Connect with us

Latest News

ONLINE GAMING VETERAN MORTEN TONNESEN JOINS SHAPE GAMES AS DANISH B2B PLATFORM AIMS TO ACCELERATE GROWTH IN THE US SPORTSBETTING & CASINO MARKET

Published

on

Reading Time: 2 minutes

 

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.

Powered by WPeMatico

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Latest News

WinSpirit’s UnValentine’s Day: A New Take on February Engagement

Published

on

winspirit’s-unvalentine’s-day:-a-new-take-on-february-engagement

While most gaming brands lean into February with predictable romance-themed campaigns, WinSpirit has taken a different path. Instead of hearts, roses, and sentimental messaging, the brand’s new UnValentine’s Day campaign embraces humor, honesty, and emotional relatability — offering players a refreshing alternative to seasonal clichés.

Reframing the Valentine’s Narrative

Valentine’s promotions in the gaming industry often follow the same script: romantic visuals, love-driven bonuses, and polished messaging designed to evoke idealized relationships. But WinSpirit identified a quieter audience segment — players who feel disconnected from the seasonal hype or simply tired of it.

UnValentine’s Day flips the script. Rather than amplifying traditional romance, the campaign creates space for lighthearted honesty. It invites players to laugh at overused Valentine’s tropes and engage with the brand in a way that feels authentic and current.

This isn’t anti-Valentine’s — it’s anti-generic.

A Simple Yet Strategic Engagement Mechanic

At the center of the campaign is a playful interactive poll hosted on a dedicated landing page. Users are asked to vote for the Valentine’s cliché they find most annoying, turning a simple click into a meaningful re-engagement touchpoint.

There’s no heavy gamification or aggressive conversion push. No complicated mechanics. Just:

  • A quick interaction

  • A sense of being heard

  • A shared cultural moment

By lowering the barrier to participation, WinSpirit prioritizes emotional connection over transactional incentives — a subtle but powerful shift in campaign strategy.

Differentiation Through Empathy

What sets UnValentine’s Day apart is the strategic intent behind it. WinSpirit isn’t dismissing Valentine’s Day — it’s broadening the conversation. The campaign acknowledges that seasonal experiences aren’t universal and that humor can be one of the strongest tools for connection.

This empathy-driven positioning reflects a larger evolution in gaming marketing:
moving away from pressure-based promotions and toward relevance, personality, and genuine audience alignment.

UnValentine’s Day serves as a case study in how online casinos can stand out — not by shouting louder, but by listening better.

Built for Modern Player Expectations

Today’s players expect more than bonuses wrapped in holiday graphics. They value:

  • Transparency

  • Relatability

  • Entertainment that respects individuality

WinSpirit’s approach demonstrates that engagement doesn’t need to be complex to be effective. It just needs emotional intelligence.

The campaign succeeds because it:

  • Respects short attention spans

  • Builds alignment without forced sentimentality

  • Encourages organic conversation

  • Reinforces the brand’s fresh, responsive identity

A Micro-Campaign with Macro Impact

In a market where seasonal messaging often feels interchangeable, UnValentine’s Day stands out by doing something simple — acknowledging reality.

It proves that thoughtfully designed micro-campaigns can:

  • Strengthen brand voice

  • Increase meaningful user touchpoints

  • Drive engagement without relying on traditional promotional pressure

Now live on the WinSpirit platform, UnValentine’s Day invites players to engage differently this February — and signals a broader shift in how gaming brands can approach seasonal marketing.

For operators and marketers observing the evolution of player engagement strategies, it’s a campaign worth watching

The post WinSpirit’s UnValentine’s Day: A New Take on February Engagement appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Continue Reading

iGaming

Vegangster Launches Fully Integrated Lootboxes as a Native Platform Feature

Published

on

vegangster-launches-fully-integrated-lootboxes-as-a-native-platform-feature

Vegangster has unveiled a fully integrated lootbox system as a native feature within its iGaming platform, offering operators a powerful new tool to increase player engagement and unlock additional revenue streams. Early adopters report that lootboxes are already contributing between 5% and 7% of total Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) within the first month of launch.

Unlike third-party game integrations, Vegangster’s lootboxes are built directly into the core platform. This native integration gives operators complete control over configuration, performance mechanics, and lobby placement. In addition, the revenue share model is significantly more favorable compared to external game providers, improving overall margins.

“Brands already using lootboxes are generating between 5 and 7 per cent of their total GGR from lootboxes within the first month,” said Michael Oziransky, CPO at Vegangster.

A Familiar, High-Engagement Mechanic

The lootbox model draws inspiration from popular video game mechanics. Players purchase a lootbox at a fixed price and receive a reward determined by predefined probability settings. Depending on configuration and chance, rewards can exceed the original purchase value, adding excitement and replay potential.

Operators maintain full control over both technical and commercial settings. Prize categories, win probabilities, and RTP logic are configured directly within the Vegangster platform. This flexibility allows operators to tailor lootboxes to different player segments, campaigns, and strategic objectives.

