Latest News

Rank extends partnership to support unpaid Carers

Published

6 years ago

July 28, 2020

George Miller

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Rank is delighted to announce that we have extended our groundbreaking partnership with Carers Trust into 2021.

This hugely successful partnership has had a major impact in supporting Carers Trust’s work with hundreds of thousands of unpaid carers right across the UK. Since its inception more than six years ago in February 2014, Rank colleagues and customers have raised a very impressive £2.6 million for the charity, with the money raised benefitting over 12,000 unpaid carers. Funds have typically been provided to adult carers in the form of grants, distributed through Carers Trust’s network of over 120 local carers charities.

These grants can be life changing for carers struggling to provide round-the-clock care for members of their families experiencing long-term illness, disabilities, poor mental health or substance addiction. The grants provide money for essential household items that would otherwise remain unaffordable. Money for new beds, cookers and washing machines – or to pay for hospital visits – can have a major impact in making the lives of unpaid carers much more manageable.

From the very beginning of the partnership, Rank’s employees and customers have enthusiastically embraced the fundraising drive for unpaid carers. This commitment has seen an impressive £300,000 raised in the last twelve months alone. And since early April this year, Meccabingo.com has increased its contribution to Carers Trust, raising over £77,500.

Back in December our Mecca colleagues launched a special pre-Christmas fundraising drive that raised an impressive £39,000 over the festive season. And in addition to fundraising, colleagues also worked hard to bring some Christmas cheer to carers. This included Mecca venues inviting unpaid carers from their local area in for a much-deserved Christmas lunch and a break away from their caring roles. One of these was Mecca Knotty Ash near Liverpool. They laid on an extra special day including a pampering and spa treatment session for 12 very deserving carers from Sefton Carers Centre.

We also gifted our sponsorship logo placement on Ipswich Town FC’s kit to Carers Trust for the 2020/21 season. The shirt is a special commemorative edition, celebrating forty years since the club won the UEFA Cup Final and is bound to attract a lot of attention, not just in Ipswich but across the UK!

Most impressively of all, colleagues from across the Group have continued to fundraise and support unpaid carers throughout the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown. Even though traditional fundraising events like sponsored runs have not been possible due to the lockdown, we have shown how money can still be raised with challenges like ‘Walk the UK’ which saw team members walking the equivalent of Land’s End to John O’Groats while sticking to their local streets and parks.

Welcoming Rank’s extension of the partnership, Carers Trust’s CEO, Gareth Howells, said:

“This is fantastic news for Carers Trust and all the unpaid carers across the UK we are working with to make their caring responsibilities more manageable. On behalf of those unpaid carers, and everyone at Carers Trust, I’d like to offer our heartfelt thanks to Rank’s employees and customers for all their generosity and tireless commitment to going the extra mile to support unpaid carers.

“And coming as it does within the context of a global pandemic and an increasingly challenging funding environment, today’s announcement could not be more timely. Such sustained support for unpaid carers is also particularly important given the UK’s ageing population and the increasing pressure being put on health and social care budgets.”

Rank chief executive, John O’Reilly, said:

“I am really pleased with the fantastic support that Rank’s colleagues and customers have shown Carers Trust over the last year. It’s extraordinary to see that, despite the difficulties we’ve faced over the last five months with our Mecca and Grosvenor venues closed and over 7,000 colleagues having to be on furlough, we have continued with our efforts to raise money and have now topped £300,000 this year. This is an outstanding amount of which everyone should be very proud.

“There has never been a more important time to be raising money to support carers and the amazing work of the Carers Trust. We are committed to continuing this high level of support with our colleagues across the Group inventing ever more ingenious ways of raising money for this marvellous charity. Thank you to all our colleagues and our customers for your amazing efforts and long may it continue.”

