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NSoft story: Passion and motivation behind Virtual Penalty Shootout
Virtual Penalty Shootout celebrated its first birthday. Officially, the game was released on September 30, 2020, and instantly captured the attention of both – operators and players.
The expert community has also recognized the uniqueness and the beauty of the game by shortlisting it for the Global Gaming Award 2021 in the category Product Launch of the Year. Recently NSoft received seven nominations for the SBC Awards Latinoamerica 2021. Among others, we are shortlisted in the category Virtual Sports Supplier. The application for this award has leaned heavily on the Virtual Penalty Shootout game.
To celebrate all those milestones, we decided to tell a different story about Virtual Penalty Shootout game. We will not talk about the RNG, betting markets, how-to-play but let people who created the game say a word or two about passion, excitement and dedication.
By Amela Dedić and Biljana Haljevac, Senior 3D Artists/Animators
The team
Great teams and great ideas are all about people and the working atmosphere. We at NSoft’s former 3D Games Team, now 3D Creative Team were lucky to found each and we just can’t start this story without saying thank-you to former and current team members: Jasmin Ličina – Senior 3D artist/Team lead, Dragan Grbavac – Senior 3D artist, Dejan Boras – Senior Unity dev, Zlatko Vukšić – Senior Unity dev, Adnan Mujkić – Unity Dev, Dragan Rezo – Senior 3D Artist, Stojan Cvitković – Senior 3D Artist, Toni Matej Radoš – Senior 3D Artist. In this story, “we” are Biljana Haljevac – Senior 3D Animator and Amela Dedić – Senior 3D Animator. We are the one who will take you behind the scene of Virtual Penalty Shootout.
Our Team’s job is to develop Virtual betting games such as Virtual greyhound and horse races, Motorcycle Speedway, etc.
New Project – Virtual Penalty Shootout
The virtual penalty shootout was the most challenging project we’ve worked on. It allowed us to learn and try new things such as Motion capture. Our first job was to figure out the best way for our small team to make such a big virtual game. The biggest challenge was the animation process. We needed a large number of highly realistic animations, and the best solution for that problem was a Motion Capture system. Our choice was a company from Sweden named Rokoko and their WiFi motion capture suit – The Smartsuit Pro.
After we placed our order for the suit, the waiting time was used to go “back to school” and research making of other elements of the game such as character and venue design and creation, MoCap animation recording and cleanup, new software, and game rules. Our best friends were Pluralsight and LinkedIn Learning.
The Arrival- Smartsuit Pro is in the town
The arrival of the Smartsuit Pro was the most joyful occasion. Also, the day when our colleague Toni officially became the resident MoCap test talent.
Since our open office was not suited for a proper MoCap test, our first pick was local park. Awesome place, beautiful weather, but just one problem: electricity was really hard to find. A better-suited place was found for proper test and future motion capture sessions. The Local Futsal field had everything we needed.
MoCap Time!
Following initial tests, we felt confident enough to start official motion capture sessions. The first step was planning and creating MoCap sheets for each motion capture session.
Our motion capture crew was small but efficient: Toni Matej Radoš – Test talent & Talent Manager, Biljana Haljevac – Reference Cameras and Amela Dedić – Rokoko Studio, MoCap Sheet. And our Talents, real-life football players, who without this would not be possible: Fedja Kulenić (goalkeeper) and Ivan Arapović (player).
Since we have only one suit, Goalkeeper and Player animations were recorded separately. Because of that, we had to be very careful during the planning process so the respective animations could match. We were a bit worried about the Goalkeeper’s recording sessions, taking into consideration the nature of football goalkeeping movements. To make everything easier we relocated Goalkeeper’s MoCap sessions to the local Judo club with a soft tatami mat surface. We had 3 recording sessions and each was 3 hours long. That gave us 137 raw animations. We were aware that not every MoCap take will be successful or 100% accurate, we made sure that every take was also recorded with our reference cameras.
Animation Cleanup
The entire process of cleanup was done in Maya and Motionbuilder using the HumanIK system. Most of the work was root motion corrections, foot slides, and arms fixes. The final part of the cleanup was merging the animations of Player and Goalkeeper into one take and making sure that the timing fits perfectly for each take.
The ball movement was a mix of keyframed animation and Unity physics.
Visuals & Final Render
Cleanup done. Next: Dressing up. The entire time of animation cleanup our player and goalkeeper rigs were dressed in nothing but their birthday suit. That caused a lot of funny looks from our other coworkers. But fear not! Our 3D artist Dragan Rezo was on the task of dressing them up for their final render.
