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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.”

Black Cat Games

Million Games Launches Druid’s Drop in Partnership with Black Cat Games

Published

13 minutes ago

March 4, 2026

Wladimir P.

million-games-launches-druid’s-drop-in-partnership-with-black-cat-games

Million Games today announces the launch of Druid’s Drop, a high-volatility video slot developed by partner studio Black Cat Games as part of the Million Stars partner programme. Designed for players seeking thrilling, high-risk gameplay, the game offers a visually striking 7×7 grid and a cluster pay system for fast-paced cascading wins.

At the heart of Druid’s Drop is the Potion Wild, which detonates across the grid to clear tiles and apply escalating multipliers, creating powerful consecutive wins. Players can trigger the Free Spins feature by collecting Magic Runes, activating a high-intensity bonus mode where sticky multipliers continue to stack throughout the round.

The slot carries an RTP of 96.26% and a maximum payout of 10,000x the bet, ensuring exciting win potential for those who enjoy high-volatility titles. This release marks Black Cat Games’ third production under Million Stars, following Captain’s Curse and Island Ices.

The Million Stars partner programme empowers independent studios by providing cutting-edge technology, distribution channels, and commercial expertise while maintaining creative independence.

“Druid’s Drop is a strong example of what we look for in partner titles,” said Thomas Nimstad, CEO of Million Games. “It combines intuitive mechanics, escalating features, and a distinctive visual style that translates well across markets.”

Druid’s Drop launches today and is available for operator and aggregator integration via Million Games.

The post Million Games Launches Druid’s Drop in Partnership with Black Cat Games appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Boost Casino

Entain brand Boost Casino partners ZingBrain AI to deliver personalised recommendations to players

Published

13 minutes ago

March 4, 2026

Wladimir P.

Boost Casino, the Baltic-Nordic “pay & play” brand within the Entain family, has teamed up with ZingBrain AI, the industry-leading artificial intelligence engine for iGaming, to deliver a more personalized and adaptive experience for players.

The partnership has transformed Boost Casino’s traditional static lobby into a dynamic, tailored environment. Players now benefit from a ‘Recommended’ section showcasing both familiar favorites and new games they are likely to enjoy, alongside a ‘Similar Games’ pop-up that suggests titles based on features, themes, and volatility.

Early A/B testing revealed significant performance improvements: increases in turnover and GGR per player, along with a higher number of unique games explored. Following the test, these gains have remained stable, with the recommendation modules quickly becoming the primary method of game discovery on the platform.

Matteo Pacenti, Director of Product Management, Entain Northern and Central Europe, said:
“Introducing personalisation was a major step in evolving the casino experience, and ZingBrain has proved to be the perfect partner. The uplift in our core metrics gives us the confidence to expand personalization further across the product, improving the UX for our players.”

Oleg Smolerov, CPO at ZingBrain AI, added:
“Personalising the lobby is vital for any strong brand. Working closely with Boost Casino, we’ve created a seamless integration and proven its effectiveness. Together, we look forward to exploring additional touchpoints, real-time signals, and advanced discovery scenarios.”

The collaboration signals a new era for Boost Casino, combining AI-driven insights with a player-first approach to maximize engagement, retention, and lifetime value.

The post Entain brand Boost Casino partners ZingBrain AI to deliver personalised recommendations to players appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

iGaming

PRAGMATIC PLAY ADDS TO €100,000,000 AWARDED SO FAR WITH NEW DROPS & WINS SEASON

Published

13 minutes ago

March 4, 2026

Wladimir P.

pragmatic-play-adds-to-e100,000,000-awarded-so-far-with-new-drops-&-wins-season

Pragmatic Play, a leading supplier of content to the iGaming industry, has unveiled the seventh season of its popular Drops & Wins campaign, offering a prize pool exceeding €25,000,000.

Since its launch in 2020, Drops & Wins—the industry’s largest provider-funded prize pool—has awarded more than €100,000,000 to players worldwide. The new season will run from 4th March 2026 to 3rd March 2027, featuring over 60 slots each month from Pragmatic Play’s award-winning portfolio, including Sweet Rush Bonanza, Fortune of Olympus, and the upcoming Jelly Express.

The campaign includes Weekly Wheel Drops, where players collect wheel pieces to unlock prizes of up to 100,000x their bet (capped at €100,000), and Daily Tournaments, where players compete on leaderboards to win up to €3,000 by accumulating win multipliers.

Drops & Wins continues to drive strong player engagement and measurable uplift across both new and legacy slots. With 5,000,000 prizes on offer in the seventh season, Pragmatic Play underscores its commitment to providing operators with tools that boost commercial performance and enhance the gaming experience.

Sharon McHugh, Director of Public Relations at Pragmatic Play, said:
“Drops & Wins sets the benchmark for provider-funded prize pools, offering unrivalled scale and engagement at no extra cost for operators. Building on the €100,000,000 awarded to date, this new season gives players even more ways to win on their favourite Pragmatic Play slots.”

The post PRAGMATIC PLAY ADDS TO €100,000,000 AWARDED SO FAR WITH NEW DROPS & WINS SEASON appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.