Industry News
Yalp is ‘social responsibility by design’
John Rozek, Financial Compliance Director at Game Payment Technology to explain the depth of Yalp’s commitment to social responsibility at EAG Seminar
In addition to making its debut appearance at EAG, Game Payment Technology (GPT), the joint venture established by bacta, will be using its time at the ExCeL Exhibition Centre to participate in the EAG Seminar Programme. John Rozek, GPT’s Financial Compliance Director and a member of the team responsible for creating Yalp the cashless payments app which is being officially launched at EAG, will be drawing on his vast experience gained working in the payments sector to highlight how social responsibility lies at the heart of what Yalp is all about. He explained: “When we embarked on the development programme we were very aware of how a cashless payments app could, and should, incorporate key social responsibility initiatives in order to help players to take greater personal control of their gambling activities.
“In many ways I would describe Yalp as being a case of ’social responsibility by design’. It enables players to establish their own breaks in play, it provides session spend reminders and it has safe bet limits. Although players can reduce these limits at any time, it takes 24-hours to increase them. There is a period between when a player loads funds to when those funds are available for play and there’s the ability to set a cooling off period of between one week and six months. In terms of reporting features Yalp can provide a transaction history for both the individual’s card and his/her machine. Armed with the Yalp app players are able to take control and it is a case of providing them with all of the tools and mechanisms necessary to create their own social responsibility framework. The inclusion of secure biometric technology helps operators meet age verification requirements and promote safer gaming and data minimisation.”
Rozek, who has a long pedigree in the payments sector playing a major role in the integrated Chip and Pin solution, for which he won the Queens Award for Industry (Innovation) in 2004, has been taken back by the level of engagement there is with Yalp. He confirmed: “The response to the Yalp project has been extremely positive right from the outset but the extent and the depth of interest from the entire industry really struck home when we attended the Autumn Coin-Op Show. This was the first occasion that I was able to meet with members of the industry and demonstrate how far we had come with Yalp, listen to their operational needs and outline the road map moving forward. There is a level of genuine engagement that I’ve not necessarily experienced working in other industry sectors. Having a secure cashless payments app has moved from a ‘nice to have’ to a ‘must have’ and I look forward to once again meeting with the industry next week at EAG.”
Celia Verot
FDJ UNITED Announces Changes to its Executive Committee
FDJ UNITED makes changes to its Executive Committee, with the appointment of Pascal Chaffard as Chief Online Betting and Gaming Officer as well as Group Strategy and Operational Transformation Officer, and Celia Verot as General Secretary.
Currently Chief Financial Officer, Strategy and Performance leader, Pascal Chaffard is taking over as head of the Online Betting and Gaming business unit. Pascal Chaffard will also be responsible for the Group’s strategy and operational transformation.
As Chief Online Betting and Gaming Officer, Nils Andén has overseen Kindred’s integration into the Group since October 2024; he is leaving the company to pursue new projects.
The appointment of the new CFO will be announced at the end of the recruitment process currently under way.
In addition, Celia Verot, who joined FDJ UNITED in 2024 as Chief Regulatory Officer, was appointed General Secretary, General Counsel and Chief Regulatory Officer for the Group on 1 January.
The post FDJ UNITED Announces Changes to its Executive Committee appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Industry News
Novig Raises $75M Series B to Build a Trader-First Sports Prediction Market
Novig, the fastest growing sports trading platform in America, announced the close of a $75 million Series B round led by Pantera Capital, with participation from Multicoin Capital, Makers Fund, Edge Equity, and existing investors Forerunner, Perceptive Ventures, and NFX. The round brings Novig’s total capital raised to more than $105 million.
The funding follows a period of growth for the platform, which reported a 10x increase in trading volume during 2025. Novig’s annualized trading volume currently exceeds $4 billion.
Although sports account for the majority of activity on most prediction market platforms, those products are not built with sports traders in mind. Novig, by contrast, is built for sports fans, delivering a fair, transparent, and commission-free trading experience.
Since launch, the platform has rapidly emerged as the leading sports trading platform in the US, proving strong demand for a trader-first alternative to traditional sportsbooks. Novig has officially submitted its application to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to become a licensed Designated Contract Market (DCM), a critical milestone in its transition toward becoming a federally regulated exchange available in all 50 states.
Unlike sportsbooks that operate an against-the-house model, Novig operates a commission-free, peer-to-peer exchange where traders compete against one another on a level playing field. By eliminating the hidden “vig,” unfair odds, and punitive limits on winning players, Novig has built the industry’s most equitable sports prediction platform.
“Our mission is to democratize and financialize sports markets, and we’re proud of the fact that Novig users are 10 times more likely to win than on traditional sportsbooks,” said Jacob Fortinsky, Co-Founder and CEO of Novig.
“We chose to partner with the best crypto venture firms in the world to further accelerate our plans to make Novig the most efficient and liquid sports prediction market in the world. Others are using prediction market technology to financialize new markets with unproven demand. We leverage it to fix broken markets where demand already exists.”
“Novig is proving that prediction markets can fundamentally reshape sports betting by removing the exploitative middleman,” said Paul Veradittakit, Managing Partner at Pantera Capital.
“Their peer-to-peer exchange delivers what traditional sportsbooks can’t: better odds, fairer market structure, and alignment between platform success and user profitability. When 23% of users are profitable compared to 2% on traditional platforms, it’s clear this is a foundational change to the industry. We’re excited to lead this round and support Jacob, Kelechi, and the team as they build a sports prediction market that actually puts bettors first.”
“Novig combines the cultural heartbeat of sports with the transparency and efficiency of prediction markets. Most prediction market volume today is on sports, yet those platforms weren’t built with sports or sports bettors in mind. We are delivering a better exchange that is built by sports traders, for sports traders,” said Co-Founder and CTO Kelechi Ukah.
The new capital accelerates Novig’s next phase of growth, including onboarding more institutional liquidity. Novig will utilize the investment to deepen product innovation and growth loops, launching first-of-its-kind functionality that combines the best innovation of financial markets with the excitement of live sports.
To support its next phase of growth, Novig has expanded its team to more than 50 personnel, including operators, engineers, and traders focused on developing the platform’s prediction market infrastructure and transparency features.
The post Novig Raises $75M Series B to Build a Trader-First Sports Prediction Market appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Gaming Laboratories International
GLI Promotes Patrick Cottingham to Director of Client Services, North America
Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) has promoted Patrick Cottingham to Director of Client Services, North America. Previously, he served as Senior Manager of Client Services. Prior to commencing his career as an engineer with GLI, he served with the US Air Force.
Cottingham’s dedication to his clients was clearly evident both inside and outside of GLI. He transitioned to the Client Services team where he progressed and built a team laser focused on providing the very best customer service where his and his team’s clients have benefited from his engineering and gaming experience.
Ian Hughes, GLI Chief Revenue Officer, said: “We are thrilled to announce Patrick’s well-deserved promotion to Director of Client Services for North America. Patrick leads a team of dedicated and committed client services representatives who ensure our clients receive the best service during their compliance journey with GLI.”
The post GLI Promotes Patrick Cottingham to Director of Client Services, North America appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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