Latest News
Roberto Carlos exclusive: the Global Ambassador for Football for Friendship answers the questions of Young Participants from all over the world
The former Brazilian international, three-time winner of the Champions League and Global Ambassador of the Gazprom International Children’s Social Programme Football for Friendship (F4F), Roberto Carlos, spoke in an exclusive press conference with Young Players and Young Journalists about his life, his career and his support for F4F.
Roberto Carlos won the World Cup with the Brazilian national team in 2002. He also won the UEFA Champions League title three times (1998, 2000 and 2002) with Real Madrid as well as numerous national league championship titles. Currently, he is working as a youth coach at Real Madrid. Since 2020 he has also been a Global Ambassador for Football for Friendship. He has supported the programme since 2019, when he presented the winners of the F4F World Championship the cup at the closing events in Madrid, having taken part in other important highlights of the tournament as well.
In an online press conference at the end of May, he answered a wide range of questions from Young Players and Young Journalists with charm and wit. The topics ranged from the highlights of his career to his relationship with his family, his native country Brazil, and his support for Football for Friendship.
Asked about his most famous goal, Roberto Carlos couldn’t suppress a smile at first because, as he explained, he is often asked this question. But he then went on to mention his free kick against France on 3rd June 1997 at the Tournament of France in the 21st minute of the game and also his spectacular goal against CD Teneriffa on 21st February 1998. He also explained that the derby match between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona had always been a highlight. He said that the Brazilian national team of 2002 and Real Madrid with its galacticos were his favourite teams, and argued that whether or not football was becoming more and more commercialised depended a lot on the actual club. Overall, football would continue to develop both technically and tactically.
He told David Sargent from Ireland that it was true that he had been named after the famous Brazilian singer Roberto Carlos Braga. It had been the wish of his father, whose favourite singer this was. He, Roberto Carlos, was a great admirer of the Brazilian singer Alexandre Pires. He explained that his family had been poor and that, when he was twelve, he had wanted to become a lawyer. But then everything had quickly turned out differently: a football career in Brazil, the national team and an invitation to play in Europe. He said that his family had always supported him, particularly his father, who had played football himself. And, of course, it had been painful to leave his family when he was just 13 years old.
Kinley Deki Yangzom from Bhutan asked him what he would do differently. He replied that everything had gone well and had helped him to develop personally and professionally. He told Miriam Sheahan from Ireland that he had never been afraid. But of course he had had dreams, for example to be able to build his parents a house.
In his view, respect towards others, and good, friendly behaviour – towards one’s opponent as well – were important qualities. He told Dominic Kramberger from Sweden that teamwork was an important precondition for success. And his answer to the question from Xuance Li, a Young Journalist from China, was that, because he himself had always behaved properly towards others, he had never been offended by anyone. Mihajlo Nasik, a Young Journalist from Serbia, played Roberto Carlos a serenade on his piano and then asked him about his creative hobbies. Roberto answered that he didn’t have any special talents and that his life was taken up with football 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Doro Yusupov from Tajikistan wanted to know what, in his view, were typical traditions in Brazil. The football star’s answer was good fortune, good food, respect for one’s family and the desire to spend the weekend with one’s family. Aahana Kamboj from India observed that Brazil had so many good footballers and asked whether it was to do with a particular kind of sand on the beaches there. Carlos replied that he had lived in India for some time and had a great love for the country. He went on to explain that the sand on the beaches most certainly wasn’t the reason why Brazil had so many good footballers. Quite simply, the people in his country played football everywhere and everyone wanted to become a star.
What he found good about Football for Friendship was that so many Young Players and Young Journalists meet up and can interact with one another. He thanked the young people for their many interesting questions and wished them all every success.
The 9th season of Football for Friendship is taking place in an online format from 14th to 29th May 2021. This year, F4F is bringing boys and girls together from more than 200 countries and regions. Young Players aged 12 are taking part in the 2021 Football for Friendship eWorld Championship (eF4F). The competition is being played on “F4F World”, the football simulator, which is available free of charge in 27 languages on MS Windows, Apple MacOS, Android and iOS.
Young Journalists report in the International Children’s Press Centre on the events in the 9th season of Football for Friendship and share with their friends the most important values in the programme: friendship, equality, fairness, health, peace, devotion, victory, traditions, and honour.
You can watch the video of this press conference by clicking on the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi6qD7wkhWA.
Aahana Kamboj, India: “I really enjoyed the session with Football for Friendship Global Ambassador, Roberto Carlos, where the Young Journalists from different countries asked questions related to his football career. Even I got the opportunity to ask a question. According to Roberto, teamwork is the key to success, and everyone must follow this rule to be successful in life.”
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AGS
AGS details OIGA 2026 lineup, including Spectra SL75+ and Revel updates
Supplier confirms booth 732 at the July 20-22 show in Oklahoma City and outlines new game titles plus BSX table progressives.
