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How NetEnt built an empire based on familiarity
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.
One of Brazil’s most iconic music exports, Alok, will headline the INFINITY Lisbon at SBC Summit, delivering his signature fusion of Brazilian rhythms and electronic dance music to the global event audience.
Set to raise the roof with an unforgettable fusion of lights and sound, the MEO Arena, home to SBC Summit’s ‘Super Stage’ during the day, will shift into high gear on September 18 as it transforms into the venue for the INFINITY Lisbon. Having hosted global icons like Beyoncé and The Weeknd, the arena promises an electrifying night designed to captivate the global gaming community.
Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and Founder of SBC, said: “The INFINITY is about blending high-level business networking with unforgettable experiences, and bringing someone of Alok’s caliber to the stage takes that to a whole new level. I’m proud that we’re able to deliver this kind of energy and entertainment to our attendees.”
Alok rose to global fame with his breakout hit ‘Hear Me Now’—now nearing 850 million streams on Spotify—and has since become a trailblazer in the Brazilian Bass genre. Ranked 4th in DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs for three consecutive years (2021–2023), he commands a massive global following with nearly 22 million monthly listeners on Spotify and 29 million Instagram followers.
In addition to headlining some of the world’s biggest festivals, including Tomorrowland, Ultra Music Festival, and Lollapalooza, Alok has collaborated with international stars such as Dua Lipa, Jason Derulo, and Ed Sheeran. His influence extends into gaming culture as well, with his inclusion as a playable character in the hit game Garena Free Fire.
Beyond the stage, Alok is a passionate philanthropist and the founder of the Alok Institute, which supports educational programs, environmental preservation, and social impact projects across Brazil.
He also champions the next generation of artists through his labels Controversia Records and UP Club Records—platforms dedicated to discovering, nurturing, and promoting emerging talent in the electronic music scene, both in Brazil and internationally.
With accolades such as Forbes Brazil’s 30 Most Influential Brazilians and Spotify’s Top 100 Global, Alok is the ideal artist to headline SBC’s second INFINITY experience, according to Sojmark.
“The INFINITY brand was born in Lisbon. It’s where we dared to try something different, hosting our first-ever EDM-style festival with massive names like Don Diablo, Miss Monique, and Darude. The energy that night was off the charts, and it confirmed what we already felt: we had created something truly special for the industry,” he said.
The INFINITY Lisbon is the grand finale of SBC Summit, the industry’s fastest-growing global event uniting 30,000 professionals across betting, gaming, payments, and affiliation. After making the move from Barcelona, Lisbon’s second edition is gearing up for an even bigger return this September 16-18.
Sojmark added: “Funny enough, Alok was originally set to headline the INFINITY Rio, but plans shifted—and now it feels even more right to have him take the stage in Lisbon, where this whole journey began. It’s going to be one hell of a night.”
Asked about his vision for the INFINITY brand, the SBC CEO said: “I see it as a thank-you to our community—a celebration for those who believe in SBC and the connections built at our events. Experiences like this strengthen those bonds. That’s the power of joy, and that’s the essence of The INFINITY brand.”
The INFINITY Lisbon is an exclusive experience reserved for VIP Event Pass holders. Secure yours now for just €400 and take advantage of a €200 early bird discount.
Operators and affiliates can apply for complimentary VIP Event Passes.
The post Global EDM Icon Alok to Lead the INFINITY Lisbon at SBC Summit appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The phrase “drive for show, putt for dough” is a long-standing mantra in golf that emphasises the importance of putting over driving – specifically driving distance – in winning golf tournaments. But is it true?
While the saying has a clear implication, modern data from professional golf paints a more complex picture. Using the Shots Gained (SG) metric we can compare different parts of a player’s game to see if there really is a formula for winning.
Driving test
Using shot data gained from datagolf.com we can compare the top players in the world (according to the Official World Golf Ranking) over the last 12 months.
Comparing “shots gained off the tee” with “shots gained putting” seems to turn the myth on its head – the top players gain a higher proportion of their shots off the tee than from putting. For players ranked in the Top 10, nearly 0.8 shots are gained from driving as opposed to around 0.3 for putting. Whilst the differential narrows as the players’ ranking decreases, for players ranked 90 – 100, driving still gains more than 0.2 shots more putting.
