Press Releases

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

ELA Games

ELA Games launches Age of Cleopatra slot with Hold & Win bonus

Published

23 minutes ago

July 23, 2026

Wladimir P.

ela-games-launches-age-of-cleopatra-slot-with-hold-&-win-bonus

ELA Games has released a new slot, Age of Cleopatra, adding another ancient-Egypt theme title to its portfolio. The studio positions the game as a medium-volatility release and says it is available to demo now.

Age of Cleopatra runs on a 5×3 reel set-up with 25 paylines. ELA Games lists RTP at 93.75% / 95.73%, with Buy Bonus RTP at 93.8% / 95.9%. The maximum win is x5000, according to the company.

In the base game, a Collect Symbol gathers coin prizes visible on the screen, while “colored coins” charge pyramids that can unlock additional value, ELA Games said. The slot’s Hold & Win Bonus Game awards three respins by default (or four in an “Extra Respin” version), with modifiers tied to collected coins.

Features named by the studio include Multipliers, Extra Respins, and an Expand Grid mechanic that increases the layout from 3×5 to 5×5. ELA Games also states that multiple features can trigger at the same time.

“You can’t do justice to a legendary theme with just background art. Building a world around Cleopatra meant it had to feel truly authentic, a standard we apply to all our releases. At ELA Games, we consistently look beyond the visuals to craft an original universe, keeping storytelling through the mechanics at the center of our titles.” Marharyta Yerina, Managing Director at ELA Games.

The post ELA Games launches Age of Cleopatra slot with Hold & Win bonus appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Awards

Tuplaus wins Gamification Manager title at Slotsoo Finland Casino Awards 2026

Published

4 hours ago

July 23, 2026

Wladimir P.

tuplaus-wins-gamification-manager-title-at-slotsoo-finland-casino-awards-2026

Wildz Group brand Tuplaus has won the Slotsoo Finland Casino Awards 2026 “Pelillistämispäällikö” (Gamification Manager) title, according to a company announcement dated July 2026 from Ta ‘Xbiex, Malta.

Slotsoo’s organisers said: “Only a casino that has taken the gambling experience to a whole new level can be called a gamification manager.” Judges added that Tuplaus delivers “multidimensional gaming moments” that are “far from the monotonous spinning of classic slot machines”.

The judges also highlighted consistency in Tuplaus’ use of gamification from onboarding onwards. They said that “even with the welcome bonus, the player gets to progress step by step and unlock new benefits along the way, and not all the prizes fall into your lap at once. When you add in other promotions and gaming elements, the whole thing feels much more alive than the usual casino experience. Tuplaus shows that the best bonuses are not always the biggest, but they can also be the most fun”.

The company said the Slotsoo accolades assess “hundreds of brands” across multiple categories.

Tuplaus launched in 2025, when Wildz Group CEO Sam Brown said: “We’re exceptionally proud of this new product that will serve our players with the latest online casino experience. Our existing products, Wildz, Wheelz, Spinz, Caxino and Chipz already enjoy a convincing market share, and we’re optimistic that Tuplaus will meet with the same enthusiasm. We have a wide range of player rewards, bonuses, boosts, and more, [and] we’re confident players will love the latest addition to the Wildz Group family of online casinos.”

In the release, Tuplaus also pointed to Pay & Play functionality, no-registration onboarding, a catalogue of games from third-party providers, and frequent promotions as parts of its product proposition.

The post Tuplaus wins Gamification Manager title at Slotsoo Finland Casino Awards 2026 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Elysium Studios

Swintt’s Elysium Studios launches Odyssey Hold & Win slot

Published

4 hours ago

July 23, 2026

Wladimir P.

swintt’s-elysium-studios-launches-odyssey-hold-&-win-slot

Swintt has released a new slot from its Elysium Studios label, titled Odyssey Hold & Win. The supplier said the game is built around a Hold & Win collection mechanic and features a stated maximum win of 3,317x.

Odyssey Hold & Win runs on a 4×4 grid that can expand to 4×8 when Athena appears, according to the company. The theme draws on Greek mythology, with symbols including Odysseus, Calypso, Poseidon and Circe.

The core mechanic collects and pays all cash symbols on the reels whenever Odysseus lands, Swintt said. The release also includes a respin-style feature where three Athena symbols expand the grid, mirror cash values and award three respins, with the counter resetting when new cash symbols land.

A Free Spins feature triggers with three scatters and awards 10 spins, with cash symbols locking until collected, the company said. During Free Spins, Poseidon can combine all cash values into a single icon, Circe can add a random number of cash symbols, and Athena and Calypso can add spins or respins under specific conditions.

Anthony Dalla-Giacoma, Chief Commercial Officer at Swintt, said: “The Odyssey is one of the most enduring tales of hardship, adventure and homecoming, making it the perfect inspiration for a slot that’s packed with memorable characters and exciting feature potential.

“With expanding reels, locked cash symbols, divine modifiers and wins of up to 3,317x, Odyssey Hold & Win is a fittingly epic addition to the Elysium Studios line-up and a title we believe will appeal strongly to operators looking to offer players a fresh take on Greek mythology.”

The post Swintt’s Elysium Studios launches Odyssey Hold & Win slot appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.