Latest News

Pythia Sports appoints Matt Harbord head of product

Published

3 years ago

May 15, 2023

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Technology company Pythia Sports has hired Matt Harbord as its new head of product. A gaming veteran, Harbord’s most recent industry role was head of product at Sharplink Gaming in the US.

He worked on a contract basis for the tech firm for almost two years, connecting leading sportsbooks with major leagues and media partners in the fast-growing US sports betting market.

Prior to that, he was at Mustard Systems for five-and-a-half years, moving from senior quantitative analyst to product lead, before finishing his tenure at the sports data firm as head of product/operations.

During his time at the company, he led the development of a new sports betting platform, taking responsibility for the licence, compliance and fraud element of the platform, as well as working closely with the quant team to develop automated risk management strategies.

His career also includes stints at Gambit Research, Sporting Solutions, Cantor Gaming and Betfair, where he began his career in 2006 as a betting analyst within the horse racing team.

Freddy Galliers, director at Pythia Sports, said: “We are really excited to have Matt join our team. He comes with strong industry experience and we believe he will play a key role in helping us grow our business further. His specialised experience building products, harnessing advanced algorithmic trading and building proprietary models will complement our culture and vision.”

Matt Harbord added: “I’m thrilled to be leading the product delivery at Pythia Sports at what is an exciting time for both Pythia and horse racing in general. I look forward to building on the excellent foundation Pythia has put in place to expand our market offering, particularly in-play, in order to surprise and delight a new generation of customers who may not yet have experienced the visceral joy and excitement of horse racing.”

Harbord took up the post at the beginning of this month.

Games Global

CasinoFriday player wins €10.48m on Games Global’s King Millions network

Published

31 minutes ago

May 14, 2026

Wladimir P.

casinofriday-player-wins-e10.48m-on-games-global’s-king-millions-network

Games Global has paid out a €10,475,169.87 jackpot to a CasinoFriday player after a win on Fire & Roses Joker King Millions, the supplier said.

Games Global said the prize is one of the largest payouts on its King Millions progressive jackpot network. The win came on Fire & Roses Joker King Millions, a title developed by Triple Edge Studios and connected to the King Millions network.

Ofir Gal-Mor, Senior Vice President of Customer Experience & Innovation at Games Global, said: “This €10,475,169.87 payout underlines the scale and reach of the King Millions network across our operator partners. We are proud to support CasinoFriday in delivering premium progressive content, and this result demonstrates the continued performance of Fire & Roses Joker King Millions within regulated markets.”

The CPO at Funnz, added: “We are delighted to congratulate our player on securing this remarkable €10.4 million King Millions jackpot win. At CasinoFriday, our focus is on providing high-quality entertainment to our community, and this milestone demonstrates the strength of our partnership with Games Global and the performance of its progressive network.”

Games Global said its progressive jackpot portfolio includes Mega Moolah, WowPot, King Millions, Maple Moolah and Lotsaloot, with a combined prize value exceeding €28m.

The post CasinoFriday player wins €10.48m on Games Global’s King Millions network appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Casino Content

ELA Games’ King and Flame shortlisted for Best New Game Release at SiGMA Europe Awards 2026

Published

31 minutes ago

May 14, 2026

Wladimir P.

ela-games’-king-and-flame-shortlisted-for-best-new-game-release-at-sigma-europe-awards-2026

ELA Games’ King and Flame has been named a finalist for Best New Game Release at the 2026 SiGMA Europe Awards. The awards are scheduled to take place at the Casino Maltese in Valletta, Malta, on May 27.

The company said the nomination reflects its approach of combining narrative design with slot math models. King and Flame is positioned as a medieval fantasy Hold and Win title built around a storyline that “flips classic fantasy tropes upside down,” with a prince unleashing a Dragon Queen.

According to ELA Games, the game includes coin symbols that pay their face value, Mystery Chests that can award instant prizes or trigger the Grand Jackpot, and a “Tamed by the Crown” feature where the Dragon Queen appears as an expanding Full Reel Wild. The studio also highlighted free spins with column-expanding coins and a Super Bonus Wheel that doubles rewards.

Marharyta Yerina, Managing Director of ELA Games, said: “We’re very happy to see King and Flame get a nomination at the very well-regarded SiGMA Europe awards. I know the work everyone at the ELA team put into creating an intricate back story and graphic world for this slot. It is one of the most narrative-based titles we have released to date, and the care the team put into the design has really brought that story to life. It is wonderful to see that dedication noticed on such a prestigious stage.”

SiGMA has opened public voting for the category via its awards site.

The post ELA Games’ King and Flame shortlisted for Best New Game Release at SiGMA Europe Awards 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

3 Supercharged Diamonds: Hold and Win

Playson releases 3 Supercharged Diamonds: Hold and Win slot

Published

31 minutes ago

May 14, 2026

Wladimir P.

playson-releases-3-supercharged-diamonds:-hold-and-win-slot

New title adds three Diamond bonus features, a Collect Diamond mechanic and four jackpots up to 1,000x.

Playson has released a new slot title, 3 Supercharged Diamonds: Hold and Win, expanding its Hold and Win catalogue with three Diamond-driven bonus features and four jackpot prizes up to 1,000x.

The game’s Hold and Win Bonus Game uses a “3 Pots” mechanic, triggered when green, yellow or violet Diamond symbols land alongside their respective Diamonds positioned above the reels. Depending on the Diamonds that land, the bonus can activate an Expand Feature (3×5 grid), Multi Feature (multipliers on reels one and three starting at 2x and increasing up to 32x), or Stepper Feature (Bonus Diamonds remain in play and move down one position after each respin).

A Collect Diamond can land only on reel two during the Bonus Game. Playson said it holds its position for the round and accumulates the value of Bonus Diamonds that land before being applied to the Total Win at the end of the feature.

Jackpots can also land during the bonus round: Mini (15x), Minor (30x), Major (100x) and Grand (1,000x). Outside the bonus, any Diamond symbol in the Main Game can randomly trigger an Extra Diamonds Feature, which Playson said can add enough Diamonds to start the Bonus Game.

Anton Ivannikov, CPO at Playson, said: “3 Supercharged Diamonds: Hold and Win takes one of our most recognisable game mechanics and elevates it with a collection of dynamic new features designed to maximise excitement during every bonus round.

“By combining the Expand, Multi and Stepper features with the Collect Diamond and four jackpot opportunities, we have created a release that delivers strong entertainment value and varied gameplay experiences for players worldwide.”

The post Playson releases 3 Supercharged Diamonds: Hold and Win slot appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.