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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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Betano partners Fundación Empate on adapted football program in Argentina

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Betano says it will fund weekly training for 192 athletes with Down syndrome and support the FUT21 National Tournament pathway ahead of October.

Betano has partnered with Fundación Empate to launch an adapted football-friendly tournament in Argentina, as part of the operator’s “Desafiá tus límites” (Challenge Your Limits) corporate responsibility programme.

The company said the partnership will support 192 athletes with Down syndrome by funding weekly practices, while also providing operational resources to strengthen training in the run-up to the FUT21 National Tournament in October. Fundación Empate describes FUT21 as Argentina’s main futsal competition for athletes with Down syndrome, bringing together delegations from across the country.

Germán Laborda, President of Fundación Empate, said: “For us, this support means much more than financial aid. It is a concrete opportunity for our players to keep growing, training, and showcasing all their talent. Having companies like Betano get involved in real inclusion helps bring visibility to the enormous effort and commitment of each member of our foundation.”

Alvaro Ferreres, Betano Country Manager for Argentina, added: “At Betano, we understand that social responsibility means getting truly involved and supporting the people behind every story. Supporting the players of Fundación Empate means proving that a company can be an ally that drives opportunities, inclusion, and development through sports.”

Beyond athlete funding, Betano said it will develop Teacher Training Workshops for Inclusive Sports aimed at more than 800 sports professionals, including coaches, physical education teachers and physiotherapists, as well as teams for athletes with Down Syndrome. The company positioned the initiative as part of its broader adapted sports activity under “Desafiá tus límites”, which it said also includes support for Argentina’s national blind football team, Los Murciélagos (The Bats).

The post Betano partners Fundación Empate on adapted football program in Argentina appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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PropellerAds says Social Traffic lifts game registrations 34.5% in Nigeria test

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In a seven-day Onclick campaign, Social Traffic delivered 23.3% of registrations from 17.3% of impressions, the company reports.

PropellerAds has published new user acquisition results from a seven-day game registration campaign in Nigeria, reporting that its “Social Traffic” segment outperformed overall traffic on registrations and revenue efficiency.

According to the company, Social Traffic represented 17.3% of total impressions (20,076 of 115,671) but delivered 23.3% of registrations (199 of 853) and 24.5% of revenue ($96.06 of $392.46). Registrations per 1,000 impressions rose to 9.91 for Social Traffic versus 7.37 campaign-wide, a 34.5% increase. Revenue per 1,000 impressions (RPM) increased to $4.78 versus $3.39, up 41%.

Social Traffic is a targeting subtype within PropellerAds’ Onclick/Popunder format. When enabled on the company’s Self-Service Platform (SSP), ads are served only in placements where a user arrived from a social network such as Facebook or Instagram immediately before landing on the publisher’s page.

PropellerAds attributed the performance gap to browsing context and user intent, arguing that users coming from social platforms are more likely to complete multi-step actions such as registration. Petros Sofroniou, Account Strategist at PropellerAds, said: “In highly competitive user acquisition environments, traffic quality is increasingly critical. In practice, Social Traffic helps advertisers reach users who are more engaged and willing to take action, thereby improving registration performance in campaigns.”

The company positioned the results against what it described as a rapidly expanding Nigerian games market, citing estimates of a $3.5 billion market with roughly 60 million active users and 61% year-over-year growth. PropellerAds said it recommends testing Social Traffic as a dedicated segment and, where results hold, splitting it into a separate campaign for clearer optimization signals; it also suggested using roughly 20× target CPA as a test budget and running tests for 36–48 hours, while noting performance can vary by market and product.

The post PropellerAds says Social Traffic lifts game registrations 34.5% in Nigeria test appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Betnacional realiza o maior São João brasileiro fora do Brasil em Miami

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Créditos: Giovanna Shirassu/CriaMov

Marca reuniu mais de mil convidados entre ex-atletas, influenciadores e artistas para celebração inspirada em uma das tradições culturais mais populares do país, durante o principal momento do futebol internacional em 2026 

O maior São João brasileiro realizado fora do Brasil tomou conta de Miami na última terça-feira (23). Promovido pela Betnacional e organizado pela AMG, agência especializada em posicionar grandes marcas brasileiras nos Estados Unidos, reuniu mais de mil convidados e levou uma das manifestações culturais mais populares do país para os Estados Unidos justamente no período em que a cidade concentra milhares de brasileiros acompanhando o principal momento do futebol mundial.

Realizado no Jóia Beach Club, o São João Betnacional transformou o espaço em um grande arraial à beira-mar, reunindo música, gastronomia típica, experiências interativas e referências às tradições juninas celebradas em todas as regiões do Brasil. A proposta foi transportar para Miami a atmosfera de uma das festas mais emblemáticas da cultura brasileira e proporcionar aos convidados uma experiência de conexão com suas origens mesmo longe de casa.

“Tem coisa mais brasileira do que isso? De um lado, milhares de pessoas reunidas para viver a emoção de acompanhar a Seleção. Do outro, o São João acontecendo por todo o país. A gente quis trazer essas duas paixões para o mesmo lugar. E não de qualquer jeito. Fizemos questão de construir um São João de verdade, com respeito às tradições, à música, à cultura e às pessoas que fazem essa festa ser tão especial. Ter o Movimento Verde e Amarelo com a gente tornou tudo ainda mais simbólico. Foi uma noite para celebrar o Brasil em sua essência”, afirma Jorge Peixoto, Head de Brand Experience da Betnacional.

E o encontro entre essas paixões também se refletiu no público presente. O evento reuniu personalidades brasileiras, influenciadores, atletas, artistas e convidados especiais, que vem acompanhando a trajetória da seleção nos Estados Unidos.

Tradição brasileira em solo americano

A autenticidade da experiência também esteve presente nas atrações da noite. Entre os destaques da programação estavam a apresentação da quadrilha junina e os shows da cantora Gabi Lacombe, artista radicada nos Estados Unidos que levou ao evento o tradicional forró pé de serra, e do músico Rafa Mesquita, com um repertório marcado pela música brasileira contemporânea. Com apresentações cheias de energia e identidade, os artistas ajudaram a transportar para Miami o clima característico do São João brasileiro.

The post Betnacional realiza o maior São João brasileiro fora do Brasil em Miami appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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