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Casino Guru Launches Academy for Online Casino Customer Support
As online gambling grows ever more popular, requirements regarding quality, responsible, and fair gambling approaches also increase. Casino Guru, the world’s largest online casino database, has always focused on these values. Its online casino rankings, fair gambling codex, responsible gambling guides, and complaint resolution center should prove as much.
But the company felt it could do more. So, on top of its past projects, Casino Guru launched its first educational course in the Casino Guru Academy series for online casino employees. The series starts with a course detailing online casino customer support basics and hopes to improve online casino player experiences and responsible gambling standards through employee education.
Daniel Dolejsi, who is in charge of Casino Guru’s community projects, describes what inspired the project: “Every day we hear stories and complaints about online casinos mistreating players. We felt a strong desire to do something about the issue, especially seeing as many of the issues players experience are completely preventable through a combination of employee training, player communication, and fair Terms & Conditions agreements.”
Daniel then continues to explain Casino Guru’s approach in tackling this project: “This is a highly ambitious project on our part, and we need to pace ourselves if we wish to succeed. This first course, focusing on online gambling and customer support basics, is supposed to serve as a foundation for our future, more complex courses.”
The Academy’s first course introduces new customer support aspirants to the online gambling ecosystem, hoping to simplify onboarding and, in doing so, open up the customer support employment opportunity to a broader audience. Specifically, it details the most common situations a customer support representative may experience and gives practical advice on dealing with them fairly and professionally.
Daniel, who originally started his online gambling career in customer support himself, explains why Casino Guru chose this topic as the basis for their first Academy course: “Customer support is likely the most common entry-level employment opportunity in online gambling a person may find. However, many new hires are unfamiliar with the industry and often struggle with their job, resulting in bad experiences for employees and players alike. We felt we could fix the problem by giving employees the means of learning everything they need to know, supporting them in growing their careers, and hopefully leading to a more informed online casino environment.”
Casino Guru believes that the first step in improving industry fairness, safety, and responsibility standards is to help casinos choose and nurture suitable candidates. Moving forward, the company hopes to involve partnered entities more heavily in creating the Academy’s various courses, as they think collaboration and sharing their collective know-how will lead to the best results.
Educating a new generation of future industry leaders is no simple task but a crucial one for the gambling industry. With lots of hard work, some patience, and a little luck, the online casino landscape may change for the better forever, thanks to efforts much like this.
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Arizona
Arizona Department of Gaming Reports $44.9 Million in Tribal Gaming Contributions for the Second Quarter of Fiscal Year 2026
The Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG) announced today $44,891,270 in tribal gaming contributions to the Arizona Benefits Fund for the second quarter of Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. This represents an approximate 5.6 percent increase when compared to the same quarter of FY 2025.
“The financial support that tribal gaming provides the state of Arizona continues to power local and statewide needs that are vital to healthy and safe communities,” said Jackie Johnson, Director of the ADG. “With nearly $45 million in tribal gaming contributions in the most recent period, the Department is proud to ensure the continuation of important revenue streams that positively impact Arizonans.”
The Arizona Benefits Fund receives 88 percent of tribal gaming contributions, providing significant dollars to support instructional improvement for schools, trauma and emergency care, tourism, and wildlife conservation throughout the state. If interested in viewing the cumulative tribal gaming contributions by year, please visit our reports webpage: gaming.az.gov/resources/reports.
Tribal gaming contributions to the Arizona Benefits Fund for the second quarter of the State’s FY 2026 are as follows:
Instructional Improvement Fund/Education………………………………………………..$22,373,810
Trauma and Emergency Services Fund………………………………………………………..$11,186,905
Arizona Department of Gaming Operating Costs………………………………………….$4,040,214
Arizona Wildlife Conservation Fund……………………………………………………………$3,196,258
Tourism Fund…………………………………………………………………………………………..$3,196,258
Problem Gambling Education, Treatment and Prevention……………………………..$897,825
Total: Tribal Gaming Contributions to the Arizona Benefits Fund……………………..$44,891,270
Per the Arizona Tribal-State Gaming Compact, the remaining 12 percent is distributed by the tribes to the cities, towns, and counties of their choosing for community services and public safety programs for local governments. Since FY 2004, cumulative contributions have totaled approximately $2.5 billion, benefitting both the state and its cities, towns, and counties.
Currently, there are 26 Class III casinos in Arizona, which ADG regulates in partnership with Arizona tribes. For more information, view our tribal gaming webpage: gaming.az.gov/tribal-gaming-page.
The post Arizona Department of Gaming Reports $44.9 Million in Tribal Gaming Contributions for the Second Quarter of Fiscal Year 2026 appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
888.it
R. Franco Digital Shortlisted for Casino Platform Excellence at EGR Europe Awards 2026
R. Franco Digital, the leading Spanish iGaming provider, has been officially shortlisted for Casino Platform Supplier of the Year at the prestigious EGR Europe Awards 2026. The nomination recognizes a landmark year for the company, characterized by the explosive growth of its IRIS Open Omnichannel Platform and a major commercial breakthrough into the Italian market.
