Press Releases

YGAM to confirm future strategy at ICE London showcase

Published

6 years ago

January 29, 2020

YGAM, the UK-based charity that works to inform, educate and safeguard young people against problematic gambling and social gaming, will be using its appearance at ICE London (4-6 February, ExCeL London, UK) to outline to the industry the ambitious targets it has set for 2020. Under the leadership of chief executive and co-founder Lee Willows, YGAM has set out an agenda which will see it work with at least 3,000 educational organisations to deliver practitioner workshops, engaging with approximately 600,000 young and vulnerable people in 2020. It will also seek to extend its student programme to 25 universities, reaching approximately 175,000 students, as well as establishing a target of reaching a minimum of 5,000 parents in 2020. YGAM’s trading subsidiary YGAM Innovation will continue to provide best-in-class, City & Guilds certified training to customer facing colleagues in the gambling industry and related sectors in collaboration with Betknowmore UK.

Speaking ahead of YGAM’s appearance as part of the Consumer Protection Zone at ICE London, Lee Willows said: “2020 is YGAM’s sixth anniversary and we feel that is well-worth celebrating. We have an exemplar team of 26 employees, which is due to increase to 42 in Q1. Working in collaboration with members of the Betting & Gaming Council and GamCare, we are going to deploy a high-population, national education programme that will see us jointly deliver at least one session of gambling awareness to all 11-19 year olds in Britain over the next four years.

“Our Parent and Families work will be enhanced with support from Lottoland, whom we worked with in 2019 to develop a pilot with the support of Playtech. We will be working with GVC and Ascot to further develop our university and student engagement work and we are particularly keen to use our attendance at ICE London to talk to other operators who would be happy to work with YGAM and, in the process, enable us to extend this work further.”

He added: “YGAM has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Clarion Gaming and, without doubt, ICE London provides an exceptional platform for charities to further raise awareness of their social purpose and to thank their supporters. With initiatives such as the Consumer Protection Zone and the pop-up talks around safer gambling and social responsibility across the show floor, ICE London continues to pioneer, lead and set the benchmark. It enables all organisations to not only take stock of current issues but, as importantly, to plan for the future.”

casino

Plaza adds Monday Night RAW ticket raffle to WrestleMania 42 viewing party

Published

11 hours ago

April 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

plaza-adds-monday-night-raw-ticket-raffle-to-wrestlemania-42-viewing-party

Downtown Las Vegas casino also brings in WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam for a live Q&A on April 18.

Plaza Hotel & Casino will host WrestleMania 42 viewing parties on April 18 and April 19 in its showroom in downtown Las Vegas, adding a ticket giveaway for WWE Monday Night RAW on the second night.

The casino said all guests attending the Sunday, April 19 viewing party can enter a free raffle to win two tickets to Monday Night RAW on Monday, April 20 at T-Mobile Arena, seated in one of the venue’s premier Loge Boxes.

On Saturday, April 18, the Plaza will feature WWE Hall of Fame wrestler Rob Van Dam (RVD) as a special guest. The property said RVD—also billed as “Mr. Monday Night”—will lead a live Q&A at 1:30 p.m. ahead of the WrestleMania 42 start time at 3 p.m., and will be available for autographs and photo ops.

Both events are 21+ and run in the Plaza showroom, with doors opening at 1 p.m. and the viewing party starting at 3 p.m. The Plaza said it will offer drink specials and buckets of beer priced at $30 for domestic brands and $35 for imported.

Tickets with seat selection are priced at $40 per person (plus fees and taxes), according to the casino, with details and purchasing available via the Plaza’s website.

Relevant data as follows:

Plaza Hotel & Casino WrestleMania viewing party details: https://www.plazahotelcasino.com/entertainment/wrestlemania-viewing-party/ Primary source for ticketing, schedule, and pricing referenced in the article.
WWE Monday Night RAW: https://www.wwe.com/shows/raw Official WWE show page to support the RAW reference and event context.
T-Mobile Arena events calendar: https://www.t-mobilearena.com/events Venue source to corroborate event location and provide broader event context.
Plaza Hotel & Casino: https://www.plazahotelcasino.com/ Company homepage for readers seeking more information on the property hosting the viewing parties.

