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Revealed: worst areas in England for gamers during lockdown
- 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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Africa
BetConstruct AI to present World Cup 2026 sportsbook offer at iGaming Afrika
Supplier takes Stand A05 in Nairobi on May 4–5, pitching pre-built tournament betting tools and discounted onboarding for new partners.
BetConstruct AI said it will exhibit at iGaming Afrika on May 4–5 in Nairobi, Kenya, at Stand A05.
The company said its main focus at the event will be a “Best Sportsbook for the World Cup 2026” package, supported by “Special Bets, Powerfull and Bet on League.” BetConstruct AI said the tools are designed to help operators run World Cup activations “with zero additional development required.”
For the World Cup activation, the supplier is also advertising commercial incentives for new partners. BetConstruct AI said new partners receive a 65% platform setup discount “applied immediately,” plus “100% Core Suite Access” for the first three months, followed by “65% off for 4-12 months.” It added that third-party tools are “51% off for 3 months.”
Beyond the tournament pitch, BetConstruct AI said it will present its wider iGaming ecosystem, including Sportsbook Platform, Casino Platform, Affiliate Ecosystem, Retail Solutions, and its AI suite. The company said its Sportsbook Platform provides “over 140,000 pre-match events and 12,000+ monthly esports live events,” and that its Casino Platform integrates “350+ providers via a unified aggregation API.”
BetConstruct AI said its AI suite includes CRM AI, Umbrella AI, AI Game Recommendation System, and Betting Mate AI, covering functions such as churn prediction, risk management, real-time personalisation, and conversational betting. It also said its Retail Solutions show how operators can connect land-based and digital channels for an omnichannel setup.
- BetConstruct (official website); https://www.betconstruct.com/ Company reference page for product portfolio and event announcements.
- iGaming Afrika (event information); https://igamingafrika.com/ Confirms dates, location, and exhibitor details for the conference.
- FIFA World Cup 2026 (official site); https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026 Authoritative background on the tournament referenced in the supplier’s activation pitch.
The post BetConstruct AI to present World Cup 2026 sportsbook offer at iGaming Afrika appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Blokotech
Blokotech completes Malta stop of Bloko Padel Tour 2026 with 35 teams
Second leg of the networking-focused iGaming padel series ran in Malta with SiGMA World; next stop is Miami on 9 June.
Blokotech has completed the Malta stage of the Bloko Padel Tour 2026, the company said on Thursday 30th April 2026. The second leg of the series was held in partnership with SiGMA World and hosted at IK Padel Village.
Blokotech said 35 teams competed across Pro and Beginners categories, following the tour’s opening event in Buenos Aires.
Blokotech Co-Founder and CEO Salvatore Messina said: “The response to the Malta stop has been brilliant. Each stage is gathering more interest as we build towards our Grand Linale in Rome. Once again we set the platform for networking and competition that our players loved. We’d like to thank all partners involved in making Malta a success – roll on Miami!”
In the Pro category, Andrea Zammit and Borja Jimenez won, with Peter Curmi and Salvatore Fasciana finishing second. In the Beginners category, Gabriele Sarti and Marco Pozzoli took first place, followed by Viki Vitanyi and Davide Dorato. Craig Luke was named Best Player and received a signed Francesco Totti shirt.
Blokotech said the next event will take place in Miami on 9 June at Ultra Padel Club, ahead of the Grand Finale in Rome.
- Blokotech; https://blokotech.com/ Company reference for Blokotech and background on its products and leadership.
- SiGMA World; https://sigmagroup.com/ Confirms the event partner and provides context on SiGMA’s industry events platform.
- Malta Gaming Authority (MGA); https://www.mga.org.mt/ Adds regulatory context for Malta as a hub for iGaming businesses mentioned in the event setting.
The post Blokotech completes Malta stop of Bloko Padel Tour 2026 with 35 teams appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
AI
SoftConstruct unveils RecSys AI game recommendation system at AIBC Eurasia
In an iGaming Real Talk interview in Dubai, the firm says the tool reads player emotion and context to guide operator actions.
SoftConstruct AI has unveiled RecSys, an AI Game Recommendation System, during an exclusive iGaming Real Talk interview recorded at AIBC Eurasia in Dubai on Thursday 30th April.
Mushegh Khachatryan, Chief AI Officer at SoftConstruct AI, said RecSys is designed to move beyond traditional recommendation models by interpreting player emotions in real time and accounting for context, with the goal of suggesting “the next best action” for operators. “You can understand your customer’s emotions in real time and suggest the next best action. We are building intelligent systems which can reason and act.”
Khachatryan said SoftConstruct built an AI Center of Excellence by hiring talent from outside the iGaming sector, and described RecSys as part of “production-ready agentic AI” intended to support personalised campaigns and decision automation. Surya Palli, host of iGaming Real Talk, said: “SoftConstruct is essentially building a Netflix-style personalised experience for the iGaming industry, where every player gets a lobby made just for them.”
Responsible gaming was also discussed, with the company claiming AI can detect risky behaviour faster and more consistently than human teams, and recommend timely breaks while balancing player protection with sustainable growth.
Khachatryan also stressed the need for explainable, controlled deployment. “AI should help teams perform five times better rather than replace them… Without proper boundaries, short-term momentum boosts with AI can actually hurt your company in the long term.” The company said operators can manage campaigns, personalisation and risk through chat interfaces, with at least 85% accuracy “from the first interactions,” and directed viewers to the full interview on the iGaming Real Talk YouTube channel.
- SoftConstruct; https://softconstruct.com/ Company background and official information on SoftConstruct and its business units.
- iGaming Real Talk YouTube channel; https://www.youtube.com/ Source location for the full interview referenced in the announcement (editor can add the specific video URL once identified).
- AIBC Eurasia; https://aibc.world/ Event organiser site to corroborate the conference setting and provide context on AIBC Eurasia.
The post SoftConstruct unveils RecSys AI game recommendation system at AIBC Eurasia appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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