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AGHANIM RESEARCH GAUGES DMA AWARENESS AND POTENTIAL IMPACT ON DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER DISTRIBUTION

Published

2 years ago

May 10, 2024

aghanim-research-gauges-dma-awareness-and-potential-impact-on-direct-to-consumer-distribution

Aghanim, a mobile gaming fintech company founded by the former CEO and CTO of Xsolla, today reveals fascinating new research among mobile game developers relating to the recently launched Digital Markets Act (DMA).

The research is based on interviews with 300 mobile game developers across the US, UK and Germany in the weeks leading up to the introduction of the Act. The new European Union legislation aims to ensure a higher degree of fairness and competition in European digital markets and designates a number of major tech corporations including Apple and Alphabet (Google) as “gatekeepers”.

The key findings of the study shows:

62% of mobile game developers are aware of the Digital Markets Act
82% have at least some understanding of how it will impact their business. Almost a fifth (19%) feel they have a complete understanding of the DMA’s impact
31% of mobile game developers feel they will have more freedom under the DMA, though just 9% are confident they’ll be able to keep more of their revenue
Only 13% have ruled out making changes to their payment processes. A third (33%) have begun implementing them
Awareness of the DMA is highest in Germany (70%), followed by the UK (68%). Less than half (47%) of US developers are aware of the legislation. While the DMA is a European framework, it applies to US developers operating in the EU

Constantin Andry, Co-founder and Co-CEO at Aghanim, commented: “This data shows that there’s an appetite for change among game developers. Yes, the platform holders instigated the $92 billion mobile games industry, but we need to be asking why game developers – the people who make the games – now only see about 10% of this. With direct-to-consumer distribution, there’s an opportunity to ensure a further $18 billion of annualized value remains within the video games industry, with game creators, which will help soften many ongoing issues including layoffs. Otherwise, the business of making mobile games could soon become unviable.”

Konstantin Golubitsky, Co-founder and Co-CEO at Aghanim, added: “The opportunity for game developers is to create a web-based game hub for their titles which provides added value for their most engaged and valuable users, keeping them coming back regularly. Ultimately, players spend where they see the most value, and our goal is to help developers provide them with the greatest value at the lowest cost.”

A key promise of the Digital Markets Act is to provide fairer competition and greater choice to gamers and game studios. However, Apple’s latest business terms introduced a Core Technology Fee which, for many game developers, cancels out the potential benefits of third-party distribution. Despite the game developers being surveyed before the introduction of the Core Technology fee, just 40% said Apple is a positive force for the games industry. 39% were neutral, while 21% felt Apple was having a negative impact. Since the introduction of App Tracking Transparency in 2021, game developers have increasingly explored direct-to-consumer platforms such as browser stores to supplement on-platform monetization with lower-fee options.

An online survey was conducted on behalf of Aghanim by Atomik Research among 305 mobile game developers in the UK (101), Germany (103), and the USA (101). The research fieldwork took place between 18-22 February 2024. Atomik Research is an independent creative market research agency that employs MRS-certified researchers and abides by MRS code.

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Argentina

Blask data shows LATAM casino lobbies diverge beyond Pragmatic Play’s baseline

Published

5 hours ago

April 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

blask-data-shows-latam-casino-lobbies-diverge-beyond-pragmatic-play’s-baseline

Brazil stands out for crash-game visibility, while Argentina fragments across 15 providers, according to Blask’s review of five markets.

Blask has published new data on casino lobby distribution across five Latin American markets—Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Peru—finding a shared baseline of Pragmatic Play dominance but sharply different secondary content patterns by country.

Across all five markets, Pragmatic Play “consistently dominates the top 30 most-distributed titles,” accounting for up to 16 positions in each country, Blask said. Beyond that layer, Blask argues there is “no single playbook” for how operators and aggregators build lobbies.

Brazil is the clearest outlier for mechanics, with crash-style titles such as Aviator and JetX appearing in the top 30, while similar formats are “largely absent” in the other markets analyzed. Blask also points to Brazil as the only country where Pocket Games Soft holds a meaningful distribution share, driven by its Fortune series.

Mexico shows the opposite pattern: the highest concentration of Pragmatic Play titles and a thinner secondary layer. Blask flagged Endorphina as an example of a provider appearing in Mexico’s top 30 but not elsewhere in its dataset.

Argentina is described as the most fragmented market, with 15 different providers represented in the top 30—more than any other country in the analysis—and broader visibility for live and table content. Chile “closely mirrors Mexico” structurally, Blask said, but includes a single non-Pragmatic title with near-ubiquitous placement across operator lobbies. Peru, meanwhile, spreads remaining top-30 positions across 12 providers, including studios not seen in the other markets and “legacy European brands such as Novomatic.”

Blask’s conclusion is that operators should not assume a winning lobby mix in one country will translate regionally. “Beyond the dominant layer, performance is defined not by regional trends, but by local player behavior and demand signals,” the company said.

