Latest News

ITL report successful show at VendExpo in Russia

Published

5 years ago

April 2, 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Notwithstanding the global situation, VendExpo in Moscow took place last week spanning over three days in the Russian capital. The 14th international exhibition of vending technologies and self-service systems was held at the Expo centre and was one of the first major global exhibitions to take place since the pandemic began last year.

Commenting on ITL’s presence at the show, Georgiy Frolov, Business Development Manager said, “VendExpo was a welcome opportunity to meet up with partners, colleagues and customers given the past year we have all had. Despite the expected reduction in customer traffic compared to previous years, the show was quite successful for us and we had a good number of quality leads, so we predict that overall, the show will produce more potential customers. The team also noticed that both exhibitor and visitor profiles where more varied compared to 2019 suggesting the show is attracting other market sectors beyond vending such as banking and kiosk. Customers from all industries who visited the booth could see the potential for facial recognition and updating their units to improve their recycling capabilities.”

Georgiy continued, “A big success for the region is the adoption of our compact recyclers NV11 Spectral and NV22 Spectral. These are the first choice for Vending applications due to their flexibility and size. Visitors were impressed with their proven ability to maximises cash efficiency and reduce operational costs significantly. It was also great to see some of our more traditional products on other stands such as the BV50, which is used widely across Russia within vending applications.”

“For higher volume, retail applications, customers showed a keen interest in our recycling offerings for both bills and coins using the Spectral Payout and Smart Coin System combination. The Spectral Payout is an 80 note ‘true’ mixed denomination recycler which uses the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) certified NV200 Spectral validator. It gives complete note image capture for exceptional protection against fraudulent and stained notes as well as eliminating change starvation & reducing the note float level required to keep machines operational. This unit combined with the SMART Coin System – a multi-denomination coin recycler, which is now able to work with 1-10 RUB coins – proved to be popular with the visitors.”

Concluding Georgiy said, “This year we also participated in one of the conference programme discussions on self-service innovations. We reviewed ICU, our facial recognition and age verification device, as a part of self-service systems of the future. This was well received and resulted in several discussions and potential partnerships. On the booth ICU was also creating interest with more perspectives of its practical use such as loyalty programs and night clubs. The ICU age verification feature demonstrated on the booth attracted high interest from visitors who sell age-restricted goods and services both in retail and vending sectors as an effective way to automate age checks to ensure compliance. This new era of self-service is fast moving and presents interesting prospects for the future. We look forward to working with customers and partners in the region to explore how our new products and technologies can benefit their businesses.”

eSports

Esports Foundation names Faker Game Ambassador for EWC and ENC through 2028

Published

4 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

esports-foundation-names-faker-game-ambassador-for-ewc-and-enc-through-2028

Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok joins Cristiano Ronaldo and Magnus Carlsen in the Esports Foundation’s Ambassador Program.

The Esports Foundation (EF) has appointed Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok as a Game Ambassador for the Esports World Cup (EWC) and Esports Nations Cup (ENC) through 2028, the organization said on July 15, 2026 in a statement issued from Riyadh and Paris.

EF said Faker joins Cristiano Ronaldo, listed as the Foundation’s Global Ambassador, and Magnus Carlsen as part of the Esports Foundation Ambassador Program. The Foundation said Faker will represent “the perspective of esports players” across its international events, athlete initiatives, media engagements and leadership forums.

“You can’t talk about esports without mentioning Faker. He is the defining athlete of competitive gaming: a champion whose excellence, discipline and longevity have inspired an entire generation,” said Ralf Reichert, Chief Executive Officer of the Esports Foundation. “As our Game Ambassador, Faker represents something fundamental to the Ambassador Program: esports creates its own global sporting icons. Across EWC, ENC and NGSC, he will help ensure that the players who built this sport have a voice in shaping where it goes next.”

