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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
DATA.BET says esports betting GGR nearly doubles in Q1 2026
DATA.BET reported stronger esports betting performance in Q1 2026 across its partner sportsbook network, citing year-on-year gains in gross gaming revenue (GGR), turnover and player activity versus Q1 2025.
The supplier said esports GGR nearly doubled YoY, while turnover rose 70.6%. It also reported higher activity levels, with placed bets up 33.2% and combo bets increasing 72.1%. DATA.BET attributed the combo bet lift in part to recent UX changes to its Single Page Application (iFrame) and said higher-value wagering from “premium-segment partner platforms” supported a rise in average single bet size.
By title, DATA.BET said CS2, Dota 2, League of Legends and Valorant all delivered “strong double-digit growth” across profit, turnover, bet counts and active users. It also highlighted “niche disciplines” as a profit driver, reporting a 245% YoY increase in profit for that segment. Rainbow Six was singled out for growth following the addition of new markets, including combined Total Over + Win and Win First Half + Win Map, and expanded match coverage, with the company pointing to Latin America as a key audience.
Rocket League posted quarter-on-quarter growth, according to DATA.BET, with turnover up 85.3%, bet counts up 18.7% and active players up 50.1%, alongside a stated 94% live coverage conversion rate. The company also pointed to Valorant EMEA Clash 2026 as a contributor to acquisition, saying newcomers made up 68.6% of all new players and 55.4% of total bets placed.
According to Bohdan Holovnov, Head of Esports at DATA.BET, partners increased activity as returns improved: “High margin efficiency has been a real catalyst this quarter. Partners have increasingly recognized that esports can deliver meaningful commercial returns, encouraging them to scale up promotional campaigns and drive more traffic into the vertical. That feeds directly into more new users, higher turnover, and stronger margins. At the same time, we continue to offer the broadest match and discipline coverage on the market, and the impact is also reflected in the rapid growth of combo bets across our partner platforms.”
DATA.BET said official data events were up 5.2% YoY and the overall event calendar increased 10.8%. It added that top-tier events outperformed low-tier events on turnover, profit and bet count, while low-tier volume grew—particularly in CS2—following Valve’s restructured Major qualification system. Holovnov added: “Q1 of 2026 set a new benchmark for what esports betting can deliver. GGR nearly doubling year over year, combined with a player base growing by more than 56% and increasingly sophisticated betting patterns, suggests the vertical is maturing in exactly the right direction. We’re entering the rest of 2026 with strong momentum, an expanding market portfolio, and partners who are seeing tangible commercial impact quarter after quarter.”
The post DATA.BET says esports betting GGR nearly doubles in Q1 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Baltics
HIPTHER Celebrates Estonia’s Startup Ecosystem & Tallinn Homecoming with Eestistartup
HIPTHER is proud to announce a new community-driven initiative for HIPTHER Baltics & Nordics: Tallinn 2026, opening 50 fully complimentary delegate passes for members of Eestistartup.ee, one of Estonia’s largest startup communities, bringing together more than 1,000 startups across the country’s fast-growing innovation ecosystem.
The initiative is launched in collaboration with Daniel Gunba, founder of Eestistartup, long-standing friend of the #hipthers community, and recurring HIPTHER conference speaker. Designed as a friendship project rooted in shared respect for Estonia’s founders and innovators, the initiative aims to support local startup access to international industry dialogue, networking, and business opportunities.
Taking place on 2 June 2026 at Hilton Tallinn Park, HIPTHER Baltics & Nordics: Tallinn 2026 will explore Digital Governance, Startup Innovation, Nordic Market Expansion, fintech, compliance, AI, digital identity, investment, and regulated technology ecosystems — making the collaboration a natural fit for Estonia’s startup community.
Through the initiative, selected Eestistartup members will receive full access to the conference programme, networking sessions, lunch, and the evening networking party, including one complimentary drink.
