Latest News

£10,000 crane toy fundraiser launched by Bacta, Rays of Sunshine and Whitehouse Leisure

Published

3 years ago

February 20, 2023

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Trade body bacta, wish granting charity Rays of Sunshine and manufacturer Whitehouse Leisure have teamed up to launch a new fundraising drive to help brighten the lives of seriously ill children across the UK.

The organisations are aiming to raise £10,000 from the initiative, which will see Whitehouse Leisure sell their brand new ‘Cute Eco Animal’ plush products from its award-winning environmentally friendly Eco Earth range of plush toys to amusement operators.

The price of the toys will include a 25p donation which is being matched with a further 25p from Whitehouse Leisure.

These donations will be donated via the Bacta Charitable Trust (BCT) to Rays of Sunshine, a charity that brightens the lives of seriously ill children across the UK by granting wishes and providing ongoing support in hospitals, at the end of the summer season (30th September).

In addition to matching what is raised through the Cute Eco Earth Animal plush fundraiser, Whitehouse Leisure will also produce a range of eye-catching promotional material for use in the crane machines to promote the Rays of Sunshine initiative.

Details of the work that Rays of Sunshine does will feature on the swing-tags affixed to each toy to help spread the message.

News of the initiative comes after the BCT renewed its partnership with Rays of Sunshine at the end of last year, donating £20,000 to the charity.

The BCT and Rays of Sunshine are hoping to raise £100,000 together over the next two years. Some £30,000 has already been raised.

The amusement machine industry has raised £500,000 for Rays of Sunshine through the BCT over the past decade.

Bacta CEO John White said: “This is a fantastic and innovative initiative from Whitehouse, Rays of Sunshine and BCT. It is also great to see that all the toys sold will be eco-friendly. We are a long-standing supporter of Rays of Sunshine and we are extremely proud of helping brighten the lives of more than 80,000 seriously ill children and their families over the years.”

Chairman of bacta Charitable Trust, Steve Hawkins, said: “We are excited to be working with Whitehouse Leisure on this new fundraising initiative with Rays of Sunshine. I am sure we will see a great response from the wider industry as Whitehouse has generously pledged to match all funds raise through the crane toy programme.”

Cheryl Tissot, Interim CEO at Rays of Sunshine, said: “The Cute Eco Range is such a fun initiative that will have a big impact for seriously ill children across the UK. We’re delighted to be partnered with the bacta Charitable Trust, creatively raising funds to help us grant even more magical wishes. We want to thank all the partners involved and hope that everyone enjoys the range, donating and having fun in the process.”

Phil Setter, Managing Director of Whitehouse Leisure said: “We are delighted to partner with Bacta on the crane toy fundraiser and to help raise invaluable donations for such a fantastic charity like Rays of Sunshine. We see the smiles that our products bring to children every day and to help raise money for Rays of Sunshine through the sales of our Cute Eco Earth plush toys is something we are extremely excited to be a part of.”

Free Ticket Drops

GGPoker Brings Back WSOP Super Circuit with Record $180M Guarantee

Published

5 hours ago

February 24, 2026

Wladimir P.

ggpoker-brings-back-wsop-super-circuit-with-record-$180m-guarantee

GGPoker, the world’s largest online poker platform, is set to host the highly anticipated 2026 WSOP Super Circuit online tournament series, running from March 1 to March 31.

This year’s edition features an unprecedented $180 million in guaranteed prizes, solidifying GGPoker’s reputation as the premier global poker destination.

Players will compete across 18 WSOP Gold Ring events, offering the chance to win one of poker’s most prestigious trophies and significant cash prizes.

Key Events & Highlights:

#5: $525 Mystery Millions [Final Stage] – March 9, $525 buy-in, $10M GTD ($1M Top Bounty)
#13: WSOP Super Circuit MAIN EVENT [Day 2] – March 23, $1,700 buy-in, $15M GTD
#18: GGMillion$ High Roller [Day 2] – March 30, $10K buy-in, $10M GTD

Exclusive Champion Perks
Winners of all 18 Gold Ring events receive:

A $5K WSOP Paradise package
Recognition on the official WSOP Rankings leaderboard

$3 Million in Free Ticket Drops
Participants in any WSOP Super Circuit event can win WSOP Express tickets, $5K Ring Passes, or $10K Bracelet Passes. Tickets will be awarded randomly throughout the series, totaling $3 million in free prizes.

