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Children from over 100 countries to take part in Football for Friendship eWorld Championship: final results of draw announced

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On November 27, as a result of an online draw, 32 international teams of the annual Gazprom International Children’s Social Programme Football for Friendship Championship were determined. Children from all over the world will compete for the title of Football for Friendship World Champions and for tickets to the 2021 UEFA Champions League Final in Istanbul. For the first time ever, the draw was conducted live by Young Participants, and the broadcast’s special guest was the legendary football player Roberto Carlos.

Matteo de Venecia (Philippines), Kinley Deki Yangzom (Bhutan), Irintsu Rakotomamoni (Madagascar), and Evgenia Gorbunova (Russia) selected 32 international teams (8 groups of 4 teams each). In keeping with tradition, the teams took the names of rare animal species.

Distinguished guests and ambassadors of the project – World Cup winner and 3 times UEFA Champions League Winner Roberto Carlos, Adviser to the President of the Football Union of Russia Alexey Smertin, Head of Football Education Services at UEFA Frank Ludolph, professional FIFA player, currently playing for FC Schalke 04, Tim (Tim “Latka”) Schwartmann – announced the upcoming events. From November 27 to December 9, 2020, Young Participants will be treated to:

  • 2020 Online International Football for Friendship Forum and Award, where projects in the field of children’s sports development will be presented (November 30 – December 4, 2020).
  • Online Football for Friendship International Children’s Press Center, where Young Journalists study and work (November 28 – December 9, 2020).
  • Online International Friendship Camp with a humanitarian and sports programme for children (November 28 – December 6, 2020).
  • Qualifying games of the 2020 Football for Friendship eWorld Championship (December 7 – December 8, 2020).
  • Football for Friendship Grand Final on December 9, 2020, where the winners and lucky ticket holders for the 2021 UEFA Champions League Final in Istanbul will be determined.

“Football for Friendship is a real social lift, giving the younger generation the opportunity to realize their potential and make their dreams come true. Today, Football for Friendship is once again uniting Young Players, aspiring Young Journalists and simply young people with a passion for sports from all over the world, and everyone here will be able to learn something new, make new friends, and just have an unforgettable experience”, said Roberto Carlos to the Young Participants from different countries.

The Football for Friendship World Championship is traditionally held in different cities shortly before the final matches of the UEFA Champions League. To preserve the event so eagerly awaited by children all over the world, this year it was decided to hold the competition online – in the new Football for Friendship World football simulator.

“Today, we can take pride in a whole generation of grown-up athletes, public figures, journalists and simply goal-oriented young people, who were given amazing opportunities for a professional start by Football for Friendship. I would like to congratulate and wish good luck to all participants of the 2020 Football for Friendship Season”, said Viktor Zubkov, Chairman of the Gazprom Board of Directors, addressing this season’s participants.

Young Participants of the Football for Friendship programme will be the first to play the game. The game app will be made available to the general public on December 10 – World Football Day. You can download it for free for MS Windows, Apple MacOS, Android, iOS.

Online broadcast recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZPiwnuELtY.

About the programme:

The International Children’s Social Programme Football for Friendship is implemented by Gazprom since 2013. Over the previous seven seasons, the programme has united over 6 000 participants from 211 countries and regions and over 5 000 000 supporters.

Young Players and Young Journalists are the participants of the programme – boys and girls aged 12 including children with disabilities. Young Players represent different countries and cultures united in the mixed teams. They show that nationality, gender, and physical abilities aren’t a barrier to becoming a team. Young Journalists cover the events of the programme in the International Children’s Press Center. All participants become Young Ambassadors of the programme and continue to share their Football for Friendship experience and promote universal human values: friendship, equality, fairness, health, peace, devotion, victory, traditions, and honour.

UEFA, FIFA, football federations and the world’s leading football clubs, international charity foundations, famous athletes, politicians, and artists support Football for Friendship. The project has received multiple national and international awards in the field of social responsibility, sports, and communications, including the world record for the most nationalities in a football training session in history.

In 2020, Football for Friendship will be held in the online format. A special digital platform will unite over 10 000 players of all ages. It will become the home for international children’s competitions and a playground where anyone will be able to train, join into the international mixed teams and play their favourite game in the Football for Friendship format without leaving the comfort of their home.

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Cool Bus Shelter

The UAE Lottery backs Cool Bus Shelter initiative for outdoor workers

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The UAE Lottery has partnered with SmartLife Foundation to support outdoor workers during the UAE summer, backing the Cool Bus Shelter initiative in Abu Dhabi on July 20, 2026.

The programme aligns with the UAE’s Midday Break rules, which require outdoor work to stop between 12:30 PM and 3:00 PM during peak heat. As part of the initiative, air-conditioned buses were stationed near labour sites to provide workers a place to rest before returning outdoors.

Volunteers from The UAE Lottery and SmartLife Foundation provided cold towels, cold water and drinks, according to the organisations. Workers also received portable rechargeable neck fans intended to provide additional cooling after the break.

Suzan Kazzi, Associate Director – Corporate Social Responsibility at Momentum- The UAE Lottery, said: “Outdoor workers are the backbone of our cities’ urban development, and initiatives like the Cool Bus Shelter ensure they receive the care and recognition they deserve during the most challenging months of the year. This is our small way of saying thank you and reminding them that their wellbeing truly matters”.

