Latest News
3.5 Billion ‘Gamers’ Globally by 2024, but Cloud Gaming Must Evaluate Business Models in Order to Survive
Report by ABI Research and InterDigital confirms cloud gaming providers should favor subscription-based pricing models to take advantage of market potential
A new report from ABI Research has found almost half of the expected population in 2024 will be gamers. To take advantage of this huge market potential, telecommunications companies, internet service providers (ISPs), and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) must evaluate different business models to determine whether the service will succeed or fail.
Commissioned by InterDigital, the report “Cloud gaming: Enabling a next generation gaming and streaming paradigm” states that the video gaming market is now among the largest entertainment industries in the world. Currently, more than 2.3 billion individuals play video games, and the number of gamers is expected to grow substantially over the next four years to more than 3.5 billion gamers by 2024. The Asia-Pacific region represents the largest gaming base with 51% of the worldwide total. The Americas, at roughly 20% of the player base, represent the second largest revenue opportunity.
The report suggests that for cloud gaming operators to capitalize on this growing industry, they must evaluate their business models while the market is in the early stages of its life cycle. Over-the top media services, like online video streaming, offer the most pragmatic and consumer-friendly option thanks to monthly, quarterly, or annual subscription plans. Consumers favor unlimited subscription plans over time-based payment plans, even if they end up paying more than what they would on a usage payment plan.
Subscription models are also intended to shape user behavior. A parallel can be drawn with mobile data, where caps were implemented to increase revenue, but also to dictate usage. While usage-based fees are less popular, they could prove to be the optimal strategy for market players in early cloud gaming days, especially when it might be challenging to convert the core gaming audience from gaming PCs and consoles.
Furthermore, the future of cloud gaming doesn’t solely lie in traditional video games. According to the report, there are increasing opportunities for market players to add gaming elements to non-gaming activities and content. Gamification can increase flexibility in delivery and consumption, opening new use cases and applications, such as within workplace collaboration tools and fitness applications. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) also have inherent synergy with gaming and, more specifically, with cloud gaming.
“The cloud gaming market is rapidly growing, and it’s clear those who act now will capitalize on this opportunity. But these players need to act fast if they want to take advantage of everything this exciting market has to offer,” said Laurent Depersin, R&I Senior Lab Director at InterDigital. “As developments in 5G and Wi-Fi penetrate the mainstream, enabling more products and services to become gamified, we’ll see Gaming-as-a-Service (GaaS) really come to life—pulling in new gamers, and encouraging existing ones to make the transition to the cloud, thanks to its user friendly business model. For cloud gaming and GaaS to succeed, players need to ensure they deliver both the right business model and the right user experience to drive mainstream adoption.”
To access the full report ‘Cloud gaming: Enabling a next generation gaming and streaming paradigm’ please click here.
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Funding
EasyWin closes second seed round at $20m valuation
Real-money casual puzzle tournament startup says an EU private investor backed the April 2026 round.
EasyWin, a U.S.-based real-money gaming startup, said it has closed its second seed funding round at a $20 million valuation. The company announced the round in April 2026 and said it was backed by a private investor from the European Union.
The company previously closed its first seed round in December 2025 at a $15.5 million valuation. That round included funding from Velo Partners, Vladimir Nikolsky and several private angel investors.
EasyWin was founded by Ivan Leshkevich, a former executive at mobile game publisher and developer Mamboo Entertainment. The startup, which currently has a team of eight, says it has built a global tournament platform for casual puzzle games with cash prizes and operates across major markets.
Since launching in 2025, EasyWin reported 25% month-over-month growth in user spending and a 4.9 average user rating. It also said it has expanded into 12 countries with localized legal opinions and payment infrastructure, received PayPal approval for its MCC, and completed payments-stack integrations with global providers.
The company also said it has obtained GLI certification “confirming compliance with U.S. regulations for skill-based gaming products.” Leshkevich said: “In the long term, we aim to become a leading global skill-based gaming platform. To achieve this, we focus on a strong product USP and new AI-based dev tools.”
The post EasyWin closes second seed round at $20m valuation appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
bingo
Plaza Hotel & Casino sets $250,000 Super Bingo event for July 3-5
Downtown Las Vegas property says the July Super Bingo will be its largest prize purse to date, with sessions on July 4-5.
Plaza Hotel & Casino will stage a $250,000 “Super Bingo” event in Las Vegas July 3-5, positioning it as a special edition tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary. The operator said the prize pool is the largest in the series’ history.
“The Plaza will be celebrating its 55th anniversary and the 250th anniversary of our great country in July, so it is only fitting that we make our Super Bingo event that month our biggest and best ever,” said Jonathan Jossel, CEO of the Plaza Hotel & Casino. “Our Super Bingo events have always drawn a packed crowd to our convention space, and we anticipate the July event to sell out quickly.”
According to the Plaza, Super Bingo draws nearly 1,000 attendees, including visitors traveling from Hawaii and Canada. For the July edition, bingo-only registration is set at $250 per person for gameplay on Saturday, July 4 and Sunday, July 5. The Plaza is also offering an optional five-night hotel package priced at $200 per person, with no resort fee, for check-in July 2 and check-out July 6.
The Plaza outlined the payout structure as 20 games paying $1,999 each day, plus a daily “super coverall” of $60,000, second place of $15,000, and third place of $10,020. The casino said prizes will be paid in cash and players must be present to win.
Outside of the special event, the Plaza said its bingo room runs six daily sessions at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. and is located two floors above the main casino.
The post Plaza Hotel & Casino sets $250,000 Super Bingo event for July 3-5 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Latest News
EasyWin closes second seed round at $20m valuation
U.S.-based real-money gaming startup says the round was backed by a private investor from the European Union.
EasyWin, a Delaware-based real-money gaming startup, said it has closed its second seed funding round at a $20 million valuation in April 2026. The company said the round was backed by a private investor from the European Union.
The announcement follows EasyWin’s first seed round, which the company said closed in December 2025 at a $15.5 million valuation. EasyWin said that round included funding from Velo Partners, Vladimir Nikolsky and several private angel investors.
Founded by Ivan Leshkevich, a former executive at mobile game publisher and developer Mamboo Entertainment, EasyWin said it has built a global tournament platform for casual puzzle games with cash prizes. The company said it operates across major markets with a team of eight people.
EasyWin said that since launching in 2025 it has delivered 25% month-over-month growth in user spending and maintains a 4.9 average user rating. The company also said it has expanded into 12 countries with localized legal opinions and payment infrastructure.
On product and compliance milestones, EasyWin said it received PayPal approval for its MCC and completed full integration of its payments stack with leading global providers. The company also said it has obtained GLI certification from an independent testing agency, which it said confirms compliance with U.S. regulations for skill-based gaming products.
“In the long term, we aim to become a leading global skill-based gaming platform,” said Ivan Leshkevich, founder of EasyWin. “To achieve this, we focus on a strong product USP and new AI-based dev tools.”
The post EasyWin closes second seed round at $20m valuation appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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