Latest News

‘Think Train’ campaign launched for Easter Holidays

Published

4 years ago

April 12, 2022

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Millions of UK staycationers are being urged to travel by train where they can when they visit their favourite seaside and high-street arcades this Easter by bacta, the industry’s trade body.

The call to action comes as Britain faces a ‘cost of living crisis’, with fast-rising prices for food, fuel and many other household essentials.

The ONS recently said that CPI (consumer price index) inflation in the UK had hit a 30-year high of 6.2% in February, putting considerable pressure on consumers across the country.

Bacta also recognises this may be the first real chance for families and individuals to enjoy their Easter holidays without the anxiety and stress associated with Covid-19 rules and regulations.

However, with those new-found freedoms should come a sense of responsibility, to others, and to the environment.

One way to put this into action is by travelling green and reaching your destination by train, the most environmentally friendly public transport. Rail travel accounts for 14 grams of CO2 emissions per passenger mile, according to the European Environment Agency.

In comparison, 285 grams of CO2 emissions per passenger mile is generated by air travel, while 158 grams per passenger miles is created from car journeys.

The good news is that hundreds of seaside and high-street arcades are situated next to train stations across the country – from Blackpool to Brighton.

Travellers, however, should be aware of National Rail’s planned engineering works during the holiday period and should therefore check their travel plans before they travel.

CEO of bacta John White said: “With fuel prices rising and with most Covid-19 restrictions behind us, now is a great time to reconsider how we travel to our Easter Holidays.

“We are urging millions of staycationers across the UK to ‘Think Train’ as they plan their getaways for April. We hope when they next visit their favourite seaside arcade or adult gaming centre it will be via train power.

“This is a significant contributor to the UK economy. Before the pandemic, arcades and related activities contributed a significant turnover of £845m to the UK economy a Gross Value Added of £451m and were responsible for employing 19,235 people.”

UK Hospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls added: “Despite the pressure on people’s finances right now, we’re sure many thousands will be keen to take advantage of the fact that they’re at last free from Covid restrictions, and are eager to get out and about.

“Engineering works notwithstanding, a good way to do that would be to take advantage of our rail infrastructure, let the train take the strain, and enjoy all the fun that seaside hospitality venues provide, whether they’re pubs, bars, restaurants, gaming arcades or, of course, good old fish and chip shops.

Contributors Program

Gamblers Connect names Gali Hartuv as seventh 2026 Contributors Program voice

Published

7 hours ago

July 22, 2026

Wladimir P.

gamblers-connect-names-gali-hartuv-as-seventh-2026-contributors-program-voice

The Playa strategic advisor will publish on VIP operations, segmentation and retention, starting with an anonymous VIP Operations Survey 2026.

Gamblers Connect has confirmed Gali Hartuv, Strategic Advisor at The Playa, as the seventh voice to join its 2026 Contributors Program.

The independent B2B iGaming media platform said the programme will reveal one senior industry voice per month throughout 2026, with contributors publishing under the Gamblers Connect Contributor Editorial Code.

Gamblers Connect said Hartuv has more than 15 years’ experience in VIP management, including designing and optimising VIP programmes across more than 50 operator brands, and training “hundreds of professionals” now working in VIP roles across the industry.

Hartuv will publish across four areas: building VIP programmes that drive long-term value; AI-powered VIP identification and player segmentation; hyper-personalisation and retention strategy; and scaling VIP operations across different markets and cultures. His first contribution is a VIP Operations Survey 2026, an anonymous survey intended to benchmark how VIP teams work across iGaming operators, including portfolio sizing, tools, qualification thresholds, workflow standards and where time is spent during the week.

Partnerships and Operations Lead, Luka Dimitrijevic, said: “VIP management is where a great deal of an operator’s value is won or lost, and very few people can speak to it with Gali’s depth. He has spent his career turning high value player relationships into a discipline rather than guesswork, and he is refreshingly candid about what works and what does not. Through the Contributors Program he will share practical insight on VIP strategy, retention, and the smart use of AI, with content grounded in real results rather than recycled best practices.”

