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Maria Mashchenko appointed to Sports General Manager at BETER

Published

4 years ago

November 22, 2022

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Industry-leading provider of next-gen betting content and gaming solutions BETER, has promoted Maria Mashchenko to the role of General Manager of the BETER Sports business unit.

For the last 2 years Maria has held the role of COO and been responsible for the company’s development of in-house, outsourced and franchised sports and esports tournaments, taking them to a whole new level through various collaborations with prominent sports and esports organisations. This in turn expanded the number of available disciplines and undoubtedly sparked the interest and propelled the growth of this vertical within the iGaming community.

Maria’s new role is reflective of the company’s strategy to strengthen each product vertical by building dedicated teams of people who are passionate about sports and esports.

As it stands today, the BETER Sports vertical currently includes table tennis discipline. Table tennis matches of the Setka Cup tournaments are one of the most popular events, chalking up more than 13M views per month around the world.

Gal Ehrlich, CEO at BETER commented on Maria’s appointment: “Since joining the company, Maria has been instrumental in upgrading our sports and esports tournament offering – providing operators with the most comprehensive access to some of the best sports tournaments in the world.

“As such, we are now recognised as being a leader in providing fast paced events within the betting industry and with Maria’s new role as Sports General Manager, this offering will only continue to evolve.”

Maria Mashchenko, Sports General Manager at BETER said: “ BETER Sports is a product that has grown in strength. When the company first launched in 2018, it only offered 1 table tennis table back in Kyiv and today, we offer 13 different sports arenas across 4 different countries, which is something I’m extremely proud to have been involved in.

“I believe that this is just the start for BETER Sports and together with our sports team we’ll be able to offer even more industry leading content that I’m so excited to be a part of.”

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Pascal Gaming signs Ronaldinho for football-themed crash and slot titles

Published

1 hour ago

May 26, 2026

Wladimir P.

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First release is Avinho R10, followed by June launch Fortune Ronaldinho as the studio lines up more titles ahead of the World Cup season.

Pascal Gaming has partnered with Brazilian football player Ronaldinho to launch a dedicated portfolio of games inspired by the athlete, the company said on 26 May, 2026.

The planned pipeline includes crash games, slots and additional titles set to roll out through the year. Pascal Gaming said the initiative is aimed at both Brazil and international markets, and will be supported by tournaments, promotional activity and special events tied to the Ronaldinho-branded portfolio.

The first game confirmed is Avinho R10, described as a crash-style title featuring Ronaldinho “above Brazil” in an aviation-themed experience. A second game, Fortune Ronaldinho, is scheduled for release in June and is positioned as a slot-inspired title.

“Ronaldinho is one of the most recognisable and loved football personalities in the world, so for us this collaboration is much more than a game launch. It is a global entertainment project that combines football culture, emotionally engaging gameplay and strong promotional activities ahead of the World Cup,” said Armen Mnaskanian, Head of Sales at SoftConstruct Gaming Content.

Pascal Gaming said it has been expanding its crash game portfolio during 2026 and investing in localised, character-driven content across Latin America, Africa and Asia. The company added that more Ronaldinho-themed titles and marketing campaigns will be revealed in the coming months.

The post Pascal Gaming signs Ronaldinho for football-themed crash and slot titles appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Duelbits signs Justin Gaethje for branded content ahead of UFC Freedom 250

Published

1 hour ago

May 26, 2026

Wladimir P.

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The JUSTIN2026 campaign was shot in Denver and rolls out over four weeks ahead of the 14 June event at the White House.

Duelbits has launched a branded content campaign with UFC interim Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje, timed to UFC Freedom 250 at the White House on Saturday 14th June.

The campaign, branded JUSTIN2026, was shot on location in Denver, Colorado by UK-based creative agency YRDS. Duelbits said the content is designed as a “premium, cinematic series” and will roll out in phases over the next four weeks, peaking on event day.

According to the company, the campaign was planned before UFC Freedom was officially confirmed. Duelbits framed the early commitment as part of a strategy to move faster than traditional sportsbooks around major cultural moments.

“We didn’t want to create another sportsbook promo,” said Jasper Hoekert, Chief Marketing Officer at Duelbits. “We wanted to create something that combat sports fans want to watch, content built around Justin’s authenticity and intensity, not just his fight record. We were planning this before the White House event was even officially confirmed. When you believe in the magnitude of a moment, you don’t wait for permission to act on it.”

“Duelbits came to me with a vision, not just a brief,” said Gaethje. “They wanted to create something that reflected the reality of what I do and who I am, with no smoke and mirrors. When a brand shows up with that kind of conviction and creative ambition, you back it. This campaign is going to be something people remember.”

The post Duelbits signs Justin Gaethje for branded content ahead of UFC Freedom 250 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Belgium

PokerStars Open Namur returns May 27 with €1m guaranteed Main Event

Published

1 hour ago

May 26, 2026

Wladimir P.

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Belgium stop at Circus Casino Resort Namur runs May 27–June 7 and adds PokerStars Live League points toward a €157,500 credit pool.

PokerStars will bring PokerStars Open Namur back to Circus Casino Resort Namur from May 27 to June 7, with the festival returning one day after the operator’s May 26 announcement.

The stop follows a 2025 edition PokerStars said was record-breaking for Belgium, including 1,571 entries in the Main Event and what it called the largest live tournament prize pool in Belgian poker history.

This year’s schedule is headlined by the €1,100 PokerStars Open Main Event, which carries a €1,000,000 guaranteed prize pool. Other listed highlights include the €400 PokerStars Open Cup (May 27-31), €3,300 Super High Roller (June 1-2), €2,200 High Roller (June 5-6), and €800 Mystery Bounty (June 6-7).

“Last year’s turnout reinforced Namur’s place as one of the most exciting live poker stops in Europe,” said Cedric Billot, Associate Director of Live Events Operations at PokerStars. “What makes the event special isn’t just the size of the fields, it’s the atmosphere around the entire festival.”

PokerStars also positioned Namur as a scoring stop in the PokerStars Live League, which awards points across High, Medium and Low leaderboard tiers. PokerStars said players are competing for a share of €157,500 in PokerStars LIVE event credit, with the top 30 players in each tier qualifying for a €100,000 freeroll at the first European Poker Tour festival of 2027.

The post PokerStars Open Namur returns May 27 with €1m guaranteed Main Event appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.