Industry News
Playtika Announces Organisational Changes and New Layoffs
Playtika Holding Corp. has announced a major restructuring plan for Q1 2026. In the streamlining process, the company will dismiss 15% of its workforce during Q1 2026 and will recognise costs of $12-15 million for compensating employees and accompanying costs. At the end of 2024, the company had about 3500 employees. This means the company will shed 500 employees. Estimates are that about 1000 of the company’s employees are in Israel.
Playtika founder and CEO Robert Antokol wrote in a letter to employees, “The decision was not made lightly, and it reflects a fundamental change in the way we operate, so that we can invest in the future and continue to lead in the highly competitive environment of the mobile gaming market.”
Antokol added that for years, Playtika has been operating from a broad growth perspective, while implementing similar resource allocation models across its entire game portfolio. “The economic reality of the industry has changed, and the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach is no longer appropriate for the new reality,” Antokol wrote.
According to him, in order to continue leading, the cost structure must be adjusted. “If we do not make the necessary adjustments to the cost structure today, we will compromise our ability to invest in the growth and future of the company. We cannot continue to allocate resources to mature games at the same historical levels while simultaneously trying to build a new future. By precisely adjusting our investment scope across our entire game portfolio, we can free up the resources needed to invest in games with high growth potential,” he explained.
Antokol continued: “This time is different,” because the change opens a new chapter for the company that will create new growth opportunities for it. “This is not a retreat, but a proactive move to focus strength and power. Our aim remains unchanged: to be the leading independent mobile games company in the West,” Antokol wrote, adding that Playtika will do this, among other things, by developing a new game development channel and expanding direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales, as well as using AI and automation. “This is our moment to shape the next decade of Playtika. I am confident that with your passion and focus, we will not only get through this period, but we will grow together and lead Playtika to be stronger than ever,” concluded Antokol.
The post Playtika Announces Organisational Changes and New Layoffs appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Behind The Gloves has formed an official Advisory Board as it moves from event-led activations to what it describes as a scalable, long-term business and community.
The board includes Michael Brady, Founder and Chairman of Bede Gaming and Chairman of Connexus Group; Rob Fell, CEO of RiskCherry; and Katie Byers, former SVP of People and Capability at Light & Wonder.
According to the organisation, the appointments are intended to support expansion into new verticals including corporate wellness programmes, brand partnerships and future digital products.
Behind The Gloves said it plans to continue operating as a “business for good” by reinvesting a portion of profits into community initiatives and charitable causes.
Lee McFarland, Founder of Behind The Gloves, said: “The foundation of our Advisory Board reflects Behind The Gloves’ commitment to building a strong business that can expand globally and reach more people than ever.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Katie, Rob and Michael to the Board and look forward to leveraging our industry’s unmistakable energy to support good causes and deliver accessible activities for all fitness levels on a larger scale.”
The post Behind The Gloves forms Advisory Board to scale beyond event activations appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
LuckyCasino has gone live in Spain, LCKY Group confirmed, marking the brand’s entry into the regulated market.
The operator said LuckyCasino is the second brand in the LCKY Group portfolio to operate in Spain, following OneCasino. The company positioned the launch as part of its long-term growth plans and noted the brand has previously operated in Sweden.
LCKY Group said the Spanish-facing offering includes more than 2,000 games, alongside localised offers and payment methods. It also claimed the catalogue includes “many LuckyCasino exclusives.”
Mark Schram, MD B2C Central & South Europe at LCKY Group, said: “Everyone at LuckyCasino is looking forward to showing off the mix of variety and innovation that’s made our platform such a huge hit elsewhere.
“With Spain being a key market for us going forward, we’re excited to build on the success LCKY Group has already enjoyed in the country with OneCasino, and we expect our vast selection of content will prove hugely appealing for Spanish customers.”
The post LuckyCasino launches in Spain as LCKY Group expands B2C footprint appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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.
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