Latest News

Allwyn’s Local Retail Champions Completed First Stage of Their Social Value Store Makeover

Published

1 year ago

May 12, 2025

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National Lottery operator, Allwyn’s, 2024 Local Retail Champions, Natalie and Martin Lightfoot – who own Londis Solo Convenience in Glasgow – have completed the first stage of their Social Value store makeover by installing new colleague headsets to help with security at the store.

The husband-and-wife shopkeepers were awarded £5000 cash and a Social Value store makeover worth up to £20,000 when they were crowned National Winners at Allwyn’s first ever Local Retail Champions awards in December. They had been nominated for the award by their customers for a host of community-focused work, such as organising charity fundraising events and local litter-picking activities, as well as providing a home delivery service for those in need.

Natalie and Martin have beallgun the Social Value store makeover work – which will take a number of months to complete – by installing six new colleague headsets to improve security at the store. The headsets enhance communication between store staff, increasing safety for both customers and staff and enabling colleagues to respond quickly to assistance requests.

The next stage of the store makeover activity will see the installation of new CCTV equipment, replacing the current 15-year-old system. As well as protecting the store, the CCTV currently helps keeps the community safer, with cameras located outside of the store successfully having been used in the past to help with investigations.

The final stage of the makeover will include installation of retail AI technology, with initial plans for this currently being looked at by Natalie and Martin.

Natalie said: “We’re really grateful to Allwyn for what the Local Retail Champions store makeover money is helping us do with security in the store. The headsets have been a godsend. The store has thick walls, making it difficult to hear each other in different areas of the shop, so the headsets allow us all to communicate and respond to things quickly as a team. We’re also in the process of getting new CCTV installed which will provide clearer pictures as the current system is quite pixelated and very dated. We wouldn’t have been able to get any of this new equipment without the Local Retail Champions makeover money, not for a long while anyway.”

Allwyn’s Director of Commercial Partnerships and Retail Sales, Alison Acquaye-Acford said: “We know Natalie is passionate about store security for retailers and has spoken publicly about the subject in the past, so we’re really happy we’ve been able to support her own store’s security needs with the store makeover. And she and her husband are absolutely deserving of the prize – they are a shining example of retailers who go above and beyond for their local community, which is precisely why they were crowned one of our two National Winners at Allwyn’s 2024 Local Retail Champions awards. We’re looking forward to hearing about how the project progresses further.”

The Local Retail Champions initiative is paid for with money from Allwyn’s dedicated Social Value Fund, which is an annual £1 million that the company has committed to using to support operating The National Lottery in an environmentally and socially responsible way. Last year, Allwyn used a portion of the fund to reward and recognise the important role its retail partners play in every community across the UK and Isle of Man – and arrangements for this year’s programme will become available over the coming months.

The post Allwyn’s Local Retail Champions Completed First Stage of Their Social Value Store Makeover appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

eSports

Esports Foundation names Faker Game Ambassador for EWC and ENC through 2028

Published

10 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

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Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok joins Cristiano Ronaldo and Magnus Carlsen in the Esports Foundation’s Ambassador Program.

The Esports Foundation (EF) has appointed Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok as a Game Ambassador for the Esports World Cup (EWC) and Esports Nations Cup (ENC) through 2028, the organization said on July 15, 2026 in a statement issued from Riyadh and Paris.

EF said Faker joins Cristiano Ronaldo, listed as the Foundation’s Global Ambassador, and Magnus Carlsen as part of the Esports Foundation Ambassador Program. The Foundation said Faker will represent “the perspective of esports players” across its international events, athlete initiatives, media engagements and leadership forums.

“You can’t talk about esports without mentioning Faker. He is the defining athlete of competitive gaming: a champion whose excellence, discipline and longevity have inspired an entire generation,” said Ralf Reichert, Chief Executive Officer of the Esports Foundation. “As our Game Ambassador, Faker represents something fundamental to the Ambassador Program: esports creates its own global sporting icons. Across EWC, ENC and NGSC, he will help ensure that the players who built this sport have a voice in shaping where it goes next.”

