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Political guests of honour open gamescom 2021
Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. saw the official kick-off: gamescom 2021 was opened by the political guests of honour. The coronavirus pandemic means that this year’s gamescom is being held entirely online, as was last year’s. The official political opening ceremony was also live-streamed. The show lasted around half an hour and was presented from the studio by TV host Katrin Neumann. Ms Neumann spoke to Felix Falk, the Managing Director of game – the German Games Industry Association, which is a joint organiser of gamescom, in between the welcome addresses from the political guests of honour. These included Andreas Scheuer, Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure; Dorothee Bär, Minister of State for Digitalisation; Armin Laschet, Minister-President of the federal state of North-Rhine Westphalia; as well as Henriette Reker, the Mayor of Cologne and Chairwoman of the Koelnmesse Supervisory Board, and COO of Koelnmesse Oliver Frese. In their welcome addresses, the political guests of honour embraced this year’s motto of ‘Games: The New Normal’ as they described the huge potential of games for Germany and explained the need to leverage this even further in future. Despite the extensive online programme of gamescom, the hope was expressed that next year could again be celebrated in Cologne with hundreds of thousands of visitors.
The video of the gamescom 2021 political opening ceremony can be watched on demand on the content hub ‘gamescom now’: now.gamescom.global
Andreas Scheuer, Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure: ‘As the world’s biggest games event, gamescom is a valuable showcase. We want to build on that and make up lost ground in future as a development location on the international stage. Last year, at this very place, I gave the green light for the second phase of our games funding programme. Since then, the German government has provided millions of euros to support development studios in the games industry. That’s a real breakthrough. As things stand today, funding of 40 million euros has been approved – and we’re looking forward to receiving more applications. As well as the financial aspect, we have also overhauled our strategy and pooled the expertise to form a dedicated games unit within our Ministry. I am a firm believer that we can benefit from the innovative power of the games industry in many areas – be that the education sector, industry and science or simply in our leisure time.’
Dorothee Bär, Minister of State for Digitalisation within the federal government: ‘The motto of gamescom 2021 sums it up: games are the new normal. They have helped us stay in touch with friends and family during the coronavirus phase. Thank goodness we had games during this period! But games aren’t just the new normal as an entertainment medium, but also in the business, medical and education sectors. For example, increasing numbers of companies are “gamifying” their products– from fitness apps through cars up to videoconferencing tools. The deployment of games in education is particularly exciting: the motivation to play has a direct effect on learning success, not only for children, but also in further education and professional development. Games thus harbour immense innovative power that is demonstrated not least by the digital gamescom itself, and we need to exploit this potential even more rigorously. And that’s why we want to give the games sector in Germany even more support to become one of the best locations in the world. With the new games strategy, we have created an excellent basis for the coming years.’
Armin Laschet, Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia: ‘gamescom is a shining example of the strong social component of computer and video games, which has helped many people around the world through the coronavirus pandemic. This form of community is a fundamental building block of our society. The games industry also has enormous economic and social potential – both in the classical development of games and also beyond. The best example of this is in the field of digital education: using fun as a way of learning is part of human nature, which is why we need to be better at exploiting the available opportunities and not be afraid of blazing new trails. Here, too, the games industry will play an important role in future. Because of this huge potential, we need to keep working to improve the framework conditions for the games industry. For that reason, in North Rhine-Westphalia we have set ourselves the goal of wanting to become Germany’s top location for computer and video games some years ago. We also need this clear objective at national level in Germany so we can be the best among the international competition.’
Felix Falk, Managing Director of game – the German Games Industry Association, the joint organiser of gamescom, says: ‘gamescom is finally getting started with days full of announcements, news and shows that the fans are eagerly awaiting. Along with our partners, we are creating an event where millions of players around the world will again be able to celebrate the best games out there. However, at the same time, with the German parliamentary elections on the horizon, we don’t just want to talk about games at this gamescom, but also about what is the right games and digital policy for Germany. For that reason, I am especially pleased that we will be welcoming numerous top politicians not only during the political opening ceremony, but also at the Debatt(l)e Royale on Friday. Our intention with such formats is to give the younger generation above all an adequate opportunity to form an opinion, and to send out a clear message: go out and vote!’