The winners will be announced during a gala ceremony on February 18, 2026, at the Hilton Malta, where the industry’s top-tier operators and suppliers gather to celebrate European gaming excellence.
IRIS: The Engine of Omnichannel Growth
The core of R. Franco Digital’s success lies in its IRIS platform, a highly scalable, multi-jurisdictional solution that unifies casino, sports betting, and retail management.
IRIS Platform Milestones (2025-2026):
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Jurisdictional Reach: Certified in 6 jurisdictions and operational in over 10 regulated markets.
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Content Depth: Seamlessly integrated with over 1,600 games from global third-party providers.
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Operational Stability: Provides 24/7 multilingual support and advanced real-time analytics for operators.
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Commercial Momentum: Secured 50+ new operator partnerships and entered three new markets within the last 12 months.
Performance Highlights: 4 Billion Game Rounds
R. Franco Digital’s games portfolio has seen a massive surge in engagement, bolstered by 20 new high-performance slot releases in 2025. Standout titles such as Strange Spins, Aphrodite, Zorro: Final Duel, Ovomon, and The Phantom contributed to a record-breaking year.
| Metric | 2025–2026 Achievement |
| Total Game Rounds | 4 Billion+ across regulated markets |
| Revenue Growth | 30% Increase during the judging period |
| New Content | 20 New slot titles launched |
| Expansion | Debut in the Italian regulated market |
Strategic Italian Market Entry
A major factor in the EGR shortlisting was R. Franco Digital’s successful entry into Italy. The provider rapidly localized its content to meet the specific demands of Italian players through tier-one partnerships:
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Stanleybet.it: Launched 19 games, including the Italian-exclusive debut of Strange Spins.
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888.it: Successfully rolled out the popular Super 7 3×3 title.
“We’re proud to be shortlisted for this award, which reflects the strength of our IRIS platform and the quality of the content we’ve delivered over the past year,” said Javier Sacristán Franco, International Business Director at R. Franco Digital. “Our team has worked hard to support operators with reliable, innovative solutions… we are delighted to see that effort recognised.”
The post R. Franco Digital Shortlisted for Casino Platform Excellence at EGR Europe Awards 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Big Hot Flaming Pots
Big Hot Flaming Pots: Tasty Treasures – Lightning Box Brings Land-Based Hit Online
Light & Wonder has officially launched Big Hot Flaming Pots: Tasty Treasures, the digital debut of its highly successful land-based franchise. Developed by in-house specialist studio Lightning Box, this 3×5 slot offers 243 ways to win and a high-energy “three-pot” mechanic that has already become a staple on casino floors worldwide.
The game transitions the whimsical “dumpling-tossing” theme to online audiences, combining vibrant Asian-inspired aesthetics with a deep mathematical model designed for high-engagement sessions.
The Three-Pot Mechanic & Seven Feature Combinations
At the core of the gameplay is the persistent pot system. Landing specific colored coins fuels three separate pots—Yummy, Spicy, and Upsized. These pots can trigger individually or in any combination, leading to seven distinct bonus paths.
| Feature Mode | Gameplay Enhancement |
| Yummy Mode | Increases the Hold & Spin respin counter from 3 to 4, significantly extending bonus life. |
| Spicy Mode | Introduces Chilli multipliers; landing a pepper adds its cash value to every symbol currently held on the board. |
| Upsized Mode | Unlocks a Dual Grid (two reel sets) for the Hold & Spin round, doubling the win potential. |
| Combined Modes | Triggering all three at once creates the “Mega Bonus,” featuring dual grids, 4 respins, and value-boosting peppers. |
Innovation: The Stack N’ Hit
Feature
Unlike traditional Hold & Spin mechanics where symbols simply lock until the round ends, Tasty Treasures introduces the Stack N’ Hit
evolution.
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Reel Clearing: When a vertical reel is filled with Bun symbols, the prizes are instantly collected, and the reel is cleared.
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Persistent Respins: Clearing a reel creates open spaces for new prizes to land, allowing the bonus round to continue far longer than standard industry alternatives.
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The Path to Grand: Each cleared reel activates a “Pepper Tracker” above it. Lighting up all five trackers awards the Grand Progressive Jackpot.
Jackpot Tiers & Base Game Depth
Operators benefit from a versatile math model that supports both consistent base-game performance and high-volatility jackpot chases.
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Progressive Jackpots: Grand and Major tiers for life-changing win potential.
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Fixed Jackpots: Minor and Mini tiers awarded through symbols landing during features.
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Nudge Wilds: In the base game, Wild symbols can nudge to cover entire reels, assisting in achieving the 243-way payouts.
“Big Hot Flaming Pots: Tasty Treasures carries forward a brand that has already made its mark in land-based venues,” says Michael Maokhamphiou, Studio Director at Lightning Box. “This release offers operators a flexible, high-performing title that combines familiarity with fresh layers of engagement.”
The post Big Hot Flaming Pots: Tasty Treasures – Lightning Box Brings Land-Based Hit Online appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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