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SAZKA Group teams up with Sir Keith Mills in bid for Fourth UK National Lottery Licence
SAZKA Group, Europe’s largest lottery operator, today announced it has appointed Sir Keith Mills as Bid Chair of the UK team for the Fourth National Lottery Licence Competition. Sir Keith, a successful entrepreneur whose creative talent conceived the loyalty programmes so ubiquitous today, brings a wealth of experience from his roles across sport, charities, and business. He played a pivotal role in London’s successful bid to host the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and subsequently, their successful staging. For the past six years he has chaired the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, a role he hands over to Lord William Hague next month. He is also Chairman of the Invictus Games, the international adaptive multi-sport event created by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.
Commenting on the announcement, Sir Keith said, “I am driven by organisations that make a real contribution to society. I chose to team up with Sazka for the Fourth National Lottery Licence Competition because I believe the UK National Lottery needs to grow and be engaging if it is to continue to fund the thousands of good causes every year. Our lottery is a national treasure with nearly 26 years of history; however, the landscape has changed immeasurably since it was first launched back in 1994. The challenge now is to ensure the lottery connects with people right across the country, making it fresh and exciting as it once was, bringing new ways that are relevant for today and tomorrow’s generation. I feel passionately that it needs to be restored to the nation’s hearts, especially in these difficult times. I teamed up with Sazka because they have a proven record of taking established lotteries, growing them and evolving them to be relevant for the future. I am cognisant that much has to be done for us to make a winning case in this competition, but I believe that over the course of this process we will be able to demonstrate how Sazka’s expertise coupled with the experienced British team that we are building in the UK will offer the right stewardship for the UKNL for 2023 and beyond.”
As Bid Chairman, Sir Keith will lead a team with world-class bidding and delivery experience, including for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and Comic Relief. Sazka has appointed former London 2012 employee, Alastair Ruxton, as the Bid Director, together with British experts in key areas such as Player Protection, Good Causes, Innovation, Digital, Retail and Customer Experience.
Commenting on the agreement, SAZKA Group CEO Robert Chvátal said, “We are thrilled to be partnering with Sir Keith Mills and have him lead our entry in the Fourth National Lottery Licence Competition. We are hugely excited to be participating in this competition and for the chance to take stewardship of the National Lottery, helping the UK to fall back in love with this vital institution. Operating in five different national markets (Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, Greece, and Cyprus) has given us an unprecedented level of insight and experience in running lotteries. In addition, we have consistently increased participation and revenues for the lotteries we operate. We want to bring this deep knowledge and customer insight to revitalise the UK National Lottery increasing sales and money raised for good causes, thereby providing a much-needed long-term boost to community, arts, sports and heritage institutions across the UK.”
After submitting the Selection Questionnaire earlier this month, SAZKA Group has been accepted into the competition by the Gambling Commission, the body running the Competition. The team will now review the final bid application documents and continue to assemble a strong consortium capable of submitting a winning bid in 2021.
About Sir Keith Mills
Sir Keith Mills GBE DL is a British business entrepreneur who founded the Air Miles and Nectar customer loyalty programmes and has established numerous businesses, both in the UK and internationally. In September 2003, Sir Keith was appointed International President and CEO of London 2012 established to bid for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Having won the bid, he established LOCOG to organise the Games, where he was Deputy Chairman alongside Lord Sebastian Coe. In 2007 Sir Keith established an Olympic related charity, International Inspiration, which he chaired, and in 2008 he established a UK charity, Sported, which he funded and chaired for 10 years. In 2014 Sir Keith established, and was Chairman of, the Invictus Games, working with Prince Harry to deliver a new major international sport event for wounded servicemen and women. Sir Keith Chairs the Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and the Invictus Games Foundation. Sir Keith is also a Director and an investor in a number of private companies.
Sir Keith has received numerous awards including: Master Entrepreneur of the Year, Chief Executive of the Year, and the Sports Industry Businessman of the Year, and was knighted by The Queen in 2006 and again in 2013 when he received the Grand Knight Cross for his services to sport.
About SAZKA Group
The SAZKA Group is a national lottery, instant lottery and digital gaming operator, with our trusted brands and industry-leading technology delivering over €17bn in annual sales. Established in 2012, SAZKA Group is already one of Europe’s largest and fastest growing lottery companies and our strong performance across our markets is helping to fund good causes in the Czech Republic, Greece, Cyprus, Austria, and Italy.
Since entering the lottery market in 2012, SAZKA Group has quickly expanded from the Czech Republic into four other European markets. SAZKA Group has consistently taken on established lotteries and made them better, while also expanding into new market segments through market-leading technology platforms. The Group’s unique experience of operating in different jurisdictions enables it to adopt a tailored approach to customer experience in each market, helping to increase sales and returns to good causes.
Responsible gaming and funding good causes are at the heart of SAZKA Group’s business and culture. it promotes responsible gaming in all of its markets and is committed to having a positive impact where it operates. From building children’s hospitals in Greece to support for the Czech Olympic Foundation, SAZKA Group has put its business skills to the benefit of the local community.
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Emerging-markets leader expands its content offering with new games from emerging force
QTech Games, the leading game aggregator for emerging markets, has continued to build the strong momentum in its premium pipeline, thanks to its latest deal with rising-star, GameBeat, a slots supplier known for its cinematic games.