More than a delegate pass, the initiative reflects HIPTHER’s commitment to opening doors for ambitious builders, connecting founders with decision-makers, and celebrating Tallinn’s role as one of Europe’s most dynamic centres for digital governance, entrepreneurship, and technology leadership.
As HIPTHER OÜ proudly calls Estonia home, Tallinn 2026 carries special meaning for the #hipthers team. The event represents both a regional milestone and a homecoming — a chance to bring HIPTHER’s international community closer to the founders, innovators, and tech leaders shaping Estonia’s next chapter.
“Estonia has always represented something bigger than just a startup ecosystem. It’s a mindset, practical innovation, digital-first thinking, and founders who build without waiting for permission. As HIPTHER OÜ proudly calls Estonia home, creating this initiative together with Daniel and the Eestistartup community felt natural. Tallinn 2026 is not just another conference stop for us; it’s a chance to give back, open doors, and connect local builders with an international network of decision-makers, investors, and innovators. Also, let’s be honest… in Estonia, even bureaucracy somehow feels like it runs on startup logic.” said Zoltan Tundik, Co-Founder & Head of Business at HIPTHER.
The collaboration with Eestistartup strengthens HIPTHER Tallinn’s mission to bring together startup founders, regulators, investors, fintech leaders, gaming and tech companies, compliance experts, and digital policy voices in one focused, high-value environment.
With Estonia widely recognised for its digital-first mindset and startup success stories, Tallinn offers the ideal setting for conversations that move beyond theory and into practical ecosystem growth, cross-border cooperation, and future-ready innovation.
Daniel Gunba, Founder of the Eestistartup Community, commented: “Through the collaboration between the Estonian startup community and HIPTHER, we are opening the doors for industry professionals to connect with our startup founders. This is the moment when the crowd will experience 100% synergy between founders who have been on the market for many years and founders who are ready to create, explore, and grow.
Estonia has always been a talent hub, and I am happy that together with Zoltan and his team, we found a way to empower it even more!”
HIPTHER Baltics & Nordics: Tallinn will serve as the grand finale of the 2026 HIPTHER Baltics series, following the highly successful Vilnius and Riga editions, and will also host the HIPTHER Baltic & Nordics Gaming Awards Ceremony & Closing Party.
Complimentary passes for Eestistartup members are limited to 50 and available through the official application form.
Apply here: https://hipther.com/events/tallinn/eestistartup/
Event information: https://hipther.com/events/tallinn/
The post HIPTHER Celebrates Estonia’s Startup Ecosystem & Tallinn Homecoming with Eestistartup appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Canada
CasinoCanada announces partnership with Slota Casino
CasinoCanada.com has entered into a partnership with Slota Casino aimed at increasing the platform’s visibility and directing traffic from non-regulated Canadian markets.
As part of the collaboration, CasinoCanada will prepare and publish informational materials describing Slota Casino’s features and game offerings.
The partnership includes ongoing content development, efforts to increase platform visibility and user acquisition activities across CasinoCanada’s media channels.
CasinoCanada is an online casino guide focused on the Canadian market, operated by SEOBROTHERS.
Eugene Ravdin, Head of PR at SEOBROTHERS, commented:
“We focus on delivering accurate information about the Slota Casino platform while maintaining consistent content updates and supporting steady traffic growth across our channels.”
Slota Casino was launched in 2024 by GBL Solutions N.V. under a Curacao licence.
Slota Casino is operated by the Slota Partners affiliate program.
The platform provides access to more than 12,000 online casino games from 130 providers, including Play’n GO, Endorphina and Games Global.
A representative of Slota Casino said:
“We’re genuinely excited about teaming up with CasinoCanada. This is a major step forward for us.
The Canadian market has enormous potential, and partnering with a portal as respected as CasinoCanada gives our brand the visibility and credibility it deserves in this region.”
The post CasinoCanada announces partnership with Slota Casino appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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