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Lack of governance of football friendly (non-competitive) matches exploited by match-fixers
Football friendly matches are wide open for match-fixing due to a lack of regulation according to new research, with more than 250 friendlies involving European clubs showing signs of suspicious activity during 2016-20. The results come from a three-year study funded by the European Commission’s Erasmus+ programme and led by the University of Nicosia Research Foundation.
A survey of 700 players in Cyprus, Greece and Malta conducted by the project also found that:
- More than a quarter of players (26.5%) had played in a club friendly they suspected had been manipulated.
- More than a quarter (26.3%) of approaches to fix a friendly match were made by club officials and 15% by other players.
- Club officials were the instigators in 19% of approaches to manipulate friendlies and were the main beneficiaries in 26.3% of approaches.
The research study found that international and national football federations have been slow to establish where responsibility lies for friendlies, particularly when clubs from different countries are involved in non-competitive matches played in a third country. Some European football federations do not track where clubs go on pre-season and mid-winter tours.
This lack of sporting governance and regulation, combined with the availability of these games on betting markets around the world, notably with poorly or unregulated betting operators in jurisdictions such as Curaçao and the Philippines, who may themselves have links to criminality, leaves these games at greater risk of potential exploitation by match-fixers.
To address this, the report, Combating Match Fixing in Club Football Non-Competitive Friendlies, proposes:
- That UEFA enforces regulation of friendlies on all 55 member associations
- That match agents are barred from owning or controlling clubs, just as players agents are
- The formation of a body to represent match agents in future negotiations with international bodies such as FIFA and UEFA on regulation
- Establishing data standards that prevent the sale of live match data to poorly and unregulated betting operators
Unlike competitive matches, which are usually covered by agreements between data companies and competition organisers, friendlies are a free-for-all.
Data from these games is being collected and sold to poorly and unregulated betting operators, which do not report signs of suspicious activity, which is often a licensing requirement for well-regulated operators. This sporting event data collation and sale for betting does not currently fall within the scope of regulation, leaving a potential ‘blind spot’ in terms of market and consumer protection.
Lead investigator, Professor Nicos Kartakoullis, President of the Council, University of Nicosia, comments:
“The combination of a lack of regulation, oversight and information makes these matches easier to manipulate than competitive matches.
“This research shows that in terms of governance, friendly matches need to be considered just like competitive matches.
“With the data for 4,000 friendly matches being offered for betting purposes around the world each year, it is also vital that the betting companies receiving that data are operating from well-regulated jurisdictions and report suspicious betting to protect the integrity of those events.”
The research was led by the University of Nicosia Research Foundation and included the International Betting Integrity Association, EU Athletes, CIES and the football players unions of Cyprus, Greece and Malta as project partners.
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ELA Games
Glory & Honour Await the Strongest Gladiators in ELA Games’ Newest Game, Roman Fortune
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All reels lead to Rome in ELA Games’ newest atmospheric and bold slot.
ELA Games creates an immersive adventure in its latest title, Roman Fortune. Players battle for glory and honour in the heart of ancient Rome, where every spin carries the might of an empire.
Roman Fortune takes place in a roaring Colosseum under Caesar’s watchful eye, where fortunes wait for the victors. Designed with ELA Games’ signature visual richness and refined gameplay, this new title balances entertaining gaming experiences with operator-focused value, building on previous successes, such as Piñatas Festival.
Caesar’s Riches: Features that Favour the Brave
Roman Fortune offers several features that build excitement and depth for the player, ensuring action on every spin.
- Scatter Symbols: Collect Scatters to earn Free Spins — the more you collect, the greater the prize.
- Caesar Wilds: At any moment, a Caesar Wild may appear to spread wealth across the reels or even trigger the Hold & Win Bonus.
- Hold & Win Bonus: In this feature, players encounter Red, Blue, and Green Coins, each with their own imperial strengths. Red Coins multiply prizes, Blue Coins unlock Jackpots, and Green Coins collect all visible values for greater wins.
Gladiators can activate all of these features at once, where glory and honour will rain down on the victor.
An Experience Built for Impact
Just like the actual intense clashes that occurred in the Colosseum in ancient Rome, Roman Fortune is crafted for players who enjoy an atmospheric experience with excitement, tension, and memorable moments.
The game’s 95.99% RTP and high volatility ensure that even the base game has plenty of action. Roman Fortune embodies ELA Games’ game creation philosophy, where creativity and strategic development work together to deliver a product that delivers sustained engagement and strong performance for its partners
Marharyta Yerina, Managing Director of ELA Games, commented on the release, “Roman Fortune is a visually forward title that captivates players’ imaginations with thrilling battles in an ancient arena. Every detail exists to create a world players can step into and instantly feel connected to. The game’s bold theme, supported by strategic mechanics and layers of atmosphere, shows what our team does best: creating experiences players enjoy while providing value for our partners.”