Faker said: “Competition has shaped my life, and I am proud to join the Esports Foundation as Game Ambassador. I want to continue competing for the biggest titles with T1 while representing the players and fans who have helped esports grow worldwide. Through the Esports World Cup, Esports Nations Cup and the Foundation’s wider platforms, I hope to inspire the next generation to pursue excellence, remain resilient and believe in how far competitive gaming can take them. There is still much more to achieve.”

EF highlighted Faker’s competitive record, describing him as a six-time League of Legends World Champion, EWC 2024 winner, two-time MSI champion and ten-time domestic champion with T1. The Foundation also said Faker became the first esports athlete to receive the Blue Dragon Medal in 2026, describing it as the Republic of Korea’s highest sporting honor awarded by President Lee Jae-myung.

The post Esports Foundation names Faker Game Ambassador for EWC and ENC through 2028 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Brand Partnerships

Midnite signs as Middlesbrough FC principal partner for 2026/27 season

Published

17 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

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Midnite has agreed a partnership with Middlesbrough FC that will see the UK bookmaker become the club’s principal partner and front-of-shirt sponsor for the 2026/27 campaign, which Middlesbrough describes as its landmark 150th season.

The companies announced the deal alongside a fan activation at Riverside Stadium on Thursday, July 9, branded “This Season’s On Us”. The initiative offered supporters prizes including 2026/27 season tickets, 2026/27 shirts, match tickets, or a £25 club shop voucher, with fans required to answer Middlesbrough trivia and complete a football challenge.

Middlesbrough former players Craig Hignett and David Wheater attended the event, and, according to the company, took bonus attempts on behalf of participants who missed out.

Andrew Mook, Midnite’s Head of Brand Marketing, said:

“Middlesbrough have a storied history and we’re delighted to announce this partnership during such a monumental year with the club celebrating their 150th anniversary.

“It was great to see so many Middlesbrough fans at the “This Season’s On Us” activation, we hope they enjoyed taking part and meeting club legends, with David Wheater hitting top bins on several occasions and allowing fans to win big with season tickets.

“We can’t wait to get to Riverside Stadium in August to kick-off a new season and we’re excited to say that we have plenty of new and captivating campaigns planned.”

Lee Fryett, Middlesbrough FC Chief Commercial Officer, added:

“We’re delighted to welcome Midnite as our new Principal Partner.

“We’re looking forward to working closely with Midnite to develop engaging campaigns, content and unique experiences that bring our fans even closer to the club.

“We’re confident this partnership will provide real value for our supporters while supporting our ambitions both on and off the pitch.”

The post Midnite signs as Middlesbrough FC principal partner for 2026/27 season appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AGCO

ThrillTech secures AGCO supplier licence for Ontario launch

Published

17 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

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ThrillTech has been awarded a Gaming-Related Supplier licence by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), clearing the company to launch in Ontario’s regulated market.

The licence allows ThrillTech to deploy its opt-in side bet jackpots technology with regulated online casino, sports betting and lottery operators across the province.

Benjamin Bradtke, Co-Founder of ThrillTech, said: “Securing our AGCO licence is a major step in our mission to transform how jackpots are delivered at scale across regulated markets. This latest certification is testament to our robust technology and trusted compliance frameworks, allowing us to continue our global growth trajectory. We are thrilled to bring our proven, compliant jackpot technology to Ontario, empowering locally licensed operators to uplift revenue without cannibalising existing spend.”

The company said its “ThrillPots” mechanics sit as an independent, player-funded side bet and do not alter the underlying game’s return-to-player mathematics.

ThrillTech said the Ontario approval enables its existing multinational partners that also operate in the province to launch its side bet jackpots locally, while it also holds talks with potential new operator partners. The company lists its regulated footprint as including the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands, Romania, Malta, Gibraltar, Brazil and Peru.

The post ThrillTech secures AGCO supplier licence for Ontario launch appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.