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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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Here are this weeks latest slots releases compiled by European Gaming
PG Soft, has crafted its latest mouthwatering title to celebrate the beginning of the holiday season, Chocolate Deluxe. The alchemy behind PG Soft’s game takes inspiration from a beautiful love story between two of the finest chocolatiers, Belgium’s Valentina and France’s Pierre. As a pair they have created the True Love Chocolate Collection- a masterpiece of flavor and romance. Chocolate Deluxe is presented on a 6×6 tray that features sticky winning symbols with multipliers reaching as high as x100.
Betsoft Gaming has released Ultimate Golden Dragon InfernoTM – Hold & WinTM, the third installment in the incredibly popular Golden Dragon InfernoTM series. This new addition offers an immersive 5-reel, 3-row slot experience with the potential for massive wins. The game enhances the beloved Hold & Win feature, introducing a grid expansion mechanic where the screen can expand from a 5×3 grid to a maximum of 10×6, opening up even more opportunities to claim rewards.
PopOK Gaming is thrilled to unveil its latest creation, Yo Dragon – a dynamic slot game that brings the charm and mystique of classic Asian culture to players worldwide. Set on a vibrant 3-4-3 grid, Yo Dragon combines dazzling visuals, engaging features, and a playful dragon mascot for an unforgettable gaming experience.
This new release from MGA Games is a thrilling new game that beautifully combines excitement and nature. The game’s main character is the snow leopard, a majestic creature that serves as an Expanding Wild symbol. When the snow leopard appears, it not only captivates players but also enhances their chances of winning, adding to the excitement with every spin of the reels. Wild Snow Spin is a 5×3 slot game featuring a Scatter symbol and the opportunity to access a variable Free Spins screen, depending on the number of accumulated counters.
Gamzix proudly announces the release of its newest creation, Book of Zulu. This highly anticipated slot marries the timeless charm of classic “Book” games with an electrifying African theme, offering operators a game-changing addition to their portfolios. Featuring immersive visuals, culturally inspired details, and cutting-edge mechanics, Book of Zulu promises to captivate players and set new standards in the industry.
Play’n GO invites players to step into Sobek’s Godly Spins, a 5×3 slot set on a luxurious, deity-filled casino floor – where Gods like Sobek, Ra and Anubis compete for the spotlight. With a unique Nested Free Spins feature, this mythological-meets-Vegas adventure is unlike any other. In Sobek’s Godly Spins – players are transported to a realm where ancient Egyptian Gods enjoy the thrill of the casino floor, each with their own spin on divine glamour.
Evoplay has launched Mega Merry Gifts, a holiday-themed slot that combines the magic of the festive season with innovative gameplay mechanics. Set on a traditional 5×3 grid, the game immerses players in a cosy Christmas setting featuring Mr. and Mrs. Claus, their helpers Elf and Rudolf, Christmas wreaths, and gift-filled bags that act as Wilds. The unique feature of this game is the Free Spins Mega Symbols.
Tom Horn Gaming, the award-winning iGaming supplier, is turning up the temperature this winter with the release of Hot Blizzard Deluxe. This fery slot promises to deliver an electrifying gaming experience with explosive features, blazing visuals, and high-intensity gameplay that players love. At the core of the Hot Blizzard Deluxe’s gameplay is the Expanding Wilds feature, where Wild symbols not only fill entire reels but also come with blazing multiplier values of x1, x2, x5, or x10.
Nolimit City shows you what fighting for domination is really like in its latest release – Tanked. Witness the war between 4 power-hungry warlords who’ll stop at nothing for total domination! This Labs-branded slot is a chaotic masterpiece of destruction. This is the first of its kind for Nolimit City, even following their most recent experimental titles Munchies, Outsourced: Slash Game and Brick Snake 2000.
Red Rake Gaming announced the launch of its latest video slot, Christmas Wins, an unforgettable holiday experience that is now available on all the best online casinos. This spectacular game will immerse players in a world full of magic, joy, and big wins, with innovative features and a highly impressive visual layout and design. Christmas Wins offers a compelling gaming experience, with its 5×5 reel format and “Anywhere” wins in each spin.
He’s making a list, and checking it twice; he’s gonna find out who’s naughty or nice Santa Claus is coming to town… and he’s inviting YOU to take a special tour of his Christmas Factory in Vibra Gaming’s new holiday slot game. Plus, if you’ve been VERY good this year, you could walk away with up to x4500 times your stake!
