ELA Games, an innovative casino game studio, has secured a major leadership victory at the SBC Awards Europe on April 30 at the Xara Lodge in Malta. Its Business Development Team Lead Yaroslav Soloshenko has secured the Manager of the Year title at the event.

This recognition showcases the studio’s leading role in the industry and the exceptional internal culture steering the company forward. It amplifies its overall success, revealing how a solid foundation of studio leadership at ELA, along with Yaroslav’s vital contributions, guides the team to its recent achievements and shapes its reputation for excellence.

Earning the trophy places the studio among the biggest names in the space. The ELA Games team stood tall in the company leadership categories alongside Employer of the Year winner Betsson Group, with Yaroslav honoured among some of the best individual leaders in the industry, including Alea’s Alexandre Tomic and Playtech’s Elena Rousseva, who were jointly awarded Leader of the Year. Being recognized shoulder to shoulder with these industry giants comes down to the entire team’s passion for the games they produce, starting from the very top.

The SBC Awards Europe took place on April 30 at the Xara Lodge. Hosted by renowned sports broadcaster Alison Bender, the ceremony celebrated the operators, affiliates, and suppliers setting new standards across the industry.

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Veikkaus has appointed Ilkka Kosola as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and a member of the executive management team. He will assume his new role by the end of September 2026.

Kosola will play a significant role in Veikkaus’ ongoing transformation towards the partial multi-license system and the execution of the company’s 2030 strategy. He brings with him extensive experience in demanding financial management positions and a strong track record of leading successful strategic projects and transformations.

“Ilkka’s broad and international experience in leading finance and IT functions, combined with his proven ability to drive change and execute strategic transactions, makes him an excellent fit for Veikkaus as we navigate this period of significant transformation,” said Olli Sarekoski, CEO and President at Veikkaus.

“We are confident that his expertise will be a great asset to our company and our executive management team as we work towards our strategic goals for 2030.”

Kosola joins Veikkaus from his position as Group CFO at Reaktor. He has previously served as Group CFO at Adven Group and has held several senior finance and business control positions at companies such as TietoEvery, Basware and Fortum. His career includes a strong history of successful M&A transactions, financial turnarounds and the development of modern, digitally enabled finance functions. His expertise also includes areas such as artificial intelligence in finance and international board work.

“I am thrilled to be joining the Veikkaus team and to have the opportunity to contribute to the next chapter of this iconic Finnish company,” said Ilkka Kosola.

“Veikkaus is at a pivotal point in its history, and I am eager to apply my experience to support the company’s transformation and the execution of its new strategy in the opening license market.”

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Genius Sports Limited, a global leader in real-time sports data, announced it has completed its previously announced acquisition of Legend, a global, digital sports and gaming media network.

Legend provides a scaled media platform, with world-class marketing technology powering owned and operated digital properties including Covers.com, Casino.org and Casino Guru. In 2025, Legend generated 320 million annual visits from 118 million unique visitors, with more than two-thirds returning on a regular basis.

With the acquisition of Legend, Genius Sports is uniquely positioned as the only company operating two synergistic businesses across official sports data and media and advertising.

“Genius Sports has spent years building the data infrastructure behind modern sport. With Legend, we now extend that into the moment where fans choose to participate and act. This combination not only strengthens our core sports business but also expands our ability to monetize new audiences in iGaming, increasing the economic value of our platform across both verticals and driving significant cash flow,” said Mark Locke, CEO of Genius Sports.

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