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How NetEnt built an empire based on familiarity

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Initially founded as Net Entertainment in 1996, NetEnt is one of iGaming’s greatest and most recognisable online slot developers, a company that’s universally known for having a truly unbeatable catalogue of online slots.

But how did this gargantuan Swedish development studio grow in prominence over the years, casting an imposing shadow over the rest of the industry? The short answer, brand power!

That being said, we’re not exactly talking about NetEnt’s brand power here… We’re talking about the fact that NetEnt has traditionally utilised other recognised brands to boost their reputation within the world of iGaming.

In the beginning – NetEnt signs collaborative deal with Universal

NetEnt kick-started this incredibly smart strategy in 2010 when they entered into a landmark multi-year licensing agreement with Universal, the film studio behind some of Hollywood’s greatest movies and television shows.

The first big-name IP that NetEnt developed into an online slot was none other than Mr. Tony Montana himself, the notorious drug lord Scarface. Looking back it’s quite understandable why NetEnt decided to go with an R-rated character.

Not only is Tony Montana all about big money, but it’s much easier to pair a classic bad boy with a form of entertainment such as online slots that have long been looked upon as risqué.

Once it was quite apparent that NetEnt had discovered a winning strategy they continued to sign deals with other major film and television studios such as Colombia Pictures, 20th Century Fox and Sony Entertainment to get access to some of the world’s biggest brands.

These brand partnerships gave NetEnt a competitive edge over other studios who were themselves releasing run-of-the-mill online slots themed around ancient Egypt, Las Vegas and Ireland… Nothing particularly exciting when compared to NetEnt’s slots that are based on hit movies and television shows.

Aggressive expansion – NetEnt’s television and movie-themed slots arrive at casinos across the internet

After the success of Scarface, NetEnt decided to stick with creating branded online slots that feature characters and IP that wouldn’t be ‘tarnished’ by being made into an online slot game. Whether this was a decision made by movie and television executives, or NetEnt themselves remains to be seen… Either way, it worked!

Their next hit games were South Park and Creature from the Black Lagoon. Naturally, South Park featured all of the same rude and crude humour the famous animated show is known for, and as a result, it pulled in a whole host of players (old and new) that were interested in this new and unique crossover.

The same can be said for Creature from the Black Lagoon, a slot based on the unsettling 1954 horror movie of the same name. Despite the fact that not too many players will vividly remember the black and white film, players still flocked to this highly volatile slot.

In the months and subsequent years that followed NetEnt released a huge number of branded TV/movie-themed slots that pulled in huge audiences, these include: South Park: Reel Chaos, The Invisible Man, Frankenstein, Dracula, Universal Monsters: The Phantom’s Curse, Emojiplanet, Planet of the Apes and Conan.

NetEnt also used their successful partnership with Universal to muscle in on the world of music as part of the developers 20th-anniversary celebrations, they got their hands on the IP for some of the world’s biggest rock ‘n’ roll stars Guns N’ Roses, Motörhead and Jimi Hendrix.

Having seriously upped their game utilising big-name brands, NetEnt continued to pull out all the stops to wow audiences with new online slots based on iconic people, tv shows and movies.

First came Jumanji Video Slot, then Narcos (based on the hit Netflix series), followed by Street Fighter II: The World Warrior Slot and most recently Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen Video Slot.

Building for the future – NetEnt supplement their success by creating their own brand icons

Despite having seen unprecedented success due to their branded slots, credit still must be given to their army of creatives as they’re also responsible for inventing some iconic brands of their own that have gone on to spawn multiple games and feature heavily in casino lobbies.

If you ask anyone today to name a handful of the most recognisable online slot games, odds are they’ll mention NetEnt classics such as Starburst, Gonzo’s Quest, Mega Fortune and Twin Spin. All of these games have spawned popular sequels and are often used as part of casino welcome bonuses due to how popular they are with players around the world.

NetEnt seems to be one of the very few successful online slot developers that have found the perfect balance between creating timeless classics of their own and utilising big-name brands from outside the world of iGaming to help grow their reputation.

Blueprint Gaming and Play’n GO are the only two studios that can hold a candle to NetEnt, and it’s hard to say whether any other developers will get remotely close to any of them at this point. Ultimately, the costs and intricacies involved in licensing are just far too great for up and coming developers to front.

Looking back, it’s clear to see that NetEnt took a serious risk in signing expensive deals with Hollywood studios, but it’s one that paid off tenfold. NetEnt is without a doubt the biggest name in online slots, and has been for the last decade. 

We believe that their success is entirely down to the fact they’ve played host to the biggest names and therefore gained the attention of the biggest casinos, seeing their games front and centre of slot lobbies all over the world.

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Blueprint Gaming upgrades Super Graphics Upside Down for Lottomart exclusive

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The updated slot launches on Lottomart for UK players on 23rd July with a new bonus wheel and higher max win.

Blueprint Gaming is releasing an upgraded version of Super Graphics Upside Down exclusively on Lottomart from 23rd July, giving Lottomart’s UK players early access to the title.

