Latest News

Anzu Brings In-game Ads to Animated Sci-Fi Game Virtuverse

Published

6 years ago

October 27, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Today, Anzu.io, the world’s leading in-game advertising platform, announced a new partnership with the game developers of Virtuverse, a third-person PC-based massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). The deal will allow advertisers to display non-intrusive blended banner and video ads inside the animated fantasy game. Advertisers looking to connect with gamers in North and South America, Europe, and Russia will benefit the most as these are the most active regions for the game.

Virtuverse is built on the Unreal Engine which is what enables the game to have such captivating and stand-out graphics, a factor that attracts plenty of players and places the game in a premium category. Players can venture into any of the different fantasy lands, defeating monsters and collecting the spoils of war which can be traded for in-game items or exchanged for real money. While gamers, who average an unprecedented six and a half hours of playtime per session, explore futuristic worlds, they will encounter video and banner ads displayed on immersive billboards and interior screens in built-up settlements. These objects naturally fit into the futuristic game, with the ads enhancing the environment.

Since its first early access release in 2018, in addition to regularly adding new content, the development team has prioritized community building and listening to player feedback, which shows their ongoing commitment to creating a game that their dedicated fans love playing.

Virtuverse’s team is committed to keeping the game within the free-to-play model and supporting its costs through blended in-game ads. The game’s dedicated community has been vocal about supporting this monetization method, according to CEO and Founder Fin Yeates. The new partnership will contribute to what Yeates refers to as the ‘gaming economy’. Yeates said, “Virtuverse seeks to utilize Anzu to drive down costs for its players and offset operational costs with an immersive, in-game advertising system. Anzu’s the right partner for this!”

As players gravitate towards free-to-play games instead of paying around $60 per game, developers are actively looking for alternate ways to fund their businesses. In-game advertising has become a hot topic because it provides developers with a stable income stream that doesn’t rely on players paying for games. It also gives developers an opportunity to reduce the selling price of games without risking their bottom line. Anzu’s platform is the answer industry players have been waiting for. It provides gaming studios with a sustainable revenue stream, gamers with free game content, and advertisers with the ability to increase brand awareness through in-game ads that are non-disruptive and respect the gamer experience.

Anzu already works with big advertisers including Samsung and Vodafone, and gaming companies such as Ubisoft, Unfinished Pixel and Vivid Games to bring ads to games in the sports, racing, and simulation categories. With this partnership, Anzu extends its game genres to include animated fantasy, abating the doubts that industry had regarding how natural ads could look when placed in such an environment. Once again, Anzu has proved that the solution can work in any type of game content.

“Gamers won’t tolerate disruption anymore so we created a solution that works for them, game developers, and advertisers,” Anzu’s CEO and Co-founder Itamar Benedy said. “Many people were unsure of how video and banner ads could be harmoniously blended into an animated game, but we are happy to prove them wrong through our partnership with Virtuverse.”

Balkan's

CT Interactive launches Diamond Tree Jackpot on Inbet in Bulgaria

Published

52 minutes ago

July 20, 2026

Wladimir P.

ct-interactive-launches-diamond-tree-jackpot-on-inbet-in-bulgaria

CT Interactive has launched the Diamond Tree Jackpot on Inbet in Bulgaria, marking another important step in the company’s expansion across regulated European markets. The multi-currency jackpot system combines some of CT Interactive’s most successful slot titles into an engaging progressive jackpot experience, offering players enhanced entertainment and greater winning opportunities.

The Diamond Tree Jackpot portfolio features ten of CT Interactive’s popular slot games: 20 Mega Slot, 20 Star Party, 40 Mega Slot, 40 Treasures, Chilli Fruits, Lord of Luck, Lucky Clover, Moon Lord, Mystic Moon and Win Storm.

“Diamond Tree Jackpot brings together diverse gameplay, progressive jackpot mechanics, and multi-currency support, creating a versatile solution that appeals to a broad range of players. It is designed to help operators increase engagement, extend session durations, and achieve sustainable growth through seamless integration and player-focused features,” said Martin Ivanov, Chief Operating Officer of CT Interactive.

