BetGames

BetGames interview: Twain Sport’s debut in Canada

Published

3 years ago

March 27, 2023

With BetGames’ Twain Sport now live in Ontario, we thought it would be the perfect time to sit down the company’s VP for Europe, Asia & Americas, John-Paul Rowland, to hear more about their plans for Canada.

Offering a completely new hybrid version of sports betting via soccer and basketball, with short-form, live action tournaments and a new match every few minutes, John-Paul takes us through his company’s unique proposition for serving the new ‘Tik-Tok generation’ of players.

With Twain Sport now debuting in Ontario, BetGames will no doubt be very excited to get started! What are your plans for the market and how are you going to make a difference?

We’re very excited to get started! It’s a real landmark launch for us following on from Twain’s debut in Europe and Africa with some of the industry’s biggest tier one brands.

Twain Sport is a completely new hybrid version of live sport – offering matches every four minutes and tournaments every hour, and we’ve been delighted with the impact we’ve had so far. At the end of the day, the market needs innovative content right now, and Twain is here to deliver exactly that.

We’re here to cater to a sports-mad audience in Canada, and we’re filling the gap in demand for short-form live-action sporting content. We know exactly where the opportunity lies for us here, and we believe players in North America are going to love what we have to offer. Our extensive research ahead of launching on the continent identified exactly which demographics and audiences we’ll be entertaining, and we see an excellent product fit there.

When it comes to player demographics – what made you identify the market as a key opportunity and what kind of players do you think Twain Sport will appeal to the most?

As we’ve covered already – Ontario, and indeed Canada, is a fantastic opportunity for us. For a start, the average bettor is between 25 and 30 years old, which is the exact demographic we’re targeting with Twain Sport, as we offer high-turnover, fast action live sport for what is effectively the ‘Tik Tok’ generation, meaning we fit the bill perfectly.

I believe this demand for new shorter-form content is exactly what the market is looking for right now, and we’re here to fulfil that requirement. As I’ve mentioned above, the new generation of player is looking for instant thrills and payouts, similar to what you have with the likes of casino, rather than waiting hours for an NFL match to finish. Twain Sport brings that format into play, bridging both live sport and high-frequency betting.

Given that Twain Sport offers a unique proposition of short-form, live-action betting, do you see your products complementing sportsbook spend?

Yes, I do – BetGames has made a name for itself over the last decade as one of the best out there for complementing and boosting sportsbook spend, so we know exactly what we’re doing with Twain!

With us, players have a match every four minutes, and tournaments every hour. This makes it the perfect product if you’re looking at the weekend’s sporting calendar, you have hour increments between major sporting fixtures, which means we’ve got entertainment ready on tap during downtime.

In my view, this works perfectly for two types of demographics, the first being bettors who time their participation around the schedule, which they know in advance (just like with a race card), and for those browsing the lobby, who, just like with virtuals, see our four-minute increments between games, and are happy to wait 60-90 seconds until the next match.

For our North American readers, how soon do you see Twain Sport making the step into the US, where basketball is also hugely popular?

For me, the key lies in our partnerships and how we service them. Our move into the US will be influenced by both player demand, which will be driven by initial interest on social media, where a lot of our content is being shared already. The second, will of course operator traffic, and that will likely govern our first moves south of the Canadian border.

Looking at the dynamics of what we offer, if you, as a US-based operator, want to keep bettors engaged and on site, then Twain’s perfect for that given the strengths we’ve already covered. Not only that, but the US also offers a unique land-based sports betting environment that we’ll be perfect for too. If you enter any sports betting zone in a casino, you’ll see we’ve got the perfect entertainment for the social aspect of betting there – in effect, short-form, live action basketball for fans to enjoy while they have beer and wings at the sports bar. It really is the ideal product.

Given that Twain Sport’s studios are based in Europe – how do you see streaming and live-action gameplay completing the adjusted time zone on the other side of the Atlantic? Is this a case of launching a bespoke set of schedules?

