Press Releases
Employees facing increased financial stress in week before payday
fastPAYE finds that almost 78% of UK workers are living payday to payday; anxiety likely to affect staff performance in the gaming sector
Almost half of UK workers who get paid monthly experience heightened money-related worries in the run up to payday, according to research by fastPAYE, the flexible wage application for the modern workforce.
Of those surveyed by the company, which launched a revolutionary wage management system last month that enables betting and casino businesses to pay staff wages on demand, 46% said that their financial concerns increased in the week before receiving their monthly wage packet.
This stress can lead to reliance on high interest credit options to tide workers over, with most people turning to credit cards to see them through the prolonged pay period. More than half of respondents admitted to using one often and at least 20% of those turn to plastic every month.
Overdrafts also provide a fallback with 40% going into the red as payday approaches, while a fifth of employees which took part in the research resort to costly payday loans that can have significant financial consequences.
Credit acquired is most spent on groceries according to the survey, shortly followed by bills, leisure activities and house repairs as workers living payday to payday struggle to cover unexpected costs when they arise.
Backed by sister company ShopWorks, a staff management system provider to some of the biggest gaming and betting brands including Betfred, PaddyPower, Gauselmann, Novomatic, Mecca and Grosvenor, fastPAYE’s research emphasises the impact of the four to five-week pay gap can have on employee financial wellbeing.
Commenting on the findings, Ian Hogg, chairman of fastPAYE, said: “The number of people going through financial anxiety because of the outdated monthly wage system often relied on by the gaming sector is concerning, especially considering that with new technology this stress can be lessened.
“Whether you’re a casino and betting company or a large retailer, if a staff member has money-related worries it is likely to affect their performance in the workplace. But by giving employees early access to a proportion of their earned wages, businesses can give workers greater control over their finances and in turn help to harness a happier workforce.”
fastPAYE launched in January this year to provide a cost-efficient, flexible alternative to the outdated monthly wage system. The application enables businesses to offer salary drawdowns based on completed shifts before payday, and since the fastPAYE model isn’t a loan, it charges no interest.
The company has a strong heritage in the gaming sector through ShopWorks, which has years of experience working in the industry, together with the technical expertise and understanding to address operators’ staff recruitment and retention challenges.
content deals
QTech signs InOut Games distribution deal for emerging markets
QTech has signed a content distribution agreement with supplier InOut Games to roll out the studio’s games to operators in emerging markets via QTech’s aggregation platform. The companies announced the deal on 3 July 2026.
Under the agreement, QTech will integrate InOut Games’ portfolio, which the supplier said now totals nearly 70 titles in under two years. InOut Games is best known for its crash game Chicken Road and has since expanded into slots, including Chicken Royal, Joker Pyre, Ice Fish, and Fruits Love Fever.
Vlad Snak, CEO at InOut Games, said: “QTech Games is a hotbed for superior games and a rarefied air for the player experience. We are rapidly widening our gaming suite and scope across developing regions and their market-leading platform provides an agile pathway to some previously overlooked territories. Needless to say, agreeing this new deal tracks our core strategy to fully leverage our reach, and we look forward to seeing how new audiences embrace our games.”
Philip Doftvik, CEO at QTech, added: “After a breakout beginning in the crash games domain, InOut Games is now proving itself as a broader provider of thrilling and innovative casino content, with a focus on creating quality, cutting-edge slots that are delivered reliably to our partners via our premier platform – on time, every time. Like us, they understand that localised solutions comprise the key to success across this patchwork quilt of opportunities.”
The post QTech signs InOut Games distribution deal for emerging markets appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Buffalo 250 Anniversary
ICONIC21 launches Buffalo 250 Anniversary slot themed around US 250th
Fourth of July-themed release reflects the studio’s push for market-specific content in regulated US-facing iGaming.
ICONIC21 has launched Buffalo 250 Anniversary, a Fourth of July-themed slot created to mark the United States’ 250th anniversary.
The game is centered on a buffalo and set against Independence Day fireworks, using imagery associated with US identity and the country’s upcoming semi quincentennial.
ICONIC21 said the release reflects its focus on building content around themes and player preferences that resonate in specific markets, with the US described as an increasingly important market for its partners and a key source of player engagement. The company develops live casino, RNG and slots content for regulated operators.
“The Fourth of July is one of those occasions that is recognised far beyond the United States, and the country’s 250th anniversary makes it especially significant,” said Edvardas Sadovskis, Chief Product Officer at ICONIC21. “The theme combines a distinctly American symbol with a moment that has real cultural relevance for players and operators alike.”
ICONIC21 added that it works with operators to shape its roadmap around player data, market demand and local relevance, and that it assesses follow-on titles using internal views, performance data and operator feedback. The provider said it has expanded beyond a classic casino portfolio — including roulette, baccarat and blackjack — into RNG and slots while keeping a market-specific focus for regulated environments.
The post ICONIC21 launches Buffalo 250 Anniversary slot themed around US 250th appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Betsson CEO Pontus Lindwall
Gaming in the Nordics launch event sets annual Copenhagen conference from 2027
Invite-only Copenhagen event at Better Collective HQ featured Nordic regulators and operators discussing compliance and channelisation.
Gaming in the Nordics has set plans for a full-size annual conference in Copenhagen starting in June 2027, following an invitation-only launch event held at Better Collective’s HQ in Copenhagen.
The launch event focused on the Nordics’ role in Europe’s iGaming market, with sessions on regulation and compliance. Morten Ronde, CEO of the Danish Online Gambling Association and Partner at Nordic Legal, said the region’s “pragmatism and willingness to be early adopters” could make Nordic jurisdictions the first to deploy “the next generation of innovative iGaming regulation.”
Anders Dorph, Director of Danish regulator Spillemyndigheden, discussed operator compliance, the role of Big Tech, and player monitoring. On the benefits of a regulated market, Dorph said Danish-licensed operators “are all very eager to be compliant. The industry [in Denmark] wants to be compliant. And that is a fact.”
From an operator perspective, Betsson CEO Pontus Lindwall and Immense Group CEO Jesper Kärrbrink addressed market channelisation and player protection. Lindwall outlined three prerequisites for a healthy market with high channelisation: “1) a competitive product; 2) meaningful player protections; and 3) real enforcement.” He added: “We are in a business where there is harm,” and argued that protecting players requires channelisation because “We also need to be able to reach these players, which we can only do if they are inside of the regulated system.”
Gaming in the Nordics founder Willem van Oort said: “I think the Gaming in the Nordics Launch Event was a fantastic success… I am very much looking forward to repeating this experience next year on a larger scale.” Other speakers listed by the organiser included Better Collective co-founder and co-CEO Jesper Søgaard, Birgitte Sand (Birgitte Sand & Associates), Pekka Ilmivalta (Nordic Legal – Finland), Josh Hodgson (H2 Gambling Capital), Daniel Valiollahi (BOS), Rasmus Kjaergaard (Mindway AI), Jeffrey Haas (Blask), and day chair Peter-Paul de Goeij (QuodBonum.se).
The post Gaming in the Nordics launch event sets annual Copenhagen conference from 2027 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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