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Blueprint Gaming set for international growth with new games studio Lucksome

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Leading slot developer extends development capabilities with highly-experienced games design team

Leading slot supplier Blueprint Gaming has unveiled the industry’s newest development studio, Lucksome, which promises to bring exciting and innovative new content to the global gaming industry.

Joining Blueprint’s multi-studio strategy, Lucksome is led by a team with a collective experience of 29 years in games design from across the online, land based and social casino sectors on a worldwide market scale. The new venture has strong ambitions to deliver localised games that are built with the player in mind, as well as being packed with innovative concepts.

The Lucksome team based in Malta is headed by Bryan Upton, a games design, content strategy specialist and industry veteran, who most recently worked at NetEnt, running the company’s RNG games product development unit. He has over 14 years’ experience within the gaming industry, having previously worked for IGT, OpenBet and Inspired. The company also features former NetEnt and Yggdrasil employees Josefin Uppeke, who joins as Head of Creative and Games Designer, and Johan John, Senior Product Manager.

Lucksome is a wholly owned group company that will benefit from the distribution and reliability of Blueprint’s RGS platform. The team will work closely with Simon Thompson, one of its founders, who directs design for the group.

Simon Thompson, Director of Design at Blueprint Gaming, commented: “The Lucksome team have a strong background within the casino sector and we’re delighted to welcome them to the Blueprint family.

“With another games studio joining our portfolio, our design capabilities have elevated to a new level which will provide a strong base for us to bring fresh and engaging content to the market.”

The new studio will, in addition to online slots, be exploring other styles of games, as well as unveiling a new and innovative multi-game concept in Q1. The first games designed by Lucksome are set to be distributed through Blueprint’s RGS platform within Q2 of 2021.

Lucksome becomes the latest studio under Blueprint’s growing portfolio of games following in the footsteps of Games Warehouse, Livewire, Project, Reel Time Gaming (RTG) and Merkur Gaming. The addition of Lucksome is an important move in Blueprint’s efforts to extend its international footprint, providing operators with quality, localised content across multiple markets.

Bryan Upton, Director at Lucksome, said: We’re very excited to unveil Lucksome to the industry and to be part of the Blueprint family. Our studio’s team is highly experienced in designing great games that resonate with players in multiple regions. Coupled with the group’s prolific games development technology, I’m confident we’ll bring even more exciting and innovative content to Blueprint’s already rich portfolio. 

“Building a presence in Malta is an important move for the group and shows the strong intent we have to work more closely with operators and broaden our reach.” 

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2025 financial results

ZEAL Reports Strong Double-Digit Growth

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ZEAL Network SE, Germany’s leading online lottery provider, closed 2025 with another year of robust double-digit growth.

Despite a weaker jackpot environment, the company significantly strengthened its core lottery business, accelerated diversification, and expanded its customer base—setting a solid foundation for long-term scalability.

The group delivered 16% revenue growth, reaching €218.5 million, while EBITDA rose 11% to €68.8 million. EBIT also climbed 12% to €60.1 million year over year. These results reinforce ZEAL’s strategic focus on building a multi-pillar digital entertainment ecosystem.

“At every level, our results confirm that our strategy works,” said Dr. Stefan Tweraser, CEO of ZEAL Network SE. “Expanding scalable products alongside our strong core lottery business increases resilience and positions us for ambitious future growth.”

CFO Andrea Behrendt highlighted continued investment in reducing jackpot dependence: “Our efforts create a sustainable and profitable growth structure.”


Core Lottery Business Continues to Lead Growth

ZEAL’s primary lottery brokerage remains its strongest revenue driver. Even with softer jackpot cycles:

  • Monthly active users climbed 8% to a record 1.558 million.
  • Lottery billings reached €1.1 billion, up 2%.
  • Gross margin increased to 17.7%.
  • Lottery-specific revenue surged 16% to €195.3 million.

These gains underline the brand’s ability to attract and retain large numbers of customers independent of jackpot volatility.


Dream House Raffle Becomes a Major Growth Pillar

The Traumhausverlosung (Dream House Raffle)—launched in 2024—has rapidly evolved into a strong secondary revenue stream. With guaranteed winners and high-appeal prize structures, the charity lottery generated:

  • €38.9 million in billings across four draws in 2025.

This success demonstrates the value of proprietary lottery products that complement ZEAL’s core business and enhance market differentiation.


Games Segment Accelerates With Expanded Portfolio

ZEAL also posted substantial growth in its digital Games division. The company extended its catalog to 650+ games, adding 400 new titles and strengthening collaborations with leading game developers.