Henriette Reker, mayor of the City of Cologne and chairwoman of the supervisory board of Koelnmesse: ‘I am really enthusiastic about what the entire Koelnmesse, the gamescom team, the association game and all partners created together for the second time in a row. This is exactly the innovative spirit and courage we need to move forward as a society in these challenging times. At the same time, I can hardly wait to see the numerous gamers back in town. First, because they always bring a very special flair with them and the whole city is infected by their enthusiasm. Second, because Cologne benefits from gamescom and its fans on many levels: Gastronomy, hotels and retail are just a few of the sectors that get an enormous boost during trade fair times.’
Oliver Frese, COO of Koelnmesse: ‘For the second year in a row, gamescom 2021 will take place purely digitally. But of course we have not been idle since last year and have made huge progress with gamescom 2021 and its digital offerings! Whether it’s our shows, our content hub gamescom now, or community activities like gamescom EPIX – everywhere we’ve taken advantage of the experiences of the last year and a half and further improved our program. Because our objective is clear: We want to be in pole position not only in the trade fair business in general, but also with regard to digital events in the future!’
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iGaming
Slotegrator now provides native app experience for iGaming platforms with PWA function
Slotegrator’s platform solution now offers progressive web app (PWA) functionality, enabling operators to provide installable casino apps with push notifications, flexible branding, and seamless access across changing domains.
The Casino Builder module in Slotegator’s platform solution has been upgraded with a Progressive Web Application (PWA) feature that allows casinos to deliver an app-like experience without relying on the App Store or Google Play.
Native apps are powerful tools for building customer loyalty and enhancing engagement. However, iGaming brands face serious obstacles, such as strict marketplace policies, long review processes, geographic restrictions, and the constant threat of app removal. Slotegrator’s PWA functionality eliminates these barriers, allowing players to install a casino app directly from their browser and enjoy many of the same benefits as a native app.
After installation, the PWA opens from the user’s home screen, loads fast, and supports push notification integration that enhances player engagement and retention.
“Mobile is still the leading channel for user acquisition and retention; however, it’s difficult to distribute native apps in iGaming,” says Olga Ivanchik, COO at Slotegrator. “Our new PWA feature gives operators an alternative that will be familiar to their players, while eliminating the complications related to conventional app stores. Operators can launch quickly, retain full control over updates, and ensure a perfect mobile gaming experience for any market.”
Within the next 2 months, operators will also have the ability to determine when the PWA install bar will be visible to the player. For example, displaying the install bar immediately after the first deposit, as part of a broader retention strategy, helps drive long-term player LTV. The operator can also set up frequency of the install offer — daily, weekly, just once, etc.
Some operators have to consider UX for multiple frontends. Luckily, the installation widgets are highly flexible, helping them drive maximum conversion without sacrificing user experience. Operators can select a top bar or a top banner installation widget, both of which are fully customizable with branded icons, messaging, and backgrounds.
Operators can limit the visibility of their installation campaigns to specific devices — desktop, mobile, Android, or iOS — thanks to special targeting options. Operators can also design acquisition strategies specific to each platform, driving installs only where they offer the best user experience.
When players install the PWA, operators can connect it to push notification services, so they can re-engage them even when the application isn’t actively open.
Mirror domain compatibility addresses a common operational challenge in restricted markets. If an operator has to change domains due to licensing or regulatory requirements, players who have already installed the PWA will be able to continue using it without reinstallation.
Unlike native applications, PWAs don’t require App Store or Google Play approval, effectively eliminating possible delays and the risk of removal from the market. Instead, operators can deploy updates instantly to every user.
