Latest News
Blask data shows uneven World Cup search peaks across group stage
Search demand for the FIFA World Cup group stage in the US, Mexico and Canada did not peak uniformly across participating markets, according to new data from Blask tracking World Cup-related queries from 11 to 27 June.
Blask said it measures daily World Cup-related search demand at a country level and converts it into a “World Cup Index (WCI)”, based on the same logic as its Blask Index but adapted from brand-level search to event-related keyword demand. The dataset covers 43 countries out of 48 participating in the tournament, excluding Iran, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Cape Verde and Curaçao because Blask said its tracker’s Category feature is not yet available in those markets.
Across the 17-day group stage window, Blask reported that only 12 days produced a peak WCI in at least one country. Five days — 11, 15, 18, 19 and 22 June — were not the top day for any market in the sample.
At the other end of the range, the final group matchday, 27 June, produced peak WCI in 16 countries: Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Colombia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Japan, Panama, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay. Two other dates saw seven markets peak each: 14 June (Canada, Germany, Haiti, the Netherlands, Turkey, England and Scotland) and 26 June (Australia, Brazil, Ivory Coast, Mexico, Paraguay, Senegal and Sweden).
Blask also pointed to the weight of the US in combined demand. While 27 June had the most country peaks, Blask said the highest day for combined World Cup-related search demand was 20 June, when the United States peaked. “The US alone makes up 26–36% of combined interest,” the company said. Blask added that the US pattern did not fully align with the combined total, with the US’s weakest day at 15 June and its smallest share of total interest on 27 June.
The post Blask data shows uneven World Cup search peaks across group stage appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Contributors Program
Gamblers Connect names Gali Hartuv as seventh 2026 Contributors Program voice
The Playa strategic advisor will publish on VIP operations, segmentation and retention, starting with an anonymous VIP Operations Survey 2026.
Gamblers Connect has confirmed Gali Hartuv, Strategic Advisor at The Playa, as the seventh voice to join its 2026 Contributors Program.
The independent B2B iGaming media platform said the programme will reveal one senior industry voice per month throughout 2026, with contributors publishing under the Gamblers Connect Contributor Editorial Code.
Gamblers Connect said Hartuv has more than 15 years’ experience in VIP management, including designing and optimising VIP programmes across more than 50 operator brands, and training “hundreds of professionals” now working in VIP roles across the industry.
Hartuv will publish across four areas: building VIP programmes that drive long-term value; AI-powered VIP identification and player segmentation; hyper-personalisation and retention strategy; and scaling VIP operations across different markets and cultures. His first contribution is a VIP Operations Survey 2026, an anonymous survey intended to benchmark how VIP teams work across iGaming operators, including portfolio sizing, tools, qualification thresholds, workflow standards and where time is spent during the week.
Partnerships and Operations Lead, Luka Dimitrijevic, said: “VIP management is where a great deal of an operator’s value is won or lost, and very few people can speak to it with Gali’s depth. He has spent his career turning high value player relationships into a discipline rather than guesswork, and he is refreshingly candid about what works and what does not. Through the Contributors Program he will share practical insight on VIP strategy, retention, and the smart use of AI, with content grounded in real results rather than recycled best practices.”
The post Gamblers Connect names Gali Hartuv as seventh 2026 Contributors Program voice appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Alberta
St8 extends TonyBet partnership to Alberta after securing supplier registration
St8 has extended its partnership with TonyBet into Alberta, expanding their Canada footprint following an earlier launch in Ontario this year.
Under the expanded agreement, TonyBet will use St8’s game aggregation platform through a single API integration. St8 said this provides access to its wider catalogue of casino content for players in Alberta.
St8 said the Alberta rollout follows its newly acquired registration to operate in the province as an iGaming Services Supplier, allowing it to provide aggregation services to licensed operators in the market. The company said its platform connects partners to more than 200 game providers via a single API.
David Fall, Business Development Manager at St8, said:
“Entering Alberta’s regulated market is a strong step for St8 that represents our continued efforts to bring our offerings to as many territories as possible, delivering top-tier results for partnerships at the local, national and international stage. We share this commitment with TonyBet, a company that we are very fortunate to be working with so collaboratively and closely as we continue to grow our presence across North America.”
Kiryl Liudvikevich, Head of Product at TonyBet, said:
“We’re proud that our work with St8 has enabled us to continue expanding across Canada. Through St8’s aggregation platform, we can seamlessly access games from the industry’s leading providers via a single integration, helping us scale efficiently while maintaining a strong focus on the player experience. St8 has cemented itself as our go-to partner for expansion into regulated markets, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration as we grow into new jurisdictions.”
The post St8 extends TonyBet partnership to Alberta after securing supplier registration appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Alberta
St8 continues partnership with TonyBet with an expansion into Alberta
The post St8 continues partnership with TonyBet with an expansion into Alberta appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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