Latest News
European Gaming Q1 2024 Meetup: Exploring Innovation, Marketing, and the iGaming Industry Hubs
HIPTHER’s staple Quarterly Meetups for the Gaming industry have officially returned for 2024! The European Gaming Q1 Meetup 2024 took place on February 28 online, featuring an incredible lineup of speakers, including Ilya Machavariani, CEO and Senior Partner at 4H Agency, Krysta Muscat and Kevin Perks, International Recruiters at Van Kaizen, Jekaterina Dubnicka, Marketing & Communications Manager at Slotsjudge, Eberhard Dürrschmid, CEO at Golden Whale Productions, and John Chyriwsky, Head of Marketing at Fincore Ltd. HIPTHER’s Co-founder and Host-Extraordinaire, Zoltan Tuendik, moderated the panel discussions.
The Meetup sessions explored the gaming and technology industry, focusing on various topics such as the importance of innovation and transformation in the sector, strategies to combat offshore gambling, the emergence of Malta and the Isle of Man as iGaming industry hubs, potential future hubs for the gambling industry, marketing strategies in the gaming industry, and innovation in the gaming with a particular emphasis on personalization.
Gaming and TECH: Future Journey and Fight Against Offshore Gambling
The meeting kicked off highlighting the importance and intersection of gaming and technology industries, which will be explored at the upcoming MARE BALTICUM and Prague Gaming & TECH Summits by HIPTHER. Our first guest, Ilya Machavariani, CEO and Senior Partner at 4H Agency delved further into technology and the latest strategies in the global fight against offshore gambling.
Ilya discussed strategies to combat offshore gambling, proposing a separation into active and passive instruments. He suggested that governments should legalize all verticals of the industry and ensure operators obtain licenses. Ilya also emphasized the importance of transparent and sensible regulations and the role of technology in identifying and preventing access to offshore gambling sites. He highlighted the challenges of regulating and blocking websites from a governmental perspective and the need for international cooperation.
The discussion ended with a focus on improved consumer protection measures and the importance of educating consumers about potential risks associated with illegal gambling activities.
Gaming Industry Hubs: Malta, Isle of Man and Beyond
For the 2nd Session of the European Gaming Q1 Meetup, we welcomed Krysta Muscat and Kevin Perks, International Recruiters at Van Kaizen, to discuss iGaming hubs and hotspots of the Gaming Industry. Kevin introduced their global headhunting company that primarily serves the gaming sector, recruiting for approximately 140 businesses. The discussion revolved around the factors contributing to Malta and the Isle of Man emerging as hubs for the iGaming industry, with Krysta highlighting Malta’s modernized infrastructure and highly regulated environment, and Kevin pointing out the supportive government and dedicated government agency in the Isle of Man, along with its tax breaks. Both islands were found to have a skilled workforce and a multilingual population. Kevin also discussed the benefits of living on the Isle of Man, emphasizing the slower pace of life, the island’s 40% open space, and its status as one of the safest places in Europe. The discussion ended on the topic of the government’s efforts to promote the island and attract businesses, with a focus on recruitment strategies for gaming companies in competitive markets.
The session concluded with a discussion on potential future hubs for the iGaming industry, with Krysta and Kevin emphasizing on the US, Canada, Spain, Portugal, the UK, and Bulgaria, highlighting the significant interest and potential opportunities in these regions.
Marketing, Communication, and Community building in iGaming
In this first Marketing-focused session, Zoltan hosted our special guest Jekaterina Dubnicka – Marketing & Communications Manager at Slotsjudge. The conversation focused on marketing strategies in the gaming industry, with Jekaterina explaining the shift towards more interactive and immersive content by leveraging social media and video interviews, and focusing on SEO tools to gain insights into audience interests. She also provided insight into the role of community in the gaming experience, the importance of navigating strict regulatory environments while maintaining compliance and a strong brand voice, the importance of innovation in content creation and delivery, and emerging trends in the gaming industry.
Innovation and Personalization in Gaming Industry
The last panel discussion focused on innovation in the gaming industry, with a particular emphasis on personalization. Eberhard Dürrschmid, CEO at Golden Whale, and John Chyriwsky, Head of Marketing at Fincore Ltd joined us to discuss innovation in iGaming and Sports Betting. John highlighted the potential for improvement in the area of personalization and user experience, suggesting that platforms should “step up” to respond better to user needs. Eberhard pointed out the industry’s flexibility and the importance of meeting customer expectations, while John emphasized the need to enhance customer experience, suggesting the use of real-time data to create personalized experiences. He cited examples of successful companies that prioritize customer experience, such as Amazon and Uber. Eberhard also discussed the potential of AI and machine learning in the industry. The conversation concluded with a group exercise where participants shared their hopes for technology implementation in the gaming industry by the end of 2024.
Coming up Next:
Watch the recording of the European Gaming Q1 Meetup on HIPTHER TV, and keep an eye out for our next European Gaming Quarterly Meetups!
ELA Games
ELA Games releases Flames Fruits Frenzy Hold and Win slot
New title adds a Hold & Win bonus to the studio’s retro fruit-themed “Flames Fruits Frenzy” line.
ELA Games has released a new slot title, Flames Fruits Frenzy Hold and Win, expanding its Flames Fruits Frenzy series with a Hold & Win bonus feature.
The game uses classic fruit-machine iconography, including cherries, lemons, oranges, grapes, and watermelons, presented with updated high-definition visual effects, according to the company.
ELA Games positioned the release as a seasonal summer-themed update and said it is aimed at players who prefer traditional fruit-slot formats paired with modern mechanics.