“The integration of Diamond Tree Jackpot further strengthens Inbet’s offering with a proven, high-impact jackpot solution. This jackpot features top-performing titles that players know and enjoy, combined with progressive mechanics, aligning perfectly with our strategy to deliver dynamic and rewarding gaming experiences,” said Vasil Parvanov, Team Lead Commercial Managers at CT Interactive.

Irena Nikolova, Casino Manager at Inbet, said: “We are delighted to introduce Diamond Tree Jackpot to our players. Together with CT Interactive, we remain committed to bringing high-quality gaming experiences and expanding our portfolio with engaging new products.”

The launch of the Diamond Tree Jackpot on Inbet in Bulgaria further strengthens CT Interactive’s presence across Europe and reinforces the company’s commitment to delivering premium gaming content and engaging jackpot solutions to regulated markets worldwide.

The post CT Interactive launches Diamond Tree Jackpot on Inbet in Bulgaria appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Artificial Intelligence

LSports and gripAI Launch Play Insurance

Published

52 minutes ago

July 20, 2026

Wladimir P.

lsports-and-gripai-launch-play-insurance

LSports, the world-leading provider of real-time sports data solutions, and gripAI, the artificial-intelligence company behind a new class of real-time betting products, announced a collaboration to bring Play Insurance to sportsbook operators worldwide.

Play Insurance is a bet-insurance product that lets players protect a bet for a small, AI-calculated premium. Insured players are paid back regardless of outcome, with the amount scaled to how close the bet came to winning based on match statistics. For operators, it opens a new revenue stream on top of existing handle and turns the near-miss — the single most frustrating moment in betting — into a reason for players to stay in the game.

“Retention is one of the hardest problems our operators face, and the near-miss is where they lose players. Play Insurance turns that exact moment into loyalty and a new revenue line, without giving anything away. It’s a genuinely new category, and pairing gripAI’s technology with our reach and our data gives operators something no one else offers today,” said Yoav Ziv, CRO at Lsports.

The product is powered by gripAI’s proprietary, patented pricing engine, trained on over 2.5 billion bets, which calculates every premium in real time based on live odds, the number of selections and user’s profile. Because premiums are priced per player and per bet rather than through flat, one-size cashback offers, operators keep control of their margin while giving players a genuinely tailored product. It also works alongside existing tools such as Cash Out: a player can cash out a bet and keep their insurance in play.

Play Insurance drives both engagement and retention where it matters most: 37% of players take the insurance offer, and 39% of insured players purchase insurance again.

“Betting has always been all-or-nothing, and that’s exactly what we set out to change. Our AI prices protection fairly and instantly for every bet, and with LSports as our distribution partner, we can bring it to operators around the world at the speed the industry moves “ said Tal Hayon, CEO at gripAI.

The post LSports and gripAI Launch Play Insurance appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Africa

Playson partners with Hollywoodbets for South Africa slots rollout

Published

52 minutes ago

July 20, 2026

Wladimir P.

playson-partners-with-hollywoodbets-for-south-africa-slots-rollout

Playson has partnered with South African operator Hollywoodbets to roll out a selection of its slot titles to players in South Africa’s regulated market, the company said on 20th July 2026.

Under the deal, Hollywoodbets will integrate Playson content via Light & Wonder’s aggregation platform. The operator said the addition will broaden its “live games” portfolio.

The initial rollout includes Coin Strike: Hold and Win, Thunder Coins: Hold and Win, Thunder Coins XXL: Hold and Win, Diamonds Power: Hold and Win, Energy Coins: Hold and Win and 3 Carts of Gold: Hold and Win, with more releases planned.

Blanka Homor, Sales Director at Playson, said: “Partnering with Hollywoodbets represents another important milestone in our African growth strategy. As one of South Africa’s household names, Hollywoodbets offers an outstanding platform through which we can introduce our high-performing portfolio to an even wider audience.

“We are confident our games will resonate strongly with players, and we look forward to building a successful long-term partnership together.”

Wayde Dorkin, Head of Product at Hollywoodbets, said: “Playson’s portfolio has earned an excellent reputation for delivering engaging gameplay and consistent results across regulated markets, making it a valuable addition to our product offering.

“We are always looking to enhance the entertainment experience available to our players, and we are delighted to welcome a selection of Playson’s top-performing titles to the Hollywoodbets platform.”

The post Playson partners with Hollywoodbets for South Africa slots rollout appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.