Latest News
Innovative Technology’s age verification technology accepted for UK Home Office Government trial
Innovative Technology, who provide a range of biometric solutions designed to estimate age, have been approved as a participant in a UK Government programme piloting age verification technology for the retail sale of alcohol. The Home Office invited organisations to propose digital methods of checking customers’ ages while purchasing alcohol. The regulatory ‘Sandbox’ trial which will run between January and May 2022, will still require humans to check customers ages, but the technology will be used to help retailers abide by the law currently in place to prevent alcohol being mis-sold to anyone underage.
Dr. Andrew O’Brien, ICU Product Manager said, “We are delighted to be accepted into the UK Government Sandbox scheme and see all our hard work undertaken over the past few months come to fruition. Our team have liaised with local licensing authorities, local police officers and local councils to ensure our solution (ICU) is both safe, legal and meets the criteria of the scheme. ICU age verification technology will now be piloted in several convenience stores in the Northwest of England, and we will closely monitor our test sites to ensure we support the retailers’ and collate the relevant data throughout the trial.”
“ICU performs anonymous age estimation completely offline, so no images or data are stored, maintaining privacy. We design and train our own algorithms to check age and the accuracy of our solution has been independently tested by the Age Check Certification Service (ACCS) who found that it underestimates age by only 0.19 years, which establishes ICU as the most accurate independently tested system worldwide.”
Tony Allen, Founder and Chief Executive of ACCS said, “Facial analysis software essentially uses different features of a customer’s face to evaluate and establish their age. The technology behind the ICU age verification device earned independent recognition from the ACCS during a series of accuracy tests which took place in April 2021, concluding that their solution is fit for deployment in a Challenge 25 policy area.”
The Sandbox trial provides an opportunity for industry standards approved by the ACCS to be tested in a small, controlled environment. It will test the practical use of age verification technology in real world situations to gain a better understanding of the implications.
Andrew continued, “A core objective for us during this trial is to understand the impact such technology can have in helping to reduce any potential abuse and aggression directed at staff who refuse underage customers attempting to buy alcohol. We believe this simple tool will have a significant impact to support retailers in adhering to the 2003 Licensing Act. From large supermarket chains to corner shops, we have ensured our product is accessible for all with simple deployment and minimal resources required. Plus, ICU has no recurring transaction fees, we do not charge per age estimation making it a cost-effective solution.”
Last year, the British Retail Consortium wrote to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, highlighting a 76% rise in abuse to staff during the pandemic, and citing identity checks as a trigger point.
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iGaming
Tugi Tark and Narnium Solutions Announce Strategic Partnership to Strengthen Player Support Across Multiple iGaming Brands
Tugi Tark has entered into a strategic partnership with Narnium Solutions, an operator managing multiple online casino brands, to deploy its customer service platform alongside AI-powered support agents across the operator’s portfolio.
Narnium Solutions brings over 15 years of experience spanning casino operations, compliance, payments, marketing, and platform management. As the company continues to expand across both emerging and established markets, delivering scalable and consistent player support has become a key operational priority.
Through this collaboration, Narnium Solutions is integrating Tugi Tark’s platform and AI agents—trained on more than 10 million real iGaming support interactions—to streamline player communication across all brands within a single, unified environment.
A company representative at Narnium Solutions said:
“Partnering with Tugi Tark marks an important step forward for us. We’re excited to introduce an AI-powered chat experience into our ecosystem, strengthening our modern iGaming stack and enhancing player communication across our brands.”
The platform is being used to centralise support operations across the NarniaSlots brand family. Tugi Tark’s AI-driven chat widget is embedded directly into each site, enabling automated handling of player queries while allowing support teams to focus on more complex cases within a shared workspace.
The solution is designed to scale alongside Narnium Solutions’ growing pipeline, which includes upcoming brands such as Lucky Mary and House of Slots, as the company continues to expand its footprint.
Harpo Lilja, CEO of Tugi Tark, said:
“Narnium Solutions operates on a global scale with the kind of multi-brand complexity our platform was built to support. We’re pleased to welcome them on board and to power player support across their entire portfolio.”
The partnership aligns with Narnium Solutions’ broader strategy of building compliant, scalable iGaming operations across international markets. With a centralised support infrastructure and AI-driven capabilities in place, the company is well positioned to deliver consistent, high-quality player experiences as it continues to grow.
The post Tugi Tark and Narnium Solutions Announce Strategic Partnership to Strengthen Player Support Across Multiple iGaming Brands appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Industry News
QTech Games recruits banking and AI leader Jonny Youssef as CTO to drive next phase of its growth journey
QTech Games, the leading game aggregator for emerging markets, has appointed Jonny Youssef as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to lead the next phase of the company’s technology organisation, innovation and technology strategy as QTech accelerates its global expansion. Jonny will lead the continued development of QTech’s platform architecture and engineering organisation, focusing on scalability, AI-driven capabilities and next-generation tools designed to support operators and content partners across fast-growing markets. Jonny brings more than 20 years of technology leadership experience across banking, fintech, SaaS platforms and AI-driven innovation. His background combines enterprise-scale infrastructure expertise with hands-on experience building and scaling digital platforms and emerging technology systems. Previously, Jonny served as Head of Innovation for Swedbank Group Lending & Payments, where he led digital initiatives across lending, payments, APIs and digital channels within one of the Nordic region’s largest banking groups. He has also held senior technology leadership roles at Entercard Group, overseeing technology infrastructure and mission-critical production environments supporting large-scale payment operations across Nordic markets. Alongside his enterprise leadership experience, Jonny has founded and scaled several technology ventures and digital platforms. As a technology founder and CTO, he has led the design and development of international platforms operating across Europe and Asia, building distributed engineering teams and scalable digital infrastructure.
