Latest News

Nueva Codere announces its CEO succession plan

Published

3 years ago

February 25, 2022

George Miller

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Vicente Di Loreto will step down from the CEO position, having completed both the operational transformation and financial restructuring of the Group and having reached an important personal milestone following an intensive professional career that has spanned 35 years.

The succession plan encompasses a transition period to be completed on June 30. From July 1, 2022, Alberto González del Solar and Alejandro Rodino, currently Retail COO and Chief Strategy & Corporate Areas Officer, respectively, will be appointed Co-CEOs of the Group.

From July 1, Di Loreto will continue his commitment to the Group as Board member and senior advisor to the management team.

Vicente Di Loreto, CEO of Codere Group since January 2018, has decided to gradually withdraw from his executive functions as CEO although will remain committed to the Group as Board member and senior advisor to the management team. This personal decision follows an intensive career spanning 35 year, most in an executive capacity, and will permit him to devote more time to his family and personal projects, while continuing to contribute his knowledge and experience to the Group in this new role.

In an orderly transition that, subject to shareholder approval, will be completed on June 30, Di Loreto will transfer his executive duties to Alberto González del Solar and Alejandro Rodino, both of whom will start to hold office as Co-CEOs on July 1, 2022.

European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

“It has been an honour these last four years to be CEO of Codere Group. Alejandro, Alberto and I have been working together for many years and I am convinced that this new arrangement captures what is best for the Company. On completion of the restructuring, I have made a lifestyle decision and decided to pass on the baton of executive responsibility. This will allow me to have more time and flexibility, but my commitment to the project, the new board and the management team will remain intact in my new role as Director and senior advisor to the management”, declared Di Loreto.

Alejandro Rodino currently holds the position of Chief Strategy and Corporate Areas Officer. Previously he held the position of Retail COO for Spain and has been a key member of the executive team, with increasing responsibility for business operations and strategy. He has wide experience in the gaming industry and has been involved with Codere since 2003, either as a consultant or as an employee in various positions. He previously worked in investment banking, in several international assignments related to mergers and acquisitions, fund raising and strategic consultancy.

Alberto González del Solar has held the position of Retail COO since 2019. Before his current role he has been a key member of the executive team, assisting the previous Retail COO in Latin America, provisionally holding the position of IT and Platform Director and was part of the leading team implementing the Transformation Plan of the group. Previously, Mr. González del Solar managed the Argentinean business for several years, at a time when this business unit became the main EBITDA and cash contributor of the Group. Before joining Codere in 2005, he held management positions in several companies in Argentina.

Rodino and Gonzalez de Solar have worked closely together at Codere for over 15 years and have deep operational and strategic experience, both of the Group and the markets in which it operates. They are currently leading on the preparation of the Business Plan 2022-2026, which is under discussion with the Board and shortly to be finalized.

Christopher Bell, non-executive Chairman of Nueva Codere, explains: “Under the leadership of Vicente Di Loreto, the Company has achieved both an operational transformation and financial restructuring in extremely challenging circumstances. He has put all the pieces in place to allow the business return to growth after two years of pandemic. We are grateful for his achievements and fully support his decision, convinced that from his new position of responsibility he will continue to contribute knowledge and experience of great value to the Group. Alejandro Rodino and Alberto González del Solar are two professionals with in-depth knowledge of the industry and renowned throughout the Company, within which they have been cooperating from several positions of responsibility for more than 15 years. During the time we have spent together, we have been able to confirm their commitment and performance and I am excited and honored to be leading a business with a management team of this caliber and strength in depth”.

Eastern Europe

Totogaming Joins Cernica Pantelimon RunFest: Not Just Present, But Fully Participating

Published

5 hours ago

July 7, 2025

George Miller

totogaming-joins-cernica-pantelimon-runfest:-not-just-present,-but-fully-participating

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“We weren’t just present — we were participants of Runfest. And that’s one of the most important aspects,” said Artak Ashkhatoyan, Deputy CEO of Totogaming.

