Latest News
House of Lords Questions UK Gambling Commission
A House of Lords select committee has questioned the members of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) during a hearing researching “the social and economic impact” on the country.
The hearing put Neil McArthur, the chief executive of the UKGC, and Bill Moyes, the agency’s chairman, on the hot seat. The two were asked about specific details on how the gambling industry was being run and how the regulatory agency has been involved in regulating the gambling industry within the country.
Committee leader Lord Garde of Yarmouth began the questioning, asking questions about the 2005 Gambling Act. The committee leader wanted to know if the law now sufficiently serves its purpose, especially in light of how the gambling industry has grown within the UK.
Moyes agreed that the Gambling Act may be antiquated and has deficiencies, but stated that the legislation still meets its core objectives and that it will “remain broadly relevant in making sure that gambling is safe and fair, vulnerable people are protected and at stopping crime getting a hold on gambling.”
McArthur pointed out that the agency is focused on maintaining consistency in how it operates and regulates the gambling industry. He frequently pointed to “constant touchpoints,” specific markers that he believes are necessary to prevent harm related to the gambling industry, as well as in stopping crime while ensuring that gambling is conducted in a safe and legal manner.
During the appearance, McArthur continually touched on the point of consistency, addressing the need to “balance the consumer choice of an industry in which 24 million people gamble in the U.K., against the fact that gambling harm is a problem for a significant number of people, 340,000 according to our latest statistics with a further 5 million marked as vulnerable.”
The committee focused on questions related to media skepticism of how the UKGC has been governing the industry. They highlighted specific instances of gambling problems and how the committee has been criticised for being much more “reactive rather than pro-active” in their actions.
“The Strategy has been a much tougher approach to compliance and enforcement. This was deliberate at changing the behavior of operators since we had seen too many instances of failures being repeated,” McArthur said.
AI
BetGames research reveals more than 70% of players failed to recognise AI avatar gameshow presenters
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.”
The post BetGames research reveals more than 70% of players failed to recognise AI avatar gameshow presenters appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Africa
Blueprint Gaming Expands into South Africa Through Strategic Partnership with Hollywoodbets
Blueprint Gaming
has enhanced its foothold in the South African market via a major alliance with top operator Hollywoodbets, offering a wider range of its globally acclaimed slot titles to players in the area.
Although Blueprint has been operational in South Africa since late 2025, this agreement signifies its initial significant launch with a top-tier operator in the country, highlighting a key advancement in its long-term regional plan.
Through the collaboration, Hollywoodbets will launch a variety of Blueprint’s most recognized and top-performing games, featuring its successful Cash Strike series and the consistently favored Fishin’ Frenzy, along with a selection of celebrated IP-based titles like Ted
.
Blueprint has established a reputation for merging well-known intellectual property with robust mathematical models and focused gameplay, producing titles that consistently appeal across regulated markets. The addition of this portfolio to Hollywoodbets’ live game selection further enriches the operator’s content variety, offering players reliable games supported by global performance credentials.
South Africa ranks among the most advanced and established gaming markets in Africa, backed by a strong regulatory system and a rich history of retail betting. As digital adoption speeds up and online casinos keep rising in popularity, the market offers substantial long-term growth opportunities for high-quality content providers.
Through a collaboration with Hollywoodbets, one of the leading betting brands in the country, Blueprint gains instant access to a vast, active customer base along with extensive local market knowledge. The partnership enables the studio to achieve significant growth in South Africa, while also creating a strategic base for broader expansion throughout the African continent.
Sam Haggblom, Director of Business Development at Blueprint Gaming
, said: “South Africa represents a compelling opportunity for Blueprint. It is a mature and well-established market with a clear appetite for high-quality online casino content.
“Introducing our wide and performance-focused portfolio through Hollywoodbets allows us to showcase the depth and versatility of our games to a new audience. We see strong long-term potential not only in South Africa but across the wider African landscape.”
Wayde Dorkin, Head of Product at Hollywoodbets, added: “Blueprint Gaming’s portfolio has delivered consistent results across multiple regulated markets worldwide.
“The addition of established brands such as Cash Strike and Fishin’ Frenzy further strengthens our online casino offering, enabling us to continue providing players with proven, high-quality and internationally recognised content.”
The post Blueprint Gaming Expands into South Africa Through Strategic Partnership with Hollywoodbets appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
AI
New Videoslots app stars in AI-assisted “Stone Age” ad
Pioneering online casino Videoslots is preparing to launch a new television campaign in Sweden to promote its newly released mobile app for iOS and Android.
The advert, titled “Stone Age,” recreates a cinematic prehistoric world and was produced using artificial intelligence as part of the creative and production workflow. The use of AI enabled the team to bring the ambitious setting to life in a way that would have been significantly more expensive through traditional production methods.
The campaign was created in partnership with Stockholm-based Armstrong Film and has also been adapted in English and Danish for distribution across digital and social media channels.
Marco Trucco, Chief Marketing Officer at Videoslots’ parent company Immense Group, said the decision to incorporate AI was driven by creative possibilities rather than technological novelty.
“The creative idea was entirely human-led,” Trucco explained. “AI simply helped us execute the concept in a way that would have been very costly using traditional production methods. For us, it was about unlocking creative freedom.”
Philip Karlberg, Executive Producer at Armstrong Film, noted that the prehistoric theme presented a number of practical challenges.
“Designing characters and adapting performances across three languages would typically require several separate cast productions,” he said. “Using AI allowed us to approach that ambition differently. However, AI doesn’t replace filmmaking. You still need a strong concept, clear storytelling and a defined visual direction. The work doesn’t disappear — it simply shifts from physical production to detailed planning, direction and refinement.”
Trucco added that the project highlights how AI could reshape the future of television advertising.
“High-quality TV production has traditionally required substantial budgets,” he said. “AI has the potential to allow more brands to compete creatively with larger advertisers. Better advertising ultimately leads to a better viewing experience, more choice for consumers and stronger competition in the market. At Videoslots, we’re pleased to launch an original and entertaining TV advert to introduce our new apps.”
The post New Videoslots app stars in AI-assisted “Stone Age” ad appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
-
BIG Cyber7 days agoBMM INNOVATION GROUP TO SPONSOR AND EXHIBIT AT SBC RIO 2026 MARCH 3–5 AT RIOCENTRO, RIO DE JANEIRO
-
Denmark7 days agoELA Games Strengthens Danish Market Presence via Stake.dk Tie-Up
-
Latest News7 days agoCeuta refuerza su apuesta por el Juego en Interazar, la gran Feria española del Sector
-
AdmiralBet Serbia6 days agoDigitain Enters into Multi-Vector Collaboration with AdmiralBet Serbia
-
Compliance Updates6 days agoCrypto.com Receives Limited Financial Institutions Licence in Europe
-
bets7 days agoRegulatory crossroads: Anti-match-fixing bill and betting tax rejection
-
Brasil7 days agoBrasil ante una encrucijada: match-fixing e impuesto rechazado
-
Colombian market7 days agoGoldenRace reinforces leadership in the Colombian market alongside Olympia Apuestas Virtuales



