Latest News
“This summer will prove to be one to remember”: Exclusive interview with R Franco on its MGA Licence
With restrictions ending and a summer of sport ahead of us – we caught up with the MGA’s latest licensee, R Franco Digital, to talk through CCO Mario Benito’s vision for the coming months – with the Spanish supplier now poised for some very exciting expansion plans.
Congratulations on R Franco Digital’s recent MGA Licence! Can you tell us what it means for the company and your plans for the next 12 months?
For R Franco, the acquisition of the Critical Gaming Supply Licence from the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) represents a major step forwards for the business, capping a period of growth the extends right across Europe and beyond. We are now currently licensed to operate in Spain, Colombia, Portugal, Belgium and now, Malta. Our plans for the next 12 months will be focused on this new market for us, which provides us with enormous opportunities to expand our business.
What key European markets does R Franco Digital see as holding major growth potential?
Not only is Spain a market that is close to our heart, given that it is our home and where the business originated in 1965, but it is also one that contains real potential for online growth going froward. We have significant experience in capturing the interest of land-based players – and offering them online as a channel, as well as a world-class digital offering to keep them there. The Netherlands is very much an established market in many ways, where local players already spend more money on gambling activities than in many other regulated markets in Europe, ahead of the new regulations that are set to come into being later this year. After that, you also have the German and Portuguese markets, where we also see significant growth possibilities.
How have the last year’s events shaped the gaming landscape in terms of player behaviour? Are players looking for different types of games?
The online gaming market around the world is very volatile – with plenty of variables at play. All of our competitors are innovating every day to create new, entertaining experiences for players and no supplier can afford to be left behind in that race. With players expecting more than ever from casino games, the market in turn is providing them with new possibilities. One example is the purchase of Free Spins, which was included as an option some time ago; now, there are very few slots in certain jurisdictions that do not integrate this feature.
How is R Franco Digital look to adjust its development pipeline to suit the new environment?
It is fair to say that our in-house development team is improving in leaps and bounds and the proof of that lies in the games themselves, which are getting better and better in order to serve the entertainment needs of players. We are specialists in the Spanish market – because that is where we have been present for the longest period – but our games have also proven to be popular in many other international markets including Portugal and Colombia, and we’re looking forward to building on that this year with our MGA licence.
Looking to your home market of Spain – how has this year shaped up so far – do you see the Spanish operators on track for recovery and a return of land-based?
It has indeed been a difficult year for Spanish operators. New regulations meant increased advertising restrictions and new rules around bonusing and this had the double impact of making it more difficult to attract new players and also to keep them. At the same time, this is a very versatile market and there is still plenty of room for manouevre, so we are sure that there will be a recovery. As one of the market’s leading players we look forward to helping drive that recovery – and we see plenty of potential for activity returning once the conditions are right.
Last but not least, what are your expectations for betting and casino this summer with the upcoming Euros?
It has been a year in the waiting, and we are sure that the delayed European Championships will prove to be successful in every way, with both betting and casino being part of that success. While domestic football leagues are not yet concluded, it will not be long before operators are able to reveal the special promotions they have been working on for so long, in order to capture the attention of their customers. Without a doubt, this summer will prove to be one to remember – and casino has plenty of opportunity to capture the interest of not only sports betting fans, but also traditional land-based players who want to join in this summer’s action online while indoor restrictions are still in place.
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B2B iGaming
Gamblers Connect Strengthens Trust with Launch of Verified Sources Panel
Gamblers Connect, the independent B2B iGaming media platform, has introduced a Verified Sources panel that appears at the bottom of every article, linking each factual claim directly to named primary documents hosted on the original source’s own domain.
The panel lists the specific sources consulted, identifies the issuing authority, and includes editorial notes explaining what has been verified and where the limits of the available evidence exist. Positioned immediately beneath the article body, each source is presented in the order it was consulted and includes the responsible individual or office where applicable.
