Latest News
FIRST.bet Launches UltraCup: A Player-Engagement Engine for the World Cup
FIRST.bet introduces UltraCup: a single destination that keeps players engaged across the entire World Cup – live group standings, knockout brackets, tournament Outrights, Blind Bets on matchups before they’re even drawn, and automatic Bet Builder boosts in the slip. Everything fans need to follow and bet the tournament in one place, from the first whistle to the last.
FIRST.bet, the Tier 1 sportsbook technology provider, today launched UltraCup, a World Cup-focused sportsbook engine built to help operators own the biggest betting event in football.
The next World Cup is not a short tournament spike. It is 48 teams, 104 matches and one continuous peak with no recovery window. UltraCup is built for that reality, giving operators a complete tournament destination that keeps players engaged from the opening group match through to the final.
UltraCup connects the full World Cup betting journey in one place: live group standings, tournament-context match listings, bracket navigation from R32 to the final, dynamic outrights, Blind Bets on future matchups and automatic Bet Builder boosts inside the bet slip.
Tom Light, Founder and CEO of FIRST.bet, said:
“The World Cup is the one moment when every football fan is watching, betting and hunting for somewhere to follow it all – and most sportsbooks lose that player to a dozen rival apps. UltraCup keeps the entire tournament in one place: live standings, knockout brackets, Outrights, automatic boosts and Blind Bets on matchups that haven’t even been drawn yet. Operators capture that attention from the opening whistle and hold it all the way to the final.”
At the heart of UltraCup is a dedicated World Cup hub that mirrors how fans follow the competition. Players can track group tables, move through the knockout bracket, bet on tournament-wide markets such as Champion and Top Scorer, and engage with odds that shift dynamically as the tournament unfolds.
The product also introduces Blind Bets, allowing players to bet on future World Cup matches before the final matchup is confirmed. This turns tournament progression into the betting mechanic itself, creating suspense and repeat engagement across every stage.
UltraCup also includes Auto Boost Builder, which applies automatic odds boosts to qualifying Bet Builders directly inside the bet slip. Operators can configure boosts by sport, tournament, or league, and customer segment, with instant enable or disable controls and boost tiers of any percentage desired.
UltraCup also introduces the Welcome Bonus Boost, a new feature that allows operators to create boosted odds promotions exclusively for new customers who have not yet placed a bet. The mechanic targets the critical first-bet moment, giving operators a targeted tool to convert new registrations into active players during the tournament.
While UltraCup is being launched with a clear World Cup focus, the framework is built to live beyond one tournament. FIRST will extend the same journey into major league and tournament formats across football and other sports, giving operators a reusable engagement engine for the biggest moments on the calendar.
FIRST.bet powers 75+ live operators, 100+ partners and millions of daily transactions across LatAm, Europe and Africa. The company was named ‘Sportsbook Supplier of the Year’ at the SBC Awards 2025 and EGR LATAM Awards 2025, and ‘Best Sportsbook Provider’ at BiS SiGMA South America 2026.
About FIRST.bet
FIRST – Best in Sports is a Tier 1 sportsbook technology provider powering 75+ operators globally, including leading brands among Brazil’s top 20 by GGR. Founded by former SBTech leaders, FIRST delivers a fully managed, high-performance sportsbook engineered for speed, scale and precision across LatAm, Europe and Africa. The company holds licences from the Malta Gaming Authority and the Swedish Gambling Authority, and is GLI-33 certified and ISO-audited. FIRST was named ‘Sportsbook Supplier of the Year’ at the SBC Awards 2025 and EGR LATAM Awards 2025, ‘Best Sportsbook Provider’ at BiS SiGMA South America 2026, and received the ‘Individual Achievement Award’ at the EGR Awards 2026.
The post FIRST.bet Launches UltraCup: A Player-Engagement Engine for the World Cup appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Latest News
Highlight Games’ platform clears Italy’s ADM collaudo certification
Company plans to roll out SOCCERBET with LALIGA archive footage on its own platform in Italian retail after the World Cup.
Highlight Games Limited said its proprietary platform has passed Italy’s ADM collaudo process, the technical certification required for gaming platforms. The company announced the approval on 14 July 2026 from London.
