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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

Published

5 years ago

September 17, 2021

George Miller

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.

Africa

BetConstruct AI to present World Cup 2026 sportsbook offer at iGaming Afrika

Published

1 hour ago

April 30, 2026

Wladimir P.

betconstruct-ai-to-present-world-cup-2026-sportsbook-offer-at-igaming-afrika

Supplier takes Stand A05 in Nairobi on May 4–5, pitching pre-built tournament betting tools and discounted onboarding for new partners.

BetConstruct AI said it will exhibit at iGaming Afrika on May 4–5 in Nairobi, Kenya, at Stand A05.

The company said its main focus at the event will be a “Best Sportsbook for the World Cup 2026” package, supported by “Special Bets, Powerfull and Bet on League.” BetConstruct AI said the tools are designed to help operators run World Cup activations “with zero additional development required.”

For the World Cup activation, the supplier is also advertising commercial incentives for new partners. BetConstruct AI said new partners receive a 65% platform setup discount “applied immediately,” plus “100% Core Suite Access” for the first three months, followed by “65% off for 4-12 months.” It added that third-party tools are “51% off for 3 months.”

Beyond the tournament pitch, BetConstruct AI said it will present its wider iGaming ecosystem, including Sportsbook Platform, Casino Platform, Affiliate Ecosystem, Retail Solutions, and its AI suite. The company said its Sportsbook Platform provides “over 140,000 pre-match events and 12,000+ monthly esports live events,” and that its Casino Platform integrates “350+ providers via a unified aggregation API.”

BetConstruct AI said its AI suite includes CRM AI, Umbrella AI, AI Game Recommendation System, and Betting Mate AI, covering functions such as churn prediction, risk management, real-time personalisation, and conversational betting. It also said its Retail Solutions show how operators can connect land-based and digital channels for an omnichannel setup.

More relevant data as follows:

BetConstruct (official website); https://www.betconstruct.com/ Company reference page for product portfolio and event announcements.
iGaming Afrika (event information); https://igamingafrika.com/ Confirms dates, location, and exhibitor details for the conference.
FIFA World Cup 2026 (official site); https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026 Authoritative background on the tournament referenced in the supplier’s activation pitch.

The post BetConstruct AI to present World Cup 2026 sportsbook offer at iGaming Afrika appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Blokotech

Blokotech completes Malta stop of Bloko Padel Tour 2026 with 35 teams

Published

1 hour ago

April 30, 2026

Wladimir P.

blokotech-completes-malta-stop-of-bloko-padel-tour-2026-with-35-teams

Second leg of the networking-focused iGaming padel series ran in Malta with SiGMA World; next stop is Miami on 9 June.

Blokotech has completed the Malta stage of the Bloko Padel Tour 2026, the company said on Thursday 30th April 2026. The second leg of the series was held in partnership with SiGMA World and hosted at IK Padel Village.

Blokotech said 35 teams competed across Pro and Beginners categories, following the tour’s opening event in Buenos Aires.

Blokotech Co-Founder and CEO Salvatore Messina said: “The response to the Malta stop has been brilliant. Each stage is gathering more interest as we build towards our Grand Linale in Rome. Once again we set the platform for networking and competition that our players loved. We’d like to thank all partners involved in making Malta a success – roll on Miami!”

In the Pro category, Andrea Zammit and Borja Jimenez won, with Peter Curmi and Salvatore Fasciana finishing second. In the Beginners category, Gabriele Sarti and Marco Pozzoli took first place, followed by Viki Vitanyi and Davide Dorato. Craig Luke was named Best Player and received a signed Francesco Totti shirt.

Blokotech said the next event will take place in Miami on 9 June at Ultra Padel Club, ahead of the Grand Finale in Rome.

More relevant data as follows:

Blokotech; https://blokotech.com/ Company reference for Blokotech and background on its products and leadership.
SiGMA World; https://sigmagroup.com/ Confirms the event partner and provides context on SiGMA’s industry events platform.
Malta Gaming Authority (MGA); https://www.mga.org.mt/ Adds regulatory context for Malta as a hub for iGaming businesses mentioned in the event setting.

The post Blokotech completes Malta stop of Bloko Padel Tour 2026 with 35 teams appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AI

SoftConstruct unveils RecSys AI game recommendation system at AIBC Eurasia

Published

2 hours ago

April 30, 2026

Wladimir P.

softconstruct-unveils-recsys-ai-game-recommendation-system-at-aibc-eurasia

In an iGaming Real Talk interview in Dubai, the firm says the tool reads player emotion and context to guide operator actions.

SoftConstruct AI has unveiled RecSys, an AI Game Recommendation System, during an exclusive iGaming Real Talk interview recorded at AIBC Eurasia in Dubai on Thursday 30th April.

Mushegh Khachatryan, Chief AI Officer at SoftConstruct AI, said RecSys is designed to move beyond traditional recommendation models by interpreting player emotions in real time and accounting for context, with the goal of suggesting “the next best action” for operators. “You can understand your customer’s emotions in real time and suggest the next best action. We are building intelligent systems which can reason and act.”

Khachatryan said SoftConstruct built an AI Center of Excellence by hiring talent from outside the iGaming sector, and described RecSys as part of “production-ready agentic AI” intended to support personalised campaigns and decision automation. Surya Palli, host of iGaming Real Talk, said: “SoftConstruct is essentially building a Netflix-style personalised experience for the iGaming industry, where every player gets a lobby made just for them.”

Responsible gaming was also discussed, with the company claiming AI can detect risky behaviour faster and more consistently than human teams, and recommend timely breaks while balancing player protection with sustainable growth.

Khachatryan also stressed the need for explainable, controlled deployment. “AI should help teams perform five times better rather than replace them… Without proper boundaries, short-term momentum boosts with AI can actually hurt your company in the long term.” The company said operators can manage campaigns, personalisation and risk through chat interfaces, with at least 85% accuracy “from the first interactions,” and directed viewers to the full interview on the iGaming Real Talk YouTube channel.

More relevant data as follows:

SoftConstruct; https://softconstruct.com/ Company background and official information on SoftConstruct and its business units.
iGaming Real Talk YouTube channel; https://www.youtube.com/ Source location for the full interview referenced in the announcement (editor can add the specific video URL once identified).
AIBC Eurasia; https://aibc.world/ Event organiser site to corroborate the conference setting and provide context on AIBC Eurasia.

The post SoftConstruct unveils RecSys AI game recommendation system at AIBC Eurasia appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.