Latest News
UK Game Developer Kwalee Surpasses 100 Employees In Year of Explosive Growth
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Leamington Spa-based mobile game developer and publisher hits milestone with overseas studios in Bangalore and Beijing underway
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Kwalee has grown rapidly in 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic, recruiting globally while embracing remote work for the first time
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After tripling in size over the past two years, Kwalee sets sights on more hit games and more growth, with 60+ current vacancies
Kwalee, a leading developer and publisher of hyper-casual mobile games, has expanded its team to more than 100 people after maintaining a rapid rate of growth throughout 2020.
Despite the company’s Leamington Spa headquarters lying empty for much of the year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kwalee team adapted quickly to temporary remote working measures and released multiple hit games in 2020, including Bake It, Line Up: Draw the Criminal and Let’s Be Cops 3D.
This facilitated growth across all disciplines and departments, from Publishing Managers to Game Designers, with Kwalee welcoming team members from as far afield as Turkey, the Philippines, India, Spain and China. And while Kwalee has always recruited internationally, 2020 was the year in which the company cemented its global outlook by permanently opening several positions to remote workers and committing to open new studios in Bangalore and Beijing. Across all locations, Kwalee has more than 50 open positions.
Founded and led by games industry legend David Darling CBE, a co-founder and former CEO of Codemasters, Kwalee has become one of the UK’s biggest gaming success stories while specialising in hyper-casual games – a style of mobile games that are defined by their accessibility and designed to be played in short bursts. Kwalee has become a leading developer and publisher in this space and has racked up nearly half a billion downloads worldwide.
Kwalee has also earned itself a reputation for being a rewarding workplace, not least for the weekly ‘Creative Wednesdays’ where anyone in the company can pitch their game ideas and vote on which ones get made. This also ties into a generous profit share bonus scheme, which surpassed £1 million in payouts in February 2020.
“We’re extremely proud to have expanded the Kwalee team to more than 100 people – particularly in such a challenging year,” said CEO David Darling. “Our rate of growth has been phenomenal and we all look forward to that continuing, both in Leamington Spa and internationally.
With so many vacant positions still open and big plans for 2021 and beyond, we can’t wait to welcome many more great people to help us release many more great games. Between remote working and the overseas studios we’re building, there are now more options than ever for the world’s best talent to work with us, which is very exciting indeed.”
Jithin Rosh, based in Bangalore, became Kwalee’s 100th team member. Joining as Marketing Artist & Animator, he commented:
“Working for a gaming studio like Kwalee is truly exciting! All my life I’ve been playing games – now I’m part of that process, making games with fun and talented people. I’m very happy to be here and to be Kwalee’s 100th employee!”
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Bjørnar Heggernes Chief Commercial Officer at The Mill Adventure
Navigating the Dutch frontier
Following the recent launch of Winz.nl, powered by The Mill Adventure (TMA), we sat down with Bjørnar Heggernes, Chief Commercial Officer at The Mill Adventure, to discuss how technology, true partnerships and player-centric innovation are the keys to succeeding in the Netherlands and beyond.
Powering a new brand in a regulated market like the Netherlands is often seen as a compliance minefield. How does TMA help a partner like Winz.nl navigate these complexities while maintaining a focus on growth?
Bjørnar Heggernes: It is correct that the Dutch market is one of the most rigorous and demanding in the world. For a new brand, the technical overhead of meeting KSA standards, ranging from CRUKS (the central player exclusion register) integration to complex reporting, can be very difficult to overcome.
Our philosophy is centred around a compliance-first approach. We support complex regulated markets through configurable, jurisdiction-specific workflows. This means the heavy lifting of regulatory logic is handled at the core platform level. For the Netherlands, this includes localised onboarding, responsible gaming automation, CRUKS and CCBR integrations, vault reporting, and intervention controls.
For Winz.nl, this was critical. We provided the technical and compliance infrastructure required for the Dutch market, allowing them to move from licence acquisition to a full launch with total confidence.
