Press Releases
Rootz Promotes Two Team Members
With Rootz having experienced one of the fastest initial growth periods in the history of European online casinos, we have decided to promote internally as Rootz expands its footprint and prepares to grow the company in 2020 and beyond.
We are pleased to announce the promotions of two of our team members – Melanie Hainzer and Tony Kjaldstrom – to C-level positions within the company.
Ms. Melanie Hainzer has been promoted from Head of Marketing to the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) role while Mr. Tony Kjaldstrom is being elevated from Head of Casino to Chief Operating Officer (COO).
Melanie Hainzer, CMO
Having joined Rootz in early 2019, Ms. Hainzer has demonstrated a robust understanding of the iGaming industry. With over 10 years of experience in roles ranging from CRM Manager to Country Manager, Melanie brings broad experience to this position. Melanie has been an integral part of the early successes. Most notably, Melanie has been at the forefront of the marketing efforts for Wildz Casino, Rootz’s first online casino brand.
Responding to the news of her promotion, Melanie remarked, “It’s an honour to be not only considered, but promoted to an executive position at Rootz. I’ve been very happy to work for this company and am excited to assume a larger role. I’m looking forward to 2020 and beyond.”
Tony Kjaldstrom, COO
Mr Kjaldstrom also joined in 2019 and helped shepherd Rootz through the opening months, demonstrating tremendous competence and the ability to troubleshoot and manage a brand new platform. Tony has helped build and manage the casino platform and is playing a central role in planning the future strategy.
Tony also had some comments related to his promotion. “These are exciting times at Rootz and Wildz. I’m very grateful for this new position and will remain committed to seeing that Rootz doesn’t rest on its previous success and instead redoubles its efforts to make fantastic casino products even better. Let’s go!”
CEO’s Statement
Lasse Rantala, the Rootz CEO, had the following to say about these latest promotions: “Melanie and Tony are two of the hardest-working people in a company full of impressive workers. To be able to excel where there are so many motivated people is a testament to their extraordinary work ethic and ability.
Both Melanie and Tony helped to guide the company through opening months. Those first month required extraordinary time commitments and a focused attention to detail as Rootz worked to finesse our strategies and our custom platform in those early months. I have no doubt that the elevation of these two talented individuals into C-level roles will be a tremendous asset to this company for many years to come.
It is especially satisfying that we were able to fill these roles with current Rootz team members. We take great pride in being able to promote internally and look to do so in the future as much as possible.”
About Rootz:
Rootz Ltd is an iGaming technology company providing a full-scope platform, Rootz. Automate the Game, the Rootz slogan, has influenced product development from Day 1. Rootz believes human beings should be left to pursue their creative talents while allowing repetitive tasks to be managed by machines. This focus has allowed Rootz to build the next generation casino product, Wildz.com, an online casino customised to each individual user. Rootz Ltd is based in Malta and holds an MGA license.
content strategy
DuelBits says UFC creator campaign delivers 122m verified video views
DuelBits has published results from its JUSTIN2026 marketing campaign, saying the UFC-focused activation generated more than 122 million verified video views and contributed to one of the company’s strongest MMA betting events “in recent years.”
The crypto sportsbook and casino operator said the campaign launched ahead of UFC event Freedom 250 at the White House and centred on former UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje. DuelBits framed the partnership as an early bet on Gaethje, before broader commercial interest.
According to the company, the campaign set a KPI to exceed 100 million impressions across owned, paid and partnered media, and ultimately delivered more than 122 million verified clip views via a network of more than 140 creators. The asset mix included a hero film, six short-form cutdowns, behind-the-scenes content and still imagery, distributed via DuelBits’ social channels, MMA publishers, creator partnerships and clipping pages.
DuelBits said the hero content was also integrated into Gaethje’s “Art of Violence” YouTube series. The operator added that the activation drove promotional code engagement and helped convert attention into sportsbook activity.
Jasper Hoekert, Chief Marketing Officer at Duelbits, said: “We wanted to support Justin before everyone else recognised the opportunity. Instead of following the hype once he has already achieved greatness, we wanted to back a champion before anybody else did.
“The campaign wasn’t measured purely on views. Of course, surpassing 122 million verified views and exceeding our 100 million KPI was a huge achievement, but the real success was seeing that attention convert into one of our strongest UFC betting nights in recent years.
“It also reinforced something that’s key to DuelBits as a brand, which is that we don’t do small campaigns. Whether it’s the production quality, creator network, or distribution strategy, we want every activation to show what’s possible when sportsbook marketing is treated like premium entertainment.”
The post DuelBits says UFC creator campaign delivers 122m verified video views appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
AI
SCCG Management Launches SCCG Technology, Delivering AI-Driven Solutions to the iGaming Industry
New division delivers smart, AI-driven technology solutions to gaming operators, suppliers, and ventures worldwide, built on the same stack SCCG uses to run its own global advisory business.
SCCG Management announces the launch of SCCG Technology, a dedicated division built to deliver intelligent, AI-driven solutions to the iGaming industry. Where SCCG has spent three decades advising gaming companies on what to build, SCCG Technology now builds it.
