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WhichBingo Awards 2021 winner’s announcement
The annual Whichbingo awards were held virtually in 2021 with twelve winners announced across the event which was held online for a second year in a row.
The awards follow one month of voting by bingo players and from submissions of nominations by bingo brands. The results are in for the WhichBingo Awards 2021 and there are some surprises.
The winner of the WhichBingo Award 2021 for Best Bingo Site is Sun Bingo – the first time it has picked up the main award since 2010. The good news didn’t stop there for Sun Bingo as it went on to scoop two more major awards – Best Bingo Chat Team and Best Playtech Bingo Site. The change in fortunes for Sun Bingo coincides with the appointment of Adam Scott as Gaming Operations Director at NewsUK in May 2020, having moved from competitor Gamesys, operator of multi-award winning sites Heart Bingo and Jackpotjoy
Another big winner was an unexpected name: PlayOJO. This brand also picked up three prestigious awards, snatching them from under the noses of dedicated bingo sites. PlayOJO is the proud winner of the awards for Best New Bingo Site, Best Pragmatic Play Bingo Site and Best Slots Site. Of all the casino sites that have adopted online bingo over the last 18 months it is PlayOJO that certainly put its heart and soul into the product, rather than just having it sit on site as an additional plug-in. They players on the site have certainly shown their appreciation of its efforts.
Wink Bingo continues to be the shining star of the 888 stable as it picked up the award for Best Dragonfish Bingo Site for the fifth consecutive year.The famous Foxy Bingo took the award for Best Entain Bingo Site and Rainbow Spins sitting on the Jumpman Gaming platform took Best New Slots Site.
The full list of WhichBingo Award winners 2021:
| Best Bingo Site | Sun Bingo |
| Best New Bingo Site | PlayOJO |
| Best Dragonfish Bingo Site | Wink Bingo |
| Best Entain Bingo Site | Foxy Bingo |
| Best Pragmatic Play Bingo Site | PlayOJO |
| Best Playtech Bingo Site | Sun Bingo |
| Best Bingo Chat Team | Sun Bingo |
| Best New Slots Site | Rainbow Spins |
| Best Slots Site | PlayOJO |
| Best Mobile Bingo Site (Judged) | Mecca Bingo |
| Best Customer Service (Judged) | mFortune |
| Most Socially Responsible Operator(Judged) | Mecca Bingo |
In the Judged categories mFortune came top for the second year for Best Customer Service, while Mecca Bingo retained the award for Best Mobile Bingo Site, but also added a second award as winner of Most Socially Responsible site.
Inbal Winner, General Manager Europe at XLMedia plc:
“After an exciting month of voting, we’re delighted to congratulate the winners of this year’s WhichBingo awards. The awards are one of the annual highlights for the UK online bingo industry, and because the winners are mainly decided by players’ votes, they are particularly coveted by the brands lucky enough to be declared winners.
The popularity of online bingo has soared in the last eighteen months during the pandemic, so it was also pleasing to see that hosting our ceremony virtually hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm of players who voted, with another huge number of votes cast again this year. With the game continuing to attract a much wider demographic of players than ever before, these awards enable us to recognise the hard work of all the best UK bingo sites around today.”
The award winners were revealed in a virtual ceremony for the second time due to continued uncertainty around live events. They were announced by WhichBingo Social Media Presenter Charlie Shakespeare and filming took place at the beautiful Buzz Bingo venue in Tooting, London.
As the WhichBingo Awards are mainly decided by player votes they are highly regarded by the bingo brands and a coveted indication of many satisfied customers.
You can watch the full event here: https://www.whichbingo.co.uk/awards/
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888.it
R. Franco Digital Shortlisted for Casino Platform Excellence at EGR Europe Awards 2026
R. Franco Digital, the leading Spanish iGaming provider, has been officially shortlisted for Casino Platform Supplier of the Year at the prestigious EGR Europe Awards 2026. The nomination recognizes a landmark year for the company, characterized by the explosive growth of its IRIS Open Omnichannel Platform and a major commercial breakthrough into the Italian market.
The winners will be announced during a gala ceremony on February 18, 2026, at the Hilton Malta, where the industry’s top-tier operators and suppliers gather to celebrate European gaming excellence.
IRIS: The Engine of Omnichannel Growth
The core of R. Franco Digital’s success lies in its IRIS platform, a highly scalable, multi-jurisdictional solution that unifies casino, sports betting, and retail management.
IRIS Platform Milestones (2025-2026):
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Jurisdictional Reach: Certified in 6 jurisdictions and operational in over 10 regulated markets.
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Content Depth: Seamlessly integrated with over 1,600 games from global third-party providers.
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Operational Stability: Provides 24/7 multilingual support and advanced real-time analytics for operators.
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Commercial Momentum: Secured 50+ new operator partnerships and entered three new markets within the last 12 months.
