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LOUISE ULRICK WINS POKERSTARS x POKER POWER WOMEN’S BOOTCAMP SHOWDOWN IN CYPRUS

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There was a thrilling conclusion to the PokerStars x Poker Power Women’s Bootcamp Showdown at European Poker Tour (EPT) Cyprus with British player Louise Ulrick emerging victorious, winning a full package to EPT Prague this December.

The 55-year-old former maths teacher, turned licensee consultant, had never played a hand of poker until a few months ago but came out on top defeating American Katie Hopkins heads-up.

“I can’t believe it,” Ulrick told the PokerStars Blog after her victory. “Obviously winning was the objective of coming, but you never quite think it’s going to happen. I didn’t feel confident when we were practicing live. I felt clumsy with all the cards and the chips and everything, but today came together.

PokerStars x Poker Power Women’s Bootcamp Showdown Results

  1. Louise Ulrick – Former maths teacher
  2. Katie Hopkins – Associate General Counsel at Nasdaq, focusing on securities law
  3. Laura Lebailly – French student studying Luxury Marketing
  4. Sabrina Chevannes – Women’s international chess master who runs a London-based creative agency
  5. Katerena Nowosad – Accountant for a financial services company
  6. Drea Renee – TV reporter and massage therapist
  7. Yvonne Mai – Actress
  8. Jenny Larson – Charity Associate Executive Director
  9. Patrice Gordon – Leadership Development consultant specialising in reverse mentoring
  10. Ines Lafosse – Photographer, content creator and hotelier

Ulrick was one of 40 women who took part in an eight-week female-only poker bootcamp hosted by PokerStars and Poker Power, which saw women from around the world – who had no previous poker experience – learn and hone their skills.

“Anybody who is thinking about learning poker, it is such a good game to play,” continued Ulrick. “You can learn so much about yourself. There are online resources that are great to have a go at. And have a go!”

Following the intense programme which included weekly practice games and mentoring from PokerStars Team Pro Jen Shahade, the 40 recruits battled it out in Home Games Tournaments with ten awarded the chance to travel to EPT Cyprus to compete in the Ultimate Showdown.

Rebecca McAdam Willetts, Director of Partnerships, PR and Consumer Engagement said, “We are thrilled to be celebrating Louise as this year’s Women’s Bootcamp Champion and can’t wait to see how she gets on at EPT Prague. It has also been incredibly inspiring and rewarding to watch this group of women, and the community of women in poker around them, supporting each other and shining a light. The response from women around the world to this year’s bootcamp has been wonderful, with the number of participants increasing by over 400%. This, and the research we conducted earlier in the year, shows how vital it is to continue supporting women and activating our long-term plans to see more women take part, have fun and above all feel safe and comfortable at the poker table.”

Erin Lydon, President of Poker Power said, “Our innovative bootcamp program with PokerStars provides women with the platform and opportunity to go from zero to hero in an inclusive and supportive environment. All participants worked diligently during the Bootcamp and we hope that they each take away the strategies and skills developed through playing poker and apply them to their everyday lives. We are excited to congratulate Louise as the winner of the Showdown and very proud of all women who have taken their seats and begun their poker journey with us. Louise is proof that anyone can devote time, effort and study to this great game and triumph.”

Research conducted by PokerStars earlier this year, revealed that 55 per cent of women did not feel poker was inclusive to them, despite almost half (42 per cent) of women who play believing it helped improve their focus, concentration and decision-making ability.

In response, PokerStars teamed up with Poker Power to launch their second female-focused bootcamp to help women build their confidence and skills in poker, as well as provide a safe space for them to learn and play. Each recruit was taught game-play skills over eight weeks, that can translate to real world success including negotiation, strategic decision-making, and capital allocation.

Aglaja Geta

“Stories”, a new feature design to elevate sportsbook engagement and promotional visibility from BETBY

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BETBY, the leading sportsbook provider, has announced the launch of Stories, a new feature designed to transform how operators present promotions and key events to their players.

Inspired by the widely adopted Stories format seen across social media platforms, the feature introduces a familiar, intuitive way for bettors to discover and engage with content directly within the sportsbook interface.

As competition for user attention continues to intensify, operators face the ongoing challenge of delivering promotions and updates in a way that cuts through the noise without overwhelming the user experience.