Africa

State of the African Video Game Industry 2026: Xsolla Backs SpielFabrique’s Definitive Market Report

Published

9 hours ago

February 9, 2026

Wladimir P.

state-of-the-african-video-game-industry-2026:-xsolla-backs-spielfabrique’s-definitive-market-report

Xsolla today announced its support for State of the African Video Game Industry 2026, a comprehensive new report from SpielFabrique and researcher PhD Prince Oguguo that maps the size, structure, and growth dynamics of Africa’s fast-evolving games ecosystem. The study delivers data-driven insight into developer realities, market infrastructure, monetization trends and strategic recommendations for partners and investors.

Key findings at a glance

Market size: Africa’s video games industry generated approximately $1.8 billion in revenue in 2024, driven predominantly by mobile gaming (≈90% of the market).
Growth drivers: A young, mobile-first population, rising smartphone adoption and broader digital services are fueling above-average expansion across the continent.
Structural challenges: Persistent pain points include payment friction, limited funding, uneven internet and platform infrastructure, and the lack of a unified continental market.
Diverse ecosystems: The report stresses regional variation — with deep dives into Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, and Morocco — showing how local payment systems, regulation and culture shape monetization and discoverability.

Why this report matters

“Supporting research like this helps ground industry conversations in real data and lived developer experience,” said Ilayda Bayari, VP of Business Development, MEA + Southern Europe at Xsolla. The report equips publishers, platforms, investors and policy-makers with actionable intelligence to build more sustainable partnerships with African developers.

Focus areas and recommendations

SpielFabrique’s study examines three critical levers for growth:

Payments & distribution: Local payment methods and mobile money are essential to improve conversion and lifetime value for African titles.
Funding & infrastructure: Targeted investment and improved developer tools/platforms are needed to scale studios beyond domestic markets.
Talent & esports: Clearer talent pathways, education programmes and esports ecosystems will strengthen local production and audience engagement.

Regional snapshots

The research highlights how national differences influence outcomes: strong indie scenes in Nigeria and Kenya, established studios and distribution channels in South Africa, and growing developer communities in North African markets such as Egypt and Morocco.

Launch and supporting activity

The State of the African Video Game Industry 2026 report became available on January 29, 2026, and was launched with a coordinated website feature, social media rollout and a post-launch community webinar to share insights and facilitate industry discussion.

Voices from the field

“After more than seven years working alongside African game makers and ecosystem builders, I’m proud to share this comprehensive overview of where the market stands today,” said Pr. Odile Limpach, Co-founder of SpielFabrique. The report aims to catalyze cooperation and make markets more visible — enabling partners to act on opportunities while appreciating local challenges.

The post State of the African Video Game Industry 2026: Xsolla Backs SpielFabrique’s Definitive Market Report appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

betting automation

Huddle Launches Upgraded Ice Hockey Odds Feed for 2026 Winter Olympics & NHL Coverage

Published

10 hours ago

February 9, 2026

Wladimir P.

huddle-launches-upgraded-ice-hockey-odds-feed-for-2026-winter-olympics-&-nhl-coverage

Huddle, the premium odds-feed provider, today announced a major upgrade to its global ice hockey product ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics. The release adds proprietary automation, broader market coverage and enhanced uptime—bringing sharper player-prop pricing and deeper pre-match and live micro-markets for operators worldwide.

Automated, adaptable trading for every competition

Huddle’s enhanced offering is powered by an adaptable trading model built to handle tournaments, league play and one-off matches. Operators accessing the product via Huddle’s Unified Odds Feed or through direct integration will gain reliable markets across top competitions including the NHL, Sweden’s SHL, and the Czech Extraliga. The update targets historical volatility in non-major leagues and simplifies trading across rule variations and local formats.

Deeper markets, better player-prop accuracy

The upgraded feed increases market depth for both pre-match and in-play action, with focused coverage on popular player-prop markets such as Player Goals, Points, and Next Goalscorer—plus a range of micro-markets that drive re-betting and longer player engagement. Improved automation reduces manual intervention, delivering faster, more accurate lines and higher uptime for operator platforms.

