Season 4 of Bet It Drives is back, and Episode 2 features Akhil Sarin, CMO at Easygo and the marketing and partnerships mastermind behind Stake.

Sarin dives into the realities of iGaming marketing, sharing how some of the most cost-effective campaigns can deliver massive impact—including a low-budget idea that went viral with over 16 billion impressions.

Key insights from the episode include:

• Stake’s most valuable partnerships and why they worked

• What sets their sponsorship strategy apart

• Common mistakes iGaming marketing teams make

• The one thing Sarin wishes teams focused more on

• Biggest red flags and warning signs in partnerships

• Leadership lessons and internal trust challenges

The episode also features a fun “Confess or Call” segment, highlighting a late-night call to a senior exec about a high-stakes, unconventional idea—a true test of trust and creativity.

“This season is about open conversations, and Akhil was straight with us,” said Yevhen Krazhan, CSO at GR8 Tech and host of Bet It Drives. “iGaming marketers will rethink spend, partnerships, and what truly drives growth after this episode.”

Season 4 also includes a CEO debate with Cedomir Tomic (Founder, Alea) and Oleksandr Feshchenko (CEO, GR8 Tech), along with upcoming insights on crypto payments in iGaming and esports betting strategies.

Watch or listen to Season 4, Episode 2 on:

• YouTube
• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts

The post Akhil Sarin Joins Bet It Drives: Stake’s Growth and What iGaming Gets Wrong About Marketing appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

At SiGMA Eurasia on February 11, Marharyta Yerina, Managing Director of ELA Games, joined the panel “Progress Paths: Making Milestones Matter” to discuss innovative approaches to player retention and engagement. The session, moderated by Tim French (Commercial Manager, Greco Fast Track), explored how studios can design progression systems that go beyond conventional loyalty schemes.

Marharyta emphasized that maintaining player interest often comes from subtle design choices rather than overt progress bars. She highlighted how optimizing volatility and feature frequency creates natural anticipation, keeping players engaged through gameplay rhythm. She also advocated for micro-goals—short, intra-session milestones—and stressed the importance of audio-visual feedback to make moments feel rewarding in real time, rather than relying on long-term VIP systems alone.

The panel featured diverse perspectives from the industry, including Alena Tsuranova (CCO, Megafair) and Bulat Fakhrutdinov (Head of Partnerships, Betronic Software), who discussed how commercial strategies and partnerships shape the player journey.

Marharyta’s participation underscores ELA Games’ commitment to player-centric design and demonstrates how the studio’s “For Players, By Players” ethos translates into creating games that keep audiences coming back, while fostering long-term value in partnerships.

The post SiGMA Eurasia: ELA Games MD Marharyta Yerina Talks Progression Milestones in Dubai appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

3 Oaks Gaming, a leading iGaming content distributor, has launched 4 Wolf Drums: Hold & Win, the latest addition to its popular Hold & Win portfolio. Set in a rugged, mountainous forest, the game introduces the brand-new Mirror expansion feature, adding depth to the classic bonus experience.

The 5×3, 25-line slot features vibrant green, blue, and red Drum Metres, which fill as matching Bonus symbols appear. Once a Metre is full, it triggers the Hold & Win Bonus, offering players chances to collect Mini, Minor, Major, and Grand Jackpots, with the Grand Jackpot as the ultimate prize.

During the Bonus, up to three dynamic features can activate: Collect gathers all visible symbol values, Multi drops multipliers into empty cells for stacked rewards, and the Mirror function expands the grid with two extra rows while duplicating symbols, creating the opportunity for the Royal Jackpot worth x5,000. The Master Drum can strike anytime, adding extra Bonus or Jackpot symbols, resetting respins, or reactivating features to boost win potential.

Krasimir Pankovski, Head of Sales at 3 Oaks Gaming, said: “4 Wolf Drums: Hold & Win shows our commitment to developing engaging, feature-rich titles. The Mirror expansion and five Jackpot levels deliver an immersive, high-performance experience for operators and players worldwide.”

With its forested setting, rhythmic energy, and innovative Hold & Win mechanics, 4 Wolf Drums: Hold & Win strengthens 3 Oaks Gaming’s portfolio with a visually striking and mechanically dynamic title.

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