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OZ Sports uses Augmented Reality to put football fans at the heart of closed-door broadcasts

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OZ Sports partners with RVX to launch OZ ARENA, using innovative AR technologies that are set to bring fans from home into live broadcasts when football resumes in the wake of COVID-19.

Virtual fans can personalise their experience with their own avatars, club shirts, genuine cheers from home via an app – and even appear in their preferred seat.

OZ ARENA while standalone, also forms part of the OZ Connected Stadium, the one-stop-solution for leagues and federations to augment their sports by capturing, enhancing and distributing content.

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Throughout history, there have been pivotal moments of disruption that have completely redefined the norm. Coronavirus is accelerating change, almost subconsciously, that will completely change the face of business, industry, our entire daily life, including sport.

When football returns post-lockdown, it will be in unprecedented circumstances. For the millions of match-starved fans around the world, there won’t be a quick fix to live match withdrawal symptoms once Coronavirus restrictions are lifted. Yet, there are opportunities for federations, leagues and broadcasters to transform and revolutionise the home viewing experience.

Venues might be physically deserted, but through cutting edge augmented reality and visual effects – the likes of which have been embraced in the world of esports and streaming – fans will still be able to be at the heart of the action. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Introducing the new game: welcome to OZ ARENA.

OZ Sports and RVX, whose most recent work has been seen in various Hollywood blockbuster movies and TV series, are rolling out new technology and services for rights-holders of leagues to make the experience more engaging for the fans.

With the new solution, which also integrates into the wider OZ Connected Stadium, spectators can be dynamically added to live broadcasts with the use of advanced augmented reality technology. Fans can pick their avatar, club’s shirt, have their face painted, and even appear in the stadium in their favourite seat. Fans can also get their voice heard, by participating as either audio-only or with immersive visual participation in the live broadcast.

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OZ ARENA tech can either completely replace the stadium entirely or augment spectators into existing empty stadiums. The process is added to each camera feed in the workflow opening up support for multi-camera processing.

OZ ARENA has advanced audio support, where fans can use an app to add live audio to the broadcast. The servers aggregate all fan audio, using low-latency time synchronisation and AI algorithms, to manage volume levels, enabling fans to yell as loudly as they like remotely, without overpowering the audio stream. These solutions enable broadcasts to maintain full integrity and sound effects during fan-free games.

“Due to Coronavirus, we will see more games to be played behind closed doors with bans on large-scale public events. It is our job to keep the experience still as exciting as during the non-pandemic world. We do that by learning from esports, bringing new exciting elements into the real-world broadcasts. Our augmentation filters can be customised based on the branding strategy and the creative plan of the league,” said Gudjon Gudjonsson, CEO of OZ Sports.

“The idea is to protect the integrity and experience of the game, by turning the attention away from the empty stadium, and instead replacing it with appealing surroundings to make the game more interesting, and as close to reality as possible. These are times to explore and experiment, to make sports even more appealing and to bring it closer to the latest developments in esports” continued Gudjonsson.

“We have brought together world-class 3D visual artists, developers and technologists, with a range of honours and awards – including numerous Emmys, VES and D&AD Awards,” said Dadi Einarsson, CEO of RVX. He continues: “The team for this solution has previously delivered visual effects for blockbusters films, TV, video games and VR projects including Everest, Gravity, The OA, 2 Guns and Sherlock Holmes. Our experience with AAA quality visuals coupled with cutting edge AI and AR solutions put us in the perfect spot.”

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The AI and machine learning team include PhDs and specialists on both player and ball tracking that have developed a low-latency perception framework for a detailed semantic understanding of sports games. This framework is a combination of state-of-the-art object detectors, trackers and classifiers which are trained to perform in sports environments. OZ Sports technology can uncover the true state-space of the sport and infer meaningful sport-specific abstractions from the game from velocity vectors in a 3-dimensional space.

The OZ ARENA solution can be applied to live production as a per-match service. It supports both audio-only and the full immersive audio-visual solution. The OZ ARENA system is an integrated part of the OZ Connected Stadium, and can also be installed at broadcaster’s facility, OB truck, or at the stadium.

Rights-holders and broadcasters can contact OZ Sports for quotes on deployments by visiting www.oz.com.

 

About OZ Sports:

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OZ Sports mission is to give every sports league affordable technologies to create immersive and spectacular video experiences with no sacrifice in quality.

Centred around our global roll-out of the OZ Connected Stadium system at sports venues worldwide. A simple, one-time setup, offering sports leagues an outstanding fan experience with exceptional production, VAR, visual augmentations, player tracking, and global distribution via branded apps.

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TaDa Compares the Market for Fishing-Shooting Games

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TaDa Gaming continues to raise awareness of its unique fishing-shooting games through its recently launched Fi/Sh Experience Campaign.

Combining fishing, shooting and gaming, the new vertical offers strategic gameplay, with players targeting specific fish based on their multiplier value. With each shot fired placing a wager, it is the equivalent to a spin on a slot game, making fishing-shooting games recognisable, RNG, casino entertainment products.

However, fishing-shooting games offer a completely different player experience to spinning the reels and so TaDa began its 2025 global roadshows at ICE Barcelona with the aim of demystifying these exciting releases.

