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Helsinki: The Home of Mobile Gaming Innovation Hosts Pocket Gamer Connects’ 40th Event
Returning to its roots after a successful Toronto sprint, the Pocket Gamer Connects (PGC) conference lands once again in the heart of Finland’s gaming landscape – Helsinki. Join Pocket Gamer on September 12th and 13th, at Wanha Satama, Pikku Satamakatu 3-5, Helsinki, Finland to celebrate the 40th instance of Pocket Gamer Connects.
Helsinki’s gaming influence extends beyond mobile, with a 16% rise in active developer studios and a remarkable 200% increase in developer studio investments post-pandemic, encompassing PC and console platforms. This legacy cements Helsinki’s role as a natural host for PGC, offering an environment where innovation and gaming unite effortlessly.
The countdown begins for this year’s Helsinki event, situated in the very birthplace of mobile gaming, Finland, renowned for its collaborative gaming community rooted in the mid-1980s demoscene movement. With some of the most well-known companies in the sector (including the likes of Supercell and Rovio, the latter recently attracting a SEGA takeover). At the forefront of innovation, Finland leads the charge in VR, XR, and metaverse technologies, too, with plans to invest up to 13 million Euros by 2030 to shape the digital future.
This year’s edition of Pocket Gamer Connects will feature 200 speakers such as Elina Arponen of Quicksave Interactive, Tommi Lappalainen from Rovio, Veli-Pekka Puolakanaho from Remedy Entertainment, Jussi Tähtinen of Nitro Games, Jaakko Kylmäoja of Fingersoft, and many more. The event will also feature tracks such as Ad Insights, AI Advances, Big Screen Gaming, Industry Visions & Values, and many more. Developers, publishers, along with other influential speakers have been invited to share their insights and experiences with a network that aims to grow the mobile games community.
Dave Bradley, COO of Steel Media says, “We’ve been hosting events in Helsinki now since 2014. It’s one of the most vibrant and collaborative ecosystems for games in the whole world. After successful events in Seattle, Dubai and Toronto already this year, we’re excited to be back seeing our friends in Finland. It’s always a huge pleasure to be able to host this event in the spiritual home of mobile gaming and innovation! And this year, we’ve partnered with Games Forest Club to support sustainability within the games industry. We won’t just be celebrating the booming games industry here, we’ll also be promoting environmental responsibility.”
Recognised worldwide, Pocket Game Connects brings together leading minds and innovators in the gaming industry. This year’s PGC event in Helsinki will broaden its scope to encompass themes such as AI and Web3. Attendees can also connect with investors and publishers, while showcasing their mobile games and offering live demos. Celebrating the 40th edition of PGC Helsinki signifies a notable milestone, providing participants with a valuable chance to engage in a significant event within the gaming community.
Pocket Gamer Connects returns on September 12th and 13th in Wanha Satma, Pikku Satamakatu 3-5, 00160 Helsinki, Finland.
Tickets for the event are now live, and available here. The event supports the work of indies (the Global Game Jam is PGC’s official indie partner) and there are heavily subsidised options for indie teams to take part and even showcase their games in the expo area.
Latest News
Nagoshi Studio Unveils GANG OF DRAGON, a New Action-Adventure Game from Director Toshihiro Nagoshi
Steam page: store.steampowered.com/app/4146000/
GANG OF DRAGON
is a new action-adventure game set in Kabukicho, Shinjuku, Tokyo’s iconic nightlife district. Protagonist Shin Ji-seong is a high-ranking member of a Korean crime syndicate, and is portrayed by celebrated Korean actor Ma Dong-seok (Don Lee).This new story will engage players in an exciting way and showcase increadible graphics for an action packed adventure. Viewers of The Game Awards were the first to get a look at the new footage!
About Toshihiro Nagoshi
The post Nagoshi Studio Unveils GANG OF DRAGON, a New Action-Adventure Game from Director Toshihiro Nagoshi appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
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Blask & Gamblers Connect Enter A New Media Partnership
Gamblers Connect, the award-winning iGaming affiliate and media platform, is proud to announce a new media partnership with Blask, a leading AI-powered analytics ecosystem dedicated to the iGaming industry.
This collaboration marks a pivotal step in the company’s mission to provide the most accurate, transparent, and data-backed content. Under the terms of this agreement, Blask will provide Gamblers Connect with complete access to its cutting-edge market intelligence platform.
This suite includes the Blask Index and real-time data tracking across more than 100 jurisdictions, allowing for granular analysis of market dynamics, brand performance, and player behaviour. By integrating these professional-grade tools into the editorial process, Gamblers Connect will elevate the depth and precision of its industry reporting.
The cornerstone of this partnership is a commitment to sharing knowledge with the wider iGaming community. Gamblers Connect will produce four exclusive case studies throughout 2026. Released once per quarter, these comprehensive reports will utilise Blask’s advanced analytics to uncover emerging trends, benchmark operator performance, and provide actionable insights for industry stakeholders.
