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GambleAware Commits £4M for Britain’s First Academic Research Hub Specialising in Gambling Harms

Published

5 years ago

August 18, 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes

GambleAware has begun an eight-month grant award process to establish the first Academic Research Hub in Great Britain specialising in gambling harms research.

The ambition is for the Academic Research Hub to have a significant impact on the whole gambling research landscape, both within Great Britain and across the globe, through the inclusion of new and diverse areas of research. The Hub will contribute to GambleAware’s overarching vision of creating a society safe from gambling harms and help deliver the charity’s strategic objective to actively build academic research capacity. To ensure longevity, it is also expected the successful institution will secure alternative funding to allow continued growth and development beyond the initial grant award.

In Great Britain at present, most gambling research is from a social science perspective and is delivered by a small number of academics. However, the new Hub seeks to broaden out the range of academic disciplines engaged with gambling harms research in Great Britain. With the application of a public health lens, the successful institution will dictate its own research focus and will support and inform the wider system of treatment providers, organisations and agencies working to prevent and reduce gambling harms.

A select number of universities have been invited to apply for the grant and were chosen based on multiple university rankings, including those rated highly for research areas relevant to gambling behaviour and harms prevention. Whilst the grant will be awarded to a single university, it is expected the successful institution will take a highly collaborative and multi-disciplinary approach both within its own institution and externally with other academics and partners, including internationally.

GambleAware is encouraging applications from those with a strong academic track record in adjacent disciplines, including but not limited to public health, mental health, health inequalities, health economics, epidemiology, clinical health and/or psychology.

Alison Clare, Research Director (Interim) at GambleAware, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for a British university to develop and innovate in a relatively under-researched field, bringing to bear a much wider range of academic disciplines than are currently engaged in gambling harms research. With this significant investment, a British university and its partners will have the chance to create a step change in building knowledge in an area which links and overlaps with many other subjects and fields.

“It’s a different type of grant award to the smaller projects and programmes in our current research portfolio, with GambleAware taking a much more arm’s length approach in guiding the area of research focus. Our main criteria is that universities apply a multi-disciplinary, public health lens in setting out the rationale for their chosen research area. From our early discussions with selected universities, we’re expecting some very creative and innovative proposals at the initial Expression of Interest stage.”

casino games

F*Bastards says it now distributes content via 400+ operators worldwide

Published

2 hours ago

July 7, 2026

Wladimir P.

f*bastards-says-it-now-distributes-content-via-400+-operators-worldwide

F*Bastards says its casino content is now available through more than 400 operators worldwide, marking a distribution milestone for the iGaming supplier as it continues to expand its portfolio and partner network.

In a company statement outlining its background, Co-Founder Ugnius Seskas said the team’s earlier attempt to build a game studio fell short due to positioning rather than production capability. “Looking back, we realised we weren’t missing talent. We were missing identity. We could build games, but we hadn’t built something people could remember. That lesson became the starting point for everything F*Bastards would later become.” says Co-Founder Ugnius Seskas.

The company said it intentionally built its brand around differentiation, including the decision to use the name F*Bastards despite the expectation it would split opinion among potential partners. The founders described early progress as incremental, driven by game releases, industry events, operator feedback and relationship-building, rather than a single breakout moment.

F*Bastards also pointed to a fundraising milestone in 2026, saying it secured its first seven-figure investment. The company positioned the round as validation of execution rather than an early-stage concept.

“From day one, the goal wasn’t to become the biggest supplier. It was to build something people would remember. We’ve come a long way, but in many ways, it still feels like we’re only getting started” says Co-Founder Ugnius Seskas.

The post F*Bastards says it now distributes content via 400+ operators worldwide appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

API integration

Belatra signs cooperation deal to distribute slots via VeliGames

Published

2 hours ago

July 7, 2026

Wladimir P.

belatra-signs-cooperation-deal-to-distribute-slots-via-veligames

Belatra has signed a cooperation agreement with VeliGames to distribute its online slots to operators across Latin America, Africa and Asia. The deal was announced Tuesday 7th July 2026.

VeliGames is a game aggregation platform by VeliTech. The companies said the platform is designed for operators in Latin America, Africa and Asia, with architecture optimised for unstable internet connections and low-cost devices.

Under the expanded agreement, VeliGames will gain access to Belatra’s portfolio through a single API integration, giving operators access to Belatra’s slots via the aggregator.

Misha Voinich, Head of Business Development at Belatra said: “Our integration with VeliGames through a single API opens a direct route for our slots to reach operators in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Our mathematical architecture and character-based IP are focused on long-term player retention, and VeliGames’ technology ensures stable operation of content in these markets regardless of the quality of communication.”

Revaz Janelidze, Operations Lead at VeliGames, added: “Belatra’s award-winning portfolio and proven mechanics are just the kind of dependable content our operator partners are looking for across multiple regions. Bringing the games into our ecosystem through a single API makes it simple to deliver, even on lower spec devices and slower connections.”

The post Belatra signs cooperation deal to distribute slots via VeliGames appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

GCGRA

UAE Lottery names second AED 30m Lucky Day jackpot winner in five weeks

Published

2 hours ago

July 7, 2026

Wladimir P.

uae-lottery-names-second-aed-30m-lucky-day-jackpot-winner-in-five-weeks

The UAE Lottery has confirmed its second AED 30 million Lucky Day Grand Prize winner in five weeks. The operator said Sunil Kumar Sadasivan, a 52-year-old Indian resident of Abu Dhabi, matched all seven winning numbers in the Wednesday, July 1 draw.

The company said the Wednesday Lucky Day draw has now produced two AED 30 million Grand Prize winners and one AED 5 million Second Prize winner “in a span of a few months.” Lucky Day draws run every Wednesday and Saturday at 9:30 PM.

Speaking about the win in a statement included by the operator, Sadasivan said: “When I first looked at it, I couldn’t believe it. Then I looked again and saw the full number. That’s when I realized I had won.”

The UAE Lottery said each draw offers an AED 30 million Grand Prize and an AED 5 million Second Prize, as well as three guaranteed AED 50,000 Lucky Chance prizes. Tickets cost AED 50, according to the operator.

The company said its games are regulated by the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) and reiterated its commitment to responsible gaming.

The post UAE Lottery names second AED 30m Lucky Day jackpot winner in five weeks appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.