Industry News
OPAP strengthens its position in online sports-betting in Greece through the acquisition of Stoiximan Group’s Greek and Cypriot business
OPAP S.A., (“OPAP”), SAZKA Group’s Greek and Cypriot subsidiary, has today announced (i) the receipt of regulatory approvals for its previously announced acquisition of 51% of Stoiximan Group’s Greek and Cypriot business (“SMGC”) and (ii) the acquisition (subject to regulatory approvals) of a further stake in SMGC as a result of which OPAP will have a total shareholding of 85% in and sole control of SMGC.
OPAP’s announcement and presentation can be found here.
Robert Chvatal, SAZKA Group CEO, commented: “Today’s announcement marks an important step forward for SAZKA Group and for OPAP, as OPAP gains a leading market position in yet another gaming vertical. OPAP, with SAZKA Group’s support, has achieved a milestone that will significantly strengthen its position in the online sports-betting market. In recent weeks, we have been working in anything but a standard business environment. And yet under these extraordinary circumstances our joint teams brought this transaction to fruition. Here my thanks must go specifically to the management team led by Mr. George Daskalakis”.
In 2019, Stoiximan Group (under the parent company TCB) generated revenues (GGR) of €245 million and EBITDA of €38 million. SMGC generated revenues (GGR) of €197 million, corresponding to 80% of Stoiximan Group’s total revenues, and EBITDA of 44 million.
OPAP:
OPAP is the leading gaming company in Greece. The company, founded in 1958 as the country’s national lottery operator and listed on the Athens Exchange in 2001, is the exclusive licensed operator of numerical lotteries (7 games), sports betting (4 games), Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs) and horse racing in Greece. It also operates exclusively, as a controlling shareholder (83.5%) through a joint venture, the passive lotteries and instant (scratch) games in Greece. OPAP is one of the largest charitable donors in Greece, operating under World Lottery Association (WLA) and responsible gaming standards.
About SAZKA Group:
SAZKA Group is one of the largest pan-European lottery operators. Its businesses run lotteries in all the major continental European countries where lotteries are privately operated, including the Czech Republic, Greece, Austria, Italy, and Cyprus. Its businesses focus on the lottery segment, including numerical lotteries (draw-based games) and instant lotteries (scratch cards), while also providing complementary products in sports-betting and digital-only games. They sell their products both through extensive retail networks and digital platforms. All its lottery operators are members of the World Lottery Association and the European Lottery Association and operate in accordance with their codes of practice.
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Angelo Palmisano
Pavilion Payments Appoints Angelo Palmisano as its Chief Product Officer
Pavilion Payments, the gaming industry’s leading omnichannel payment solutions provider, has appointed Angelo Palmisano as its Chief Product Officer. In this role, Palmisano will lead Pavilion Payments’ product and innovation strategy, guiding the continued evolution of the company’s platform and overseeing product development and design across its expanding portfolio of solutions for casino operators.
Palmisano brings more than 35 years of experience across the global gaming industry, with deep expertise in casino technology, product development, gaming systems, electronic gaming machines, payments, automation, loyalty technologies, and digital signage.
He founded Paltronics and grew the company into a global gaming technology business with offices across North America, Australia, South Africa, and Asia before the North American division was acquired by Aristocrat Technologies in 2014. Following the acquisition, Palmisano joined Aristocrat as Senior Vice President of Global Strategy and Innovation, where he helped evolve the company’s systems portfolio into a multi-property enterprise platform and supported major deployments with operators including Boyd Gaming, Choctaw Casinos, and the Cordish Companies. Prior to joining Pavilion Payments, he also served as Chief Strategy Officer for Win Systems.
In his new role, Palmisano will lead Pavilion Payments’ product organization, overseeing product development, design, and innovation, while guiding the continued evolution of Pavilion’s platform across payments, compliance, and iGaming initiatives.
“Angelo has been at the forefront of gaming technology innovation for many years, and we’re excited to have him join Pavilion. He brings a unique combination of entrepreneurial vision, product expertise, and deep industry knowledge. As we continue evolving our platform with deeper systems integrations and data insights, Angelo will be pivotal in guiding that journey,” said Diallo Gordon, CEO of Pavilion Payments.
Palmisano said the opportunity to join Pavilion Payments was driven by both the leadership team and the company’s strong product foundation.
“Pavilion has built a strong product foundation and has a real opportunity to capitalize on the technology and business shifts happening across our industry. I’m looking forward to working with the team to continue building solutions that help our customers succeed and support Pavilion’s long-term growth,” said Palmisano.
The post Pavilion Payments Appoints Angelo Palmisano as its Chief Product Officer appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Alex Manning
LCKY Group announce Alex Manning as Group CTO
LCKY Group has announced the appointment of Alex Manning as Group Chief Technology Officer, marking the first major leadership hire since the company’s strategic rebrand earlier this year.
