The company said the tools are intended to help teams launch features, respond to regulatory change, and optimise marketing and support processes.

While initially focused on iGaming, Sparky Space said it has been built for broader use in other fast-moving, technology-driven industries.

Relevant data as follows:

The post Former German Air Force officer launches Sparky Space AI platform for iGaming teams appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Belatra

Belatra marks 33 years with April anniversary campaign

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The slots supplier says its portfolio now exceeds 150 games and highlights recent LatAm expansion from its Buenos Aires base.

Belatra is marking its 33rd birthday with an anniversary campaign running throughout April, the iGaming slots developer said.

The company said it was founded in 1993 and has since transitioned from building gaming machines for land-based casinos to producing digital content. Belatra added that its portfolio has grown to more than 150 games.

Belatra also pointed to its strategic Latin American headquarters in Buenos Aires as a key base for regional partnerships and growth.

Misha Voinich, Head of Business Development at Belatra, said: “We’re only just getting started, but birthdays provide the perfect chance to reflect on our successes and the path that’s brought us here. From launching our innovative ‘multi-universe’ content strategy to our rapid expansion in Latin America, the successful launch of our first Crash game, and multiple high-profile industry award wins — we are always developing, creating, and evolving. 33 years of innovation, dedication, and gaming excellence — and the best is yet to come.”

Belatra did not provide additional detail on upcoming releases or the timing of any new product announcements beyond saying updates will land during April.

The post Belatra marks 33 years with April anniversary campaign appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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