Latest News
bacta launch YGAM and Betknowmore UK Safer Gambling Training on portal
Bacta, the trade association which represents the amusement and gaming machine industry in the UK, has reiterated its commitment to raising standards by enabling access to the Safer Gambling Training programme through the bactaPortal.
Safer Gambling Training, developed and delivered by leading charities YGAM and Betknowmore UK, combines specialist knowledge, insight and research to raise standards in player protection. Informed by lived experience and relevant to the latest LCCP requirements, the initiative contains six programmes including key areas such as: understanding customer vulnerability; managing welfare; how to interact with customers and signposting to support services.’ The training will now be accessible via the new bactaPortal which went live in September 2021.
The bactaPortal allows gambling venues to maintain paperless records of all their customer interactions and self-exclusions, as well as hosting training modules and other valuable information. It is available to everyone, although bacta members benefit from a subsidised price.
John White, Chief Executive at bacta welcomed the announcement by saying: “YGAM and Betknowmore UK are renowned for their safer gambling training and we are proud that they have chosen to make it available via the bactaPortal. This initiative is the first of many that will make the bactaPortal indispensable to arcade businesses looking to remove paper from their operations. Not only will we populate the bactaPortal with additional training we will be providing a suite of tools from AV testing logs to crime alerts that will put the bactaPortal at the top of the must haves for the sector.”
The Safer Gambling Team will be attending the upcoming EAG conference in London to showcase their programme and talk to delegates about how they can access the training through the portal.
Ian Shanahan, Director of Business Development and Fundraising at YGAM, said: “We’re delighted with this commitment from bacta. It is encouraging to see an influential trade association support our work and I hope more sectors within the gambling industry continue to invest in our City & Guilds Assured Safer Gambling Training. All profits generated from our training are directed back into our charities to further support our social purpose.”
Frankie Graham, Chief Executive at Betknowmore UK, said: “We are delighted to see bacta support the Safer Gambling Training programme. Sector wide commitment to raising standards through training and enhanced learning is our best guard in the prevention of gambling harms.”
Since launching in April 2021, the charities have sold over 14,500 programmes. The bactaPortal training can be completed online, with each programme taking around 60-minutes to complete. The training can be easily accessed on PC, laptop, tablet or mobile at a time that suits the learner.
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Latest News
WinSpirit’s UnValentine’s Day: A New Take on February Engagement
While most gaming brands lean into February with predictable romance-themed campaigns, WinSpirit has taken a different path. Instead of hearts, roses, and sentimental messaging, the brand’s new UnValentine’s Day campaign embraces humor, honesty, and emotional relatability — offering players a refreshing alternative to seasonal clichés.
Reframing the Valentine’s Narrative
Valentine’s promotions in the gaming industry often follow the same script: romantic visuals, love-driven bonuses, and polished messaging designed to evoke idealized relationships. But WinSpirit identified a quieter audience segment — players who feel disconnected from the seasonal hype or simply tired of it.
UnValentine’s Day flips the script. Rather than amplifying traditional romance, the campaign creates space for lighthearted honesty. It invites players to laugh at overused Valentine’s tropes and engage with the brand in a way that feels authentic and current.
This isn’t anti-Valentine’s — it’s anti-generic.
A Simple Yet Strategic Engagement Mechanic
At the center of the campaign is a playful interactive poll hosted on a dedicated landing page. Users are asked to vote for the Valentine’s cliché they find most annoying, turning a simple click into a meaningful re-engagement touchpoint.
There’s no heavy gamification or aggressive conversion push. No complicated mechanics. Just:
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A quick interaction
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A sense of being heard
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A shared cultural moment
By lowering the barrier to participation, WinSpirit prioritizes emotional connection over transactional incentives — a subtle but powerful shift in campaign strategy.
Differentiation Through Empathy
What sets UnValentine’s Day apart is the strategic intent behind it. WinSpirit isn’t dismissing Valentine’s Day — it’s broadening the conversation. The campaign acknowledges that seasonal experiences aren’t universal and that humor can be one of the strongest tools for connection.
This empathy-driven positioning reflects a larger evolution in gaming marketing:
moving away from pressure-based promotions and toward relevance, personality, and genuine audience alignment.
UnValentine’s Day serves as a case study in how online casinos can stand out — not by shouting louder, but by listening better.
Built for Modern Player Expectations
Today’s players expect more than bonuses wrapped in holiday graphics. They value:
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Transparency
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Relatability
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Entertainment that respects individuality
WinSpirit’s approach demonstrates that engagement doesn’t need to be complex to be effective. It just needs emotional intelligence.
The campaign succeeds because it:
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Respects short attention spans
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Builds alignment without forced sentimentality
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Encourages organic conversation
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Reinforces the brand’s fresh, responsive identity
A Micro-Campaign with Macro Impact
In a market where seasonal messaging often feels interchangeable, UnValentine’s Day stands out by doing something simple — acknowledging reality.
It proves that thoughtfully designed micro-campaigns can:
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Strengthen brand voice
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Increase meaningful user touchpoints
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Drive engagement without relying on traditional promotional pressure
Now live on the WinSpirit platform, UnValentine’s Day invites players to engage differently this February — and signals a broader shift in how gaming brands can approach seasonal marketing.
