Latest News

Parimatch Tech hosts Universal Sports & Games Hackathon

Published

6 years ago

August 11, 2020

George Miller

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Over 100 ideas generated in just 48 hours

Between 7^th-9^th of August Parimatch Tech hosted a two-day online Universal Sports & Games Hackathon at its state-of-the-art “PMHUB” event space. The hackathon, organized by Parimatch Tech together with JKR in partnership with Amazon and SectorX, bought together over 400 developers, marketers and designers to come up with innovative solutions in the gaming and gaming services industry.

Participants came from nine countries including Ukraine, Germany, Spain, Belarus and Poland, generating 111 ideas over 48 hours, including games, streaming tools, analytics services and various applications. 37 teams made it to the final, but only one could be crowned winner.

The Hackathon was won by “The Dragon’s team”, made up of developers Nikolay Ursatiy and Sergey Poverennov. The duo created “RunOut”, a runner platform game. They took home the first place prize of $1500.

“It is great to see people keep generating ideas, even though they can’t get together in the same room as normal. An online hackathon is a new format for us and we are pleased with the result: organizers, judges, and mentors saw many different high concept ideas being generated.” — noted Stepan Shulga, head of Esports at Parimatch.

“We are delighted with our victory. The hackathon was a great experience for us. Many teams came up with some really interesting and exciting ideas. This event gave us a chance to test our capabilities and get feedback from mentors and judges. We’re going to continue working on the game, and shortly, we will move on to negotiations with publishers.” — comments Nikolay Ursatiy, team leader of the Dragon’s Team.

Second and third places were taken by teams “Narwhal” who came up with a service for the multification of sporting events, and “PixelGaming”, whose idea was a mobile game in the MOBA clicker genre. They received $1000 and $500 respectively.

As part of the hackathon, select teams carried out particular challenges set by the judges. The teams “Team B” and “Kodoklyaksa” were each awarded $500 for their innovative ideas. The JKR Foundation also invited team “PolyRef” to further develop their idea of a service for collecting sports statistics.

As well as the prize money, the winner and two runners-up get exclusive access to the Parimatch Tech team and its facilities. Here, together with Parimatch’s tech specialists, the participants will have the opportunity to test their ideas on an audience of thousands of people.

But the hackathon doesn’t end there. The judges took an extra week to look through all the applications one more time to advance some additional ideas. The results of this will be announced on 19^th August 2020.

AI

Veikkaus rolls out OpenBet’s Neccton responsible gambling platform ahead of 2027 reform

Published

11 minutes ago

June 16, 2026

Wladimir P.

veikkaus-rolls-out-openbet’s-neccton-responsible-gambling-platform-ahead-of-2027-reform

Veikkaus will deploy the latest version of OpenBet’s Neccton AI-enhanced responsible gambling platform across its digital and retail channels, the companies said on 16 June 2026. The rollout comes as Finland’s newly approved Gambling Act increases operator obligations to spot and address risky gambling behaviour early, including active intervention where risk indicators emerge.

OpenBet said the Neccton platform is designed to identify potentially risky gambling behaviour in real time, generate automated alerts, and support tailored player interventions. The system summarises behavioural data, risk markers and historical context in plain language, and provides AI-assisted explanations intended to support compliance teams while maintaining human oversight.

Susanna Saikkonen, Vice President for Sustainability at Veikkaus, said: “Veikkaus’ individual gambling safety net model is based on identifying risky gambling as early as possible and offering players both support and concrete limitations. The Neccton platform provides us with an ISO-certified, extensively security tested and scientifically validated tool that strengthens our ability to identify risk and support our customers in gambling responsibly.”

Dr Michael Auer, Managing Director of Neccton at OpenBet, said: “In today’s regulatory environment, operators must demonstrate how they actively prevent gambling-related harm. The latest version of the Neccton platform enables real-time, data-driven intervention and measurable duty of care. We are proud to expand our partnership with Veikkaus to further strengthen its responsible gambling framework.”

The Neccton deployment extends Veikkaus’ existing relationship with OpenBet. OpenBet has been powering Veikkaus’ next-generation sportsbook platform and providing Managed Trading Services across digital and retail channels since May 2025, according to the companies. Veikkaus is preparing for Finland’s expected market liberalisation in 2027.

The post Veikkaus rolls out OpenBet’s Neccton responsible gambling platform ahead of 2027 reform appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Jani Kontturi Head of Games at SkillOnNet

SkillOnNet adds Octoplay casino games across its UK brands

Published

11 minutes ago

June 16, 2026

Wladimir P.

skillonnet-adds-octoplay-casino-games-across-its-uk-brands

Octoplay titles go live on PlayOJO, Genting, SpinGenie and MegawaysCasino, with more regulated markets planned.

SkillOnNet has launched Octoplay’s casino games across its UK iGaming sites, making the supplier’s content available to players on brands including PlayOJO, Genting, SpinGenie and MegawaysCasino.

The UK rollout includes Octoplay titles such as Vegas is Dead: Battle Arena, Shaolin Panda: Chaos Reels, and Serpent Gold: Hold and Win. SkillOnNet said it plans to expand the partnership into additional regulated markets in the coming months.

Jani Kontturi, Head of Games at SkillOnNet said: “We’re delighted to welcome Octoplay to our platform in the UK. The studio has built a strong reputation for developing high-quality games that combine engaging mechanics with blockbuster production values. We are confident our players will love the content, and we’re excited to extend the partnership into additional regulated markets in the near future.

Ralitsa Georgieva, CEO at Octoplay: “Launching with SkillOnNet in the UK represents another important milestone for Octoplay. SkillOnNet operates some of the industry’s most established iGaming sites, and this partnership allows us to bring our games to a wider audience of players. We look forward to building on this initial launch and expanding together into further markets.”

The post SkillOnNet adds Octoplay casino games across its UK brands appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

iGaming content

Microgaming launches new Playboy-branded slot, Playboy Gems and Desires

Published

11 minutes ago

June 16, 2026

Wladimir P.

microgaming-launches-new-playboy-branded-slot,-playboy-gems-and-desires

Microgaming has launched Playboy Gems and Desires, the latest addition to its official Playboy-branded games portfolio.

The slot uses a reel set featuring Wild stacks that land on reels two, three and four. The game also uses a ways win structure as part of its presentation.

Free Spins are triggered by landing the letters B-U-N-N-Y. During the bonus, an active Win Multiplier can build, while Reel Jackpots and a Jackpot Wheel are also included.

Microgaming said the game includes “Personal Persistence”, which allows the Free Spins Multiplier and Reel Jackpots to carry across all bet levels. The supplier stated a maximum win potential of up to 5,000x the bet.

A Microgaming spokesperson said: “Playboy is a brand with instant recognition, but also a very clear sense of style, confidence and premium entertainment. With Playboy Gems and Desires, the aim was to capture that atmosphere in a way that feels authentic to the brand, while delivering a slot experience with real energy and broad player appeal. It is another strong addition to our official Playboy portfolio and one that reflects the quality and ambition behind the partnership.”

The post Microgaming launches new Playboy-branded slot, Playboy Gems and Desires appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.