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World Pool returns to UK and Ireland with launch of £50,000 jockeys’ charity prize

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World Pool, the largest globally commingled horse racing pools created and powered by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, will make its UK seasonal bow at Newmarket Racecourse on Saturday 4 May, where a brand new £50,000 initiative is being launched for jockeys.

For the first time the opening two Classics of the UK Flat season will both be World Pool events, with the QIPCO 1000 Guineas on Sunday 5 May becoming a new World Pool race this year and joining the 2000 Guineas run the day before.

Guineas weekend will also see the start of a new World Pool initiative, the World Pool UK & Ireland Jockeys’ Championship, where jockeys will compete to accumulate points across World Pool fixtures in the UK & Ireland.

For the winning jockey of every World Pool race in the UK and Ireland, points will be awarded based on the World Pool win dividend. The concept of this point system offers a level playing field for all jockeys, from leaders to rising stars, and their chances of winning are dictated by the public as reflected by their World Pool odds.

Beginning with the QIPCO 2000 Guineas, the competition will conclude on QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on 19 October, with the winner receiving £50,000 to be donated to a charity of their choice.

A further new addition to the World Pool calendar this year will be the Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas on Sunday 26 May. The Tattersalls Gold Cup, run on the same day, will also be a World Pool race for the first time, with prize money increased from €450,000 in 2023 to €500,000 this year.

Following the successful introduction of World Pool Moment of the Year in 2022 in Great Britain and Ireland, this will continue in 2024 covering all full World Pool meetings and will reward stable staff with cash prizes, as well as a VIP trip to Hong Kong for four people in 2025 to the overall winner.

One World Pool Moment of the Day will be selected at each full World Pool meeting with the winning groom receiving HK$40,000 (or equivalent – £4,000 in the UK and €4,000 in Ireland).

Michael Fitzsimons, Executive Director, Wagering Products of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: “It’s fantastic to be returning to the UK and Ireland with an extended World Pool fixture list this year now featuring the English and Irish 1000 Guineas, and we look forward to making these historic fillies’ Classics available to customers from around the world.

“In addition to the popular World Moment of the Day initiative, we’re excited to announce the new World Pool UK & Ireland Jockeys’ Championship, which will provide a different dimension and further competition to World Pool racedays right up until QIPCO British Champions Day in October.

“It’s a unique competition, with a jockey’s points being determined by World Pool win dividends, and a great initiative as there’s £50,000 up for grabs for the leading rider to donate to a charity of their choice. We are committed to giving money back to racing and good causes, and this seemed the perfect way to do that.”

Alex Frost, Chief Executive of the UK Tote Group, said: “It’s always an exciting time of year as the Flat season gets underway and we’re delighted that both the UK’s first Classics are World Pool events. City Of Troy has the potential to be a global superstar and we look forward to his seasonal reappearance being watched and bet on by 28 countries who play into the UK’s first World Pool event of 2024.

“Racing fans in the UK and Ireland will be able to access the huge global pools at tote.co.uk, on the Tote App and at racecourses which means excellent value is on offer, while the sport benefits from this increasingly important revenue stream.”

Martin Stevenson, Chief Executive Officer of Racecourse Media Group (RMG), which represents the media interests of The Jockey Club, Goodwood, and York Racecourses, said: “RMG looks forward to another exciting World Pool season in UK and Ireland, and will continue to work closely with the Hong Kong Jockey Club, UK Tote and our racecourses to grow both the sport’s revenues and global appeal.”

Amy Starkey, Managing Director, Jockey Club Racecourses, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with the Hong Kong Jockey Club, and thank them for their support as we deliver three exciting World Pool days across the QIPCO Guineas Festival and the Betfred Derby Festival.

“For the first time in the UK, we have worked alongside World Pool to host a nine-race card on QIPCO 2000 Guineas Day. This will include the first Classic of the season, whilst we are also delighted to feature the following day’s three-year-old Classic Fillies’ race, the QIPCO 1000 Guineas, as a World Pool race for the first time.

