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Sergio Aguero: The history of the FA Cup meant it was always a special competition to play in
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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eSports
G2’s Otis Lawrence wins 2026 F1 Sim Racing World Championship
Welsh driver beats Ismael Fahssi by two points after a 12-round season running March 27 to May 28 with a $750,000 prize pool.
G2-backed Alpine Sim Racing driver Otis Lawrence has been crowned 2026 F1 Sim Racing World Champion after the season concluded on May 28.
The 2026 F1 Sim Racing World Championship ran from March 27 to May 28 and featured a $750,000 prize pool. Drivers representing Formula 1 teams competed across four events, starting with a live opener at DreamHack Birmingham.
The title was decided at the final event. Lawrence secured multiple race victories across 12 rounds and finished top of the standings.
Lawrence won the championship by two points ahead of Scuderia Ferrari HP Esports driver Ismael Fahssi. Reigning champion Jarno Opmeer of Oracle Red Bull Sim Racing placed third overall.
The post G2’s Otis Lawrence wins 2026 F1 Sim Racing World Championship appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Andréa Curral
“No iGaming, marcas sólidas dependem de consistência, experiência e relacionamento de longo prazo”
Com uma trajetória construída em grandes grupos globais de mídia, entretenimento e varejo digital, Andréa Curral chega ao Grupo Esportes Gaming Brasil para ocupar o cargo de Diretora de Marketing em um momento estratégico para o mercado brasileiro de apostas regulamentadas.
Após passagens por empresas como Privalia, Discovery e Warner Bros., a executiva assume o desafio de fortalecer o posicionamento institucional e a estratégia de marca das operações Esportes da Sorte, Onabet e Lottu em um cenário cada vez mais competitivo, regulado e orientado por experiência do consumidor.
Em meio ao amadurecimento do setor de iGaming no Brasil, temas como branding, jogo responsável, aquisição eficiente, reputação e conexão cultural ganham relevância crescente para operadoras que buscam crescimento sustentável e diferenciação de longo prazo.
Nesta entrevista exclusiva ao Gaming Americas, Andréa Curral fala sobre como sua experiência em mercados tradicionais contribui para a construção de marcas mais sólidas no iGaming, o papel do marketing na promoção do jogo responsável, os desafios de equilibrar branding e performance em um ambiente altamente dinâmico e as estratégias do Grupo EGB para ampliar presença durante grandes eventos esportivos e manifestações culturais no país.
Andréa, você construiu uma trajetória sólida em gigantes globais de mercados tradicionais como Privalia, Discovery e Warner Bros.
Como essa experiência em branding e experiência do consumidor contribui hoje para sua atuação no iGaming com o Grupo EGB?
Andréa Curral – O principal aprendizado que trago de empresas de mídia, entretenimento e varejo digital é que marcas sólidas não se sustentam apenas em grandes campanhas, mas em consistência, experiência e construção de relacionamento no longo prazo. No iGaming, isso é ainda mais relevante, porque a relação com o usuário passa diretamente por confiança, clareza e segurança.
No Grupo EGB, buscamos aplicar uma visão integrada entre branding, performance e experiência do consumidor.
Isso significa tratar conteúdo como um ativo estratégico, trabalhar comunicação com lógica editorial e segmentação inteligente, além de utilizar métricas e tecnologia para melhorar continuamente a jornada do usuário.
Minha experiência em ambientes altamente competitivos também contribui para equilibrar crescimento, posicionamento institucional e eficiência operacional em um momento de amadurecimento importante para o mercado brasileiro.
Diante do atual momento de consolidação do mercado regulado no Brasil, quais são os principais focos e diretrizes da sua diretoria para o posicionamento institucional das marcas do grupo, Esportes da Sorte, Onabet e Lottu, dentro desse novo cenário?
O cenário atual exige marcas mais claras, operações mais eficientes e uma relação mais consistente com o público. Nossa estratégia está estruturada em três pilares principais: diferenciação de portfólio, experiência do usuário e construção de reputação.
Esportes da Sorte, Onabet e Lottu possuem posicionamentos distintos dentro do grupo, isso reduz a sobreposição e fortalece a identidade de cada operação. Mas um pilar comum a toda nossa empresa é o jogo responsável. É nossa responsabilidade garantir um ambiente controlado e saudável para a diversão.
