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How 2 Bolton Based Businesses are Tackling Addiction in the Aftermath of Lockdown

Two Bolton based businesses, Acquiesce and WHYSUP, recorded a podcast discussing addiction, and how they are tackling it following the coronavirus lockdown.
Acquiesce is a private rehabilitation centre, offering luxury accommodation and an urban recovery model that integrates recovery into everyday life. Tina, the senior practitioner at Acquiesce, oversees each individual’s entire journey.
WHYSUP was founded by Mark and Liam. They work to deliver presentations, workshops and keynotes to schools and businesses across the UK to educate and raise awareness of mental health and addiction.
Mark’s Story
Mark begins by explaining his battle with a gambling addiction that started with a bet when he was just sixteen. By 21 he realised he needed help and attended Gamblers Anonymous meetings.
“I remember going to a GA meeting, looking around and thinking ‘Well I’ve not lost my house, not lost my wife, not lost my family. I’m not as bad as these so I don’t need help.”
By 25 he had a girlfriend and a professional job. Everyone around him thought he had left his old life behind and was on the road to recovery. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case.
At 29, he was kidnapped and held hostage by a group with machetes who were demanding ransom from his mother. Luckily, the police tracked his phone and rescued him.
Mark finally hit rock bottom when his family turned their backs on him. Without his family, he felt that suicide was the only way out of his mess but knew the impact this would have on everyone around him, including his children.
With help from his mum, Mark went to rehab in Birmingham. He took part in the fourteen week programme but stayed there for another five and a half months.
In rehab, Mark wrote down all of his debts. He initially thought he owed a total of £100,000 but now says it was closer to £306,000.
“It’s like I’m talking about a different person now when I look back. Thankfully that’s where it turned around for me. Rehab saved my life.”
Liam’s Story
Around the age of 13, Liam started to experiment with alcohol and drugs like many teenagers at the time.
“There was no prevention or awareness, no knowledge of addiction. My decisions were based on ‘Am I going to get caught?’”
“By 15 I was taking Class A drugs several times a week. I thought drinking and drugs were a normal part of life. I also thought I was good at it because I could do it and still do what I was supposed to be doing.”
Liam got his GCSEs, enjoyed Thai boxing, got his A levels and had a long term girlfriend, all whilst taking drugs.
“I was living a double life. No one knew. From the outside I was seen as popular and successful, the things that you don’t associate with addiction. That’s why I never thought I had a problem.”
He also started struggling with his mental health, dealing with feelings of shame, guilt and paranoia. Liam finally acknowledged his problem after crashing four cars in one week and his family started to ask questions.
“From the minute rehab was mentioned I booked myself in. I pretty much destroyed everyone I loved because I had to tell them what had been going on. When I came out, I went back to normal life, the life where I’d taken drugs for 19 years.”
Following rehab, Liam continued to take drugs after he relapsed at a funeral. His wife became frustrated with the chaos and arranged for him to stay with Mark.
“It wasn’t easy but I was given a safe place. I was able to build a recovery in the real world, which is very important because you can’t just live in a bubble.”
Mark encouraged Liam to make weekly plans, give up his cash card and attend the gym in the same way that he did when he was in recovery at the halfway house.
“I didn’t need to change my location, I needed to change my mindset. People, places, routine, structure- I had to relearn it all to get where I am today. This is why we got in touch with Acquiesce. It integrates the real world into your recovery.
Acquiesce
Acquiesce provides a discreet, highly supported and safe environment within the community to recover in. Without being hidden from the real world, the urban recovery model allows individuals to gain all the tools and experience necessary whilst maintaining a carefully monitored level of responsibility over their own recovery.
This makes the transitional period from treatment a much smoother process, resulting in a more sustainable recovery journey.
WHYSUP
Mark and Liam started WHYSUP after discussing how their addictions started and the mental challenges they had faced. They wondered if anything would have changed had they been given a talk in school.
Three years later, their service is well established and works in three different sectors; education, business and sport.