Each entry also includes relevant disclosure tags drawn from the newsroom’s editorial taxonomy, and a direct hyperlink to the original document on the source’s own domain, allowing readers to verify the reporting in a single click.
The initiative responds to widespread practices in online publishing where sources are hidden, paraphrased or omitted altogether, leaving readers to rely on trust rather than independently verifiable evidence.
Luka Dimitrijevic, Partnerships & Operations Lead at Gamblers Connect, said: “Trust is not something a media outlet can declare. It is something the reader gives, and only once they can see the documents the story was built from. The Verified Sources panel exists so that verification is never more than one click away. If a claim in a story is worth making, the source behind it is worth linking to.”
The post Gamblers Connect Strengthens Trust with Launch of Verified Sources Panel appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Boaster Fnatic
Esports World Cup: Level Up Returns to Prime Video June 26 with Season Two
Esports World Cup: Level Upreturns for its second season on June 26, with all five episodes dropping that day exclusively on Prime Video. Directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker R.J. Cutler (Martha (Netflix), Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry (Apple TV)), the five-part docuseries goes inside the human stories behind the world’s largest esports competition, following players, Clubs and families through the pressure and ambition of the 2025 Esports World Cup.
Set in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during the seven-week event, the new season follows the chase for the $70 million prize pool and the EWC Club Championship, while showing the personal journeys at the heart of the competition. The series captures what it takes to compete on a global stage where one match can change a career, a season can define a Club, and a single moment can turn a player into a star.
Produced by This Machine (a part of Sony Pictures Television), with director R.J. Cutler, showrunner John Dorsey and executive producers Jane Cha Cutler, Trevor Smith, Elise Pearlstein and Mark Blatty all returning for the second season, Esports World Cup: Level Up takes a vérité-style approach to esports, capturing the sacrifice, stakes, and rising fame of the world’s top competitive gamers.
Featured players include Jake “Boaster” Howlett (Fnatic; VALORANT), Vivi “Vivian” Indrawaty (Team Vitality; MLBB), Kasimili “Soka” Tongamoa (Team Falcons; Call of Duty: Warzone), Xiao Hai (KuaiShou Gaming; Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves) and Garidmagnai “bLitz” Byambasuren (Mongolz; Counter-Strike). To bring the players’ personal stories to the forefront, the film’s crew was on set in Riyadh for seven weeks and also traveled to locations across the U.K., U.S. and Indonesia for rare at-home visits.
Standout storylines woven throughout the series include:
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Magnus Carlsen (Team Liquid, Chess) – Widely considered the greatest chess player ever, Carlsen faces the isolation of dominance, with no traditional peaks left to conquer. His story follows his shift into esports, where a new generation of challengers awaits.
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Boaster (Fnatic, Valorant) – As Valorant debuts at the event, the British competitor’s journey from aspiring actor to title contender shows there’s no single path to success, shaped by resilience through personal and professional setbacks.
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Xiao Hai (KSG, Street Fighter) – A reigning champion shaped by strict discipline, Xiao Hai was competing against adults by age six. Now a father, he balances global competition with family life.
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Vivian (Team Vitality, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang) – Competing for a life-changing prize, Vivian’s story centers on overcoming recent setbacks and confronting childhood trauma.
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The Mongolz & bLitz (Counter-Strike 2) – Led by their star player bLitz, this grassroots Mongolian team has risen from obscurity to national prominence, becoming symbols of pride and perseverance.
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Soka (Team Falcons, Call of Duty: Warzone) – The reigning champion faces pressure on multiple fronts, dealing with rivalries from former teammates while navigating a turbulent home life.
- Coach ArSy (Team Liquid, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang) – Offering a rare coaching perspective, ArSy draws on a difficult upbringing to lead and inspire his team’s pursuit of redemption.