This alliance represents a shared vision for a more transparent iGaming sector. By combining Blask’s technological prowess with Gamblers Connect’s editorial expertise, the aim is to set a new standard for data-driven journalism.
Max Tesla, Blask CEO, commented: “Partnering with Gamblers Connect is a natural step for Blask. We are building an ecosystem of transparent analytics that empowers the industry, and GC is one of the few media partners that truly values data and knows how to work with it. I’m confident this collaboration will strengthen both sides and deliver more accurate, trustworthy, and insight-driven content to the iGaming community.”
Gjorgje Ristikj, Founder & CEO at Gamblers Connect, added: “Partnering with Blask allows us to combine their strong analytical framework with our media expertise. It’s a collaboration grounded in trust and mutual respect, with the shared goal of delivering meaningful and measurable results to the industry.”
The post Blask & Gamblers Connect Enter A New Media Partnership appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
Alyona Suvorova
Law enforcement officers from Kazakhstan eliminated the organized financial criminal group organized by Vadim Gordievsky, Larisa Ivchenko, and Alyona Suvorova from Ukraine
The law enforcement agencies of Kazakhstan have effectively eliminated the organized criminal group created by Vadim Gordievsky from Ukraine and his accomplices, Larisa Ivchenko and Alyona Suvorova. Even though the law enforcement agencies managed to block accounts and payments of the Marginplus Company, key employees and management are still hiding.
According to the media, just a few days ago, the Financial Monitoring Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan revealed a large-scale shady scheme of cross-border transfers that involved numerous payment organizations and providers. The funds were disguised as legal transactions and withdrawn to the accounts of online casinos. The total volume of illegal transactions exceeded more than $1 billion.
According to law enforcement authorities in the Republic of Kazakhstan, the key organizer of the miscoding scheme, which involved bookmakers, online casinos, payment organizations, and bank employees, is Vadim Ivanovich Gordievsky from Ukraine, who was born in 1974. He was the leader of the organized criminal group and used the local Marginplus Company for these purposes (official website: marginplus.kz). In addition to companies from Kazakhstan, Gordievsky also worked with illegal Russian online casinos while helping them to facilitate illegal payments.
According to new information from law enforcement agencies in the Republic of Kazakhstan, banks and bookmakers, including the local PIN-UP bookmaker, have already terminated all cooperation with Gordievsky’s Marginplus company.
According to informburo.kz, the local licensed Pin-Up.Kz bookmaker (legal entity: Bonami LLP) declares that it has nothing to do with transactions carried out by individual payment organizations. Judicial and criminal proceedings have already been initiated against these structures, and the company itself is fully cooperating with law enforcement agencies to establish all the circumstances and identify fraudulent, shady schemes.
According to unofficial information, the Pin-Up management provided the law enforcement agencies of the Republic of Kazakhstan with all the data related to the Marginplus company belonging to Vadim Gordievsky.
As of today, all financial activities of Marginplus have been paralyzed. In addition, large amounts of money have been blocked in its bank accounts. This money should have been paid to partners, contractors, and providers, including the local Parimatch betting company. Ordinary employees of Vadim Gordievsky’s company are already looking for new work while its management, including Larisa Vladimirovna Ivchenko (listed as the head of Gordievsky’s FC Alta Capital from Ukraine), is still hiding. Alyona (Elena) Suvorova has already closed and renamed her social media profiles a few days ago. In addition, she does not respond to messages and is trying to evade responsibility.
We would like to remind the audience that Alyona Suvorova positions herself “as an entrepreneur, investor, and a crypto trader with 5+ years of experience.” According to Suvorova herself, she has been developing payment technologies in the field of FinTech for 10 years. In 2021, she opened her own business for international crypto transfers. In addition, she is the founder of the Lemoncoin Crypto Academy.
According to investigators, Gordievsky’s partner, Mikhail Kovalev (Mykhaylo Kovalov), who is a citizen of both Ukraine and Israel, as well as an owner of a number of companies in the EU, in particular, in Poland, and who has a residence permit in Spain, was closely working with Gordievsky. By using the STABLEX SOLUTION Sp. z o. o fictitious company (official website: solvexs.pl) in Poland, he was engaged in illegal payments and withdrawal of cryptocurrencies into fiat money.
At the same time, as the source notes, the mentioned management and the people involved in the money laundering of Marginplus Company will be added to the wanted list of Interpol in the nearest future. The National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan has also announced that it’s going to closely monitor this case. According to local laws, participants of this shady scheme face up to nine years in prison. Information on Vadim Gordievsky’s companies and connections in other countries is also being checked.
After the initiation of criminal cases for financial crimes, fraud, and the announcement of his wanted list by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Vadim Gordievsky left Ukraine on forged documents. Before diving into the world of financial fraud, he was involved in land and property issues in the Kyiv region. As of today, numerous criminal cases have been initiated.
The post Law enforcement officers from Kazakhstan eliminated the organized financial criminal group organized by Vadim Gordievsky, Larisa Ivchenko, and Alyona Suvorova from Ukraine appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
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