They have spoken to over 30,000 people nationwide. Over the last 18 months, people with some form of experience have joined the team. Initially their key focus was addiction but they now focus more on mental health and wellbeing.
Support During Lockdown
The team were managing the number of calls well, especially once they hired a professional who helped with more severe cases. Unfortunately, when lockdown started, calls quadrupled and they could no longer meet the demand.
“We underestimated how many and how severely people were declining. They were threatening suicide and we had to drop off flowers at funerals of people who would likely still be here if it wasn’t for lockdown.”
Acquiesce also had an increase in calls, with people experiencing anxiety and fear from a loss of jobs and uncertainty about the future. Tina explained that the number of individuals at high risk from drinking has doubled according to Public Health England.
“We found that some clients have relapsed after being clean for many years and have had to come back into treatment.” Tina added.
When defining addiction from a professional point of view, Tina says they look at withdrawals, tolerance, loss of control, broken promises and consequences, but that in reality it’s a much wider perspective.
“I define addiction as a compulsive behaviour that is impossible to stop without professional help and support. As much as you try to convince yourself you can do it alone, I know from experience that you just can’t.” Added Mark
Liam’s definition of addiction has changed over time. He said, “Two and a half years ago, I’d have talked about drugs. For me now it’s more than a substance or behaviour, it centres around thinking and feeling.”
Tina explained that the Acquiesce programme is very much about positivity, positive self talk, self esteem, gaining confidence.
“When clients come in, their addiction has robbed their self esteem and we work to get it back.”
If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction or mental health issues, please book a callback with Acquiesce at acquiesce.org.uk/contact or 01204 771940, or get in touch with WHYSUP at whysup.co.uk/contact
To listen to the whole podcast, please visit acquiesce.org.uk/how-2-bolton-based-businesses-are-tackling-addiction-in-the-aftermath-of-lockdown/
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Edvardas Sadosvkis CPO at ICONIC21
Feel the power of the moon in Midnight Queen from ICONIC21

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When the moon rises, the Queen awakens, and big wins can be triggered in the latest slot release from the in-demand iGaming content provider
Online casino operators can give their players the fright of their lives with Midnight Queen, the latest slot launch from in-demand iGaming content provider, ICONIC21.
Midnight Queen is a Vampire-themed slot that’s perfect for entertaining players during the Halloween season and beyond.
It brings vampire mystique to a 5×4 gameboard, where every Moon symbol feeds the hunger for even bigger wins. But this is a game where power doesn’t strike at random; it accumulates.
Player engagement is high thanks to the anticipation built into the game.
Glowing Frames lock onto the reels and wait. Each Moon that lands inside then pushes the Global Multiplier higher, building tension across a 10-spin cycle.
On the final spin, all the Glowing Frames transform into Wilds, delivering the bite – and big win potential – that players have been waiting for.
This combination of anticipation and frighteningly big wins – the game’s max win is 5,000x – allows operators to draw players in and then deliver the thrills (and chills) they are seeking.
As with all ICONIC21’s online slot games, Midnight Queen is available in both real money and sweepstakes formats.
Edvardas Sadosvkis, CPO at ICONIC21, said: “Spooky season is very much upon us, and in Midnight Queen, operators have a slot game they can use to frighten players through spine-tingling gameplay and big win potential.
“The best thing about Midnight Queen is that the theme is enjoyed long after Halloween has ended, and the team has done a great job of producing a gameplay experience that draws players in, builds anticipation and then has the potential to deliver the big wins they are seeking.
“This is a great addition to our portfolio, and we look forward to seeing our operators add it to their lobbies and to benefit from the repeat play, high engagement and consistent revenue growth that Midnight Queen provides.”
The post Feel the power of the moon in Midnight Queen from ICONIC21 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Evoplay
Evoplay returns to the prairie in Young Buffalo Coins

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Evoplay, the award-winning game development studio, has released Young Buffalo Coins, the second instalment in its popular Young Buffalo series.
