Industry News
QTech Games confirms Epic merger
Asia’s top distributor merges with leading games reseller Epic Media to secure a trailblazing leadership team for growth markets
QTech Games, Asia’s number-one games distributor, has announced a major merger with leading games reseller, Epic Media, in order to bolster its platform’s position at the forefront of the industry for taking the best online games to market across emerging territories.
Under the terms of the reseller agreement, every component of QTech’s digital one-stop shop will be made available, from slots and table games to instant win, virtual sports and live casino games.
Epic Media is headed by industry trailblazers Staffan Lindgren and Ulf Norder, both of whom have a proven record for business development and scale-up success. Norder is a former Director of Development at Yggdrasil and Evolution Gaming, while Lindgren was a co-founder of NYX, which now forms a key part of Scientific Games.
Thanks to a recent partnership with Ezugi’s live-dealer portfolio, QTech Games now has an all-inclusive service for global operators, particularly across developing gaming spaces where demand for a comprehensive-yet-localised product set is paramount against a diverse backdrop of cultural trends and player preferences.
Markus Nasholm, Chairman of the Board at QTech Games, said: “We’re thrilled to have finalised this milestone merger with Epic Media, and delighted to have the combined experience and expertise of Staffan and Ulf on board. To have two of the most successful people in the gambling join QTech Games is a ringing endorsement of all our team’s hard work in recent years.
“It’s been another year of sustained growth at QTech, and their partnership will prove invaluable as we grow further and faster in more international markets. It’s also a real validation that QTech adopted the correct strategy from the outset with our ‘two cornerstones’ model. Firstly, beyond the fantastic games, fully owning the technology sets QTech apart, which enables us to offer a number of flexible features which no competitor can rival. And secondly, outside of Asia, we’ve secured strongholds in virtually all the margin markets, demonstrating organic growth across channel and border.”
Staffan Lindgren, Strategic Adviser to the Board, said: “I’ve been active in Asia for a long time but this is the ideal time to consolidate my hard-won experience in a more structured way with QTech Games. QTech is clearly the leader in Asia, and other key growth territories are quickly falling in line. Their propriety technology means they’re the only aggregator that is not just delivering fantastic games but also adding engaging features (such as QT Play’s AI-powered recommendation engine, alongside their Tournament and Jackpot elements) which make QTech’s position in the market unique. The rapid growth since the start has also been extremely impressive with yearly double-digit gains immediately taking the eye.”
Ulf Norder, VP / Director of sales, added: “For me, having previously been more active in Europe’s ‘margin markets’, this role is a perfect opportunity. QTech Games is the only company that has been active in all such markets. Indeed, they’re not just an Asian aggregator but are also attracting clients from all over the world. Latin America, Eastern Europe and they’re already in position to stake a firm claim in the Indian market, stealing a match on the competition. Together, I’m confident we can be even more successful.”
As the fastest-growing distributor in Asia over the past few years, QTech’s platform boasts the the most comprehensive gaming portfolio around, tailored for each region, with native mobile apps, powerful reporting and marketing tools, and 24/7 local-language support.
Industry News
Dutch Mental Health Care Calls for Total Ban on Online Gambling Advertising
The Dutch mental health service is calling for a total ban on online gambling advertisements in the Netherlands.
Although a ban on untargeted gambling advertisements and a ban on the use of role models has been in effect since 2023, a recent research by KRO-NCRV’s Pointer shows that (illegal) gambling companies and sports tipster platforms are still enticing young people via social media such as TikTok and Snapchat.
By using influencers and terms like “free money”, they try to attract a young audience and thus lower the threshold to start gambling. This concerns both legal online casinos and online casinos that do not have a license in the Netherlands. The Gaming Authority has started an investigation based on Pointer’s findings.
Pointer’s research shows that part of the gambling industry deliberately targets young people who are often susceptible to promises such as “fast money” and the influence of role models. Ruth Peetoom, chair of the Dutch mental health service, compares this approach to that of the tobacco industry, where similar marketing strategies were used to get young people to smoke.
