HIPTHER strengthens its growing international events portfolio with the appointment of an experienced leader in content strategy, production, and large-scale event execution.

HIPTHER is pleased to announce the appointment of Elena Stepanyatova as Event Content & Production Manager, joining the team during an exciting period of expansion across Europe and beyond.

With more than 20 years of leadership experience spanning executive management, sales development, business growth, and premium event organization, Elena brings a powerful combination of strategic vision and operational excellence to the HIPTHER ecosystem.

Throughout her career, Elena has successfully launched and scaled new ventures, managed teams of up to 60 professionals, negotiated with government institutions and VIP stakeholders, and overseen high-profile events for audiences of up to 2,500 attendees.

Most recently, as Partner & Executive Director of LLC “MAP,” she played a central role in building and managing an event management company from the ground up, leading recruitment, business development, event concept creation, and commercial strategy. She also directed international business tours for Russian-speaking entrepreneurs to destinations including the United States, South Korea, and Japan.

At HIPTHER, Elena’s responsibilities will include agenda development, speaker and moderator coordination, event content planning, production workflows, and enhancing the attendee experience across the company’s growing portfolio of conferences and summits.

Her first major assignment is already underway: helping shape and implement the agenda for HIPTHER BALTICS: Riga 2026, the next stop in HIPTHER’s expanding Baltics series.

Zoltán Tűndik, Co-Founder and Head of Business at HIPTHER, commented: “Elena joins us with exactly the kind of energy, experience, and execution mindset we value. Great events are built long before the doors open, and her ability to combine business acumen with production precision makes her a major addition to our team.”

Betty Tűndik, Co-Founder at HIPTHER, added: “Finding the right person for this role was not an easy decision. We spoke with several highly experienced professionals and went through a deep selection process, because this position requires much more than event knowledge alone. From our first conversations with Elena, and later when we met in Prague, it became clear that she understands not only events, content, and production, but also people.

Human understanding is incredibly important in our industry. Elena brings professionalism, intuition, structure, and a strong sense of psychology to the way she works. I am truly impressed by her experience and by the way she connects ideas, teams, speakers, and communities. We believe she is a perfect fit for HIPTHER, and we are excited to welcome her into our team.”

Elena Stepanyatova added:“When I first met Zoltán and Betty during the interview, I immediately thought that this was a place where I wanted to work — I liked it, and I liked them as people. When we met in Prague, I felt it was a true match. We share the same goals and values, not only in our work but also in life.

It is truly special when professional ambitions are fueled by team spirit. I am very happy to be a member of the HIPTHER team, and I believe I can bring something new and meaningful to it. Together, we will keep moving toward the stars and reaching the heights that inspire us.”

As HIPTHER continues to expand its footprint across gaming, fintech, technology, compliance, and innovation sectors, Elena’s appointment marks another important step in scaling world-class event delivery across multiple markets.

The post HIPTHER Appoints Elena Stepanyatova as Event Content & Production Manager appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

The post US prediction markets surge 5x in eight months, Blask reveal appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Kaizen Gaming brand becomes an Official Regional Sponsor as World Cup 2026 approaches, with campaigns planned across digital, TV and OOH.

Betano has signed a new sponsorship agreement with the Argentina National Football Team, joining as an Official Regional Sponsor, the company said on April 29, 2026.

The deal was announced from Athens, Greece and Buenos Aires, Argentina, with the Kaizen Gaming-owned sports betting and gaming brand positioning the partnership ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

According to the company, the sponsorship will include “local 360° campaigns” featuring Betano’s tagline “Confiá” across digital media, television, and out-of-home (OOH) advertising. Betano also said it plans “high-engagement activations” intended to connect fans with the team.

In the release, Kaizen Gaming framed the agreement as part of a broader strategy to invest in top-tier sports partnerships to support international brand growth and “responsible gaming experiences.” Financial terms, territories covered under the “regional” designation, and contract duration were not disclosed.

More relevant data as follows:

• Betano (Kaizen Gaming) official website; https://www.betano.com/ Primary source for brand and market presence details related to Betano.
• Kaizen Gaming official website; https://kaizengaming.com/ Company background and corporate announcements for Kaizen Gaming, the owner of Betano.
• AFA (Argentine Football Association) official website; https://www.afa.com.ar/ Authoritative reference for Argentina national team commercial partnerships and federation announcements.
• FIFA World Cup 2026; https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canada-mexico-usa2026 Official tournament page to ground the timing reference to the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The post Betano signs sponsorship deal with Argentina national football team appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.