Following the success of the original title, the new game takes players back to the wild prairies for another action-packed adventure, combining fast-paced gameplay, sticky coins, and big jackpot opportunities.
When four symbols appear in the middle row, the bonus game begins, giving players three spins to collect as many symbols as possible. Each new coin resets the counter, and the feature continues until no spins remain, while filling all twelve spaces awards the Grand Jackpot.
Excitement increases through the Buffalo Awakening feature, which can trigger the bonus game at any moment, while the Buffalo Spirit awards random multipliers from x2 to x12, enhancing prizes and maintaining momentum.
During the feature, players can land bonus coins, sticky symbols, and the powerful Buffalo Collector, as well as mystery and mystery jackpot icons.
Each Buffalo collects the values and jackpots from every symbol on the reels, while mystery transforms into any regular icon, and mystery jackpot reveals a guaranteed Mini, Mega, or Super Jackpot.
Those eager to jump straight into the action can use the Bonus Buy option to access the Bonus Game instantly.
With its vibrant design, rewarding features, and the unmistakable spirit of the plains, Young Buffalo Coins marks a bold new chapter in one of Evoplay’s most exciting series.
Ivan Kravchuk, CEO at Evoplay, said: “Young Buffalo Coins captures the raw freedom of the open prairie through features that keep the excitement going.
“From sticky symbols and increasing multipliers to explosive jackpots, it’s a game that perfectly showcases Evoplay’s talent for creating vibrant, high-energy experiences.”
The post Evoplay returns to the prairie in Young Buffalo Coins appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
LuckyStreak adds Tier 1 Provider Play’n GO to Content Aggregation Offering

Reading Time: 2 minutes
iGaming business to deliver world class slots titles from leading global studio
LuckyStreak announces a major addition to its iGaming content aggregation offering, with a new strategic partnership with tier 1 games provider Play’n GO.
From its origins in building casino games for mobile phones prior to the invention of the smartphone, today Play’n GO is one of the leading providers of entertainment to the casino industry, with more than 400 premium game titles available with operators in more than 35 regulated jurisdictions.
Through this collaboration, Play’n GO’s vast and varied portfolio of beautifully executed and very entertaining games are instantly made available via LuckyStreak’s powerful aggregation API solution, LuckyConnect.
All LuckyConnect content customers can now access Play’n GO’s stunning games in one place, including the phenomenally popular titles like the Book of Dead series, Reactoonz and Rise of Olympus, without any additional tech work. And as new games are regularly added, all content is auto-synced with customer games management systems.
This partnership acknowledges and strengthens the reputation of LuckyConnect, an aggregation solution with over 6000 games from leading providers, a proven and secure API integration, and an extensive network of casino operator customers and players hungry for world class entertaining content.
Rory Kimber, Commercial Director at LuckyStreak, said: “Going live with Play’n GO is a fantastic moment for LuckyStreak and our LuckyConnect aggregation solution, proving we can attract world class suppliers in the industry who will benefit from our access to top operators in a range of worldwide markets.
Play’n GO’s offering is renowned for a reason and has tremendous appeal across a wide range of territories, which makes them the perfect addition to our portfolio.
Adding Tier 1 content is a focus for us, which balances perfectly with the innovative start-ups we brought in over the summer period, and I’m delighted that Play’n GO is now live, as are our casino customers.”
Michele Steffaneli, Head of Account Management at Play’n GO, said: “I strongly believe that Play’n GO’s portfolio of content is one of the most compelling in the industry. And with players all over the world looking for entertainment, excitement and the quality assurance that Play’n GO’s titles bring, no operator’s offering can be complete without Play’n GO.
“LuckyStreak’s reach is the perfect way to bring Play’n GO games to more players in more places, and we can’t wait to get started working with their high-energy team.
“Play’n GO doesn’t just make deals; we form deep and enduring partnerships. I’m sure this is the just the first step of a long journey together.”
The post LuckyStreak adds Tier 1 Provider Play’n GO to Content Aggregation Offering appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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