Industry News
Custom presents the “Total Experience” for lottery, gaming and betting world
Synergy between technologies, fiscal experience, the capacity to engage end customers and a service centre of excellence: Custom at ICE – Stand S3-310 – preempts the demands of the gaming, lottery and betting world and presents itself as a unique partner for players around the world, with over 15 years of experience.
Cross-sectoral technologies and solutions: a single partner for all needs
Today, Custom is the only player able to offer a range of hardware, software and service solutions to meet the new demands of the gaming world. Founded in 1992 and present in 15 fiscal markets and 76 countries around the world, with over 680 professional staff, six software labs and five production facilities (Italy, India, Romania, China and Brazil), the company has made a cross-sectoral approach one of its basic characteristics. The continuous development of diversified yet synergetic expertise and skills has enabled the company to excel in numerous markets, often being the first to propose specific solutions. This strategic mindset allows an increase of vertical skills in certain sectors, which, when integrated, offer an approach totally centred on the operator’s needs, with close attention also given to the end consumer’s experience. The key example comes from the gaming world, where Custom supports its customers with a comprehensive offer that brings together hospitality solutions (POS PC systems, fiscal printers, cash registers and mobile devices) and those more targeted towards betting and gaming, such as high-speed scanners and industry-specific printers. Nowadays, however, betting outlets are increasingly used for the payment of services such as car tax, insurance, subscriptions and fines: for this range of needs, Custom also provides hardware, software and services for extensive and constant support in all phases of its customers’ business.
The Custom Service Centre: excellence since 2001
Custom anticipated what has now become a mantra by almost twenty years: the product is important but service is essential. On the strength on this conviction, the company employs a dedicated support staff of 300 technicians, available from 7.00 am to 9.00 pm each day, to attend to customers’ needs. At any time and in any place: this is the secret of a proximity service that achieves high KPIs for the closure of service tickets, with an 8-hour Service Level Agreement worldwide. An original, “made-to-measure” and truly next-business-day service, based on the evolution of the market and the needs and technology that revolve around the store from day to day. Custom service is capable of fully managing the store machine fleet, providing support for hardware and software, thanks to a synergy between automation, business intelligence and technological implementation. It extends to new openings, technological refurbishment, the periodic verification of fiscal products and the management of extra services (transfers, changes of company name, location changes and closures).
From augmented reality to hospitality services: gaming beyond gaming to build customer loyalty
Today, the world of gaming and betting, in all its forms, has become a place where diverse needs intersect: people seek recreation but also require catering and entertainment services. With its long experience in the world of hospitality, Custom presents a series of solutions at ICE 2020 that are becoming central to the world of gaming, lotteries and betting. POS systems, mobile devices, printers and software are now becoming cross-sectoral and allow gaming industry leaders to have a single contact for all their needs. An example is POSA (the Android Point-of-Sale system): an Android App that meets all cash point needs in a smart, fast and reliable way. Developed for the hospitality world, this app allows you to manage bookings, employees and customers, with a range of customisable features. However, Custom goes beyond this and is presenting a series of technologies in London designed to enhance the consumer experience through Augmented Reality: information content, video, game statistics, advertising and everything else that creativity can suggest. This technology ecosystem, which mixes real and virtual, becomes a major development driver, facilitating the work of operators on the one hand, and, on the other, offering greater engagement and retention of end consumers.
Integrated Data Intelligence to optimise productivity and workflow
Data is now the new petrol. Companies that can manage data smartly and effectively have a major competitive advantage. For this reason, Custom has developed a program with Data Intelligence solutions that makes the operator’s task smooth and agile, while, at the same time, providing an enjoyable experience for the end consumer. Faster payments, dedicated services, data storage and profiling: all these activities can optimise the entire workflow, with genuine benefits in terms of productivity and return on investment. Custom’s capacity to integrate hardware, software and services is a key element, particularly when it comes to Data Intelligence: each of the Italian company’s solutions, created in a synergistic perspective, where software features determine the form of the hardware, which, in turn, is natively organised to implement data-driven operations.
Tugi Tark has released a 2026 whitepaper, The economics of AI-powered iGaming customer support, arguing that AI changes the unit economics of player support and can reduce costs compared with human-led operations.
The report cites “verified pricing” of EUR 0.15 per AI-handled ticket. It compares that with fully loaded employer costs for human support in Romania and Bulgaria of EUR 1.73 to EUR 1.88 per ticket. At a “realistic” 70% AI containment rate, the whitepaper claims a blended cost of about EUR 0.67 per ticket, which it describes as roughly a 64% reduction versus a human-only baseline of EUR 1.88.