Following the conclusion of the World Cup, Highlight said it will launch its Spanish SOCCERBET product featuring archive LALIGA footage on its own platform across Italian retail channels. The company added that operators will transfer to Highlight’s platform over the months that follow.
The supplier said the certification allows it to deliver its content via its own “zero-cost streaming technology” in Italy and gives it control over its product roadmap in what it called its most important market.
Steven Holmes, CEO, Highlight Games said: ‘This is a huge moment for Highlight as we bring our video-based technology stack to the Italian market and join a select few who are able to offer an officially ADM certified platform. Italy is where SOCCERBET has proven itself time and again and passing the ADM collaudo means we can now deliver that content on our own platform, with our zero-cost streaming solution, exactly as it was designed to be experienced.
‘Owning the technology end to end means we control our own roadmap, resulting in faster launches, smoother integrations for our operator partners and a richer experience for players. Our products consistently perform at the top of the market wherever they are live, and with our platform now officially certified in Italy, we have everything in place to build on that momentum.’
The post Highlight Games’ platform clears Italy’s ADM collaudo certification appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Latest News
PokerStars puts $800,000 in Sunday Million Anniversary tickets into Ticket Machine
The 10-week phased event runs Daily Heats through September 6, with raffles awarding more than $100,000 in $109 tickets each week.
PokerStars is allocating more than $800,000 worth of $109 Daily Heat (Phase 1) tickets through its “Ticket Machine” promotion ahead of the Sunday Million 20th Anniversary Finals (Phase 2) on Sunday, September 6.
The Sunday Million 20th Anniversary is being run as a 10-week phased tournament, with Daily Heats running now through September 6. Players who advance from a $109 Daily Heat carry their stack into the Finals, with PokerStars noting that only one stack may be carried through to Phase 2.
To enter the Ticket Machine, players must opt in to the “Ticket Machine” ICE Challenge and complete weekly poker challenges. Each completed challenge adds entries to a Saturday raffle, with PokerStars saying more than $100,000 in $109 Daily Heat tickets will be awarded each week. Players can complete each challenge up to four times, for a maximum of 24 raffle entries per week.
PokerStars said that, after the first two weeks of Daily Heats, 270 players from more than 40 countries have already qualified for the Finals, including 50 who qualified into Phase 1 via satellites. Brazil and Ukraine lead the qualifiers list with 33 players each, according to the operator.
The operator has set a $5 million guarantee for the Sunday Million 20th Anniversary. Additional qualification routes include satellites starting at $0.55, special edition Spin & Go’s from $0.75, and “Wildcard Wins”, described by PokerStars as a new leaderboard promotion running until July 19. PokerStars also said players redeeming a $530 Bronze Pass will receive “25% extra value in the bundle” for a limited time, including an additional $109 Sunday Million 20th Anniversary ticket and $23.50 in tournament tickets.
The post PokerStars puts $800,000 in Sunday Million Anniversary tickets into Ticket Machine appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
casino
CreedRoomz signs Ronaldinho to front new Kickoff Roulette live game show
Kickoff Roulette Ronaldinho launches with a Gold Number mechanic and English/Portuguese language support.
CreedRoomz has named former football star Ronaldinho as brand ambassador for its new live casino game show, Kickoff Roulette Ronaldinho. The supplier said the title is now available for integration by B2B partners.
The company positions the product as a roulette-led live game show built around a football theme, running from a virtual studio. According to CreedRoomz, the game includes a “Gold Number Mechanic” where randomized lucky numbers can add multipliers from x50 to x700.
When asked about the crossover between football and casino entertainment, Ronaldinho said: “The fact that football is a global passion also helps, so I believe everyone will like “Kickoff Roulette Ronaldinho” for that reason.. and for the innovation of everything that is happening.”
CreedRoomz said the game is available in English and Portuguese, framing Portuguese language support as relevant for operators targeting Brazil and other Portuguese-speaking audiences. Armen Mnaskanian, Head of Sales Department at Creedroomz, said: “Bringing Ronaldinho into the CreedRoomz family represents a massive leap forward for live casino entertainment. Football and iGaming both thrive on passion and excitement. By fusing Ronaldinho’s legendary star power with powerhouse monetization mechanics, we are giving our partners the ultimate competitive edge and a next-generation casino offering.”
The post CreedRoomz signs Ronaldinho to front new Kickoff Roulette live game show appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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