AGS said it will attend the 2026 Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association (OIGA) Conference and Trade Show on July 20-22 at the Oklahoma City Convention Center, where it plans to present new slot content, cabinet updates, and its table progressive platform. The company will exhibit at booth 732.
In a statement, AGS CEO and President David Lopez positioned the show as a homecoming tied to the company’s Class II history in the state. ”Oklahoma is not just another dot on the map for us. It’s where we started and where we learned how to be a true gaming supplier,” Lopez said. “You can’t fake it in Oklahoma. Tribal customers know the games, they know the math, they know service, and they know who shows up every time. That has been great for AGS, because it forced us to get better. It made us more disciplined while keeping us honest. We’ve grown a lot since then – Class III, tables, interactive, offices all over the place – but our history in Oklahoma and Class II is not something we moved on from. It’s part of the AGS engine.”
On the slots side, AGS said its showcase will include the large-format Spectra SL75+
cabinet, which supports the Spectra game library, including premium titles when leased. The company said the cabinet will be used to highlight five new titles: Rakin’ Bacon! Fu Zhu Bao Bao
; Rakin’ Bacon! 5 Prosperity Pots
; Cash Carriage Looter
; Da Da Luo Boom
; and Frightful Fortunes Popping Pumpkins
.
AGS also outlined its mechanical stepper cabinet Revel®, available in both Class II and Class III, and said its latest Revel portfolio includes Crystal Reels® and Royal Reels®. The company added that Jackpot Legends
and So Hot Cash® are set to debut in Class III later this year, with Class II launches following in 2027.
For tables, AGS highlighted its Bonus Spin Xtreme® (BSX) progressive platform, which the company said links table games across the pit and poker room. AGS did not disclose operator deployments, jackpot figures, or performance metrics tied to BSX in the announcement.
The post AGS details OIGA 2026 lineup, including Spectra SL75+ and Revel updates appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Latest News
Expandirse en LatAm: el costo oculto que enfrenta la industria del iGaming
Gestionar fondos en múltiples mercados: el cuello de botella oculto que frena el crecimiento del iGaming en América Latina
Argentina, 13 de julio de 2026 – Escalar un negocio de iGaming en América Latina implica gestionar infraestructuras de pago paralelas, fondos de liquidez separados y procesos de conciliación desconectados en cada país. Para los operadores que buscan expandirse a nivel regional, esta fragmentación se ha convertido en un costo tangible: consume tiempo, inmoviliza capital, reduce los márgenes a medida que el negocio crece y aumenta la complejidad operativa con cada nuevo mercado.
Brasil marcó el ritmo con ingresos por 37.000 millones de reales en 2025, el primer año completo del mercado bajo un marco regulatorio, según datos de la Secretaría de Premios y Apuestas (SPA). Argentina, Perú, México y Chile también continuaron atrayendo operadores con estrategias de expansión regional. Sin embargo, en la práctica, estas compañías siguen enfrentándose al mismo obstáculo: infraestructuras financieras que operan de manera aislada, con poca o ninguna interoperabilidad entre sí.
Cada mercado funciona sobre rieles de pago locales sin un equivalente directo en otros países. En Brasil, Pix, incluido Pix Biométrico, representa la gran mayoría de las transacciones, especialmente tras la prohibición del uso de tarjetas de crédito y boletos bancarios para las apuestas. En Argentina, las CVU y las transferencias instantáneas cuenta a cuenta (A2A) impulsan los depósitos y retiros; en México ese rol lo cumplen las transferencias SPEI A2A, mientras que en Colombia corresponde a BRE-B. En Chile, MACH se ha convertido en el método de pago preferido por una gran parte de los jugadores y, en Perú, ese lugar lo ocupa Yape. Ninguna de estas infraestructuras de pago se integra de forma nativa con las demás, lo que significa que un operador presente en todos estos mercados termina administrando una infraestructura financiera independiente en cada uno de ellos.
El impacto va mucho más allá del procesamiento de pagos. Cuando los fondos circulan a través de sistemas desconectados entre distintas jurisdicciones, cada una con sus propias normas fiscales y ciclos de liquidación, los operadores pierden visibilidad en tiempo real sobre su posición de caja. Como consecuencia, decisiones que deberían basarse en información precisa y actualizada terminan dependiendo de consolidaciones manuales y estimaciones.
“Vimos venir este escenario antes que el mercado. A medida que la regulación maduró en Brasil, Argentina, Perú, Colombia y el resto de la región, el mayor desafío para los operadores dejó silenciosamente de ser ‘¿podemos ingresar al mercado?’ para convertirse en ‘¿podemos controlar lo que ocurre dentro de nuestra operación?’. Las operaciones financieras fragmentadas son hoy uno de los principales obstáculos para una expansión regional rentable y el problema se agrava, no se reduce, cuanto más crece una empresa. Los ganadores no se definirán por su presencia geográfica, sino por su capacidad de tener visibilidad, control y una gestión integrada. Esa es la convicción sobre la que se construyó OKTO PAYMENTS: infraestructura de pagos local en cada mercado, con una única capa de control financiero por encima, conectada mediante una sola API para todo el continente”, afirmó Filippos Antonopoulos, fundador y CEO de OKTO PAYMENTS.
