Latest News
Xace names Annie Osborne as Chief Commercial Officer

Fast growing account and payment services provider strengthens management team as it looks to drive growth across Europe
London: 8 March 2021 – Xace, the fast-growing account and payment provider has added significant industry expertise to its senior team with the key appointment of Annie Osborne as Chief Commercial Officer, further strengthening its position as a specialist gaming payment account provider.
As Chief Commercial Officer, Annie will be responsible for shaping & executing Xace’s Commercial Sales & Marketing strategies, including Product Development & Customer Experience, reporting directly to Xace CEO David Hodkinson.
With a distinguished ten-plus-year payments career, with roles held at big-name companies including American Express and ACI, Annie has unrivalled experience in international merchant banking, payments & fraud management, covering an expanse of verticals including enterprise retail, Gaming, Hospitality & Entertainment.
Xace has expanded rapidly since launching under a year ago and particularly among gaming companies that struggle to acquire traditional high-street bank accounts. The company already counts some of gaming’s most well-known and respected businesses as customers.
Xace currently provides EUR and GBP business and personal accounts, each with virtual debit cards, throughout Europe. The company has ambitious plans to further expand throughout Europe this year, with Osborne playing a key role in driving growth.
David Hodkinson, Xace CEO, said: “I am delighted to welcome Annie to the team and for Xace to leverage her tremendous knowledge and experience not only of international payments but also of the global gambling industry as we continue to expand rapidly.
“Xace provides a quality solution to a common problem that gaming companies across Europe encounter and this has seen us ride an incredible wave of growth in our first year. We now want to build on that and with Annie on board as CCO it will undoubtedly be another successful year for Xace.”
Annie Osborne, Chief Commercial Officer at Xace, said: “I’m delighted and immensely proud to be joining Xace at this stage of its growth. It is an incredibly exciting opportunity and I am looking forward to playing a part in its continued success as the business expands its reach across Europe over the coming months.
“Its product offering, especially to gaming businesses, has led Xace to become the account and payment provider of choice for a number of companies both in and out of the sector. Now is the time to rapidly scale up and I look forward to playing my part in continuing the impressive journey.”
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Compliance Updates
EGBA boosts regulatory monitoring with compliance workspace Letzz

The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) is pleased to announce a partnership with Letzz, an AI-powered compliance workspace designed for online gambling, to modernise regulatory monitoring and enhance strategic compliance across Europe’s fragmented online gambling landscape.
Through this partnership, EGBA will implement Letzz‘s AI-powered tool to enhance its own regulatory monitoring capabilities. Launching this week, the Letzz platform offers operators real-time, expert-validated insights and automated regulatory news scanning, creating a single, reliable source of information for compliance management.
“We are committed to promoting the highest standards of compliance across Europe’s online gambling sector,” said Maarten Haijer, Secretary General at EGBA. “With 27 countries in the EU, each with their own gambling laws and a myriad of requirements, accessible tools like Letzz can help both associations like EGBA and operators better understand the complex landscape of regulatory obligations.”
“We founded Letzz with the belief that compliance should be a competitive advantage, not just a necessity,” said Daniel Gambin, Co-Founder and CEO at Letzz. “Our partnership with EGBA allows us to bring this vision to a wider audience of operators who share our commitment to excellence in regulatory compliance. By transforming compliance from a challenge into a strategic business asset, we’re helping operators stay abreast of the latest regulatory changes.”
The collaboration reflects EGBA’s commitment to promoting a well-regulated online gambling market with the highest compliance standards.
Source: egba.eu
The post EGBA boosts regulatory monitoring with compliance workspace Letzz appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Conferences in Europe
Portside Game Assembly announces talks and roundtables for June 27th’s premiere of the conference for indie game leaders

