Latest News
Pythia Sports appoints Matt Harbord head of product
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.
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Latest News
Blueprint Gaming upgrades Super Graphics Upside Down for Lottomart exclusive
The updated slot launches on Lottomart for UK players on 23rd July with a new bonus wheel and higher max win.
Blueprint Gaming is releasing an upgraded version of Super Graphics Upside Down exclusively on Lottomart from 23rd July, giving Lottomart’s UK players early access to the title.
Originally launched in 2021, Super Graphics Upside Down is being re-released with a new bonus wheel feature and an increased max win potential, rising from 250X to 3000X, according to the companies.
Chris Ruddock, Commercial Director at Lottomart, said:
“Securing an early release exclusive on the new Super Graphics Upside Down is another exciting milestone for Lottomart. Blueprint Gaming has upgraded a fantastic game with engaging new features and bigger win potential, and we’re delighted to offer this game exclusively to our UK players.”
Elliott Kyne, Account Manager at Blueprint Gaming, said:
“We’re delighted to support Lottomart with the exclusive UK launch of Super Graphics Upside Down. It’s also pleasing to see our partnership continue to go from strength to strength, and Lottomart’s impressive growth and UK focus has made them a match made in heaven for Blueprint’s content. We’re SUPER excited to bring this latest release to their players.”
The companies said the launch is part of their ongoing partnership, with Blueprint Gaming providing exclusive content as Lottomart expands its UK presence.
The post Blueprint Gaming upgrades Super Graphics Upside Down for Lottomart exclusive appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
app analytics
AppsFlyer: UK app activity spikes on every goal during England knockout games
Data tracks the semi-final loss to Argentina and third-place win over France, showing rising spend even on goals against England.
AppsFlyer on July 22, 2026 published new UK app activity data tied to England’s knockout-stage matches in 2026’s biggest global football tournament: a 1-2 semi-final loss to Argentina and a 6-4 win over France in the third-place match.
The company said the UK stood out in its seven-market study as the only market to show app activity spikes in response to its own team scoring during the knockout stage. “England fans lived two entirely different matches on their phones within a week. In the semi-final, activity spiked when England scored, the only time we saw a market react to its own team’s goal in the knockout stage, but the mood shifted fast once Argentina hit back, with fans clearly cooling as the game slipped away. In the third-place match, mobile surged and dipped with every goal in a high-scoring game, keeping engagement elevated throughout. Same fans, same phones, two completely different stories,” said Lex Nakad, GM, EMEA West, AppsFlyer.
AppsFlyer reported that Gordon’s opener in the semi-final drove app activity 21% above normal. Engagement peaked at half-time at 47% above normal, then Argentina’s equalizer triggered a 19% spike. By the time Argentina scored a stoppage-time winner, the reaction had dropped to 6%, which AppsFlyer said indicated deflating interest as the match turned.
In the third-place match, AppsFlyer said activity “surged and dipped with every goal” throughout the ten-goal game, including a 37% spike at the hydration break and a 25% lift “across the goals,” which it attributed to the volume of match action rather than a single moment.
On monetisation, AppsFlyer said purchases increased in both matches: up 31% in the semi-final and 59% in the third-place match. Per-app spend peaked at half-time (19%) in the semi-final and spiked again on Argentina’s late goals (18% to 20% on the equalizer, and 15% on the winner). Streaming was the top-performing category, up 183%. The company also said food delivery behaviour diverged by kickoff time, with activity up 11% pre-kickoff and peaking at 17% at half-time for the 8pm semi-final, but dropping 39% during the 10pm third-place match.
AppsFlyer said the analysis spans seven markets (US, Mexico, Canada, UK, France, Spain, Argentina) and 18 app categories, comparing match-day activity with a matched regular-day baseline at the same local-clock minute. The company noted the underlying app-market data is the United Kingdom (not an “England-only” cut), and that it is not quoting revenue or order size due to outliers.
The post AppsFlyer: UK app activity spikes on every goal during England knockout games appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Contributors Program
Gamblers Connect names Gali Hartuv as seventh 2026 Contributors Program voice
The Playa strategic advisor will publish on VIP operations, segmentation and retention, starting with an anonymous VIP Operations Survey 2026.
Gamblers Connect has confirmed Gali Hartuv, Strategic Advisor at The Playa, as the seventh voice to join its 2026 Contributors Program.
The independent B2B iGaming media platform said the programme will reveal one senior industry voice per month throughout 2026, with contributors publishing under the Gamblers Connect Contributor Editorial Code.
Gamblers Connect said Hartuv has more than 15 years’ experience in VIP management, including designing and optimising VIP programmes across more than 50 operator brands, and training “hundreds of professionals” now working in VIP roles across the industry.
Hartuv will publish across four areas: building VIP programmes that drive long-term value; AI-powered VIP identification and player segmentation; hyper-personalisation and retention strategy; and scaling VIP operations across different markets and cultures. His first contribution is a VIP Operations Survey 2026, an anonymous survey intended to benchmark how VIP teams work across iGaming operators, including portfolio sizing, tools, qualification thresholds, workflow standards and where time is spent during the week.
Partnerships and Operations Lead, Luka Dimitrijevic, said: “VIP management is where a great deal of an operator’s value is won or lost, and very few people can speak to it with Gali’s depth. He has spent his career turning high value player relationships into a discipline rather than guesswork, and he is refreshingly candid about what works and what does not. Through the Contributors Program he will share practical insight on VIP strategy, retention, and the smart use of AI, with content grounded in real results rather than recycled best practices.”
The post Gamblers Connect names Gali Hartuv as seventh 2026 Contributors Program voice appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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