Latest News

Bavaria Takes the Lead as the Best Games Location in Germany

Published

1 year ago

January 17, 2025

bavaria-takes-the-lead-as-the-best-games-location-in-germany

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The games companies in Germany have decided: Bavaria is Germany’s best games location. This is the finding of game’s industry barometer, where members of game – The German Games Industry Association assessed the political involvement of the individual German states for games companies. The battle for first place was a head-to-head race. North Rhine-Westphalia, which placed second in the latest rankings, had finished first in the rankings for 2023. Berlin took third place, ahead of Hamburg, after the two had shared second place two years ago. Some changes were also evident at the bottom of the rankings: Hesse, who ranked tenth out of twelve in 2023, brought up the rear this time, behind Saxony-Anhalt in 14th and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in 15th place.

“The trend of the past years is continuing: more and more German states are recognising the value of the games industry for their region and are working on better conditions for games companies. In view of the flip-flopping relating to national games funding, the German states with good game funding programmes were all the more important in the last two years. This commitment has paid off for these locations in the form of countless positive effects in areas such as the economy, innovation and society,” said Felix Falk, Managing Director of game – The German Games Industry Association.

Some of the federal states have seen positive developments since the previous rankings. The Bavarian state government is distributing funds of around 3.3 million euros in total. With the recently opened game hub DIE GAMEREI – a recipient of 560,000 euros in funding – as well as the Level Up accelerator programme and the gaming event GG Bavaria, the state is providing additional support to the companies in the region. Berlin and Brandenburg distributed record amounts for game development in 2023, with studios receiving funding totalling 5.3 million euros. Further projects are being supported by Berlin’s state government – a coalition of CDU and SPD – such as the planned House of Games. Baden-Württemberg, Hamburg and Hesse have all increased their funding budgets for 2024. In Central Germany – Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia – more funding was provided for games in 2023 than in the year before. In Saarland, the state games funding programme has been transferred to the State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digital Affairs and Energy and allocated a total of 300,000 euros in the 2024 budget – also an increase over the previous amount. Bremen most recently also provided funding in the amount of 150,000 euros. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, in contrast, remains the last white spot on the funding map: The governing coalition of SPD and Die Linke announced in their coalition agreement in 2021 that they would be supporting the games industry in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, though this has not yet materialised. The positive trend and strong momentum have continued in recent weeks: There have been further political initiatives to strengthen the games industry in the federal states of Berlin and North Rhine-Westphalia, for example, which announced additional funding of one million euros in mid-November 2024 for the development of titles to be used in prevention and education against disinformation and Islamist propaganda, in addition to the further development of games funding.

The post Bavaria Takes the Lead as the Best Games Location in Germany appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Free Ticket Drops

GGPoker Brings Back WSOP Super Circuit with Record $180M Guarantee

Published

2 hours ago

February 24, 2026

Wladimir P.

ggpoker-brings-back-wsop-super-circuit-with-record-$180m-guarantee

GGPoker, the world’s largest online poker platform, is set to host the highly anticipated 2026 WSOP Super Circuit online tournament series, running from March 1 to March 31.

This year’s edition features an unprecedented $180 million in guaranteed prizes, solidifying GGPoker’s reputation as the premier global poker destination.

Players will compete across 18 WSOP Gold Ring events, offering the chance to win one of poker’s most prestigious trophies and significant cash prizes.

Key Events & Highlights:

#5: $525 Mystery Millions [Final Stage] – March 9, $525 buy-in, $10M GTD ($1M Top Bounty)
#13: WSOP Super Circuit MAIN EVENT [Day 2] – March 23, $1,700 buy-in, $15M GTD
#18: GGMillion$ High Roller [Day 2] – March 30, $10K buy-in, $10M GTD

Exclusive Champion Perks
Winners of all 18 Gold Ring events receive:

A $5K WSOP Paradise package
Recognition on the official WSOP Rankings leaderboard

$3 Million in Free Ticket Drops
Participants in any WSOP Super Circuit event can win WSOP Express tickets, $5K Ring Passes, or $10K Bracelet Passes. Tickets will be awarded randomly throughout the series, totaling $3 million in free prizes.

