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Spain Spotlight: R Franco on navigating choppy waters

Published

4 years ago

March 4, 2022

Reading Time: 5 minutes

In our two-part series on Spain, Mario Benito, CCO at R. Franco Digital, explains how industry veteran R. Franco Digital is managing to keep pace with increasing restrictions at home while expanding its horizons internationally.

Talk us through R Franco’s 2021 – what were the highlights and do you feel you closed the year with some great success?

The year 2021 was another successful one for the team at R. Franco Digital. We had some massive slot releases including Buttom’s World, Jurassic Slot, and one of our first sequels, Wild West 2. Wanabet, a Spain-focused operator brand also secured an invaluable partnership with FeelSpin to integrate its technology with us, which has greatly helped us boost what we can offer when it comes to live casino. We also partnered with a great list of leading operators, a particular highlight being with our friends the Sisal Group, who now offer our extensive catalog of innovative releases across its regulated markets.

The icing on the cake, and indeed something that we’re absolutely delighted about has been the acquisition of our Gaming Supply License from the Malta Gaming Authority. This has in turn led to us being able to offer our leading online gaming portfolio to a broader international audience than ever before, and the uptake so far has been excellent. Given our heritage as Spain’s most established gaming company, our brand name has served us well in entering new territories, and we plan to continue with that momentum for the rest of 2022.

Looking over to Spain, how has the market weathered the COVID situation, and do you see the potential for this year to return to business as usual when it comes to online?

The online gaming market offers entertainment, and that’s been a key demand through the last two years. The sector has no doubt seen a boost in player engagement, and we’re seeing increasing numbers of demographics giving the iGaming world a try. This to us, and especially in Spain, represents increasing confidence in the online world, and indeed for land-based players adapting to a new preferred channel for gaming.

However, that’s not to say retail and land-based won’t rebound. The great victim of the pandemic in our industry has been land-based casinos, due to the limitations of capacity, if opening at all in some cases. However, the numbers we have seen from Q4 2021 indicate that this trend has improved since 2020’s challenges, and we’re confident of a return to normality.

Given Spain’s heavy marketing restrictions, has that affected the market’s ongoing evolution, and has it proven a challenge for marketers to get their message out?

Understandably, restrictions on advertising and marketing have presented a challenge for all domestic operators and it appears that only those with a large enough customer base in place have been able to remain profitable. From the point of view of the acquisition of new players, the restrictions have deemed it impossible to monetize promotional campaigns for both sportsbook and casino that are tier two and tier three operators, and that will no doubt have an effect.

Likewise, the restrictions in the advertising of sporting events have forced larger operators to compete with smaller operators by running promotions with affiliates. This was previously a marketing tool used by mid-sized operators but is now a key part of advertising for all companies.

There is no doubt that the biggest challenge has been adapting to advertising restrictions, in a fast and legal way. The ability to do this and change so quickly has been one thing that has always surprised me about this sector.

Given the recent news from the Spanish regulator on the introduction of loss limits – how much do you see that affecting players who back heavy favorites and also betting exchange customers?

I believe that this only affects the behaviors of players that it was initially intended for. We believe customers who enjoy our products are players who like to gamble for entertainment purposes only, so this type of limitation should not affect us or them in any way. At the same time, whenever this type of news comes out, it does affect public opinion of gambling through the fact that it is being restricted, which may imply that it needs further prohibiting or sanctions. As we see it, restricting businesses should not be the objective of any Government, however, we of course welcome any initiatives to protect players, and of course tackle problem gambling.

Spain has always been famous for its sports betting culture – how much of a cross-sell have we seen towards casinos for sports betting fans and which verticals are performing best?

Spain is a special market in Europe since there is already plenty of cross-selling between sports betting and online casinos. With that being said, one vertical’s loss will always see another’s gain and during the pandemic, while live sporting events were canceled, the sporting verticals’ decline certainly increased the online casino player base. Post pandemic effective cross-selling has become more critical than ever to ensure the acquisition of new customers, whilst retaining existing players. This can be seen in how cross-promotional campaigns were a key factor in the strong recovery of the sports betting market once live sporting events commenced. This is important because although the sports betting vertical always reigns supreme in popularity, the slot vertical is fast establishing itself as a strong competitor. Overall, as a consequence, both naturally benefit from the success of the other through cross-selling.

R Franco launched IRIS 4.0 just over a year ago and has continued to retain the Spanish crown as the market’s most advanced native platform. How much does the Spanish technological environment differ from the rest of Europe?

