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Innovative new AdTech provider Interact makes a splash with charity: water partnership

Published

4 years ago

April 12, 2022

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Interact, a pioneering new AdTech platform that offers immersive in-game advertising solutions for brands, has announced that its innovative new technology raised awareness of the ‘Clean Water Pledge’ by charity: water. The display campaign resulted in hundreds of thousands of impressions, with one in four [27.5%] users tapping on the interactive in-game billboards.

The success of this partnership marks a strong start to the year for Interact. Launched in December 2021 by leading video game publisher Playstack, Interact is a new form of advertising technology. Interact seamlessly places brands into games in a non-disruptive way, making them part of the play. Its unique approach makes in-game brand engagement easy, accessible and relevant to developers, brands and players alike.

Interact prides itself on delivering non-intrusive ads that encourage engagement without disrupting gameplay in any way. Building on years of knowledge and gaming industry experience, Interact’s SDK integrates easily into games, using simple tools to deliver advertising solutions. The expert team works with top brands, building bespoke ads with multiple touch points, that work for developers, players and brands.

The perfect partnership for Idle Aquarium and Idle Sea Park, the charity: water interactive billboards integrated seamlessly into the mobile game in locations, just like those where they would be seen in real life – such as beside exhibitions. Over the course of 15 days, the billboards were watched for over 180 hours, with an impressive 27.5% of viewers tapping to find out more.

Peter Griffin, Head of Brand Partnerships at Interact, said: “At Interact, we are really passionate about creating campaigns that really make brands part of the play – adding to in-game player experience rather than disrupting it. We focus on finding the right brand partnerships and ensuring that our ads make sense, resulting in lifelike experiences in games, that are just like you would see in the real world. We work closely with developers, making it easy for them to integrate our SDK into their games in a way that benefits everyone.

“Supporting charity: water to deliver in-game ads in Idle Aquarium and Idle Sea Park was a collaboration that just made sense. It fitted so well with the games, and was such a relatable brand for players. We are really happy with the results the campaign achieved, especially for such a worthy cause.”

The charity: water campaign, which was launched in partnership with Walk-In Media to coincide with World Water Day [Tuesday 22 March], saw groundbreaking interactive ads served in Playstack’s Idle Aquarium and Idle Sea Park mobile games. Using cutting edge new technology from Interact, interactive water-themed billboards were placed into the in-game parks, which players could then click on to find out more about charity: water and the ‘Clean Water Pledge’.

Ellie Scouller, Brand & Communications Senior Manager, charity: water, said: “It’s been a great experience working with the Playstack team to test this new form of in-game advertising. We’re always looking for innovative and engaging ways to tell more people about the water crisis and our work.

“There are currently 771million people living without access to clean water, that’s 1 in 10 or ten times the population of the UK. It’s a massive problem but one we know how to fix, we just need more people to help. A big thank you to Playstack for their support of our World Water Day campaign. We look forward to working more with them in the future!”

Interact places great importance on measurement across its campaigns, offering the best possible value for its clients. Giving prominence to accuracy, Interact calculates impressions by a number of set criteria including viewing angle, screen space and visibility duration.

With Interact, brands really are part of the play.

eSports

Esports Foundation names Faker Game Ambassador for EWC and ENC through 2028

Published

7 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

esports-foundation-names-faker-game-ambassador-for-ewc-and-enc-through-2028

Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok joins Cristiano Ronaldo and Magnus Carlsen in the Esports Foundation’s Ambassador Program.

The Esports Foundation (EF) has appointed Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok as a Game Ambassador for the Esports World Cup (EWC) and Esports Nations Cup (ENC) through 2028, the organization said on July 15, 2026 in a statement issued from Riyadh and Paris.

EF said Faker joins Cristiano Ronaldo, listed as the Foundation’s Global Ambassador, and Magnus Carlsen as part of the Esports Foundation Ambassador Program. The Foundation said Faker will represent “the perspective of esports players” across its international events, athlete initiatives, media engagements and leadership forums.

“You can’t talk about esports without mentioning Faker. He is the defining athlete of competitive gaming: a champion whose excellence, discipline and longevity have inspired an entire generation,” said Ralf Reichert, Chief Executive Officer of the Esports Foundation. “As our Game Ambassador, Faker represents something fundamental to the Ambassador Program: esports creates its own global sporting icons. Across EWC, ENC and NGSC, he will help ensure that the players who built this sport have a voice in shaping where it goes next.”