The post Plaza adds Monday Night RAW ticket raffle to WrestleMania 42 viewing party appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

eSports

MEGA hires Leapfox founder Patrick Collins as VP of Growth

Published

11 hours ago

April 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

mega-hires-leapfox-founder-patrick-collins-as-vp-of-growth

The ex-Wasserman and former Excel Esports partnerships lead joins the London-based group behind the Esports Awards and MOBIES.

The Mobile, Esports and Gaming Alliance (MEGA) has appointed Patrick Collins as Vice President of Growth, the company said on April 15, 2026. Collins will lead growth strategy, including commercial partnerships and new business development, from London.

Collins joins from boutique agency Leapfox, which he founded in early 2022. Prior to that, he led commercial partnerships at UK esports organisation Excel Esports, securing deals with brands including BT, Sony, JD Sports, Neosurf and Chupa Chups, alongside partners such as HyperX, Anda Seat, Belong Gaming Arenas and Chillblast PCs.

Earlier in his career, Collins worked at sports marketing agency Wasserman, where MEGA said he helped secure EE’s six-year partnership with Wembley Stadium and advised brands including American Express, Vodafone and PepsiCo. The company also cited experience working with Premier League football clubs and brands including Barclays, Santander, Under Armour and Puma.

“I’m pleased to officially join MEGA at such an important time for esports and gaming,” said Patrick Collins, VP of Growth at MEGA. “Having worked across traditional sport, esports, and commercial partnerships, and founding Leapfox to bridge these worlds and guide my clients, I’m looking forward to applying my experience to support MEGA and our properties as we continue to grow.”

“We’re delighted to welcome Patrick to MEGA as our new Vice President of Growth,” said Michael Ashford, Co-Founder of MEGA. “His extensive experience, including founding Leapfox, uniquely positions him to shape the future of our company. With Patrick on board, MEGA is determined to accelerate our growth, embark on transformative partnerships, and deliver world-class experiences that will define the next era of esports entertainment.”

Relevant data as follows:

MEGA (Mobile, Esports and Gaming Alliance): https://themega.global/ Official company site to support the appointment and provide background on MEGA.
Esports Awards: https://esportsawards.com/ Official site for one of the properties referenced in connection with MEGA.
MOBIES: https://mobies.com/ Official site for the Mobile Gaming Awards referenced alongside MEGA.

The post MEGA hires Leapfox founder Patrick Collins as VP of Growth appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

iGaming

Soft2Bet adds five brands in Q1 2026 and lines up Alberta licensing bid

Published

11 hours ago

April 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

soft2bet-adds-five-brands-in-q1-2026-and-lines-up-alberta-licensing-bid

Soft2Bet said it opened 2026 with five new brand launches and four sponsorship deals, alongside market planning for Q2 2026. The company shared the update from Malta on April 15, 2026 as part of its Q1 2026 results.

In Q1, Soft2Bet launched Lodur in Sweden and Zinx in Romania. In Denmark, it launched Betinia, Betoro and QuickCasino. The company said the rollouts were part of a localized approach aligned with player behavior and regulatory environments.

Soft2Bet also announced four sponsorships aimed at strengthening regional visibility. In Canada, it partnered with the Oshawa FireWolves and Rock League Curling. In Romania, it renewed its partnership with football club CFR Cluj. In Denmark, it cited brand exposure through the Betinia League and CampoBet Division.

For Q2 2026, Soft2Bet said it has submitted a license application in Alberta, Canada, and is evaluating Spain and Portugal. The company also said it plans to offer players a gamified tournament module for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, designed to extend engagement beyond traditional sportsbook formats.

Soft2Bet did not disclose revenue, active user metrics, or market-by-market performance data in the release.

Relevant data as follows:

Soft2Bet: https://soft2bet.com/ Company site for background, brand portfolio, and corporate updates referenced in the release.
Alberta iGaming (AGLC) – regulatory information: https://aglc.ca/ Official Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis information relevant to the stated Alberta license application.
Swedish Gambling Authority (Spelinspektionen): https://www.spelinspektionen.se/en/ Regulator context for the Sweden brand launch mentioned (Lodur).
Romanian National Gambling Office (ONJN):https://onjn.gov.ro Regulatory reference for Romania activity and brand launch (Zinx).