Live Coverage
Final tables for the Main Event (#13) and High Roller (#18) will be streamed live on GGPoker.TV and YouTube, hosted by Jeff Gross, with commentary by Daniel Negreanu for the High Roller.

Player and Ambassador Excitement
Daniel Negreanu said: “The 2026 WSOP Super Circuit at GGPoker is absolutely massive. With $180M in total guarantees, including $15M Main Event and $10M Mystery Millions, it’s the perfect time to compete for record-breaking prizes.”

The post GGPoker Brings Back WSOP Super Circuit with Record $180M Guarantee appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Casino Bonus Features

PopOK Gaming Unveils Macaco Millionario Dual-Grid Slot

Published

3 hours ago

February 24, 2026

Wladimir P.

popok-gaming-unveils-macaco-millionario-dual-grid-slot

PopOK Gaming has launched Macaco Millionario, a vibrant online slot inspired by Chinese symbolism and designed with an innovative double-grid bonus feature.

Rich red and gold visuals, lucky symbols, and a playful Macaco character combine to deliver a visually engaging and rewarding gaming experience.

The game features a 5×3 layout with 30 fixed paylines and two types of Wilds, including Double Wilds that count as two symbols for higher winning potential. The Double Fortune Free Spins round introduces an extra 5×3 reel set, allowing players to spin two grids simultaneously. Wins across both grids trigger multipliers up to x20, and retriggers extend the bonus for bigger payouts.

With a maximum multiplier of x1,732, Macaco Millionario delivers exciting bonus features, including Free Spins, Double Free Spins, Double Win Multipliers, Extra Spins, and a jackpot option. The game offers an RTP of 96.56% and supports bets from EUR 0.02 to EUR 100, fully optimized for web and mobile play. Multi-language support includes English, Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese, and Hindi.

“Macaco Millionario blends cultural familiarity with a unique bonus structure that delivers thrilling moments in every spin,” said Tsovinar Elchyan, Head of Partnerships at PopOK Gaming. “The double-grid feature sets it apart from traditional slots, offering operators and players something truly innovative.”

The slot is now live and available for integration across all platforms supporting PopOK Gaming content. Operators interested in adding Macaco Millionario to their portfolios can contact PopOK Gaming directly.

The post PopOK Gaming Unveils Macaco Millionario Dual-Grid Slot appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AI in lottery

Scientific Games Appoints Rich Wasserman as Senior Vice President of Product Engineering

Published

3 hours ago

February 24, 2026

Wladimir P.

scientific-games-appoints-rich-wasserman-as-senior-vice-president-of-product-engineering

Scientific Games has appointed Rich Wasserman as Senior Vice President of Product Engineering, reinforcing its commitment to advancing lottery systems technology and digital innovation.

Based in Atlanta, the global lottery provider continues to expand its technology leadership as one of the fastest-growing suppliers of retail and digital lottery solutions worldwide.

Leadership Experience from Amazon, Facebook and Stitch Fix

Wasserman brings more than 20 years of experience leading engineering, data science and product teams across high-performance technology platforms.

He previously held senior leadership roles at:

Amazon
Facebook
Stitch Fix

At Stitch Fix, he served as Vice President of Engineering and Data Science, leading automation, AI-driven systems and platform optimization initiatives. Wasserman holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and a Computer Science degree from the University at Buffalo.

Driving Innovation Across Global Lottery Platforms

In his new role, Wasserman will oversee Product Engineering across Scientific Games’ global portfolio serving more than 150 government-regulated lotteries. His responsibilities include advancing:

Retail lottery systems
Digital lottery platforms
Hardware and software innovation
Data analytics and AI capabilities
Consumer engagement technologies

CEO Pat McHugh stated that Wasserman’s experience scaling AI-powered platforms at world-class technology firms will help accelerate innovation and deliver next-generation lottery solutions focused on sustainable growth.

Strengthening Lottery Technology Leadership

Scientific Games continues to invest in technology, analytics and digital transformation to enhance consumer experiences across retail and online lottery channels. The appointment underscores the company’s strategy to integrate advanced analytics and machine learning into its global lottery ecosystem.

The post Scientific Games Appoints Rich Wasserman as Senior Vice President of Product Engineering appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.