Visuals & Final Render
Cleanup done. Next: Dressing up. The entire time of animation cleanup our player and goalkeeper rigs were dressed in nothing but their birthday suit. That caused a lot of funny looks from our other coworkers. But fear not! Our 3D artist Dragan Rezo was on the task of dressing them up for their final render.
Every visual element of the game can be easily changed. Character appearance, jerseys, crowd, banners. All this can be altered according to the client’s requirements. We had a test client request just to see how much time would be needed for all the changes and rendering.
- Lions on background video banners
- Goalkeeper jersey with leopard pattern and panther head as front logo
- Penalty taker with a red jersey and white sun on blue background (Taiwanese flag) as a front logo. Number 88 on the back and name “Tigers” above it
- Additional but not requested, all resolve screens translated to mandarin
Final words
Almost nobody was injured during the making of the game. Our Goalkeeper had some bruises from the suit’s sensors, and we almost had a heart attack when our suit had a minor malfunction.
All jokes aside, our small team is very proud to have managed to complete such a large project, learn a bunch of new things in the process, and use Motion capture technology. It was an awesome experience from start to finish.
In the end, we would like you to take a look at our little video presentation of the Motion capture animation process.
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Gambling in the USA
BMM INNOVATION GROUP BRINGS THE WORLD TOUR TO SBC SUMMIT AMERICAS JUNE 9-11 IN FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA
BMM Innovation Group (“BMM”, “BIG Group”, or “BIG”), a global technology company providing compliance testing, cybersecurity, and training solutions for the regulated global gaming industry, today announced its participation in the SBC Summit Americas 2026 June 9-11 at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
BIG will exhibit in Booth No. 730, where the Company will showcase its leading testing, certification, cybersecurity, and training solutions for North America and Latin America.
In Latin America, BMM plays a leading role in gaming testing and certification, with offices in Argentina, Brazil, and Peru. In North America, the Company supports the growing iGaming and sports betting market with its full portfolio of testing, certification, cybersecurity, and compliance-grade training solutions.
Representing BIG’s global brands, BMM Testlabs, BIG Cyber, and RG24seven Virtual Training, the team will feature multilingual business development experts speaking English, Spanish, and Portuguese to support suppliers, operators, and regulators across the Americas.
Attendees visiting the Company’s Booth No. 730 can learn more about BMM’s expert testing and certification services, cybersecurity solutions, and compliance-grade virtual training designed to help gaming companies launch faster, stay secure, and meet regulatory requirements across global markets.
BMM’s International iGaming Leader, María Romero de Alba, said, “SBC Summit Americas is one of the most important gatherings for the gaming industry across North and Latin America, and we’re excited to bring the BMM World Tour to Fort Lauderdale. As iGaming continues to grow across the region, BMM is helping suppliers expand into new markets with trusted compliance, cybersecurity, and training solutions.”
BMM Innovation Group has also been shortlisted for “Compliance Solution of the Year” at the SBC Awards Americas 2026, which will be held June 10 in conjunction with the conference.
To book a meeting with the BIG team at SBC Summit Americas 2026, visit BMM World Tour.
The post BMM INNOVATION GROUP BRINGS THE WORLD TOUR TO SBC SUMMIT AMERICAS JUNE 9-11 IN FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Brazil
Vitor Paulin ends cycle at Luck.bet with data-driven transformation, new website, and new campaign featuring Caio Castro as legacy
Vitor Paulin ends cycle at Luck.bet with data-driven transformation, new website, and new campaign featuring Caio Castro as legacy.
The executive leaves the operator as of June 1 after leading the structuring of a team of more than 40 professionals and delivering the company’s highest results in Turnover and GGR.
Vitor Paulin, Chief Marketing & Growth Officer (CMGO) at Luck.bet, is ending his cycle at the operator as of June 1, 2026. During his tenure leading the company’s marketing operations, the executive drove a complete transformation that integrated Brand, Performance and Media, Affiliates, Influencers, CRM, PR, Product, and BI/Analytics into a single customer journey — Acquisition, Retention, Monetization, and Recovery.
The results were significant throughout his entire period at the company, with a marked acceleration in the second half of 2025 when he implemented the data-driven methodology: +54% Turnover, +49% GGR, +26% monthly active users, +22% average ticket size, +22% First Time Deposit (FTD), and +16% conversion rate from Registration to FTD.
Vitor leaves Luck.bet with three structural deliverables to the company: the completion of a data-driven culture implementation, a new operator website, the new brand campaign featuring Caio Castro — produced under his leadership and scheduled to launch in the coming weeks — and a new multidisciplinary team of more than 40 professionals structured in squads and operating under a data-driven culture focused on performance and customer-centricity.
