Latest News
Football for Friendship draws teams for this year’s Football for Friendship eWorld Championship
The 32 International Teams of Friendship for this year’s Football for Friendship eWorld Championship (eF4F), which is organised under the banner of Gazprom International Children’s Social Programme Football for Friendship, have now been drawn. Young Players from 211 countries will compete for the eF4F Championship title from 27th to 29th May.
The Open Draw was held in an online ceremony on 25th April, the International Day of Football and Friendship. The Young Ambassadors for the project, Ananya Kamboj from India, Yusuf Moazzam from Pakistan, Sheqayli Ascencion from Aruba and Alinur Gabidenuiy from Kazakhstan, drew the 32 International Teams of Friendship. The teams were organised into a total of eight groups, with each group consisting of four teams. All teams are named after endangered species to draw attention to the problem of animal extinction. Watch the Open Draw on the programme’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WtKefJnfas.
The eF4F is held on the multiplayer simulator Football for Friendship World (F4F World), which was specially developed for F4F, but available for free on MS Windows, Apple macOS, Android, iOS. Each team consists of six players, and a match runs for two halves of 3.5 minutes each. Football academies all over the world can nominate boys and girls aged 12 to 14 as players up to 1st May.
The preliminary rounds of the eF4F 2021 tournament will take place on 27th and 28th May. The final will be played on 29th May. The national F4F Ambassadors will meet for the National Ambassadors Forum in Istanbul on 29th May on the occasion of the UEFA Champions League final. At the Forum, they will discuss the development of children’s football.
Football for Friendship is aiming to achieve its third GUINNESS WORLD RECORDSTM title this year as well. The programme already has two GUINNESS WORLD RECORDSTM title was achieved for the most nationalities in a football training session and the most users in a video football hangout.
Ivan Galayev, Young Player from Latvia, 12 y.o.: Dear participants at the events of F4F 2021, welcome to the world of nine values. It was a great pleasure and a great honour for me to take part in the Football for Friendship eWorld Championship in 2020. It’s the perfect place to experience friendship, peace and enthusiasm for the game of football. I wish you good luck and lots of fun in the 2021 games. Enjoy yourselves!
Muhammad Y Jallow, Young Player from Gambia, 14 y.o.: When my father first recommended that I take part in F4F, I didn’t really understand what it all meant. But when I started to look for more information, I understood that it’s about much more than a game. In fact, its key ideas are: 1. Fair play, 2. Football should not create disharmony but forge friendships. 3. The best way to play football is to train regularly. I train really hard. When I started playing football, all my teammates were at least three times better. I started working hard on myself until I got into the first team and even became the best player in the team. I have learnt never to give up. It was like a dream come true when I found out that I can take part in this fantastic project. Thank you for everything.
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Arena Platform
Evoplay expands product portfolio with Arena platform
Evoplay has launched Evoplay Arena, a free-to-play platform designed to bring players together through competitive, community-driven slot tournaments.
Built entirely around demo gameplay, the platform allows users to compete without deposits or real-money involvement. Players can join a wide range of tournaments—including daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal formats—earning points and climbing leaderboards based on their performance.
Getting started is simple. After registering and selecting a tournament, players are automatically entered upon their first spin. Each competition clearly outlines its rules, duration, featured game, and scoring mechanics, while live leaderboards provide real-time updates throughout the event.
Scoring systems vary depending on the tournament format, typically factoring in results such as win values or applied multipliers. Once a tournament concludes, final standings are published and rewards are distributed to top performers.
Depending on the format, players can earn digital certificates or Arena Coins. Certificates highlight standout performances, while Arena Coins act as an in-platform currency, rewarding consistent participation and success.
Evoplay Arena also introduces Legends of Arena, a seasonal leaderboard that tracks performance across multiple tournaments. Players accumulate seasonal points automatically, with top-ranked participants receiving additional rewards at the end of each cycle.
Designed for both experienced slot players and casual competitors, the platform offers structured, leaderboard-based gameplay, risk-free access to popular Evoplay titles, and social features such as player chat to enhance interaction.