Faker said: “Competition has shaped my life, and I am proud to join the Esports Foundation as Game Ambassador. I want to continue competing for the biggest titles with T1 while representing the players and fans who have helped esports grow worldwide. Through the Esports World Cup, Esports Nations Cup and the Foundation’s wider platforms, I hope to inspire the next generation to pursue excellence, remain resilient and believe in how far competitive gaming can take them. There is still much more to achieve.”

EF highlighted Faker’s competitive record, describing him as a six-time League of Legends World Champion, EWC 2024 winner, two-time MSI champion and ten-time domestic champion with T1. The Foundation also said Faker became the first esports athlete to receive the Blue Dragon Medal in 2026, describing it as the Republic of Korea’s highest sporting honor awarded by President Lee Jae-myung.

The post Esports Foundation names Faker Game Ambassador for EWC and ENC through 2028 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Brand Partnerships

Midnite signs as Middlesbrough FC principal partner for 2026/27 season

Published

14 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

midnite-signs-as-middlesbrough-fc-principal-partner-for-2026/27-season

Midnite has agreed a partnership with Middlesbrough FC that will see the UK bookmaker become the club’s principal partner and front-of-shirt sponsor for the 2026/27 campaign, which Middlesbrough describes as its landmark 150th season.

The companies announced the deal alongside a fan activation at Riverside Stadium on Thursday, July 9, branded “This Season’s On Us”. The initiative offered supporters prizes including 2026/27 season tickets, 2026/27 shirts, match tickets, or a £25 club shop voucher, with fans required to answer Middlesbrough trivia and complete a football challenge.

Middlesbrough former players Craig Hignett and David Wheater attended the event, and, according to the company, took bonus attempts on behalf of participants who missed out.

Andrew Mook, Midnite’s Head of Brand Marketing, said:

“Middlesbrough have a storied history and we’re delighted to announce this partnership during such a monumental year with the club celebrating their 150th anniversary.

“It was great to see so many Middlesbrough fans at the “This Season’s On Us” activation, we hope they enjoyed taking part and meeting club legends, with David Wheater hitting top bins on several occasions and allowing fans to win big with season tickets.

“We can’t wait to get to Riverside Stadium in August to kick-off a new season and we’re excited to say that we have plenty of new and captivating campaigns planned.”

Lee Fryett, Middlesbrough FC Chief Commercial Officer, added:

“We’re delighted to welcome Midnite as our new Principal Partner.

“We’re looking forward to working closely with Midnite to develop engaging campaigns, content and unique experiences that bring our fans even closer to the club.

“We’re confident this partnership will provide real value for our supporters while supporting our ambitions both on and off the pitch.”

The post Midnite signs as Middlesbrough FC principal partner for 2026/27 season appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AGCO

ThrillTech secures AGCO supplier licence for Ontario launch

Published

14 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

thrilltech-secures-agco-supplier-licence-for-ontario-launch

ThrillTech has been awarded a Gaming-Related Supplier licence by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), clearing the company to launch in Ontario’s regulated market.

The licence allows ThrillTech to deploy its opt-in side bet jackpots technology with regulated online casino, sports betting and lottery operators across the province.

Benjamin Bradtke, Co-Founder of ThrillTech, said: “Securing our AGCO licence is a major step in our mission to transform how jackpots are delivered at scale across regulated markets. This latest certification is testament to our robust technology and trusted compliance frameworks, allowing us to continue our global growth trajectory. We are thrilled to bring our proven, compliant jackpot technology to Ontario, empowering locally licensed operators to uplift revenue without cannibalising existing spend.”

The company said its “ThrillPots” mechanics sit as an independent, player-funded side bet and do not alter the underlying game’s return-to-player mathematics.

ThrillTech said the Ontario approval enables its existing multinational partners that also operate in the province to launch its side bet jackpots locally, while it also holds talks with potential new operator partners. The company lists its regulated footprint as including the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands, Romania, Malta, Gibraltar, Brazil and Peru.

The post ThrillTech secures AGCO supplier licence for Ontario launch appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.