IRIS 4.0 has reached a significant degree of maturity and offers our customers the best guarantee of continued success, especially when it comes to Spain. Four years ago, international clients that opted for IRIS are still with us today after verifying the solidity of our newest IRIS 4.0 platform – and its testament to what it’s been able to do. We offer a fantastic arsenal of engagement boosting bonuses, campaign and promotional tools, as well as investing in many years of R&D to make sure we released the best platform possible. The trust of our customers is, as always, the greatest measure of achievement and we look forward to providing them with further developments in the future. The Spanish technological environment doesn’t differ too greatly to the rest of Europe, and this is reflected more so by the many international and domestic clients that make use of IRIS 4.0.

Last but not least, looking to 2022 and R Franco’s MGA license acquired in 2021 – what are your plans for European markets this year and what can we look forward to in the coming months?

We are close to unleashing our full potential with aggregators and customers who value us in regulated markets, which our MGA license is no doubt set to be a fantastic platform for. Soon we will also be able to demonstrate our true potential and bring our unique take on online slots to a much broader audience through new slot releases, further partnerships, and all-around growth of our business. This year has already seen the release of hit games like Witches North and Sabin of Chazos and we are thoroughly excited for what the rest of 2022 will bring – we’ve got some really creative titles in the mix, of course, do get in touch with us at [email protected]!

Canada

Tonybet player in Canada claims $20,000 CAD golden World Cup card prize

Published

6 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Wladimir P.

tonybet-player-in-canada-claims-$20,000-cad-golden-world-cup-card-prize

Tonybet says a player in Laurier-Station, Canada has claimed the “golden card” prize worth $20,000 CAD in the operator’s World Cup Card Collection. The announcement was made Tuesday 21st July 2026.

The World Cup collection featured 51 cards in total, including 48 digital cards representing participating World Cup nations, plus three unique prize cards in bronze, silver and gold. Tonybet said the bronze card—available during the group stage—was previously found by a customer in Saint-Colomban, Canada, while the silver card—available during the knockout rounds up to the quarter-finals—was won by a player in County Kildare, Ireland.

The golden card became available for the semi-final, third-place play-off and final, and has now been claimed, Tonybet said.

Tonybet Head of Product Kiryl Liudvikevich said: “You can plan a campaign down to the last detail, but you can’t plan what the World Cup brings.

“We designed the collection to evolve with the tournament, and every knockout round created new stories we couldn’t have predicted. Seeing players complete their collections and discovering who would uncover each prize was the most rewarding part of the campaign.

“I hope everyone enjoyed the experience for what it was meant to be: a fun addition to the tournament, played responsibly and always within their limits.”

Tonybet said the collection will remain open until 31 July for players who are still completing sets and spending coins, although all grand prizes have been awarded.

The post Tonybet player in Canada claims $20,000 CAD golden World Cup card prize appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Canada

Tonybet player in Canada claims $20,000 CAD golden World Cup card prize

Published

6 hours ago

July 21, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

The golden card became available for the semi-final, third-place play-off and final, and has now been claimed, Tonybet said.

Tonybet Head of Product Kiryl Liudvikevich said: “You can plan a campaign down to the last detail, but you can’t plan what the World Cup brings.

“I hope everyone enjoyed the experience for what it was meant to be: a fun addition to the tournament, played responsibly and always within their limits.”

Tonybet said the collection will remain open until 31 July for players who are still completing sets and spending coins, although all grand prizes have been awarded.

The post Tonybet player in Canada claims $20,000 CAD golden World Cup card prize appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

AI

SCCG Management and Trivver Partner to Transform Gaming with AI-Powered Interactive Commerce

Published

6 hours ago

July 21, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

sccg-management-and-trivver-partner-to-transform-gaming-with-ai-powered-interactive-commerce

SCCG Management has entered a strategic partnership with Trivver, Inc., a spatial AI technology company holding more than 165 global patents, to bring measurable AI-powered commerce experiences to gaming operators, casinos, sportsbooks, and entertainment brands.

SCCG Management, an advisory and consultancy firm serving publicly traded and privately held corporations across the global gaming, betting, and prediction markets sectors, today announced a new strategic partnership with Trivver, Inc., a spatial AI technology company based in Hideout, Utah. The partnership brings Trivver’s patented AI-powered Smart Objects into SCCG’s network of gaming operators, platform providers, and sports and entertainment brands.