Available rewards can include:

  • Cash prizes

  • Digital assets

  • NFTs

  • Physical merchandise

  • Custom operator-defined rewards

Once a player receives a reward, they can choose to keep it or sell it back for cash. This streamlined process keeps gameplay transparent while offering operators multiple payout and value-structuring options.

A Versatile Tool for Acquisition and Retention

Lootboxes can also be deployed as part of promotional campaigns. Operators may offer lootbox-based free spins to players, affiliates, or marketing partners. Different configurations can be aligned with specific goals, whether driving new player acquisition, increasing engagement, or improving retention metrics.

Part of a Broader Platform Roadmap

Lootboxes represent the first release in Vegangster’s roadmap of platform-native mini-games planned through 2026. Upcoming additions will include fast, session-based mechanics inspired by crash-style games, along with enhanced social engagement features designed to further boost player interaction.

About Vegangster

Vegangster delivers a full-stack iGaming platform engineered for speed, scalability, and operational control. Its turnkey, white-label, and sweepstakes solutions combine casino and sportsbook content, payments, CRM, compliance tools, and social features into a unified, mobile-first ecosystem. The platform enables operators to launch quickly and scale confidently in competitive markets.

Press Contact
Romans Kozlovskis
[email protected]

The post Vegangster Launches Fully Integrated Lootboxes as a Native Platform Feature appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Continue Reading

Latest News

WinSpirit’s UnValentine’s Day: A New Take on February Engagement

Published

on

winspirit’s-unvalentine’s-day:-a-new-take-on-february-engagement

While most gaming brands flood February with romantic visuals and heart-shaped incentives, WinSpirit has chosen to challenge tradition with an unexpected twist. The brand’s new seasonal campaign, UnValentine’s Day, moves away from idealized love stories and toward something many players crave more—relatable honesty and lighthearted fun.

Reframing the Valentine’s Narrative

Traditional Valentine’s campaigns often follow a familiar formula: roses, candlelit dinners, and generic love messaging. But WinSpirit saw an overlooked segment — those who feel disconnected from the seasonal hype, or even fatigued by it.

With UnValentine’s Day, WinSpirit offers something different: a moment of comic relief, emotional resonance, and brand interaction. Instead of pretending every player is in the mood for romance, the brand invites them to speak their truth — and laugh about the clichés that usually go unspoken.

A Simple Yet Strategic Mechanic

The core of the campaign centers around a playful, interactive poll hosted on a dedicated landing page. Users are encouraged to vote for the Valentine’s cliché that annoys them the most — with the act of voting becoming a low-barrier touchpoint for re-engagement.

There’s no gamification overload or pressure to convert. Just one click, a sense of being heard, and a chance to take part in a conversation that feels current and real.

Brand Differentiation Through Empathy

What makes this campaign noteworthy isn’t just its originality — it’s the strategic mindset behind it. WinSpirit isn’t mocking Valentine’s Day; it’s expanding the dialogue around it. The brand acknowledges that not everyone experiences the season the same way and that humor can be a powerful connector.

This kind of empathy-driven positioning reflects a broader shift in how brands build engagement — moving away from promotional pressure and toward emotional relevance and genuine user alignment. UnValentine’s Day stands as a strong case study in how casinos can apply this approach in a meaningful, scalable way.

Built for Today’s Players

WinSpirit’s approach reflects a broader evolution in user expectations. Today’s audiences value transparency, relatability, and entertainment that respects their individuality. Campaigns like UnValentine’s Day show that engagement doesn’t have to be elaborate — just emotionally intelligent.

It’s an activation that:

  • Respects user attention spans
  • Builds emotional alignment without sentimentality
  • Generates conversation organically (without incentives as the main driver)
  • Reinforces brand identity as fresh, responsive, and non-generic

The Bigger Picture

As seasonal messaging becomes increasingly homogenized across the gaming sector, WinSpirit’s UnValentine’s Day stands out by simply listening. It proves that thoughtful micro-campaigns can both elevate brand voice and increase user touchpoints — without relying on traditional promotional pressure.

UnValentine’s Day is now live on the brand’s platform and serves as an open invitation to engage differently this February. For operators and marketers watching the evolution of seasonal gaming engagement, it’s a campaign worth noting.

The post WinSpirit’s UnValentine’s Day: A New Take on February Engagement appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Continue Reading

Trending

Get it on Google Play

Fresh slot games releases by the top brands of the industry. We provide you with the latest news straight from the entertainment industries.

The platform also hosts industry-relevant webinars, and provides detailed reports, making it a one-stop resource for anyone seeking information about operators, suppliers, regulators, and professional services in the European gaming market. The portal's primary goal is to keep its extensive reader base updated on the latest happenings, trends, and developments within the gaming and gambling sector, with an emphasis on the European market while also covering pertinent global news. It's an indispensable resource for gaming professionals, operators, and enthusiasts alike.

Contact us: [email protected]

Editorial / PR Submissions: [email protected]

Copyright © 2015 - 2024 - Recent Slot Releases is part of HIPTHER Agency. Registered in Romania under Proshirt SRL, Company number: 2134306, EU VAT ID: RO21343605. Office address: Blvd. 1 Decembrie 1918 nr.5, Targu Mures, Romania