The division launches with a working portfolio, not a promise. Over the past year, SCCG has re-engineered its own global operation around artificial intelligence: automated content and newsletter systems reaching tens of thousands of industry professionals weekly, real-time market and odds data pipelines feeding its prediction-market ventures,
and AI-assisted CRM and pipeline automation across more than 120 active client engagements.
The proving ground is SCCG’s own digital presence, now being rebuilt on the division’s platform: a site that reassembles itself around each visitor and publishes across every channel from one place. An operator in LATAM and an investor in Las Vegas see the same network through different eyes. Content is AI-accelerated but expert-governed: every AI-assisted claim is labeled and traceable to its source, a discipline that matters in a regulated industry. We built it for the most demanding client we have, ourselves, before offering it to anyone else.
The timing reflects a structural shift in the industry. Operators and suppliers no longer compete only on licenses and content; they compete on data, speed, and the intelligence of their customer experience. AI has moved from experiment to infrastructure, reshaping how players are acquired, how content is produced, how markets are priced, and how compliance is managed. Most gaming companies know this. Far fewer have a partner that understands both the technology and the industry it has to serve.
“Every gaming company I speak with is asking the same two questions: what should we be doing with AI, and who can actually build it for us without a two-year learning curve on how this industry works. SCCG Technology exists because we solved that problem for ourselves first. Now we are opening the toolkit to the industry.” – Stephen A. Crystal, Founder and CEO, SCCG Management
SCCG Technology will deliver across five service lines:
Product Strategy and Build: Carrying a gaming concept from advisory whiteboard to working software. Rapid prototyping and delivery of new gaming products and ventures, the capability a strategy deck cannot substitute for.
Data, Analytics, and Market Intelligence: Real-time odds and market data pipelines, prediction-market tooling, and business intelligence dashboards that put operational truth in front of decision-makers daily.
Compliance-Aware AI Content and Marketing Systems: Automated content production, newsletter and campaign engines, and CRM automation built for a regulated industry, AI-assisted output labeled and traceable, brand voice intact.
AI Operations and Automation: Workflow automation and applied AI across the back office, from player-facing support to reporting, compliance preparation, and the operational plumbing gaming companies run on.
Intelligent Web and Digital Platforms: Digital experiences that personalize by visitor role and region, engineered for conversion and structured for both traditional search and the AI answer engines that increasingly drive discovery.
What separates SCCG Technology from a generalist agency or dev shop is the firm behind it. Every engagement draws on SCCG Management’s 30-plus years inside the gaming industry, its regulatory and commercial expertise across dozens of jurisdictions, and a global client network spanning operators, platforms, suppliers, and investors. SCCG Technology does not need the industry explained to it.
The launch continues a deliberate expansion of the SCCG platform. In the past year the firm has established SCCG LATAM with its Miami office, launched SCCG Brazil with dedicated local leadership, and expanded its managed-services offering for casino operators. SCCG Technology is the connective layer across all of it: the division that turns the firm’s advisory insight into deployed, working technology. The model is expert-governed and AI-accelerated: SCCG’s people supply the industry judgment, and the platform supplies the speed.
“The gaming industry does not have a shortage of technology vendors. It has a shortage of technology partners who understand gaming. That is the gap SCCG Technology was built to close.” – Stephen A. Crystal, Founder and CEO, SCCG Management
SCCG Technology operates as a division of SCCG Management, the gaming industry’s global advisory firm. With more than 30 years of experience, more than 120 active client engagements worldwide, and offices spanning North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, SCCG provides end-to-end advisory services across iGaming, sports betting, sweepstakes, tribal gaming, and casino technology.
The post SCCG Management Launches SCCG Technology, Delivering AI-Driven Solutions to the iGaming Industry appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
assurance
eGaming Integrity wins SME News UK Enterprise Award for gambling assurance
eGaming Integrity has been named Independent Online Gambling Assurance Provider of the Year 2026 at the UK Enterprise Awards, organised by SME News. The company is based in the Isle of Man and works with operators in regulated online gambling markets.
According to the company, the award recognises its assurance work aimed at helping gambling operators evaluate whether their compliance processes are prepared for regulated market requirements, as regulatory expectations increase around compliance standards and customer protection.
eGaming Integrity said its internal audit reviews assess how gambling businesses operate in practice, including whether procedures and controls meet standards expected by regulators. The company added that the process is designed to help operators identify where controls are effective and where improvements may be needed before issues emerge.
Emma Shilling, Director at eGaming Integrity, said,
“This award recognises the reason eGaming Integrity was created. Responsible operators want to know where they stand before problems appear, and independent assurance provides that outside perspective.
“Our team has seen regulation from both sides, which helps us understand where processes can break down and how operators can make practical improvements.”
Speaking on the accomplishments of the 2026 winners, Laura O’Carroll, Awards Manager, said,
“The announcement of our UK Enterprise Awards is perhaps one of our most anticipated milestones every year, and the 2026 launch is no different. We are truly pleased to deliver our digital magazine and winners list, showcasing such excellence, to our readers again this year. Atop this, to our winners, and from our team to yours, we wish you all a sincere congratulations on your success in this year’s programme.”
The post eGaming Integrity wins SME News UK Enterprise Award for gambling assurance appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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