Live Coverage
Final tables for the Main Event (#13) and High Roller (#18) will be streamed live on GGPoker.TV and YouTube, hosted by Jeff Gross, with commentary by Daniel Negreanu for the High Roller.

Player and Ambassador Excitement
Daniel Negreanu said: “The 2026 WSOP Super Circuit at GGPoker is absolutely massive. With $180M in total guarantees, including $15M Main Event and $10M Mystery Millions, it’s the perfect time to compete for record-breaking prizes.”

The post GGPoker Brings Back WSOP Super Circuit with Record $180M Guarantee appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Casino Bonus Features

PopOK Gaming Unveils Macaco Millionario Dual-Grid Slot

Published

6 hours ago

February 24, 2026

Wladimir P.

popok-gaming-unveils-macaco-millionario-dual-grid-slot

PopOK Gaming has launched Macaco Millionario, a vibrant online slot inspired by Chinese symbolism and designed with an innovative double-grid bonus feature.

Rich red and gold visuals, lucky symbols, and a playful Macaco character combine to deliver a visually engaging and rewarding gaming experience.

The game features a 5×3 layout with 30 fixed paylines and two types of Wilds, including Double Wilds that count as two symbols for higher winning potential. The Double Fortune Free Spins round introduces an extra 5×3 reel set, allowing players to spin two grids simultaneously. Wins across both grids trigger multipliers up to x20, and retriggers extend the bonus for bigger payouts.

With a maximum multiplier of x1,732, Macaco Millionario delivers exciting bonus features, including Free Spins, Double Free Spins, Double Win Multipliers, Extra Spins, and a jackpot option. The game offers an RTP of 96.56% and supports bets from EUR 0.02 to EUR 100, fully optimized for web and mobile play. Multi-language support includes English, Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese, and Hindi.

“Macaco Millionario blends cultural familiarity with a unique bonus structure that delivers thrilling moments in every spin,” said Tsovinar Elchyan, Head of Partnerships at PopOK Gaming. “The double-grid feature sets it apart from traditional slots, offering operators and players something truly innovative.”

The slot is now live and available for integration across all platforms supporting PopOK Gaming content. Operators interested in adding Macaco Millionario to their portfolios can contact PopOK Gaming directly.

The post PopOK Gaming Unveils Macaco Millionario Dual-Grid Slot appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AI in lottery

Scientific Games Appoints Rich Wasserman as Senior Vice President of Product Engineering

Published

6 hours ago

February 24, 2026

Wladimir P.

scientific-games-appoints-rich-wasserman-as-senior-vice-president-of-product-engineering

Scientific Games has appointed Rich Wasserman as Senior Vice President of Product Engineering, reinforcing its commitment to advancing lottery systems technology and digital innovation.

Based in Atlanta, the global lottery provider continues to expand its technology leadership as one of the fastest-growing suppliers of retail and digital lottery solutions worldwide.

Leadership Experience from Amazon, Facebook and Stitch Fix

Wasserman brings more than 20 years of experience leading engineering, data science and product teams across high-performance technology platforms.

He previously held senior leadership roles at:

Amazon
Facebook
Stitch Fix

At Stitch Fix, he served as Vice President of Engineering and Data Science, leading automation, AI-driven systems and platform optimization initiatives. Wasserman holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and a Computer Science degree from the University at Buffalo.

Driving Innovation Across Global Lottery Platforms

In his new role, Wasserman will oversee Product Engineering across Scientific Games’ global portfolio serving more than 150 government-regulated lotteries. His responsibilities include advancing:

Retail lottery systems
Digital lottery platforms
Hardware and software innovation
Data analytics and AI capabilities
Consumer engagement technologies

CEO Pat McHugh stated that Wasserman’s experience scaling AI-powered platforms at world-class technology firms will help accelerate innovation and deliver next-generation lottery solutions focused on sustainable growth.

Strengthening Lottery Technology Leadership

Scientific Games continues to invest in technology, analytics and digital transformation to enhance consumer experiences across retail and online lottery channels. The appointment underscores the company’s strategy to integrate advanced analytics and machine learning into its global lottery ecosystem.

The post Scientific Games Appoints Rich Wasserman as Senior Vice President of Product Engineering appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.