Integrating an exceptional portfolio from one of the most visually stunning and highly detailed digital slots providers adds yet more creative muscle to QTech Games’ burgeoning platform, which is taking the widest range of online games to emerging territories, with established names sitting alongside the industry’s most exciting up-and-coming providers.
The games made available to QTech partners via the deal are comprised of popular hits and recent releases, including Clint Westwild, Spin 4 Dead 2: Zombietown, Fortune of Flint, Scandipigs, Buffalo Golden Canyon, and Lucky Wildano – all of which ride on the back of unique maths modelling that varies the volatility spectrum, helping to create some truly engaging gameplay.
The deal organically broadens GameBeat’s international footprint, unlocking untapped jurisdictions for diversified growth from Asia to Africa, and Latin America to Eastern Europe, including Serbia, where GameBeat is based.
Philip Doftvik, QTech Games’ CEO, said: “We’re committed to rolling out first-class content that drives revenue for our partners. So, this deal with GameBeat extends our impressive sequential pipeline – and we’ve so much more to come in 2026!.”
Sofiya Balakina, Business Development Manager of GameBeat, added: “At GameBeat, we’re committed to perfectionism — from the graphics and sound effects to the gameplay mechanics and features. That’s what keeps our players coming back for more. By combining creativity and technology to craft unique, engaging online slots with distinctive graphics and features, we raise the bar for a premium gaming experience.
“Consequently, collaborating with QTech represents a fantastic opportunity to strengthen our product distribution across emerging territories and introduce our great games to a range of top-tier partners.”
The post QTech Games steps up the tempo with GameBeat appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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The iconic gang of treasure-hunting misfits are back for their biggest adventure yet in Blueprint Gaming’s The Goonies
Quest for Treasure 2, with a revamped trail offering enriched modifiers and a choice of two bonus games among several enhancements to the player-favourite series.
The studio’s headline November release is the latest addition to its Goonies portfolio, which stands as one of the company’s strongest game franchises globally. In the UK, seven Goonies releases sit within Blueprint’s top 100 ranked games, with at least one Goonies title sitting inside its top 10 across 70% of its leading international markets, including Canada and Italy.
The previous Goonies release, The Goonies Megaways Quest for Treasure Jackpot King, remains Blueprint’s top-performing title since its launch back in May 2025, underlining the demand for the series amongst operators’ player bases worldwide.
Unlike its predecessor, the One-Eyed Willy treasure chests are immediately unlocked when gameplay begins, boosting the chance of securing entry to the bonus game.
Landing one or two red, blue or green chest-themed bonus symbols can randomly unlock Treasure Spins, while landing three guarantees entry, with each chest possessing a different modifier.
Base play also benefits from the possibility of unlocking modifiers, with the iconic Sloth able to randomly appear on the reels, granting anything from Hidden Treasure, Bonus Boost, Dynamite Blast, Cave In or Collect Boost.
Collect symbols that land during the main game also move the Inferno along the revamped trail that sits above the reels. A host of hidden features await, including the new X-Collect and the introduction of Power Play, which transforms the reels to only contain cash symbols, collects and bonus scatter symbols.
Also featured during the trail is the One-Eyed Willy Spins. Once unlocked, landing three bonus scatter symbols sees players benefit from a choice of two bonus game options, with One-Eyed Willy Spins working similarly to Treasure Spins, but instead of an increasing multiplier for collects gathered during the round, a progressive amount of cash prizes is added to the reels.
The Goonies Quest for Treasure 2 marks the latest release from Blueprint Gaming’s jam-packed Q4 schedule, underlining the studio’s ability to transform cinema into engaging slot brands.
Jo Purvis, Director of Marketing, PR and Events at Blueprint Gaming, said: “The Goonies franchise continues to be one of our most beloved and recognisable series, and Quest for Treasure 2 elevates everything players enjoy about it.
“With enriched modifiers, an expanded trail and dual bonus options, we’ve packed this release with action-filled moments that capture the magic of the original film while pushing gameplay forward. We’re thrilled to bring players another epic adventure with the gang as we close out a landmark year for Blueprint.”
The post Trail enhancements and dual bonuses lead Blueprint’s Goonies™ Quest for Treasure 2 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Celebrate the festive season with 64 Presents Hold and Win from Booming Games, a jolly-packed slot filled with golden gifts, thrilling features and big win potential!
Land five or more value symbols to trigger the Santa’s Gift Hold & Win feature, where the grid expands and payouts snowball with every spin. When a Santa’s Gift symbol appears, it can randomly trigger either the BOOST feature, multiplying gift values by up to 5x, or the Grid Expand, unlocking more space and extra symbols for even bigger wins. Hit MINI, MINOR, MAJOR or the dazzling MEGA 1000x Prize Pot as you unwrap festive surprises!
The base game brings even more cheer with Frosty Respins, which lock winning symbols in place and respin the rest, giving you a chance to improve your combo. Look out for snowball multipliers that enhance your total win with each successful respin. Activate the Jingle Bet to increase your chances of triggering Santa’s Gift and other bonus features. Spin the reels, collect your gifts and let the Xmas magic deliver your next big win!
Play 64 Presents Hold and Win now!
Craig Asling, Director of Games at Booming Games, said: “64 Presents Hold and Win is all about the magic of the holidays, the joy, the surprises, and the rush of unwrapping something extraordinary with every spin. From Frosty Respins to the expanding grids and the ultimate MEGA Prize Pot, we’ve created a festive experience players won’t forget”.
The post Unwrap Festive Wins with 64 Presents Hold and Win from Booming Games! appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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