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Swedish online casino shutter would cause instant ‘black-market boom’, says BonusFinder MD

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Government considers ‘extreme measures’ as activity rises amid COVID-19 restrictions but closures would drive more players to unlicensed sites instead of protecting them

9th April, 2020 ­­– The Swedish government’s threat to temporarily shut down licensed online casinos would have a disastrous effect on the industry and drive thousands more players to the black market, BonusFinder.com has warned.

The minister in charge of gambling policy, Ardalan Shekarabi, this week warned that “extraordinary measures” would be implemented if operators do not take action to slow the increase in igaming activity seen in the last two weeks, as people are told to stay at home because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

According to new data from Sweden’s gambling regulator, Spelinspektionen, there has been a 33% increase in registrations and logins to play online casino games with 17 of the 60 licensed operators in the country in the last 14 days.

Last month, Swedish market research carried out by BonusFinder.com found that almost a third of Swedish online casino players are searching for ‘unlicensed casinos’, with growing numbers turning to black-market brands due to the market’s restrictive gaming regulations, introduced in January 2019.

Instead of protecting players, a shutdown of online casino brands, however, is likely to lead to thousands more players searching for and depositing funds on unlicensed sites, as well as causing further financial damage to licensed operators, according to BonusFinder.com.

Fintan Costello, Managing Director, Bonusfinder.com, said: “The Swedish government will make a colossal mistake if it chooses to temporarily close down online casino sites in an attempt to protect players. As our research has shown, almost a third of online casino players are already looking to the black market for a more attractive offering since restrictive rules were imposed in January 2019. These latest plans would create an immediate black-market boom.

“Swedish legislation requires operators to have strict responsible gambling procedures in place, therefore the right measures are already there. The focus should instead be on ensuring these are adhered to rather than taking a knee jerk reaction to close down all legitimate brands and forcing even more players to unprotected sites.”

 

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ELA Games

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

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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.

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Tuplaus wins Gamification Manager title at Slotsoo Finland Casino Awards 2026

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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.

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Elysium Studios

Swintt’s Elysium Studios launches Odyssey Hold & Win slot

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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.

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