“Level Up captures the human side of what we are building with the Esports World Cup,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO, Esports Foundation. “EWC creates the stage: the best games, the best Clubs, the best players, life-changing stakes and moments that bring together a global gaming community of billions. The documentary takes you closer to the people inside those moments: their pressure, their ambition, their families and the stories that make esports meaningful to a new generation.”
“This next chapter deepens our exploration of a global phenomenon that is as much about human ambition and identity as it is about competition,” said Cutler. “Esports is one of the most dynamic cultural movements of our time. In season two, we continue to chronicle not just the competition, but the lives, dreams, and sacrifices of the players at the center of it, revealing a world that is both intensely personal and globally resonant.”
Around those player journeys, the series also captures the wider cultural energy of the Esports World Cup, where sport, music, entertainment and gaming meet. In addition to elite competition, Level Up showcases moments from a star-studded lineup of musical artists and athletes, including opening headliner Post Malone, who shows off his gaming skills backstage; grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, who triumphs in his first chess esports event; and football icon Cristiano Ronaldo, who ushers the Club Championship trophy to the stage in a dramatic closing ceremony.
The magnitude of the Esports World Cup is also seen through the reactions of some of the world’s biggest sports and entertainment figures, including reigning F1 champion Lando Norris; Brazilian football legends Ronaldo Nazario and Kaká, who go one-on-one in an EA FC showmatch; professional footballer Alisha Lehmann; skateboarder Tony Hawk; and tennis star Nick Kyrgios, who stated: “The crowd, the atmosphere, is literally better than Wimbledon or any Grand Slam.”
The Esports World Cup 2025 marked a defining moment in competitive gaming. In its second year, EWC reached 750 million viewers worldwide and generated 350 million hours watched, with peak concurrent viewership of nearly 8 million during the League of Legends at EWC ’25 tournament. Coverage was delivered across 28 platforms through 97 broadcast partners and more than 800 channels in 35 languages. Twenty-five tournaments spanning 24 games featured more than 2,000 players representing approximately 200 Clubs from over 100 countries.
The 2026 edition of the Esports World Cup will be held in Paris, France from July 6 through August 23, as the top Clubs in the world compete for $75 million and the 2026 EWC Club Championship trophy.
The post Esports World Cup: Level Up Returns to Prime Video June 26 with Season Two appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
AGLC license
Tonybet Secures Alberta iGaming License as Regulated Market Opens
Tonybet, an international iGaming operator already licensed in Ontario and Kahnawake, today announced that it has received an iGaming license from the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC), clearing the company to operate in Alberta’s regulated online gaming market.
The license allows Tonybet to enter Alberta, Canada’s second province to introduce a competitive, multi-operator iGaming market following Ontario’s launch in 2022. It also extends Tonybet’s Canadian footprint, reinforcing the company’s position as one of the most broadly licensed operators in the country.
Alberta’s regulated market represents a significant opportunity. The province has an estimated population of nearly 5 million, a strong sports culture, and a regulatory framework designed to channel existing online gaming activity into a licensed, player-protected environment. Tonybet intends to bring the same localized approach that has driven its growth in Ontario – combining regionally relevant sports betting markets, responsible gaming tools, and dedicated customer support – to Alberta from day one.
“Alberta is taking the right approach – building a regulated market that puts player protection and operational standards at the center from the start. That’s exactly the kind of environment we want to operate in. We’ve spent years proving in Ontario that you can grow a business and maintain the highest compliance standards at the same time – registrations and gross gaming revenue in the province both grew by 52% in 2025, with responsible gaming embedded in that success rather than working against it. Securing this license means we can bring the same commitment to Alberta, and we plan to be fully operational in the market,” said Dmitry Arabuli, CEO of Tonybet.
Tonybet has already begun preparations for its Alberta launch, including platform localization, integration with the province’s centralized self-exclusion system, and commercial onboarding with the Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC).
The post Tonybet Secures Alberta iGaming License as Regulated Market Opens appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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