Latest News
INSIDE THE POCKET (ITP) LAUNCHES HOTSPOT JOGOS FOR BRAZILIAN OPERATOR HOTSPOTBET
Inside The Pocket (ITP) the world’s only free-to-play and pay-to-play (F2P & P2P) aggregation platform, has partnered with rising-star operator HotSpotBet to boost acquisition and retention in Brazil around its growing client-base.
ITP has accordingly launched a breakthrough F2P offering for this key emerging market in the form of HotSpotJogos, a localised website supporting a series of engaging free-to-play (F2P) games which have already proven themselves to open flexible gateway through which to both acquire and retain customers in an international landscape of tightening regulatory ropes.
As operators look to new emerging markets, F2P solutions that track localised player proclivities are proving the reliable differentiator for operators who want to broaden their brand’s appeal and have discovered that obsolete bonusing techniques represent a race to the bottom.
This deal follows on the heels of a breakout performance for ITP at last year’s World Cup football, where it was tasked by leading local Brazilian operator, Pixbet, to create a bespoke slate of F2P games and a dedicated F2P website across the Qatar tournament. That new-account success informed a case study, premised on the acquisition and subsequent retention of a loyal audience, which proved pivotal in securing this HotSpotJogos assignment from HotSpotBet. Moreover, ITP has also teamed up with a major global affiliate to help optimise its Meta spend in Brazil, demonstrating a deep understanding and array of analytics tools for this key market.
ITP’s single-integration approach for one or multiple products delivers, in complementary fashion, customer engagement and retention across various products as sports betting regulation remains on the cusp of rolling out across Brazil’s legalised framework, with the Brazilian Ministry of Finance publishing ordinances for operators to apply for fast-track licensing earlier this month. ITP stands apart from any competitor in the F2P and P2P content market, in that through a one simple integration, it opens up an entire market of 30+ free-to-play and pay-to-play content providers.
HotSpotBet’s next-generation sportsbook and igaming platform runs off unique pricing models – allowing users to enjoy sophisticated and reactive in-play odds up to the last second of a game, with competitive pricing on all sports. This service arrives in good time for the ongoing international football league seasons, and a wider sporting schedule of 24/7 global activity. Its modern, modular technology also helps to overcome local regulatory challenges with a light physical deployment backed up by centralised control systems.
A HotSpotBet spokesperson said: “Collaborating with ITP on HotSpotJogos has been a fantastic journey so far. They share our values and vision and we look forward to putting our combined shoulders to the wheel to make HotSpotBet the best sportsbook in Brazil over the year ahead.
“We were initially taken with ITP’s success at last year’s World Cup and saw an immediate opportunity for us to roll out a more dedicated ongoing program around F2P for HotSpotBet over the coming months.
“The engaging gameplay and localized flexibility of our HotSpotJogos games has already helped generate clear spikes in acquisition and retention for, and provides us with a clear pathway in the white-hot Brazilian market, underscoring ITP’s innovative portfolio of native and third-party products as we go along.
“Latin America, while fragmented, is comprised of countries that are overwhelmingly football-focussed, with scope to cross-sell into other sports as they become popular, or reach their optimum seasons peaks, like basketball or baseball. Working with ITP’s varied catalogue, we can spin up new games across other emerging LatAm markets as we look to light up further territories with HotSpotBet’s versatile sportsbook.
Hussain Naqi, Founder and CEO of Inside The Pocket, said: “We saw that at last year’s football World Cup, the most important and most watched football competition in the world – especially amongst Brazil’s football-mad fanbase – that the largest home-grown operator executed far better than some of the global behemoths eyeing the Brazilian space simply because they knew their end users so intimately.
“Other local sportsbooks and media companies across the regulating Brazilian marketplace have also elevated their acquisition and retention targets via F2P, so it’s exciting to have already showcased the dexterous performance of ITP in this space, and to now be leading the LatAm charge on Brazil with HotSpotBet.
“Thanks to our software and platform partners, we were able to construct and curate this customized website, HotSpotJogos, from scratch. They couldn’t have been more collaborative and responsive. And based on encouraging performances in both acquisition and retention metrics, it seems HotSpotBet’s new customers are loving these local touches, too.
“Having developed some vital expertise in the F2P domain in Brazil by working hand-in-hand with proven operators and a major industry affiliate, ITP’s data mastery and marketing success stories will only continue for our partners across emerging territories like Brazil. We are ideally placed to leverage such opportunities because we can diversify content, leverage consumer data and segment it for our clients as the Brazilian coalesces into more definitive shape over the coming months. Our complementary partners at marketing analytics and geolocation are also affording ITP unique consumer insights that will allow us to hyper-localise audience communication around a variety of other mass-media sporting events on the horizon in 2024.”
eSports
Esports Foundation names Faker Game Ambassador for EWC and ENC through 2028
Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok joins Cristiano Ronaldo and Magnus Carlsen in the Esports Foundation’s Ambassador Program.
