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The time has come for the return of the one-off Holiday Special

Published

5 years ago

December 16, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes

In Ho-Ho-Home Invasion (very nearly titled Santa Game Solid), play as Santa preparing his stealth skills ahead of the big night (Christmas Eve), delivering presents under trees, filling stockings, and making a swift exit – without getting caught! Whitepot Studios is excited to announce this free festive stealth micro-game, created especially for the festive season.

ELF-MADE WAREHOUSE

This year, due to social distancing requirements, Santa can’t undertake his normal training. Thankfully, his elves have crafted a fully automated Santa training area in a disused warehouse – with five bespoke “houses” for Santa to sneak his way through.

YOU BETTER WATCH OUT

Make your way through fake houses, past fake robot residents, and place some fake presents, all in record time. Be sure to:

Peek around corners
Tiptoe to be quiet
Avoid training robots
Place presents
Safely escape the house

TRAINING ROBOTS

Make sure you avoid:

Watchers – tiptoe past them when their head is buried in a book
Sleepers – quietly place presents in the stockings at the foot of their bed
And Patrollers – wait until their back is turned before making a run for it!

LAUNCH & PRICE

Ho-Ho-Home Invasion launches on Steam and Itch.io on December 15th for FREE. Whitepot Studios is using a bespoke “pay-what-you-liked” model on Steam, offering non-content DLC representing ‘tip tiers’ that fans can choose to purchase to support the developers.

INSPIRATION

In this non-canon year of 2020, never has it felt more appropriate to send a Christmas game rather than a Christmas card.

When we asked Twitter what everyone’s favourite festive video game is, the conclusion was that there’s just not that many anymore – sure, there’s board games, and party games, but how many actually festively themed video games exist?

Some had fond memories of a time when festive titles on floppy discs adorned the covers of magazines at Christmas – Commodore Amiga games, with Bullfrog’s Psycho Santa or Christmas Lemmings being the favourites. Honorable mentions also go to Bad Mr. Frosty (the Snowman from ClayFighters who appeared on the SNES game’s cover), and Jazz Jackrabbit’s Christmas Chronicles.

“Why oh why, are there not more oddly niche one-off titles that can only be played at a specific time of year?” absolutely no-one asked. Well, wonder no more – the time has come for the return of the one-off Holiday Special.

Free Ticket Drops

GGPoker Brings Back WSOP Super Circuit with Record $180M Guarantee

Published

7 hours ago

February 24, 2026

Wladimir P.

ggpoker-brings-back-wsop-super-circuit-with-record-$180m-guarantee

GGPoker, the world’s largest online poker platform, is set to host the highly anticipated 2026 WSOP Super Circuit online tournament series, running from March 1 to March 31.

This year’s edition features an unprecedented $180 million in guaranteed prizes, solidifying GGPoker’s reputation as the premier global poker destination.

Players will compete across 18 WSOP Gold Ring events, offering the chance to win one of poker’s most prestigious trophies and significant cash prizes.

Key Events & Highlights:

#5: $525 Mystery Millions [Final Stage] – March 9, $525 buy-in, $10M GTD ($1M Top Bounty)
#13: WSOP Super Circuit MAIN EVENT [Day 2] – March 23, $1,700 buy-in, $15M GTD
#18: GGMillion$ High Roller [Day 2] – March 30, $10K buy-in, $10M GTD

Exclusive Champion Perks
Winners of all 18 Gold Ring events receive:

A $5K WSOP Paradise package
Recognition on the official WSOP Rankings leaderboard

$3 Million in Free Ticket Drops
Participants in any WSOP Super Circuit event can win WSOP Express tickets, $5K Ring Passes, or $10K Bracelet Passes. Tickets will be awarded randomly throughout the series, totaling $3 million in free prizes.

Live Coverage
Final tables for the Main Event (#13) and High Roller (#18) will be streamed live on GGPoker.TV and YouTube, hosted by Jeff Gross, with commentary by Daniel Negreanu for the High Roller.