As a result:

  • Games revenue increased 46%, reaching €14.4 million.
  • Active user numbers rose sharply.
  • Player protection remained a top priority, supported by AI-driven safeguards.

Customer Base Expansion Remains a Strategic Priority

ZEAL made targeted investments to grow its user base, acquiring 1.171 million new customers in 2025. As expected with aggressive acquisition:

  • Customer acquisition cost (CPL) increased to €46.47.
  • Marketing spending rose 20% to €68.6 million.

This investment is key to sustaining ZEAL’s long-term market position and unlocking additional cross-sell opportunities in games and charity lotteries.


2026 Outlook: Continued Growth and Diversification

Looking ahead to 2026, ZEAL aims to expand its German market leadership and scale its charitable lotteries freiheit+ and Traumhausverlosung, while continuing to strengthen its Games offering.

Forecasts for 2026 include:

  • Revenue between €250–260 million
  • EBITDA between €70–75 million

These projections already factor in increased investment to accelerate diversification and future-proof the business.

The post ZEAL Reports Strong Double-Digit Growth appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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GamingTECH CEE Awards 2026

WinSpirit wins Best Online Casino in CEE at the GamingTECH CEE Awards 2026

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Online casino brand WinSpirit has been announced as the winner in the Best Online Casino in CEE category at the GamingTECH CEE Awards 2026 — a respected industry event celebrating excellence across the iGaming sector.

Since launching in mid-2022, WinSpirit has rapidly gained recognition for its dynamic approach to product development, creative marketing, and a genuine player-first philosophy. The brand stands out by successfully combining innovative features, high-quality entertainment, and strong focus on player experience.

Over the past year, WinSpirit has demonstrated impressive growth across key metrics, significantly expanding its loyal player base, VIP segment, and overall betting activity. The brand has also introduced unique interactive formats, enhanced its loyalty system with the real-time Gift Shop, and continued to invest in smart personalisation across the platform.

This award adds to WinSpirit’s growing list of international recognitions. The brand also maintains excellent player ratings across major review platforms, consistently receiving high marks for service quality and user experience.

With this latest victory, WinSpirit continues to solidify its reputation as one of the most dynamic and player-oriented online casinos in the industry — combining rapid growth with innovation and a clear focus on player satisfaction.

The post WinSpirit wins Best Online Casino in CEE at the GamingTECH CEE Awards 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Denmark

Stake.dk Offers Money Back on Denmark’s World Cup Playoff Match Against North Macedonia

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Stake.dk, Denmark’s leading online casino and sportsbook, today announces the launch of an exclusive campaign in connection with Denmark’s decisive World Cup playoff match against North Macedonia on March 26, 2026 in Parken.

Stake Sportsbook offers Danish football enthusiasts a unique opportunity to support the national team without risk: Players can place a single bet on Denmark to win on the 1×2 market before the match starts, and if Denmark does not win in regular time, the player will get their stake back in cash – up to DKK 1,000.

The campaign is created to celebrate one of the most important moments in Danish football in 2026. With a direct entry ticket to the World Cup at stake, the atmosphere is high, and Stake.dk wants to give its customers the opportunity to experience the match with full support and minimal risk.

To qualify for the promotion, players must place a single bet of at least DKK 25 on the 1×2 market with Denmark as the winner before the scheduled match kick-off. The offer only applies to the first qualifying bet per player, and the refund will be paid as pure cash directly to the player’s Stake account within 48 hours if Denmark does not win in regular time.

Denmark will meet North Macedonia on Thursday, March 26 at 20:45 CET in Parken as part of the World Cup playoff.

The campaign emphasizes Stake.dk’s dedication to delivering relevant and engaging experiences to its Danish customers in connection with major sporting events.

The promotion is available to all Stake customers with an active betting account at stake.dk. Full list of terms and conditions is available on the promotion page.

About Stake

Stake is the world’s most popular online casino and sportsbook. Founded in 2017, Stake attracts over 80 million monthly visitors – more than any other iGaming platform – and handles over 100 billion bets per year. Stake is recognized for its innovation in crypto gaming, as well as its growing expansion into regulated local currency markets in Italy, Denmark, Brazil, Colombia and Peru. Stake also has an impressive portfolio of global sponsorships, including Canadian superstar Drake, X Games, Everton Football Club and UFC.

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Stake

[email protected]

The post Stake.dk Offers Money Back on Denmark’s World Cup Playoff Match Against North Macedonia appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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