In recent years, Jonny has contributed to the development of next-generation AI and sustainability technology initiatives, including work with Circular Living and Biotonomy, where advanced AI, IoT and Edge AI systems are used to power intelligent environments, autonomous infrastructure and real-time operational insights. Beyond his commercial initiatives, he is also a board member and early contributor to The AI Community of Sweden, a national innovation network connecting professionals, enterprises and academia to collaborate on AI innovation. At QTech Games, Jonny will focus on strengthening the company’s technology foundations as it continues to scale globally, enhancing AI-driven functionality, automation and analytics capabilities that enable partners to unlock greater value from the platform. He will also oversee QTech’s engineering and technology teams to ensure continued innovation while maintaining the speed, reliability and integration flexibility that have become hallmarks of QTech’s aggregation platform.
QTech Games’ CEO, Philip Doftvik, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Jonny to QTech at an important moment in our growth journey.
“He brings a rare combination of enterprise technology leadership, platform-building expertise and forward-looking innovation in AI and automation. His experience across banking infrastructure, global digital platforms and emerging technology ecosystems makes him uniquely positioned to guide us through its next phase of technological evolution.
“As we continue to expand across emerging markets, Jonny’s leadership will help ensure we remain at the forefront of innovation — delivering scalable infrastructure, AI-driven insights and powerful technology solutions that help our partners grow.”
Jonny Youssef added: “QTech Games has built a strong reputation as one of the most innovative and reliable aggregation platforms serving emerging markets.
“What impressed me most is the company’s focus on speed, simplicity and partner success — combined with a clear ambition to continue evolving the platform through technology. I’m excited to join the team at a time when AI, automation and data-driven capabilities are creating new opportunities to deliver even greater value to operators and game providers.
“My focus will be on strengthening the platform architecture, scaling our technology capabilities with AI and supporting the next phase of QTech’s growth.”
The post QTech Games recruits banking and AI leader Jonny Youssef as CTO to drive next phase of its growth journey appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Games Global
Games Global and Stormcraft Studios dive into aquatic adventure with Mermaid’s Millions Cashingo™
Games Global, together with exclusive studio partner Stormcraft Studios, has unveiled Mermaid’s Millions Cashingo
, a vibrant deep-sea slot blending enchanting visuals with engaging mechanics to deliver a layered gameplay experience.
Building on more than 15 years of success enjoyed by the heritage title, Mermaid’s Millions, the upgraded sequel introduces the Cashingo
and ULTRA Link&Win
features to enhance gameplay.
Set in a shimmering underwater kingdom, the 5×5, 40-payline title unfolds among coral caverns and glittering reefs, with win potential in excess of 13,000x.
At the heart of the game is the Cashingo
feature, where Cash and Jackpot Coins populate a dedicated grid during both the base game and Bonus Spins. Some coins appear as glowing pearls, duplicating onto the grid where they stick and accumulate.
Forming horizontal, vertical, or diagonal lines awards instant prizes and jackpots, while pearls landing on occupied positions merge their values to increase potential payouts.
Further intrigue comes through the ULTRA Link&Win
feature, activated by landing six or more coin symbols. The feature begins with three respins on a 5×5 grid, with coin symbols locking in place while the remaining positions continue to respin.
Special Seahorse Coins can unlock additional rows, expanding the reels and increasing reward potential, while boosters such as Collectors, Doublers, Persistent modifiers and Extra Life Coins can appear to increase winnings and extend the feature.
The adventure continues with Bonus Spins, activated by three or more scatter symbols to award 10 spins, where wild and coin symbols can appear Power Stacked to heighten the chance of significant wins.
Combining ocean-themed visuals with proven mechanics, Mermaid’s Millions Cashingo
delivers a dynamic experience designed to keep players engaged.
Terence Igesund, Executive Producer at Stormcraft Studios, said: “Mermaid’s Millions Cashingo
was made to feel vibrant and full of momentum from the very first spin.
“The ocean setting gave us the perfect canvas to build something visually rich, while the mechanics keep the action evolving as the grid fills and the reels expand.”
David Reynolds, Director of Games Strategy and Partner Management at Games Global, said: “Stormcraft Studios has delivered yet another title that blends strong visual identity with mechanics that are both engaging and easy to understand.
“Mermaid’s Millions Cashingo
captures that balance well and is another example of how our studio network continues to deliver diverse, high-quality content that strengthens the breadth of the Games Global portfolio.”
The post Games Global and Stormcraft Studios dive into aquatic adventure with Mermaid’s Millions Cashingo™ appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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