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Revealed: worst areas in England for gamers during lockdown

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  • South West bottom of the pile for broadband speeds, with five of the ten areas where gamers are most likely to disrupt gameplay
  • Cities of London and Westminster the worst area for access to superfast broadband
  • Kingston Upon Hull ranks the highest for the best place to play video games online based on average speeds and availability of superfast broadband

New research from comparethemarket.com reveals the areas in England that are the worst for gamers, with gameplay in Central Devon the most likely to be disrupted due to poor broadband speeds.

The research analyses the average download speed (Mbps), superfast broadband availability and the percentage of households’ ability to receive decent broadband.

Gamers based in the South West score the least points when it comes to connection speed, with five out of the top ten worst hit areas in England. With Central Devon having the dubious distinction of being the worst in the country, Torridge and West Devon, Forest of Dean, Somerton and Frome, and Tiverton and Honiton all suffer disruption from poorer broadband speeds.

Some may be surprised to see the Cities of London and Westminster ranked the 10th worst constituency for gamers overall. When it comes to access to superfast broadband, this area takes the last place out of all areas, with a quarter unable to access the very fastest connection. By comparison, in Luton North and Leicester West, superfast broadband availability is 100%.

Kingston Upon Hull is hailed as the best place for gamers, ranking top in the country for average speeds and the availability of superfast broadband. Less than 2% of the area’s households have access to decent broadband. Other cities areas that rank highly for gamers include Grimsby, Gillingham and Rainham in the South East, and Nottingham North in the East Midlands.

Top 10 – England’s worst areas for gamers

 

Rank

Area Name  Region Average speed (MBPS) Superfast availability Unable to receive decent broadband
10 Cities of London and Westminster London 34.41 75% 0%
9 Somerton and Frome South West 42.75 82% 10%
8 Harwich and North Essex East of England 37.06 83% 9%
7 Tiverton and Honiton South West 31.89 81% 9%
6 North Herefordshire West Midlands 35.09 80% 9%
5 Penrith and The Border North West 36.01 81% 12%
4 Ludlow West Midlands 33.09 81% 11%
3 Forest of Dean South West 31.61 79% 10%
2 Torridge and West Devon South West 34.01 81% 12%
1 Central Devon South West 34.05 77% 12%

 

Top 10 – England’s best areas for gamers

 

Rank

Area Name  Region Average speed (MBPS) Superfast availability Unable to receive decent broadband
1 Kingston upon Hull East Yorkshire and The Humber 137.44 99% 1%
2 Kingston upon Hull North Yorkshire and The Humber 132.15 100% 1%
3 Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle Yorkshire and The Humber 122.24 99% 2%
4 Crawley South East 88.40 99% 0%
5 Filton and Bradley Stoke South West 93.49 98% 1%
6 Luton North East of England 84.10 100% 0%
7 Morecambe and Lunesdale North West 87.70 99% 0%
8 Great Grimsby Yorkshire and The Humber 89.56 98% 1%
9 Stevenage East of England 86.93 99% 0%
10 Gillingham and Rainham South East 86.61 99% 0%

 

Holly Niblett, head of digital at comparethemarket.com, commented:

“Lockdown has seen a surge in the number of people relying on the internet for work and leisure. There is a wide disparity in the connection speeds and access to superfast broadband across the country, with people facing a particularly hostile environment in parts of the south west. For many, a reliable internet connection is a lifeline during a difficult time.

“Our new speed-test tool allows people to see how fast their broadband speed is and what better deals and speed is available in their area, because for many households, a fast download speed is a deal-breaker when it comes to choosing a provider. Perhaps unsurprisingly, we have seen a steep rise in the number of customers switching online to the fastest packages during isolation.”

 

comparethemarket’s tips for improving your broadband speed:

1. Test the speed of your broadband connection

You can run a speed test on comparethemarket’s new speed-checker tool, which enables users to check how long it will take to download a film or game in their area: http://www.comparethemarket.com/broadband/speed-test You’ll be shown both your download and upload speeds.

2. Move your router away from other devices

Keep your router as far away as possible from other electrical equipment and devices that emit wireless signals, such as cordless phones, baby monitors and computer speakers. Try to place your router on a table or shelf rather than on the floor and keep it switched on.

3. Turn off WiFi on devices you’re not using

If you have multiple devices such as tablets and smartphones running in the background, it can slow down your broadband, so try switching WiFi off on these when you’re not using them. You should also avoid carrying out data-heavy tasks like HD streaming, gaming or video calls at the same time as others in your household.

4. Give your computer a spring clean

There are many applications on your PC that could affect your broadband speed, some without you even realising it. A few simple quick fixes include making sure your anti-virus software is up to date, making sure you’re using the latest version of your web browser, such as Chrome, Firefox or Microsoft Edge and clearing your cache and browser history.

For more information on the research, please go to: https://www.comparethemarket.com/broadband/content/best-cities-in-england-for-gamers/

 

Methodology:
The following table reveals the areas of England where gamers are most likely to disrupt gameplay due to bad broadband speeds.