On July 6, Totogaming joined the Cernica Pantelimon Runfest in Romania, once again emphasizing the importance of promoting amateur sports and a healthy lifestyle.

“Supporting such initiatives is a priority for TotoGaming. First, 50% of the proceeds from RunFest will be donated to the CLOVES Romania Foundation, supporting children affected by CLOVES Syndrome. And second, we’ve always believed in showing our passion for sports through actions, not just words. Have you noticed how we’re constantly rushing through life, yet when we look back, it often feels like we haven’t moved at all? It’s important for us to lead by example and show the importance of participation. This is exactly the message we’re promoting through our team’s active involvement in the marathon. After all, there can never be too much sport in our lives,” said TotoGaming’s Deputy CEO, Artak Ashkhatoyan.

A Simple Concept, a Powerful Impact

The concept of this sports event is straightforward: choose a distance between 1 to 21 kilometers and run. The goal? Make sport an integral part of everyday life. The crowd certainly embraced that, gathering as early as 8:30 a.m. — on a Sunday morning.

Totogaming contributed in two distinct capacities: as an official sponsor and as an active participant. A dedicated team of 13 employees represented the company at the Cernica Pantelimon RunFest, with 7 of them proudly taking part as runners.

More Than Just a Run

It wasn’t an easy challenge — especially because among Totogaming’s runners were people for whom running isn’t a daily habit, or even part of their life at all. Yet they couldn’t miss the opportunity, not least from the perspective of corporate responsibility.

“We just finished the 7.5-kilometer race!” shared Petrut-Adrian Toea from the Totogaming team.

“It was amazing, honestly. Around the 2-kilometer mark, I had this little battle with myself — I told myself I had to finish the race, no matter what. And I did it! I came in around 60th place out of over 100 runners, which for me is a really good result.”

“I see my participation as a small contribution toward promoting a healthy lifestyle. In my close circle, everyone knows I’m not exactly the sporty type. I’m not athletic, and I usually prefer having fun in other ways. But showing up here, early in the morning, in this intense heat, and completing almost 8 kilometers with just one short break — I think it set a good example.”

“I hope seeing someone like me finish this challenge motivates my friends to try something similar for their own health. I believe that’s a meaningful contribution”, – added Petrut-Andrea.

Totogaming also made it possible for every attendee to bring sport into their lives — quite literally. At the Totogaming tent, participants could ride stationary bikes and receive prizes based on the number of points they earned through their efforts.

Whether they were running, cycling, or simply cheering for friends, the goal for everyone was the same: to reach the destination of champions — by bringing sport into everyday life.

The post Totogaming Joins Cernica Pantelimon RunFest: Not Just Present, But Fully Participating appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

BMM

BMM TESTLABS PROMOTES SACHA MCLAUGHLIN TO VICE PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL QUALITY ASSURANCE

Published

5 hours ago

July 7, 2025

GamingAmericas.com

bmm-testlabs-promotes-sacha-mclaughlin-to-vice-president-of-global-quality-assurance

BMM Testlabs, the world’s original gaming test lab renowned for exceptional product compliance and certification services, today announced the promotion of Sacha McLaughlin to Vice President of Global Quality Assurance.

BMM’s President of Land-Based Gaming & Inspections, Kirk White, said, “Sacha has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership, operational excellence, and a customer-first attitude. Her experience and passion will be critical as we continue to grow our QA services to meet the always-evolving needs of the global gaming industry.”

With over 18 years of experience in software implementation and seven years in the gaming industry, McLaughlin brings extensive knowledge of both agile and waterfall development methodologies, test planning, project management, and cross-regional team leadership. She is recognized for her ability to build and scale QA organizations that deliver quality, speed, and value to customers.

McLaughlin joined BMM in 2018 and has held roles of increasing responsibility within the Company, most recently serving as Senior Director of Quality Assurance. Throughout her tenure, she has been instrumental in expanding BMM’s QA capabilities and helping customers launch products into the global gaming market more quickly, with a focus on regulatory compliance, functionality, fairness, and security.

