Industry News
Playtech and Stoiximan/Betano launch industry-first Live Cashback Blackjack
Playtech, the world’s leading gambling technology company, has partnered with Stoiximan/Betano, the leading Greek operator and one of the fastest growing in Europe, to launch an exclusive new scalable Live Blackjack variant, Cashback Blackjack Live.
Previously available as an RNG game, the new scalable Live Cashback Blackjack variant is an eight-deck game open to an unlimited number of players. In this game, players can choose to “cash out” during any action round instead of taking an action, placing a dynamically determined cashback amount depending on the round. Continuing the All bets Blackjack line, Six different side bet options are available to players and add to the excitement. This unique scalable Blackjack variant is the recent addition to the growing portfolio of scalable Blackjack games available from Playtech live and marks the fifth variant after Unlimited Blackjack, Quantum Blackjack, All bets Blackjack and the recent Majority Rules Speed Blackjack.
Stoiximan/Betano chose to work directly with Playtech to produce the industry-first live dealer version of Cashback Blackjack, adding a new collaborative dimension to an already successful relationship.
About the game
Players begin by placing their main bet, plus any additional side bets.
Six different side bets are on offer: 21+3, Buster Blackjack, Dealer Pair, Lucky Lucky, Player Pair and Top 3. Buster Blackjack (dealer’s hand) has the biggest win potential – a result of 8+ cards and player’s Blackjack pays out at 2000:1.
In the action rounds, players have five choices – Cashback, Hit, Stand, Double or Split. If a player chooses to Split during an action round, Cashback is offered for both hands. If a player chooses to Double, Cashback is not offered. The Cashback amount is calculated based on the cards on the table and may change for each action round. Cashback only applies to the main bet, with side bets resolved and paid out separately.
Edo Haitin, CEO, Playtech Live, comments: “The development of Cashback Blackjack Live has been a truly collaborative effort, and takes our partnership with Stoiximan/Betano to a new level. Stoiximan/Betano is already one of the leading operators in the Greek market, and we’re committed to working closely with them to not only build on this position, but also extend that success into further territories.
“Thanks to a fantastic initiative from our friends at Stoiximan/Betano group and a great effort from the development teams on both sides, we’ve been able to deliver a dynamic new experience for players in record time, which emphasizes our strategy of equipping our partners with scalable dedicated solutions while still providing players with a fun and personal game experience. The Cashback concept is of course well-established in Sports betting, so we’re very interested to see how players will respond to it in a Live Casino setting, where there’s interaction with a dealer and other players. We’re confident players will find Cashback Blackjack Live a highly engaging experience”.
Christos Mavridis, Live Casino Manager at Stoiximan/Betano adds: “Product innovation, wide game offer and an optimum customer experience have always been among our priorities at Stoiximan/Betano. We’ve already seen a fantastic response to Cashback Blackjack as an RNG game, so are very much looking forward to delivering a new experience for our players with the first Live version. Having worked closely with Playtech for some time now, we were well aware of their track record in producing innovative new content and game variants. As such we felt they were the ideal partner for the development of Cashback Blackjack Live, and we’re sure our players will be just as impressed with the finished product as we are”.
About Playtech:
Founded in 1999 and premium listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange, Playtech is a technology leader in the gambling and financial trading industries.
Playtech is the gambling industry’s leading technology company, delivering business intelligence-driven gambling software, services, content and platform technology across the industry’s most popular product verticals, including casino, live casino, sports betting, virtual sports, bingo and poker. It is the pioneer of omni-channel gambling technology through its integrated platform technology, Playtech ONE. Playtech ONE delivers data-driven marketing expertise, single wallet functionality, CRM and responsible gambling solutions across one single platform across product verticals and across retail and online.
Playtech partners with and invests in the leading brands in regulated and newly regulated markets to deliver its data-driven gambling technology across the retail and online value chain. Playtech provides its technology on a B2B basis to the industry’s leading retail and online operators, land-based casino groups and government sponsored entities such as lotteries. As of June 2018, through the acquisition of Snaitech, Playtech directly owns and operates the leading sports betting and gaming brand in online and retail in Italy, Snai. Snaitech operates a B2B2C model as a service provider, allowing franchisees to utilise the Playtech technology stack in the retail environment while operating the leading brand, Snai, directly online as a B2C business.