With recent warnings from the KSA chair regarding the growth of the black market, there is a clear need for better channelisation. How can regulated brands use innovation to lure players away from illegal sites without resorting to aggressive tactics?
BH: To improve channelisation efforts, the regulated offer must be the superior choice and not just the compliant one. Through our AI-driven SmartLobbies, we automate the casino experience to ensure players see the content they actually enjoy in real-time. Another real game-changer for channelisation is our loyalty framework, exemplified by Winz.nl’s WinClub. It replaces traditional, operator-driven bonus mechanics with a player-initiated model where players earn points and choose their own rewards from a catalogue. It’s transparent, it aligns with responsible gambling principles, and it builds genuine trust. When a player feels in control and is presented with a comprehensive experience that is tailored to them, the unregulated alternative loses its appeal.
We often hear about the hold that legacy operators have on market share. Why is the partnership between an operator and a platform provider the deciding factor for a new brand’s survival?
BH: In today’s B2B landscape, a platform provider must be a strategic growth partner. Large-scale operators can be slowed down by massive, multi-layered infrastructures that make rapid pivoting difficult. Operator groups like Orange Gaming succeed because they are agile. Our partnership works because we provide the technical flexibility and regulatory infrastructure needed to support a differentiated brand while maintaining strong compliance controls. When a platform is modular, the operator can adapt to a sudden regulatory change or a shift in player appetite in days, not months. That speed-to-market is a crucial way to carve out share in a highly competitive regulated market.
How does a technologically advanced platform, one that utilises AI and real-time Business Intelligence (BI), tangibly impact an operator’s bottom line?
BH: It comes down to operational efficiency. Many established brands have massive internal teams manually managing lobbies and CRM campaigns, whereas our platform automates these manual processes. By using real-time BI and AI, a brand can identify and serve niche segments very effectively. For example, our SmartLobbies solution ensures the gaming content is relevant to the individual, which increases retention and Lifetime Value (LTV). We want our partners to make quicker, smarter decisions based on live data. In the Dutch market, where margins are tight and competition is fierce, that level of automation can make all the difference in terms of sustained profitability.
The post Navigating the Dutch frontier appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
1spin4win
1spin4win presents Lucky 1spin4win Hold and Win to mark its 5th anniversary
On May 14, 2026, 1spin4win reached a significant milestone — five years on the iGaming market. The anniversary motto, The Gold Standard of Classic Slots, reflects the studio’s evolution into a recognized name in the classic slot niche, built on years of industry expertise and commitment to delivering authentic gambling experiences.
Today, its portfolio features more than 200 games combining timeless appeal, advanced mathematics, and strong performance. In 2025, 1spin4win achieved a 52.06% increase in bet count and a 56.62% rise in GGR compared to 2024. This growth has helped the provider earn the trust of over 1,000 global operators, including leading brands such as SOFTSWISS, EveryMatrix, Alea, SoftGaming, Digitain, and BetConstruct.
As part of the milestone celebration, 1spin4win introduces Lucky 1spin4win Hold and Win, a special slot highlighting the studio’s landmark titles and renowned characters. Alongside traditional fruit, bells, and sevens, the colorful 3×3 grid features Wild symbols shaped as red bezel-set diamonds. When activated, they illuminate the “5 Years” sign, reinforcing the game’s anniversary theme.
The celebratory atmosphere continues through the slot’s rewarding features. Landing nine identical symbols doubles the win, while three or more Coins trigger the exciting Hold and Win Bonus round. With three starting respins, players get the chance to claim two festive Jackpots — the x100 Minipot Coin and the x1000 Megapot.
To mark the 5-year anniversary, 1spin4win is also launching special promotional campaigns in collaboration with Olymp and Selector. To give players additional opportunities to join the celebration, the partners will distribute exclusive promo codes, which will also be available to the registered users of the provider’s Players Room platform.