Tugi Tark says its analysis draws on Eurostat 2024 labour cost data, published research on AI chatbot benchmarks, independent iGaming player behaviour research, and operational data from its own deployments. The company estimates operators can achieve a 55% to 75% reduction in total support expenditure, and argues AI can absorb volume spikes—such as during major sporting events—without additional hiring or training lag.
Harpo Lilja, founder and CEO of TUgi Tark, said: “In 2026, the ‘wait-and-see’ approach to AI is costing operators millions in unnecessary overhead. We aren’t just talking about chatbots; we’re talking about a fundamental shift in the unit economics of player retention.”
The whitepaper also frames customer support as a retention lever, stating that payment issues account for 52% of ticket volume and that slower response times drive churn. It claims a 0.5 percentage point churn reduction could retain an additional 500 players per month for a mid-sized operator, translating to €200,000 in annual revenue based on an assumed €400 Player Lifetime Value. Tugi Tark also claims AI agents average ~7 seconds for first response versus ~60 seconds for human agents, and outlines use cases across Responsible Gambling escalation, KYC/AML workflows, and GDPR-aligned data sovereignty.
The post Tugi Tark whitepaper puts AI iGaming support at €0.15 per ticket appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Game Development
Games Global outlines May slot roadmap with Snowborn, AreaVegas and Just For The Win
Games Global has published its May content roadmap, highlighting new slot releases from Snowborn Games, AreaVegas Games and Just For The Win, and a continued push to reuse established mechanics across its studio network.
The supplier said Area Link
and Power Combo will feature prominently in May’s launches. AreaVegas Games’ Area Link Chilli uses six chilli symbols above the reels tied to bonus modifiers that can trigger individually or together, including cash prizes and fixed jackpots, multipliers, instant collectors and value boosters.
Games Global also pointed to Just For The Win’s Bison Ridge Power Combo, where Link&Win is combined with Power Combo to create what it described as a more varied bonus structure.
Snowborn Games’ Volcanic Fortune is positioned around bonus modifiers such as collectors and multipliers, plus a Treasure Chest meter designed to build towards higher-value bonus outcomes.
David Reynolds, Director of Games Strategy and Partner Management at Games Global, said: “Our studios bring the craft, and May’s roadmap puts that on full display. It’s built around extending global franchises into new titles across our network, which is how we deliver breadth without compromising quality. The result is a pipeline that gives operators choice and players variety.”
The post Games Global outlines May slot roadmap with Snowborn, AreaVegas and Just For The Win appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
ZEAL Network SE reported higher first-quarter 2026 revenue despite what it described as a weak jackpot environment, while profitability softened as the company increased investment. Revenue rose 6% year-on-year to €54.3 million (2025: €51.1 million). EBITDA fell to €15.5 million from €17.7 million.
“The first quarter of 2026 shows that we are consistently executing our strategy even in a weak jackpot environment: our core business is growing, and we have continued to invest in diversifying our business model,” says Andrea Behrendt, CFO of ZEAL. “Through targeted investments in new charity lotteries such as the Dream Car Raffle, we are laying the foundation for sustainable growth that is less dependent on jackpot cycles. The slightly lower EBITDA compared to the previous year is primarily a reflection of these measures.”
In the core lottery segment, ZEAL said average monthly active users increased 5% to 1,575 thousand (2025: 1,507 thousand), while new registrations climbed 11% to 274 thousand (2025: 247 thousand). Lottery billings edged up 1% to €268.0 million (2025: €264.7 million). The lottery gross margin improved to 17.8% (2025: 17.1%), with lottery revenue up 5% to €48.7 million (2025: €46.3 million).
ZEAL also used Q1 to prepare a new in-house charity lottery product. The company said it launched the Traumautoverlosung (English name: Dream Car Raffle) on 14 April 2026, its third charity lottery in Germany after freiheit+ and the Dream House Raffle.
In Games, ZEAL reported revenue up 14% to €3.9 million (2025: €3.4 million) after expanding its B2C portfolio to more than 740 titles. ZEAL said higher marketing costs (+13%) and personnel expenses (+21%) reflected continued investment in scaling charity lotteries and Games alongside the core lottery business.
The post ZEAL posts 6% Q1 2026 revenue growth as EBITDA dips on investment spend appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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