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Ygam and NUS Charity Launch New Student Campaign
Ygam has partnered with the NUS Charity to launch a new student campaign to help students recognise the signs of gambling harms and start crucial conversations.
As part of National Student Money Week, the Silence the Stigma campaign launched at Queen Mary University of London on March 6. The event will bring together leading academics to present the latest research on gambling harms, explore ways universities can better support students, and provide an opportunity for a panel discussion and live Q&A.
The charities aim to collaborate with universities and student unions across the UK to provide advice and guidance to students through a variety of resources. Additionally, Ygam offers free educational workshops for students and CPD training for university staff on the issue.
The latest Annual Student Gambling Survey which was published this week found that 49% of students are gambling and 32% of them state friends as the biggest influence on their gambling behaviour. Students who gamble are four times more likely to experience gambling harms compared to the general population. Student gamblers are spending on average £27.24 a week on gambling with almost 1 in 10 students spending between £51-£100 a week. For 36% their motivation to gamble was to have fun with friends, second only to making money (45%).
The survey demonstrates the strength of influence that friends and peers have within the context of student gambling behaviour. 29% of students who do not gamble said that they knew someone whose university experience had been adversely affected by gambling, with 24% struggling to pay for bills, 20% struggling to pay for accommodation, and 17% seeing their grades suffer. Yet less than half (48%) of non-gambling students were aware of the support available on campus for those experiencing gambling harms.
GambleAware data shows that 75% of people experiencing gambling harms feel unable to talk to loved ones, with stigma being the biggest barrier to opening up. Additionally, while 1 in 4 people believe they know someone affected by gambling harms, 61% hesitate to start a conversation due to concerns about stigma.
Claire Patel, Programme Lead for University and Student Engagement, said: “The survey findings once again emphasise that students remain a group that engages in gambling in significant numbers and are particularly vulnerable to gambling-related harms. Unique social factors, the transition to financial independence, and the disproportionate impact of rising living costs on UK university students all contribute to this vulnerability.
Conversations among students on campus play a vital role in both identifying and safeguarding against gambling harms. Our campaign recognises that friends and peers are key to shaping a positive university experience and have a strong influence on one another’s decision-making. Students are uniquely positioned to spot the signs of gambling harm in their peers, and we believe they, like university staff, should be equipped with the tools and information needed to offer support.”
Charlotte Britton-Stevens, Acting Head of Union Development, NUS Charity, said: “We are delighted to be working with Ygam on the Silence the Stigma campaign – designed to get young people talking about gambling harms. This year’s Annual Student Gambling Survey shows that 21% of surveyed student gamblers were in the ‘problem gambling’ category, versus just 4.2% in the general population. These concerning numbers highlight how this digital generation of students, impacted heavily by the cost-of-living crisis, are particularly susceptible to the empty promises of online gambling.
“The campaign offers much needed resources to ensure students notice gambling harms and understand how to get help for themselves and their peers. We believe these valuable conversations will lead to more students seeking support and are working closely with our member students’ unions to ensure advice services are aware of the campaign and ready to offer much needed guidance. We know how vital SU advice services are in improving the student experience during these challenging times.”
The post Ygam and NUS Charity Launch New Student Campaign appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
R. Franco Digital, the leading Spanish iGaming provider, has been officially shortlisted for Casino Platform Supplier of the Year at the prestigious EGR Europe Awards 2026. The nomination recognizes a landmark year for the company, characterized by the explosive growth of its IRIS Open Omnichannel Platform and a major commercial breakthrough into the Italian market.
The winners will be announced during a gala ceremony on February 18, 2026, at the Hilton Malta, where the industry’s top-tier operators and suppliers gather to celebrate European gaming excellence.
IRIS: The Engine of Omnichannel Growth
The core of R. Franco Digital’s success lies in its IRIS platform, a highly scalable, multi-jurisdictional solution that unifies casino, sports betting, and retail management.
IRIS Platform Milestones (2025-2026):
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Jurisdictional Reach: Certified in 6 jurisdictions and operational in over 10 regulated markets.
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Content Depth: Seamlessly integrated with over 1,600 games from global third-party providers.
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Operational Stability: Provides 24/7 multilingual support and advanced real-time analytics for operators.
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Commercial Momentum: Secured 50+ new operator partnerships and entered three new markets within the last 12 months.
Performance Highlights: 4 Billion Game Rounds
R. Franco Digital’s games portfolio has seen a massive surge in engagement, bolstered by 20 new high-performance slot releases in 2025. Standout titles such as Strange Spins, Aphrodite, Zorro: Final Duel, Ovomon, and The Phantom contributed to a record-breaking year.
| Metric | 2025–2026 Achievement |
| Total Game Rounds | 4 Billion+ across regulated markets |
| Revenue Growth | 30% Increase during the judging period |
| New Content | 20 New slot titles launched |
| Expansion | Debut in the Italian regulated market |
Strategic Italian Market Entry
A major factor in the EGR shortlisting was R. Franco Digital’s successful entry into Italy. The provider rapidly localized its content to meet the specific demands of Italian players through tier-one partnerships:
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Stanleybet.it: Launched 19 games, including the Italian-exclusive debut of Strange Spins.