The Esports Foundation (EF) has appointed Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok as a Game Ambassador for the Esports World Cup (EWC) and Esports Nations Cup (ENC) through 2028, the organization said on July 15, 2026 in a statement issued from Riyadh and Paris.
EF said Faker joins Cristiano Ronaldo, listed as the Foundation’s Global Ambassador, and Magnus Carlsen as part of the Esports Foundation Ambassador Program. The Foundation said Faker will represent “the perspective of esports players” across its international events, athlete initiatives, media engagements and leadership forums.
“You can’t talk about esports without mentioning Faker. He is the defining athlete of competitive gaming: a champion whose excellence, discipline and longevity have inspired an entire generation,” said Ralf Reichert, Chief Executive Officer of the Esports Foundation. “As our Game Ambassador, Faker represents something fundamental to the Ambassador Program: esports creates its own global sporting icons. Across EWC, ENC and NGSC, he will help ensure that the players who built this sport have a voice in shaping where it goes next.”
Faker said: “Competition has shaped my life, and I am proud to join the Esports Foundation as Game Ambassador. I want to continue competing for the biggest titles with T1 while representing the players and fans who have helped esports grow worldwide. Through the Esports World Cup, Esports Nations Cup and the Foundation’s wider platforms, I hope to inspire the next generation to pursue excellence, remain resilient and believe in how far competitive gaming can take them. There is still much more to achieve.”
EF highlighted Faker’s competitive record, describing him as a six-time League of Legends World Champion, EWC 2024 winner, two-time MSI champion and ten-time domestic champion with T1. The Foundation also said Faker became the first esports athlete to receive the Blue Dragon Medal in 2026, describing it as the Republic of Korea’s highest sporting honor awarded by President Lee Jae-myung.
The post Esports Foundation names Faker Game Ambassador for EWC and ENC through 2028 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Brand Partnerships
Midnite signs as Middlesbrough FC principal partner for 2026/27 season
Midnite has agreed a partnership with Middlesbrough FC that will see the UK bookmaker become the club’s principal partner and front-of-shirt sponsor for the 2026/27 campaign, which Middlesbrough describes as its landmark 150th season.
The companies announced the deal alongside a fan activation at Riverside Stadium on Thursday, July 9, branded “This Season’s On Us”. The initiative offered supporters prizes including 2026/27 season tickets, 2026/27 shirts, match tickets, or a £25 club shop voucher, with fans required to answer Middlesbrough trivia and complete a football challenge.
Middlesbrough former players Craig Hignett and David Wheater attended the event, and, according to the company, took bonus attempts on behalf of participants who missed out.
Andrew Mook, Midnite’s Head of Brand Marketing, said:
“Middlesbrough have a storied history and we’re delighted to announce this partnership during such a monumental year with the club celebrating their 150th anniversary.
“It was great to see so many Middlesbrough fans at the “This Season’s On Us” activation, we hope they enjoyed taking part and meeting club legends, with David Wheater hitting top bins on several occasions and allowing fans to win big with season tickets.
“We can’t wait to get to Riverside Stadium in August to kick-off a new season and we’re excited to say that we have plenty of new and captivating campaigns planned.”
Lee Fryett, Middlesbrough FC Chief Commercial Officer, added:
“We’re delighted to welcome Midnite as our new Principal Partner.
“We’re looking forward to working closely with Midnite to develop engaging campaigns, content and unique experiences that bring our fans even closer to the club.
“We’re confident this partnership will provide real value for our supporters while supporting our ambitions both on and off the pitch.”
The post Midnite signs as Middlesbrough FC principal partner for 2026/27 season appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
AGCO
ThrillTech secures AGCO supplier licence for Ontario launch
ThrillTech has been awarded a Gaming-Related Supplier licence by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), clearing the company to launch in Ontario’s regulated market.
The licence allows ThrillTech to deploy its opt-in side bet jackpots technology with regulated online casino, sports betting and lottery operators across the province.
Benjamin Bradtke, Co-Founder of ThrillTech, said: “Securing our AGCO licence is a major step in our mission to transform how jackpots are delivered at scale across regulated markets. This latest certification is testament to our robust technology and trusted compliance frameworks, allowing us to continue our global growth trajectory. We are thrilled to bring our proven, compliant jackpot technology to Ontario, empowering locally licensed operators to uplift revenue without cannibalising existing spend.”
The company said its “ThrillPots” mechanics sit as an independent, player-funded side bet and do not alter the underlying game’s return-to-player mathematics.
ThrillTech said the Ontario approval enables its existing multinational partners that also operate in the province to launch its side bet jackpots locally, while it also holds talks with potential new operator partners. The company lists its regulated footprint as including the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands, Romania, Malta, Gibraltar, Brazil and Peru.
The post ThrillTech secures AGCO supplier licence for Ontario launch appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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