Latest News
THE FUTURE IS PROMISING. THE WORLD OF LOTTERIES AND BETTING IS EVOLVING, CREATING ASTOUNDING CROSSOVERS WITH THE RETAIL INDUSTRY
Custom Group presents an unexpected market overview: new technology trends with specific modular and scalable requirements, unprecedented integrated solutions, demand for a global presence with service centres and multi-sector expertise to support partners, distributors, customers and industry players.
The gaming industry is going through an unprecedented revolution. Custom presents the latest innovations and a thorough scenario overview focusing on ICE TOTALLY GAMING – booth S5-211. With more than two decades of experience, Custom is positioned as a leader in the evolution of the Lottery, Gaming and Betting industry. The Group forecasts a +180% increase in turnover for the two-year period 2024-25 based on market data and internal forecasts in the wake of online gaming, which has been growing rapidly for the past two years. In fact, the sports betting sector recorded a 30 percent increase in 2022, winnings amounting to 69 billion € online, once again highlighting the positive trend that will also include the Lottery world by virtue of the 20 new licensing tenders which will ensure further global growth. Custom comes across as strong to ICE with a global and diversified presence, offering the widest range of integrated solutions to multiple markets and enabling all types of stakeholders to choose from the Group’s different solutions and technologies based on unique and synergistic know-how. This -one stop shop- approach opens new horizons and expands opportunities by providing unique services throughout more than 76 different countries.
INDUSTRY TRENDS
- Expertise, Global Presence & Service. Custom, which operates in 76 countries, provides innovative and sustainable technology solutions for different but now increasingly synergistic fields such as Lottery&Betting and Retail. Custom’s global presence ensures total and comprehensive value chain management, guaranteed throughout all stages: design, customisation, pre/after sales and services. 5 Production plants and more than 680 employees including 280 engineers.
- Phigital: Self-Service evolution and convergence of online and physical. The U.S. market for self-service systems is estimated at $4.5 billion by 2026. Custom provides advanced self-service solutions capable of ensuring high security standards, including smart lockers as well as anti-corruption and anti-fraud technologies. In fact, Custom has a track record of more than 3 decades in providing kiosk technology solutions in several different markets.
- POS Refresh – Point of Sale (POS) modernisation: attended & unattended solutions. Custom presents advanced POS solutions to optimise the point of sale. POS Refresh” has been an IT investment priority in 2023 for 50 percent of retailers. Digital Environment: Audio-video and multimedia solutions to make environments interactive and engaging. Custom offers multi-sensory experiences with solutions such as content management players, interactive tables and custom touch monitors.
Custom is a player that can best serve all kinds of stakeholders and different markets. Custom Group now has more than 300,000 installations in Gaming, Lottery and Betting in 76 countries, registering a convergence of the Lottery & Betting sector with the retail sector in the last two years.
HIGHLIGHTS
Attended & Unattended solutions which focus on traditional and hybrid cashpoints. DAYTONA and ARAGON POS terminals, Custom’s reliable Retail Lottery printers, and ultra-fast devices for scanning different ticket sizes. This portfolio ensures a fast and error-free service. Custom’s self-service solutions are the most technologically advanced devices to date, made for customers who want to play autonomously.
Trend for Self-Service and “customised and integrated” experiences thanks to the Group Solutions. For more than 3 decades, Custom has worked behind the scenes providing printing and scanning technologies that power kiosks in aviation, parking, lotteries, gaming, and retail. Custom’s solutions aim to engage players where and how they want, offering personalized gaming experiences. For 2024, Custom has expanded its product range with modular kiosk components, all-in-one solutions, and smart lockers that enable retailers to quickly deploy self-service terminals throughout the store. CONNECT is designed to meet the needs of different applications – unattended or attended – in the countertop or floor standing version, in a compact and stylish design. ARAGON is the POS Terminal for the future with a range of processors for any task: from entry level Intel® Celeron®, up to Core i3, and high performing Core i5. This device boasts a modern and slim design with futureproof full HD touch display and a full glass front.
SILK II is a POS Terminal with standard Android 11 and Google Play Store. A full set of USB interfaces will allow you to connect all your accessories. Bluetooth® and Wi-Fi® are also integrated. GLASS27 is Custom’s newest Advanced Solution. Thanks to the revolutionary FHD full glass technology with built-in monitor and receipt printer, GLASS27 combines style and function, supports both Windows and Android operating systems, and is capable of integrating the market’s most frequently used PinPads. This solution is available in desktop, pedestal and wall mount, thus becoming the perfect match for the needs of multiple markets and businesses.
