Industry News

SportCaller in position for enhanced engagement with Off The Ball

Published

6 years ago

June 11, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Popular Irish sports broadcaster enlists FTP specialist for a fun series of rapid-fire “live” quizzes to improve the viewer experience

SportCaller, the leading free-to-play (FTP) sports-game provider, has joined forces with Off The Ball, Ireland’s popular sports news and analysis show, to drive audience engagement during the current sporting shutdown with a series of entertaining “live broadcast” quizzes.

The deal is the first of its kind with a multi-platform sports media company, demonstrating SportCaller’s growing reach outside its typical sports betting arena, connecting with more mainstream audiences and responsibly introducing them to the value and highly social nature of free-to-play products.

These rapid-fire tests of trivia track a topical schedule of flagship events that would traditionally capture players’ interests and imaginations around this time of year, while also incorporating a steady diet of general knowledge questions around all major sports.

SportCaller’s live-quiz configurations run off a last-man-standing mechanic, whereby players must submit each answer before a clock-count winds down, with correct answers progressing to the next question. Ultimately, a €1,000 prize is either won or shared between any participant(s) who can post a perfect score across the entire quiz.

This seasonal series showcases SportCaller’s flexibility and capacity to deliver softer marketing functions with which to responsibly maintain customer engagement and digital dwell-time. While these fresh formats have been naturally adapted to the present pandemic, their manifest utility for broader retention has also carved out a long-term future as part of a progressive product set and marketing strategy for both media partners and operators.

These quizzes are fronted by a rota of familiar personalities from Off The Ball, whose main host Ger Gilroy is regularly joined by household names including Brian O’Driscoll and Kevin Kilbane. The show is sponsored by Paddy Power, who first launched SportCaller’s signature Beat The Drop game to universal acclaim back at the 2018 World Cup. The free-to-play specialist has since gone on to bolster this strong relationship at group level for Flutter Entertainment, whose mega-merger with The Stars Group was completed at the beginning of May.

Cillian Barry, MD at SportCaller, said: “We’re thrilled to be breaking new ground with Off The Ball via these new Live Broadcast quizzes, showing that now is the time to be pushing fresh concepts and products for our increasingly diverse range of clients. They say that personality goes a long way and OTB has it in spades. As a result, the SportCaller platform is another conduit by which OTB can express the content of that character to a loyal, sports-mad audience looking for some light relief.

“Clearly, you’re never going to replicate the same levels of engagement until all live sports can reliably find a way back. However, we can still offer fun, thematic content with these simple FTP games which build brand loyalty and an audience which returns to watch, listen and play. I believe this represents another key proving ground outside our original sportsbook domain, with these quizzes helping to fashion a wider and improved marketing mix.”

Ger Gilroy, Managing Director of Off The Ball, added: “It’s imperative that we keep our viewers and listeners entertained across our live radio and podcast channels, despite many of their favourite major sports still being unavailable. Happily, SportCaller’s innovative quizzes are allowing us to open up another outlet of competitive fun and social enjoyment for our enthusiastic audience.

“Their games fit neatly into our programming schedule and check all the boxes for responsible engagement. We’re always looking for new experiences to better connect our viewers to the sports they love, and SportCaller’s creative-content ideation and swift tech integration set them apart.”

ESG

Play’n GO publishes 2025 Sustainability Report with emissions and governance updates

Published

4 days ago

April 22, 2026

Wladimir P.

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

Published

6 days ago

April 21, 2026

Wladimir P.

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

Published

7 days ago

April 20, 2026

Wladimir P.

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.