This ability to reliably gain strokes through driving gives top pros an edge, setting them up for better scoring opportunities throughout a tournament. Over a whole season, this advantage compounds and allows them to stay at the top of the leaderboards.
The long and the short
However, since “shots gained off the tee” includes par 4 and 5s, the metric is not necessarily just a measure of the importance of driving distance, but also a measure of accuracy. So, whilst driving matters, is it the distance or the trajectory that is most advantageous for winning tournaments?
Again, using the top ranked players, it appears that distance stands out as a key factor for success, with Top 10 players on average gaining nearly 10 yards per drive compared with those outside the Top 100 throughout the year. This extra yardage translates into shorter approaches and better chances to attack pins throughout the season.
These findings are corroborated by Mark Broadie in his 2014 book Every Shot Counts, where he shows that for professionals, an extra 20 yards of driving distance is worth about three-quarters of a stroke per round. Relatively speaking, for the rest of us amateur golfers, driving distance becomes even more important for scoring than driving accuracy.
Putt to the test
While driving distance provides the groundwork for long term success – and is a characteristic that all the Top 10 players seemingly must possess – it doesn’t necessarily “bust the myth” that putting is more important for winning tournaments. Indeed, looking more deeply into the metrics for the outcome of individual tournaments uncovers the fact that putting becomes more instrumental for who comes out on top.
If we look instead at the finish positions in PGA events over the last 12 months, rather than the World Ranking, putting comes to the fore. For players finishing first, putting gained an average of 1.2 shots versus a gain of 0.7 for driving. Even for players finishing 30th – 35th, putting is worth more than 0.4 of a shot on average compared to driving. The fact that top finishers in a given event typically post higher gains from putting rather than from driving underscores the vital role of putting during tournament play where players have to capitalize on scoring opportunities and avoid mistakes on the green to win.
The outcome
Fundamentally the relationship between driving and putting reveals a balanced formula for success. Driving creates opportunities and contributes to consistency while putting often decides who makes the best of those opportunities and ultimately wins on a given weekend. In a game of ever-increasing competition and precision, power and finesse must work together to elevate players to the pinnacle of the sport.
With all the attention on these extremes of golf, other aspects are often overlooked. Completing the same analyses and including shots gained for “approach” and “around the green” makes it clear that there is one area that consistently contributes to wins and ranking, making it arguably the most important aspect of a players golf game.
The post Masters Betting: Drive for Show, Putt for Dough appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Best Interactive Sportsbook Experience 2025
Digitain Wins Sportsbook Excellence Award at SiGMA Americas Awards
Digitain has been awarded the “Best Interactive Sportsbook Experience 2025” title at the SiGMA Americas Awards in São Paulo, Brazil, for its outstanding innovation and commitment to delivering advanced sports betting solutions.
Digitain, a leading provider of Sportsbook and iGaming solutions, has won in the “Best Interactive Sportsbook Experience 2025” category at the SiGMA Americas Awards. This prestigious recognition highlights Digitain’s relentless drive for innovation, excellence, and its ability to deliver state-of-the-art Sportsbook solutions to its partners.
The SiGMA Americas Awards took place on April 7 during the BiS SiGMA Americas event in São Paulo, Brazil. The awards celebrate the best and brightest companies, recognizing exceptional achievements, groundbreaking innovations, and significant contributions to the industry.
Iain Hutchison, Digitain’s Chief Revenue Officer, stated: “We are honored to receive this award, which marks our fifth major recognition this year. It’s a powerful validation of our commitment to innovation and the strength of the partnerships we’ve built.
At Digitain, we continuously strive to develop forward-thinking Sportsbook solutions that meet the evolving needs of our partners in a highly competitive global market. We remain focused on continuous improvement, ensuring that our partners have access to the best tools and solutions to drive their business forward.”
As Digitain continues its expansion across regulated markets, this award further strengthens its position as a trusted partner for operators seeking a competitive edge in the dynamic field of sports betting.
The post Digitain Wins Sportsbook Excellence Award at SiGMA Americas Awards appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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