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Praesepe, Blueprint and Bacta move quickly to answer charity SOS

Published

6 years ago

April 16, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Gauselmann owned brands, Praesepe and Blueprint have joined forces with UK trade association, Bacta to donate £12,000 to fund 100 Amazon Fire tablets and care packages to industry charity, Rays of Sunshine (ROS). The tablets, described as a ‘god send’ by ROS chief executive Laura Barnett, will be distributed to children who, due to restrictions introduced to help stem the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic, find themselves isolated from friends and family in hospital.

Explaining the impact and the importance of the donation, Laura Barnett said: “We’re so thankful to Gauselmann and Bacta for their incredibly generous donation of £12,000 which will enable us to continue brightening the lives of seriously ill children during this incredibly challenging time. The money donated will fund Amazon Fire tablets and care packages for hospitals, who we know have an immediate need due to the Covid-19 global pandemic. For children who are currently isolated in hospital receiving treatment, the tablets will help to alleviate their anxiety and distract them from the uncertainty related to their condition by enabling them to access virtual entertainment and, most crucially, keep connected with their friends and family.”

Praesepe Chief Operating Officer, Mark Schertle explained: “We have a close relationship with the Bacta Charitable Trust donating some £45,000 over the last nine months, so we know of the fantastic work undertaken by Rays of Sunshine in terms of granting wishes to children with serious or life-limiting illness. When we were made aware of how the pandemic was impacting the ability to continue their work, we thought there must be a way of doing a little bit more at this important time. We then spoke with our colleagues at Blueprint and John White at Bacta and I’m delighted that we have been able to move quickly and to be of some practical use. Laura and her team are budgeting for a seven figure loss of income this year, which is a massive blow for everyone connected to the charity, especially the children and their families.”

David Purvis, Managing Director of Blueprint Operations added: “We are all currently facing challenging impacts to our lives and businesses. Sadly, we have all borne witness to how this insidious virus is impacting our families, our communities and our very way of life. We hope that our donation of 100 Amazon Fire Tablets to the children of Rays of Sunshine will make a positive difference to their lives and the challenges they have at this time. Although these are trying times for us all, we remain optimistic that the UK will thrive again soon.”

John White believes this latest contribution to good causes shows the industry at its very best. He said: “The Bacta Charitable Trust was contacted by Praesepe/Blueprint to see if we would be able to jointly fund the 100 tablets and the answer was an unequivocal yes. In less than a week we’ve moved from reading about the issues faced by Rays of Sunshine to doing something really positive and helping to brighten the lives of children who have been cut-off from their loved ones. Not only does the industry have a massive heart but it also has a remarkable ‘can do’ attitude and the ability to make things happen – irrespective of the circumstances. I think the industry should be extremely proud.”

ELA Games

ELA Games releases Spirit of Savanna slot with player-choice bonus

Published

1 hour ago

May 7, 2026

Wladimir P.

ela-games-releases-spirit-of-savanna-slot-with-player-choice-bonus

The new 5×3, 10-payline title features Hold and Win or Free Spins selection and three jackpot tiers.

ELA Games has released Spirit of Savanna, a new online slot that introduces a player-choice bonus mechanic alongside Hold and Win, Free Spins, and three jackpot tiers.

Spirit of Savanna runs on a 5×3 reel grid with 10 paylines and is rated volatility 4 out of 5, according to the supplier. RTP is listed across two ranges: 93.98-94.16% and 96.01-96.12%.

The main differentiator is how a Wild symbol contributes to a winning combination. Instead of triggering a fixed feature, the game prompts players to choose between seven Free Spins or a Hold and Win bonus.

Both bonus paths include a Repeat Win feature that carries the value of the triggering win into each spin of the bonus round. The Free Spins feature can also retrigger using the same Wild-combination logic. The game includes three jackpot tiers, with the Grand Jackpot available either by landing two Antelopes or by filling an entire row with coins during Hold and Win.

The post ELA Games releases Spirit of Savanna slot with player-choice bonus appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Games Global

Games Global launches Candy Combo 2 Power Combo with Slingshot Studios

Published

1 hour ago

May 7, 2026

Wladimir P.

games-global-launches-candy-combo-2-power-combo-with-slingshot-studios

Games Global has released Candy Combo 2 Power Combo, developed with exclusive studio partner Slingshot Studios. The new slot follows the original Candy Combo Power Combo and expands the title’s Link&Win gameplay and Power Combo mechanics.

The 5×3, 20-payline game is set in a pastel candy theme and uses five “candy jar” characters above the reels to collect matching symbols and trigger Link&Win modifiers. The Power Combo flow activates a Link&Win bonus played on a 5×4 grid, where cash coins remain in place as new symbols land.

Returning mechanics include Connector symbols with multipliers of up to 10x for completed rows, Collector symbols that gather visible cash values, and Jackpot symbols that award fixed prizes when four matching symbols are collected.

New features include Adder, which adds values to all other landed symbols, and Extender, which unlocks a second independent reel set to extend the Link&Win round. Games Global said up to five features can be active within a single Link&Win round, culminating in Super Power Combo, where all features are active at once. The game also includes Hot Mode, which adds extra feature symbols to the reels, and Upsizer, which offers an option to enhance the Link&Win feature at a cost before the bonus begins.

Richard Vermaak, Creative Director at Slingshot Studios, said: “Candy Combo 2 Power Combo builds on its predecessor – one of our most successful titles – by expanding how features interact within the Link&Win format.

“The addition of new jars and the ability to combine multiple mechanics introduces more variation across each round, while staying true to the core gameplay players recognise.”

David Reynolds, Director of Games Strategy and Partner Management at Games Global, said: “Slingshot Studios has done a brilliantly at evolving a well-established concept by adding depth and flexibility to its feature set.

“The result is a bright, engaging title that enhances a proven mechanic while offering players more ways to experience its core gameplay.”

The post Games Global launches Candy Combo 2 Power Combo with Slingshot Studios appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Acquisitions/Merger

LCKY Group agrees to acquire Denmark iGaming operator RoyalCasino

Published

1 hour ago

May 7, 2026

Wladimir P.

lcky-group-agrees-to-acquire-denmark-igaming-operator-royalcasino

LCKY Group has entered into an agreement to acquire RoyalCasino, an iGaming operator focused exclusively on Denmark. The companies said the transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the second half of 2026.

LCKY Group said the deal will expand its footprint in Denmark and increase exposure to what it described as “sustainable revenue streams in a well-regulated and stable jurisdiction.” The company also said the acquisition supports its multi-brand strategy in the Danish market.

LCKY Group expects the transaction to be immediately accretive, estimating an 18–20% increase in group revenue and a 29–31% increase in EBITDA.

Richard Brown, CEO of LCKY Group, said: “This is a highly strategic and financially compelling acquisition for LCKY Group. RoyalCasino brings both strong market presence and high-quality earnings in Denmark, a market that aligns closely with our focus on regulated, sustainable growth. The transaction enhances our scale, strengthens our competitive position, and provides clear opportunities to drive synergies and long-term value creation. We look forward to working closely with the RoyalCasino team to realize these opportunities.”

Per Petersen, CEO of RoyalCasino, said: “RoyalCasino is one of the largest online casino operators in Denmark, a market known as both well-regulated and high-value. Our industry is characterised by high levels of innovation and competition, and here we see the combination of RoyalCasino’s local expertise and LCKY’s international scale and iGaming pedigree as an excellent recipe for shared success. We look forward to introducing LCKY to our Danish customer base.” Partis acted as financial advisors to RoyalCasino on the transaction.

The post LCKY Group agrees to acquire Denmark iGaming operator RoyalCasino appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.