Data taken directly from the source are in the columns titled Area name, Region, Average speed (MBPS), Superfast availability and unable to receive decent broadband.

To calculate the index we first normalised the data categories individually from 0 to 1 and then summed the results.

On this scale, for

  • Average speed – The higher index would be weighted closer to 1 – detailed in the average speed weighting column
  • Superfast availability – The higher index is weighted closer to 1 – detailed in the superfast weighting column
  • Unable to receive decent broadband – The higher index is weighted closer to 0 – detailed in the Decent broadband weighting column

Total and rankings were determined by the above.

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Loud Launches, Quiet Exits Why Partner Culture Outlasts Partner Acquisition

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London is a city built on institutions that never needed to announce themselves. The law firms on Chancery Lane, the private clubs in St. James’s they endure not through attention, but through trust accumulated over decades. Quietly. Consistently. Without a rebrand every two years. Which makes London an interesting backdrop for the affiliate industry’s annual conversation with itself. Because iGaming, by contrast, has mastered the art of attention.Conference floors are fluent in volume: oversized visuals, stacked merchandise, account managers with pitch decks and a practiced sense of urgency. Every programme is premium. Every stand is exclusive. What it rarely produces is what the spreadsheet actually needs: long-term ROI, partner retention, relationships worth more in year three than month one.

The Market Learned to Perform Premium. It Forgot to Practice It.

When an entire market adopts the same vocabulary premium, VIP, exclusive, top-tier the signal stops carrying information. The gifting mechanics follow the same logic: items chosen for the photograph rather than the relationship. With this approach the partner is the audience, not the counterpart.

The structural problem is this: markets that compete on noise attract partners who respond to noise, and lose them the moment a louder offer comes along. Attention is not loyalty. Activation is not retention.

High-performing affiliate partnerships share a different architecture: predictability over promises, honest communication over promotional language, consistency whether a relationship is new or years old. Strong partners don’t leave for marginal CPA improvements when the relationship itself has value they’d be giving up. That dynamic reduces churn, extends LTV, and compounds over time in ways no single activation can replicate.

Manor as Model: The Economics of Restraint

PlayamoPartners’ presence at iGB London stand H-60, 1–2 July  operates on this logic. The Manor concept takes the British manor as its central metaphor: not a venue, but a model of relationships. There is an etiquette, a code, standards that everyone inside understands. Membership implies alignment.

The aesthetic is restraint. The underlying logic is economic. Trust, in this industry, has a measurable ROI that most programmes never stop to calculate because they’re too busy announcing it.

The Code of Honor: Giving the Industry Its Memory Back

At the centre of the Manor experience is a physical book not a lookbook or catalogue, but a Code of Honor: partner feedback, written by partners themselves, accumulated across events and years. A physical record implies that what partners say is worth keeping in a form that persists that the relationship has a history worth preserving.

The iGaming industry has become extremely efficient at forgetting. Campaigns replace campaigns. Account managers cycle through. Programmes pivot quarterly. The Code of Honor is a deliberate counter to that tendency. It treats reputation not as a marketing asset but as something that grows through repeated honest interaction. An archive of trust, built over time.

Recognition Over Raffle

Partners who contribute to the Code of Honor become eligible for recognition items including a MacBook Neo 13, iPhone Air, and iPad Air. Come by on 02.07 at 14 o’clock and collect your prize.

The framing matters. These are not raffle prizes. Recognition is relational: you are who you are, and that is acknowledged. One is a CPA model applied to gifting. The other is how relationships between people who respect each other actually function.

The partners the Manor is designed for are not the ones who show up for a giveaway they’re the ones who show up to engage, to leave something of their own behind, to participate in the ongoing record of what this programme is.

Continuity of Standards

This approach isn’t new for PlayamoPartners. Past recognition has included Samsonite, Hugo Boss, TAG Heuer, Cartier, YSL. At iGB London, partners at H-60 will find Cartier wallets and MacBooks among the acknowledgements.

Premium gifting delivered consistently, to partners aligned with programme standards, across multiple years and conferences, reads differently from a one-time budget line. It signals a stable set of values with no particular need for an audience.

What Remains After the Conference Floor Clears

Rates, tools, tracking platforms are table stakes. Any serious programme can match them within a quarter. What cannot be quickly replicated is culture: honest communication, payments that arrive without chasing, account managers who know your business well enough to have an opinion about it.

Manor of PlayamoPartners arrives at iGB London not as an activation, but as a position. Behind it: a system, a reputation, a code of conduct that predates this event and will outlast it.

Stand H-60 | 1–2 July | iGB London

Contact the team:

The post Loud Launches, Quiet Exits Why Partner Culture Outlasts Partner Acquisition appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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PhilWeb Showcases Technology-Driven Growth Vision at SiGMA Asia 2026

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PhilWeb Corporation has reinforced its position as a technology-driven company at SiGMA Asia 2026, highlighting its continuing transformation through digital innovation, scalable platform solutions and strategic technology investments aligned with the rapidly evolving digital economy in Asia.