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888.it: Successfully rolled out the popular Super 7 3×3 title.
“We’re proud to be shortlisted for this award, which reflects the strength of our IRIS platform and the quality of the content we’ve delivered over the past year,” said Javier Sacristán Franco, International Business Director at R. Franco Digital. “Our team has worked hard to support operators with reliable, innovative solutions… we are delighted to see that effort recognised.”
The post R. Franco Digital Shortlisted for Casino Platform Excellence at EGR Europe Awards 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Big Hot Flaming Pots
Big Hot Flaming Pots: Tasty Treasures – Lightning Box Brings Land-Based Hit Online
Light & Wonder has officially launched Big Hot Flaming Pots: Tasty Treasures, the digital debut of its highly successful land-based franchise. Developed by in-house specialist studio Lightning Box, this 3×5 slot offers 243 ways to win and a high-energy “three-pot” mechanic that has already become a staple on casino floors worldwide.
The game transitions the whimsical “dumpling-tossing” theme to online audiences, combining vibrant Asian-inspired aesthetics with a deep mathematical model designed for high-engagement sessions.
The Three-Pot Mechanic & Seven Feature Combinations
At the core of the gameplay is the persistent pot system. Landing specific colored coins fuels three separate pots—Yummy, Spicy, and Upsized. These pots can trigger individually or in any combination, leading to seven distinct bonus paths.
| Feature Mode | Gameplay Enhancement |
| Yummy Mode | Increases the Hold & Spin respin counter from 3 to 4, significantly extending bonus life. |
| Spicy Mode | Introduces Chilli multipliers; landing a pepper adds its cash value to every symbol currently held on the board. |
| Upsized Mode | Unlocks a Dual Grid (two reel sets) for the Hold & Spin round, doubling the win potential. |
| Combined Modes | Triggering all three at once creates the “Mega Bonus,” featuring dual grids, 4 respins, and value-boosting peppers. |
Innovation: The Stack N’ Hit
Feature
Unlike traditional Hold & Spin mechanics where symbols simply lock until the round ends, Tasty Treasures introduces the Stack N’ Hit
evolution.
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Reel Clearing: When a vertical reel is filled with Bun symbols, the prizes are instantly collected, and the reel is cleared.
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Persistent Respins: Clearing a reel creates open spaces for new prizes to land, allowing the bonus round to continue far longer than standard industry alternatives.
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The Path to Grand: Each cleared reel activates a “Pepper Tracker” above it. Lighting up all five trackers awards the Grand Progressive Jackpot.
Jackpot Tiers & Base Game Depth
Operators benefit from a versatile math model that supports both consistent base-game performance and high-volatility jackpot chases.
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Progressive Jackpots: Grand and Major tiers for life-changing win potential.
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Fixed Jackpots: Minor and Mini tiers awarded through symbols landing during features.
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Nudge Wilds: In the base game, Wild symbols can nudge to cover entire reels, assisting in achieving the 243-way payouts.
“Big Hot Flaming Pots: Tasty Treasures carries forward a brand that has already made its mark in land-based venues,” says Michael Maokhamphiou, Studio Director at Lightning Box. “This release offers operators a flexible, high-performing title that combines familiarity with fresh layers of engagement.”
The post Big Hot Flaming Pots: Tasty Treasures – Lightning Box Brings Land-Based Hit Online appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Blask data indicates Venezuela’s iGaming demand remained stable in the initial days following the US operation in Caracas.
On 3 January, US forces detained Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, transporting him from Caracas to face prosecution in New York. The raid came after months of intensifying American pressure throughout 2025 — naval presence, targeted strikes, and a fresh sanctions package.
For Venezuela’s iGaming sector, the disruption poses a critical question: will demand collapse, or adapt?
First results
Blask’s daily Index remained within a tight corridor from 1–4 January, hovering in the high-200K zone. It dropped 5% to 257.4K on the day of the operation, before recovering the next day.
The data reveals no abrupt demand shift during this period. A slight decline sits within Venezuela’s normal daily fluctuations and does not point to a fundamental market change.
Rapid expansion, growing dominance
Venezuela stood out as one of iGaming’s strongest demand gainers in 2025. Blask Index surged 134.9% year-on-year — the second-highest growth worldwide.
This expansion came alongside increasing market dominance. By December, Triunfo Bet commanded 59% of Blask’s BAP (Brand Accumulated Power, measuring a brand’s portion of total user interest nationally), gaining 15 percentage points since January. The top three brands collectively reached over 85%, up 11 points.
The post How Venezuela’s iGaming market is reacting to US pressure appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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