Engineered for uptime and regional coverage

Huddle reworked the underlying architecture to meet the demands of global distribution and local league nuances. The resilient framework gives operators confidence that regional competitions and live events are priced consistently—removing friction and reducing operational risk when covering the full ice hockey calendar.

Operator benefits: trust, revenue, and retention

By combining precise player props, expanded market coverage and robust uptime, Huddle’s ice hockey upgrade helps operators:

Increase re-bet frequency and session length through granular micro-markets
Improve conversion with reliable live pricing and reduced latency
Expand product breadth across markets and regions without excessive engineering overhead

Leadership view

Francesco Borgosano, CEO at Huddle, said the Winter Olympics spotlight makes consistent coverage crucial: “We recognize that an NHL-centric approach isn’t enough… we’ve established a model that accounts for all variables to deliver the most premium, wide-ranging odds feed. From the gold medal game in Milan to a regular season match in the Extraliga, we’ve honed our product to be adaptable and profitable.”

Market context and next steps

The ice hockey upgrade follows Huddle’s recent distribution expansions for its NBA pricing feed, applying the same granular trading approach to hockey markets that are growing across Europe and the U.S. Operators can integrate via the Unified Odds Feed or direct API to unlock expanded ice hockey markets in time for Olympic and league-season demand.

The post Huddle Launches Upgraded Ice Hockey Odds Feed for 2026 Winter Olympics & NHL Coverage appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

combat sports

GoldenRace & ISIBET Pro Partner to Expand Virtual Sports Across Italy

Published

10 hours ago

February 9, 2026

Wladimir P.

goldenrace-&-isibet-pro-partner-to-expand-virtual-sports-across-italy

GoldenRace has signed a strategic distribution and integration deal with ISIBET Pro to accelerate the availability of premium Virtual Sports across the Italian online market.

The partnership connects GoldenRace’s award-winning portfolio to roughly 20 operators through a single technical bridge, instantly scaling reach and simplifying operator onboarding.

Fast scale, one integration

By integrating with ISIBET Pro’s platform, GoldenRace offers operators a turnkey route to deploy high-performance virtual betting content without multiple separate integrations. This “one integration, many operators” approach reduces time-to-market and technical overhead while giving operators immediate access to GoldenRace’s most popular titles.

A sportsbook-first virtual experience

ISIBET Pro selected GoldenRace to meet growing operator demand for “sportsbook-first” Virtual Sports—products engineered to mimic real sporting dynamics, deliver authentic betting markets, and drive sustained player engagement. GoldenRace’s portfolio emphasizes realism and playability, including:

Virtual Football — the world’s most-played virtual football product
Realistic Horse Racing — high-frequency, realistic race simulations
Combat Sports — unique, fast-paced virtual fight content

Executive perspectives

“Our focus has always been to be where the players are, but doing so efficiently is what separates a good strategy from a great one,” said Martin Wachter, CEO & Founder of GoldenRace. “Italy is a core market for us, and by joining forces with ISIBET Pro, we ensure that our market-leading Virtual Sports are just a click away for a huge segment of the Italian online audience.”

Romano Biondi, CEO of ISIBET Pro, added: “Integrating GoldenRace into our platform allows our partners to offer a premier Virtual Sports experience that Italian players already know and trust. It’s about adding real value and reliable revenue drivers to the online vertical.”

Benefits for Italian operators and players

Operators on the ISIBET Pro network gain competitive advantages including:

Immediate access to proven Virtual Sports content via one unified technical bridge
Enhanced player engagement through sportsbook-style markets and realistic simulations
Faster deployment and reduced integration costs, increasing potential revenue streams

Outlook

This strategic alliance strengthens GoldenRace’s footprint in a key European market and solidifies ISIBET Pro’s position as a platform provider focused on premium, sportsbook-first virtual content. For Italian operators seeking high-quality virtual product integrations and reliable revenue drivers, the GoldenRace–ISIBET Pro partnership delivers scale, speed, and proven player appeal.

The post GoldenRace & ISIBET Pro Partner to Expand Virtual Sports Across Italy appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.