Stories addresses this by offering a dynamic, swipeable format that brings key content — such as bonuses, tournaments, major sporting events, and boosted odds — into a more engaging and accessible space.

Fully integrated into BETBY’s sportsbook environment, Stories enables bettors to seamlessly browse through short, interactive content cards, mirroring the mechanics they already use daily on social platforms.

This familiarity plays a key role in driving immediate interaction, lowering the barrier to engagement, and creating additional touchpoints between operators and their users.

By introducing a format that naturally encourages exploration, Stories helps increase visibility across promotional campaigns while supporting higher engagement rates.

Each new Story acts as a trigger for curiosity, prompting users to click through and discover new offers or events, ultimately contributing to improved promo turnover.

The feature feels particularly intuitive to younger demographics, who are already accustomed to this style of interaction.

By aligning sportsbook UX with established digital behaviors, BETBY allows operators to connect with these audiences in a more organic and impactful way.

Stories is about meeting users where they already are, in terms of how they consume content,” said Aglaja Geta, Head of UX & Analytics at BETBY.

We wanted to introduce a format that feels instantly familiar, while giving operators a powerful new way to highlight their most important promotions and events.

It creates a smoother, more engaging experience that encourages interaction without adding complexity to the platform.

From an operational perspective, Stories offers a streamlined way to enhance the front-end experience without requiring structural changes to the sportsbook.

The feature integrates seamlessly, allowing operators to enrich their content strategy while maintaining a clean and intuitive interface.

About BETBY

BETBY is a leading B2B provider of top-tier sports betting services, renowned for its groundbreaking technology and dedication to excellence.

BETBY’s team of industry veterans tap into their knowledge and expertise to deliver a premium, adaptable, and scalable sportsbook platform tailored to meet the varied demands of operators across the globe.

From dynamic in-play betting options to robust risk management tools and ground-breaking AI tools, BETBY is committed to propelling the success of its partners in the rapidly evolving landscape of online sports betting.

For more information visit betby.com

The post “Stories”, a new feature design to elevate sportsbook engagement and promotional visibility from BETBY appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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BC Brothers

Why BC Brothers is Betting on “Affiliate-as-a-Product”

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The iGaming affiliate industry has a problem, and it begins with the “Top 10” list. For years, the business has relied on a foundation of simple review pages. Walls of text that often prioritize commission rates over user experience. But as players are becoming tired of biased endorsements, the traditional review site is entering its twilight years.

“Look, the industry is at a crossroads,” says Borja Imbergamo, CEO of BC Brothers. “The old playbook, where you rank operators based on who writes the biggest check and then dress it up as expert advice, is just broken. It’s a short-term hustle in a world that’s demanding long-term transparency.”

Imbergamo isn’t just criticizing the status quo. Instead, he is pivoting away from it. He’s pushing BC Brothers toward this ‘Affiliate-as-a-Product’ model, which honestly isn’t just some clever rebranding. It’s a total shift in architecture. Rethinking the whole way an affiliate actually connects a player to an operator from the ground up.

Breaking Free from the Template

For most affiliates, WordPress is the default setting. It’s easy, it’s fast, and it’s predictable. However, late last year, BC Brothers began a quiet migration away from standard content management systems toward self-built platforms. While still in the pilot phase in several territories, the move represents a declaration of independence from the limitations of templated solutions.

“WordPress is fine, but it’s a bottleneck for innovation,” Imbergamo explains. “Moving to our own infrastructure allows us to be a lot more flexible. We can develop features that a standard plugin simply can’t handle. These are still pilots, but we have very high hopes for these platforms to become our future. It definitely requires more SEO checks, resources and dedication, but surely will pay off in long term”

This technical shift allows BC Brothers to move beyond the bridge model, where a site is just a transition point for a player, and toward a destination model.

Building an Ecosystem

The pivot isn’t just about how the sites are built, but what they offer. While conversion remains a goal, BC Brothers is investing heavily in products that prioritize utility over the immediate click. These projects are less about a direct sales funnel and more about becoming an essential part of the sports content ecosystem.

One example is BetBrothers.football, a site designed to deliver all the real-time football data and stats a fan could want. Alongside it sits BBSportNews, an editorial project covering the “beautiful game” from every angle – from breaking transfer news and defining stories to deep-dive tactical analysis.

