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Fiona Davies Joins Global Digital Identity Verification Provider OCR Labs Global As Head of Gaming

Published

4 years ago

August 18, 2022

Reading Time: 2 minutes

OCR Labs Global, a world leader in digital ID verification, has appointed Fiona Davies as Head of Gaming to lead their strategy of focusing on improving the verification experience and fraud prevention in this vertical. Davies joins with over 15 years of experience across startups through leading commercial teams in large corporations and over seven years of extensive knowledge of the Know Your Customer (KYC), Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Identity Verification (IDV) landscape.

OCR Labs Global solves major challenges, including identity fraud and regulatory compliance, using its proprietary technology. With unrivaled identity document coverage and industry leading biometric technology there is a huge opportunity to improve onboarding in the gambling industry.

During her time at Acuris Risk Intelligence, Davies was responsible for the Gambling and Sales divisions, where she gained extensive knowledge of the landscape surrounding regulated markets and insights into making these processes more efficient. Before this role, she spent 10 years as Commercial Director for global B2B events, driving launch events at the EMAP in South America and supporting high-growth tech companies such as Google and Intel to win commercial traction in emerging markets.

Fiona Davies, newly appointed Head of Gaming for OCR Labs Global, comments: “My first introduction to Gambling was at ICE, where I was instantly fascinated by this high-growth vertical and its complexity from a regulatory standpoint. I am passionate about working with clients and offering them real solutions that will add value across the board.

Davies continued, “I am excited to build out the Gambling division at OCR Labs Global offering operators products that underpin this strict regulatory environment whilst not impinging on user experience. With such a stand-out product offering, joining them was an easy decision to make. I plan to be a real evangelist and work with operators, platforms and partners to introduce improvements that make a real difference to the verification experience, the bottom line and fraud prevention.”

“With a 100 percent automated product that helps onboard players faster and at the same time stops fraud, I know it is the right time to get passionate about making real improvements in the Gambling industry.”

Russ Cohn, General Manager International for OCR Labs Global, added, “OCR Labs Global is committed to bringing our technology to Gambling operators and their users worldwide. We are a real force multiplier for the industry, with our fully automated and user friendly and reliable ID verification process dramatically speeding up user onboarding. We welcome Fiona’s industry experience and ability to leverage our solution and elevate our efforts in Gambling. We are confident that her expertise will support global operators to take advantage of this excellent growth opportunity.”

OCR Labs Global is already supporting clients across many industries, including governments, crypto and a variety of platform-based businesses, such as SaaS providers. Customers include Cognito, HSBC, Reed, Coinmetro and many other customers and partners.

Booming Games

Booming Games Releases “Diamond Forge: Link & Loot”

Published

16 minutes ago

May 18, 2026

Wladimir P.

booming-games-releases-“diamond-forge:-link-&-loot”

Booming Games has released its latest slot “Diamond Forge: Link & Loot”. Boasting a 5×3 grid with 10 fixed paylines, the game offers players a maximum win potential of 10,000x. Set on a classic, diamond background, two explosive bonus features provide the ultimate experience for those seeking entertaining gameplay.

Every Diamond collected charges the Diamond Boost, which can be triggered in either the base game or from free spins. Boasting the ability to erupt at any moment, it can award up to 8 extra Diamonds onto the reels to instantly trigger the powerful Link & Loot feature. Players who collect 6 or more Diamonds are awarded 5 Link & Loot spins, where adjacent diamond symbols land and merge to create bigger symbols.

Players can create Colossal symbols of 2×2 and above to award a Colossal spin, where they can win higher value prizes or even the Mini, Minor, Major or Grand Prizes. This culminates in the ultimate Colossal of 5×3 Diamonds capable of unleashing the biggest rewards.

Elsewhere, players who find 3 or more Scatters are awarded with 8 Free Spins and a boosted chance of triggering the Link & Loot feature again as they deploy colossal Diamonds toward the 10,000x maximum win.

Craig Asling, Director of Games at Booming Games, said: “Diamonds are a player’s best friend! Diamond Forge: Link & Loot is a modern twist on a classic theme, which we’re confident will be as popular as previous iterations of the Link & Look series. Innovative bonus features set on a familiar 5×3 grid combine to create an ultimate gameplay experience with significant win potential. Play Diamond Forge: Link & Loot now!”

The post Booming Games Releases “Diamond Forge: Link & Loot” appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Compliance Updates

Incentive Games wins interim Pennsylvania gaming licence

Published

16 minutes ago

May 18, 2026

Wladimir P.

incentive-games-wins-interim-pennsylvania-gaming-licence

Incentive Games has been granted an interim gaming licence in Pennsylvania by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, effective immediately. The approval allows the B2B supplier to offer its real-money gaming products to licensed operators in the state.

The Pennsylvania approval follows Incentive Games’ licensing in Michigan in 2025, as the company continues to expand across regulated North American markets.

Incentive Games said the Pennsylvania licence gives it access to one of the most established and competitive US iGaming markets, where compliance and player protection requirements are tightly enforced.

Ahmed Baker, Chief Commercial Officer at Incentive Games, said, “Being granted an interim licence in Pennsylvania is a huge achievement for our business and a strong endorsement of our regulatory approach. It strengthens our position in North America and supports our ambition to grow through trusted partnerships in regulated markets. We look forward to working with operators in Pennsylvania to deliver high-quality real-money gaming experiences to their players.”

The post Incentive Games wins interim Pennsylvania gaming licence appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

blackjack

Avanti Studios lands exclusive rights for live Sweet 16 Blackjack side bet

Published

16 minutes ago

May 18, 2026

Wladimir P.

avanti-studios-lands-exclusive-rights-for-live-sweet-16-blackjack-side-bet

Avanti Studios has secured an exclusivity agreement with HITSqwad Interactive Gaming to offer Sweet 16 Blackjack as a live casino product worldwide.

Sweet 16 Blackjack is already available in a digital format with operators including BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, OLG, BCLC and FanDuel, according to the companies. The land-based version is active across South Africa and is in the process of a broader rollout.

The companies pointed to third-party rankings for the title’s performance. Sweet 16 Blackjack ranked as a Top 10 Table Game in the Eilers & Krejcik U.S. Online Game Performance Report in September 2024 and April 2026, and was nominated for Top Performing New Online Table Game at the EKG Slot Awards in 2024 and 2025.

In gameplay terms, Sweet 16 Blackjack adds an optional side bet to standard blackjack. If a player’s first two cards total 16, the side bet wins, with payouts varying based on suits, colours and values.

Jonas Delin, Co-Founder at Avanti Studios, said: “The statistics show that Sweet 16 Blackjack is one of the iGaming industry’s top-performing table games, so we’re delighted to have reached an agreement with HITSqwad to exclusively offer the format to live casino audiences worldwide.

“Sweet 16 Blackjack’s innovative side bet mechanic coupled with the flawless presentation, deep customisation and infinite scalability that only Avanti can provide will ensure that the game will go on to become a staple part of our offering for operators in all regulated markets that we serve.”

Charl Geyser, CEO of HITSqwad Interactive Gaming, said, “Sweet 16 is an incredible game that has already built a massive player following across both online and retail environments. We are delighted to partner with Avanti to take it into the Live Casino market for the next step in its journey as one of the world’s top Blackjack Side-Bets.”

The post Avanti Studios lands exclusive rights for live Sweet 16 Blackjack side bet appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.