Despite the existing advertising ban, gambling companies continue to explore the boundaries of the law, according to Peetoom. The Dutch mental health and addiction care associations in the Netherlands therefore push for a total ban on online gambling advertising and stricter rules for the duty of care of gambling providers.
With the call for a total ban, the Dutch mental health care sector hopes to prevent further normalisation of gambling behaviour among young people and to protect them from the temptation and consequences of online gambling.
The post Dutch Mental Health Care Calls for Total Ban on Online Gambling Advertising appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Compliance Updates
UKGC: Market impact data on gambling behaviour – operator data to Oct 2024
The Gambling Commission has published further data on the gambling industry in Great Britain.
This data, sourced from operators, reflects the period between March 2020 and September 2024, inclusive, and covers online and in-person gambling covering Licensed Betting Operators (LBOs) found on Britain’s high streets.
Comparison should not be made with the industry statistics dataset, as this dataset may include free bets and bonuses and does not include data from all operators.
This release compares Quarter 2 (Q2) of financial year 2024 to 2025, with Q2 of 2023 to 2024, looking at how the market has changed in comparative periods over a year.
The latest operator data shows:
- online total Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) in Q2 (July to September) was £1.32 billion, an increase of 11 percent from Q2 the previous year. The overall number of total bets and/or spins increased 12 percent Year-on-Year (YoY), reaching a new peak for the third consecutive quarter of 25.2 billion, whilst the average monthly active accounts2 in the quarter increased 8 percent
- real event betting GGY increased by 6 percent YoY to £453 million. The number of bets decreased 10 percent, while the average monthly active accounts in Q2 increased 9 percent
- slots GGY increased 16 percent to £680 million YoY. The number of spins increased 13 percent to 23.3 billion while the average monthly active accounts in Q2 increased 16 percent to 4.4 million per month. Although this is a new peak for GGY in this dataset for the slots vertical, it should be noted that one operator has re-classified some of its products into the slot vertical this quarter, which has had an impact on the vertical data
- the number of online slots sessions lasting longer than an hour increased by 9 percent YoY to 10 million. The average session length remained at 17 minutes. Approximately 6.1 percent of all sessions lasted more than one hour compared to 6.6 percent in Q2 the previous year. The number of spins per session has fallen from 147 to 142 YOY, whilst the GGY per session has fallen from £4.20 to £4.13 in the equivalent timeframe
- LBO GGY decreased by 1 percent to £533 million in Q2 2024 to 2025, compared to the same quarter last year, while the number of total bets and spins decreased by 0.1 percent to 3.1 billion.
The post UKGC: Market impact data on gambling behaviour – operator data to Oct 2024 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Industry News
Petra Maria Poola Joins Xace as Group Commercial Director
Xace has announced that Petra Maria Poola has joined the company as Group Commercial Director.
Petra brings a wealth of experience from the iGaming industry having formerly held roles at several iGaming companies such as Yolo, Relax Gaming and SiGMA. She will lead the commercial growth of Xace and its group companies, including crypto and iGaming focused xda.io, helping to drive strategic initiatives across banking, fintech and iGaming solutions.
In her new role, she will mainly oversee the growth of the group’s sales, marketing and account management functions, ensuring a cohesive strategy that supports Xace’s ambitious expansion plans.
“I am incredibly excited to start this new chapter with Xace, and work alongside such a talented team and management. Transitioning into the fintech space, while still connected to iGaming, presents an exciting opportunity for growth and learning. I’m looking forward to applying my expertise to help Xace and its group companies achieve new heights commercially, while gaining deeper insights into the fast-evolving world of fintech,” said Petra Maria Poola.
Reuben Abel, CEO of Xace, said: “Petra’s extensive background in the iGaming sector, combined with her commercial acumen, makes her a valuable addition to the Xace team. She will play a crucial role in expanding Xace’s market presence and enhancing its suite of services tailored to the specific needs of the iGaming and fintech industries.”
The post Petra Maria Poola Joins Xace as Group Commercial Director appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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