“Throughout my time at Luck.bet, we led a complete marketing transformation. In the second half of 2025, with the data-driven methodology fully in place, we achieved +54% Turnover, +49% GGR, +26% monthly active users, and +22% average ticket size. It was a collective effort supported by a multidisciplinary team of more than 40 professionals, including new hires.
I thank Ivan Dutra and the entire Luck.bet team for the partnership and trust throughout this cycle,” said Vitor Paulin, former CMGO of Luck.bet.
Reflecting on his legacy at the operator, the executive highlights the integration between departments:
“The biggest legacy is structural: we transformed the operation into a data-driven marketing machine focused on results, integrating Brand, Performance, Affiliates, Influencers, CRM, PR, Product, and BI/Analytics into a single journey — Acquisition, Retention, Monetization, and Recovery.
I leave with the migration to the new Luck.bet website completed, the upcoming campaign featuring Caio Castro ready to go live in the coming weeks, and a team of more than 40 professionals consolidated and operating. The house is organized for the next cycles,” he added.
Regarding next steps, the executive plans a short break for strategic reflection before starting a new cycle: “I will take a short window for perspective before the next executive cycle.
In the coming weeks I will be open to conversations with market leaders — my main focus remains iGaming, with a natural extension into companies born digital such as fintechs, retail-techs, e-commerce, and the new economy in regulated markets in Brazil, Latin America, and Europe.
And who knows, I may also venture into entrepreneurship — I have no shortage of ideas for new products!” he concluded.
The post Vitor Paulin ends cycle at Luck.bet with data-driven transformation, new website, and new campaign featuring Caio Castro as legacy appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
AGS
AGS celebrates 10 straight years as a best and brightest company to work for in the nation
For the 10th consecutive year, global gaming supplier AGS announced it has been named one of the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® in the Nation.
Presented by the National Association for Business Resources (NABR), the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For awards are not pay-to-play. Instead they are based on an independent, research-driven assessment of company practices and employee survey results.
Ten straight years places AGS in rare company by any measure; in gaming, it’s unprecedented.
No other gaming manufacturer has been recognized in the program or been awarded this designation, making this recognition a standout achievement for the team and the industry.
“Ten years of this honor is a testament not to us as a company, but to the remarkable individuals who power everything we do,” said David Lopez, President and Chief Executive Officer of AGS.
“We’ve built something truly special here – a people-first culture of long-term excellence that I’m incredibly proud of and that continues to propel us forward.”
Companies are evaluated across a comprehensive set of criteria that reflect the employee experience.
These include compensation and benefits, engagement and retention, education and development, achievement and recognition, civility and inclusion, leadership, communication, community initiates and corporate responsibility, and overall workplace well-being.
AGS earned high marks for its focus on key areas such as benefits, communications and shared vision, civility and inclusion, and employee enrichment, engagement and retention – surpassing the Best and Brightest benchmark, which reflects the median score of other participating companies.
In 2026, only 19 other companies in the country reached the 10-year mark, and just 46 organizations in total have been recognized for more than 10 years.
“What makes this recognition meaningful is that it’s based on how our employees truly feel,” said Kim Nasuta, Senior Vice President of Human Resources at AGS.
“Ten years in a row speaks to the consistency of our values and how deeply embedded they are in how we hire, support, and grow our people.”
This milestone reflects a decade of AGS’ consistent, employee-first culture – an accomplishment that is difficult to sustain year after year.
Ten years through real change is even harder. In that stretch, AGS doubled its employee count and office footprint, tripled its game studios, and expanded from two countries to ten.
The company looked different almost every year. The culture didn’t.
AGS was also awarded the same honor in the Atlanta market, which reflects the local impact, while the national honor acknowledges AGS’ broader commitment to culture across its U.S. footprint, which includes offices and game studios in Las Vegas, Reno, Scottsdale, Austin, and Oklahoma City.
The Metro Atlanta offices – home to many of the company’s R&D, engineering, and operations teams – continues to be a foundation of the Company’s innovation and culture.
Additionally, AGS supports a vast network of remote sales and field service employees located near customer operations throughout the country – extending the Company’s culture of connection and performance beyond physical offices. AGS also has a strong global presence with teams located in eight countries outside of the U.S.
This latest recognition follows AGS also being named to the 2026 USA TODAY Top Workplaces USA list for a second year in a row, solidifying its position as a standout employer in the gaming industry and beyond.
The post AGS celebrates 10 straight years as a best and brightest company to work for in the nation appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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