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Portuguese start-up FootAR is enhancing the Euro 2024 experience with AR tracking and smart data
With the summer of football heating up, FootAR is showing how live sports can be enhanced with augmented reality. It has created a real-time companion that gamifies the sports experience and emulates player movements with 3D foosball-like figures, adding smart stats and prizes for fans.
FootAR has already made its mark in Portugal, where two notable media organisations have integrated it into their coverage. GMG (Jornal de Notícias) and SportsMultimedia (VSports) use FootAR to bring a 3D experience to Euro 2024 fans.
FootAR is one of 22 companies in the Portuguese games development and creative industries cluster eGamesLab. This ambitious R&D project led out of Madeira aims to attract and develop new talent and technology focused on the growing national video game industry.
FootAR’s platform went live earlier this year. The initial rollout covered Portuguese league games, partnering with some of the biggest Portuguese clubs like SC Braga and CD Nacional before expanding to cover all the matches at Euro 2024. It offers real-time statistics, in-depth analysis, and seamless integration for news outlets covering live games on their websites.
Fans can relive every goal, track every pass, and stay connected to the game with real-time updates and AR-enhanced visuals. The technology allows fans to rewatch the most significant moments in a live game and view them from multiple angles, together with an accompanying audio commentary.
“We understand the insatiable appetite for football data and the desire to go beyond the final score,” says David Olim, Co-Founder of FootAR. “FootAR empowers fans to delve deeper into the action, following their favourite players, teams, and leagues, and is the perfect way for enthusiasts to analyse the beautiful game – but that’s just the start. As a father of two young children, my goal is to shape how younger generations immerse themselves in these communal experiences. Looking to the future, our interests go way beyond sports. We are starting with football, but within five years, we will have personalised experiences for clubs, artists, and brands to build their own interactive events.
Key Features:
Augmented Reality – relive the match’s key moments from multiple angles through 3D AR visuals, and get closer to the action with real-time data overlays to follow the game how you want to.
Custom Data Suite – access in-depth statistics for players and teams such as expected goals, pass accuracy and tackles lost. In-game notifications can be customised, ensuring key moments in the game are never missed..
Audio Commentary – FoorAR can sync with local radio broadcasts, creating a combination of live commentary and live data which really brings events to life.
With FootAR, new avenues for monetizing audience engagement and sponsors are available to media companies and clubs looking for a solution to drive greater fan engagement, as well as opening up new revenue streams through in-game activations.
Fans can transform their football experience today by downloading FootAR for free on Android and iOS and using the Web/Desktop app. Apple VisionPro and Meta Quest versions of the experience are also being developed and will be released in Q3 2024.
The post Portuguese start-up FootAR is enhancing the Euro 2024 experience with AR tracking and smart data 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.
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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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