The new PWA functionality is now available in Slotegrator’s Casino Builder module, alongside other tools for improving mobile acquisition, engagement, and player retention.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
Since 2012, Slotegrator has been one of the iGaming industry’s leading software and business solution providers for online casino and sportsbook operators.
The company’s main focus is software development and support for online casino platforms, as well as the integration of game content and payment systems.
The company works with licensed game developers and offers a vast portfolio of casino content: slots, live casino games, poker, virtual sports, table games, lotteries, casual games, and data feeds for betting.
Slotegrator also provides consulting services in gambling license acquisition and business incorporation.
The post Slotegrator now provides native app experience for iGaming platforms with PWA function appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
iGaming
Slotegrator now provides native app experience for iGaming platforms with PWA function
Slotegrator’s platform solution now offers progressive web app (PWA) functionality, enabling operators to provide installable casino apps with push notifications, flexible branding, and seamless access across changing domains.
The Casino Builder module in Slotegator’s platform solution has been upgraded with a Progressive Web Application (PWA) feature that allows casinos to deliver an app-like experience without relying on the App Store or Google Play.
Native apps are powerful tools for building customer loyalty and enhancing engagement. However, iGaming brands face serious obstacles, such as strict marketplace policies, long review processes, geographic restrictions, and the constant threat of app removal. Slotegrator’s PWA functionality eliminates these barriers, allowing players to install a casino app directly from their browser and enjoy many of the same benefits as a native app.
After installation, the PWA opens from the user’s home screen, loads fast, and supports push notification integration that enhances player engagement and retention.
“Mobile is still the leading channel for user acquisition and retention; however, it’s difficult to distribute native apps in iGaming,” says Olga Ivanchik, COO at Slotegrator. “Our new PWA feature gives operators an alternative that will be familiar to their players, while eliminating the complications related to conventional app stores. Operators can launch quickly, retain full control over updates, and ensure a perfect mobile gaming experience for any market.”
Within the next 2 months, operators will also have the ability to determine when the PWA install bar will be visible to the player. For example, displaying the install bar immediately after the first deposit, as part of a broader retention strategy, helps drive long-term player LTV. The operator can also set up frequency of the install offer — daily, weekly, just once, etc.
Some operators have to consider UX for multiple frontends. Luckily, the installation widgets are highly flexible, helping them drive maximum conversion without sacrificing user experience. Operators can select a top bar or a top banner installation widget, both of which are fully customizable with branded icons, messaging, and backgrounds.
Operators can limit the visibility of their installation campaigns to specific devices — desktop, mobile, Android, or iOS — thanks to special targeting options. Operators can also design acquisition strategies specific to each platform, driving installs only where they offer the best user experience.
When players install the PWA, operators can connect it to push notification services, so they can re-engage them even when the application isn’t actively open.
Mirror domain compatibility addresses a common operational challenge in restricted markets. If an operator has to change domains due to licensing or regulatory requirements, players who have already installed the PWA will be able to continue using it without reinstallation.
Unlike native applications, PWAs don’t require App Store or Google Play approval, effectively eliminating possible delays and the risk of removal from the market. Instead, operators can deploy updates instantly to every user.
The new PWA functionality is now available in Slotegrator’s Casino Builder module, alongside other tools for improving mobile acquisition, engagement, and player retention.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
Since 2012, Slotegrator has been one of the iGaming industry’s leading software and business solution providers for online casino and sportsbook operators.
The company’s main focus is software development and support for online casino platforms, as well as the integration of game content and payment systems.
The company works with licensed game developers and offers a vast portfolio of casino content: slots, live casino games, poker, virtual sports, table games, lotteries, casual games, and data feeds for betting.
Slotegrator also provides consulting services in gambling license acquisition and business incorporation.
The post Slotegrator now provides native app experience for iGaming platforms with PWA function appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
AI
SCCG Management Launches SCCG Technology, Delivering AI-Driven Solutions to the iGaming Industry
New division delivers smart, AI-driven technology solutions to gaming operators, suppliers, and ventures worldwide, built on the same stack SCCG uses to run its own global advisory business.