Take to the African wilderness in Lion Saga Odyssey! This immersive new release takes players on a visually stunning quest, guided by the Lion Spirit and his loyal pride, as they traverse the parched savannah in search of life-giving waters. The latest addition to Play’n GO’s portfolio captures the raw beauty and power of the African ecosystem while offering exciting gameplay mechanics.
Belatra Games, the specialist online slots developer, has unveiled its festive treat this holiday season, Winter Thunder. Swapping the arid US plains for a wintery wonderland, Winter Thunder carries players into an enchanting atmosphere surrounded by snow-covered canyons and frosty forests. Players will be joined in the wilderness by lynxes, eagles, bears, and, the star of the show, the white wolf. This represents the Wild symbol replacing symbols and covering two reel positions.
Playzia is excited to unveil its fiery new slot game, Volcanic Coins. This sizzling hot game takes players on an explosive journey deep beneath the Earth’s crust, where bubbling lava guards hidden treasures just waiting to erupt into massive wins! Volcanic Coins features a classic style 3×3 grid layout with no paylines—which delivers big when it comes to rewards.
Relax Gaming has teamed up with CasinoDaddy to create its latest action-packed collaboration, Immortal 5. Following the success of their previous titles, Sloth Tumble and Epic Dreams, the pair have joined forces once more to introduce a team of five superheroes, guiding players on a quest for maximum wins worth up to 10,000x their bet.
You are going to love this game a lot if you are a dog lover! “Doggie Star” takes players into a world of dogs, where players can meet the doggie star and visit her house! Filled with dogs and many treasures, they are all yours to claim! “Doggie Star” is a 3×5 reel, 20-line slot. This game contains Wild Symbols with Multiplier Feature to allow bigger wins when the outcome involves Wild Symbols.
With the festive season now upon us and the magic of Christmas already thick in the air, sought-after software provider, Swintt, is inviting players to get into the holiday spirit this week with a seasonal reboot of a much-loved Premium slot, X-Max The Winner. Again starring the insatiable squirrel, Max, the new slot is played out across a 5×3 reel set and features 10 fixed paylines.
The post Week 49/2024 slot games releases appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Swedish gaming giant the only B2B company awarded Tier 2 seal in recognition of “aspirational level” of ESG reporting
Play’n GO, the world’s leading casino entertainment provider, has today announced it has received the Malta Gaming Authority’s ESG-C Tier 2 Seal in recognition of its efforts and reporting of ESG activities.
Earlier this year, the legendary games studio released its 2023 Sustainability Report, outlining its commitment to a sustainable future, both for the iGaming industry and the planet as a whole. The report covered everything from Play’n GO’s commitments to “Net Zero”, greener working practices, and the company’s “Culture of Belonging” in a Digital First world.
Play’n GO recently became the only iGaming business to be nominated at the 2024 Corporate Star Awards, where its Sustainability Report was recognised alongside global leaders such as SONY Entertainment and Globo.
Vanessa Arenram, CSR Director at Play’n GO, commented “We’re pleased to have our commitment to a sustainable world recognised in this way by the Malta Gaming Authority. Our commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility goes far beyond mere words- it’s reflected in our actions, initiatives, and the positive impact we strive to create, both within our industry and the wider world. Our 2023 Sustainability Report received very positive feedback, both internally and externally, and we look forward to publishing the 2024 version early next year. We would like to thank the Malta Gaming Authority for this award, and pledge to continue the work for many years to come.”
The post Play’n GO celebrates award of Malta Gaming Authority ESG-C Seal appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Kindred has officially launched its Kindred Sportsbook Platform (KSP) in the regulated market of Estonia.
KSP’s Estonia entry is part of the operator’s goal to develop new proprietary solutions and have full end-to-end control over its products, limiting the dependency on external suppliers.
During the sportsbook’s first week of operations in the Baltic country, players were given tailored profit boosts and other rewards tied to local teams and events, such as the EuroBasket game and an exhibition tennis event – both held at the Tallinn Unibet Arena.
KSP is built with an optimal player experience in mind, boasting features like BetBuilder and easy platform migration to mitigate customer disruption.
Additionally, the solution introduces dynamic cash-out and tenancy-based odds adjustments that complement local initiatives and brands, which will help Kindred scale KSP across all other available markets.
“As we celebrate this achievement, we remain focused on the journey ahead. Together, we are building a market-leading sportsbook that embodies Kindred’s values of innovation, responsibility, and excellence,” the company explained.
“The launch of KSP in Estonia is more than just a technological milestone; it’s a testament to what we can achieve when we innovate with purpose. We’re excited to continue delivering a world-class sports betting experience to our customers, one market at a time.”
The post Kindred Sportsbook Platform Goes Live in Estonia appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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