Latest News
Pragmatic Play Appoints New VP of Strategy and Operations: Bhotesh Maheshwari
Pragmatic Play, a leading content provider to the gaming industry, has appointed former Rank Digital Head of Gaming Product, Bhotesh Maheshwari, as its new Vice President of Commercial Strategy and Operations as the company looks to further cement its position as a top tier supplier in regulated markets.
His core responsibilities will include overseeing commercial operations and building closer product partnerships with leading operators across Europe while expanding Pragmatic Play’s footprint in newly regulated territories across the globe.
The 39-year-old will also head Pragmatic Play’s Gibraltar office which serves UK, German, Spanish and Portuguese operators with a team of three executives working to achieve the supplier’s goals in the region.
Maheshwari has a long history in the gaming industry, working for both top tier operators and suppliers during his 15-year career. Since starting out as a retail manager for William Hill in 2006, he has worked closely with product teams to deliver gaming propositions customised for local player bases across UK, Europe, Latin America, and Asia.
Having spent eight years in a variety of commercial and product roles in the land-based gaming space for William Hill and Inspired Gaming, he moved to Betfair in an online gaming role supporting its arcade product and built an in-house gaming proposition and the innovative timed jackpot offering.
He eventually joined the Rank Group in Gibraltar in 2016 heading casino revenue and product development for online brands Grosvenorcasinos.com and Meccabingo.com.
Julian Jarvis, Chief Executive Officer at Pragmatic Play, said: “We are thrilled to have Bhotesh join us, and look forward to his impressive industry experience benefiting our growing team.
“The projects he has previously been involved with and the impact they have had on development in his previous roles bode very well for his future with us.”
Bhotesh Maheshwari added: “I look forward to working closely with the founders and management team at Pragmatic Play which has established itself as a leading multi-product provider in our industry in a very short time.
“We have hugely exciting expansion plans within regulated regions and new product verticals and it’s fantastic to be embarking on this next phase of growth for the company.”
Pragmatic Play currently produces up to five new slot titles a month, while also delivering Live Casino and Bingo games as part of its multi-product portfolio, available through one single API.
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Secure Some Sweet Treats With BGaming’s Sugar Merge Up™
BGaming, the popular iGaming content provider, is serving up a sugary treat with the launch of Sugar Merge Up
, the latest addition to its #Entertainment slot portfolio.
Players are invited into a candy-coloured world guided by a playful jelly bear mascot. Set on a 6×6 cluster-pay grid, the game is packed with brightly coloured sweets and candy, offering a vibrant and fun-filled experience.
Returning from BGaming’s previous hit, Merge Up
, the cascade-style Merge Up
mechanic allows winning symbols to merge and upgrade to the next highest-paying symbol, creating opportunities for even bigger wins on subsequent cascades.
Building on the gameplay of Merge Up
2, Sugar Merge Up
introduces exciting new ways to form combos. The standout addition is the Bubblegum symbol, which explodes to destroy up to eight surrounding symbols, boosts multipliers in those cells, and then transforms into a Scatter.
Landing Scatters is key to triggering the Free Spins bonus, with up to 30 free spins available. Players can extend the feature by landing three or more Scatters during the bonus round.
For those eager to jump straight into the action, Sugar Merge Up
offers six Buy Bonus options, including:
- Chance ×2 – doubles the multiplier for ×1.2 the stake
- Random Booster – applies random multipliers up to ×128 on each spin for ×10 the bet
- Booster ×16 – ensures ×16 multipliers cover the grid on every spin for ×40 the stake
- Free Spins Buy Bonus – prices range from ×100 to ×500, giving players flexible access to the bonus round
Julia Alekseeva, CPO at BGaming, commented:
“Sugar Merge Up
takes everything players loved about Merge Up
2 and makes it even sweeter. The added bonus features boost engagement, while the multiple Booster and Buy Bonus options give players plenty of flexibility. The candy theme is always a hit, and combining it with the explosive Merge Up
mechanic was a natural next step.”
The post Secure Some Sweet Treats With BGaming’s Sugar Merge Up™ appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
FANS World Cup
Kiron Interactive introduces FANS World Cup ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Kiron Interactive has unveiled FANS World Cup, a fast-paced football betting product designed to keep players engaged during the 2026 international tournament, particularly in between live matches when traffic typically dips.
Built on Kiron’s Goal Premier Engine, FANS World Cup integrates seamlessly into existing operator deployments with no additional cost or technical requirements.
The game features international teams competing in matches that resolve in just 60 to 90 seconds, giving players frequent opportunities to bet during breaks in the live schedule. By offering standalone mini-matches, the platform helps operators maintain player activity and reduce drop-off between fixtures.
Using familiar national teams ensures players stay connected to the real tournament, keeping the football context consistent rather than losing engagement between matches.
FANS World Cup covers all core betting markets, including full-time result, correct score, goalscorers, and card outcomes. Operators can also configure jackpot features and bonus multipliers to match their preferred risk profiles.
Steven Spartinos, Co-CEO of Kiron Interactive, commented:
“Tournament traffic comes in waves, and the challenge is keeping players engaged in between matches. FANS World Cup addresses that by offering short, exciting match cycles while staying connected to the teams fans are already following. It helps operators maintain steady engagement throughout the full tournament schedule.”
The post Kiron Interactive introduces FANS World Cup ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
DEGEN Studios
DEGEN Studios ignites a brutal blood feud with Vendetta Fury
DEGEN Studios has launched Vendetta Fury, a high-volatility slot built around the relentless clash between two powerful forces: Vandal and Havoc.
Vandal embodies chaos and disruption, bending the rules of the grid and reshaping its structure. In contrast, Havoc represents controlled destruction, linking symbols through Wild Beams that build intensity before unleashing their full impact.
This ongoing feud fuels the entire gameplay experience, creating a world where revenge is never settled and every spin feels charged with tension. Wins can accumulate gradually before key features ignite, shifting the balance between the two rivals. Expanding Wilds and multiplier mechanics work together to rapidly transform the grid, turning calm moments into explosive payouts.
The action peaks in the Apocalypse bonus mode, where both Vandal and Havoc appear simultaneously. Their combined mechanics drive a shared global multiplier, dramatically increasing volatility and making outcomes far less predictable as their battle for dominance plays out across the reels.
Danny Gordon, Head of Studio at DEGEN Studios, said:
“A vendetta doesn’t fade — it builds until something finally breaks. That idea is at the core of Vendetta Fury. Vandal and Havoc are locked in an escalating conflict that shapes every part of the game, including its three evolving bonus modes, where control constantly shifts between the two sides.”
“In this world, there’s no forgiveness and no restraint — only rising tension and revenge paid in full.”
The post DEGEN Studios ignites a brutal blood feud with Vendetta Fury appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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