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CasinoBeats Summit achieves a momentous triumph by doubling its numbers

SBC celebrates the resounding success of its 5th edition of the CasinoBeats Summit, which has shattered all previous records.
Witnessing an exceptional 50% surge in attendee participation, attracting over 3,000 registered delegates, this casino-focused event held from 23rd to 25th May at the InterContinental Hotel in Malta, also doubled the number of sponsors and exhibitors eager to showcase their brands and offerings.
Uniting the industry’s crème de la crème, the event presented a highly engaging conference agenda centred around product and market-focused discussions. The summit featured an exceptional lineup of over 200 distinguished speakers who delved into a wide range of topics, spanning from leadership, affiliation and market regulations to game mechanics and player psychology.
Among the notable speakers were Andrew Rhodes (CEO, UKGC), Silvia Hoppe (Group CMO, Wunderino & Mybet), Alexander Martin (CEO, SKS365), Dainis Niedra (CEO, Enlabs, Entain), Elena Shaterova (CCO, 7777 Gaming), Andrew Rushgrove (Managing Director – Gaming, Sky Betting & Gaming) and many other esteemed individuals.
“What stood out to me was the selection of topics and the variety, as well as the depth to which they were explored. I’ve noticed that other conferences often cover generic ideas, whereas here we delve into deep and specific subjects. We have people who actually work on sites, people who work constantly with regulatory commissions, so that was really a nice addition,” said Mariya Sayapina, Head of Performance at Game Lounge.
In addition, the Summit provided attendees with a dynamic show floor, featuring a diverse ensemble of 50 exhibitors. Notably, game providers were presented with the opportunity to showcase their work at the newly-introduced Game Innovation Stage, unveiling and pitching their latest titles and innovations to event attendees. Furthermore, attendees had the chance to deepen their engagement by visiting the presenting game studios in the dedicated Game Innovation Zone.
Rasmus Sojmark, CEO & Founder of SBC, “This year’s CasinoBeats Summit has surpassed all expectations, emerging as our largest and most successful edition to date. We embarked on a journey to reinvent the concept, striving to create a more engaging and immersive experience for the casino industry. Introducing game presentations, streamer sessions on the exhibition floor, six dedicated workshops, and roundtable discussions proved to be game-changers.
“Witnessing a bustling exhibition floor and packed conference rooms was truly incredible, as attendees fully embraced the myriad of business and educational opportunities offered by the event.”
This year’s CasinoBeats Summit also offered an extensive array of daytime and evening networking events, maximising opportunities for attendees to optimise their experience. The event lineup featured multiple gatherings and parties including the IMGL Breakfast Meetup, the Women in Gaming Breakfast, the Affiliate Lunchtime Meetup, the pre-registration and networking reception at SKYBeach, InterContinental, the official CasinoBeats Summit Networking Party at The Edge, Radisson and the CasinoBeats Closing Party at Infinity by Hugo’s.
“I found the networking elements to be extremely valuable, and what is truly amazing is that you provide the opportunity for all delegates to attend all the networking parties, which is crucial in this industry. I made numerous contacts and engaged in insightful conversations with many industry leaders. The entire experience was powerful,” said Dorota Gruszka, Marketing Manager at Booming Games.
Additionally, exclusive affairs such as the Affiliate Leaders VIP Dinner and the SBC Leaders & C-level VIP Dinner provided a perfect ambience for like-minded individuals to engage in meaningful conversations in a formal yet relaxed environment.
The Game Developer Awards marked the grand finale of the event, with Arsenal legend Gilberto Silva and returning host Trudy Kerr taking the stage. A total of 23 awards were presented, recognising outstanding achievements in the industry and honouring the best companies, casino titles, and individuals. Notable winners included Relax Gaming, BGaming, Brian Christopher, Barbara Bang and AvatarUX, among many other deserving recipients.
“We are extremely fortunate to have such a high calibre of game developer studios attending our event. This night presented a great opportunity to celebrate their work and contribute to further elevating the profiles of these studios,” Sojmark added.
