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Premier League Football Stars, Shaun Wright Phillips and Jordan Stewart, Lead Investment in The Sports Metaverse
The Sports Metaverse pioneers esports with virtual land sales, metaverse personal training, sports betting and fan engagement
The Sports Metaverse, the world’s first virtual world specifically focused on sports, has announced that former professional football players, Shaun Wright Phillips and Jordan Stewart, have purchased land in the Sports Metaverse.
Shaun Wright Philips will use his land for events and to display his NFTs:
“I’m really excited to be involved in the Sports Metaverse. This is the new frontier when it comes to sports. The metaverse and owning a piece of it is about interaction and co creation – watching live sports with friends all around the world, hanging out with friends, and buying and selling NFTs are some of the things I’m really looking forward to doing here.“
Investment into VR real estate in the metaverse has grown exponentially, with brands like Adidas and top influencers looking to establish themselves in the virtual world. In the metaverse where possibilities are endless, investors see the potential to rent a virtual space for parties with sports stars, private lodges to view sporting events in VR stadiums, or offer key brands a space for sponsorship appearances. As a result, early investors are already making tenfold, million dollar profits. The returns are expected to continue to grow as Grayscale Research predicts annual revenues for the metaverse at $1 trillion, with $400 Billion for gaming worlds alone.
In addition to Shaun Wright Philips, Sports Metaverse announced that four companies have already pre-bought land. They include Phat Fantasy, Own the Moment, ThriveFantasy, Press Sports, and Beyond The Game Network. Brands can apply for the private sale here.
SportsIcon COO and Co-Founder Alexi Yovanoff said:
“Both Shaun and Jordan have played at the top of their profession, so it’s an honor to have these athletes join the Sports Metaverse. I still remember the goal that Shaun scored against Manchester United in 2004, and Jordan has had a great career here in the UK and in the USA.
What strikes me the most about these two is their passion for web3, communities, and the interaction with athletes that the Sports Metaverse will give to consumers.”
Shaun Wright Phillips is one of the best players of his generation, playing for England in the National Team, and for Manchester City and Chelsea. Jordan Stewart has had a successful career in both England and the United States at clubs such as Leicester City and the San Jose Earthquakes.
The Sports Metaverse is a digital world devoted solely to sports. It unites the most prominent sports stars, brands, and clubs together in one place. Sports Metaverse is built by SportsIcon and industry veterans from Sony, Doom, Playstation Home, and Nvidia. You can trade NFTs, buy land, interact with iconic sportspeople, and visit stadiums.
SportsIcon is backed by rapper turned investor Nas, Dapper Labs, Dapper Labs CEO Roham Gharegozlou, Youtube Founder Chad Hurley, Hedera and Reserve Founder Andrew Masanto, and ex NBA star Andrew Bogut.
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Arena Platform
Evoplay expands product portfolio with Arena platform
Evoplay has launched Evoplay Arena, a free-to-play platform designed to bring players together through competitive, community-driven slot tournaments.
Built entirely around demo gameplay, the platform allows users to compete without deposits or real-money involvement. Players can join a wide range of tournaments—including daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal formats—earning points and climbing leaderboards based on their performance.
Getting started is simple. After registering and selecting a tournament, players are automatically entered upon their first spin. Each competition clearly outlines its rules, duration, featured game, and scoring mechanics, while live leaderboards provide real-time updates throughout the event.
Scoring systems vary depending on the tournament format, typically factoring in results such as win values or applied multipliers. Once a tournament concludes, final standings are published and rewards are distributed to top performers.
Depending on the format, players can earn digital certificates or Arena Coins. Certificates highlight standout performances, while Arena Coins act as an in-platform currency, rewarding consistent participation and success.
Evoplay Arena also introduces Legends of Arena, a seasonal leaderboard that tracks performance across multiple tournaments. Players accumulate seasonal points automatically, with top-ranked participants receiving additional rewards at the end of each cycle.
Designed for both experienced slot players and casual competitors, the platform offers structured, leaderboard-based gameplay, risk-free access to popular Evoplay titles, and social features such as player chat to enhance interaction.
