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Sergio Aguero: The history of the FA Cup meant it was always a special competition to play in

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Stake’s global representative, Sergio Aguero, reveals his memories of playing in the FA Cup, why it was a special competition for him to win, how Pep Guardiola will keep his players motivated against Peterborough in their fifth round tie, and what this side could achieve this season.

The FA Cup has an amazing history and I am proud to have won the competition 

The FA Cup was always one of my favourite competitions to play in because of its history and because of the many famous players and teams to have won it.

When I was living in Spain and here in Argentina, everyone knew about the competition and its history.

We came so close to winning the FA Cup in 2013 but were beaten by Wigan in the final. It was hard for us because we had a very good team, Carlos Tevez, Yaya Toure, David Silva, Vincent Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta all started that game.

But we were all very new to the club and it was only the start of our journey. I think we did okay in the end!

We were back at Wembley for my second FA Cup final in 2019 and that day went much better for us when we beat Watford.

We were so happy to win it and to be a part of FA Cup history was a very proud moment for me.

The tradition of the FA Cup is one of my favourite things about the competition, it was fun to meet Prince William to get my medal after the game and the celebrations with the fans afterwards was so special.

Everyone says that the FA Cup is magical and it is true, it was always really fun to play in and you felt proud to represent your team in the competition.

The day we played in the FA Cup was

always special because there was so much excitement in the team and the fans were always extra happy to see us play well.

Playing teams in lower divisions in the FA Cup is harder than you think, so Pep will have the City players focused ahead of the Peterborough match 

Not many people know how hard it is to play in the FA Cup. In England, you play a lot of matches and a lot of competitions, but as a player, it’s really exciting because you have the chance to try and win lots of different competitions, and winning finals is something that you are always proud of as a footballer, which means every game is important.

To get to the final you have to play against lots of different teams and some new ones that you might not have ever played against before. Playing against new teams and new players and at new stadiums is always hard because you don’t know 100% what you’re going to be playing against. We watch the teams in the Premier League and Champions League a lot and we all have friends and international teammates that play for them, but when you draw a team in the FA Cup that you don’t regularly get to play against or know too much about, it’s always a difficult experience.

When we played against a new team or a side in a different division, we were always expected to win, but it’s not as easy as that. Every manager always made sure the preparation for an FA Cup game was exactly the same. The training was the same, we worked hard on our jobs for the match and we went into the game knowing what we had to do, it made no difference if it was the final or first round.

This is exactly what Pep Guardiola will be doing with the team this week. Pep is a winner and he hates to lose, you don’t win the number of trophies he has without this attitude. He will be making sure the Manchester City players are ready for the game against Peterborough in the same way as if it was any other match.

There’s added pressure on Manchester City to win in the FA Cup and Peterborough will look to familiar tactics to beat them 

When you are the team in a higher league and you have to travel to a team in a league below you it is difficult because the crowd are always so excited that their team might cause an upset and get to beat a Premier League team! When you get to the ground you are quickly aware that everyone really wants you to lose – the fans let you know when you arrive. It’s not just the

home crowd that are extra excited to see you lose, but it is everyone watching at home also, we know this and try not to think about it and focus on our job for the day.

We played against Wigan, again, in 2018 in the Cup at their stadium and it was one of the hardest matches. They defended so well and frustrated us, we had all of the possession and so many chances, but they scored late and knocked us out, that’s how it is in knockout football. If Peterborough think that they can win then they should watch that game and do the same as Wigan did.

Peterborough will be tough for Manchester City because the team has just travelled to Portugal in the Champions League, had a tough game against Tottenham, then they’ll play away in the Premier League threes days before the match and then they have to play Manchester United after the FA Cup game, but the team has so many good players in every position and everyone is used to this way of playing now.

Manchester City are hungry to win every competition 

At Manchester City, we wanted to win everything, every match and every trophy, and that will always be the case at the club now. I think Manchester City are in a great place to win the Premier League again, they also have a good chance in the FA Cup and in the Champions League too, but this might be competitive, but I think it is possible that they win all three. Winning a treble like this would be a huge achievement and they have a team and manager that can do it this season.

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Aglaja Geta

“Stories”, a new feature design to elevate sportsbook engagement and promotional visibility from BETBY

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BETBY, the leading sportsbook provider, has announced the launch of Stories, a new feature designed to transform how operators present promotions and key events to their players.

Inspired by the widely adopted Stories format seen across social media platforms, the feature introduces a familiar, intuitive way for bettors to discover and engage with content directly within the sportsbook interface.