Gamecity Hamburg is setting sail with the premiere edition of Portside Game Assembly – a dedicated B2B conference for international indie game leaders – taking place aboard a ship cruising Hamburg’s famous harbour on June 27. With a carefully curated program of keynotes, impulse talks, and roundtables, the conference offers a rare opportunity for studio directors and decision makers to connect in a focused and collaborative setting. Designed to spark fresh perspectives and actionable insights, the event brings together voices from acclaimed indie studios worldwide like Benjamin Laulan (COO & Co-Founder Evil Empire), Philomena Schwab (Founder Stray Fawn Studio), Søren Lundgaard (CEO Ghost Ship Games), Mauricio García (Studio Director The Game Kitchen), Kevin Zuhn (Creative Director & Co-Founder Young Horses Inc.), and more speakers. Tickets for the full conference experience, including a Networking Brunch and the Games Industry Party, are available at portsideassembly.com.
As the premiere of the Portside Game Assembly on June 27 is approaching, the laser-focused program for indie game leaders takes shape.
Keynotes, impulse talks and roundtables: This is the program
By offering a confidential setting for studio directors, the Portside provides value through relevant conversations and strategic networking, which is also reflected in the diverse yet focused conference program. These are some of the program highlights:
- Keynote: Benjamin Laulan (COO & Co-Founder Evil Empire): The “Triple-i Initiative Deep Dive” keynote on how to create your own announcement space and talk directly to your audience when you can’t really relate to other existing showcases.
Impulse Blocks:Impulse Blocks consist of two to three impulse talks, all of which relate to an overarching topic, followed by an open discussion about the perspectives shown and an opportunity for participants to share their own experiences. The discussions will be moderated by Mariève Beauchemin (Programs Director & Co-Founder Indie Asylum) and Andreas Suika (Creative Director & Game Designer).
- Mining for Your Next Gem – How to Decide which Games to Develop
A defining and crucial decision for every indie game studio is: what of the (probably many) game ideas should be pursued? Where should studios allocate their resources – and what game will help a studio prevail? Three speakers will share their approaches to these questions in 10-minute impulse talks:
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- Philomena Schwab (Founder Stray Fawn Studio): Game Idea Validation
- Jonas Tyroller (Founder Grizzly Games): You Don’t Need a Hook
- René Habermann (Director bippinbits): Don’t Ship the Wrong Game
- Games Are Made by People – How to Foster a Good Company Culture
Founding and maintaining an independent game studio and managing a small to mid-size team comes with a lot of responsibility: from growing or having to downsize a team to maintaining a company culture where talent is nurtured, developed, and kept long-term.
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- Mauricio García (Studio Director The Game Kitchen): Keeping the Indie Mindset while Going Big
- Kevin Zuhn (Creative Director & Co-Founder Young Horses Inc.): Hold Your Horses: Why Slow is How We Grow
- From Dev to Dev – Why to Invest in Other Studios
More and more indie studios take the leap to market not only their own games but also put their resources and experiences on games from other developers. Two speakers will share their motivations and learnings from investing in games and studios that are not their own:
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- Søren Lundgaard (CEO Ghost Ship Publishing): Developer by Day, Publisher by Night
- Christian Nyhus Andreasen (COO Fair Games): How to Lose 50% and Still Prosper – Angel Investment Lifestyle
Roundtables:
Roundtables have a more interactive concept than impulse blocks and encourage participants to discuss all aspects of the overarching question from the very beginning
- Roundtable 1: Mobile Ports – When, Why & How? Moderated by Ali Farha (Senior Producer Star Stable Entertainment)
- Roundtable 2: Stronger Together – Business Cooperations Between Indies. Moderated by Manny Hachey (Creative Director Positive Impact Games)
- Roundtable 3: (Self-)Publishing – The Good, the Bad, the Ugly. Moderated by Sophie Atkin (Director & Founder Secret Sauce)
- Roundtable 4: Longtail FTW – How to Make the Most out of Your Game. Moderated by Leonie Wolf (Associate Art Director Maschinen-Mensch)
The Portside Game Assembly website offers a detailed view on speakers, program topics and participating studios: https://portsideassembly.com/program/
The premiere of the Portside Game Assembly is supported by these great sponsors and partners: Photon and Twin Harbour Interactive!
Selection of already confirmed participants:
More than 60 studios from over 15 countries have already registered for the Portside Game Assembly conference on board the MS Princess. Besides already announced participants like Evil Empire, Stray Fawn Studio, The Game Kitchen, Toukana Interactive, Ghostship Publishing, and others, further acclaimed studios join the conference:
- Digital Sun (Moonlighter, Cataclismo) / Spain
- Keen Games (Enshrouded) / Germany
- Young Horses Inc. (Bugsnax, Octodad) / USA
- Gamious (Lake, Turmoil) / Netherlands
- Color Gray Games (The Case of the Golden Idol) / Latvia
- Massive Damage (Star Renegades) / Canada
- Beam NG (BeamNG.drive) / Germany
Further participating studios can be found on the Portside Game Assembly.
The post Portside Game Assembly announces talks and roundtables for June 27th’s premiere of the conference for indie game leaders appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Brazil
LuckBet Launches New TV Commercial Starring Caio Castro on Sportv and Globoplay

The Brazilian sports betting brand doubles down on its national presence with a humorous new campaign spotlighting customer benefits, responsible gaming, and celebrity appeal.
One of Brazil’s rising names in the online betting industry, LuckBet, has launched a new nationwide advertising campaign featuring acclaimed actor and motorsport enthusiast Caio Castro. The commercial, which blends humor with strategic brand messaging, is now airing on Globoplay and will debut on Sportv.
The witty commercial stars Caio Castro in a creative split-role talk show, where he plays both the host and the guest. While only one version of him gets to talk (the host, of course), the dialogue cleverly introduces LuckBet’s key strengths—focusing on entertainment, trust, and unique player benefits.
“Caio Castro communicates our message with natural charisma and humor, while staying aligned with our brand’s core values: entertainment, simplicity, and responsibility,” said Ivan Dutra, CEO of LuckBet. “This new commercial is fast-paced, engaging, and truly represents who we are as a company.”
LuckBet: A Responsible and Player-First Betting Platform
As the only betting operator from Mato Grosso officially listed by Brazil’s Ministry of Finance, LuckBet offers a wide range of player-centric features. These include:
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Unlimited withdrawals
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24/7 humanized customer support
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Weekly cashback on losses
LuckBet’s informal, street-smart communication style—rich in slang and expressions familiar to younger audiences—helps it stand out in Brazil’s crowded iGaming market. This distinctive approach is designed to foster a more authentic connection with bettors across all touchpoints.
Celebrity-Driven Brand With Social Impact
Since its founding in 2021, LuckBet, headquartered in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, has rapidly grown its reputation through high-profile partnerships and sponsorships, including support for Cuiabá EC football club. Alongside Caio Castro, the brand also works with rapper PKFreestyle and sports journalist Isa Pagliari to broaden its appeal.
Importantly, LuckBet is a strong advocate for Responsible Gaming, offering tools such as self-exclusion, reality checks, and integrations with international support organizations like Gambling Therapy and GambleAware. The company adheres strictly to Brazil’s 2025 gambling regulations, operating transparently under newly defined federal guidelines.
The post LuckBet Launches New TV Commercial Starring Caio Castro on Sportv and Globoplay appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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