Point of Sale (POS) Modernisation and Mobile Solutions. The POS remains at the heart of every retail store, and Custom is ready to help retailers in the process of upgrading POS hardware and software. ARAGON POS terminal is the perfect solution for enhancing point-of-sale transactions, adding style to any counter with power and reliability for Windows and Linux. Mobile is having a major impact on in-store sales. According to a study by the IHL Group, companies whose staff used mobile sales tools experienced a 77% growth in sales. Mobile POS continues to play a major role in today’s shopping experience, not only for the customer, but also for the store clerk. Custom’s Ranger family of mobile devices, tablets and mobile printers enables retailers to engage customers throughout the entire in-store shopping process: at the sidewalk, in the hallway, in the shop floor, or next to the car. T-RANGER is a 10.1-inch multifunctional tablet for store and warehouse use. Extremely robust and powered by a 10,000 mAh battery, T-RANGER is designed to withstand the impact of your activity all day, every day.
Transparency and Trust: Veriprint® technology enables transparency and traceability of all lottery transactions. Each ticket can be scanned and stored, ensuring that lottery results are tamper-proof. This transparency builds user-trust and eliminates doubts of fraud or manipulation.
Latest News
Texas Hold’em vs Omaha for Players Comparing Poker Formats
Poker formats share a surface: private cards, community cards, betting rounds, and a final five-card hand. The difference between variants, however, is not cosmetic. Texas Hold’em gives players 2 private cards, so the first decision is narrow and readable. Omaha gives 4, then forces exactly 2 of them into the final hand. That single rule changes the way every board is read.
Adding variety to your poker playing routine can be great fun, but it’s crucial to understand the formats before you do – or you may find yourself struggling at the table!
The Format Is the First Practical Filter

Once the basic rules are familiar, format choice becomes easier to understand when the games are seen side by side. A player comparing Hold’em with Omaha is not only comparing two sets of rules. They are comparing the amount of private information available before the flop, how many possible hand combinations need to be tracked, and how quickly each decision starts to feel comfortable.
That is where an Australian online poker setting gives the comparison more practical shape. A page focused on online poker Australia places Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, and Zone Poker in the same playing context, which makes the differences clearer without treating poker as one generic format.
Hold’em starts with 2 hole cards and 5 community cards, giving players a cleaner starting point. Omaha starts with 4 hole cards but still requires exactly 2 private cards and 3 community cards for the final hand. Omaha Hi-Lo keeps that same construction while asking players to think about high and qualifying low hands. Zone Poker changes the rhythm by moving a folded player to a new table and a fresh deal. Seen together, these formats show that poker choice is not only about hand rankings. It is about the kind of attention each version asks from the player.
A recent Ignition Australia post makes the same point in cultural terms, noting that poker in Australia has changed over the years while the heart of the game has stayed intact. The format conversation is not only technical. The same game can move from a physical room to a phone screen, from Hold’em to Omaha, or from a standard table to a faster online format, while still centering on timing, reading, and the next card.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DVM_bPlErLf/
Hold’em Gives Cleaner Reading
Texas Hold’em is often easier to explain because the relationship between private cards and the board is direct. A pair in the hand, a suited ace, or two connected cards creates a clear starting point. After the flop, the player can ask a simple question: did the community cards improve the hand, threaten it, or create a draw worth following?
That clarity does not make Hold’em shallow. It makes the decision tree easier to see. Position, bet size, board texture, and opponent behavior still matter, but the player is not juggling as many private-card combinations. This is why Hold’em has become the main reference point for casual poker viewers and newer online players. The game gives them enough structure to follow the action, while leaving room for deeper judgment as experience grows.
Omaha Creates More Temptation
Omaha can look generous at first because 4 private cards seem to create more routes to a strong hand. That impression is where many Hold’em habits become unreliable. More starting combinations also mean opponents can connect with the board in stronger ways. A hand that feels powerful in Hold’em may be ordinary in Omaha if the board is coordinated.
The exact 2-card rule is the point beginners must absorb early. If the board shows 4 hearts and a player holds only 1 heart, that player does not have a flush. If the board shows pairs, a full house still depends on the required combination of private and community cards. Omaha asks players to slow down the first instinct and rebuild the hand under the format’s rule.
Omaha Hi-Lo adds another reading layer. A player may be looking for a strong high hand while also watching whether a qualifying low hand is available. The board can divide attention, and the clearest decision may depend on whether the hand has a path to one side of the pot or both.
Pace Changes the Same Cards
Zone Poker shows that format choice can also be about rhythm. In a standard table format, folded hands create waiting time. That delay lets players watch other hands finish, notice tendencies, and settle into the table’s pace, but it can feel slow and under-engaging. In a fast-fold format, folding moves the player quickly into a new hand, which makes the session feel sharper and less observational. The cards stay familiar, but the table observation window changes.
