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ONLINE GAMING VETERAN MORTEN TONNESEN JOINS SHAPE GAMES AS DANISH B2B PLATFORM AIMS TO ACCELERATE GROWTH IN THE US SPORTSBETTING & CASINO MARKET
onnesen brings a wealth of online gaming experience from PokerStars, BetWarrior
Online gaming industry veteran Morten Tonnesen has joined Shape Games as Chief Commercial Officer and also joins the Board bringing more than a decade of industry experience to the company as it aims to grow significantly in the U.S. online gambling market and across the world, Shape founder & CEO Christian Risom announced. Tonnesen was a long time marketing executive with gaming giant PokerStars and was most recently founder and CEO of sportsbetting operator BetWarrior.
Shape is a leading consumer app developer for major global brands and recently created Shape Games to address the specific needs of the online gambling industry. Risom and co-founders CPO Nicolas Linde, CIO Ole Gammelgaard and CTO Philip Bruce have created consumer apps for leading global brands including Apple, ebay, IKEA and Red Bull. Shape also has a long history with Danske Spil, Denmark’s state-run gambling operator of Oddset, the leading Danish online sportsbook.
Shape recently renewed a long-term agreement with Danske Spil and is accelerating growth in the burgeoning US sports betting market having launched with ballybet.com in Colorado and Iowa powering ‘Bally Friends’ with more US clients to come. The company is working in Latin America with BetWarrior.
Shape’s innovative and proprietary gaming software platform leverages best practices in consumer apps with first-class native customer engagement platform using predictive analytics and machine learning to inform back-end data and insights. This platform gives gaming operators the ability to improve customer experience and gain competitive advantage in the increasingly crowded marketplace.
Shape’s work with Danske Spil has been recognised with numerous industry awards for innovation, while the company has been named an industry rising star by respected industry media outlet EGR for each of the past two years.
“We are excited to bring Morten onboard and our clients will benefit from his deep management and marketing expertise in the online gaming sector,” Risom said. “We can deliver a full suite of products and services to local market land-based casino operators who are looking for a one-stop-shop consumer product partner to bring their business and their customers online. Morten’s deep experience will help us accelerate our growth and lead the way in the U.S. and European markets.”
Tonnesen said: “Shape Games has distinguished itself as a nimble, dynamic and innovative technology leader and I’m excited to help lead the company into its next stage of global growth. Shape’s consumer technology domain experience ensures that their modern, customer-focused apps stand above the traditional, clunky gaming apps from the first generation of online operators. This next generation must compete with not only other betting and casino companies, but with other entertainment choices including streaming and social games.”
Tonnesen points to Shape’s highly customisable native frontend as a unique innovation in the gambling industry and distinguishes the company as a sought-after B-to-B platform and service provider.
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$10M guaranteed poker
ACR Poker $10M Dual Mystery Bounty Venoms
ACR Poker is igniting the spring poker season with the Dual Mystery Bounty Venoms Special High Five Edition, offering an astonishing $10 million in guaranteed prize pools alongside the return of its celebrated High Five Series.
From April 12 to April 28, 2026, the special edition will feature two marquee events running simultaneously — an $8 million GTD No‑Limit Hold’em (NLH) and a $2 million GTD Pot‑Limit Omaha (PLO) tournament — promising some of the most thrilling online poker action of the year.
Players buy in for $2,650 and compete for massive mystery bounties, with the NLH event offering up to $500,000 for a single knockout and the PLO event featuring a top bounty of $200,000. Every knockout on Day 2 guarantees at least $5,000 in bounty rewards.
With five Day 1 flights, participants can enter multiple times and build competitive stacks for Day 2’s showdown. Qualifiers begin April 7th through Venom Fever satellites, providing hundreds of seats — some even free — via Direct, Mega, or Beast satellite events.
All players who make it to Day 2 on April 27th at 1:05 pm ET are already in the money. The climactic final table to crown this special edition’s champions will take place on April 28th at 4:05 pm ET.
ACR Pro Chris Moneymaker says the High Five edition builds on the momentum of earlier high‑stakes events like the $50 Million OSS XL, combining huge guarantees with broad access and big bounty potential for players of all bankrolls.
Featured Reference
For a similar take on this major online poker series and its prize pools, check out this article from Poker.org on ACR Poker’s dual mystery bounty events and their massive guaranteed prizes:
ACR Venom $10M GTD Tournaments – Poker.org
The post ACR Poker $10M Dual Mystery Bounty Venoms appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
AI in gambling safety
BOS releases report on the prevalence of gambling addiction in Sweden
Sweden has seen a long‑term decline in gambling addiction over the past 25 years, despite rapid growth in online gambling availability, advertising, and mobile gaming.