As one of the Philippines’ established technology and platform providers, PhilWeb participated in SiGMA Asia 2026 to showcase its long-term vision centered on digital infrastructure, operational scalability, customer engagement technologies and future-ready platform development. The company’s presence at the international event reflects its broader strategy of strengthening its role within the growing technology, digital entertainment and fintech ecosystem in the region.

With more than 25 years of operational experience, PhilWeb continues to evolve alongside changing market demands and technological advancements. Over the years, the company has steadily expanded its capabilities through investments in platform modernization, integrated digital systems, payment technologies and data-driven operational tools designed to support scalable and efficient business operations.

As industries across Asia continue to undergo digital transformation, PhilWeb sees increasing opportunities in technology-enabled ecosystems where connectivity, automation, customer experience and operational efficiency play increasingly important roles in long-term business growth.

At SiGMA Asia 2026, the company highlighted initiatives focused on strengthening its digital ecosystem through improved platform capabilities, enhanced payment integration infrastructure and technology solutions designed to support seamless experiences across both physical and digital customer environments.

PhilWeb also emphasised the growing importance of integrated platforms and scalable digital operations as consumer behaviour continues to shift toward more connected and technology-driven experiences. The company continues to adapt to these evolving trends by exploring innovations that improve accessibility, operational flexibility and customer engagement.

Participation at SiGMA Asia 2026 also provided PhilWeb with opportunities to engage with international technology firms, fintech companies, digital infrastructure providers, payment solutions companies and regional business partners as it continues to strengthen its long-term growth strategy.

Beyond technology expansion, PhilWeb continues to prioritise governance, compliance-driven systems, operational transparency and sustainable business.

The post PhilWeb Showcases Technology-Driven Growth Vision at SiGMA Asia 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Strong Customer Response Marks Successful Belgrade Future Gaming 2026 for NOVOMATIC

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NOVOMATIC concluded a highly successful participation at Belgrade Future Gaming 2026, further reinforcing its strong presence in the Southeast European market. Throughout the exhibition, the company welcomed a steady stream of visitors to its stand, providing an excellent platform for strengthening existing partnerships, establishing new business contacts and discussing future opportunities with customers from across the region.

The comprehensive product showcase featured a broad selection of NOVOMATIC’s latest gaming innovations. Among the highlights were Impera PROLINK 2 and the internationally successful XTENSION LINK series, including Volumes 2, 3, 4 and 5 as well as XTENSION LINK Ultimate, all of which attracted strong interest from visitors thanks to their proven performance and engaging feature mechanics. Visitors also explored VISION LINK, NOVOMATIC’s latest multi-feature linked progressive concept, alongside the versatile GAMINATOR X5, renowned for its flexible game mix and customization options.

A particular highlight for the regional market was the Impera Line HD Edition 10 – Balkan Special, which generated significant interest thanks to its carefully selected game mix tailored specifically to local player preferences.

Taking center stage was the award-winning DIAMOND X QUATTRO 1.55J, whose striking design and immersive player experience made it a standout attraction on the show floor. The portfolio was further complemented by a premium V.I.P. X setup, including the V.I.P. X Royal 1.85 and, for the first time at a Balkan trade show, the V.I.P. X Galaxy 2.65, both showcasing NOVOMATIC’s commitment to delivering high-end gaming experiences for modern casino environments.

As in previous years, NOVOMATIC’s successful cooperation with long-standing partner FAZI contributed to a strong exhibition presence, while the popular ADMIRAL Bet Pub catering concept once again provided a welcoming atmosphere that encouraged networking and business discussions in a relaxed setting.

“The positive response we received throughout the show was truly outstanding. Belgrade Future Gaming remains one of the most important industry events in Southeast Europe and provides an excellent opportunity to engage directly with our customers and partners. We were delighted by the strong interest in our product portfolio, particularly the Impera Line™ HD Edition 10 – Balkan Special and the first presentation of the V.I.P. X Galaxy 2.65 in the region. The many valuable conversations and promising business opportunities generated during the event once again demonstrated the strength of the Balkan market and the value of close collaboration with our customers. I would like to sincerely thank all visitors, customers, partners, and our dedicated team for contributing to another successful edition of Belgrade Future Gaming,” said Miloš Pejić, Regional Manager SEE at NOVOMATIC.

With a comprehensive portfolio of internationally proven products, regionally tailored solutions and premium gaming innovations, NOVOMATIC once again demonstrated its ability to meet the diverse requirements of the Balkan market. The successful outcome of Belgrade Future Gaming 2026 further highlighted the company’s strong momentum across Southeast Europe and created a solid basis for future growth and collaboration with customers and partners throughout the region.

The post Strong Customer Response Marks Successful Belgrade Future Gaming 2026 for NOVOMATIC appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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