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ARISTOCRAT CONTINUES TO INVEST IN EXPANDING DIGITAL GAME PIPELINE AND PORTFOLIO DIVERSIFICATION FOR GROWTH

Published

5 years ago

August 23, 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Aristocrat Leisure Limited announced that it has entered into a number of deals to further expand its world-class Digital game development capability, in line with its growth strategy. The investments are strongly aligned to targeted genres, particularly the highgrowth casual and merge segments where Aristocrat Digital already has a presence, and the social casino segment, in which the business has a market-leading position globally.

In total, three new studios will join Aristocrat Digital, deepening the business’ access to game development talent and studio capabilities in top-tier mobile game talent hubs across Northern and Eastern Europe. Details are as follows:

Aristocrat has agreed to acquire Helsinki-based free-to-play mobile gaming studio Futureplay, which specialises in the growing merge/match 3 segment of the casual market. Founded in 2015, Futureplay has released six games that have been played by over 140 million users around the world, including titles such as Merge Gardens, Idle Farming Empire and Battlelands Royale. Futureplay will operate under the proven leadership of Jami Laes, as a studio reporting within Aristocrat’s Plarium business. This will bring together Plarium’s best-in-class game development infrastructure and marketing expertise with Futureplay’s outstanding casual mobile capabilities enabling Plarium to expand and diversify their portfolio (which includes the global sensation RAID: Shadow Legends).

Given talent opportunities in the region, Aristocrat has established a further Helsinkibased studio, Northern Stars. Northern Stars will focus on the emerging hybrid casual genre under the world-class game development and studio leaders, Minwoo Lee (ex EA, Rovio, Ubisoft) and Antti Nikander (ex Rovio). Minwoo and Antti bring a wealth of experience to the Group, which will help us grow Aristocrat’s presence in Finland and further expand our game development capabilities.

Aristocrat has acquired Playsoft, the Gdańsk (Poland) based mobile gaming studio specialising in the social casino genre. Playsoft has a 13+ year track record of developing more than 50 successful game titles for third party partners. Playsoft will operate within the Product Madness business, and continue to be led by its impressive founders Nicolas Bensignor and Pierre Olivier Monteil. The studio will help accelerate Product Madness’s pipeline and deliver innovation, while establishing a strong footprint for the company in another strategic European location.

Aristocrat Digital’s CEO, Michael Lang, said “These deals are consistent with Aristocrat’s successful strategy of bringing more world-class game development talent and capability into the organisation to expand our game pipeline and sustain our strong growth momentum in
Digital.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Futureplay, Northern Stars and Playsoft to the Aristocrat Digital family, given their impressive track records in game development, creativity and innovation. Coupled with Aristocrat Digital’s ambitious strategy, global scale, marketing and investment
capabilities, we look forward to helping our new colleagues reach new heights as part of Aristocrat.”

“We will continue to be active in pursuing global talent and studio deals that accelerate our growth strategy, alongside our sustained proven focus in driving organic growth and abovemarket results” Mr Lang concluded.

Latest News

Bagelmania Backroom Comedy night lineup announced for Thursday, Feb. 26

Published

2 days ago

February 20, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

bagelmania-backroom-comedy-night-lineup-announced-for-thursday,-feb.-26

The iconic Jewish delicatessen Siegel’s Bagelmania has announced the comedic line up that will leave guests “laughing their bagels off” at the next Bagelmania Backroom Comedy night on Thursday, Feb. 26.

Hosted monthly by Las Vegas-based and nationally touring comedian couple Noah Gardenswartz and Ester Steinberg, the event Thursday night will welcome Chris Clarke as the headliner along with acclaimed comics Kristeen Von Hagen, Gabe Quire and Lauren Rochelle.

Clarke, known as a high-energy and imaginative comedian, now tours the country with veteran comedian Rob Schneider. He also has amassed more than 40 million views on his popular YouTube channel “Csnacks,” where he tastes food and snacks from the front seat of his car. His hilarious and unique way of describing different flavors led to national commercials for Checkers and Rally’s, a one-hour special on the Cooking Channel titled Baby Got Snack, and an appearance as a food critic judge on Beat Bobby Flay.

Siegel’s Bagelmania will offer a special Backroom Comedy menu of its signature delicatessen cuisine as well as a full bar so guests can enjoy great comedy, dinner, and drinks in a unique, relaxed setting.

The Bagelmania Backroom is open to attendees 18 and older. Doors open for drinks and dinner at 7 p.m. Show time is 8 p.m. Tickets for Bagelmania Backroom are on sale for $20 online at https://siegelsbagelmania.com/backroomcomedy/ and will be sold at the door while supply lasts.

