Latest News
Erik Bergman’s Great.com donates more than $100,000 and pledges another $1M+ to a community of philanthropic entrepreneurs
iGaming entrepreneur Erik Bergman pledges over $1M in CTTMF shares to Founders Pledge, a global community of entrepreneurs, and donates another $100,000+ as an operational supporter.
Erik Bergman launched Great.con in 2018 with a mission to end the global climate crisis. Using his expertise in iGaming, Erik wanted to build a revenue-generating platform that would help carry out this mission.
The business concept of Great.com is to build the world’s most trusted iGaming review website, which would generate profits through affiliate partnerships – 100% of which would be donated to vetted charities working to solve climate change.
Not only is the business concept unique, but the organizational structure and management of Great.com is also groundbreaking. Transparency is one of its core values with employee conditions and work culture shared openly. For example, Great.com records and publishes weekly meetings to its website along with employees’ salaries.
Erik was quoted in Forbes saying that “I believe the people we want to attract and want in our team – are the same people that resonate with transparency.”
The ambition of Great.com is not just to end the climate crisis but to challenge the traditional norms associated with work. Erik has set out to build a more open, inclusive, and sustainable organization which he hopes will set the blueprint for other companies to follow.
Since its inception, Great.com has donated more than $225,000 to charitable causes. Now, another donation of $100,000 is being made to help fund the operational costs associated with Founders Pledge – a global community of more than 1,400 entrepreneurs. Every member of Founders Pledge must make a legally binding “pledge” to donate a chosen portion of their current or future wealth to charity.
This $100,000 donation to Founders Pledge as an operational supporter will help mitigate the burden that COVID-19 has had on their organization and will enable their team to continue its efforts of expanding its community, securing more pledges, and channeling millions of dollars to high-impact charities working on key global issues such as climate change.
In addition to this $100,000 donation, Erik Bergman also joined Founders Pledge as a member and signed a future pledge to donate 20% of his shares in Catena Media (CTTMF) which is currently valued at $1.3 million.
Founders Pledge is a unique community of entrepreneurs who have a shared purpose of wanting to do the most good in the world. The organization has a research team that focuses on charity due diligence, data collection, and the curation of high-impact causes throughout the world that are being underserved philanthropically. They strive to use data and analysis to recommend charities which will offer the largest return per dollar donated.
For example, in response to COVID-19, Founders Pledge created a single fund that would enable members and the public to contribute resources into which would then be dispersed by Founders Pledge to vetted charities aimed at pandemic preparedness, stopping the spread of COVID-19, and lessening the social and economic burden on the most affected communities. Founders Pledge takes an adaptive approach with its fund allocation to
COVID-19 relief which means they are making strategic decisions every time they contribute
– choosing the cause for which that donation would have the greatest impact. Erik Bergman, founder of Great.com, comments:
“When I founded Great.com, it was because I wanted to build an organization that could make the greatest difference possible for our environment – both from a climate and organizational perspective. So, it is important for me to find ways to create compounding returns. Founders Pledge is one such organization, as they have built up unique expertise on how to create the greatest impact with charitable giving. It’s an honor for me that Great.com can now help this incredible organization further their altruistic efforts.”
David Goldberg, founder, Founders Pledge, adds:
“It is very welcome that Erik Bergman and Great.com join our network. We bring together entrepreneurs with cutting-edge skills that are all driven by helping to do good for our world. The exchange between members is very valuable and Great.com can now take advantage of the unique knowledge we possess, to be able to make more well-founded donations.”
“My wish is that entrepreneurs and companies around the world start to be driven by serving a greater purpose. By joining Founders Pledge, I want to inspire others to do the same. You can make a difference if you do the right research and manage it through the right organizations”, Erik Bergman concludes.
Powered by WPeMatico
The CIS-based EMEA lineup brings past EWC experience and titles including PUBG Global Series 8 as S8UL targets Riyadh qualification.
S8UL has signed the Team Question Mark (QM) roster to represent the organisation in PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS on PC ahead of the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026. The deal was announced April 16 from Mumbai as S8UL prepares for the tournament in Riyadh, scheduled for July 21 to 26.
The CIS-based EMEA lineup includes:
- captain Roman Zinovev (ADOUZ1E),
- Andrey Ionov (Bestoloch),
- Mansur Tsimpaev (f1lfirst),
- Nikita Odobesku (Molodoct),
- and coach Yermek Torebekov (Ermaak).
S8UL said the roster will compete through the qualification pathway for a place in the 24-team event, which has a $2 million prize pool.
S8UL is adding a roster with a proven record in top-tier PUBG competition, including wins at PUBG Continental Series 7 Europe 2022 and PUBG Global Series 8 in 2025. The team has also posted a Top 3 finish at PUBG Global Series 2 in 2023 and a Top 7 finish at PUBG Global Championship 2022. The organisation said the roster has competed at both previous editions of the EWC in 2024 and 2025 and has amassed approximately $713,000 in total prize winnings.
Commenting on the move, Naman Mathur, Co-founder, S8UL said, “Signing the QM roster is a significant step for us as we continue to strengthen our presence in global esports. PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS is one of the most competitive titles in the world, and this team has consistently proven itself against the very best. At a broader level, this move reflects the direction S8UL is heading in. Over the past year, we have focused on building depth across our rosters and competing consistently at the highest level. As we prepare for the Esports World Cup 2026, we are committed to providing the team with the right support and resources as they aim to make a strong impact in the qualifiers as well as on the global stage.”
