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SAZKA Group teams up with Sir Keith Mills in bid for Fourth UK National Lottery Licence

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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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RTG Announces Evive Australia as the First Innovation to Take the Stage at Pitch!

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Regulating the Game (RTG) has announced Evive Australia as the first innovation to take the stage at Pitch! – part of the annual RTG gathering in Sydney in March.

The event will take place at the famous Sydney Opera House on 9 March 2026, as part of the sixth edition of the international regulatory and industry conference.

Evive is an app designed to help people change how they play or seek support for gambling harms. Created by Sam DeMello, a tech specialist drawing on his lived experience of gambling harm, and supported by Jay Robinson, a safer-gambling expert with over two decades of harm-minimisation and prevention experience, Evive Australia aims to deliver personalised tools, resources and pathways for anyone seeking to reduce risk or access help.

“Evive brings together real-world experience, clinical expertise and technology to create an accessible and credible platform for change. Pitch! was conceived to spotlight exactly these kinds of innovations – ideas that challenge convention, improve safeguards and reimagine the future of regulation and industry practice,” said Paul Newson, Principal at Vanguard Overwatch and founder of Regulating the Game.

“Evive isn’t just another app, it’s a bridge between lived experience, behavioral science and practical support. It shows that compliance and compassion can coexist, and when they do, everyone benefits. The app gives regulators and operators confidence in credible harm reduction tools, while giving people a safe, stigma free path to change,” Robinson said.

The post RTG Announces Evive Australia as the First Innovation to Take the Stage at Pitch! appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Hacksaw Gaming Goes Live with bet365 Brazil

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Celebrating yet another market expansion together, Hacksaw Gaming and bet365 are now live in Brazil, via Light & Wonder.

Currently sporting their very own superhero in the form of the branded Spinman slot, bet365 Brazil users can look forward to an array of Hacksaw Gaming slots becoming available very soon.

Hacksaw and bet365 already boast a long-standing partnership, with content live in a notable amount of markets, including Mexico, Ontario and the UK. This is yet another standout go-live that highlights both their relationship and their shared ambition of bringing innovative, quality content to users worldwide. By continuing to expand alongside industry leaders like bet365, Hacksaw reinforces its commitment to delivering boundary-pushing content to players worldwide, while strengthening its position as a key supplier in regulated markets.

A spokesperson at bet365 said: “We’re thrilled to extend our partnership with Hacksaw Gaming into the Brazilian market. Our players are always looking for fresh and engaging content, and Hacksaw’s portfolio has proven time and again to deliver exactly that. We’re confident this expansion will be a big hit with our growing audience in Brazil.”

Marcus Cordes, Operational CEO of Hacksaw Gaming, said: “Going live with bet365 in Brazil is a proud moment for us. Latin America is a key growth region for our industry, and to expand with one of the biggest names in the industry showcases the strength of our content and the trust we’ve built through our partnership. We look forward to entertaining new players with our unique and innovative titles.”

The post Hacksaw Gaming Goes Live with bet365 Brazil appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Shacks Evolution Announce Strategic Partnership with Moja Group

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Shacks Evolution Studios, a leader in mobile-first gaming innovation, has announced a strategic partnership with Moja Group Inc., the parent company of Mojabet, one of Africa’s top online betting platforms.

This collaboration aims to redefine Africa’s iGaming experience through locally inspired, high-performance digital entertainment. As part of this partnership, Shacks Evolution Studios is launching two exclusive instant games: Mojawheel and Moja Citadel fully customised for Mojabet users.

These titles will be accompanied by a broader rollout of Shacks Evolution’s instant games portfolio, now accessible to audiences across multiple African markets.

“At Shacks Evolution Studios, we believe in creating games that resonate with the environment and culture of the people playing them. This partnership with Moja Group allows us to bring cutting-edge gameplay to millions while staying true to the realities of Africa’s digital landscape, including low network availability and diverse cultural tastes,” said Kwame Mensah, CEO of Shacks Evolution Studios.

“This collaboration is about more than just gaming, it’s about celebrating African creativity and delivering world-class entertainment with a local touch. By working closely with Shacks Evolution Studios, we are offering our Mojabet users something truly unique, games that feel like they were made just for them,” said Amina Diallo, Chief Marketing Officer at Moja Group Inc.

The post Shacks Evolution Announce Strategic Partnership with Moja Group appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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