Somos uma empresa com DNA brasileiro e nossos contratos de patrocínio vão além da exposição de mídia. Incentivamos a cultura nacional, gerando experiências relevantes, que conectam as marcas a territórios de grande relevância popular, como esporte, entretenimento e cultura.
Ao mesmo tempo, o aumento do custo de aquisição torna essencial uma operação integrada entre marketing, produto, atendimento e retenção, sempre alinhada às diretrizes de jogo responsável e à regulamentação vigente.
O Grupo EGB enfatiza o compromisso com o “jogo responsável”.
Como o marketing pode atuar de forma prática na educação do apostador e na promoção de bem-estar, transformando essa diretriz em comunicação efetiva para o público?
Para nós, jogo responsável não pode ser tratado apenas como uma obrigação regulatória ou uma mensagem complementar de comunicação. Ele precisa fazer parte da experiência do usuário, da operação e da construção de reputação da companhia.
O marketing tem um papel importante nesse processo ao comunicar com clareza, evitar promessas irreais e contribuir para uma relação mais consciente do usuário com o entretenimento.
Isso envolve reforçar mensagens sobre limites, autocontrole, pausas e transparência nas regras.
Também acreditamos que comunicação responsável ajuda a fortalecer um ambiente mais seguro e sustentável para todo o ecossistema. No longo prazo, confiança e reputação são ativos fundamentais para qualquer marca que queira crescer de forma consistente no setor.
Em termos de estratégia de crescimento, como você equilibra construção de marca de longo prazo (branding) com performance de curto prazo em um setor altamente dinâmico e competitivo como o iGaming?
Hoje Branding e performance trabalham em conjunto, de forma absolutamente integrada, para que os resultados de crescimento sustentável não dependam apenas de aquisição. Por isso, trabalhamos uma operação orientada por métricas, dados e otimização contínua, sem perder a visão estratégica de longo prazo.
A construção de marca passa por coerência, qualidade da experiência, clareza de comunicação e consistência na entrega. Esse mecanismo de relacionamento cria comunidade e reforça a confiança do usuário na marca.
A Copa do Mundo é um dos momentos mais disputados pela atenção do público.
Como o Esportes da Sorte está estruturando sua estratégia de mídia, conteúdo e transmissões oficiais para garantir presença forte e multiplataforma durante o torneio?
A Copa representa um dos maiores momentos de mobilização do entretenimento esportivo, então estruturamos uma estratégia multiplataforma que combina mídia, conteúdo e experiências presenciais.
O Esportes da Sorte fechou o patrocínio oficial das transmissões da Copa no SBT e na N Sports, garantindo presença em TV aberta, streaming, canais digitais e propriedades online das emissoras. Essa entrega amplia frequência e alcance de marca ao longo do torneio.
Mas entendemos que presença de mídia sozinha não é suficiente. Por isso, trabalhamos campanhas institucionais que conectam entretenimento, cultura popular e engajamento emocional.
“Torça como um Corinthiano”, por exemplo, usa a relação histórica da torcida do Corinthians com o clube para resgatar a conexão do brasileiro com a Seleção. Já “Convoque” aposta em humor, fantasia e linguagem digital para ampliar diálogo com diferentes públicos.
Tudo isso é desenvolvido mantendo o compromisso com comunicação responsável e alinhada às diretrizes do setor.
Dentro desse ecossistema de marca e entretenimento, quais serão os principais desdobramentos das ações de rua e patrocínios locais durante os períodos de grande consumo esportivo, como a Copa do Mundo?
Para os grandes eventos esportivos, nossa estratégia combina presença multiplataforma com experiências de proximidade junto ao público.
O objetivo é fazer com que as marcas do grupo estejam inseridas de forma orgânica na rotina e nos espaços de convivência dos torcedores, conectando entretenimento, conteúdo e experiência de marca.
Além da presença em mídia e transmissões oficiais, vamos trabalhar ativações proprietárias e ações presenciais em diferentes regiões do país, sempre buscando fortalecer relacionamento, engajamento e conexão cultural com o público.
Essa atuação também conversa diretamente com a visão do Grupo EGB de transformar patrocínios em plataformas contínuas de experiência e conteúdo, indo além da exposição tradicional e construindo relevância de longo prazo para as marcas.
Além do futebol, o Grupo EGB também investe em grandes manifestações culturais e eventos populares, como Carnaval e festivais regionais.