Previously known as Glitnor Group, the entrepreneurial-led organisation entered a new phase of its development in January when it adopted the name LCKY Group. The rebrand was designed to better reflect the strong portfolio of brands operating under the group while also positioning the business for future expansion.
Alex’s appointment as Group CTO represents a significant step in this next stage of growth. With more than 25 years of experience across the fintech and iGaming sectors, Alex brings deep expertise in scaling businesses and leading complex digital transformations.
Prior to joining LCKY Group, Alex served as CTO of iGaming at Light & Wonder, where he led a major engineering transformation. During his four-year tenure, he transitioned the team to a product-led, cross-functional delivery model, oversaw the development of several first-of-their-kind products, and supported the company’s expansion into new regulated markets.
Richard Brown, Group CEO at LCKY Group, said:
“Everyone at LCKY Group is delighted to welcome Alex at what is a defining moment in the company’s evolution. He brings extensive experience across regulated fintech and iGaming markets, and his proven ability to guide organisations through successful scale-ups and digital transformations makes him an ideal fit for the role of Group CTO.”
Alex Manning, Group CTO at LCKY Group, added:
“I’m excited to join LCKY Group at a time when the business is focused on strengthening its international presence and growing its influence across key regulated markets. My priority will be to build on the strong culture that already exists within the group, creating a high-performance environment where teams can thrive, innovation is encouraged, and each of our brands is given the platform it deserves.”
The post LCKY Group announce Alex Manning as Group CTO appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
2025 Ads Safety Report
PropellerAds 2025 Ad Safety Outlook
PropellerAds, a top performance advertising platform worldwide, has just published the 2025 Ads Safety Report, which offers an in-depth analysis of ad fraud trends, protective measures for the platform, and guidance for advertisers on compliance.
The report emphasizes that as fraudulent methods grow more advanced, the organization’s multi-tiered security measures are essential in protecting advertisers, traffic providers, and end users.
Advancing Ad Fraud Methods and High-Risk Areas
In 2025, ad fraud advanced considerably, transitioning from basic techniques to more intricate, infrastructure-intensive schemes. Fraudsters exploited cloaking, malware distribution networks, and social engineering tactics aimed at messenger accounts, frequently across various ad formats. PropellerAds enhanced initial moderation and foundational detection to identify high-risk actions before campaigns launched.
Throughout the year, the platform processed 729,794 campaign rejections, mainly driven by content compliance and user safety issues, with adult content and malware alerts representing the largest portions. These actions guaranteed that campaigns were halted prior to delivery, safeguarding advertisers, publishers, and end users, while upholding a consistent and reliable advertising landscape. In comparison to 2024, campaign rejections rose by 35%, indicating enhanced moderation reach and more robust preventive measures.
Markets of high value, such as Turkey and Spanish-speaking areas, saw increased levels of fraudulent behavior. Approximately 80% of identified attacks aimed at users of Windows and Android. Fraud patterns typically integrated technical, behavioral, and content indicators, emphasizing the necessity for ongoing monitoring and thorough infrastructure evaluation.
High-Risk Accounts and Safeguarding Methods
Cloaking continued to be the primary high-risk infraction, making up more than 80% of verified account suspensions. This method consists of displaying varying content to moderation systems and users, masking the actual essence of campaigns. Ransomware, unsuccessful identity verification, and scam schemes also played a role in account suspensions, albeit to a smaller degree. Fraud that relies on heavy infrastructure necessitates multi-tiered enforcement and ongoing monitoring to guarantee platform safety.
In 2025, schemes of fraud grew more advanced. Cloaking methods encompassed multi-tiered traffic management, selective content distribution, and decentralized architecture. Malware distribution has progressed from basic redirects to immediate file downloads or complex interactions. Incidents of Messenger account hijacking rose, featuring phishing sites, counterfeit login forms, and mobile-centric social engineering assaults. Certain campaigns even utilized compromised or left-behind servers and domains, necessitating thorough technical and behavioral analysis for detection.
AI and automation contributed to fraud prevention by analyzing behavioral patterns, identifying high-risk signals, and aiding expert evaluations. Although fraudsters tried to utilize AI for creating counterfeit documents or modifying creative assets, PropellerAds guarantees that all campaigns undergo expert reviews and infrastructure checks prior to traffic delivery, stopping high-risk operations from accessing users.
Advertiser Adherence and Risk Oversight
PropellerAds advises advertisers to adhere closely to platform guidelines, verify that ad content aligns with format and regional specifications, comprehend the entire user experience, and track infrastructure and domain reputation. The use of cloaking or misleading tactics is deemed high-risk and typically leads to permanent account termination.
The PropellerAds team highlights that preventing fraud is an ongoing and developing process that demands technology, expert evaluation, and collaboration across the ecosystem. The organization continues to prioritize improving platform safety, ensuring transparency, and safeguarding all individuals involved in the advertising ecosystem.
The post PropellerAds 2025 Ad Safety Outlook appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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