The company did not disclose target markets, operator rollout partners, RTP, volatility, maximum win, or a specific release date beyond announcing the launch in the statement.
The post ELA Games releases Flames Fruits Frenzy Hold and Win slot appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Latest News
Games Global and Posh Monkey Studios debut brand-new reel expansion feature in Fishin’ Madness™ QUADGROWS™
Games Global has cast its line into the popular fishing genre with the launch of Fishin’ Madness
QUADGROWS
, developed by exclusive partner Posh Monkey Studios, introducing an all-new evolving reel mechanic that continuously unlocks new ways to win.
Leveraging the enduring appeal of the classic genre, Fishin’ Madness
QUADGROWS
features the innovative QUADGROWS
feature, where every spin contributes toward greater potential.
Beginning on a 5×3 reel-set, the game gradually expands to seven rows, where each progression level unlocks additional paylines, larger Fish Instant Prizes and enhanced Collect Multipliers, rewarding players as they venture deeper beneath the waves.
The Fisherman Collect mechanic remains at the heart of the experience, awarding all visible Fish Instant Prizes when the Fisherman lands on reel five. As QUADGROWS
unlocks additional rows, new Collect Multipliers become active, increasing the value of every successful catch.
Three or more Scatters trigger eight Free Spins, where larger multipliers create even bigger payout opportunities, while five Scatters award the game’s maximum 10,000x prize.
Completing the feature set is Posh Monkey Studios’ proprietary Posh Spins
, an optional boost that increases the chance of triggering the bonus round.
Combining one of the most popular game themes with an evolving reel mechanic, Fishin’ Madness
QUADGROWS
adds a new layer of progression to the classic collect-style experience.
Connor Blinman, Co-Founder of Posh Monkey Studios, said: “Fishing games continue to resonate with players, but standing out in such an established genre means delivering something genuinely different.
“The QUADGROWS
mechanic creates a real sense of progression throughout the player journey, with every milestone unlocking bigger opportunities and adding another layer of excitement to the experience.”
Dave Reynolds, Director of Games Strategy and Partner Management at Games Global, added: “Posh Monkey Studios has taken a proven formula and introduced an engaging progression system that gives players a reason to keep coming back.
“Fishin’ Madness
QUADGROWS
is another example of how Games Global and its exclusive studios continue to evolve popular mechanics through creative gameplay innovation. We’re excited about the roadmap ahead for Posh Monkey Studios’ and the fresh ideas they’ll be bringing to the table.”
The post Games Global and Posh Monkey Studios debut brand-new reel expansion feature in Fishin’ Madness™ QUADGROWS™ appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Latest News
ZEAL acquires SevenCanyon and enters the highly attractive UK prize draw market
ZEAL Network SE has signed a share purchase agreement to acquire the remaining 96.5 percent of the shares in SevenCanyon Limited, in which ZEAL already holds a 3.5 percent stake. With this acquisition, the market leader for online lotteries in Germany is entering the UK market, gaining immediate access to Europe’s largest market for digital prize draw offerings.
“SevenCanyon is one of the most successful prize draw operators in the UK – we have known them for years. With the acquisition, we hit the ground running in a highly attractive and growing market. We also accelerate the implementation of our strategy to selectively diversify our business model through new products and new markets”, says Dr. Stefan Tweraser, CEO of ZEAL Network SE.
SevenCanyon operates several established UK prize draw platforms, including 7days Performance, Redline Competitions and UK Carp Competitions. This market segment comprises digital prize draws and offerings with non-cash prizes such as houses, cars, and lifestyle products. In the most recent financial year 2026 (04/25–03/26), SevenCanyon generated an operating profit (EBITDA) of more than GBP 10 million.
The transaction opens potential for further scaling of the UK business through ZEAL’s capabilities in acquisition marketing, monetisation, customer retention, data analytics, regulatory professionalism, and platform operations. Furthermore, ZEAL expects the UK prize draw market to continue to move towards more formalised rules, which will favour operators like ZEAL with strong compliance capabilities and regulated market experience.
“SevenCanyon is a highly profitable company with a proven business model. The purchase price will mainly be financed through a new loan agreement. This preserves our financial flexibility to continue our growth-oriented and shareholder-friendly capital allocation in the future”, says Andrea Behrendt, CFO of ZEAL Network SE.
Purchase price and financial impact for 2026
The transaction comprises a cash purchase price for the remaining 96.5 percent of the shares of approximately GBP 33.8 million (subject to post-completion adjustments, including an adjustment for vehicle inventory in the single-digit millions of GBP range), as well as an earn-out payment of up to GBP 4.8 million, to be paid over a period of six months after completion.
The acquisition financing is supported by a EUR 40 million term loan with a duration of seven years, arranged by Deutsche Bank.
The Management Board expects SevenCanyon to make a meaningful contribution to ZEAL’s revenue and EBITDA following consolidation. ZEAL will assess the necessary adjustments to its revenue guidance after the IFRS presentation of SevenCanyon’s revenue streams has been finalised.
On EBITDA, ZEAL confirms the range of EUR 70–75 million under the assumption of a normal jackpot environment in Germany. The updated forecast reflects anticipated non-recurring expenses in the mid-single-digit millions of euros in connection with the transaction.
For the first full financial year following completion of the transaction, ZEAL expects it to have a positive impact on EBITDA in the high-single-digit millions of euros.
The post ZEAL acquires SevenCanyon and enters the highly attractive UK prize draw market appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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