If there’s a need to and/or a demand for custom scheduling, then of course we can look into that – we’re all about complementing our partners’ existing sports schedules to the best of our ability.

However, our vision for Twain is not to compete with big sports events (i.e. the evening matches), but rather complementing the downtime in between matches, and indeed before, which is during the day. That fits perfectly with the way we currently stream from Europe, with matches available from lunchtime and onwards for a North America audience. After all, distracting players during the big games in the evening would be cannibalising from sportsbook spend!

Last but not least, what would your message be for new operators looking to get in on the Twain Sport action, what can they expect by signing up?

They’ll get something completely different in their portfolio – and the perfect product to bridge the gap between live sports and casino-style staking! As we’ve covered already – we’re all about complementing spend, as well as boosting engagement and incremental revenue.

Given what we offer, we’ve got the exact solution to make both casino and sports fans feel right at home. Not only that, but it’s a product that can be inherently trusted. Our participants are professional athletes at the top of their game, as well as being monitored by Sportradar for integrity – which is the same level tech you’ll see with the likes of FIBA and UEFA. As well as delivering top quality entertainment, we also offer quantity. Even slots do not offer a tournament ever hour – so I have no doubt we can not only appeal to every major demographic, but also offer something truly innovative that is unlike anything else on the market.

BetGames

Weekend Reels | Week 21: Slot Drops & Trends

Published

1 week ago

May 22, 2026

Wladimir P.

weekend-reels-|-week-21:-slot-drops-&-trends

Here are this weeks latest slots releases compiled by Eastern European Gaming

Booming Games has released its latest slot “Diamond Forge: Link & Loot”. Boasting a 5×3 grid with 10 fixed paylines, the game offers players a maximum win potential of 10,000x. Set on a classic, diamond background, two explosive bonus features provide the ultimate experience for those seeking entertaining gameplay.

GAMOMAT has expanded its portfolio with the launch of Multi Machine, a classic fruit game crafted to connect with German players. Multi Machine is a 4-reel, 81 Ways to win fruit title that places the Wild at the centre, focusing on clean, stripped-back reel action.

DEGEN Studios has released Tomb of Wishes, a 5×5 cluster pays slot built around cascading wins, Random Wilds and a three-stage bonus sequence themed around a genie. In the base game, winning clusters remove symbols from the grid and feed a central counter. As more symbols are cleared, Random Wilds can land to help complete clusters and extend cascades.

PopOK Gaming has launched a new slot game, Fortune Tarta, with the title released on May 15, 2026. The supplier said the Asian-themed game is available for integration and is built around a 3×3 layout with five paylines.

Greentube continues to build on one of its most popular game franchises with the launch of Cash Connection Charming Lady’s Boom Coins, the latest charming addition to the Cash Connection series. Bringing together two fan-favourites, the 5×3 title combines the widely enjoyed Cash Connection mechanics with the unmistakable elegance of Charming Lady’s Boom.

Evoplay has launched Juicy Fruit Coins Hold and Win, its latest slot release built around a classic fruit-machine theme and a modern Hold and Win mechanic. The five-reel title uses traditional fruit symbols and wilds, with Scatter symbols triggering Free Spins.

Evoplay launches Juicy Fruit Coins Hold and Win slot

Relax Gaming has released Purrrminator Dream Drop, the latest title in its Dream Drop jackpot series. The supplier said the Dream Drop series has now produced 30 MEGA Jackpot millionaires, with four payouts triggered this year in a record time frame.

Relax Gaming adds Purrrminator Dream Drop to its jackpot series

BetGames has launched Chili Cash, a new high-volatility slot that debuts the supplier’s Hold & Win Plus feature. The game includes 243 ways to win, four jackpots and a stated maximum payout of 10,000x. Chili Cash is built on a 5×3 reel layout. BetGames said Hold & Win Plus allows players to lock in cash and jackpot prizes.

Pragmatic Play has expanded its fan-favourite canine slot franchise with the release of “The Big Dog House”. The main highlight of this new slot is the introduction of colossal wilds that help players target a massive 15,000x win potential.