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A key takeaway is in understanding the difference between slots and fishing-shooting games. With no reels or paylines, players target and shoot fish or creatures to win rewards from successful hits.

Unlike slots, this requires strategic decision making as to: target choice based on multiplier value or facility to trigger a bonus game; choice in weapons used; and an understanding of how to benefit from the many exciting bonus features including Power Ups, Immortal Bosses and Awakening Events.

The option to choose one of three “rooms” based on different volatility and wager levels in the same game gives players choices that do not usually exist with slots and makes every experience more personalised.

Graphics and animations are comparable to video gaming while real time shooting mechanics, alongside multiplayer capability, ensure fishing-shooting games are not an alternative to slots but a whole new experience.

In-built tutorials, demo play options and on-screen tips alongside a detailed paytable to provide a clear roadmap for successful play mean TaDa games deliver a straightforward and safe experience for all types of players to try these new titles.

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Ray Lee, Director of Business Development at TaDa Gaming, said: “Many players have gravitated to our fishing-shooting games looking for skill influenced gameplay, strategic choices, a more interactive and dynamic experience and multiplayer options.

“The flexibility in starting with a low volatility exposure and being able to change options within the same RNG game is very appealing. There is also the recognition that the wager process is similar to slots which makes players more comfortable.

“Furthermore, our releases including Bombing Fishing, Mega Fishing and Jackpot Fishing are localised for different markets and we have also optimised download times for superlight deployment making the games attractive across multiple demographics and jurisdictions.

“We are very excited about our fishing-shooting games and are delighted to be working to make them ever more accessible to players and operators.”

The post TaDa Compares the Market for Fishing-Shooting Games appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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ZEAL Network CEO Helmut Becker Will Not Extend His Contract Beyond January 2026

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Dr. Helmut Becker, CEO of ZEAL Network, has informed the Supervisory Board of the company of his decision not to extend his contract, which runs until January 31, 2026. The 56-year-old has decided to pursue his own entrepreneurial activities in the future after many years as a top manager. Dr Becker will then leave the company after more than twelve years on the Executive Board of ZEAL Network SE, including more than ten as CEO. He will remain fully committed to ZEAL as CEO until the end of his contract term and will ensure a smooth transition of his duties to a successor.

“ZEAL is in an excellent position to continue to grow in the future. After almost ten years as CEO, I have decided that now is the right time to pursue my own entrepreneurial endeavours. This has been a difficult decision for me. I will especially miss our exceptionally strong team and the unique culture we have built together, characterised by innovation, customer focus and team spirit. I will continue to work hard until the end of my term to achieve the goals we have set together,” said Dr Becker.

Dr Becker informed the Supervisory Board of ZEAL Network SE about his decision at an early stage, and the Supervisory Board will immediately initiate a structured process for the succession of the CEO.

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Peter Steiner, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, said: “The Supervisory Board of ZEAL Network SE has noted with great regret Helmut Becker’s decision not to seek a contract extension. Helmut Becker has played a decisive role in taking ZEAL’s business development to a new level. Under his leadership, ZEAL has established itself as a market leader in the online lottery market, significantly expanded its customer base and crucially broadened its offering through innovative product development. On behalf of the Supervisory Board, I would like to thank him for his outstanding commitment and strategic vision. We wish him all the best for his personal life and professional career.”

Dr Becker has been CEO of ZEAL Network since September 1, 2015, after serving as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) for over two years. Prior to joining the Executive Board, he was a member of the Supervisory Board of ZEAL for two years. Previously, he served as Chief Commercial Officer on the Management Board of XING AG and held various management positions at eBay Germany and as a management consultant at McKinsey. As CEO, Dr Becker was responsible for the acquisition of LOTTO24 AG, the return of ZEAL to Germany and the expansion of the portfolio to include freiheit+, Games and Traumhausverlosung.

The post ZEAL Network CEO Helmut Becker Will Not Extend His Contract Beyond January 2026 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Gamblorium Enhances Casino Reviews with Updated Rating System

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Gamblorium, a trusted online casino affiliate platform, announces its new and improved casino rating system. This updated system is designed to give players even more accurate and transparent rankings for online casinos. Since 2020, Gamblorium has been known for providing honest and expert-tested casino reviews. With this updated rating system, Gamblorium continues to ensure players can easily find the best gambling sites.

The new rating system combines three key components: Gamblorium Score, Player Score and Market Score. These scores are based on a 100-point scale, providing players with a clear and reliable way to choose casinos that meet their preferences.

Main features of Gamblorium’s new rating system:

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• Gamblorium score: The Gamblorium Score evaluates casinos based on over 100 criteria, including payment methods, game options, security and user experience. Unlike other platforms, Gamblorium uses a relative and flexible approach, meaning casinos are ranked based on their strengths within their market. This score also incorporates Expert Scoring, ensuring that the most important factors are weighted appropriately.

• Player score: The Player Score is based on feedback from real users. Players can leave reviews only if they have registered or played at the casino, ensuring honest and up-to-date feedback. This makes the reviews highly reliable and reflective of the actual player experience.

• Market score: The Market Score helps balance the overall rating by considering the views of other trusted gambling platforms. This adds another layer of objectivity and ensures that Gamblorium’s reviews remain fair and unbiased.

The post Gamblorium Enhances Casino Reviews with Updated Rating System appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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