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IGT and Churchill Downs Incorporated Pioneer Historical Horse Racing (HHR) in Malta with National Lottery Plc
International Game Technology PLC and Churchill Downs Incorporated announced that they have expanded their HHR technology footprints to Malta via an agreement with National Lottery plc, a subsidiary of IZI Group. As per the agreement, IGT product will initially represent 100% HHR floor share at National Lottery’s first HHR venue, IZIBINGO situated in St. Paul’s Bay, and Exacta Services Inc., a subsidiary of CDI, will power the property’s gaming floor with its Exacta Connect system solution. IGT and Exacta will also power HHR at several other National Lottery gaming venues throughout the island. These landmark deployments mark the world’s first HHR technology deployment outside of the US.
National Lottery plc will launch its HHR offering with more than 80 IGT HHR games on proven IGT hardware including the PeakSlant49, PeakSlant32 and Cobalt27 cabinets. Players will have the opportunity to enjoy HHR-versions of award-winning games such as Prosperity Link and player-favourite IGT classic games such as Cleopatra Gold, Wolf Run Gold and Stinkin’ Rich Skunks Gone Wild. Exacta Connect will be the driving force with its all-in-one pari-mutuel system, ensuring the gaming floors are compliant, running smoothly and driving handle.
“Exacta is thrilled to announce our new partnership with IZI Group and IGT in Malta, which marks an exciting first step towards our international expansion. The flexibility of our Exacta Connect system in adapting to different markets and legislative environments, coupled with the thrill of HHR gaming, continues to drive this growth,” Jeff Lind, President of Exacta Systems, said.
“We are excited to launch the first-ever HHR offering outside the USA. This first installation at IZIBINGO and other sites within our lottery network in the coming weeks is the result of extensive efforts and represents a significant step in our mission to innovate the operations of the National Lottery. Our collaboration with Exacta and IGT, two of the world’s leading technology providers in this market, enables us to establish the ideal showcase for this offering, as we endeavor to expand this concept internationally,” Johann Schembri, Chief Executive Officer of National Lottery plc, said.
“Expanding our Historical Horse Racing footprint in Malta is an exciting growth milestone for IGT and a testament to the quality and global relevance of our HHR content and hardware portfolio. By offering players HHR-versions of highly popular IGT games such as Prosperity Link and Cleopatra, National Lottery plc is extending the reach of some of the gaming industry’s most celebrated content in a format that players readily enjoy,” Nick Khin, IGT Chief Operating Officer of Gaming, said.
The post IGT and Churchill Downs Incorporated Pioneer Historical Horse Racing (HHR) in Malta with National Lottery Plc appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Africa
BetConstruct AI to present World Cup 2026 sportsbook offer at iGaming Afrika
Supplier takes Stand A05 in Nairobi on May 4–5, pitching pre-built tournament betting tools and discounted onboarding for new partners.
BetConstruct AI said it will exhibit at iGaming Afrika on May 4–5 in Nairobi, Kenya, at Stand A05.
The company said its main focus at the event will be a “Best Sportsbook for the World Cup 2026” package, supported by “Special Bets, Powerfull and Bet on League.” BetConstruct AI said the tools are designed to help operators run World Cup activations “with zero additional development required.”
For the World Cup activation, the supplier is also advertising commercial incentives for new partners. BetConstruct AI said new partners receive a 65% platform setup discount “applied immediately,” plus “100% Core Suite Access” for the first three months, followed by “65% off for 4-12 months.” It added that third-party tools are “51% off for 3 months.”
Beyond the tournament pitch, BetConstruct AI said it will present its wider iGaming ecosystem, including Sportsbook Platform, Casino Platform, Affiliate Ecosystem, Retail Solutions, and its AI suite. The company said its Sportsbook Platform provides “over 140,000 pre-match events and 12,000+ monthly esports live events,” and that its Casino Platform integrates “350+ providers via a unified aggregation API.”
BetConstruct AI said its AI suite includes CRM AI, Umbrella AI, AI Game Recommendation System, and Betting Mate AI, covering functions such as churn prediction, risk management, real-time personalisation, and conversational betting. It also said its Retail Solutions show how operators can connect land-based and digital channels for an omnichannel setup.
- BetConstruct (official website); https://www.betconstruct.com/ Company reference page for product portfolio and event announcements.
