Latest News

Sam Houlding becomes Chief Commercial Officer at Spotlight Sports Group

Published

5 years ago

October 1, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Spotlight Sports Group has announced Sam Houlding will replace Mike Griffin as Chief Commercial Officer. Griffin left his role as Chief Revenue Officer of the group, on September 30th.

Griffin said ‘After an extended period, it is now time for me to step away from the Spotlight Sports Group and see what the next chapter of my life holds. It’s been more than a job, it has been a way of life, and like life itself, there have been some lows, but mainly it has been lots of highs, created by the brilliant people I have had the opportunity to meet and work with within the industry. However, even in these difficult circumstances with a heavy heart, I have decided the time is right for me to leave Spotlight Sports Group to pursue an exciting new challenge. I leave a transformed business safe in the knowledge that we have the best talent in the industry working for Spotlight Sports Group. This wasn’t a decision I have taken lightly but one that has been in planning from pre-covid. I’m leaving a business that has changed so much in my time and has transformed into a leading data technology business. I’m delighted my good friend and colleague, Sam Houlding, will take over the reins across the Spotlight Sports Group from 1st October and I trust he is going to continue to an incredible job.’

Houlding said ‘I am thrilled to be taking the role of Chief Commercial Officer at Spotlight Sports Group. This is an incredibly important time for the business and we are set up to continue our exciting evolution over the coming years thanks to the legacy Mike leaves after changing this business during his time here. Mike’s journey at Spotlight Sports Group has seen the establishment of our strong affiliate channels, the rapid growth of our content syndication business, the launch of our trading platform – AllSported – and integrating us with high street bookmakers across the UK and Ireland. Our aim is to continue to provide our partners with fantastic value across every area of our business and whilst Mike has set a very high bar over the years, my aim is to ensure that we continually improve the level of value we can offer and cement Spotlight Sports Group as the leading service provider in the industry.’

Spotlight Sports Group is the home to highly successful brands in the betting world including Racing Post, one of the most recognised and trusted names in sports betting with more than 34 years of intimate industry experience. The global reach and sports expertise are further strengthened by My Racing, Free Super Tips, Pickswise and Intellr. The specialist international agency services, ICS-digital and ICS-translate, help improve clients’ effectiveness in the marketplace by driving extended reach and increased traffic through performance marketing and by providing expertise in SEO, content marketing, digital PR and translation services.

Baltic Tech Week

HIPTHER Baltics Announces Riga Event and Strategic Partnership with LexLegas

Published

29 minutes ago

January 19, 2026

Wladimir P.

hipther-baltics-announces-riga-event-and-strategic-partnership-with-lexlegas

HIPTHER is thrilled to reveal Lex Legas as a Strategic Partner for the HIPTHER Baltics conference series, which includes Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn. The collaboration incorporates LexLegas’s extensive knowledge in cross-border regulation, compliance, and high-risk legal structures into the targeted Baltic series.

Updated Date for Riga – Baltic Tech Week
The date for the Riga conference has been officially updated to 11 May 2026 (instead of the previously stated 12 May). The conference will remain the inaugural event of Baltic Tech Week in Riga.
After a robust debut set for 21 April 2026 in Vilnius, and prior to the Tallinn edition later in the series, HIPTHER Baltics: Riga strengthens HIPTHER’s dedication to locally anchored, high-quality discussions throughout the Baltic region, uniting regulatory, legal, fintech, and gaming participants around the most significant issues.

A Tactical Alignment: Lex Legas
Lex Legas is a specialized legal consultancy and research-oriented legal brand focusing on iGaming, fintech, payments, AML/CTF, and international regulatory frameworks, emphasizing Baltic, EU, and high-risk regions.
Integrating practical legal experience with regulatory investigation and strategic guidance, Lex Legas collaborates closely with operators, payment processors, software vendors, and international advisors engaged in regulated and semi-regulated sectors. Their expertise spans:

iGaming & betting regulation (EU & non-EU jurisdictions)
AML/CTF frameworks, risk assessments, and compliance structuring
Payment solutions, PSP integrations, and fintech regulatory analysis
Licensing, corporate structuring, and operational legal support
Regulatory trends, enforcement practices, and supervisory expectations
Cross-border legal risk management for high-risk business models

Lex Legas functions where law, compliance, business strategy, and technology converge, transforming intricate regulatory demands into practical, business-focused solutions. The company assembles a new wave of attorneys from the high-risk arena, known for addressing intricate regulatory and operational issues where conventional methods fail.

“At Lex Legas, we work daily at the intersection of regulation, technology, and high-risk business models, exactly where today’s iGaming, fintech, and payments industries are being shaped.

HIPTHER Baltics stands out as a rare platform that goes beyond surface-level discussions and creates space for real, jurisdiction-specific conversations around compliance, licensing, player protection, and operational risk.

Partnering with HIPTHER for the Baltics series feels like a natural extension of our mission: translating complex regulatory frameworks into practical, business-ready solutions. We’re excited to contribute our research-driven perspective and hands-on experience to the dialogue in Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn, and to help shape meaningful cross-border discussions across the region in 2026” – The Legal Experts of “Lex Legas” Team

HIPTHER Baltics 2026 – Three Capitals, One Vision

The HIPTHER Baltics series brings HIPTHER’s signature focus on regulation, compliance, fintech, and innovation to the heart of the Baltic region through three targeted, one-day conferences each hosted in a Baltic capital and built around locally-relevant themes with regional and cross-border impact.