“World Pool enables strong reinvestment back into British racing and working alongside them to secure these additional races is an important step as we continue to strengthen links with Hong Kong, engage more fans with British racing and strive to grow our sport.”

Brian Kavanagh, Chief Executive of the Curragh Racecourse, said: “We are delighted to extend our relationship with World Pool in 2024 with the Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas and the Tattersalls Gold Cup on 26 May and the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby meeting on 30 June included in the programme.

“We had a very positive first experience with World Pool last year and look forward to building on it this year, bringing our racing to a wider audience. Irish horses have enjoyed great success internationally in recent years and we are delighted to be showcasing our best races through World Pool.

“Inclusion in World Pool has enabled us to increase prizemoney at the Curragh in 2024 and we look forward to developing this relationship further in the future.”

 

Upcoming UK and Irish World Pool events in first half of 2024: 

 

May

Saturday 4: 2000 Guineas Day – Newmarket Racecourse (F)

Sunday 5: 1000 Guineas Day – Newmarket Racecourse (S)

Saturday 18: Lockinge Stakes Day – Newbury Racecourse (P)

Sunday 26: Irish 1000 Guineas Day – Curragh Racecourse (P)

 

June

Saturday 1: Derby Stakes Day – Epsom Racecourse (F)

Tuesday 18: Queen Anne Stakes Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)

Wednesday 19: Prince of Wales’s Stakes Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)

Thursday 20: Gold Cup Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)

Friday 21: Commonwealth Cup Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)

Saturday 22: Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)

Sunday 30: Irish Derby Day – Curragh Racecourse (F)

 

*F: Full meeting – World Pool coverage on all races in the relevant meeting
P: Part meeting – World Pool coverage only on selected races in the relevant meeting

S: Single race – World Pool coverage only on this race in the relevant meeting

The post World Pool returns to UK and Ireland with launch of £50,000 jockeys’ charity prize appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Introducing Red Papaya – a studio powered by Microgaming

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New developer promises to get player pulses racing with slots that blend creativity, features and data 

There’s a new studio in town, and it’s a bold and bright one. Red Papaya is the flagship studio powered by Microgaming and blends creativity, features and data to craft edge-of-the-seat slot experiences that captivate players around the world.

The studio has been founded by an award-winning team with a proven track record in delivering top-performing, data-driven slots that have quickly risen to the top of the charts. When it comes to themes, features and markets, they’ve done it all.

Features will be an area of strong differentiation, with the studio incorporating formats such as Hold & Win, Cash Collect, Bonus Buy, Jackpot, Pot Link and Maxways into each of its titles.

The bar for production value will be set incredibly high, with cinematic visuals, superior sound design and compelling narratives, storylines and characters.

Red Papaya’s debut slot, Kong’s Jungle Tower, is set for launch in a matter of weeks, with players taken on an epic expedition where fortunes can be found hidden within a forgotten temple, hidden deep within the undergrowth.

New games will launch regularly with a strategic product roadmap aimed at meeting a wide range of player preferences. Red Papaya will also offer exclusive launch periods with custom branded game opportunities on the table, too.

Madelein OzokHead of Studio at Red Papaya, said: “We are so excited to finally break cover – Red Papaya has been built on many decades of industry experience, so we’re ready to hit the ground running. Of course, this would not be possible without the backing of Microgaming.

“Our product roadmap is incredibly strong with our first slot set to hit the market later this month. And make no mistake about it, our pipeline is packed with hits.

“Red Papaya is all about colourful disruption via cutting edge slots that combine creativity, features and data to deliver world-class experiences that hit the mark with players spin after spin. We are ready, but are you?

“In the meantime, make sure to learn more about Red Papaya on the newly-launched microgaming.io website”

The post Introducing Red Papaya – a studio powered by Microgaming appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Andrew Brown CEO Goma Gaming

EveryMatrix acquires Goma Gaming to boost front-end development firepower

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EveryMatrix has acquired UX specialist Goma Gaming to boost the Group’s front-end development firepower.

Specialising in delivering innovative front-end solutions for the betting industry, the Goma Gaming team bring 20 years consumer product design and digital UX experience.

