Latest News
Scientific Games and New York Lottery Continue Nearly 50-Year Primary Scratch-Off Game Partnership
More High-performance Scratch-off Entertainment from Company Coming to New York Player.
Scientific Games and the New York Lottery will continue their nearly 50-year partnership to bring world-leading instant scratch-off games to players in the state with a new primary provider contract. The partnership, which began in 1976, powered the New York Lottery’s Scratch-Off games to a $4.4 billion product by fiscal year 2022-2023 and helped contribute billions in funding for education in the state.

The New York Lottery boasts one of the highest total lottery profits in North America and is ranked No. 8 worldwide for instant scratch game sales (La Fleur’s 2024 World Almanac). The collaborative, primary provider partnership with Scientific Games has resulted in a well-balanced scratch-off portfolio, with three price points ranked in the top five in the U.S. for weekly per capita sales (MAP 52-week average per capita). Focus on $30 scratch-offs with innovative designs and strategic prize structures that appeal to a broad player base has delivered consistent top performers.
“The New York Lottery is proud to continue its partnership with Scientific Games,” said Gweneth Dean, Director of the New York Lottery. “For decades, our collaboration has resulted in billions of dollars for New York’s public schools, and we look forward to creating exciting new games for our players and supporting our dedicated retailers across the state.”
As part of the new contract, Scientific Games will continue to provide the New York Lottery with consumer and product research and data analytics, game development and portfolio planning to help ensure the success of the Lottery’s scratch-off games.
“We’re honored to continue as the primary scratch-off game provider to one of the world’s most successful lotteries and support their important mission to fund education for New York students,” said John Schulz, President of Americas & Global Instant Products for Scientific Games. “Our long-standing, strategic partnership has continued to bring entertaining scratch entertainment experiences to players in the state, and we look forward to many more decades of success together.”
U.S.-based Scientific Games created and produced the New York Lottery’s very first scratch-off game and has worked side-by-side with the Lottery to provide products across the state’s network of approximately 14,000 lottery retailers.
With products that generate more than 70% of global instant game retail sales, Scientific Games is the world’s largest lottery games creator, producer and services provider, and the primary provider to nine of the Top 10 performing instant game lotteries in the world.
Big Hot Flaming Pots
Big Hot Flaming Pots: Tasty Treasures – Lightning Box Brings Land-Based Hit Online
Light & Wonder has officially launched Big Hot Flaming Pots: Tasty Treasures, the digital debut of its highly successful land-based franchise. Developed by in-house specialist studio Lightning Box, this 3×5 slot offers 243 ways to win and a high-energy “three-pot” mechanic that has already become a staple on casino floors worldwide.
The game transitions the whimsical “dumpling-tossing” theme to online audiences, combining vibrant Asian-inspired aesthetics with a deep mathematical model designed for high-engagement sessions.
The Three-Pot Mechanic & Seven Feature Combinations
At the core of the gameplay is the persistent pot system. Landing specific colored coins fuels three separate pots—Yummy, Spicy, and Upsized. These pots can trigger individually or in any combination, leading to seven distinct bonus paths.
| Feature Mode | Gameplay Enhancement |
| Yummy Mode | Increases the Hold & Spin respin counter from 3 to 4, significantly extending bonus life. |
| Spicy Mode | Introduces Chilli multipliers; landing a pepper adds its cash value to every symbol currently held on the board. |
| Upsized Mode | Unlocks a Dual Grid (two reel sets) for the Hold & Spin round, doubling the win potential. |
| Combined Modes | Triggering all three at once creates the “Mega Bonus,” featuring dual grids, 4 respins, and value-boosting peppers. |
Innovation: The Stack N’ Hit
Feature
Unlike traditional Hold & Spin mechanics where symbols simply lock until the round ends, Tasty Treasures introduces the Stack N’ Hit
evolution.
-
Reel Clearing: When a vertical reel is filled with Bun symbols, the prizes are instantly collected, and the reel is cleared.
-
Persistent Respins: Clearing a reel creates open spaces for new prizes to land, allowing the bonus round to continue far longer than standard industry alternatives.
-
The Path to Grand: Each cleared reel activates a “Pepper Tracker” above it. Lighting up all five trackers awards the Grand Progressive Jackpot.
Jackpot Tiers & Base Game Depth
Operators benefit from a versatile math model that supports both consistent base-game performance and high-volatility jackpot chases.
-
Progressive Jackpots: Grand and Major tiers for life-changing win potential.
-
Fixed Jackpots: Minor and Mini tiers awarded through symbols landing during features.
-
Nudge Wilds: In the base game, Wild symbols can nudge to cover entire reels, assisting in achieving the 243-way payouts.
“Big Hot Flaming Pots: Tasty Treasures carries forward a brand that has already made its mark in land-based venues,” says Michael Maokhamphiou, Studio Director at Lightning Box. “This release offers operators a flexible, high-performing title that combines familiarity with fresh layers of engagement.”
The post Big Hot Flaming Pots: Tasty Treasures – Lightning Box Brings Land-Based Hit Online appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Blask Index
How Venezuela’s iGaming market is reacting to US pressure
Blask data indicates Venezuela’s iGaming demand remained stable in the initial days following the US operation in Caracas.
On 3 January, US forces detained Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, transporting him from Caracas to face prosecution in New York. The raid came after months of intensifying American pressure throughout 2025 — naval presence, targeted strikes, and a fresh sanctions package.
For Venezuela’s iGaming sector, the disruption poses a critical question: will demand collapse, or adapt?
First results
Blask’s daily Index remained within a tight corridor from 1–4 January, hovering in the high-200K zone. It dropped 5% to 257.4K on the day of the operation, before recovering the next day.