Trivver holds more than 165 global patents covering spatial AI, immersive environment monetization, and viewability measurement, with technology that deploys across web, mobile, and smart glasses platforms without requiring an app download. Trivver enables gaming operators and brands to transform digital environments into measurable, interactive commerce experiences where every product, sponsorship, or promotion becomes intelligent, personalized, and directly shoppable. The company’s work includes a virtual banking experience built for JPMorgan Chase and, most recently, the June 11, 2026 launch of its PlayCanvas SDK on Google Cloud Marketplace, Trivver’s first commercial deployment of in-game advertising infrastructure, announced with supporting statements from Jack Buser, global director for Games, Strategic Industries at Google Cloud, and Will Eastcott, CEO and co-founder of PlayCanvas. The SDK lets developers building on the PlayCanvas engine deploy interactive in-world brand experiences inside browser-based games, personalized in real time using Google’s Gemini models, with Unreal Engine and Unity support in development. Its platform is designed to turn any product, brand asset, or advertising unit into an interactive 3D object inside an immersive environment, with built-in measurement of viewability and engagement aligned with IAB and MRC ad-measurement standards.

Trivver’s environments can be launched through a URL, QR code, or link, with inventory swapped in seconds without changing the destination address, and each smart object carries its own engagement data on screen coverage and dwell time. That data layer is what SCCG sees as the differentiator for gaming and entertainment use cases: an operator or rights holder can measure exactly how an audience engages with a branded 3D object inside a live casino stream, a fan-engagement environment, or a venue activation, not just whether it was displayed.

Under the partnership, SCCG will provide Trivver with strategic and regulatory advisory across gaming verticals, commercial introductions to operators and platform partners across its network, support for Trivver’s expansion into new international markets, and introductions to potential strategic partners and acquirers. The engagement will prioritize verticals where Trivver’s technology has direct application, including live casino, fan engagement and sports entertainment, music, and automotive. The fit runs in both directions: Trivver’s own positioning for its Enterprise AI Commerce Platform names Gaming, Casinos & Sports Betting as one of ten target verticals the platform serves.

“Trivver is exactly the kind of category-defining technology partner our network looks for. They hold more than 165 global patents, they just launched their PlayCanvas SDK on Google Cloud Marketplace, and their own platform already names gaming, casinos, and sports betting as a core vertical. Live casino, fan engagement, and immersive entertainment all have unused digital real estate, and Trivver’s spatial AI is built to monetize exactly that space, with measurement built to IAB and MRC standards.”

Stephen Crystal, Founder and CEO, SCCG Management

SCCG will draw on its established network of more than 100 partners across sportsbook operators, iGaming platforms, content studios, live casino providers, and B2B technology vendors to identify and support introductions for Trivver, alongside representation at major international gaming events including G2E Las Vegas, ICE London, and SBC events.

“Gaming has become one of the world’s largest digital commerce platforms. Together with SCCG we’re giving operators, brands, and entertainment companies a new way to engage audiences through AI-powered experiences that can be measured, personalized, and monetized in real time.”

Joel LaMontagne, Chief Executive Officer, Trivver, Inc.

The partnership adds to SCCG’s growing roster of technology partners bringing new categories of immersive, measurable digital experiences into the gaming and entertainment industry, and reflects the continued convergence of physical and digital engagement across live casino, sports, music, and automotive audiences. SCCG will begin with a market assessment and gaming-vertical analysis of Trivver’s technology, followed by initial introductions to qualified operators and platform providers across its network, with distribution and advisory support continuing throughout the engagement.

About SCCG Management

SCCG Management is a global advisory firm with more than 33 years of experience connecting clients to strategic partners across the gambling industry. With an ecosystem of over 130 gaming-related partner companies, SCCG provides market representation, business development, capital introductions, and managed services to operators, technology providers, and brands worldwide. For more information, visit sccgmanagement.com.

About Trivver

Trivver, Inc. is a spatial AI technology company specializing in 3D smart object technology, immersive environment monetization, and augmented reality deployment across web, mobile, and smart glasses platforms. Trivver is the Enterprise AI Commerce Platform that enables organizations to create, deploy, measure, personalize, and monetize interactive experiences across web, mobile, gaming, smart TVs, and emerging wearable devices. The company holds more than 165 global patents, launched its PlayCanvas SDK on Google Cloud Marketplace in June 2026, and has worked with organizations including JPMorgan Chase. Trivver is led by Chief Executive Officer Joel LaMontagne. For more information, visit trivver.com.

The post SCCG Management and Trivver Partner to Transform Gaming with AI-Powered Interactive Commerce appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.