The acquisition will instantly enhance EveryMatrix’s existing front-end capabilities with experience from both sports betting and casino projects that have included delivering bespoke solutions for tier-1 brands.

The Goma team will continue to operate as a standalone unit, side-by-side with the existing EveryMatrix front-end division.

Its capacity will be upscaled to provide additional bandwidth and capabilities to the Group’s sports and casino products with the objective of delivering superior customer experience and even more alternatives for EveryMatrix clients.

Goma Gaming’s UX player experience platform has delivered strong results for tier-1 operators, generating higher retention and longer engagement with an average 30% margin uplift, while adding enhanced functionality for next generation players.

Ebbe Groes, Group CEO & Co-founder EveryMatrix, said: “Our front-end development has made huge strides, creating bespoke sites and features for some of our largest customers such as Bet-at-home and the Hungarian Lottery.

“The addition of Goma means we will immediately have more front-end firepower to deploy and deliver to both existing and new sports and casino turnkey customers who require differentiation that moves the dial when it comes to higher retention, engagement, margin and revenues.”

“I’d like to welcome Andrew and his team and look forward to having them with us to further accelerate our rapid business growth.”

Andrew Brown, CEO, Goma Gaming, said: “We’ve made great progress developing Goma in the last five years, but joining the EveryMatrix Group now means we have greater resources to rapidly scale our capacity whenever it’s needed and to make an even bigger impact.

“Thank you to everyone who has supported us along the way and enabled us to get us to this stage. We can’t wait for the next phase of our journey as part of EveryMatrix.”

The post EveryMatrix acquires Goma Gaming to boost front-end development firepower appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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AML or MLR Professional of the Year

SOFTSWISS’ Eleni Panagiotopoulou Becomes Best AML Professional 2025

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SOFTSWISS, a leading iGaming software provider, proudly announces that Eleni Panagiotopoulou, Head of the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Team, has been named AML or MLR Professional of the Year at the Global Regulatory Awards 2025.

The award honours individuals who make exceptional contributions to compliance and responsible gambling in a demanding, ever-changing regulatory landscape. Winners are recognised for their expertise, leadership, and dedication to maintaining the highest industry standards.

“It’s an honour to receive this award, but even more so to see AML excellence recognised on an industry stage,” said Eleni Panagiotopoulou, Head of AML at SOFTSWISS. “This recognition belongs to our entire team – every analyst, every partner, and every department that supports compliance as a shared responsibility. Together, we’re building not just safer systems, but a stronger and more trustworthy industry.”

Under Eleni’s leadership, the SOFTSWISS AML team has set new benchmarks for operational efficiency and compliance integrity. Over the past year, her key achievements included:

  • Strengthening the AML function by expanding the team and increasing capacity for transaction monitoring and case reviews
  • Driving a 75% rise in suspicious activity reports submitted, ensuring timely escalation and regulator engagement
  • Implementing automated transaction-screening tools and real-time analytics to improve fraud detection accuracy
  • Representing SOFTSWISS on international panels and industry forums, promoting ethical approaches to financial crime prevention

Eleni also managed updates to SOFTSWISS AML policies across multiple jurisdictions, such as Brazil, Peru, South Africa, Malta, Curacao, Serbia, and Nigeria. She helped SOFTSWISS remain fully aligned with regulatory requirements for smooth market entry worldwide.

Her industry impact is confirmed through the delivery of more than 25 hours of AML and responsible gambling training, benefiting both SOFTSWISS employees and the broader iGaming community.

Eleni’s insights on the current state of AML and Responsible Gambling can be found in the 2026 iGaming Trends Report. There, she shares how AI systems detect risky behaviour early and support safer play across regulated markets, helping operators protect their reputation and revenue.

Operators and industry professionals can download the 2026 iGaming Trends Report here.

 

About SOFTSWISS

SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience in developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 36,700 casino games, Affilka Affiliate Platform, the Sportsbook Software and the Jackpot Aggregator. The expert team, based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia, counts over 2,000 employees.

The post SOFTSWISS’ Eleni Panagiotopoulou Becomes Best AML Professional 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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