As competition for user attention continues to intensify, operators face the ongoing challenge of delivering promotions and updates in a way that cuts through the noise without overwhelming the user experience.

Stories addresses this by offering a dynamic, swipeable format that brings key content — such as bonuses, tournaments, major sporting events, and boosted odds — into a more engaging and accessible space.

Fully integrated into BETBY’s sportsbook environment, Stories enables bettors to seamlessly browse through short, interactive content cards, mirroring the mechanics they already use daily on social platforms.

This familiarity plays a key role in driving immediate interaction, lowering the barrier to engagement, and creating additional touchpoints between operators and their users.

By introducing a format that naturally encourages exploration, Stories helps increase visibility across promotional campaigns while supporting higher engagement rates.

Each new Story acts as a trigger for curiosity, prompting users to click through and discover new offers or events, ultimately contributing to improved promo turnover.

The feature feels particularly intuitive to younger demographics, who are already accustomed to this style of interaction.

By aligning sportsbook UX with established digital behaviors, BETBY allows operators to connect with these audiences in a more organic and impactful way.

Stories is about meeting users where they already are, in terms of how they consume content,” said Aglaja Geta, Head of UX & Analytics at BETBY.

We wanted to introduce a format that feels instantly familiar, while giving operators a powerful new way to highlight their most important promotions and events.

It creates a smoother, more engaging experience that encourages interaction without adding complexity to the platform.

From an operational perspective, Stories offers a streamlined way to enhance the front-end experience without requiring structural changes to the sportsbook.

The feature integrates seamlessly, allowing operators to enrich their content strategy while maintaining a clean and intuitive interface.

About BETBY

BETBY is a leading B2B provider of top-tier sports betting services, renowned for its groundbreaking technology and dedication to excellence.

BETBY’s team of industry veterans tap into their knowledge and expertise to deliver a premium, adaptable, and scalable sportsbook platform tailored to meet the varied demands of operators across the globe.

From dynamic in-play betting options to robust risk management tools and ground-breaking AI tools, BETBY is committed to propelling the success of its partners in the rapidly evolving landscape of online sports betting.

For more information visit betby.com

The post “Stories”, a new feature design to elevate sportsbook engagement and promotional visibility from BETBY appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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BC Brothers

Why BC Brothers is Betting on “Affiliate-as-a-Product”

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The iGaming affiliate industry has a problem, and it begins with the “Top 10” list. For years, the business has relied on a foundation of simple review pages. Walls of text that often prioritize commission rates over user experience. But as players are becoming tired of biased endorsements, the traditional review site is entering its twilight years.

“Look, the industry is at a crossroads,” says Borja Imbergamo, CEO of BC Brothers. “The old playbook, where you rank operators based on who writes the biggest check and then dress it up as expert advice, is just broken. It’s a short-term hustle in a world that’s demanding long-term transparency.”

Imbergamo isn’t just criticizing the status quo. Instead, he is pivoting away from it. He’s pushing BC Brothers toward this ‘Affiliate-as-a-Product’ model, which honestly isn’t just some clever rebranding. It’s a total shift in architecture. Rethinking the whole way an affiliate actually connects a player to an operator from the ground up.

Breaking Free from the Template

For most affiliates, WordPress is the default setting. It’s easy, it’s fast, and it’s predictable. However, late last year, BC Brothers began a quiet migration away from standard content management systems toward self-built platforms. While still in the pilot phase in several territories, the move represents a declaration of independence from the limitations of templated solutions.

“WordPress is fine, but it’s a bottleneck for innovation,” Imbergamo explains. “Moving to our own infrastructure allows us to be a lot more flexible. We can develop features that a standard plugin simply can’t handle. These are still pilots, but we have very high hopes for these platforms to become our future. It definitely requires more SEO checks, resources and dedication, but surely will pay off in long term”

This technical shift allows BC Brothers to move beyond the bridge model, where a site is just a transition point for a player, and toward a destination model.

Building an Ecosystem

The pivot isn’t just about how the sites are built, but what they offer. While conversion remains a goal, BC Brothers is investing heavily in products that prioritize utility over the immediate click. These projects are less about a direct sales funnel and more about becoming an essential part of the sports content ecosystem.

One example is BetBrothers.football, a site designed to deliver all the real-time football data and stats a fan could want. Alongside it sits BBSportNews, an editorial project covering the “beautiful game” from every angle – from breaking transfer news and defining stories to deep-dive tactical analysis.

