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Football for Friendship eWorld Championship to be held for the second time in F4F World multiuser simulator

Published

5 years ago

April 27, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The Football for Friendship eWorld Championship (eF4F) will be taking place for the second time at the end of May. After sports fans from over 100 countries took part last year, 211 countries and regions will be represented this time round.

The important events in Gazprom’s International Children’s Social Programme Football for Friendship (F4F) will be taking place in a digital format this year too because of the pandemic. Following established tradition, a few highlights are being organised to take place in Istanbul, the host city for the final of the UEFA Champions League, from 28th to 30th May.

The 2021 Football for Friendship eWorld Championship (eF4F) will take place on the multiplayer simulator Football for Friendship World (F4F World), which was specially developed for F4F. International team matches can be organised on this platform in real time. The individual users, each of whom is a player on the team, come from different countries. The team consists of a goalkeeper, a defender, two midfield players and two attackers. There is also a trainer and some substitutes. A game runs for 2 halves of 3.5 minutes.

Since 19th April, football academies all over the world have been invited to nominate girls and boys aged 12 to 14 as players. The draw that will put the kids into International Teams of Friendship will be in the middle of May. The Football for Friendship eWorld Championship (eF4F) will take place from 27th to 29th May.

The winners of the 2020 Football for Friendship eWorld Championship were the team “Granular salamander”, whose players came from Bosnia Herzegovina, Kazakhstan, Latvia, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, and Turkey. In the course of the final events in the 8th season of “Football for Friendship”, a new GUINESS WORLD RECORDSTM title was set for the most users in a football video hangout. This year too F4F is aiming once more to set what would be a third GUINESS WORLD RECORDSTM title.

Since December 2020, F4F World has been available to anyone interested, outside of the eF4F tournament as well, free of charge in 27 different languages. An exciting match, in which the Nine Values of Football for Friendship: friendship, equality, fairness, health, peace, devotion, victory, traditions, and honour, are emphasised, awaits F4F World players. The particular features of F4F World include an original, hand-drawn design, a unique profile modification function, the option of playing in various divisions and leagues, of founding one’s own club or of inviting randomly selected players from around the world to take part in the match. In addition, participants can design their own player as they wish. For example, the players’ hairstyles show the colours of their respective national flags. The 2021 version will also offer some new features like training sessions. The F4F World game is available on MS Windows, Apple MacOS and iOS and was developed by the company DataArt.

Andrey Trusov, DataArt: “It was very interesting and motivating to have the opportunity to contribute to the development of F4F. For me, it was a new experience that there is such a competition for children – one that also promotes values like friendship, fairness, and peace. My colleagues and I engaged very intensively with the whole F4F concept in order to be able to give it form and expression in virtual reality.”

About the programme:
The International Children’s Social Programme Football for Friendship has been run by Gazprom since 2013. Over the previous eight seasons, the programme has brought together over 15,000 participants from 211 countries and regions and over 6,000,000 supporters.

Young Players and Young Journalists are the participants in the programme – boys and girls aged 12 including children with disabilities. Young Players represent different countries and cultures united in the mixed teams of the Football for Friendship World Championship. They show that nationality, gender, and physical abilities aren’t a barrier to becoming a team. Young Journalists cover the events of the programme in the International Children’s Press Center. All participants become Young Ambassadors of the programme and continue to share their Football for Friendship experience and promote universal human values: friendship, equality, fairness, health, peace, devotion, victory, traditions, and honour.

In 2020, Football for Friendship was held online. A special digital platform connected over 10,000 players of all ages. It has become the home for international children’s competitions and a playground where anyone can train, join in the international mixed teams and play their favourite game in the Football for Friendship format without leaving the comfort of their home.

Casino Malta

EvenBet Gaming and SBC set private poker tournament for SBC Summit Malta

Published

18 minutes ago

April 21, 2026

Wladimir P.

evenbet-gaming-and-sbc-set-private-poker-tournament-for-sbc-summit-malta

Invite-only No Limit Hold’em event runs 30 April at Casino Malta, InterContinental Hotel, with prizes for SBC Summit attendees.

EvenBet Gaming will host an invite-only No Limit Hold’em poker tournament with SBC on 30 April, the final day of SBC Summit Malta. The event will take place at Casino Malta at the InterContinental Hotel and is restricted to conference delegates.