Following the momentous success, the highly anticipated CasinoBeats Summit is set to make its return on 21 – 23 May 2024, once again taking place at the InterContinental Hotel in Malta.
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Eastern Europe
Totogaming Joins Cernica Pantelimon RunFest: Not Just Present, But Fully Participating

“We weren’t just present — we were participants of Runfest. And that’s one of the most important aspects,” said Artak Ashkhatoyan, Deputy CEO of Totogaming.
On July 6, Totogaming joined the Cernica Pantelimon Runfest in Romania, once again emphasizing the importance of promoting amateur sports and a healthy lifestyle.
“Supporting such initiatives is a priority for TotoGaming. First, 50% of the proceeds from RunFest will be donated to the CLOVES Romania Foundation, supporting children affected by CLOVES Syndrome. And second, we’ve always believed in showing our passion for sports through actions, not just words. Have you noticed how we’re constantly rushing through life, yet when we look back, it often feels like we haven’t moved at all? It’s important for us to lead by example and show the importance of participation. This is exactly the message we’re promoting through our team’s active involvement in the marathon. After all, there can never be too much sport in our lives,” said TotoGaming’s Deputy CEO, Artak Ashkhatoyan.
A Simple Concept, a Powerful Impact
The concept of this sports event is straightforward: choose a distance between 1 to 21 kilometers and run. The goal? Make sport an integral part of everyday life. The crowd certainly embraced that, gathering as early as 8:30 a.m. — on a Sunday morning.
Totogaming contributed in two distinct capacities: as an official sponsor and as an active participant. A dedicated team of 13 employees represented the company at the Cernica Pantelimon RunFest, with 7 of them proudly taking part as runners.
More Than Just a Run
It wasn’t an easy challenge — especially because among Totogaming’s runners were people for whom running isn’t a daily habit, or even part of their life at all. Yet they couldn’t miss the opportunity, not least from the perspective of corporate responsibility.
“We just finished the 7.5-kilometer race!” shared Petrut-Adrian Toea from the Totogaming team.
“It was amazing, honestly. Around the 2-kilometer mark, I had this little battle with myself — I told myself I had to finish the race, no matter what. And I did it! I came in around 60th place out of over 100 runners, which for me is a really good result.”
“I see my participation as a small contribution toward promoting a healthy lifestyle. In my close circle, everyone knows I’m not exactly the sporty type. I’m not athletic, and I usually prefer having fun in other ways. But showing up here, early in the morning, in this intense heat, and completing almost 8 kilometers with just one short break — I think it set a good example.”
“I hope seeing someone like me finish this challenge motivates my friends to try something similar for their own health. I believe that’s a meaningful contribution”, – added Petrut-Andrea.
Totogaming also made it possible for every attendee to bring sport into their lives — quite literally. At the Totogaming tent, participants could ride stationary bikes and receive prizes based on the number of points they earned through their efforts.
Whether they were running, cycling, or simply cheering for friends, the goal for everyone was the same: to reach the destination of champions — by bringing sport into everyday life.
The post Totogaming Joins Cernica Pantelimon RunFest: Not Just Present, But Fully Participating appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
BMM
BMM TESTLABS PROMOTES SACHA MCLAUGHLIN TO VICE PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL QUALITY ASSURANCE

BMM Testlabs, the world’s original gaming test lab renowned for exceptional product compliance and certification services, today announced the promotion of Sacha McLaughlin to Vice President of Global Quality Assurance.
BMM’s President of Land-Based Gaming & Inspections, Kirk White, said, “Sacha has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership, operational excellence, and a customer-first attitude. Her experience and passion will be critical as we continue to grow our QA services to meet the always-evolving needs of the global gaming industry.”
With over 18 years of experience in software implementation and seven years in the gaming industry, McLaughlin brings extensive knowledge of both agile and waterfall development methodologies, test planning, project management, and cross-regional team leadership. She is recognized for her ability to build and scale QA organizations that deliver quality, speed, and value to customers.