The post Blask data shows LATAM casino lobbies diverge beyond Pragmatic Play’s baseline appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Argentina

Same providers, different games: Blask uncovers hidden patterns in LATAM casino lobbies

Published

5 hours ago

April 17, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

same-providers,-different-games:-blask-uncovers-hidden-patterns-in-latam-casino-lobbies

Casino lobbies across Latin America may look similar at first glance — but a deeper look reveals they operate on entirely different logic. According to new data from Blask, all five major region players (Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Peru) share one common layer: Pragmatic Play consistently dominates the top 30 most-distributed titles, accounting for up to 16 positions in each market. But everything beyond that baseline tells a different story.

Crash games cluster in Brazil but not elsewhere

Brazil is the only market where crash-style mechanics achieve consistent visibility at the lobby level. Titles like Aviator and JetX both rank among the top 30, while similar formats are largely absent in the other four markets. At the same time, Brazil is the only country where a second provider, Pocket Games Soft, secures a meaningful share of distribution, driven entirely by its Fortune series. This dual pattern suggests a highly specific local demand profile rather than a regional trend.

Mexico runs on a tighter playbook

While Brazil expands, Mexico narrows. The market shows the highest concentration of Pragmatic Play titles and one of the most limited secondary layers. At the same time, it introduces isolated signals that don’t scale regionally such as the presence of Endorphina, which appears in the Mexican top 30 but nowhere else in the dataset.

Argentina breaks the pattern entirely

Argentina stands apart as the most fragmented market in the region. Its top 30 includes 15 different providers which is more than any other country analyzed. Unlike neighboring markets, where a handful of suppliers dominate, Argentina distributes visibility across a wide range of studios, particularly in live and table segments. The result is a lobby structure that resists standardization.

Chile shows how a single game can outperform the system

Chile closely mirrors Mexico in overall structure but with one key exception. A single non-Pragmatic title achieves near-ubiquitous placement across operator lobbies, becoming one of the strongest outliers in the entire dataset.This suggests that even in highly concentrated markets, individual titles can break through if they match local demand precisely.

Peru stretches the long tail further than anyone else

Peru takes the opposite approach to Mexico. While maintaining the same Pragmatic baseline, it distributes the remaining positions across 12 different providers, many of which do not appear in any other LATAM market analyzed. This includes both niche studios and legacy European brands such as Novomatic, pointing to a mix of underserved demand segments and alternative content sourcing strategies.

One region, no single playbook

The key takeaway from the analysis is simple: LATAM is not a unified market when it comes to content distribution. The same providers appear everywhere but the way their games are positioned, combined, and supplemented varies dramatically from country to country. For operators, this means that copying a successful lobby structure from one market to another is unlikely to work. Beyond the dominant layer, performance is defined not by regional trends, but by local player behavior and demand signals.

The post Same providers, different games: Blask uncovers hidden patterns in LATAM casino lobbies appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Kai Botha

QTech Games continues to move fast with Playnetic integration

Published

7 hours ago

April 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

qtech-games-continues-to-move-fast-with-playnetic-integration

QTech Games, the leading game aggregator for all emerging markets, has announced its latest partnership with Playnetic, an emerging force in iGaming casino entertainment content allowing its platform clients access to another timely delivered portfolio of games focusing on immersive experiences.

Integrating games from one of the more visually stunning slots providers adds yet more variety to QTech Games’ premier platform, which is taking the widest range of online games to emerging territories with established names sitting alongside the industry’s most exciting up-and-coming providers. Playnetic’s standout titles include recent releases like Patrick vs Joker, alongside established fan favourites such as Joxer, Scarabs of Wealth and Lucky Licks.

Playnetic prides itself on creating engaging, innovative and high performing games that are suitable for all global gaming markets, delivering a personalised approach, which offers operators more flexibility in their iGaming content choices to suit specific markets. This integration also ensures QTech’s array of operator partners can leverage more innovative and high-performing content to stay ahead in a competitive marketplace.

Playnetic’s portfolio has been optimised for mobile, a cornerstone of QTech’s RNG model, which is founded on its fully-owned and customised technical platform, allowing games providers and operators the fastest integration available. With over 50 years’ management experience, QTech Games’ diverse range of gaming options is designed to provide a definitive one-stop shop. While its all-inclusive licence fee model, unified game launcher and wallet integration API mean clients can easily connect and access an all-encompassing portfolio in a few clicks. This has fast-become the “go-to” solution for worldwide operators across developing territories.

Philip Doftvik, QTech Games’ CEO, said: “We will continue to add fresh content to the platform, prioritising suppliers who provide unique, localised content. Playnetic’s immersive and player-focussed gaming suite fits the bill perfectly. Their content brings a new level of energy and engagement which we’re excited to share across our ever-growing group of operators.

Kai Botha, Chief Commercial Officer at Playnetic, added: “Playnetic’s mission is to create innovative, thrilling, and high preforming premium quality games that connect with players across multiple markets. For us that means casino content that is informed by market insights, advances in game play features supported by robust technology and the latest gameplay trends.

This deal marks another significant stride in enhancing our delivery efficiency, accelerating markets access to our games to connect with even more players. We look forward to seeing our games portfolio being available through QTech’s network.”

The post QTech Games continues to move fast with Playnetic integration appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.