The post Gamblers Connect names Gali Hartuv as seventh 2026 Contributors Program voice appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Alberta

St8 extends TonyBet partnership to Alberta after securing supplier registration

Published

8 hours ago

July 22, 2026

Wladimir P.

st8-extends-tonybet-partnership-to-alberta-after-securing-supplier-registration

St8 has extended its partnership with TonyBet into Alberta, expanding their Canada footprint following an earlier launch in Ontario this year.

Under the expanded agreement, TonyBet will use St8’s game aggregation platform through a single API integration. St8 said this provides access to its wider catalogue of casino content for players in Alberta.

St8 said the Alberta rollout follows its newly acquired registration to operate in the province as an iGaming Services Supplier, allowing it to provide aggregation services to licensed operators in the market. The company said its platform connects partners to more than 200 game providers via a single API.

David Fall, Business Development Manager at St8, said:

“Entering Alberta’s regulated market is a strong step for St8 that represents our continued efforts to bring our offerings to as many territories as possible, delivering top-tier results for partnerships at the local, national and international stage. We share this commitment with TonyBet, a company that we are very fortunate to be working with so collaboratively and closely as we continue to grow our presence across North America.”

Kiryl Liudvikevich, Head of Product at TonyBet, said:

“We’re proud that our work with St8 has enabled us to continue expanding across Canada. Through St8’s aggregation platform, we can seamlessly access games from the industry’s leading providers via a single integration, helping us scale efficiently while maintaining a strong focus on the player experience. St8 has cemented itself as our go-to partner for expansion into regulated markets, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration as we grow into new jurisdictions.”

The post St8 extends TonyBet partnership to Alberta after securing supplier registration appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Alberta

St8 continues partnership with TonyBet with an expansion into Alberta

Published

8 hours ago

July 22, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

st8-continues-partnership-with-tonybet-with-an-expansion-into-alberta

Casino game aggregation platform and full-service technology provider St8 has extended its ongoing partnership with TonyBet into Alberta, furthering both companies’ expansion into Canada.

As part of the extended agreement, Tonybet will benefit from St8’s next-generation platform via a single API integration, unlocking seamless access to a wide portfolio of games from the industry’s leading providers and enhancing its casino offering for players in Alberta.

The move is the latest in St8’s successful relationship with TonyBet, having previously launched in Ontario earlier this year in a bid to continually grow in regulated markets worldwide.

This expansion was made possible thanks to St8’s newly acquired registration to operate in Alberta as an iGaming Services Supplier, enabling St8 to provide its next-generation game aggregation services to licensed operators in the region, giving partners access to more than 200 premium game providers through a single API integration.

Featuring over 3,000 games from more than 60 providers, TonyBet, meanwhile, has gone from strength to strength in its 17-year history, establishing itself as one of the industry’s leading game studios by delivering engaging titles that combine player appeal with premium gameplay.

Holding licenses in 10 different jurisdictions including Spain, the Netherlands, the UK, Ireland and Estonia, among others, Tonybet’s partnership with St8 has seen them now launch in two separate territories in Canada, with both companies working collaboratively to explore the opportunities available in exciting new markets. This latest agreement reinforces St8’s strategy of expanding its premium content portfolio while helping operators simplify integration, accelerate market entry, and deliver engaging gaming experiences across multiple regulated jurisdictions.

Speaking on the expansion, David Fall, Business Development Manager at St8, said: “Entering Alberta’s regulated market is a strong step for St8 that represents our continued efforts to bring our offerings to as many territories as possible, delivering top-tier results for partnerships at the local, national and international stage. We share this commitment with TonyBet, a company that we are very fortunate to be working with so collaboratively and closely as we continue to grow our presence across North America.”

Kiryl Liudvikevich, Head of Product at TonyBet, had this to say: “We’re proud that our work with St8 has enabled us to continue expanding across Canada. Through St8’s aggregation platform, we can seamlessly access games from the industry’s leading providers via a single integration, helping us scale efficiently while maintaining a strong focus on the player experience. St8 has cemented itself as our go-to partner for expansion into regulated markets, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration as we grow into new jurisdictions.”

The post St8 continues partnership with TonyBet with an expansion into Alberta appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.