Latest News

Opera GX becomes the world’s first browser with dynamic background music

Published

6 years ago

September 16, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Opera GX, the world’s first browser designed for people who love PC gaming, is releasing a major new feature still unknown to other browsers: adaptive background music. The new functionality aims to bring an immersive sound experience known from gaming to web browsing.

Opera GX initially launched in 2019 with sound effects designed by the acclaimed composer Ruben Rincón and the Berlinist band, known for the Bafta-nominated soundtrack to Gris. The same team is responsible for the new dynamic background music in Opera GX.

“We are excited to finally reveal the entire concept we’ve had in mind: We wanted to give our browser the immersive sound experience known from games, where a perfectly-composed soundtrack lets you focus more, forget about any worries and boosts your overall experience by adapting to the task at hand. I believe we have succeeded,” said Maciej Kocemba, product Director of Opera GX.

The dynamic background music in Opera GX is an ambient downtempo that boosts the users’ focus. It intensifies whenever users are actively browsing the web, clicking on links or typing, and becomes less dramatic and calmer whenever they become less active. It is aimed to disappear into the background but to also be missed once it’s gone.

The background music as well as all browser sound effects can be individually toggled on and off in the browser’s setting in the Browser sounds section.

GX Composer Award at Game Music Festival 2020

“We see the initial background music as just a start and would like to provide more options to our users in the future. Just as there are fans of different game genres, people love different types of background music. That’s why we want to give more game score composers the opportunity to present their music to millions of Opera GX users around the globe,” added Maciej Kocemba.

To make this vision a reality, Opera GX has partnered with the international Game Music Festival and sponsored its annual GMF 2020 High Score Competition, where music score composers can compete for cash prizes and to have their music featured in Opera GX by winning the GX Composer 2020 title. The competition opens on Sept. 16 2020.

Twitter now built into the Opera GX sidebar

With native integration of Twitch, Discord, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Instagram in the sidebar, Opera GX makes it easy to stay on top of conversations with friends, as well as with developing online trends and streams. This set of integrated messengers has now been extended with built-in Twitter in the sidebar, a feature Opera GX adopted from the main Opera browser.

Opera GX

Opera GX launched in June 2019 during the E3 Gaming Expo in Los Angeles. The browser distinguishes itself with unique features tailored to the tastes and needs of gamers. Along with numerous color customization options, Razer Chroma support and a gaming-inspired design, it includes CPU, RAM and Network Bandwidth limiters that make the browser less resource-hungry and leave more of the computer’s resources for gaming. The browser also includes a Hot Tabs Killer feature, which lets users “kill” the most resource draining tabs.

Opera GX has grown 183% year-to-date and now reaches over 4 million monthly active gamers. The browser has won two leading design awards: the Red Dot Design Award 2019 as well as the IF Design Award 2020.

About Opera:

Opera is a global web innovator. Opera’s browsers, news products and fintech solutions are the trusted choice of more than 380 million people worldwide. Opera is headquartered in Oslo, Norway and listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange (OPRA).

Contributors Program

Gamblers Connect names Gali Hartuv as seventh 2026 Contributors Program voice

Published

8 hours ago

July 22, 2026

Wladimir P.

gamblers-connect-names-gali-hartuv-as-seventh-2026-contributors-program-voice

The Playa strategic advisor will publish on VIP operations, segmentation and retention, starting with an anonymous VIP Operations Survey 2026.

Gamblers Connect has confirmed Gali Hartuv, Strategic Advisor at The Playa, as the seventh voice to join its 2026 Contributors Program.

The independent B2B iGaming media platform said the programme will reveal one senior industry voice per month throughout 2026, with contributors publishing under the Gamblers Connect Contributor Editorial Code.

Gamblers Connect said Hartuv has more than 15 years’ experience in VIP management, including designing and optimising VIP programmes across more than 50 operator brands, and training “hundreds of professionals” now working in VIP roles across the industry.

Hartuv will publish across four areas: building VIP programmes that drive long-term value; AI-powered VIP identification and player segmentation; hyper-personalisation and retention strategy; and scaling VIP operations across different markets and cultures. His first contribution is a VIP Operations Survey 2026, an anonymous survey intended to benchmark how VIP teams work across iGaming operators, including portfolio sizing, tools, qualification thresholds, workflow standards and where time is spent during the week.

