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Football for Friendship holds expert discussion on sports development during pandemic
Experts of the international online discussion “Motivation and training in the context of the pandemic: the impact of Internet technologies on sports” reached the mutual conclusion that the pandemic will boost the development of e-sports and broaden the way sports are perceived in the world. It’s expected that the existing trend will strengthen: over the past 3-4 years, the audience of e-sports events has grown 5-6 times.
The discussion was initiated by the Gazprom International Children’s Social Programme Football for Friendship, which has, for the first time, brought the entire season online in 2020. Meanwhile, the annual World Championship for Young Participants from more than 100 countries is held in the new football simulator Football for Friendship World. In the future, the app will become a gaming platform where anyone can train, join mixed international teams, and play their favorite game in the Football for Friendship format without leaving the comfort of home.
The guest experts — football players and e-sports players — shared their views on how the pandemic is affecting the training process, and whether e-sports will be able to fully replace traditional sports in the future. Alexey Smertin, adviser to the President of the Russian Football Union and Ambassador of the Football for Friendship programme, and Alexandra Kosteniuk, grandmaster, three-times winner of the World Chess Olympiads, and European Chess Champion, spoke about the impact of the pandemic on professional sports. Igor Bugaenko, head of the Special Projects Department of the Russian eSports Federation (RESF), spoke about the development of Russian e-sports. The discussion was attended by representatives of FC Schalke 04: head of the e-sports division Tim Reichert, League of Legends coach Dylan Falco, and professional FIFA player Tim Schwartmann (“Tim Latka”). The discussion was moderated by Euronews TV host Andy Robini.
Igor Bugaenko expressed his conviction that the pandemic can also have a positive impact on sports: “Despite the cancellation of many offline sporting events, we are doing our best to maintain the quality and spirit of the competitions that are currently held online. The pandemic has affected how people spend their free time. I think the main achievement of this period has been to broaden the way sports are perceived, enabling people to re-evaluate the role of e-sports in the world”. The expert also noted that Russia was one of the first countries to officially recognize e-sports. According to Bugaenko, in the last 3-4 years alone, the audience of e-sports events has grown 5-6 times.
However, according to Alexey Smertin, e-sports are hard to compare to traditional sports, with their “physical overcoming of oneself, pain and hard-to-achieve results”. On the other hand, if we take a professional approach, in both traditional and e-sports it’s important to focus on achieving results; so, in this sense, there’s no difference between them.
Tim Schwartmann (Tim Latka) has a similar view: “If young people want to be successful — be it in e-sports or traditional football — they have to work hard, train a lot for the game, and never rest on their laurels”.
Today, many football clubs are developing e-sports as a separate area. “In recent years, the popularity of e-sports has become evident. By investing time and effort into developing e-sports, we hope to establish a dialogue with the younger generation of football fans”, explains Tim Reichert, head of FC Schalke 04’s e-sports division. Reichert expects that self-isolation will accelerate the merging process of traditional and digital sports several-fold. In his opinion, e-sports and traditional sports already have many things in common: league structures, competitions, psychological demands for players, and regular training.
Alexandra Kosteniuk noted that the past months have become a landmark in the history of sport: “The pandemic has opened up a real Pandora’s box for chess players: if earlier, part of our competitions were already being held online, now it’s the most convenient format for both the audience and participants”. As she explains, the pandemic has stimulated an increased interest in online competitions over the past few months, “even in the case of chess, which is not the most popular sport among viewers, not to mention the world of e-sports in general”.
About the programme:
The International Children’s Social Programme Football for Friendship is implemented by Gazprom since 2013. Over the previous seven seasons, the programme has united over 6 000 participants from 211 countries and regions and over 5 000 000 supporters.
Young Players and Young Journalists are the participants of the programme – boys and girls aged 12 including children with disabilities. Young Players represent different countries and cultures united in the mixed teams. They show that nationality, gender, and physical abilities aren’t a barrier to becoming a team. Young Journalists cover the events of the programme in the International Children’s Press Center. All participants become Young Ambassadors of the programme and continue to share their Football for Friendship experience and promote universal human values: friendship, equality, fairness, health, peace, devotion, victory, traditions, and honour.
UEFA, FIFA, football federations and the world’s leading football clubs, international charity foundations, famous athletes, politicians, and artists support Football for Friendship. The project has received multiple national and international awards in the field of social responsibility, sports, and communications, including the world record for the most nationalities in a football training session in history.
In 2020, Football for Friendship will be held in the online format. A special digital platform will unite over 10 000 players of all ages. It will become the home for international children’s competitions and a playground where anyone will be able to train, join into the international mixed teams and play their favourite game in the Football for Friendship format without leaving the comfort of their home.
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Casino-Groups
Sebastian Jarosch Becomes Head of AI at Casinos Groups
Sebastian Jarosch is no longer solely the founder and managing director of Casino Groups as he is also taking on the role of Head of AI, at least on an interim basis. This personnel decision marks a conscious step towards closer integration of corporate management and technological responsibility.