McLaughlin joined BMM in 2018 and has held roles of increasing responsibility within the Company, most recently serving as Senior Director of Quality Assurance. Throughout her tenure, she has been instrumental in expanding BMM’s QA capabilities and helping customers launch products into the global gaming market more quickly, with a focus on regulatory compliance, functionality, fairness, and security.
The post BMM TESTLABS PROMOTES SACHA MCLAUGHLIN TO VICE PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL QUALITY ASSURANCE appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
AI
Liftoff’s 2025 Mobile Ad Creative Index Reveals UGC Is a Key Differentiator for Top Apps

Major findings from the newly launched report include playable ads having the potential to deliver impression-to-install rates 16 times that of non-playable formats for emerging gaming apps and a 20% increase in spending on interactive ads year over year.
Liftoff, a leading AI-enabled growth platform for the mobile app economy, has published its seventh annual Mobile Ad Creative Index. The report explores top creative trends that are attracting and scaling in ad spend across consumer apps and games. It also highlights the expanding role of AI in creative production, testing, and optimization.
This year’s Mobile Ad Creative Index specifically analyzes creative concepts that have excelled in scale for Liftoff’s highest-spending advertisers over the past 12 to 48 months. It is based on findings from over 4.7 trillion impressions, 263 billion clicks, and 1.1 billion installs between 1 January 2023 and 31 May 2025.
Highlights from the report include:
Top consumer apps are investing in interactive ads to compete for engagement
In 2024, the share of spend on interactive ads for top apps increased by 20% year over year. The share of spend increased by 2% for spenders outside the top tier. Top-spending apps differentiate their campaigns by adding innovations to evergreen concepts such as social scrollers, carousels, and scratch-offs.
Playable ads deliver returns across ad budgets for mobile game advertisers
In 2024, the share of spend on playable ads for top games averaged 35% higher than other games. Across all ad budgets, however, playable ads delivered higher conversion rates. Impression-to-install rates were 8 times that of non-playable formats for top spenders and 16 times that of non-playable formats for other game advertisers.
Tailoring “metaplay” elements to motivations can improve performance
“Metaplay” elements—gameplay that diverges from an app’s core design to appeal to a broader audience—are widespread, but top games gain an edge by tailoring their metaplay ads to the publisher audience. The report found that aligning “metaplay” creative with publisher audiences resulted in a 93% increase in installs-per-mille.
UGC is becoming a key differentiator in driving scale for consumer apps
The share of spend on user-generated content (UGC) increased 11% for top-spending apps, with social and utility apps seeing the most significant jump of nearly 30% between 2023 and 2024.
Widespread adoption of Gen AI leads to more customized ad experiences
Creative teams increasingly leverage AI to enhance top-performing assets with 3D and motion and to create and test variations. Top advertisers also use AI to recombine their assets in customized ad experiences that break away from standard video to playable formats.
Yann Zeller, Chief of Staff, Creative at Liftoff, said: “Today’s creative landscape is shaped by a single, powerful truth: attention is the commodity, and brands, games, and influencers are all vying for it. Great mobile ad experiences can earn attention by aligning context with behavior. As ad formats become richer and AI expands our ability to personalize and adapt creatives at scale, we’re able to unlock new insights into user behavior and motivation. We see users spend meaningful stretches with the right content, sometimes 60 to 90 seconds when the ad feels personal or prompts meaningful participation. This isn’t just a better way to advertise—it’s a better way to tell stories and the most exciting brief we’ve had in years.”
Soren Steelquist, Director of Creative Production, said: “The proof is in the data—more and more consumer apps are incorporating UGC into every stage of their marketing, and programmatic is no different. UGC works because it’s authentic and relatable, and users are more likely to be influenced by ad when it’s coming from a trustworthy source. To see higher impact from UGC creatives, work with a partner that can match the right creator with your brand and develop winning concepts that resonate with audiences.”
The post Liftoff’s 2025 Mobile Ad Creative Index Reveals UGC Is a Key Differentiator for Top Apps appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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