Playtech’s Financials Division, named TradeTech Group, is a technology leader in the CFD and financial trading industry and operates both on a B2B and B2C basis.
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ESG
Play’n GO publishes 2025 Sustainability Report with emissions and governance updates
Play’n GO has published its 2025 Sustainability Report, framing the year as a milestone as the supplier marks 20 years in the gaming industry. The report covers performance across four pillars—Players, Partners, People and Planet—and positions sustainability as tied to product design, operations, and partner expectations.
On climate reporting, the company said it has “achieved and exceeded” its long-term 90% reduction target for Scope 1 and 2 emissions, and reported a 69% absolute reduction in Scope 3 emissions versus its 2023 base year. Play’n GO also said its total material emissions for 2025 were kept below 500 MTCO2e.
The report also points to a move into land-based delivery. In 2025, Play’n GO said it launched its first land-based gaming solution in partnership with Genting UK, positioning the rollout as part of a “player-first, low-footprint approach” for regulated venues.
On responsible entertainment, the company said it continues to reject game mechanics it believes “compromise player trust or wellbeing,” and highlighted participation in discussions on digital wellbeing and cognitive health, including at the United Nations and G7. “We have always believed that great entertainment should be fun, safe and fair,” said Vanessa Björkbacka, Director of CSR at Play’n GO.
The report also outlines internal development and reporting infrastructure. Play’n GO said 43% of employees engaged in AI-related learning during 2025 and that average training time exceeded seven hours per employee globally. It added that reporting was further aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and World Economic Forum Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics, alongside investment in “secure, AI-supported carbon data management.” “As expectations on transparency and accountability continue to rise, we see it as our responsibility to lead,” Björkbacka added.
The post Play’n GO publishes 2025 Sustainability Report with emissions and governance updates appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
complaint resolution
Casino Guru CRC returns $5.3m to players in Q1 2026
Casino Guru’s Complaint Resolution Center (CRC) published 3,986 complaints in Q1 2026 and says it resolved 1,321 cases, returning $5,304,894 to players during the quarter.
Casino Guru said March was one of the CRC’s most active months on record, with the second-highest number of published complaints to date. The company added that ongoing cases exceeded 1,300, pointing to rising demand for third-party dispute mediation.
By volume, the most active complaint markets were Germany (657), the United Kingdom (270), Canada (240), Italy (207) and Australia (194), according to the CRC update.
Delayed payments remained the most common player-reported issue. Casino Guru also reported a March shift in complaint mix, with self-exclusion-related complaints rising to the second most frequent category for the first time in CRC history. KYC-related issues and blocked accounts were also among the most common complaint types, often linked to withdrawal delays.
Casino Guru said the quarter’s results reflect the increasing role of independent mediation as players look to third-party platforms to resolve disputes.
The post Casino Guru CRC returns $5.3m to players in Q1 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
branded content
RubyPlay launches Firerose studio for operator-specific casino games
RubyPlay has launched Firerose, a new studio aimed at building operator-specific casino game experiences, as suppliers and operators push for more branded content to stand out in crowded markets.
The company said Firerose is designed to let operators combine RubyPlay’s existing game catalogue with the studio’s technology and creative resources, using operator-led insight to shape games around an operator’s brand identity rather than standardised supplier content.
RubyPlay said Superbet is among the first operators to launch Firerose-powered titles. The supplier did not disclose game names or specific performance figures, but said early results showed “strong engagement metrics”.
Firerose becomes part of RubyPlay’s multi-studio structure alongside Koala Games, Mad Hat Games, Ruby Studio, and Xslots, which the company said share technology, infrastructure and distribution.
Dima Reiderman , Chief Commercial Officer at RubyPlay, said: ”Firerose represents a deliberate shift in how we think about content creation and partnership. The market is no longer driven solely by volume, but by identity. Operators want experiences that feel native to their brand and help them clearly differentiate in increasingly competitive casino environments.”
Dr. Eyal Loz, CPO at RubyPlay, added: “Firerose was created to put the operator’s voice at the centre of the creative process. Every game starts with their brand, their audience and their story, and our role is to bring that to life through the full weight of RubyPlay’s creative capabilities.
“We’re shaping experiences that players immediately associate with the operator itself. That level of ownership is what allows operators to stand out in increasingly crowded casino environments.”
The post RubyPlay launches Firerose studio for operator-specific casino games appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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