Player and Ambassador Excitement
Daniel Negreanu said: “The 2026 WSOP Super Circuit at GGPoker is absolutely massive. With $180M in total guarantees, including $15M Main Event and $10M Mystery Millions, it’s the perfect time to compete for record-breaking prizes.”

The post GGPoker Brings Back WSOP Super Circuit with Record $180M Guarantee appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Casino Bonus Features

PopOK Gaming Unveils Macaco Millionario Dual-Grid Slot

Published

8 hours ago

February 24, 2026

Wladimir P.

popok-gaming-unveils-macaco-millionario-dual-grid-slot

PopOK Gaming has launched Macaco Millionario, a vibrant online slot inspired by Chinese symbolism and designed with an innovative double-grid bonus feature.

Rich red and gold visuals, lucky symbols, and a playful Macaco character combine to deliver a visually engaging and rewarding gaming experience.

The game features a 5×3 layout with 30 fixed paylines and two types of Wilds, including Double Wilds that count as two symbols for higher winning potential. The Double Fortune Free Spins round introduces an extra 5×3 reel set, allowing players to spin two grids simultaneously. Wins across both grids trigger multipliers up to x20, and retriggers extend the bonus for bigger payouts.

With a maximum multiplier of x1,732, Macaco Millionario delivers exciting bonus features, including Free Spins, Double Free Spins, Double Win Multipliers, Extra Spins, and a jackpot option. The game offers an RTP of 96.56% and supports bets from EUR 0.02 to EUR 100, fully optimized for web and mobile play. Multi-language support includes English, Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese, and Hindi.

“Macaco Millionario blends cultural familiarity with a unique bonus structure that delivers thrilling moments in every spin,” said Tsovinar Elchyan, Head of Partnerships at PopOK Gaming. “The double-grid feature sets it apart from traditional slots, offering operators and players something truly innovative.”

The slot is now live and available for integration across all platforms supporting PopOK Gaming content. Operators interested in adding Macaco Millionario to their portfolios can contact PopOK Gaming directly.

The post PopOK Gaming Unveils Macaco Millionario Dual-Grid Slot appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AI in lottery

Scientific Games Appoints Rich Wasserman as Senior Vice President of Product Engineering

Published

8 hours ago

February 24, 2026

Wladimir P.

scientific-games-appoints-rich-wasserman-as-senior-vice-president-of-product-engineering

Scientific Games has appointed Rich Wasserman as Senior Vice President of Product Engineering, reinforcing its commitment to advancing lottery systems technology and digital innovation.

Based in Atlanta, the global lottery provider continues to expand its technology leadership as one of the fastest-growing suppliers of retail and digital lottery solutions worldwide.

Leadership Experience from Amazon, Facebook and Stitch Fix

Wasserman brings more than 20 years of experience leading engineering, data science and product teams across high-performance technology platforms.

He previously held senior leadership roles at:

Amazon
Facebook
Stitch Fix

At Stitch Fix, he served as Vice President of Engineering and Data Science, leading automation, AI-driven systems and platform optimization initiatives. Wasserman holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and a Computer Science degree from the University at Buffalo.

Driving Innovation Across Global Lottery Platforms

In his new role, Wasserman will oversee Product Engineering across Scientific Games’ global portfolio serving more than 150 government-regulated lotteries. His responsibilities include advancing:

Retail lottery systems
Digital lottery platforms
Hardware and software innovation
Data analytics and AI capabilities
Consumer engagement technologies

CEO Pat McHugh stated that Wasserman’s experience scaling AI-powered platforms at world-class technology firms will help accelerate innovation and deliver next-generation lottery solutions focused on sustainable growth.

Strengthening Lottery Technology Leadership

Scientific Games continues to invest in technology, analytics and digital transformation to enhance consumer experiences across retail and online lottery channels. The appointment underscores the company’s strategy to integrate advanced analytics and machine learning into its global lottery ecosystem.

The post Scientific Games Appoints Rich Wasserman as Senior Vice President of Product Engineering appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.