The companies are positioning the tournament as a networking format built around a “premium, fast-paced poker experience,” with professional hosting at the venue.

Prizes listed for the event include an iPad Air, Apple Watch 11, and AirPods Pro 3.

Dmitry Starostenkov, CEO at EvenBet Gaming, said: “This tournament is sure to be one of the highlights of SBC Summit Malta, combining the thrill of competition with the social and strategic elements that make poker such a powerful connector.

“Taking place in Casino Malta, the event is reserved exclusively for conference attendees, and we look forward to welcoming them to the table to create new connections while enjoying one of the industry’s most iconic card games.”

The post EvenBet Gaming and SBC set private poker tournament for SBC Summit Malta appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Just Slots

QTech Games adds Just Slots to its aggregation platform

Published

18 minutes ago

April 21, 2026

Wladimir P.

qtech-games-adds-just-slots-to-its-aggregation-platform

Deal expands distribution for Just Slots titles via QTech’s operator network, with a focus on Africa and Latin America.

QTech Games has signed a new content partnership with slots studio Just Slots, adding the supplier’s catalogue to QTech’s aggregation platform for its operator clients.

The integration makes a range of Just Slots titles available via QTech, including Shogun Skylord, Rain and Ruin, Book of Abyss, and Shadow Pirates. The companies said the deal is aimed at extending distribution across emerging markets, particularly Africa and Latin America.

QTech Games CEO Philip Doftvik said: “We’re dedicated to rolling out more and more elite content and product innovation that drives revenue for our partners. So, this deal with Just Slots extends our impressive sequential pipeline into 2026 – and we’ve so much more to come this year! In today’s marketplace, only premium games of the highest standard separate you from the crowd. So, we look forward to sharing their wide spectrum of games with both leading and challenger operator brands in emerging markets worldwide.

“Just Slots’ stunning portfolio will assist any platform partner ensure a complete brand experience that players enjoy and return to, driving dwell-time and fresh revenue streams. Their games introduce compelling narrative twists to their features, appealing to the culturally varied proclivities of new players across a swathe of untapped territories.”

Nick Formosa, Head of Client Strategy at Just Slots, said: “This is a partnership we’re genuinely excited about. QTech has the reach, the operator relationships, and the on-the-ground expertise in markets where slot demand is growing fastest. Being part of their platform puts our content exactly where we want it to be, and we’re looking forward to seeing our games find new audiences across Asia, Africa, and Latin America.”

The post QTech Games adds Just Slots to its aggregation platform appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

BettingStartups

Defy the Odds partners with BettingStartups to boost early-stage igaming support

Published

18 minutes ago

April 21, 2026

Wladimir P.

defy-the-odds-partners-with-bettingstartups-to-boost-early-stage-igaming-support

The groups will collaborate on startup programming starting at SBC Summit Americas on June 9–11 in Fort Lauderdale.

Defy the Odds (DTO) and BettingStartups have announced a strategic partnership to support early-stage startups across igaming and sports betting. The first public collaboration is scheduled for SBC Summit Americas (June 9–11) in Fort Lauderdale, where both organisations said they will support startup-focused programming.

DTO, which advises early-stage founders in igaming, sports betting, sportstech and fintech, and BettingStartups, which focuses on the real money gaming early-stage ecosystem, said the partnership aims to improve access to community, collaboration and capital for founders.

The organisations said the combined effort is intended to increase visibility for emerging companies, improve connections across fragmented industry networks, and help founders become “investor-ready,” including support such as pitch preparation, financial modelling and introductions to investors active in the sector.

Kelly Kehn, Co-Founder of Defy the Odds said of the partnership, “Innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It happens when founders connect, share ideas and push each other forward. That’s what community does. This partnership with BettingStartups is about bringing more startups together and making sure the wider industry pays attention to what they’re building. Because the future of our industry is being shaped by these founders.”

Jesse Learmonth, founder of BettingStartups, adds “We’ve always been about providing high-signal infrastructure for founders to scale. This partnership with DTO doubles down on that mission, linking our audience with a community that actually opens doors. Starting with the Startup Zone at SBC Americas, we’re giving founders a direct, affordable line to the operators and investors who define this industry.

Both organisations said additional joint initiatives are planned throughout 2026.

The post Defy the Odds partners with BettingStartups to boost early-stage igaming support appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.