Latest News
Total Performance Data signs landmark multi-year deal with Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia
Tracking system launched for last weekend’s $20m Saudi Cup, the world’s most valuable race
The world’s largest and fastest source of live horse racing data, Total Performance Data (TPD), has signed a multi-year deal with the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia (JCSA).
TPD and the JCSA jointly launched the tracking system at last weekend’s two-day Saudi Cup meeting and that begun a partnership that will see every runner at every meeting in the country tracked, meaning the world’s most valuable race, The $20m Saudi Cup, will benefit from TPD’s in-running data.
The tracking software recorded some intriguing pace conundrums from the King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh over the weekend where despite many front runners emerging victorious across the card, the data points to the reverse happening in The Saudi Cup itself. John & Thady Gosden’s Mishriff came unstuck by being up with the pace early on, while the winner, Emblem Road, came from last to first. More information can be found in the attached table.
The agreement, TPD’s first in the Middle East, means the data specialists now operate in five countries throughout the world, with the two racecourses in the territory, the King Abdulaziz Racetrack and King Khalid Racetrack, the 42nd and 43rd tracks they have a presence at globally.
The new deal also means that both on-course and off-course broadcasters will have access to TPD’s live in-running graphics like those seen during the Racing League and at Ascot.
Will Duff Gordon, CEO of Total Performance Data, said: “We are honoured to have gone live with the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia in what is very exciting deal for us as we continue to expand our global footprint.
“Racing in the territory is getting bigger every season and you just have to look at the calibre of horse that ran there over the weekend for evidence of that. It’s a very exciting time to be involved with racing in Saudi Arabia and it’s fantastic that our offering will be part of the world’s richest race, The Saudi Cup, every February.
“Looking at the data behind this year’s Saudi Cup, and it looks like a classic pace burnout, with shock winner Emblem Road coming from last to first and defending champion Mishriff tailing off after setting the fastest second quarter sectional. We’ve already had enquiries from connections of horses in the race, who clearly want a bit more insight as to why things may have panned out as they did.”
Tom Ryan, Director of Saudi Cup, said: “We are very pleased to have TPD’s tracking technology in place for all our racedays and were impressed by how quickly the service was up and running. Our local audience enjoyed the big screen graphics and we know that horsemen will appreciate access to the pace data to review their performances.”
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AI
BetGames research reveals more than 70% of players failed to recognise AI avatar gameshow presenters
BetGames has revealed the results of a research project testing AI-generated presenters on its live game shows, finding that fewer than 30% of players realised the hosts were artificial — and that the change produced no significant impact on player behaviour.
For the experiment, the supplier introduced AI avatars designed as digital replicas of real presenters, quietly deploying them on one of its live games over several days to evaluate whether they could effectively replace human hosts.
The results showed that more than two-thirds of players did not notice the switch to AI. At the same time, key performance indicators — including session duration, stake size and total bets placed — remained statistically unchanged.
According to BetGames, the absence of both positive and negative shifts suggests that while AI avatars can technically replicate the role of live presenters, they currently provide no measurable advantage. As a result, the company believes there is not yet a strong business case for rolling out the technology on a large scale.
Cost efficiency, often cited as a major driver of AI adoption, also failed to deliver a clear benefit. BetGames reported that generating and operating an AI avatar around the clock remains resource-intensive, limiting potential financial gains compared with human hosts.
Technical hurdles further complicate the widespread adoption of AI presenters. One of the most significant challenges remains achieving realistic text-to-speech performance. As AI technology becomes more advanced and visual realism improves, even minor imperfections in speech become increasingly noticeable to audiences.
Other constraints include latency issues, lip-synchronisation delays and inaccuracies in real-time translation — all critical elements that must be refined before the technology can be implemented reliably across live products.
BetGames continues to explore the potential of AI under the leadership of CEO Andreas Koeberl, who is also co-founder of Autonomous Minds, the developer behind the AI analyst Milo. The initiative forms part of the company’s broader strategy to experiment with emerging technologies and help future-proof the iGaming industry.
Koeberl said:
“AI has been building momentum, but its role within the live casino sector remains largely untested. When it comes to AI presenters, we built it, it worked, and nobody cared. That raises the question of what we are actually working toward.
“The technology didn’t produce any meaningful positive or negative impact on the player experience or product margins, and the cost of running an AI avatar 24/7 offers no significant advantage compared with employing human presenters.
