Groove has confirmed it will attend SBC Summit Tbilisi 2026, scheduled for 15–16 July at the Sheraton Grand Tbilisi Metechi Palace, as it targets growth across Eastern European and Central Asian iGaming markets.

The conference is expected to draw more than 2,500 industry professionals, according to the company, following 2025’s record attendance with delegates from 44 countries. Groove said it will bring a full commercial delegation to pursue partnerships with regional operators.

Yahale Meltzer, Co-Founder and CEO of Groove, said: “Eastern Europe and Central Asia represent some of the most dynamic growth opportunities in iGaming today. SBC Summit Tbilisi is where the region’s decision-makers converge, and we are arriving with a platform built for scale, speed, and regulatory precision.” He added: “Our Unseen Architecture of predictive auto-scaling, atomic transactions, and a real-time compliance mesh ensures operators can launch fast and adapt locally, whether they are entering Georgia, the Balkans, the Baltics, or Central Asia.”

Meltzer also pointed to the SBC Regulators Summit as a factor in the company’s focus on the event, saying: “With regulation front and centre as a business-critical priority, and direct access to regulators through the SBC Regulators Summit, this event is where commercial realities are forged. Groove delivers the toolbox, the content, and the expertise to turn ambition into measurable growth.”

Ana Sokhadze, Operations Manager at Groove, who will lead the company’s presence in Tbilisi, said: “SBC Summit Tbilisi is the meeting point for the region’s most ambitious operators, affiliates, and technology suppliers. This is where high-value networking translates into real commercial opportunity.” She added: “We are not here to hand out brochures. We are here to have conversations that become partnerships.”

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The Azerbaijani Parliament (Milli Majlis) has officially cleared the first reading of a bill to heavily increase criminal penalties for organising and operating illegal gambling.

The proposed amendments to the Criminal Code were discussed during an extraordinary parliamentary session.

Under the bill, organising gambling in virtual formats-including via the internet, mobile communications, social media platforms, electronic communication tools or other internet- and mobile-based applications-would carry tougher penalties. The same applies to offenses involving minors, crimes committed by a group acting in prior collusion or activities generating substantial illegal income.

Such offenses would be punishable by a fine of up to twice the amount of the income obtained through the crime, restriction of liberty for a term of two to four years, or imprisonment for the same period.

The proposed amendments also introduce stricter penalties for offenses committed by organised criminal groups or criminal organisations, as well as those generating large-scale illegal profits. These would be punishable by restriction of liberty or imprisonment for a term of three to five years.

The bill would also change the way fines are calculated. Instead of the current fixed range of AZN 10,000 to AZN 15,000, courts would be able to impose fines of up to twice the amount of the criminal proceeds.

In addition, the legislation proposes harsher punishment for repeat offenses involving the organisation or operation of gambling activities or gambling venues, particularly where minors are involved or where the offenses generate substantial, large-scale or especially large-scale illegal income.

Under the current legislation, repeat offenses are punishable by restriction of liberty for four to five years or imprisonment for four to eight years. The proposed amendments would make imprisonment for five to eight years the sole penalty for such offenses.

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The launch marks Octoplay’s second operator integration in Georgia and extends its wider Entain distribution partnership.

Octoplay has gone live with Crystalbet in Georgia, extending its partnership with Entain into another regulated market.

Crystalbet, which operates in Georgia and is part of the Entain group, is Octoplay’s second integration in the country, according to the supplier. Octoplay said the rollout establishes it as an active supplier across the country’s top operators within weeks.

The companies said the wider relationship spans multiple markets, including the UK and Canada, and includes BetMGM in the US. Octoplay also pointed to co-development work with Entain, including Jackpot Blitz, described as a custom jackpot engine built for Entain brands, and four bespoke game projects delivered in 2025. It added that an Elvis Presley themed game for BetMGM is planned for 2026.

“Crystalbet represents the continued evolution of our partnership with Entain, which has been one of the strongest commercial relationships behind our growth over the past year,” says Ralitsa Georgieva, CEO at Octoplay. “Entering Georgia is an important step in our European roadmap, and doing so with a leading operator like Crystalbet sets the right foundation for our presence in the market.”

“Octoplay is one of the fastest-growing studios in the industry, and their content has performed strongly across the Entain group’s markets,” says Jaba Peikrishvili, CEO at Crystalbet. “Bringing their portfolio to Crystalbet is a natural extension of that relationship and adds proven titles to our casino lineup in Georgia.”

Octoplay said it now holds active licenses in 17 jurisdictions, including the UK, Malta, Romania, Sweden, Slovakia, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Greece, Spain, Finland, Georgia, Brazil, New Jersey, Michigan, and Ontario.

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