Faker said: “Competition has shaped my life, and I am proud to join the Esports Foundation as Game Ambassador. I want to continue competing for the biggest titles with T1 while representing the players and fans who have helped esports grow worldwide. Through the Esports World Cup, Esports Nations Cup and the Foundation’s wider platforms, I hope to inspire the next generation to pursue excellence, remain resilient and believe in how far competitive gaming can take them. There is still much more to achieve.”

EF highlighted Faker’s competitive record, describing him as a six-time League of Legends World Champion, EWC 2024 winner, two-time MSI champion and ten-time domestic champion with T1. The Foundation also said Faker became the first esports athlete to receive the Blue Dragon Medal in 2026, describing it as the Republic of Korea’s highest sporting honor awarded by President Lee Jae-myung.

The post Esports Foundation names Faker Game Ambassador for EWC and ENC through 2028 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Brand Partnerships

Midnite signs as Middlesbrough FC principal partner for 2026/27 season

Published

11 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

midnite-signs-as-middlesbrough-fc-principal-partner-for-2026/27-season

Midnite has agreed a partnership with Middlesbrough FC that will see the UK bookmaker become the club’s principal partner and front-of-shirt sponsor for the 2026/27 campaign, which Middlesbrough describes as its landmark 150th season.

The companies announced the deal alongside a fan activation at Riverside Stadium on Thursday, July 9, branded “This Season’s On Us”. The initiative offered supporters prizes including 2026/27 season tickets, 2026/27 shirts, match tickets, or a £25 club shop voucher, with fans required to answer Middlesbrough trivia and complete a football challenge.

Middlesbrough former players Craig Hignett and David Wheater attended the event, and, according to the company, took bonus attempts on behalf of participants who missed out.

Andrew Mook, Midnite’s Head of Brand Marketing, said:

“Middlesbrough have a storied history and we’re delighted to announce this partnership during such a monumental year with the club celebrating their 150th anniversary.

“It was great to see so many Middlesbrough fans at the “This Season’s On Us” activation, we hope they enjoyed taking part and meeting club legends, with David Wheater hitting top bins on several occasions and allowing fans to win big with season tickets.

“We can’t wait to get to Riverside Stadium in August to kick-off a new season and we’re excited to say that we have plenty of new and captivating campaigns planned.”

Lee Fryett, Middlesbrough FC Chief Commercial Officer, added:

“We’re delighted to welcome Midnite as our new Principal Partner.

“We’re looking forward to working closely with Midnite to develop engaging campaigns, content and unique experiences that bring our fans even closer to the club.

“We’re confident this partnership will provide real value for our supporters while supporting our ambitions both on and off the pitch.”

The post Midnite signs as Middlesbrough FC principal partner for 2026/27 season appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AGCO

ThrillTech secures AGCO supplier licence for Ontario launch

Published

11 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

thrilltech-secures-agco-supplier-licence-for-ontario-launch

ThrillTech has been awarded a Gaming-Related Supplier licence by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), clearing the company to launch in Ontario’s regulated market.

The licence allows ThrillTech to deploy its opt-in side bet jackpots technology with regulated online casino, sports betting and lottery operators across the province.

Benjamin Bradtke, Co-Founder of ThrillTech, said: “Securing our AGCO licence is a major step in our mission to transform how jackpots are delivered at scale across regulated markets. This latest certification is testament to our robust technology and trusted compliance frameworks, allowing us to continue our global growth trajectory. We are thrilled to bring our proven, compliant jackpot technology to Ontario, empowering locally licensed operators to uplift revenue without cannibalising existing spend.”

The company said its “ThrillPots” mechanics sit as an independent, player-funded side bet and do not alter the underlying game’s return-to-player mathematics.

ThrillTech said the Ontario approval enables its existing multinational partners that also operate in the province to launch its side bet jackpots locally, while it also holds talks with potential new operator partners. The company lists its regulated footprint as including the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands, Romania, Malta, Gibraltar, Brazil and Peru.

The post ThrillTech secures AGCO supplier licence for Ontario launch appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.