Eastern Europe
Kyiv hosted an international esports tournament: WePlay! Mad Moon

On Feb. 19-23 the Ukrainian capital hosted an international esports tournament WePlay! Dota 2 Tug of War: Mad Moon with a $300,000 prize pool. The event included players from Sweden, Poland, Jordan, Germany, Serbia, Argentina, Peru, and other countries.
Between Feb. 20 and 23, the players competed in front of a live audience at Kyiv concert-hall VDNG (pavilion #9). The residents and guests of the city had an opportunity to attend the event for free and meet esports legends such as Danil “Dendi” Ishutin, Clement “Puppey” Ivanov, Kuro “KuroKy” Salehi Takhasomi, and many others.
At the venue, WePlay! Esports and the event partners provided various activities. For example, the visitors could participate in amateur tournaments and win prizes at the WePlay! Tournament Platform stand. After their matches, the professional teams participated in autograph signing sessions.
Now that the tournament has ended, the WePlay! Esports team has received a plethora of positive feedback about the show component of the event. From SFM-clips, augmented reality, music performances, and the atmosphere of cyberpunk, the viewers were delighted by what they saw on live streams and on the stage. The approach to organizing esports events where competitive matches are a part of a show is something we call esportainment.
“Each tournament is another challenge on the quest for our goal — organizing the most popular esports shows in the world. We thrive not only to live up to the expectations of our audience but also to exceed them. WePlay! Mad Moon proved once again that we are on the right path. In March, we will announce a new event plan. Trust me; it will be impressive.”
– Managing Partner of WePlay! Esports Yuriy Lazebnikov
One of the most extraordinary moments of the show happened when teams arrived on stage on board the Madmoontruck. This moment was extensively covered in the press and went viral on social media.
In the finals of WePlay! Mad Moon, champions of the two previous Dota Pro Circuit events went toe to toe in a nail-biter series. Team Secret won the first two games of the best of 5 series, but Team Nigma managed to come back and win the championship.
WePlay! Mad Moon prize pool allocation:
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1st Team Nigma — $130,000
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2nd Team Secret — $60,000
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3rd Virtus.pro — $30,000
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4th Gambit Esports — $20,000
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5th/6th B8 — $12,000
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5th/6th Aggressive Mode — $12,000
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7th/8th Infamous — $8,000
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7th/8th Ninjas in Pyjamas — $8,000
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Amer “Miracle-“ Al-Barkawi (Team Nigma) won $10,000 as the core MVP
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Maroun “GH Merhej (Team Nigma) won $10,000 as the support MVP
WePlay! Mad Moon is the final tournament of the Dota 2 Tug of War trilogy series. It also included WePlay! Radiant with a prize pool of $50,000 and WePlay! Dire with a prize pool of $30,000.
According to analytical company Esports Charts, the event attracted 295,110 peak viewers during the series between Team Nigma and Virtus.pro. The official English-speaking broadcast peaked at 91,093 viewers.
“We are happy about breaking yet another record in viewership. The WePlay! Esports team once again organized a show that WOWED! We’ve set the bar even higher for ourselves and esports in general. We will only allow ourselves to get better with time.”
– Business Development Manager компании WePlay! Esports.
#MadMoon, #WePlayDota2
Source: WePlay! Esports Press Office
Compliance Updates
Ukraine’s PlayCity Begins Issuing Licenses to Gambling Operators

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has adopted a resolution on licensing conditions in the gambling sector, which allows the state agency PlayCity to begin issuing licenses to gambling organisers and confirming previously issued ones.
“As a result, this will generate almost UAH 50 million (1.028.956,00 Euro) in additional revenues to the state budget from license fees in the near future,” PlayCity reported on Telegram.
It is noted that to obtain a license, impeccable business reputation, lack of ties with the aggressor state and implementation of all necessary mechanisms for responsible gaming are required.
PlayCity clarified that such requirements apply to both those who are only applying for a license and current licensees. Current licensees have two months to submit documents to PlayCity on compliance with the requirements.
The message emphasises that if the requirements are not met, sanctions in the form of fines or termination of the license may be applied to the organisers of gambling.
“The state will direct additional budget revenues to strengthen defense capabilities, in particular, to purchase drones for the Defense Forces,” PlayCity added.
The post Ukraine’s PlayCity Begins Issuing Licenses to Gambling Operators appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Balkans
GLI Returns as Sponsor of the Regulators’ Roundtable at EEGS 2025

The Eastern European Gaming Summit (EEGS) proudly announces that Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) will once again return as a sponsor of the highly anticipated Regulators’ Roundtable at EEGS 2025, taking place on 27–28 November at Inter Expo Center, Sofia.
As the global leader in testing, certification, and professional services for the gaming industry, GLI has supported regulators, suppliers, and operators across more than 480 jurisdictions worldwide for decades. With a strong mission to ensure integrity, fairness, and transparency, GLI plays a pivotal role in shaping a trusted and sustainable global gaming environment.
The continued sponsorship of the Regulators’ Roundtable underscores GLI’s dedication to fostering dialogue, collaboration, and knowledge exchange between regulators and industry stakeholders. As one of the flagship sessions of EEGS, the Roundtable offers an exclusive platform to address pressing regulatory challenges, explore innovative solutions, and discuss strategies that will define the future of the sector.
EEGS 2025 will once again unite regulators, operators, suppliers, and thought leaders for two days of high-level discussions, networking, and knowledge sharing, reinforcing its position as the leading forum for gaming innovation and regulation in Eastern Europe and beyond.
Learn more & register here: https://eegamingsummit.com/register-for-super-early-bird-ticket/
For any sponsorship availabilities, see here: https://eegamingsummit.com/sponsorship-2025/
Together with partners like GLI, EEGS continues to be the meeting point for innovation, regulation, and collaboration in the gaming industry.
The post GLI Returns as Sponsor of the Regulators’ Roundtable at EEGS 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Eastern Europe
SYNOT Games Partners with WIN2

SYNOT Games, a leading content and solutions provider in the iGaming industry, has announced a new partnership with WIN2 in Romania, further expanding its presence in regulated markets.
As part of this collaboration, 134 SYNOT Games titles are now available on WIN2, including top-performing titles like Skull Bonanza, 27 Joker Fruits and Amazons’ Wonders. The integration was made possible through Crowd Entertainment, a trusted content aggregator with whom WIN2 recently initiated cooperation. This three-way partnership has enabled a smooth and efficient rollout of SYNOT Games’ content, setting the foundation for further expansion.
This launch marks a significant step forward for both companies, ensuring WIN2’s players gain access to SYNOT Games’ diverse and engaging portfolio, known for its striking visuals, smooth gameplay and mobile-first design.
WIN2 has also expressed a strong interest in making all SYNOT Games’ certified titles available soon, reinforcing the platform’s commitment to delivering quality, variety and regulated entertainment to its user base.
“We are excited to welcome WIN2 as a new partner and to bring our games to their growing player community,” said Martina Krajčí, CCO at SYNOT Games.
“This cooperation reflects our continued focus on expanding our footprint across trusted and certified platforms, and we look forward to a successful journey together.”
Dragoș Mămăligă, Deputy Director at WIN2, said: “Adding SYNOT Games to our portfolio means expanding our offering with proven, high-quality content that players love. We are thrilled to provide our players with access to such a wide and dynamic portfolio and are already working towards making even more titles available soon.”
The post SYNOT Games Partners with WIN2 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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