“HIPTHER Baltics is built as a focused conference series for the region — not just a one-off event. From Vilnius to Riga and Tallinn, our goal is to create a high-level platform where regulators, legal experts, fintech leaders, and gaming stakeholders can connect around the real topics shaping the market: compliance, licensing, payments, player protection, and cross-border operations.

That’s why partnering with Lex Legas feels like a perfect match. Their research-driven approach and hands-on expertise in iGaming, fintech, and regulatory frameworks across the Baltics and beyond brings exactly the depth and clarity we want to deliver through the entire series. We’re proud to welcome them as a Strategic Partner and look forward to building meaningful, practical conversations together in 2026.” — Zoltan “Hawkie” Tundik, Co-Founder & Head of Business, HIPTHER

More information & tickets: https://hipther.com/events/baltics/

The post HIPTHER Baltics Announces Riga Event and Strategic Partnership with LexLegas appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

BTG

BTG’s Monopoly Rush Hour gets exclusive Gamesys launch ahead of global release

Published

29 minutes ago

January 19, 2026

Wladimir P.

btg’s-monopoly-rush-hour-gets-exclusive-gamesys-launch-ahead-of-global-release

Are you ready for Monopoly Rush Hour? Mr Monopoly is back and revving up the roads in the latest release from Big Time Gaming.

Monopoly Rush Hour will go live exclusively with Gamesys brands on 19 January, before going on global release on 03 February 2026.

Monopoly Rush Hour sees players step into the fast lane, where each spin begins with each Token starting on the four corners of the board while Houses and Hotels are randomly distributed across the board.

Every Token can randomly boost its Multipliers up to a massive 500x.

Tokens spring into action wherever dice symbols appear on the Hat, Boat, Car or Dog – the dice roll determines how far each Token moves and for every three spaces travelled, the Token’s Multiplier climbs by +1.

If a Token lands on a space with a House or a Hotel, players win a Prize – these are Multiplied by the stake and the Tokens Multiplier.

This being Monopoly, there are Chance and Community Chest Card Bonuses in play. If as Token lands on either, one of the following outcomes is revealed:

Move to a random position
Move three spaces forward
Move three spaces backward
Award a Prize Bonus (multiplied by the Token’s multiplier)
Trigger Free Spins

With the Free Spins, players get an initial 12 Free Games plus six Extra Spins for every additional trigger. During Free Spins, Token positions and Multipliers persist, keeping the momentum building.

Hit the Water Works or the Electric Company and players scoop up an Instant Prize worth the Token Multiplier times the stake. Landing on Train Stations means retriggers, awarding 1, 3, 7 or 15 Extra Spins when 1, 2, 3 or 4 Tokens land there.

During Free Spins, Tokens that land on Chance or Community Chest reveal cards with one of three powerful Boosts. This includes:

Advance 2-12 spaces ahead
Increase the Multiplier meter by 2-12 steps
Add 2-12 Houses to the board

What’s more, when every property is upgraded to a Hotel, the excitement peaks as each Token’s Multiplier gets a huge +50 to +250 boost.

If players want to supercharge the action, they can tap the Power Play icon – this guarantees a dice roll and costs 8x the stake. For those who can’t wait to pass GO, tap the Bonus Buy icon and head straight to 12 Free Spins for 110x the stake.

Nik Robinson, CEO of Big Time Gaming, said: “Monopoly Rush Hour is our latest Monopoly branded game, offering high speed action with plenty of Multipliers, Free Spins and big wins on the board.

“We are thrilled to see players at Gamesys casinos be the first to step onto the board ahead of the game’s global general release.

“This is a true Big Time Gaming slot – a big brand combined with striking visuals, compelling game play, extreme volatility and massive win potential.”

The post BTG’s Monopoly Rush Hour gets exclusive Gamesys launch ahead of global release appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AI

Primero Games Uses XGENIA for Their First AI-Generated Slot Game

Published

29 minutes ago

January 19, 2026

Wladimir P.

primero-games-uses-xgenia-for-their-first-ai-generated-slot-game

XGENIA, the creator-first AI platform revolutionising game development, and Primero Games, a leader in retail and online gaming solutions, today announced a landmark collaboration that brings to life Primero’s first AI-generated slot game: Blackbeard Bounty. Developed entirely using the XGENIA platform, the game will debut — fully playable — at ICE Barcelona 2026, showcased at Stand 2Y22, where XGENIA is co-exhibiting alongside Storm Games, a UK-based studio acquired by Primero in 2022.

This partnership marks a significant milestone in Primero Games’ strategy to expand aggressively into the digital iGaming market by leveraging cutting-edge tools that reduce development cycles and maximize creative output.

“With XGENIA, we didn’t just speed up development — we completely reimagined the process,” said Barry Rutherford, CEO of Primero Games. “Our new AI-built slot is more than a game — it’s a statement about how we’re blending tradition with technology to lead the next wave of interactive content. ICE Barcelona is the perfect stage to launch it.”

XGENIA’s AI-native platform allows studios like Storm Games and operators like Primero to build production-ready slot games using drag-and-drop workflows, AI-generated logic, and instant deployment tools — all without traditional coding.

“We built XGENIA for creators who move fast,” said Mark Flores Martin, CEO of XGENIA. “Primero Games immediately understood the vision. Their team saw that with AI-first tools, they could go from concept to playable slot in days — not months. That kind of alignment is exactly why this partnership works.”

Building on the 2022 acquisition of Storm Games — a move that brought UK development expertise and creative IP into Primero’s portfolio — this collaboration uses XGENIA’s latest features to bring Blackbeard Bounty to life, complete with AI-driven animation, compliance-ready maths, and backend logic.