Performance Highlights: 4 Billion Game Rounds
R. Franco Digital’s games portfolio has seen a massive surge in engagement, bolstered by 20 new high-performance slot releases in 2025. Standout titles such as Strange Spins, Aphrodite, Zorro: Final Duel, Ovomon, and The Phantom contributed to a record-breaking year.
| Metric | 2025–2026 Achievement |
| Total Game Rounds | 4 Billion+ across regulated markets |
| Revenue Growth | 30% Increase during the judging period |
| New Content | 20 New slot titles launched |
| Expansion | Debut in the Italian regulated market |
Strategic Italian Market Entry
A major factor in the EGR shortlisting was R. Franco Digital’s successful entry into Italy. The provider rapidly localized its content to meet the specific demands of Italian players through tier-one partnerships:
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Stanleybet.it: Launched 19 games, including the Italian-exclusive debut of Strange Spins.
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888.it: Successfully rolled out the popular Super 7 3×3 title.
“We’re proud to be shortlisted for this award, which reflects the strength of our IRIS platform and the quality of the content we’ve delivered over the past year,” said Javier Sacristán Franco, International Business Director at R. Franco Digital. “Our team has worked hard to support operators with reliable, innovative solutions… we are delighted to see that effort recognised.”
The post R. Franco Digital Shortlisted for Casino Platform Excellence at EGR Europe Awards 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Big Hot Flaming Pots
Big Hot Flaming Pots: Tasty Treasures – Lightning Box Brings Land-Based Hit Online
Light & Wonder has officially launched Big Hot Flaming Pots: Tasty Treasures, the digital debut of its highly successful land-based franchise. Developed by in-house specialist studio Lightning Box, this 3×5 slot offers 243 ways to win and a high-energy “three-pot” mechanic that has already become a staple on casino floors worldwide.
The game transitions the whimsical “dumpling-tossing” theme to online audiences, combining vibrant Asian-inspired aesthetics with a deep mathematical model designed for high-engagement sessions.
The Three-Pot Mechanic & Seven Feature Combinations
At the core of the gameplay is the persistent pot system. Landing specific colored coins fuels three separate pots—Yummy, Spicy, and Upsized. These pots can trigger individually or in any combination, leading to seven distinct bonus paths.
| Feature Mode | Gameplay Enhancement |
| Yummy Mode | Increases the Hold & Spin respin counter from 3 to 4, significantly extending bonus life. |
| Spicy Mode | Introduces Chilli multipliers; landing a pepper adds its cash value to every symbol currently held on the board. |
| Upsized Mode | Unlocks a Dual Grid (two reel sets) for the Hold & Spin round, doubling the win potential. |
| Combined Modes | Triggering all three at once creates the “Mega Bonus,” featuring dual grids, 4 respins, and value-boosting peppers. |
Innovation: The Stack N’ Hit
Feature
Unlike traditional Hold & Spin mechanics where symbols simply lock until the round ends, Tasty Treasures introduces the Stack N’ Hit
evolution.
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Reel Clearing: When a vertical reel is filled with Bun symbols, the prizes are instantly collected, and the reel is cleared.
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Persistent Respins: Clearing a reel creates open spaces for new prizes to land, allowing the bonus round to continue far longer than standard industry alternatives.
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The Path to Grand: Each cleared reel activates a “Pepper Tracker” above it. Lighting up all five trackers awards the Grand Progressive Jackpot.
Jackpot Tiers & Base Game Depth
Operators benefit from a versatile math model that supports both consistent base-game performance and high-volatility jackpot chases.
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Progressive Jackpots: Grand and Major tiers for life-changing win potential.
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Fixed Jackpots: Minor and Mini tiers awarded through symbols landing during features.
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Nudge Wilds: In the base game, Wild symbols can nudge to cover entire reels, assisting in achieving the 243-way payouts.
“Big Hot Flaming Pots: Tasty Treasures carries forward a brand that has already made its mark in land-based venues,” says Michael Maokhamphiou, Studio Director at Lightning Box. “This release offers operators a flexible, high-performing title that combines familiarity with fresh layers of engagement.”
The post Big Hot Flaming Pots: Tasty Treasures – Lightning Box Brings Land-Based Hit Online appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Blask Index
How Venezuela’s iGaming market is reacting to US pressure
Blask data indicates Venezuela’s iGaming demand remained stable in the initial days following the US operation in Caracas.
On 3 January, US forces detained Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, transporting him from Caracas to face prosecution in New York. The raid came after months of intensifying American pressure throughout 2025 — naval presence, targeted strikes, and a fresh sanctions package.
For Venezuela’s iGaming sector, the disruption poses a critical question: will demand collapse, or adapt?
First results
Blask’s daily Index remained within a tight corridor from 1–4 January, hovering in the high-200K zone. It dropped 5% to 257.4K on the day of the operation, before recovering the next day.

The data reveals no abrupt demand shift during this period. A slight decline sits within Venezuela’s normal daily fluctuations and does not point to a fundamental market change.
Rapid expansion, growing dominance
Venezuela stood out as one of iGaming’s strongest demand gainers in 2025. Blask Index surged 134.9% year-on-year — the second-highest growth worldwide.

This expansion came alongside increasing market dominance. By December, Triunfo Bet commanded 59% of Blask’s BAP (Brand Accumulated Power, measuring a brand’s portion of total user interest nationally), gaining 15 percentage points since January. The top three brands collectively reached over 85%, up 11 points.
The post How Venezuela’s iGaming market is reacting to US pressure appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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