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

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.”
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Gambling in the USA
Xanada Investments Reveals Strategic Backing of Sweepium, Targeting the U.S. Sweepstakes Landscape

Xanada Investments, a leading ideological investment fund focused on the iGaming sector, has officially revealed its early-stage investment in Sweepium, a breakthrough B2B platform and game aggregator redefining how sweepstakes casino brands launch, operate, and scale in the U.S. market.
The decision to invest in Sweepium was driven by a clear alignment of vision: a bold team building real sweepstakes infrastructure for an underserved and fast-growing segment, while providing a serious competitive advantage to existing platforms.
Purpose-built for the complexities of the U.S. regulatory landscape, Sweepium delivers a fully integrated, turnkey platform that includes a bank-approved payment architecture, CRM, customer support, content management, game aggregation, and promotional tools. Its standout capability — its bank-approved payment system — the first of its kind in the U.S. sweepstakes sector — enabling operators to process transactions with institutional-grade compliance and reliability.
Over the past year, Xanada’s support extended far beyond capital. Acting as strategic advisors and active mentors, the fund worked closely with the Sweepium team to strengthen their operational and go-to-market strategy to accelerate brand onboarding and commercial traction.
Today, Sweepium is live with multiple operators, supports integrations with over 50 game providers, and enables new clients to launch in just 8–10 weeks from contract to first processed payment — a speed and standard unmatched in the space.
“From day one, Sweepium showed both clarity of vision and precision in execution,” said Vladimir Malakchi, CEO & Managing Partner at Xanada Investments. “Our decision to invest was driven not only by the unique positioning of the platform but by the team’s operational discipline and long-term thinking. Over the past year, we’ve worked closely with Sweepium to evolve their business infrastructure, guide strategic decisions, and help unlock market growth — and the results speak for themselves.”
Daniel Mitton, Founder & CEO of Sweepium, commented: “Partnering with Xanada Investments brought more than capital — it brought strategy, structure, and scale. Their team helped us align operations with long-term growth goals, navigate licensing, and open doors commercially. With Xanada’s support, we’ve accelerated our market readiness and laid the groundwork for sustainable expansion.”
As Sweepium enters its next phase of growth, the company is focused on expanding its partner base, deepening product capabilities, and continuing to lead in compliance-first innovation within the U.S. sweepstakes space.
About Xanada Investments
Xanada Investments is an ideological investment fund targeting PreSeed, Seed, and Series A funding rounds for innovative projects and leaders in the iGaming industry. With a focus on long-term success, Xanada is committed to providing not only capital but also strategic guidance and support to help businesses scale quickly and efficiently.
About Sweepium
Sweepium is a B2B platform and game aggregator enabling the launch of sweepstakes casino brands under a white-label model. The company supports over 80 game providers, offers full operational setup, and is the first provider of bank-approved white-label payments for sweepstakes in the U.S. market.
The post Xanada Investments Reveals Strategic Backing of Sweepium, Targeting the U.S. Sweepstakes Landscape appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Balkans
BEGE Expo Announces “Gaming Start-UP Challenge 7.0” — A Premier Opportunity for Gaming Innovators

For the 16th edition of BEGE, one of the most important events in the gaming industry in the Balkans, the expo proudly brings back the “Gaming Start-UP Challenge 7.0” as a highlight of this year’s event. This exciting entrepreneurial competition returns to the BEGE and EEGS stage, offering start-ups a unique platform to showcase their innovations to industry leaders and investors.
The challenge is open to start-ups developing groundbreaking solutions relevant to the gaming industry. Whether your focus is on advanced payment methods, online gaming platforms, cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies, security solutions, or cutting-edge game development tools, your innovation has a place here. The competition also welcomes pioneering work in augmented and virtual reality, esports and live streaming, and responsible gaming technologies. In essence, any technology that enhances or revolutionizes the gaming or gambling experience fits the spirit of this challenge.
Participants will have the exclusive chance to pitch their start-up live on the EEGS stage, gaining invaluable exposure during the two-day BEGE exhibition. Beyond the stage, this event provides a vibrant networking environment to connect with potential partners, investors, and key stakeholders across the gaming ecosystem.
To apply, startups are required to pay a nominal participation fee of 100 euros to secure their spot. Selected applicants will receive a short questionnaire and be invited to prepare a concise presentation for the competition.
Don’t miss this opportunity to propel your gaming start-up into the spotlight and join the forefront of gaming innovation.
Apply now and take your place in shaping the future of the industry!
The post BEGE Expo Announces “Gaming Start-UP Challenge 7.0” — A Premier Opportunity for Gaming Innovators appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
Incentive Games Launches Real-Money Gaming Division, Incentive Studios

Incentive Games Launches Real-Money Gaming Division, Incentive Studios
Incentive Games, a leading name in free-to-play game development, is proud to announce the launch of Incentive Studios, its new real-money gaming (RMG) division.
Built on years of success delivering high-performing free-to-play titles to global operators, and leveraging extensive user psychology and behaviour research, Incentive Studios marks a strategic expansion into the real-money gaming market.
Incentive Studios will focus on creating immersive real-money gaming content, kicking things off by putting a fresh spin on popular game variants like Crash, Tower, and Arcade. These aren’t simple upgrades; they’re complete rebuilds from the ground up, blending captivating gameplay with smart design principles to ensure lasting engagement.
John Gordon, Chief Executive Officer at Incentive Games said, “We’ve spent years refining the art of engagement in the free-to-play world. Now we’re bringing that same level of craft, creativity, and player psychology to our real-money games. Incentive Studios is where innovation meets performance.”
Clients can expect familiar game formats, reimagined with a sharp focus on maximizing re-engagement and long-term play. Every title is built with user-centric design at its core, crafted to engage the next generation of real-money gaming players. With an player-first approach, the games are designed to drive acquisition, retention, and revenue.
With a growing library of original RMG titles in the pipeline, Incentive Studios is set to make its mark on the global gaming landscape. The first wave of games will be available to partners in Q3 2025.
The post Incentive Games Launches Real-Money Gaming Division, Incentive Studios appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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