The post BMM TESTLABS PROMOTES SACHA MCLAUGHLIN TO VICE PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL QUALITY ASSURANCE appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

AI

Liftoff’s 2025 Mobile Ad Creative Index Reveals UGC Is a Key Differentiator for Top Apps

Published

6 hours ago

July 7, 2025

GamingAmericas.com

liftoff’s-2025-mobile-ad-creative-index-reveals-ugc-is-a-key-differentiator-for-top-apps

Major findings from the newly launched report include playable ads having the potential to deliver impression-to-install rates 16 times that of non-playable formats for emerging gaming apps and a 20% increase in spending on interactive ads year over year.

Liftoff, a leading AI-enabled growth platform for the mobile app economy, has published its seventh annual Mobile Ad Creative Index. The report explores top creative trends that are attracting and scaling in ad spend across consumer apps and games. It also highlights the expanding role of AI in creative production, testing, and optimization.

This year’s Mobile Ad Creative Index specifically analyzes creative concepts that have excelled in scale for Liftoff’s highest-spending advertisers over the past 12 to 48 months. It is based on findings from over 4.7 trillion impressions, 263 billion clicks, and 1.1 billion installs between 1 January 2023 and 31 May 2025.

Highlights from the report include:

Top consumer apps are investing in interactive ads to compete for engagement

In 2024, the share of spend on interactive ads for top apps increased by 20% year over year. The share of spend increased by 2% for spenders outside the top tier. Top-spending apps differentiate their campaigns by adding innovations to evergreen concepts such as social scrollers, carousels, and scratch-offs.

Playable ads deliver returns across ad budgets for mobile game advertisers

In 2024, the share of spend on playable ads for top games averaged 35% higher than other games. Across all ad budgets, however, playable ads delivered higher conversion rates. Impression-to-install rates were 8 times that of non-playable formats for top spenders and 16 times that of non-playable formats for other game advertisers.

Tailoring “metaplay” elements to motivations can improve performance

“Metaplay” elements—gameplay that diverges from an app’s core design to appeal to a broader audience—are widespread, but top games gain an edge by tailoring their metaplay ads to the publisher audience. The report found that aligning “metaplay” creative with publisher audiences resulted in a 93% increase in installs-per-mille.

UGC is becoming a key differentiator in driving scale for consumer apps

The share of spend on user-generated content (UGC) increased 11% for top-spending apps, with social and utility apps seeing the most significant jump of nearly 30% between 2023 and 2024.

Widespread adoption of Gen AI leads to more customized ad experiences

Creative teams increasingly leverage AI to enhance top-performing assets with 3D and motion and to create and test variations. Top advertisers also use AI to recombine their assets in customized ad experiences that break away from standard video to playable formats.

Yann Zeller, Chief of Staff, Creative at Liftoff, said: “Today’s creative landscape is shaped by a single, powerful truth: attention is the commodity, and brands, games, and influencers are all vying for it. Great mobile ad experiences can earn attention by aligning context with behavior. As ad formats become richer and AI expands our ability to personalize and adapt creatives at scale, we’re able to unlock new insights into user behavior and motivation. We see users spend meaningful stretches with the right content, sometimes 60 to 90 seconds when the ad feels personal or prompts meaningful participation. This isn’t just a better way to advertise—it’s a better way to tell stories and the most exciting brief we’ve had in years.”

Soren Steelquist, Director of Creative Production, said: “The proof is in the data—more and more consumer apps are incorporating UGC into every stage of their marketing, and programmatic is no different. UGC works because it’s authentic and relatable, and users are more likely to be influenced by ad when it’s coming from a trustworthy source. To see higher impact from UGC creatives, work with a partner that can match the right creator with your brand and develop winning concepts that resonate with audiences.”

The post Liftoff’s 2025 Mobile Ad Creative Index Reveals UGC Is a Key Differentiator for Top Apps appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.