Para los proveedores de servicios de pago (PSP), dar soporte a operadores presentes en múltiples mercados requiere mucho más que conectividad con los métodos de pago locales. Exige combinar infraestructura local con una capa centralizada de gestión financiera que proporcione visibilidad en tiempo real sobre los fondos, la conciliación y la liquidez entre distintas jurisdicciones. El objetivo es administrar los pagos no como integraciones independientes por país, sino como un marco unificado de control financiero distribuido en múltiples mercados.
OKTO PAYMENTS fue diseñado precisamente para responder a ese desafío. Los operadores realizan una única integración y acceden a los métodos de pago locales que los jugadores esperan en cada mercado: Pix en Brasil, CVU y A2A en Argentina, MACH en Chile, Yape en Perú, entre otros. Sobre esa infraestructura funciona una única capa de tesorería y conciliación que consolida fondos, liquidez y liquidaciones en una vista unificada y en tiempo real, permitiendo que los equipos financieros dejen de conciliar mercado por mercado para gestionar una única posición regional.
Para los operadores que están planificando o acelerando su expansión regional, OKTO PAYMENTS ofrece una evaluación de su infraestructura financiera para identificar dónde la fragmentación está generando costos hoy, ya sea por capital inmovilizado, demoras en las liquidaciones o pérdida de visibilidad financiera. Para solicitar una evaluación, los interesados pueden contactar al equipo comercial de OKTO PAYMENTS.
The post Expandirse en LatAm: el costo oculto que enfrenta la industria del iGaming appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
AGS
AGS Reflects on Their Class II Roots at OIGA 2026
AGS today announced it will be attending the 2026 Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association (OIGA) Conference and Trade Show, taking place July 20-22 at the Oklahoma City Convention Center.
With deep seated roots in Oklahoma, where AGS was founded and where its primary warehouse and production facility is located, AGS is eager to return to OIGA with a continued commitment to serving the needs of tribal operators.
”Oklahoma is not just another dot on the map for us. It’s where we started and where we learned how to be a true gaming supplier,” said David Lopez, CEO and President of AGS. “You can’t fake it in Oklahoma. Tribal customers know the games, they know the math, they know service, and they know who shows up every time. That has been great for AGS, because it forced us to get better. It made us more disciplined while keeping us honest. We’ve grown a lot since then – Class III, tables, interactive, offices all over the place – but our history in Oklahoma and Class II is not something we moved on from. It’s part of the AGS engine.”
The Company’s product showcase will include the large-format, specialty cabinet Spectra SL75+
. Designed to support the entire Spectra game library, including premium titles when leased, Spectra SL75+ gives operators added flexibility to mix and match content to fit their unique casino floor.
The cabinet acts as the perfect canvas to highlight five new titles including Rakin’ Bacon! Fu Zhu Bao Bao
and Rakin’ Bacon! 5 Prosperity Pots
, Cash Carriage Looter
, Da Da Luo Boom
, and Frightful Fortunes Popping Pumpkins
.
AGS’ high-performing mechanical stepper cabinet Revel® – available in both Class II and Class III – is redefining the category by blending traditional mechanical gameplay with video-inspired features, creating an engaging experience for all player types. The latest Revel portfolio includes Crystal Reels® and Royal Reels®, available in both Class II and Class III. Expanding the lineup, Jackpot Legends
– a new cash-on-reels title featuring an exciting Jackpot Bonus Wheel – and So Hot Cash®, which delivers classic stepper gameplay and can be linked to the So Hot Grand progressive, are set to debut in Class III later this year, with Class II launches following in 2027.
On the table side, AGS’ award-winning progressive platform Bonus Spin Xtreme® (BSX) has been hugely successful in turning small side bets into massive jackpots throughout the tribal casino market. Linking all table games – from the pit to the poker room – BSX has been elemental in allowing operators to offer the flexibility at the tables to make these life-changing wins become more common.
AGS’ participation in OIGA reflects the Company’s history in Oklahoma and its longstanding commitment to the tribal gaming community. More than a trade show presence, OIGA is an opportunity for AGS to reconnect with valued partners, strengthen relationships, and reaffirm its respect for the Oklahoma Tribes that have played such an important role in the Company’s growth.
Attendees are invited to visit AGS at booth 732 throughout the show.
For more information, visit newsroom.playags.com.
©2026 AGS LLC. All® notices signify marks registered in the United States. All
notices signify trademarks which are currently not registered on any country-wide basis. Products referenced herein are sold by AGS LLC or its affiliates.
The post AGS Reflects on Their Class II Roots at OIGA 2026 appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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