“We are building an ecosystem, not a funnel,” says Imbergamo. “If we provide a player with real-time match stats they can’t find elsewhere, or analysis that actually informs their perspective, we’ve earned their time. By the time they do decide to play, they don’t have to head back to Google to find some random review site. They’re already inside our brand’s ecosystem. It’s about giving them that full 360-degree value so they never feel the need to look elsewhere.”

By focusing on these utility tools, BC Brothers is actually playing a much smarter game with lead quality. Think about it – a person who spends twenty minutes studying data on a platform you built is a way more valuable player for an operator than someone who just clicks a “Play Now” button because they saw a shiny banner. One is an engaged user making an informed choice. The other is just a random click that probably won’t stick around.

Playing by the Rules

This approach is particularly vital in regulated markets, where BC Brothers exclusively operates. The company maintains a strict policy of working only in regulated jurisdictions and exclusively with licensed operators. Getting their Greek affiliate license this past March was simply the next logical step in that process. For Borja, ignoring grey markets isn’t some moral crusade. It’s just the right way to make sure sports betting stays entertaining and safe for everyone.

“We really believe that working only with licensed operators is the right way to keep sports betting fun and sustainable,” Borja says. “We’re committed to staying compliant and actually helping the industry grow in every market we’re in. Sometimes that means taking the harder path. But for us, it’s a long-term investment in a safe environment that protects the players and makes the whole industry healthier.”

The Future of the “Brothers”

The transition from a content house to a product studio is a high-stakes bet. It requires more capital and a willingness to walk away from the easy wins of the grey market. At the end of the day, it requires more developers too. But as the iGaming affiliate landscape becomes more crowded with much more pressure from all sides, the “middle man” who offers nothing but a link is losing their place.

“The era of the disposable affiliate site is over,” Imbergamo concludes. “The next big leaders in this space will be the ones who treat it like a serious tech company, more like the SaaS world. Players want tools, interaction, personalization, and they want value for their time. We’re basically building the infrastructure for a future where the product does the talking, and you don’t have to ask for trust because it’s already built into the code.”

The post Why BC Brothers is Betting on “Affiliate-as-a-Product” appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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1spin4win

1spin4win & Blask report 7 out of 10 top games in Africa are slots

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The study analyzes key markets across both regions, including South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina. Using real-time data on game placement and player demand, the research provides a clear view of what content operators prioritize and what resonates most with players. The report also features insights from operators such as BetPawa and MSport, adding industry perspective to the data-driven analysis.

One key finding is that slots continue to dominate across both regions. In Africa, they account for 71% of the Top 30 games featured in casino lobbies, while in Latin America, they make up 67% of the Top 30 games analyzed — outperforming both crash and live formats.

At the same time, the data shows that what operators place in lobbies does not always match what players are actually looking for. Some of the most searched-for games are not prominently featured or are missing from lobbies altogether.

For 1spin4win, this report is part of their broader expansion strategy across Africa and Latin America. The provider began actively extending its presence in these markets in 2025, strengthening partnerships with local aggregators and refining its product strategy to better align with regional player preferences. These include mobile optimization and fast loading and smooth performance even on weak internet connections. In Africa, these efforts led to a 9.2x increase in the number of bets.

Olga Hlukhovskaya, Business Development Director at 1spin4win, “At 1spin4win, we place strong emphasis on working with data. It’s at the core of how we approach product development. We focus on understanding player preferences and making informed decisions that help us deliver experiences that truly resonate with our audience.”

Ilya Batcherikov, Blask CPO, commented, “By aggregating non-branded search data at scale, we help teams understand what players are actually looking for in each market — often before those trends become visible inside the product. This allows operators to move from reactive content strategies to proactive ones, aligning supply with real-time demand and capturing value that would otherwise be missed.”

Full insights from the research are available in the report “What’s hot in LATAM and Africa” on the Blask website.

About 1spin4win

1spin4win is an established game provider founded in May 2021 by ambitious developers with over 15 years of experience in the gambling industry. Since its inception, the company has expanded its portfolio to include over 200 classic online slots, all characterized by quality mathematics, transparent mechanics, and well-balanced gameplay — key factors that drive strong player retention. The studio aims to release an average of four new games each month in 2026 and offers effective promotional tools for casino operators to help them enhance player loyalty.

The post 1spin4win & Blask report 7 out of 10 top games in Africa are slots appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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