The post Bagelmania Backroom Comedy night lineup announced for Thursday, Feb. 26 appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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ACR Poker OSS XL Returns With $50M GTD

Published

2 days ago

February 20, 2026

Wladimir P.

ACR Poker has officially announced the return of its flagship Online Super Series (OSS) XL, running from March 1 to March 23, 2026, with a massive $50 million in guaranteed prize pools.

Following the success of its recent Dual Venom tournaments, which paid out more than $11 million, ACR Poker is once again delivering high-value online tournament action designed for players of all skill levels and bankroll sizes.

Three Main Events With $5 Million Guaranteed

The headline events of OSS XL include three major Main Events launching March 15:

$2,650 buy-in – $2 million guaranteed
$1,050 buy-in – $2 million guaranteed
$215 buy-in – $1 million guaranteed

These marquee tournaments anchor the series, offering players high-stakes competition alongside accessible mid- and low-stakes opportunities.

Phil’s Thrill XXL and Multi-Flight Action

Kicking off the series on March 1 is Phil’s Thrill XXL, featuring a $1.5 million guarantee and a $10,300 buy-in. Players can qualify for as little as $95 through ACR’s Road to the Big One promotion.

The schedule also includes a $630 buy-in Multi-Flight Event with $1.5 million guaranteed, with Day 1 flights beginning March 1 and Day 2 set for March 23.

For bounty hunters, OSS XL offers five Mystery Bounty Multi-Flight tournaments, including:

Three $500,000 guaranteed events ($109 buy-in)
A $150,000 guaranteed event ($33 buy-in)
A $100,000 guaranteed event ($5.50 buy-in)

These tournaments provide dynamic prize opportunities and strong value across all buy-in tiers.

$65,000 Leaderboard Contest

To enhance engagement, ACR Poker’s Leaderboard Contest returns with $65,000 in cash and tournament tickets across three buy-in tiers:

High Stakes: $15,000 top prize
Mid Stakes: $7,500 top prize
Low Stakes: $4,000 top prize

According to ACR Pro Chris Moneymaker, OSS XL stands out for its inclusive structure, substantial guarantees and daily leaderboard incentives that reward consistent participation.

With $50 million guaranteed and a broad mix of Main Events, Mystery Bounties and multi-flight tournaments, OSS XL reinforces ACR Poker’s position as a major force in the global online poker tournament landscape.

The post ACR Poker OSS XL Returns With $50M GTD appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

affiliate management system

Alanbase and Gamblers Connect announce new partnership

Published

2 days ago

February 20, 2026

Wladimir P.

alanbase-and-gamblers-connect-announce-new-partnership

Gamblers Connect, the award-winning iGaming media and affiliate platform, has announced a new strategic partnership with Alanbase, a cloud-based SaaS “constructor” built to power advanced affiliate programme development.

The collaboration strengthens Gamblers Connect’s B2B Providers section, a curated hub designed to connect iGaming professionals with trusted, high-performance industry solutions. By integrating Alanbase into its ecosystem, Gamblers Connect enhances access to cutting-edge affiliate management technology tailored to competitive iGaming markets.

A Customizable SaaS Solution for iGaming Affiliates

Alanbase differentiates itself through its fully customizable SaaS architecture. Unlike traditional affiliate software, Alanbase allows operators to build dashboards, performance indicators and statistical tables using their own formulas. This “constructor” model ensures the platform adapts to each business workflow — not the other way around.

The cloud-based system also delivers high-speed data refresh capabilities, enabling operators to monitor player activity in near real time. This performance advantage provides deeper analytical insight and supports faster decision-making in fast-moving iGaming environments.

Gjorgje Ristikj, Founder of Gamblers Connect, highlighted that the partnership aligns with the platform’s mission to feature transparent, value-driven B2B providers. By adding Alanbase to its verified partner network, Gamblers Connect reinforces its commitment to showcasing tools that improve affiliate program scalability, operational efficiency and measurable growth.

Expanding the iGaming B2B Ecosystem

The partnership reflects growing demand for flexible affiliate SaaS platforms that prioritize customization, automation and performance tracking. As competition intensifies across global iGaming markets, data-driven affiliate management solutions are becoming a critical component of operator success.

With Alanbase now featured within Gamblers Connect’s B2B Providers hub, industry professionals gain streamlined access to enterprise-grade affiliate infrastructure designed for scalability and precision.

The post Alanbase and Gamblers Connect announce new partnership appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.