Esportes Gaming Brasil (EGB), the group behind the Esportes da Sorte, Onabet and Lottu brands, has won Gold and Silver at the ClienteSA Awards 2026, held during the ClienteSA X-Summit 2026.

EGB said it won Gold in the Customer Success category for its case study, “Customer Success through Responsible Gaming and Intelligent Monitoring”, and Silver in the Customer Service Operations category for its case study, “From Startup to Maturity”.

Maria Neves, Director of Customer Experience, Customer Support and Reputation Channels, was also named Personality of the Year, an award that recognises leaders in customer experience management in Brazil. “This recognition validates the work of many people, built through listening, team development and a commitment to delivering the best possible customer experience. In a constantly evolving market, putting the customer at the centre of every decision is fundamental to the way we operate,” Neves said.

EGB executives also took part in the summit programme. Neves moderated a panel titled “Responsible Gaming as Part of the Customer Experience Journey,” featuring Carol Luna, Head of Compliance at the company, and Ricardo Magri, co-founder of the Brazilian Support Company for Compulsive Gambling (EBAC), which EGB described as a partner organisation.

During the session, the panellists discussed Brazil’s regulated betting market and how customer service, compliance and responsible gaming processes are being positioned as part of a safer customer journey. EGB highlighted initiatives including specialist support teams trained to identify signs of customer vulnerability, self-exclusion tools, platform usage limits and referral processes to specialist partner organisations.

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Games Valley has appointed Robert Dowling as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), effective July 15, 2026. The company said Dowling is joining full-time after working with Games Valley as a strategic consultant since the beginning of 2026.

In the CRO role, Dowling will lead Games Valley’s global commercial and marketing operations, including sales, strategic partnerships and revenue growth. The company said he will also support its expansion into regulated markets alongside the executive team.

Dowling has more than a decade of iGaming experience and has held senior commercial roles at technology providers including Ganapati, Singular and EveryMatrix.

Ariel Reem, CEO of Games Valley, said: “Robert has already made a significant impact on our business over the past six months. His strategic mindset, commercial expertise and deep understanding of the industry have helped strengthen our growth plans, making this a natural next step. We’re delighted to welcome him to the executive team as Chief Revenue Officer as we continue building one of the industry’s most modern aggregation platforms. As we continue expanding into regulated markets, Robert’s experience and commercial leadership will be instrumental in helping us achieve our long-term ambitions.”

Robert Dowling, CRO at Games Valley, added: “Working with Games Valley over the past few months has confirmed what I believed from day one, that this is a company with a clear vision, exceptional technology and an ambitious team. The platform has been built to solve real challenges for operators, while giving suppliers faster and more effective routes to market. I’m excited to officially join the business and help drive the next phase of growth as we continue expanding our global footprint and bringing our platform to more regulated markets.”

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Merkur Group has agreed to acquire U.S. slots provider White Hat Studios, as the company moves to expand its operations in the regulated U.S. iGaming market. The agreement was announced Wednesday 15th July 2026 and is subject to regulatory approvals.

Merkur said the acquisition will support its U.S. expansion and complements its recent acquisition of Gaming Arts, the Nevada-licensed game and machine supplier. The group said it intends to use a combined portfolio spanning online-first and omni-channel games to support operator partners’ growth plans.

White Hat Studios launched in 2021 and the company said it was the first to launch online slots across all seven regulated states. Its portfolio includes the ‘House of Brands’ slot collection, the 7s Fire Blitz game series, and the Jackpot Royale progressive network.

Andy Whitworth, President of White Hat Studios, said: “Joining Merkur Group is an exciting moment for everyone associated with White Hat Studios and, fundamentally, it is the best possible move to realise our ambitions for future growth and product innovation. Working alongside the hugely experienced Merkur team will open new possibilities for us across iGaming and enhance our ability to develop a world-class omni-channel proposition that will benefit both operators and players.”

Lars Felderhoff, Chairman of the Merkur Management Board, commented: “White Hat Studios has delivered impressive growth since its launch. We look forward to working with the team to continue the U.S. success story and, in turn, Merkur’s expansion in regulated iGaming.” Michael Gauselmann, Chairman of the Merkur Supervisory Board, added: “Having made early inroads into the online space in Europe via our Blueprint acquisition in 2012, I am delighted by this latest development and am confident that White Hat Studios will be a great addition to our group.”

Merkur said the White Hat Gaming platform and white label businesses are not part of the transaction and will remain under their current ownership. White Hat Studios was advised by Oakvale Capital, with legal advisors CMS for White Hat Studios and Wiggin for Merkur.

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