Abhijeet Oak, Vice President at SmartLife Foundation, added: “At SmartLife Foundation, we believe that protecting the wellbeing of outdoor workforce is a shared responsibility. Through the Cool Bus Shelter initiative, we are proud to collaborate with organizations such as The UAE Lottery and other community partners to create moments of comfort, appreciation and human connection that leave a lasting impact”.

The post The UAE Lottery backs Cool Bus Shelter initiative for outdoor workers appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Bally’s Intralot

Intralot Ireland Limited Signs Seven Year Contract Extension with Premier Lotteries Ireland

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Bally’s Intralot announced that its subsidiary Intralot Ireland Limited has signed a seven year contract extension, through November 2034, with Premier Lotteries Ireland (PLI). The agreement supports PLI’s continued operation of the Irish National Lottery through the remainder of its license period and reinforces Bally’s Intralot’s role as a trusted technology and services partner.

Under the terms of the agreement, Bally’s Intralot will modernise PLI’s technology ecosystem by deploying its next-generation LotosX Omni solution and PlayerX Player Account Management platform. The solution will provide a modern, cloud-based technology foundation supporting lottery operations across retail and digital channels, while incorporating advanced retailer management, instant games management, device management and content management capabilities. The agreement also includes comprehensive support and maintenance services, along with cloud operations and cybersecurity services for the first year, designed to ensure the long-term reliability, security and performance of PLI’s technology environment.

Through this partnership, Bally’s Intralot will support PLI in delivering a future-ready operating environment designed to enhance operational efficiency, accelerate innovation and strengthen player engagement. The modernisation will provide a secure, scalable and resilient platform that enables PLI to continue evolving its offerings while improving time-to-market implementation of new initiatives, along with maintaining the highest standards of reliability and service to players and retailers across Ireland.

“We are pleased to extend our partnership with Bally’s Intralot, a relationship built on trust, commitment to excellence, and shared ambition since 2014. As we look to the future, this agreement provides a strong platform for continued innovation and growth, ensuring we can deliver a modern, secure, and world-class National Lottery that places responsible play at its heart while continuing to benefit communities across Ireland,” said Cian Murphy, CEO of PLI.

Robeson Reeves, CEO of the Bally’s Intralot Group, said: “We are proud to extend our long-standing partnership with Premier Lotteries Ireland for a further seven years. This agreement reflects the strength of our technology and the trust we have built with PLI over more than a decade of collaboration. We look forward to continuing to support the National Lottery of Ireland and to delivering innovative, responsible gaming experiences to players across the country.”

The post Intralot Ireland Limited Signs Seven Year Contract Extension with Premier Lotteries Ireland appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Artificial Intelligence

Kambi Delivers Record-breaking World Cup with More Than 100 Million Bets as Bet Builders and Player Props Take Centre Stage

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Kambi, the home of premium sports betting solutions, and its global network of Turnkey Sportsbook partners have exceeded 100 million bets placed during the ongoing FIFA World Cup, with data showing the continued evolution of player betting preferences towards higher-margin products.

Data from Kambi’s global partner network shows the continued growth of player props and Bet Builder, reducing the dependency on traditional core markets to drive engagement and margin performance. This is illustrated by last week’s semi finals which had more than 700,000 unique combinations placed on each game.

The expanded tournament has delivered on the increased turnover potential that was anticipated, yet Kambi has also exceeded average turnover per match and seen an increase in average stake compared to 2022. Kambi’s geographically diversified partner network has driven betting volume across a wider range of markets and time zones, while diversifying risk and liabilities across its broad global partner base.

Key World Cup 2026 betting trends (versus 2022) across Kambi’s Turnkey Sportsbook include:

• Pre-match Bet Builder turnover up 3.6x

• Average pre-match Bet Builder selection size now 3.5 compared to 2.9

• Player shots on target is the top pre-match Bet Builder offer by turnover, generating 2x the turnover of match winner market

• Share of pre-match turnover from bets other than match winner up from 57% to 63%

• Live Bet Builder turnover up 10x

• Player shots on target is the most popular live bet, accounting for 15% of live turnover

Together, these trends underline the transition to more complex, higher-margin recreational play, helping Kambi sustain a strong tournament margin despite a competition in which the top four seeds reached the semi-finals and leading strikers frequently scored.

This shift has been facilitated by Kambi’s AI trading system, with the tournament becoming the first World Cup where bet offers across both pre-match and live were fully compiled and traded by Kambi’s proprietary algorithmic capability. This has supported greater efficiency and scalability while enabling a broader, deeper betting offer.

Combining advanced AI-driven technology with the vast data generated by its global network has enabled Kambi to deliver a wide range of product improvements, from expanded player props markets and increased Bet Builder combinability to reduced suspension times, lower live delays and enhanced uptime.

Werner Becher, CEO of Kambi, said: “Surpassing 100 million bets before the final demonstrates both the scale of our network and the progress we are making in sportsbook innovation. This is the first World Cup fully traded by our AI-powered capabilities and we’ve seen the impact in stronger product performance, greater engagement with player props and Bet Builder, and a betting mix that continues to evolve beyond traditional markets. At a tournament where results have not always been favourable for some bookmakers, these advances have enabled us to continue performing strongly and delivering for partners.”

Kambi will publish its Q2 2026 Report on 22 July, when it will share further insights from the World Cup and provide additional detail on the performance of its sportsbook products during the tournament.

The 100 million bet milestone applies to Kambi’s Turnkey Sportsbook only and does not include the millions of bets driven by Kambi’s Odds Feed+ product.

The post Kambi Delivers Record-breaking World Cup with More Than 100 Million Bets as Bet Builders and Player Props Take Centre Stage appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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