- iGaming Afrika (event information); https://igamingafrika.com/ Confirms dates, location, and exhibitor details for the conference.
- FIFA World Cup 2026 (official site); https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026 Authoritative background on the tournament referenced in the supplier’s activation pitch.
The post BetConstruct AI to present World Cup 2026 sportsbook offer at iGaming Afrika appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Blokotech
Blokotech completes Malta stop of Bloko Padel Tour 2026 with 35 teams
Second leg of the networking-focused iGaming padel series ran in Malta with SiGMA World; next stop is Miami on 9 June.
Blokotech has completed the Malta stage of the Bloko Padel Tour 2026, the company said on Thursday 30th April 2026. The second leg of the series was held in partnership with SiGMA World and hosted at IK Padel Village.
Blokotech said 35 teams competed across Pro and Beginners categories, following the tour’s opening event in Buenos Aires.
Blokotech Co-Founder and CEO Salvatore Messina said: “The response to the Malta stop has been brilliant. Each stage is gathering more interest as we build towards our Grand Linale in Rome. Once again we set the platform for networking and competition that our players loved. We’d like to thank all partners involved in making Malta a success – roll on Miami!”
In the Pro category, Andrea Zammit and Borja Jimenez won, with Peter Curmi and Salvatore Fasciana finishing second. In the Beginners category, Gabriele Sarti and Marco Pozzoli took first place, followed by Viki Vitanyi and Davide Dorato. Craig Luke was named Best Player and received a signed Francesco Totti shirt.
Blokotech said the next event will take place in Miami on 9 June at Ultra Padel Club, ahead of the Grand Finale in Rome.
- Blokotech; https://blokotech.com/ Company reference for Blokotech and background on its products and leadership.
- SiGMA World; https://sigmagroup.com/ Confirms the event partner and provides context on SiGMA’s industry events platform.
- Malta Gaming Authority (MGA); https://www.mga.org.mt/ Adds regulatory context for Malta as a hub for iGaming businesses mentioned in the event setting.
The post Blokotech completes Malta stop of Bloko Padel Tour 2026 with 35 teams appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
AI
SoftConstruct unveils RecSys AI game recommendation system at AIBC Eurasia
In an iGaming Real Talk interview in Dubai, the firm says the tool reads player emotion and context to guide operator actions.
SoftConstruct AI has unveiled RecSys, an AI Game Recommendation System, during an exclusive iGaming Real Talk interview recorded at AIBC Eurasia in Dubai on Thursday 30th April.
Mushegh Khachatryan, Chief AI Officer at SoftConstruct AI, said RecSys is designed to move beyond traditional recommendation models by interpreting player emotions in real time and accounting for context, with the goal of suggesting “the next best action” for operators. “You can understand your customer’s emotions in real time and suggest the next best action. We are building intelligent systems which can reason and act.”
Khachatryan said SoftConstruct built an AI Center of Excellence by hiring talent from outside the iGaming sector, and described RecSys as part of “production-ready agentic AI” intended to support personalised campaigns and decision automation. Surya Palli, host of iGaming Real Talk, said: “SoftConstruct is essentially building a Netflix-style personalised experience for the iGaming industry, where every player gets a lobby made just for them.”
Responsible gaming was also discussed, with the company claiming AI can detect risky behaviour faster and more consistently than human teams, and recommend timely breaks while balancing player protection with sustainable growth.
Khachatryan also stressed the need for explainable, controlled deployment. “AI should help teams perform five times better rather than replace them… Without proper boundaries, short-term momentum boosts with AI can actually hurt your company in the long term.” The company said operators can manage campaigns, personalisation and risk through chat interfaces, with at least 85% accuracy “from the first interactions,” and directed viewers to the full interview on the iGaming Real Talk YouTube channel.
- SoftConstruct; https://softconstruct.com/ Company background and official information on SoftConstruct and its business units.
- iGaming Real Talk YouTube channel; https://www.youtube.com/ Source location for the full interview referenced in the announcement (editor can add the specific video URL once identified).
- AIBC Eurasia; https://aibc.world/ Event organiser site to corroborate the conference setting and provide context on AIBC Eurasia.
The post SoftConstruct unveils RecSys AI game recommendation system at AIBC Eurasia appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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