Poker formats are easiest to understand when the reader stops treating them as labels and starts treating them as different ways of processing incomplete information. Two private cards, four private cards, a split-pot rule, or a faster table rhythm can all change how a hand feels before the river arrives. The social layer also remains part of online play, as described in 2025 open-access work on multiplayer online games and social connection.
The post Texas Hold’em vs Omaha for Players Comparing Poker Formats appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
exclusive-content
Lottomart launches S Gaming slot Dragon’s Rage as permanent UK exclusive
Lottomart has launched Dragon’s Rage, a new S Gaming slot available as a permanent exclusive to Lottomart players in the UK.
The release follows the partnership’s previous exclusive title, Fisherman’s Fortune, and adds another game to Lottomart’s exclusive-content portfolio.
Set in a dragon’s treasure lair, Dragon’s Rage uses a 1,024-ways-to-win format. Features include the Coil Collect mechanic, choice-led Free Spins, and Rage Spins. The game also includes three fixed-level jackpots: Inferno, Flame and Ember.
Chris Ruddock, Commercial Director at Lottomart, commented: “We’re delighted to launch Dragon’s Rage as a permanent UK exclusive. Developed in close collaboration with S Gaming, the game combines a strong fantasy theme with engaging features designed with our players in mind. We’re looking forward to seeing how our customers respond to the launch.”
Charles Mott, CEO of S Gaming, added: “Dragon’s Rage is the latest title developed through our close collaboration with Lottomart. It has been a pleasure working together on the concept and development of the game, and we’re proud to bring this new fantasy adventure exclusively to Lottomart players in the UK.”
The post Lottomart launches S Gaming slot Dragon’s Rage as permanent UK exclusive appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
DATA.BET
DATA.BET reports 39.7% GGR growth in year one of sports betting vertical
Supplier cites 147.6% active user growth and increased bet activity across football and basketball in the first 12 months.
DATA.BET has published first-year performance results for its sports betting vertical, marking 12 months since the product’s official launch. The supplier said results from newly acquired clients show 39.7% GGR growth and 147.6% growth in active users over the period.
The company also reported turnover up 30.7% quarter-on-quarter. It said betting activity increased, with the number of bets and stake volume up 83.5%, while combo bets rose 160.5%.
By sport, DATA.BET said football led engagement, with bet counts up 107.5% and active users up 173.1%. Table Tennis saw a 172.5% increase in its player base, while tennis posted bet counts up 33.6% and active players up 35%. The supplier pointed to basketball as the strongest commercial contributor, with turnover up 83.7% and its user base up 96.8%.
DATA.BET attributed performance to product features including Bet Builder (football, basketball, baseball, and American football), streaming within the betting interface, and widgets for match and player data. The company also highlighted official data partnerships with Infront (tennis), Odds Composer (basketball), Genius Sports, and BETER.
At tournament level, DATA.BET said the England Premier League was the most profitable tournament over the full year, with event count up 45.7% and “close to half of total betting volume” generated through the 1X2 market. The supplier added that top-tier tournaments outperformed low-tier disciplines across turnover (102.7%), profit (187.2%), and bet count (196.6%).
“Taken together, the first year demonstrated that scale and stability are not opposing forces — broad coverage, official data, and engagement-focused features directly contributed to growth across turnover, player numbers, and betting activity”, said Yevhenii Ilchenko, Head of Sports at DATA.BET. “We built the vertical on the right foundations from the first, and the numbers reflect that. “
The post DATA.BET reports 39.7% GGR growth in year one of sports betting vertical appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
-
Latest News7 days agoSportradar Report | World Cup 2026: Opportunities for the Latin American Sports Betting Market
-
Baltics7 days agoDigitain Named Best Sportsbook Provider at HIPTHER Baltic & Nordics Gaming Awards 2026
-
DBET6 days agoHockeyAllsvenskan names DBET main partner in three-year deal from 2026/27
-
Asia6 days agoS8UL’s League of Legends roster qualifies to represent India at Asian Games 2026
-
Blazing Flower7 days agoCT Interactive Strengthens its Presence in Romania with Newly Certified Games
-
Australia4 days agoFormer Star Entertainment Executives Mathias Bekier and Paula Martin Disqualified and Ordered to Pay Penalties
-
CFTC5 days agoNovig Secures CFTC Designation, Bringing the First Prediction Market Built for Sports Fans Nationwide
-
Alina Mihaela Popa Chief Commercial Officer at ICONIC216 days agoICONIC21 launches live casino and RNG titles with Maxbet in Romania