Originally launched in 2021, Super Graphics Upside Down is being re-released with a new bonus wheel feature and an increased max win potential, rising from 250X to 3000X, according to the companies.

Chris Ruddock, Commercial Director at Lottomart, said:

“Securing an early release exclusive on the new Super Graphics Upside Down is another exciting milestone for Lottomart. Blueprint Gaming has upgraded a fantastic game with engaging new features and bigger win potential, and we’re delighted to offer this game exclusively to our UK players.”

Elliott Kyne, Account Manager at Blueprint Gaming, said:

“We’re delighted to support Lottomart with the exclusive UK launch of Super Graphics Upside Down. It’s also pleasing to see our partnership continue to go from strength to strength, and Lottomart’s impressive growth and UK focus has made them a match made in heaven for Blueprint’s content. We’re SUPER excited to bring this latest release to their players.”

The companies said the launch is part of their ongoing partnership, with Blueprint Gaming providing exclusive content as Lottomart expands its UK presence.

The post Blueprint Gaming upgrades Super Graphics Upside Down for Lottomart exclusive appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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AppsFlyer: UK app activity spikes on every goal during England knockout games

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Data tracks the semi-final loss to Argentina and third-place win over France, showing rising spend even on goals against England.

AppsFlyer on July 22, 2026 published new UK app activity data tied to England’s knockout-stage matches in 2026’s biggest global football tournament: a 1-2 semi-final loss to Argentina and a 6-4 win over France in the third-place match.

The company said the UK stood out in its seven-market study as the only market to show app activity spikes in response to its own team scoring during the knockout stage. “England fans lived two entirely different matches on their phones within a week. In the semi-final, activity spiked when England scored, the only time we saw a market react to its own team’s goal in the knockout stage, but the mood shifted fast once Argentina hit back, with fans clearly cooling as the game slipped away. In the third-place match, mobile surged and dipped with every goal in a high-scoring game, keeping engagement elevated throughout. Same fans, same phones, two completely different stories,” said Lex Nakad, GM, EMEA West, AppsFlyer.

AppsFlyer reported that Gordon’s opener in the semi-final drove app activity 21% above normal. Engagement peaked at half-time at 47% above normal, then Argentina’s equalizer triggered a 19% spike. By the time Argentina scored a stoppage-time winner, the reaction had dropped to 6%, which AppsFlyer said indicated deflating interest as the match turned.

In the third-place match, AppsFlyer said activity “surged and dipped with every goal” throughout the ten-goal game, including a 37% spike at the hydration break and a 25% lift “across the goals,” which it attributed to the volume of match action rather than a single moment.

On monetisation, AppsFlyer said purchases increased in both matches: up 31% in the semi-final and 59% in the third-place match. Per-app spend peaked at half-time (19%) in the semi-final and spiked again on Argentina’s late goals (18% to 20% on the equalizer, and 15% on the winner). Streaming was the top-performing category, up 183%. The company also said food delivery behaviour diverged by kickoff time, with activity up 11% pre-kickoff and peaking at 17% at half-time for the 8pm semi-final, but dropping 39% during the 10pm third-place match.

AppsFlyer said the analysis spans seven markets (US, Mexico, Canada, UK, France, Spain, Argentina) and 18 app categories, comparing match-day activity with a matched regular-day baseline at the same local-clock minute. The company noted the underlying app-market data is the United Kingdom (not an “England-only” cut), and that it is not quoting revenue or order size due to outliers.

The post AppsFlyer: UK app activity spikes on every goal during England knockout games appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Contributors Program

Gamblers Connect names Gali Hartuv as seventh 2026 Contributors Program voice

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The Playa strategic advisor will publish on VIP operations, segmentation and retention, starting with an anonymous VIP Operations Survey 2026.

Gamblers Connect has confirmed Gali Hartuv, Strategic Advisor at The Playa, as the seventh voice to join its 2026 Contributors Program.

The independent B2B iGaming media platform said the programme will reveal one senior industry voice per month throughout 2026, with contributors publishing under the Gamblers Connect Contributor Editorial Code.

Gamblers Connect said Hartuv has more than 15 years’ experience in VIP management, including designing and optimising VIP programmes across more than 50 operator brands, and training “hundreds of professionals” now working in VIP roles across the industry.

Hartuv will publish across four areas: building VIP programmes that drive long-term value; AI-powered VIP identification and player segmentation; hyper-personalisation and retention strategy; and scaling VIP operations across different markets and cultures. His first contribution is a VIP Operations Survey 2026, an anonymous survey intended to benchmark how VIP teams work across iGaming operators, including portfolio sizing, tools, qualification thresholds, workflow standards and where time is spent during the week.

Partnerships and Operations Lead, Luka Dimitrijevic, said: “VIP management is where a great deal of an operator’s value is won or lost, and very few people can speak to it with Gali’s depth. He has spent his career turning high value player relationships into a discipline rather than guesswork, and he is refreshingly candid about what works and what does not. Through the Contributors Program he will share practical insight on VIP strategy, retention, and the smart use of AI, with content grounded in real results rather than recycled best practices.”

The post Gamblers Connect names Gali Hartuv as seventh 2026 Contributors Program voice appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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