Ivan Kravchuk, CEO at Evoplay, said:
“Evoplay Arena introduces a new way for players to experience our games through competition and progression, without the need for real-money play. It’s built around accessibility, transparency, and long-term engagement, reflecting our commitment to delivering diverse and entertaining experiences.”
The post Evoplay expands product portfolio with Arena platform appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Gaming Awards
Soft2Bet shortlisted in three categories at SBC Awards Europe
Soft2Bet has been shortlisted in three categories at the SBC Awards Europe, highlighting the strength of its platform, gamification suite, and ongoing product innovation across key European markets. The recognition follows a year of strong performance and sustained business growth.
The company is nominated in the Acquisition & Retention Partner category for its proprietary Motivational Engineering Gaming Application (MEGA), as well as for Platform Provider of the Year. In addition, MEGA Clawee—a nostalgic claw-machine concept reimagined for online play—has been shortlisted for Industry Innovation of the Year.
Driving Performance Through Innovation
Soft2Bet’s recent results underline its strategy, with notable EBITDA growth, increased sportsbook revenue, and strong overall brand performance over the past 12 months. These achievements reflect the effectiveness of its performance-focused B2B model, which combines product innovation, MEGA-driven gamification, localisation, and regulatory compliance to support growth in highly competitive markets.
The Platform Provider of the Year nomination recognises the company’s all-in-one platform, integrating player account management, payments, CRM, segmentation, bonus and loyalty tools, risk management, and gamification into a single, mobile-first system. This unified approach enables operators to launch quickly, adapt to local requirements, and scale efficiently across both casino and sportsbook verticals.
Gamification at the Core
At the heart of Soft2Bet’s engagement strategy is MEGA Clawee, which brings a remote-controlled claw machine into the digital space. By blending skill-based gameplay with instant rewards, it creates a compelling retention loop designed to boost player engagement and long-term value.
Harrison Barrett, VP of Business Development at Soft2Bet, said:
“Being shortlisted in three categories at SBC Awards Europe is a strong endorsement of our vision. We focus on delivering high-performing platforms, meaningful localisation, and engaging product experiences that keep players coming back. MEGA plays a central role in that strategy, transforming engagement into long-term retention and value.”
For Soft2Bet, the nominations mark another milestone in a period of continued commercial growth, product expansion, and industry recognition, as it supports operators in launching, localising, and scaling through advanced platform technology and engagement-driven solutions.
The post Soft2Bet shortlisted in three categories at SBC Awards Europe appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Italy
REEVO Partners with StarVegas
REEVO has announced a new partnership with StarVegas, a well-established online gaming brand in Italy. Through this collaboration, REEVO’s in-house games are now available on the StarVegas platform, further strengthening REEVO’s presence in one of Europe’s most competitive regulated markets.
This partnership marks another important milestone in REEVO’s ongoing expansion strategy, as the company continues to grow its global footprint by bringing its high-quality gaming experiences to leading operators worldwide. By going live with StarVegas, REEVO reinforces its commitment to delivering engaging, performance-driven content that resonates with players and supports operator growth.
For REEVO, this collaboration highlights its ability to partner with trusted brands in key markets and deliver content that enhances player engagement and platform performance.
Karl Grech, Head of Business Development at REEVO, said: “Partnering with StarVegas is an exciting step for REEVO as we continue to expand our presence in regulated European markets. Italy is a highly competitive and dynamic market, and we are proud to bring our games to StarVegas players. This collaboration reflects our focus on delivering high-quality content that drives engagement, supports operator success, and creates long-term value.”
Paolo Marchi, Brand Manager of StarVegas, added: “The integration of REEVO within StarVegas marks an important milestone in our growth strategy in Italy. By combining a strong content portfolio with trusted partners, we aim to further strengthen our positioning and offer players an even more complete and diversified gaming experience. We are excited to start this collaboration and explore new opportunities together.”
The post REEVO Partners with StarVegas appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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