“So rather than attempting to replace humans and replicate what already exists, the focus should shift to exploring what AI can enable that wasn’t previously possible. That’s where the real value lies.”
The post BetGames research reveals more than 70% of players failed to recognise AI avatar gameshow presenters appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Africa
Blueprint Gaming Expands into South Africa Through Strategic Partnership with Hollywoodbets
Blueprint Gaming
has enhanced its foothold in the South African market via a major alliance with top operator Hollywoodbets, offering a wider range of its globally acclaimed slot titles to players in the area.
Although Blueprint has been operational in South Africa since late 2025, this agreement signifies its initial significant launch with a top-tier operator in the country, highlighting a key advancement in its long-term regional plan.
Through the collaboration, Hollywoodbets will launch a variety of Blueprint’s most recognized and top-performing games, featuring its successful Cash Strike series and the consistently favored Fishin’ Frenzy, along with a selection of celebrated IP-based titles like Ted
.
Blueprint has established a reputation for merging well-known intellectual property with robust mathematical models and focused gameplay, producing titles that consistently appeal across regulated markets. The addition of this portfolio to Hollywoodbets’ live game selection further enriches the operator’s content variety, offering players reliable games supported by global performance credentials.
South Africa ranks among the most advanced and established gaming markets in Africa, backed by a strong regulatory system and a rich history of retail betting. As digital adoption speeds up and online casinos keep rising in popularity, the market offers substantial long-term growth opportunities for high-quality content providers.
Through a collaboration with Hollywoodbets, one of the leading betting brands in the country, Blueprint gains instant access to a vast, active customer base along with extensive local market knowledge. The partnership enables the studio to achieve significant growth in South Africa, while also creating a strategic base for broader expansion throughout the African continent.
Sam Haggblom, Director of Business Development at Blueprint Gaming
, said: “South Africa represents a compelling opportunity for Blueprint. It is a mature and well-established market with a clear appetite for high-quality online casino content.
“Introducing our wide and performance-focused portfolio through Hollywoodbets allows us to showcase the depth and versatility of our games to a new audience. We see strong long-term potential not only in South Africa but across the wider African landscape.”
Wayde Dorkin, Head of Product at Hollywoodbets, added: “Blueprint Gaming’s portfolio has delivered consistent results across multiple regulated markets worldwide.
“The addition of established brands such as Cash Strike and Fishin’ Frenzy further strengthens our online casino offering, enabling us to continue providing players with proven, high-quality and internationally recognised content.”
The post Blueprint Gaming Expands into South Africa Through Strategic Partnership with Hollywoodbets appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
AI
New Videoslots app stars in AI-assisted “Stone Age” ad
Pioneering online casino Videoslots is preparing to launch a new television campaign in Sweden to promote its newly released mobile app for iOS and Android.
The advert, titled “Stone Age,” recreates a cinematic prehistoric world and was produced using artificial intelligence as part of the creative and production workflow. The use of AI enabled the team to bring the ambitious setting to life in a way that would have been significantly more expensive through traditional production methods.
The campaign was created in partnership with Stockholm-based Armstrong Film and has also been adapted in English and Danish for distribution across digital and social media channels.
Marco Trucco, Chief Marketing Officer at Videoslots’ parent company Immense Group, said the decision to incorporate AI was driven by creative possibilities rather than technological novelty.
“The creative idea was entirely human-led,” Trucco explained. “AI simply helped us execute the concept in a way that would have been very costly using traditional production methods. For us, it was about unlocking creative freedom.”
Philip Karlberg, Executive Producer at Armstrong Film, noted that the prehistoric theme presented a number of practical challenges.
“Designing characters and adapting performances across three languages would typically require several separate cast productions,” he said. “Using AI allowed us to approach that ambition differently. However, AI doesn’t replace filmmaking. You still need a strong concept, clear storytelling and a defined visual direction. The work doesn’t disappear — it simply shifts from physical production to detailed planning, direction and refinement.”
Trucco added that the project highlights how AI could reshape the future of television advertising.
“High-quality TV production has traditionally required substantial budgets,” he said. “AI has the potential to allow more brands to compete creatively with larger advertisers. Better advertising ultimately leads to a better viewing experience, more choice for consumers and stronger competition in the market. At Videoslots, we’re pleased to launch an original and entertaining TV advert to introduce our new apps.”
The post New Videoslots app stars in AI-assisted “Stone Age” ad appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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