Eastern Europe
Business and government synergy to officially represent Ukraine at the Web Summit
For the first time in history, Ukraine will host a pavilion at Web Summit, the world’s largest tech conference. The pavilion will feature startups, IT service companies, foundations, and innovations. The organizers are giving a special presentation within the official Web Summit program along with a Ukrainian dinner. On November 2, some of the country’s best-known companies will be showcasing the Ukrainian technological ecosystem.
Today, Ukraine’s IT industry is booming, growing five times faster (25%) than the global average (4-6%). Here are some impressive numbers:
● 5,000 IT companies
● 250,000 developers
● Five unicorns
● Ukrainian startups raised $2 billion in VC investments in 6 years
● By 2025, the industry is projected to generate $10 billion
“Ukrainians are known worldwide for their IT skills and creativity. As the government is introducing a special legal framework for IT companies — Diia City — we expect further development of Ukraine as a European hub for innovation and R&D. Ukraine’s participation in Web Summit 2021 became possible thanks to the joint efforts of the Ukrainian government and the private sector,” says Dmytro Senik, Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Chief Digital Transformation Officer.
The Ukrainian presence was made possible thanks to the combined efforts of the co-organizers — the Ukrainian Startup Fund, the Ministry of Digital Transformation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Embassy of Ukraine in Portugal, Sigma Software Group, Ukrainian Hub, Еuropean Business Association, and iplace digital agency — with partners Digital Future, Kyivstar, Parimatch Tech, Rocket, Fondy, Avenga, ISSP, Concord Fintech Solutions, UNIT.City, and IT EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT.
“As an international product company with Ukrainian roots, we support government initiatives to build up and develop technical expertise in the country. Our largest development center, located in Kyiv, monitors the trends in the world of technology and, whenever possible, applies them to our products, thereby raising the level of Ukrainian engineers. We are grateful to our partners and the state for the opportunity to be involved in the demonstration of Ukrainian technical expertise to the whole world,” commented Maksym Liashko, co-CEO of Parimatch Tech.
Parimatch Tech develops the Ukrainian IT market as an employer and organizer of hackathons, international conferences, and projects such as Parimatch Tech Academy — a free educational project where practicing engineers train specialists for the growing Ukrainian IT market. Star students receive job offers from Parimatch Tech or glowing recommendations when applying to other companies.
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CEO of GGBET UA Serhii Mishchenko
GGBET UA kicks off the “Keep it GG” promotional campaign
A leading gaming brand in Ukraine has launched a collection of ads featuring the tagline “Keep it GG” as part of an extensive communications initiative. The videos are currently being broadcast on Ukrainian TV, online platforms, and the brand’s social media accounts.
“GG” (Good Game) started in video game culture, yet its significance has far surpassed the literal meaning of “well played.” Currently, it symbolizes a worldwide sign of honor and gratitude for the feelings exchanged following a match, no matter the outcome. This concept served as the basis for GGBET UA’s latest marketing campaign. The video series embodies a unique GG atmosphere: rather than using a conventional voiceover, it incorporates complete audio tracks; the narrative features both literal and metaphorical allusions to sports and esports terms, alongside in-game and casino aspects; and prominent Ukrainian footballers are among the main characters.
“Every game, every match, every tournament is a moment that brings people together. For us, it’s important that every interaction with GGBET gives users that good game feeling — an experience that outlives the result and leaves vivid emotions behind, just like after watching a match,” comments CEO of GGBET UA, Serhii Mishchenko.
Going beyond the traditional view of GG also signifies a more profound implication — the brand’s strategic focus. The international brand, which has concentrated on esports for several years and attained significant success in esports betting and collaborations, is now adopting best practices to enhance traditional sports in regional markets. GGBET UA showcases a wider strategy for Good Game via collaborations (FC Dynamo Kyiv, FC Polissya, and the Ukrainian Basketball Federation), by organizing its own events and special projects, including initiatives that blend sports with esports, like the Match of LeGGends: Derby showmatch on the server featuring esports athletes and football players.
The brand’s creative team collaborated with a Ukrainian advertising agency and a Ukrainian production company to develop the commercials. GGBET UA made this choice to assist the local creative sector amid the war.