For operators and marketers observing the evolution of player engagement strategies, it’s a campaign worth watching
The post WinSpirit’s UnValentine’s Day: A New Take on February Engagement appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
iGaming
Vegangster Launches Fully Integrated Lootboxes as a Native Platform Feature
Vegangster has unveiled a fully integrated lootbox system as a native feature within its iGaming platform, offering operators a powerful new tool to increase player engagement and unlock additional revenue streams. Early adopters report that lootboxes are already contributing between 5% and 7% of total Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) within the first month of launch.
Unlike third-party game integrations, Vegangster’s lootboxes are built directly into the core platform. This native integration gives operators complete control over configuration, performance mechanics, and lobby placement. In addition, the revenue share model is significantly more favorable compared to external game providers, improving overall margins.
“Brands already using lootboxes are generating between 5 and 7 per cent of their total GGR from lootboxes within the first month,” said Michael Oziransky, CPO at Vegangster.
A Familiar, High-Engagement Mechanic
The lootbox model draws inspiration from popular video game mechanics. Players purchase a lootbox at a fixed price and receive a reward determined by predefined probability settings. Depending on configuration and chance, rewards can exceed the original purchase value, adding excitement and replay potential.
Operators maintain full control over both technical and commercial settings. Prize categories, win probabilities, and RTP logic are configured directly within the Vegangster platform. This flexibility allows operators to tailor lootboxes to different player segments, campaigns, and strategic objectives.
Available rewards can include:
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Cash prizes
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Digital assets
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NFTs
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Physical merchandise
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Custom operator-defined rewards
Once a player receives a reward, they can choose to keep it or sell it back for cash. This streamlined process keeps gameplay transparent while offering operators multiple payout and value-structuring options.
A Versatile Tool for Acquisition and Retention
Lootboxes can also be deployed as part of promotional campaigns. Operators may offer lootbox-based free spins to players, affiliates, or marketing partners. Different configurations can be aligned with specific goals, whether driving new player acquisition, increasing engagement, or improving retention metrics.
Part of a Broader Platform Roadmap
Lootboxes represent the first release in Vegangster’s roadmap of platform-native mini-games planned through 2026. Upcoming additions will include fast, session-based mechanics inspired by crash-style games, along with enhanced social engagement features designed to further boost player interaction.
About Vegangster
Vegangster delivers a full-stack iGaming platform engineered for speed, scalability, and operational control. Its turnkey, white-label, and sweepstakes solutions combine casino and sportsbook content, payments, CRM, compliance tools, and social features into a unified, mobile-first ecosystem. The platform enables operators to launch quickly and scale confidently in competitive markets.
Press Contact
Romans Kozlovskis
[email protected]
The post Vegangster Launches Fully Integrated Lootboxes as a Native Platform Feature appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Latest News
WinSpirit’s UnValentine’s Day: A New Take on February Engagement
While most gaming brands flood February with romantic visuals and heart-shaped incentives, WinSpirit has chosen to challenge tradition with an unexpected twist. The brand’s new seasonal campaign, UnValentine’s Day, moves away from idealized love stories and toward something many players crave more—relatable honesty and lighthearted fun.
Reframing the Valentine’s Narrative
Traditional Valentine’s campaigns often follow a familiar formula: roses, candlelit dinners, and generic love messaging. But WinSpirit saw an overlooked segment — those who feel disconnected from the seasonal hype, or even fatigued by it.
With UnValentine’s Day, WinSpirit offers something different: a moment of comic relief, emotional resonance, and brand interaction. Instead of pretending every player is in the mood for romance, the brand invites them to speak their truth — and laugh about the clichés that usually go unspoken.
A Simple Yet Strategic Mechanic
The core of the campaign centers around a playful, interactive poll hosted on a dedicated landing page. Users are encouraged to vote for the Valentine’s cliché that annoys them the most — with the act of voting becoming a low-barrier touchpoint for re-engagement.
There’s no gamification overload or pressure to convert. Just one click, a sense of being heard, and a chance to take part in a conversation that feels current and real.
Brand Differentiation Through Empathy
What makes this campaign noteworthy isn’t just its originality — it’s the strategic mindset behind it. WinSpirit isn’t mocking Valentine’s Day; it’s expanding the dialogue around it. The brand acknowledges that not everyone experiences the season the same way and that humor can be a powerful connector.
This kind of empathy-driven positioning reflects a broader shift in how brands build engagement — moving away from promotional pressure and toward emotional relevance and genuine user alignment. UnValentine’s Day stands as a strong case study in how casinos can apply this approach in a meaningful, scalable way.
Built for Today’s Players
WinSpirit’s approach reflects a broader evolution in user expectations. Today’s audiences value transparency, relatability, and entertainment that respects their individuality. Campaigns like UnValentine’s Day show that engagement doesn’t have to be elaborate — just emotionally intelligent.
It’s an activation that:
- Respects user attention spans
- Builds emotional alignment without sentimentality
- Generates conversation organically (without incentives as the main driver)
- Reinforces brand identity as fresh, responsive, and non-generic
The Bigger Picture
As seasonal messaging becomes increasingly homogenized across the gaming sector, WinSpirit’s UnValentine’s Day stands out by simply listening. It proves that thoughtful micro-campaigns can both elevate brand voice and increase user touchpoints — without relying on traditional promotional pressure.
UnValentine’s Day is now live on the brand’s platform and serves as an open invitation to engage differently this February. For operators and marketers watching the evolution of seasonal gaming engagement, it’s a campaign worth noting.
The post WinSpirit’s UnValentine’s Day: A New Take on February Engagement appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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