Enter the Arena For Eternal Glory
Step into the Colosseum and fight for your place in history.
The post Glory & Honour Await the Strongest Gladiators in ELA Games’ Newest Game, Roman Fortune appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Dinos Doxiadis Head of Sportsbook Business at GR8 Tech
GR8 Tech Expands Virtual Sports Portfolio with New Basketball Offering, Deepens Localization Strategy
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GR8 Tech has expanded the virtual sports lineup within its ULTIM8 Sportsbook with a new range of virtual basketball, continuing a year of investment in the category that has already seen the addition of virtual horse racing and virtual cricket roulette—a unique format blending casino mechanics with the sport of cricket.
The expansion builds on GR8 Tech’s established strength in cricket, where the company developed one of the industry’s most comprehensive betting lines. Virtual cricket was designed to fill gaps between real-world tournaments, giving operators a way to maintain player engagement year-round—a model now being applied to basketball for markets where the sport dominates.
This content independence stems directly from GR8 Tech’s in-house trading capabilities.
“One of the things that GR8 Tech stands out for is the quality of the trading and the fact that we perform extremely well in very difficult environments, like Asia,” said Dinos Doxiadis, Head of Sportsbook Business at GR8 Tech. “Even our clients’ players in these challenging markets don’t behave like typical players in ‘easier’ regions such as Latin America, we still manage to achieve some of the highest margins there.”
That trading foundation enables GR8 Tech to build and localize content for specific markets rather than relying solely on third-party providers.
“We already have a very strong sportsbook, and now we’re scaling our processes and output capabilities to take it even further,” Doxiadis explains. “We’re improving the product and creating the conditions to localize very quickly and offer a truly localized experience across the world.”
GR8 Tech is also investing in infrastructure to give operators greater control over how they deploy this content.
“The goal is to put even more power into the hands of our operators so they can tailor the product exactly as they want. As we move forward with new data and content agreements, they’ll gain an even greater ability to adapt the sportsbook to their specific needs—on top of what they can already do today.”
Personalization is central to that roadmap. “We have delivered quite a few recommendation models, and right now we can serve custom content on a user level, and we will continue working in this direction,” said Doxiadis. “We have a very good infrastructure and baseline to invest in.”
The post GR8 Tech Expands Virtual Sports Portfolio with New Basketball Offering, Deepens Localization Strategy appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Gaming
Make-A-Wish® and Lords Mobile Unite This Thanksgiving Season to Bring Hope to Children Through Mobile Charity Event
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From November 26-30, Lords Mobile players worldwide can help grant life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses through a global in-game charity challenge.
Make-A-Wish®, the world’s leading wish-granting organization, is delighted to announce a special collaboration with IGG, the global developer and publisher of hit mobile titles.
This Thanksgiving season, the two organizations are coming together to transform the spirit of gratitude into global impact through a community charity challenge inside Lords Mobile.
From November 26 to 30, 2025, players from around the world will unite across their respective Kingdoms to combine play with purpose. By completing five days of in-game quests and collecting 30 event points, players can unlock the exclusive “Wish Upon a Star” Decoration – a special symbol of hope within the Lords Mobile world.
Once 50,000 players across the global server have claimed the Wish Upon a Star Decoration, IGG will donate $50,000 USD to Make-A-Wish to help grant life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. The donation will support wishes in the USA, Indonesia, Brazil, Germany, Singapore, and Korea.
Players who wish to enhance their event experience can also purchase four in-game packs priced at USD 4.99 or above to unlock premium rewards such as Mystic Carpets, Royal Coins, and more.
April Stallings, Charitable Gaming and Creators Community Manager at Make-A-Wish International said:
“Thanksgiving is a time for reflection, generosity, and connection. We’re deeply grateful to IGG and the global Lords Mobile community for harnessing their passion for play to help make life-changing wishes come true. Together, we’re turning the power of gaming into the power of hope.”
As players unite to achieve their community goals, Make-A-Wish will highlight real wish stories from participating countries, connecting the in-game achievements to the life-changing impact they help create.
Together, IGG and Make-A-Wish are showing the power of the gaming community to make a difference.
The post Make-A-Wish® and Lords Mobile Unite This Thanksgiving Season to Bring Hope to Children Through Mobile Charity Event appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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