Industry News

Covid-19 – A message from UKGC chair, Neil McArthur to online gambling operators

Published

6 years ago

March 27, 2020

Zoltan Tundik

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Since I wrote to you last week, the response to Covid-19 has affected everyone in Great Britain.

Over the last week, I have spoken to representatives across the industry and understand the significant impact that these uncertain and unsettling events are having on your businesses, your customers and your employees. We have been drawing up an initial assessment on the impact recent events will have on the gambling industry and assessing how we should approach our own work over the coming months.

Protecting children and vulnerable people from being harmed by gambling has always been a major priority and we are very mindful – as you should be – of the fact that the risks of harm arising from online gambling have increased as a result of recent events. As you know, the social distancing measures that have been imposed this week now mean that anyone other than key workers will be at home for most of the day. We are already seeing reports of an increase in online slots, poker, casino gaming and virtual sports.

In light of these developments, whilst I recognise the enormous challenges businesses are facing, I want to make the Commission’s expectations absolutely clear:

Consumer protection must be paramount
- We expect you to act responsibly, especially around individual customer affordability checks and increased social responsibility interactions.
- We expect you to be very mindful that customers may be vulnerable and experiencing financial uncertainty, whilst others may be experiencing other effects of being isolated including, for example, feelings of anxiety, loneliness or boredom.
- We expect you to know your customers and step in if they are showing signs that they are experiencing or at risk of harm.
Marketing must be conducted responsibly
- We expect you to on-board new customers in a socially responsible way.
- You must not exploit the current situation for marketing purposes and should be very cautious when seeking to cross-sell online gaming products to customers who signed up with you in order to bet.
- We expect you to ensure that your affiliates are conducting themselves appropriately.
Compliance with licence conditions and codes of practice
- We expect you to act in a way that minimises the risks to the licensing objectives.
- Treat consumers fairly and communicate with them in a clear way that allows them to make a properly informed judgment about whether to gamble.
- Work with the Commission in an open and co-operative way and act in accordance with both the letter or the spirit of the regulatory framework we have set.

If we see irresponsible behaviour we will step in immediately. So, whilst I know that the current climate is unprecedented, gambling operators must play their part in making sure that people are kept safe.

If you want to share your own analysis of impacts to the industry, or share other information that may be relevant to our work on this issue, you can talk to Ben Haden, Programme Director for Industry Insight, who is collating all of the information about how Covid-19 is affecting the industry.

If you have information or concerns about the behaviour of an operator then our Confidential Intelligence Hotline is continuing to take calls or you can email the team. Finally, you can continue to contact your Account Manager in the normal way to notify of any key events or questions you have during this time. If you have other questions or queries, please let us know and we will do our best to get you an answer.

Yours sincerely,
Neil McArthur

AI

Blacklyte unveils AI-powered desktop gaming “Teammate” companion

Published

4 days ago

April 30, 2026

Wladimir P.

blacklyte-unveils-ai-powered-desktop-gaming-“teammate”-companion

Blacklyte has announced the Blacklyte AI Teammate, an AI-powered desktop gaming companion the company says is designed to react to gameplay and provide coaching-style assistance. Blacklyte said the product will be shown in base colors at LVL UP EXPO.

According to the company, the AI Teammate can guide players through levels, provide feedback on playstyle, and suggest alternative moves based on analysis of in-game decisions and potential outcomes. Blacklyte positions the device as a desk-based companion that integrates with its broader lineup of desks, chairs, and accessories.

“We at Blacklyte are excited to bring the Blacklyte AI Teammate to life. By creating this new desktop teammate, we are giving people a new way to connect with games. The Blacklyte AI Teammates are not just another robot; they are true partners who understand gamers, games, and how to get the win.” said Alex Liu, Blacklyte Founder and CEO. “Beyond gaming, the Blacklyte AI Teammate is a true partner who supports, adapts, and upgrades their new owner’s life. They are always there when needed, on the desk, in a game, and beyond.”

On hardware, Blacklyte said the device has a silicone body with a steel core for poseability and an LED face screen intended to display emotions and responses. The company said it connects to PCs through the Blacklyte app available on the Apple and Play Store, with the app supporting controls and firmware updates. Blacklyte also said additional colors and collaborations are planned in the future.

The post Blacklyte unveils AI-powered desktop gaming “Teammate” companion appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Andrew Cardno

Quick Custom Intelligence Launches QCI Metrics

Published

4 days ago

April 30, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

quick-custom-intelligence-launches-qci-metrics

Quick Custom Intelligence (QCI) a leading provider of casino operational intelligence software, announced the launch of QCI Metrics, a new anonymized data-sharing program that enables gaming and hospitality operators to benchmark performance using yesterday’s operating data—providing timely, actionable insights without exposing customer, financial, or personally identifiable information. This innovative solution extends beyond gaming machine ranking into host performance standardization.

Available through the Chatalytics.com portal and integrated into the QCI Platform, QCI Metrics transforms operational data—including game performance and host effectiveness—into standardized performance indexes.

While traditional benchmarking solutions rely on limited datasets or delayed reporting cycles, QCI Metrics delivers insights based on yesterday’s data—giving operators a timely, continuously updated view of how they are performing against peers across both gaming and player development.

All data shared in QCI Metrics is:

• Aggregated and normalized

• De-identified

• Abstracted at the property level using internal IDs

No transaction-level, player-level, or campaign-level data is ever shared.

“QCI Metrics gives operators the ability to see how they stack up against peers across player development and gaming in near-time, without compromising privacy. It’s a practical, secure way to unlock industry-wide insights,” said Andrew Cardno, Co-Founder and CTO of QCI.

QCI Metrics is designed to help operators quickly identify performance gaps, respond faster to trends, and adopt proven strategies in a highly competitive environment.

The post Quick Custom Intelligence Launches QCI Metrics appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Industry News

RAW iGaming unveils RAW Riches: A site-wide progressive jackpot overlay built for scale

Published

5 days ago

April 29, 2026

Wladimir P.

raw-igaming-unveils-raw-riches:-a-site-wide-progressive-jackpot-overlay-built-for-scale

RAW iGaming announces today the launch of RAW Riches, a site-wide progressive jackpot overlay designed to deliver jackpot moments without adding operational complexity.

Launching as part of the RAWVerse ecosystem, RAW Riches introduces a new approach to jackpots, prioritising seamless integration, player engagement, and operator control.

A fully embedded experience

RAW Riches introduces a multi-tier progressive jackpot layer deployable across an operator’s entire portfolio, regardless of game supplier. Unlike traditional jackpot mechanics that require separate integrations or fragmented systems, RAW Riches operates as a fully embedded experience within the operator’s brand, creating a single, unified jackpot.

Tom Wood, CEO of RAW iGaming, said: “The industry built jackpots in silos. We built one that connects everything.

“RAW Riches gives operators a site-wide jackpot running across every entity and every game supplier, configured to their exact needs and brand, all from a single solution.

“We pride ourselves on producing the industry’s most distinctive and disruptive game concepts and RAW Riches is no different.

“This is the kind of product that changes how operators think about jackpots entirely.”

A seamless player experience

Players opt in and continue playing as normal. When triggered, the jackpot experience takes over instantly. Every trigger results in a win, with no losing outcomes, before the player is returned to their original game to continue playing.

Scaleable without complexity

RAW Riches solves one of the industry’s most persistent operational challenges in scaling jackpots across multiple providers, brands, and markets. Key features include: