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North Carolina Education Lottery Extends Fastest Growing Instant Game Program in U.S. with Scientific Games

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Successful Partnership Positions Lottery for Future Growth to Benefit North Carolina Students, Serves as Model for World Lotteries

Scientific Games and the North Carolina Education Lottery have extended their partnership behind the fastest-growing instant scratch game program in the U.S. based on year-over-year growth. The partnership has propelled the NCEL to the No. 6 ranked lottery in the world for instant game performance (La Fleur’s 2022 Almanac per capita sales) and gained attention as the model for U.S. and international lotteries. The Scientific Games Enhanced Partnership helped responsibly grow NCEL Scratch-Off sales from $1.7 billion in fiscal year 2017 to $2.6 billion in fiscal year 2022. With this partnership, Scientific Games provides portfolio management across the Lottery’s entire scratch game offerings.

The Scientific Games Enhanced Partnership with NCEL began in 2017, aligning the Lottery for future growth to support education across North Carolina, including school construction and scholarships for students attending in-state colleges and universities.

Mark Michalko, NCEL Executive Director, said, “Our partnership with Scientific Games helps the N.C. Education Lottery achieve its goals, and we look forward to continuing our good work together. Last year, the success of scratch-off sales helped to raise $929 million to support education programs in North Carolina. We are aligned in our approach to maximize responsible growth in the coming years. Scratch-off games are the most popular games played in North Carolina and we look for continued success in our ongoing partnership with Scientific Games.”

Through the Scientific Games Enhanced Partnership, the company helps NCEL optimize its product portfolio through portfolio management and game design services, data-driven analytics, advanced logistics, licensed brand services, and retail sales and marketing support. The program is used by more than 20 lotteries, including six of the Top 10-performing instant game lotteries worldwide (La Fleur’s 2022 World Lottery Almanac).

John Schulz, President of Americas and Global Instant Products for Scientific Games, said, “The North Carolina Education Lottery is a great example of how Scientific Games and a lottery can partner on instant games to optimize the product portfolio and generate maximum revenues to benefit residents in the state. The program in North Carolina is a model for the world’s lotteries.”

With products generating more than 70% of global instant game retail sales, Scientific Games is the world’s largest instant games creator, producer and services provider in the world. The company provides retail and digital games, technology, analytics and services to 130 lotteries in 50 countries around the globe, including nearly every North American lottery.

Awards

Slotsoo Awards 2026 Celebrate the Best Casinos and Game Providers

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Slotsoo is proud to announce the winners of the Slotsoo Awards 2026, recognising the online casinos and game providers that have delivered the best player experiences over the past year. Now firmly established as an annual celebration of excellence, the awards continue to recognise the companies setting new standards for quality and innovation across the iGaming industry.

Spotlighting the Best Game Providers of 2026

Following last year’s successful debut, the Slotsoo Game Provider Awards returned for a second year to recognise the studios pushing online slots forward through original ideas, engaging gameplay, and consistently high-quality releases. This year’s winners are:

  • The Machine MVP – Pragmatic Play
  • Bonus Buyer – Eurasian Gaming
  • Volatility Virtuoso – 1spin4win
  • Jackpot Jumbo – Platipus Gaming
  • Symphony Spinner – Peter & Sons
  • Reel Renegade – TaDa Gaming
  • Promising Prodigy – EXCO Game Studio

Pragmatic Play retained the prestigious Machine MVP award for a second consecutive year, while every other category crowned a new winner, highlighting the emergence of fresh talent and new ideas among game providers.

Casino Awards Return for a Fourth Year

Since their debut in 2023, the Slotsoo Casino Awards have celebrated the operators raising the standard for online casino experiences. This year’s winners continue that tradition, earning recognition for excellence across bonuses, withdrawals, gamification, and overall quality. The seven winners for 2026 are:

  • The Gambling GOAT – Lunar Spins
  • The Bonus Buff – Go4Casino
  • The Loyalty Lord – Valhalla Wins
  • The Withdrawal Wizard – Taste Vegas
  • The Gamification Guru – Lucky Fuel
  • The Payout Professor – Stupid Casino
  • The Noisy Newcomer – Kudos Bet

While the Game Provider Awards saw several first-time winners, the Casino Awards reflected the continued strength of a few established operators. C24 Partners enjoyed a particularly successful year, with four awards going to brands from its portfolio, including the main trophy The Gambling GOAT.

Recognition That Goes Beyond Popularity

Unlike many industry awards, the Slotsoo Awards are not decided by public voting. Winners are selected by the Slotsoo team after evaluating casino operators and game providers throughout the year. Each nominee is assessed on factors such as player value and innovation.

This approach ensures that both established industry leaders and ambitious newcomers have an equal opportunity to be recognised. Whether it’s a casino redefining loyalty rewards or a game studio introducing fresh mechanics, the awards highlight companies that genuinely move the industry forward.

Other News from Slotsoo.com This Summer

The Slotsoo Awards weren’t the only milestone for the company this summer. In June, the team attended the HIPTHER Baltics & Nordics Gaming Conference in Tallinn, connecting with industry professionals, exploring the latest developments in iGaming, and returning home with plenty of inspiration.

July marked the publication of Slotsoo’s first book, The Casino Player’s ABC, written by Markus Björk, Head of Content. This tongue-in-cheek ABC book for adults takes a humorous look at the ups and downs in slot gaming. Markus Björk comments:

“The awards and the book may seem like very different projects, but they share the same goal. Both are about celebrating what makes this industry unique and helping players navigate it with a sense of humour.”

With another successful awards season, the publication of their first book, and an active presence at industry events, 2026 has been one of Slotsoo’s busiest and most exciting years to date.

The post Slotsoo Awards 2026 Celebrate the Best Casinos and Game Providers appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Endorphina

Endorphina releases Zalatar online slot with Hold and Win jackpots

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Endorphina has launched Zalatar, a new myths-and-legends themed online slot, expanding its recent run of fantasy-leaning releases.

The supplier said Zalatar is a 5-reel, 3-row game with 25 fixed paylines, 96.03% RTP and high volatility.

Feature-wise, Endorphina said the title includes a Mystery Pick ‘Em feature, three Hold And Win Bonus Games, and Scatter and Wild mechanics. During Hold And Win, the company said “colorful orbs” can award Collector and Multiplier functions, plus Min, Mid, Max, and Ultra Jackpots.

The game also includes Endorphina’s Risk Game, where the company said players can double wins up to 10 times by beating the dealer’s card.

Endorphina said Zalatar is available across mobile, tablet and desktop. The Prague-based supplier also reiterated that its portfolio includes “210+” slots and partnerships with “6,000+” operators worldwide.

The post Endorphina releases Zalatar online slot with Hold and Win jackpots appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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DuelBits says its Justin Gaethje UFC campaign drove 122m verified views

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DuelBits says its JUSTIN2026 campaign with UFC fighter Justin Gaethje generated more than 122 million verified clip views and contributed to “one of DuelBits’ strongest UFC betting events in recent memory.” The operator said the campaign exceeded its KPI target of 100 million impressions and was distributed through a network of more than 140 creators.

The campaign was framed by DuelBits as a challenge to the industry’s common approach to athlete and influencer partnerships, arguing that many operators wait until an athlete’s commercial value peaks.

Jasper Hoekert, Chief Marketing Officer at DuelBits, said: “Too many operators approach ambassador partnerships as sponsorship deals. They wait until someone has already become one of the biggest names in sport before trying to work with them. At that point, everyone is competing for the same audience, the same inventory and the same headlines.”

Hoekert added: “The real opportunity is identifying athletes who perfectly align with your audience before they’re the obvious choice. If you genuinely believe in someone, you can build something together rather than simply renting their reputation once they’ve already made it.”

DuelBits said the JUSTIN2026 activation was built around a “premium hero film” supported by six short-form edits, behind-the-scenes videos and photography, with creator-led distribution across social media and MMA communities. The operator also said the flagship content was integrated into Gaethje’s “Art of Violence” YouTube series to extend the campaign beyond a single event window.

The company positioned distribution strategy as a key lever alongside content production. Hoekert said: “A brilliant piece of creative means very little if nobody sees it. We’ve reached a point where distribution deserves just as much strategic attention as the content itself. Working with creators, community pages, and trusted media partners allows campaigns to travel much further than relying on your own social channels alone.”

DuelBits also argued that modern KOL and ambassador campaigns should be assessed beyond top-line reach. “Views are an important benchmark because they show you’ve earned attention, but attention isn’t the finish line,” Hoekert said. “What matters is whether that attention drives action. In our case, we saw strong promotional code engagement alongside one of our best-performing UFC betting nights. That’s when you know the creative has delivered genuine business value rather than just impressive headline numbers.”

The post DuelBits says its Justin Gaethje UFC campaign drove 122m verified views appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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