Ivan Kravchuk, CEO at Evoplay, said:
“Evoplay Arena introduces a new way for players to experience our games through competition and progression, without the need for real-money play. It’s built around accessibility, transparency, and long-term engagement, reflecting our commitment to delivering diverse and entertaining experiences.”
The post Evoplay expands product portfolio with Arena platform appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Gaming Awards
Soft2Bet shortlisted in three categories at SBC Awards Europe
Soft2Bet has been shortlisted in three categories at the SBC Awards Europe, highlighting the strength of its platform, gamification suite, and ongoing product innovation across key European markets. The recognition follows a year of strong performance and sustained business growth.
The company is nominated in the Acquisition & Retention Partner category for its proprietary Motivational Engineering Gaming Application (MEGA), as well as for Platform Provider of the Year. In addition, MEGA Clawee—a nostalgic claw-machine concept reimagined for online play—has been shortlisted for Industry Innovation of the Year.
Driving Performance Through Innovation
Soft2Bet’s recent results underline its strategy, with notable EBITDA growth, increased sportsbook revenue, and strong overall brand performance over the past 12 months. These achievements reflect the effectiveness of its performance-focused B2B model, which combines product innovation, MEGA-driven gamification, localisation, and regulatory compliance to support growth in highly competitive markets.
The Platform Provider of the Year nomination recognises the company’s all-in-one platform, integrating player account management, payments, CRM, segmentation, bonus and loyalty tools, risk management, and gamification into a single, mobile-first system. This unified approach enables operators to launch quickly, adapt to local requirements, and scale efficiently across both casino and sportsbook verticals.
Gamification at the Core
At the heart of Soft2Bet’s engagement strategy is MEGA Clawee, which brings a remote-controlled claw machine into the digital space. By blending skill-based gameplay with instant rewards, it creates a compelling retention loop designed to boost player engagement and long-term value.
Harrison Barrett, VP of Business Development at Soft2Bet, said:
“Being shortlisted in three categories at SBC Awards Europe is a strong endorsement of our vision. We focus on delivering high-performing platforms, meaningful localisation, and engaging product experiences that keep players coming back. MEGA plays a central role in that strategy, transforming engagement into long-term retention and value.”
For Soft2Bet, the nominations mark another milestone in a period of continued commercial growth, product expansion, and industry recognition, as it supports operators in launching, localising, and scaling through advanced platform technology and engagement-driven solutions.
The post Soft2Bet shortlisted in three categories at SBC Awards Europe appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Italy
REEVO Partners with StarVegas
REEVO has announced a new partnership with StarVegas, a well-established online gaming brand in Italy. Through this collaboration, REEVO’s in-house games are now available on the StarVegas platform, further strengthening REEVO’s presence in one of Europe’s most competitive regulated markets.
This partnership marks another important milestone in REEVO’s ongoing expansion strategy, as the company continues to grow its global footprint by bringing its high-quality gaming experiences to leading operators worldwide. By going live with StarVegas, REEVO reinforces its commitment to delivering engaging, performance-driven content that resonates with players and supports operator growth.
For REEVO, this collaboration highlights its ability to partner with trusted brands in key markets and deliver content that enhances player engagement and platform performance.
Karl Grech, Head of Business Development at REEVO, said: “Partnering with StarVegas is an exciting step for REEVO as we continue to expand our presence in regulated European markets. Italy is a highly competitive and dynamic market, and we are proud to bring our games to StarVegas players. This collaboration reflects our focus on delivering high-quality content that drives engagement, supports operator success, and creates long-term value.”
Paolo Marchi, Brand Manager of StarVegas, added: “The integration of REEVO within StarVegas marks an important milestone in our growth strategy in Italy. By combining a strong content portfolio with trusted partners, we aim to further strengthen our positioning and offer players an even more complete and diversified gaming experience. We are excited to start this collaboration and explore new opportunities together.”
The post REEVO Partners with StarVegas appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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