Olga Hlukhovskaya, Business Development Director at 1spin4win, commented, “Five years in the industry is an important testament to how far 1spin4win has come. Since 2021, we’ve grown into an acknowledged iGaming brand trusted by top global companies. Looking ahead, we plan to keep expanding across African and Latin American markets, deepen our relationships with regional operators, and further strengthen our presence in Europe. For us, this anniversary is not only about celebrating past achievements, but also about building the next stage of 1spin4win’s journey.
Olga Bogdanova, Art Director at 1spin4win, shared, “Lucky 1spin4win Hold and Win is dedicated to the 1spin4win 5th anniversary in the casino industry. The game’s design brings together iconic characters and signature symbols from our previous releases, well-known to both our players and partners. The result is a vibrant product featuring engaging Hold and Win mechanics and the recognizable 1spin4win classic style. We invite everyone to join the celebration of our anniversary, test their luck in the slot, compete for festive jackpots, and revisit their favorite 1spin4win games!”
About 1spin4win
1spin4win is an established game provider founded in May 2021 by ambitious developers with over 15 years of experience in the gambling industry. Since its inception, the company has expanded its portfolio to include over 200 classic online slots, all characterized by quality mathematics, transparent mechanics, and well-balanced gameplay — key factors that drive strong player retention. The studio aims to release an average of four new games each month in 2026 and offers effective promotional tools for casino operators to help them enhance player loyalty.
The post 1spin4win presents Lucky 1spin4win Hold and Win to mark its 5th anniversary appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Games
Stake releases Zoo casino game: a fast, multiplayer Stake Original where players bet on the wild side
A new live-round Stake Original where every player bets on the same outcome – six animals, a 20-tile track, three results per round, and wins up to 1,000x in play.
Stake, the world’s largest online casino and sportsbook, has today launched its Zoo casino game, a new multiplayer Stake Original that brings every player into the same live round to bet on six animals across a 20-tile track. Available worldwide on Stake, Zoo is the latest title to join the growing Stake Originals collection.
Zoo takes the shared-round excitement that has made games like Crash a Stake Originals staple and pairs it with simpler, more visual decision-making. Each round, six animals – Lion, Cheetah, Elephant, Crocodile, Rhino, and Penguin – appear on a 20-tile circular track, with each animal showing up a different number of times to create clear volatility tiers and payout differences across the board. Players have ten seconds to back one or more animals before the track spins up and locks in three result tiles in the center of the screen.
Zoo launches with a 98% RTP, a top multiplier of 1,000x per round, and full auto bet controls that let players preset their wager amount, number of rounds, and chosen animals. Designed as a simpler, more visual evolution of popular casino games like Roulette and Sic Bo, Zoo strips back the complexity without compromising on depth. The rarer the animal, the bigger the reward – Lion and Cheetah each appear only once on the track, Elephant and Crocodile twice, Rhino four times, and Penguin ten, giving players a clear read on the risk and payout of every play. With three result tiles drawn each round, players win based on how many times their chosen animal lands across all three.
“Zoo is exactly the kind of game we want Stake Originals to be known for – fast, simple to pick up, and genuinely fun to play in an online setting filled with other players. There’s real tension in watching the three tiles land for the whole table at once, and we think players are going to find their favourite animals pretty quickly,” said Stake’s Chief Marketing Officer, Akhil Sarin.
Zoo joins a growing line-up of in-house multiplayer game creations on Stake Casino, with the goal of keeping every Stake Original easy to learn, quick to play, and a little bit different from anything else in the iGaming industry.
About Stake
Stake is the world’s largest online casino and sportsbook, attracting over 100 million monthly visits across its global domains – more than any other iGaming platform on earth. Founded in 2017, Stake attracts over 80 million monthly visits and processes more than 100 billion bets per year. Stake is renowned for its innovation in crypto wagering and its growing expansion into regulated local-currency gaming markets, including Italy, Denmark, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. The brand boasts an extensive global sponsorship portfolio including Drake, X Games, Everton Football Club, and the UFC.
Contact
Stake.com
The post Stake releases Zoo casino game: a fast, multiplayer Stake Original where players bet on the wild side appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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