The post GGBET UA kicks off the “Keep it GG” promotional campaign appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Blask Awards
Endorphina’s Hell Hot 100 Crowned “Ukraine Game of the Year” at the Blask Awards
It’s getting hot in here! Hell Hot! Yes, Endorphina has only gone and won “Ukraine Game of the Year” in the prestigious Blask Awards with our fun and fiery Hell Hot 100!
Spicy, spirited fruit, flame-play, Hell Hot 100, which ignites the devil in all, demonstrates that we persist in achieving our objectives in expanding marketing frontiers, with increasingly inventive high-quality gaming experiences, and establishing new benchmarks in an iGaming sector that never rests.
This illustrates that the mechanics behind securing this award highlight Endorphina’s growing power in the market, particularly in terms of game promotion. To achieve victory, we needed to raise this game to be the leading contender by showtime, featuring the greatest number of operators in Ukraine.
In other words, the choice depended on market presence and the extent to which the game is accessible on operator websites in the nation.
This affirmation from Max Tesla, CEO and co-founder Blask, says: “Congratulations to Endorphina’s “Hell Hot 100” on winning Ukraine Game of the Year. This award isn’t about hype or a single campaign. It’s awarded to the game that achieved the widest real-market footprint, being featured by the highest number of operators in Ukraine as of 1 January 2026.”
“Reaching that level of distribution means your title proved itself where it matters most: in operator lobbies, day after day, at scale.”
By achieving yet another significant milestone, Endorphina strengthens its status as a top award-winning game developer in iGaming engineering, recognized for its innovative creations and profound insight into player preferences. Awards aren’t merely for appearance; they demonstrate our commitment to fulfilling our promises and recognize the daily dedication and talent of our team, along with the trust from partners and operators globally, in continually elevating standards across all our activities.
Instances like this demonstrate significant admiration from the industry, motivating us to strive further, envision more, and produce titles that not only engage but also ignite the audience’s cheers.
What comes next in Endorphina’s continuously expanding pipeline? Just keep watching and find out! Maintain your volume at the highest setting as we aim for even greater achievements to conquer in the upcoming days!
The post Endorphina’s Hell Hot 100 Crowned “Ukraine Game of the Year” at the Blask Awards appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Compliance Updates
Romanian National Gambling Authority Pushes for Urgent Overhaul of Self-exclusion Rules
The Romanian National Gambling Authority (ONJN) has formally urged the Ministry of Finance to introduce emergency measures aimed at strengthening the country’s self-exclusion system. ONJN President Vlad-Cristian Soare said the regulator has submitted a draft emergency ordinance (OUG) designed to close loopholes in existing legislation and bolster player protection.
The ONJN launched Romania’s gambling self-exclusion platform in 2020 under legislation GD no. 111/2016, Art. 130. However, there have been discussions for some time over the shortcomings of the programme, and industry groups such as the EGBA have been vocal in proposing improvements.
Last year, the ONJN ordered gambling operators to apply a “single account principle” for self-exclusion, meaning that self-exclusion requests automatically apply across all platforms. That clarification closed a loophole that allowed players who had self-excluded with one operator to switch to another and continue to gamble, but issues remain.
Soare assumed leadership of ONJN in May 2025 following the resignation of his predecessor after a damning audit report. He said: “I promised self-exclusion would not remain a project that only exists on paper like how I found it when I took office. It will be implemented in three stages: operation under the current framework (already achieved), legislative amendments to fix dysfunctions, and the rollout of a modern IT solution (now underway).”
In a post on LinkedIn post, Soare said the priority measures would include:
• A centralised and simplified self-exclusion network covering both online and land-based gambling providers.
• Defined exclusion periods: Players would be able to select from fixed durations, including indefinite bans from gambling, with mandatory cooling-off periods to prevent premature withdrawal from the programme.
• Deposit recovery: Operators would be required to refund deposits if self-excluded players were mistakenly allowed to gamble.
• Stricter penalties: Breaches of self-exclusion rules could trigger fines ranging from 50,000 to 100,000 lei (€9800–€19,600). Repeated or severe violations could lead to licence suspensions.
• Improved visibility: Clearer terminology, mandatory self-exclusion information on gambling websites and QR codes in gambling halls linking to national resources would make the system more accessible.
Soare also signalled plans to involve Romanian police in enforcement and collaborate with the National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics. The goal is to build a modern, cost-efficient IT infrastructure capable of supporting a fully integrated self-exclusion regime.
The post Romanian National Gambling Authority Pushes for Urgent Overhaul of Self-exclusion Rules appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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