Latest News

Smarkets raises Series B funding round to supercharge international and domestic growth

Published

5 years ago

June 10, 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Smarkets, one of the world’s largest betting exchange and prediction market platforms, has announced the closing of a significant minority investment from Susquehanna Growth Equity (SGE).

Having raised just £3.8m ($5.4m) since its inception in 2008, with its Series A round coming back in 2013, Smarkets has built a leading exchange platform that processes billions of pounds in traded volume each year. The company has offices in London, Los Angeles, and Malta, licensed customer-focused operations in five countries, and in 2019 released innovative sportsbook app SBK.

Smarkets is delighted to welcome SGE, which joins existing investors Passion Capital and Deutsche Telekom in supporting the company’s mission to fix betting with the fairest odds in the industry.

This new investment will allow Smarkets to accelerate its rollout in the US, where it is already live in Colorado with sportsbook app SBK and set to go live in Indiana soon. The funding will also bolster SBK’s position in the UK mainstream betting market after its successful launch in August 2019.

The new investment will contribute to:

Furthering the company’s US presence, including market-access deals in new, regulated states
Capturing an even greater share of the UK betting exchange market and accelerating SBK’s growth in the UK’s mainstream sportsbook market
Expanding Smarkets’ development of new products for customers and focus on industry-leading prices on sports, politics, and current affairs
Continuing to capture the best and brightest worldwide engineering talent with a view to doubling headcount by the end of 2022
Further expansion into new and recently entered markets such as Denmark and Sweden

Jason Trost, founder and CEO of Smarkets, said:

“This is an incredibly exciting day. I’ve always been amazed what the passion and energy of a comparatively small group of committed people can accomplish against much bigger rivals; Smarkets and SBK are the product of exactly that. At Smarkets we have always been guided by our vision of fixing betting with the best prices and products, and SGE is just as excited as us to challenge the status quo. This is a huge endorsement of our technology and will allow us to further upend the industry by offering bets as close to fair value as possible.

“We are super proud of what we have achieved so far in the UK betting space, and this new investment will help take us to the next level and beyond in the UK, US, and other international markets. I’d like to thank the women and men that work and have worked at Smarkets for getting us to where we are.

“I truly believe the best is yet to come. This investment will allow us to fight with greater resources, move faster, and be bolder in our mission. We’re so excited about the opportunities this investment unlocks.”

Scott Feldman, Managing Director with Susquehanna Growth Equity, said:

“We are delighted to be able to join Smarkets on their upward journey. We immediately identified with their vision of using technology to take on the betting industry’s big operators by providing the fairest odds in the world and maintaining a clear focus on product excellence.

“Smarkets have achieved a huge amount with little investment to date and we can’t wait to see them go from strength to strength as they expand further into both the US and UK mainstream market.”

Booming Games

Booming Games Releases “Diamond Forge: Link & Loot”

Published

20 minutes ago

May 18, 2026

Wladimir P.

booming-games-releases-“diamond-forge:-link-&-loot”

Booming Games has released its latest slot “Diamond Forge: Link & Loot”. Boasting a 5×3 grid with 10 fixed paylines, the game offers players a maximum win potential of 10,000x. Set on a classic, diamond background, two explosive bonus features provide the ultimate experience for those seeking entertaining gameplay.

Every Diamond collected charges the Diamond Boost, which can be triggered in either the base game or from free spins. Boasting the ability to erupt at any moment, it can award up to 8 extra Diamonds onto the reels to instantly trigger the powerful Link & Loot feature. Players who collect 6 or more Diamonds are awarded 5 Link & Loot spins, where adjacent diamond symbols land and merge to create bigger symbols.

Players can create Colossal symbols of 2×2 and above to award a Colossal spin, where they can win higher value prizes or even the Mini, Minor, Major or Grand Prizes. This culminates in the ultimate Colossal of 5×3 Diamonds capable of unleashing the biggest rewards.

Elsewhere, players who find 3 or more Scatters are awarded with 8 Free Spins and a boosted chance of triggering the Link & Loot feature again as they deploy colossal Diamonds toward the 10,000x maximum win.

Craig Asling, Director of Games at Booming Games, said: “Diamonds are a player’s best friend! Diamond Forge: Link & Loot is a modern twist on a classic theme, which we’re confident will be as popular as previous iterations of the Link & Look series. Innovative bonus features set on a familiar 5×3 grid combine to create an ultimate gameplay experience with significant win potential. Play Diamond Forge: Link & Loot now!”

The post Booming Games Releases “Diamond Forge: Link & Loot” appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Compliance Updates

Incentive Games wins interim Pennsylvania gaming licence

Published

20 minutes ago

May 18, 2026

Wladimir P.

incentive-games-wins-interim-pennsylvania-gaming-licence

Incentive Games has been granted an interim gaming licence in Pennsylvania by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, effective immediately. The approval allows the B2B supplier to offer its real-money gaming products to licensed operators in the state.

The Pennsylvania approval follows Incentive Games’ licensing in Michigan in 2025, as the company continues to expand across regulated North American markets.

Incentive Games said the Pennsylvania licence gives it access to one of the most established and competitive US iGaming markets, where compliance and player protection requirements are tightly enforced.

Ahmed Baker, Chief Commercial Officer at Incentive Games, said, “Being granted an interim licence in Pennsylvania is a huge achievement for our business and a strong endorsement of our regulatory approach. It strengthens our position in North America and supports our ambition to grow through trusted partnerships in regulated markets. We look forward to working with operators in Pennsylvania to deliver high-quality real-money gaming experiences to their players.”

The post Incentive Games wins interim Pennsylvania gaming licence appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

blackjack

Avanti Studios lands exclusive rights for live Sweet 16 Blackjack side bet

Published

20 minutes ago

May 18, 2026

Wladimir P.

avanti-studios-lands-exclusive-rights-for-live-sweet-16-blackjack-side-bet

Avanti Studios has secured an exclusivity agreement with HITSqwad Interactive Gaming to offer Sweet 16 Blackjack as a live casino product worldwide.

Sweet 16 Blackjack is already available in a digital format with operators including BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, OLG, BCLC and FanDuel, according to the companies. The land-based version is active across South Africa and is in the process of a broader rollout.

The companies pointed to third-party rankings for the title’s performance. Sweet 16 Blackjack ranked as a Top 10 Table Game in the Eilers & Krejcik U.S. Online Game Performance Report in September 2024 and April 2026, and was nominated for Top Performing New Online Table Game at the EKG Slot Awards in 2024 and 2025.

In gameplay terms, Sweet 16 Blackjack adds an optional side bet to standard blackjack. If a player’s first two cards total 16, the side bet wins, with payouts varying based on suits, colours and values.

Jonas Delin, Co-Founder at Avanti Studios, said: “The statistics show that Sweet 16 Blackjack is one of the iGaming industry’s top-performing table games, so we’re delighted to have reached an agreement with HITSqwad to exclusively offer the format to live casino audiences worldwide.

“Sweet 16 Blackjack’s innovative side bet mechanic coupled with the flawless presentation, deep customisation and infinite scalability that only Avanti can provide will ensure that the game will go on to become a staple part of our offering for operators in all regulated markets that we serve.”

Charl Geyser, CEO of HITSqwad Interactive Gaming, said, “Sweet 16 is an incredible game that has already built a massive player following across both online and retail environments. We are delighted to partner with Avanti to take it into the Live Casino market for the next step in its journey as one of the world’s top Blackjack Side-Bets.”

The post Avanti Studios lands exclusive rights for live Sweet 16 Blackjack side bet appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.