Como essas ativações se conectam à estratégia global de marca e à construção de presença no território brasileiro?
Nossa estratégia de marca está muito conectada à cultura popular e aos grandes territórios de mobilização do público brasileiro. O esporte é um pilar importante, mas não é o único.
Hoje o grupo apoia iniciativas de grande relevância nacional, como o Galo da Madrugada, o Festival de Parintins e o Carnaval em diferentes capitais brasileiras.
Essas propriedades ajudam a ampliar a presença nacional, fortalecer relacionamento com diferentes comunidades e criar conexões mais orgânicas com o público.
Mais do que exposição, buscamos desenvolver projetos de longo prazo que integrem conteúdo, experiência e ativação local. Isso permite que os patrocínios deixem de funcionar apenas como mídia tradicional e passem a operar como plataformas de relacionamento e construção institucional das marcas.
The post “No iGaming, marcas sólidas dependem de consistência, experiência e relacionamento de longo prazo” appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
iGaming
How RocketPlay Closed 100% of Its Complaints in 2025: Inside the System
In the iGaming industry, bonuses and welcome packages are no longer a brand differentiator. At the same time, compliance pressure is growing, acquisition costs continue to rise, and player trust has become harder to earn — and easier to lose.
As a result, player feedback is becoming one of the industry’s most important operational signals — changing from “nice to have” to a necessary indicator.
According to RocketPlay’s internal research conducted in early 2026, more than 20% of players check review platforms before registering on a casino website. For many of them, community feedback now matters as much as bonuses or game selection.
This shift is changing the role of reviews entirely, as right now review platforms function as public diagnostics systems for operators — revealing where friction appears, how brands behave under pressure and whether communication feels fair when something goes wrong.
From rating to operational signal
For years, many operators treated reviews mainly as a reputation management task: answer complaints, improve ratings and move on.
Today, complaints often reveal operational weaknesses faster than internal dashboards. Delayed withdrawals, unclear bonus rules, verification issues or poor escalation logic usually become visible in player feedback first.
That is why more operators now treat complaint handling as an operational process, rather than a PR layer. Players expect speed, clarity and fairness: they want to understand what happened, why a decision was made and whether the operator is open to reassessing the case.
Currently, some brands are building complaint workflows around 3 key principles: speed, clarity and fairness. Automation helps prioritise sensitive cases and reduce friction, while final decisions remain human-owned — especially in Responsible Gaming situations or complex disputes.
One example of this approach can be seen in RocketPlay’s operational model. The platform applies this approach through a structured 2-stage resolution system that covers both internal complaint handling and external escalations via independent platforms. Instead of treating complaints as isolated support tickets, the company uses recurring player feedback to identify friction points, clarify mechanics and improve communication flows.
In 2025, they closed 100% public complaints across Casino Guru and AskGamblers, with no repeat complaints from the same player. Recurring themes from these cases are consolidated and turned into product priorities, so that the same issue does not reach the next player.
This approach has also been recognized by the industry. In 2026, RocketPlay was shortlisted at the Casino Guru Awards in the category “The Most Effective Handling of Complaints,” reflecting its focus on transparent communication and structured complaint resolution. RocketPlay also won “Innovator of the Year (Operator)” at The International Gaming Awards 2025 for its AI-driven support implementation.
Why speed alone is not enough
Fast responses still matter, but speed alone no longer defines good complaint handling. Players value transparency, contextual reasoning and communication that feels human
RocketPlay’s internal metrics show that around 95% of cases receive a first meaningful response within 24 hours, while approximately 90% are addressed within two hours. AI-powered chat and email automation additionally help resolve a significant share of repetitive requests without requiring agent intervention.
However, the company believes that automation only works when paired with explainability. A rigid “Terms-only” approach may technically protect the operator, but can still damage long-term trust if players feel ignored or unfairly treated.
What this means for operators in 2026
The broader lesson for the industry is clear: reviews are no longer just reputation management. They are operational input.
In 2026, the operators most likely to build sustainable trust will not necessarily be the ones with the largest bonuses or the most aggressive acquisition funnels. Instead, they will be brands capable of listening systematically, reacting transparently and treating player feedback as part of product development itself.
The industry is entering a phase where trust is becoming measurable in public — and increasingly, players are the ones defining what that trust actually looks like.
The post How RocketPlay Closed 100% of Its Complaints in 2025: Inside the System appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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