In future, Jarosch will not only be responsible for the strategic direction of the company, but also for the further development of the AI systems that already form a central part of the product landscape. Casino Groups is one of the best-known platforms, which has been using and continuously developing an AI-supported rating system for online casinos for some time.
The decision to anchor the role of Head of AI directly at management level was a conscious one. Artificial intelligence now influences almost all areas of the affiliate business, from content structures and data analysis to regulatory documentation and product logic. Such a development requires decisions that bring together economic objectives, technological possibilities and legal frameworks.
Sebastian Jarosch brings this perspective from years of experience in the iGaming sector. As an entrepreneur, he is familiar with economic dependencies as well as the challenges of increasing regulation. The additional responsibility in the AI area makes it possible to set technological courses more quickly, define priorities more clearly and establish innovation as an integral part of corporate management.
The new role of Head of AI fits in perfectly with current developments in the iGaming market. Increasing regulatory requirements, rising acquisition and content costs, and the growing influence of AI-powered search systems are changing the economic fundamentals of the affiliate business. Visibility is no longer achieved solely through reach, but through authority, consistency and verifiable quality.
With this appointment, Casino Groups is sending a clear signal to the outside world. Affiliate companies are increasingly being valued like media or technology companies. Partners and investors are placing greater emphasis on compliance, data competence and sustainable product development. The bundling of management and AI responsibility strengthens the company’s credibility in these areas.
At the same time, Casinos Groups is positioning itself as a player that does not delegate innovation, but actively drives it forward. The interim nature of the role creates space for further development and adaptation without diluting the strategic ambition. For the industry as a whole, this step underlines that AI expertise has arrived at the management level.
The role of Head of AI forms the organisational foundation for this development. It ensures that technological innovation, editorial standards and economic objectives are interlinked. Casino Groups is thus pursuing a clear line: technology as a tool, people as an authority and quality as a connecting element.
The post Sebastian Jarosch Becomes Head of AI at Casinos Groups appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
CONOR DURNIN
THE UNIT ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF CO-FOUNDER CONOR DURNIN TO LEADERSHIP TEAM
The Unit, the leader in product design and development for iGaming and sports betting, has announced the appointment of Conor Durnin to its leadership team.
Durnin, who co-founded The Unit in 2018, played a foundational role in the company’s early vision and direction. His appointment marks the first time he has taken on an active position within the business, as The Unit continues to scale its work with operators, platforms, and suppliers in the global iGaming and betting sector.
In his role, Durnin will focus on strengthening The Unit’s product strategy expertise, supporting complex client engagements, and helping guide the company’s next phase of growth as demand increases for outsourced development of differentiated and innovative betting and gaming products.
“From the outset, The Unit has set out to raise the standard for outsourced product development in betting,” said Durnin. “Stepping into this role allows me to focus on supporting the team as we help our partners build scalable, world-class products.”
Having previously held senior roles at brands including Boylesports, Grand Parade and SportCaller, Durnin brings extensive experience in product leadership, engineering, and delivery, with a reputation for bridging commercial objectives and technical execution. His approach aligns closely with The Unit’s focus on building world-class products that prioritise user experience and long-term sustainability.
“The Unit was founded to challenge conventional thinking around betting and gaming product design, and Conor will play a pivotal part in this going forward,” said Paddy Casey, Co-founder at The Unit. “As the business continues to flourish, adding Conor is a natural step and reflects the ongoing pace of expansion at The Unit.”
Durnin’s arrival comes as The Unit continues to expand its footprint across sports betting and iGaming, working with clients on outsourcing options, product development, UX/UI, platform architecture, and industry-leading technical design.
With offices in Ireland, Moldova, Gibraltar, and a US hub in New York, The Unit has an unflinching commitment to becoming the partner of choice throughout the industry. In addition to its broad-ranging nearshore product development, the team now boasts a strong track record of building world-class products for the sports betting and iGaming sector over the last decade.
The post THE UNIT ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF CO-FOUNDER CONOR DURNIN TO LEADERSHIP TEAM appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Compliance Updates
St8 Secures Sweden B2B Licence, Adding Another Regulated Market
Casino games aggregator St8 is poised to expand into another significant regulated market following the receipt of a B2B supplier license from Sweden’s Gambling Authority, Spelinspektionen.
This indicates that St8 can now offer its aggregator technology to operators licensed in Sweden for the first time.
These operators obtain access to an advanced platform renowned for achieving seamless integrations within days through a single API.
Vladimir Negine, founder and CEO at St8, said: “Being awarded a B2B licence by Spelinspektionen underlines the strength of St8’s technology and compliance-first approach. Sweden is one of Europe’s most respected regulated iGaming markets, and we are excited to now be able to support licensed operators there with our next-generation aggregation platform.
“Our focus remains firmly on expanding in regulated jurisdictions, and adding Sweden further strengthens St8’s position as a trusted supplier to operators in leading global markets.”
Spelinspektionen is recognized for upholding some of the strictest player protection standards in iGaming,
St8 has quickly grown into several prominent regulated markets in recent months. In October, it received a supplier license in Ontario, and in July it obtained a B2B license in the United Kingdom.
The post St8 Secures Sweden B2B Licence, Adding Another Regulated Market appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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