Partnerships and Operations Lead, Luka Dimitrijevic, said: “VIP management is where a great deal of an operator’s value is won or lost, and very few people can speak to it with Gali’s depth. He has spent his career turning high value player relationships into a discipline rather than guesswork, and he is refreshingly candid about what works and what does not. Through the Contributors Program he will share practical insight on VIP strategy, retention, and the smart use of AI, with content grounded in real results rather than recycled best practices.”

The post Gamblers Connect names Gali Hartuv as seventh 2026 Contributors Program voice appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Alberta

St8 extends TonyBet partnership to Alberta after securing supplier registration

Published

9 hours ago

July 22, 2026

Wladimir P.

st8-extends-tonybet-partnership-to-alberta-after-securing-supplier-registration

St8 has extended its partnership with TonyBet into Alberta, expanding their Canada footprint following an earlier launch in Ontario this year.

Under the expanded agreement, TonyBet will use St8’s game aggregation platform through a single API integration. St8 said this provides access to its wider catalogue of casino content for players in Alberta.

St8 said the Alberta rollout follows its newly acquired registration to operate in the province as an iGaming Services Supplier, allowing it to provide aggregation services to licensed operators in the market. The company said its platform connects partners to more than 200 game providers via a single API.

David Fall, Business Development Manager at St8, said:

“Entering Alberta’s regulated market is a strong step for St8 that represents our continued efforts to bring our offerings to as many territories as possible, delivering top-tier results for partnerships at the local, national and international stage. We share this commitment with TonyBet, a company that we are very fortunate to be working with so collaboratively and closely as we continue to grow our presence across North America.”

Kiryl Liudvikevich, Head of Product at TonyBet, said:

“We’re proud that our work with St8 has enabled us to continue expanding across Canada. Through St8’s aggregation platform, we can seamlessly access games from the industry’s leading providers via a single integration, helping us scale efficiently while maintaining a strong focus on the player experience. St8 has cemented itself as our go-to partner for expansion into regulated markets, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration as we grow into new jurisdictions.”

The post St8 extends TonyBet partnership to Alberta after securing supplier registration appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Alberta

St8 continues partnership with TonyBet with an expansion into Alberta

Published

9 hours ago

July 22, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

st8-continues-partnership-with-tonybet-with-an-expansion-into-alberta

Casino game aggregation platform and full-service technology provider St8 has extended its ongoing partnership with TonyBet into Alberta, furthering both companies’ expansion into Canada.

As part of the extended agreement, Tonybet will benefit from St8’s next-generation platform via a single API integration, unlocking seamless access to a wide portfolio of games from the industry’s leading providers and enhancing its casino offering for players in Alberta.

The move is the latest in St8’s successful relationship with TonyBet, having previously launched in Ontario earlier this year in a bid to continually grow in regulated markets worldwide.

This expansion was made possible thanks to St8’s newly acquired registration to operate in Alberta as an iGaming Services Supplier, enabling St8 to provide its next-generation game aggregation services to licensed operators in the region, giving partners access to more than 200 premium game providers through a single API integration.

Featuring over 3,000 games from more than 60 providers, TonyBet, meanwhile, has gone from strength to strength in its 17-year history, establishing itself as one of the industry’s leading game studios by delivering engaging titles that combine player appeal with premium gameplay.

Holding licenses in 10 different jurisdictions including Spain, the Netherlands, the UK, Ireland and Estonia, among others, Tonybet’s partnership with St8 has seen them now launch in two separate territories in Canada, with both companies working collaboratively to explore the opportunities available in exciting new markets. This latest agreement reinforces St8’s strategy of expanding its premium content portfolio while helping operators simplify integration, accelerate market entry, and deliver engaging gaming experiences across multiple regulated jurisdictions.

Speaking on the expansion, David Fall, Business Development Manager at St8, said: “Entering Alberta’s regulated market is a strong step for St8 that represents our continued efforts to bring our offerings to as many territories as possible, delivering top-tier results for partnerships at the local, national and international stage. We share this commitment with TonyBet, a company that we are very fortunate to be working with so collaboratively and closely as we continue to grow our presence across North America.”

Kiryl Liudvikevich, Head of Product at TonyBet, had this to say: “We’re proud that our work with St8 has enabled us to continue expanding across Canada. Through St8’s aggregation platform, we can seamlessly access games from the industry’s leading providers via a single integration, helping us scale efficiently while maintaining a strong focus on the player experience. St8 has cemented itself as our go-to partner for expansion into regulated markets, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration as we grow into new jurisdictions.”

The post St8 continues partnership with TonyBet with an expansion into Alberta appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.