“We are building an ecosystem, not a funnel,” says Imbergamo. “If we provide a player with real-time match stats they can’t find elsewhere, or analysis that actually informs their perspective, we’ve earned their time. By the time they do decide to play, they don’t have to head back to Google to find some random review site. They’re already inside our brand’s ecosystem. It’s about giving them that full 360-degree value so they never feel the need to look elsewhere.”

By focusing on these utility tools, BC Brothers is actually playing a much smarter game with lead quality. Think about it – a person who spends twenty minutes studying data on a platform you built is a way more valuable player for an operator than someone who just clicks a “Play Now” button because they saw a shiny banner. One is an engaged user making an informed choice. The other is just a random click that probably won’t stick around.

Playing by the Rules

This approach is particularly vital in regulated markets, where BC Brothers exclusively operates. The company maintains a strict policy of working only in regulated jurisdictions and exclusively with licensed operators. Getting their Greek affiliate license this past March was simply the next logical step in that process. For Borja, ignoring grey markets isn’t some moral crusade. It’s just the right way to make sure sports betting stays entertaining and safe for everyone.

“We really believe that working only with licensed operators is the right way to keep sports betting fun and sustainable,” Borja says. “We’re committed to staying compliant and actually helping the industry grow in every market we’re in. Sometimes that means taking the harder path. But for us, it’s a long-term investment in a safe environment that protects the players and makes the whole industry healthier.”

The Future of the “Brothers”

The transition from a content house to a product studio is a high-stakes bet. It requires more capital and a willingness to walk away from the easy wins of the grey market. At the end of the day, it requires more developers too. But as the iGaming affiliate landscape becomes more crowded with much more pressure from all sides, the “middle man” who offers nothing but a link is losing their place.

“The era of the disposable affiliate site is over,” Imbergamo concludes. “The next big leaders in this space will be the ones who treat it like a serious tech company, more like the SaaS world. Players want tools, interaction, personalization, and they want value for their time. We’re basically building the infrastructure for a future where the product does the talking, and you don’t have to ask for trust because it’s already built into the code.”

The post Why BC Brothers is Betting on “Affiliate-as-a-Product” appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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1spin4win

1spin4win & Blask report 7 out of 10 top games in Africa are slots

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The study analyzes key markets across both regions, including South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina. Using real-time data on game placement and player demand, the research provides a clear view of what content operators prioritize and what resonates most with players. The report also features insights from operators such as BetPawa and MSport, adding industry perspective to the data-driven analysis.

One key finding is that slots continue to dominate across both regions. In Africa, they account for 71% of the Top 30 games featured in casino lobbies, while in Latin America, they make up 67% of the Top 30 games analyzed — outperforming both crash and live formats.

At the same time, the data shows that what operators place in lobbies does not always match what players are actually looking for. Some of the most searched-for games are not prominently featured or are missing from lobbies altogether.

For 1spin4win, this report is part of their broader expansion strategy across Africa and Latin America. The provider began actively extending its presence in these markets in 2025, strengthening partnerships with local aggregators and refining its product strategy to better align with regional player preferences. These include mobile optimization and fast loading and smooth performance even on weak internet connections. In Africa, these efforts led to a 9.2x increase in the number of bets.

Olga Hlukhovskaya, Business Development Director at 1spin4win, “At 1spin4win, we place strong emphasis on working with data. It’s at the core of how we approach product development. We focus on understanding player preferences and making informed decisions that help us deliver experiences that truly resonate with our audience.”

Ilya Batcherikov, Blask CPO, commented, “By aggregating non-branded search data at scale, we help teams understand what players are actually looking for in each market — often before those trends become visible inside the product. This allows operators to move from reactive content strategies to proactive ones, aligning supply with real-time demand and capturing value that would otherwise be missed.”

Full insights from the research are available in the report “What’s hot in LATAM and Africa” on the Blask website.

About 1spin4win

1spin4win is an established game provider founded in May 2021 by ambitious developers with over 15 years of experience in the gambling industry. Since its inception, the company has expanded its portfolio to include over 200 classic online slots, all characterized by quality mathematics, transparent mechanics, and well-balanced gameplay — key factors that drive strong player retention. The studio aims to release an average of four new games each month in 2026 and offers effective promotional tools for casino operators to help them enhance player loyalty.

The post 1spin4win & Blask report 7 out of 10 top games in Africa are slots appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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