Economist Ola Nevander’s research for the Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling (BOS) shows that the prevalence of problem gambling has steadily fallen since the early 2000s, even as the market expanded. This trend emerged even with the widespread adoption of digital gaming products and 24/7 access on smartphones.
According to the findings, the proportion of Swedes classified as problem gamblers (based on the Problem Gambling Severity Index) dropped from about 2.2 % in 2008–09 to around 1.3 % by 2021, marking a significant reduction in overall gambling harm.
Gustaf Hoffstedt, Secretary General of BOS, emphasizes that this decline suggests Sweden’s regulatory and industry efforts are moving in the right direction. While the transformation from traditional physical gambling venues to digital platforms has raised concerns, online tools such as responsible gaming technologies and AI‑assisted safeguards are helping reduce problem gambling rates.
However, Hoffstedt cautions that much work remains, because expanded game offerings and persistent advertising mean ongoing responsibility is crucial to maintain and deepen the downward trend.
Report available in full at: Problem Gambling_ENG_20260327[2]
For a similar perspective on gambling addiction prevalence trends in Sweden, see this article:
Sweden problem gambling falls but still ‘scope for improvement’ — iGamingBusiness.com Sweden problem gambling trend report (IgamingBusiness)
The post BOS releases report on the prevalence of gambling addiction in Sweden appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Latest News
ACR POKER’S DUAL MYSTERY BOUNTY VENOMS – SPECIAL HIGH FIVE EDITION HITS WITH $10 MILLION IN GUARANTEED PRIZE POOLS
Celebrate the return of the High Five Series with a special edition of the iconic Dual Mystery Bounty Venoms and hundreds of seats from just $0 in Venom Fever satellites
ACR Poker is turning up the excitement this spring with the Dual Mystery Bounty Venoms Special High Five Edition, featuring $10 million in total guaranteed prize pools. Alongside the return of its popular High Five series, this special edition of the Dual Venoms will run from Sunday, April 12th through Tuesday, April 28th, delivering side-by-side action in the $8 million GTD NLH and $2 million GTD PLO, offering some of the biggest online poker action of the year.
Following the success of previous editions, the $2,650 buy-in Dual Mystery Bounty Venoms return with massive guarantees and mystery bounties that reach hundreds of thousands of dollars. In the $8 million GTD NLH, a single knockout could earn a player the top bounty prize of $500,000, while the $2 million PLO, which ties as ACR Poker’s biggest Omaha event ever, offers a $200,000 top bounty. Every knockout starting on Day 2 guarantees at least $5,000 in both events.
With five Day 1 flights, players can enter multiple times and combine their stacks to hit Day 2 with some serious firepower. All players reaching Day 2 on Monday, April 27th at 1:05pm ET are already in the money, with the Final Table showdown for the coveted Venom crowns scheduled for Tuesday, April 28th at 4:05pm ET.
Qualifying begins Tuesday, April 7th through a packed Venom Fever satellite schedule, offering hundreds of guaranteed seats at low cost, or even for free, through Direct Satellites, Mega Satellites, and Beast Satellites.
“After the incredible turnout and massive payouts in March’s $50 Million OSS XL, Spring 2026 is shaping up to be epic with the return of our High Five Series and this special Dual Mystery Bounty Venoms edition,” said ACR Pro Chris Moneymaker. “With huge guarantees, mystery bounties, and accessible satellites for every bankroll, players have double the excitement and double the chance to hit massive prizes!”
The latest Dual Mystery Bounty Venoms delivered massive fields and payouts, with both events exceeding their guarantees. The NLH drew 3,673 entries for a $9,182,500 prize pool, paying over $700,000 to the winner. Runner-up ‘BALDOUS’ from the UK scored the biggest payday of the tournament, claiming the top $500,000 bounty and $730,000 in total bounties, pocketing a whopping $1,240,310 in total. The PLO tournament attracted 837 entrants and generated $2,092,500, with the champion earning more than $300,000.
For more information, visit ACRPoker.eu.
The post ACR POKER’S DUAL MYSTERY BOUNTY VENOMS – SPECIAL HIGH FIVE EDITION HITS WITH $10 MILLION IN GUARANTEED PRIZE POOLS appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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