SCCG Management announces the launch of SCCG Technology, a dedicated division built to deliver intelligent, AI-driven solutions to the iGaming industry. Where SCCG has spent three decades advising gaming companies on what to build, SCCG Technology now builds it.
The division launches with a working portfolio, not a promise. Over the past year, SCCG has re-engineered its own global operation around artificial intelligence: automated content and newsletter systems reaching tens of thousands of industry professionals weekly, real-time market and odds data pipelines feeding its prediction-market ventures,
and AI-assisted CRM and pipeline automation across more than 120 active client engagements.
The proving ground is SCCG’s own digital presence, now being rebuilt on the division’s platform: a site that reassembles itself around each visitor and publishes across every channel from one place. An operator in LATAM and an investor in Las Vegas see the same network through different eyes. Content is AI-accelerated but expert-governed: every AI-assisted claim is labeled and traceable to its source, a discipline that matters in a regulated industry. We built it for the most demanding client we have, ourselves, before offering it to anyone else.
The timing reflects a structural shift in the industry. Operators and suppliers no longer compete only on licenses and content; they compete on data, speed, and the intelligence of their customer experience. AI has moved from experiment to infrastructure, reshaping how players are acquired, how content is produced, how markets are priced, and how compliance is managed. Most gaming companies know this. Far fewer have a partner that understands both the technology and the industry it has to serve.
“Every gaming company I speak with is asking the same two questions: what should we be doing with AI, and who can actually build it for us without a two-year learning curve on how this industry works. SCCG Technology exists because we solved that problem for ourselves first. Now we are opening the toolkit to the industry.” – Stephen A. Crystal, Founder and CEO, SCCG Management
SCCG Technology will deliver across five service lines:
Product Strategy and Build: Carrying a gaming concept from advisory whiteboard to working software. Rapid prototyping and delivery of new gaming products and ventures, the capability a strategy deck cannot substitute for.
Data, Analytics, and Market Intelligence: Real-time odds and market data pipelines, prediction-market tooling, and business intelligence dashboards that put operational truth in front of decision-makers daily.
Compliance-Aware AI Content and Marketing Systems: Automated content production, newsletter and campaign engines, and CRM automation built for a regulated industry, AI-assisted output labeled and traceable, brand voice intact.
AI Operations and Automation: Workflow automation and applied AI across the back office, from player-facing support to reporting, compliance preparation, and the operational plumbing gaming companies run on.
Intelligent Web and Digital Platforms: Digital experiences that personalize by visitor role and region, engineered for conversion and structured for both traditional search and the AI answer engines that increasingly drive discovery.
What separates SCCG Technology from a generalist agency or dev shop is the firm behind it. Every engagement draws on SCCG Management’s 30-plus years inside the gaming industry, its regulatory and commercial expertise across dozens of jurisdictions, and a global client network spanning operators, platforms, suppliers, and investors. SCCG Technology does not need the industry explained to it.
The launch continues a deliberate expansion of the SCCG platform. In the past year the firm has established SCCG LATAM with its Miami office, launched SCCG Brazil with dedicated local leadership, and expanded its managed-services offering for casino operators. SCCG Technology is the connective layer across all of it: the division that turns the firm’s advisory insight into deployed, working technology. The model is expert-governed and AI-accelerated: SCCG’s people supply the industry judgment, and the platform supplies the speed.
“The gaming industry does not have a shortage of technology vendors. It has a shortage of technology partners who understand gaming. That is the gap SCCG Technology was built to close.” – Stephen A. Crystal, Founder and CEO, SCCG Management
SCCG Technology operates as a division of SCCG Management, the gaming industry’s global advisory firm. With more than 30 years of experience, more than 120 active client engagements worldwide, and offices spanning North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, SCCG provides end-to-end advisory services across iGaming, sports betting, sweepstakes, tribal gaming, and casino technology.
The post SCCG Management Launches SCCG Technology, Delivering AI-Driven Solutions to the iGaming Industry appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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