Inspired Entertainment, Inc., a prominent B2B provider of gaming content, systems, and solutions, has announced the launch of three new titles—The Great Eggscape, Aphrodite Legends of Olympus, and Gold Fever Mine All Mine—across the UK and Malta iGaming markets.

Inspired Expands Portfolio with Three New iGaming Slots: THE GREAT EGGSCAPE™, APHRODITE LEGENDS OF OLYMPUS™, GOLD FEVER MINE ALL MINE™

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BetGames

BetGames launches Chili Cash slot with Hold & Win Plus feature

Published

1 week ago

May 21, 2026

Wladimir P.

betgames-launches-chili-cash-slot-with-hold-&-win-plus-feature

Chili Cash is built on a 5×3 reel layout. BetGames said Hold & Win Plus allows players to lock in cash and jackpot prizes when Money symbols land, with a Cash Collector mechanic that can be boosted by random multipliers. The respin counter resets when new symbols appear.

The game also includes a Mini-draw triggered by three or more Scatter symbols, which awards either Free Spins with Stacked Wilds or “immediate bonus action,” according to the company. Chili Cash also features Buy Bonus and Gamble options.

Ian Catchick, Chief Product and Business Development Officer at BetGames, said: “Chili Cash is a game that leads with its theme. We wanted players to be transported the moment the reels come to life, to get a sense of the warmth, colour and energy of the celebration before they even think about the features.

“Of course, the mechanics deliver too, and with new Hold and Win Plus, four jackpots and 10,000x on the table, we believe Chili Cash does exactly that. It is a release we are genuinely proud of.”

The post BetGames launches Chili Cash slot with Hold & Win Plus feature appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AI

BetGames research reveals more than 70% of players failed to recognise AI avatar gameshow presenters

Published

3 months ago

March 9, 2026

Wladimir P.

BetGames has revealed the results of a research project testing AI-generated presenters on its live game shows, finding that fewer than 30% of players realised the hosts were artificial — and that the change produced no significant impact on player behaviour.

For the experiment, the supplier introduced AI avatars designed as digital replicas of real presenters, quietly deploying them on one of its live games over several days to evaluate whether they could effectively replace human hosts.

The results showed that more than two-thirds of players did not notice the switch to AI. At the same time, key performance indicators — including session duration, stake size and total bets placed — remained statistically unchanged.

According to BetGames, the absence of both positive and negative shifts suggests that while AI avatars can technically replicate the role of live presenters, they currently provide no measurable advantage. As a result, the company believes there is not yet a strong business case for rolling out the technology on a large scale.

Cost efficiency, often cited as a major driver of AI adoption, also failed to deliver a clear benefit. BetGames reported that generating and operating an AI avatar around the clock remains resource-intensive, limiting potential financial gains compared with human hosts.

Technical hurdles further complicate the widespread adoption of AI presenters. One of the most significant challenges remains achieving realistic text-to-speech performance. As AI technology becomes more advanced and visual realism improves, even minor imperfections in speech become increasingly noticeable to audiences.

Other constraints include latency issues, lip-synchronisation delays and inaccuracies in real-time translation — all critical elements that must be refined before the technology can be implemented reliably across live products.

BetGames continues to explore the potential of AI under the leadership of CEO Andreas Koeberl, who is also co-founder of Autonomous Minds, the developer behind the AI analyst Milo. The initiative forms part of the company’s broader strategy to experiment with emerging technologies and help future-proof the iGaming industry.

Koeberl said:
“AI has been building momentum, but its role within the live casino sector remains largely untested. When it comes to AI presenters, we built it, it worked, and nobody cared. That raises the question of what we are actually working toward.

“The technology didn’t produce any meaningful positive or negative impact on the player experience or product margins, and the cost of running an AI avatar 24/7 offers no significant advantage compared with employing human presenters.

“So rather than attempting to replace humans and replicate what already exists, the focus should shift to exploring what AI can enable that wasn’t previously possible. That’s where the real value lies.”

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