Roman Zinovev aka ADOUZ1E added, “Becoming part of S8UL is a big opportunity for us as a team. As a team, we’ve always believed in our ability to compete with the best in the world, and having the backing of a global organisation allows us to push even further. With the Esports World Cup coming up, we’re focused on working through the qualifiers and making sure we deliver performances that match our potential.,”
S8UL said the announcement follows its selection as a Club Partner by the Esports Foundation (EF), placing it among 40 global organisations. The organisation has also listed 13 titles it plans to enter for EWC 2026, including PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, Apex Legends, Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), Call of Duty: Warzone, Chess, EA Sports FC, FATAL Fury, Fortnite, Honor of Kings, MOBA Legends 5V5, Street Fighter 6, TEKKEN 8, and Trackmania.
Relevant data as follows:
- S8UL Esports: https://s8ul.gg/ Official organisation site for roster and announcement verification.
- PUBG Esports (PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS competitive updates): https://pubgesports.com/ Authoritative source for PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS esports circuits, event results, and qualifiers.
- Esports World Cup (official site): https://esportsworldcup.com/ Event organiser site for EWC 2026 schedule, formats, and prize pool confirmation.
The post S8UL signs Team Question Mark roster for PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS ahead of EWC 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Nils Ristau and Daniel Schmitz debut a work enablement platform aimed at day-to-day execution across product, retention and AI adoption.
Sparky Space, a new AI-powered work enablement platform founded by former German Air Force officer Nils Ristau and tech leader Daniel Schmitz, has launched and is now available globally for iGaming operators and suppliers.
The founders are positioning the product around execution support inside daily workflows as teams face tighter regulatory demands, faster product cycles and higher player expectations. The company cited industry research suggesting only 10-20% of learning is consistently applied in day-to-day work, creating a gap between training and on-the-job outcomes.
“In military operations, performance depends on clarity, structure, and disciplined execution in changing environments,” said Ristau. “The iGaming industry operates under similar pressure.
“Competitive advantage does not come from knowledge alone – it comes from how effectively teams apply it every day.”
Sparky Space said its platform supports areas including product development, player retention and AI adoption, with use cases spanning customer-centric experimentation, agile product and game development, decision-making and prioritisation, practical generative AI prompting, and cross-functional collaboration. The company said the tools are intended to help teams launch features, respond to regulatory change, and optimise marketing and support processes.
While initially focused on iGaming, Sparky Space said it has been built for broader use in other fast-moving, technology-driven industries.
Relevant data as follows:
- Sparky Space: https://www.sparkyspace.com Official company site for product and launch details.
- UK Gambling Commission: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk Regulatory context referenced in the article’s discussion of increasing compliance pressure.
- Malta Gaming Authority: https://www.mga.org.mt Key European regulator relevant to operators and suppliers navigating shifting regulation.
The post Former German Air Force officer launches Sparky Space AI platform for iGaming teams appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Online poker festival runs May 3 to June 9 and includes a $3m leaderboard plus three $10m guaranteed flagship events.
GGPoker has announced the return of its GG World Festival tournament series, set to run from May 3 through June 9, 2026. The operator said the schedule will offer $300,000,000 in guaranteed prizes across the series, up from the $250m guarantee it offered last year.
The festival is split into four buy-in tiers: Low ($3–$25), Medium ($26–$150), High ($151–$1,050) and Super ($1,051+). GGPoker said the series will include hundreds of tournaments over five weeks.
GGPoker is also bringing back its festival leaderboard with $3,000,000 in additional prizes across the four tiers: $300K (Low), $700K (Medium), $1M (High) and $1M (Super).
Three events will anchor the schedule, each with a $10,000,000 guarantee: the $525 World Bounty Festival (Day 2) on May 18, the $10,000 GGMillion$ Main Event (Day 2) on May 25, and the $1,500 GG World Championship (Day 2) on June 1.
“Last year we set the bar at $250 million, and the community response was legendary,” said Daniel Negreanu, GGPoker Global Ambassador. “But at GGPoker, we don’t just want to meet expectations; we want to smash them over and over again. This year, we’re going to $300 million. Whether you’re playing a $3 Low Tier tournament or the $10K GGMillion$ Main Event, you’re part of the biggest thing to ever happen in online poker. This is the stage where legends are made.”
Relevant data as follows:
- GG World Festival page on GGPoker: https://ggpoker.com/tournaments/ggpoker-world-festival Primary source for dates, schedule structure and guarantees referenced in the article.
- GGPoker tournaments hub: https://ggpoker.com/tournaments/ Supporting context on GGPoker’s tournament offerings and satellite qualifiers mentioned in the release.
- GGPoker homepage: https://ggpoker.com/ Company reference link for readers seeking broader operator information.
The post GGPoker sets $300m guarantee for 2026 GG World Festival series appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
-
betting platforms7 days agoUS Public Health Debate Intensifies as Boston Hosts Landmark Online Gambling Symposium
-
8bit Binks6 days ago
S8UL Esports Triumphs in VCSA 2026 Split 1: A Grand Final Masterclass
-
betting innovation6 days ago
DATA.BET Expands at SiGMA South America 2026
-
BiS Awards 20266 days ago
Brazil’s Gaming Evolution: EGT and EGT Digital Claim Top Honors at BiS Awards 2026
-
BiS Awards 20266 days ago
EGT and EGT Digital have been honored with the Best VLT Solution prize at the BiS Awards 2026
-
Brazil4 days ago
Fernando Carvalho outlines new era for prediction markets in Brazil with VoxFi white label technology
-
Brasil4 days ago
Fernando Carvalho define una nueva era para los mercados de predicción en Brasil con VoxFi
-
Boston7 days ago
Global Experts to Gather in Boston for First US Symposium on Online Gambling and Public Health