The data reveals no abrupt demand shift during this period. A slight decline sits within Venezuela’s normal daily fluctuations and does not point to a fundamental market change.
Rapid expansion, growing dominance
Venezuela stood out as one of iGaming’s strongest demand gainers in 2025. Blask Index surged 134.9% year-on-year — the second-highest growth worldwide.

This expansion came alongside increasing market dominance. By December, Triunfo Bet commanded 59% of Blask’s BAP (Brand Accumulated Power, measuring a brand’s portion of total user interest nationally), gaining 15 percentage points since January. The top three brands collectively reached over 85%, up 11 points.
The post How Venezuela’s iGaming market is reacting to US pressure appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Azerlotereya
How Groove Technologies Powered a Landmark Year of Global Expansion
As the iGaming industry enters 2026, award-winning platform and aggregator Groove Technologies is reflecting on a transformative 2025. This landmark year was defined by strategic expansion, technological innovation, and a significant deepening of its global roots, solidifying Groove’s role as a comprehensive growth engine for operators worldwide.
Strategic Leadership and Market Penetration
A key catalyst for this growth was the appointment of Giusy Campo as Business Development Director. With over 15 years of experience (including a notable tenure at GLI), Campo’s mandate was to structure and accelerate the company’s push into complex regulated markets.
The “LATAM Story”: Brazil and Argentina
A headline achievement for the year was securing a license to operate in Brazil as the country launched its regulated market on January 1, 2025. Coupled with established activity in Argentina, this move forms the foundation of Groove’s Latin American strategy.
“Brazil isn’t just another market; it’s a statement of intent,” says Yahale Meltzer, Co-Founder and COO. “With Giusy Campo leading our business development, we are systematically building the partnerships necessary for long-term success in regulated regions.”
Technological Innovation: Groove Command & Instant Tournaments
2025 saw Groove transition from a powerful aggregator to a complete engagement ecosystem with the launch of its proprietary Instant Tournaments tool, integrated directly into the Groove Command (Sinatra) Back Office.
Key Platform Advancements:
-
Self-Service Marketing: Operators can now launch and manage tournaments and Free Round Bonuses (FRB) in minutes without technical intervention.
-
Ecosystem Growth: The platform onboarded 20+ new game providers and 10+ new operator partners in 2025.
-
Vertical Expansion: Significant growth in the Sweepstakes and Crypto gaming sectors, responding to evolving partner demand.
| Metric | 2025 Achievement |
| New Providers | 20+ Added |
| New Operators | 10+ Onboarded |
| Total Game Catalog | 15,000+ Titles |
| Global Presence | 10 Major Events across 4 Continents |
Diversified Partnerships: From Crypto to National Lotteries
Demonstrating the platform’s versatility, Groove secured a landmark partnership with Azerlotereya, the national lottery of Azerbaijan. This collaboration validates the robustness and compliance of Groove’s infrastructure in government-backed, high-stringency environments.
Operational Scale and Global Infrastructure
To support these ambitions, Groove scaled its global support network. The company now maintains offices in Israel, Georgia, and Malta, offering 24/7 multilingual technical and account services.
“Our expansion into sweepstakes and crypto wasn’t opportunistic; it was a response to clear partner demand,” reflects Meltzer. “When an operator in Georgia or a partner in São Paulo has a question, they get an answer from someone who understands their market context, not just their technical issue.”
The post How Groove Technologies Powered a Landmark Year of Global Expansion appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
-
iGaming News 20263 days agoSpinomenal Rings in 2026 with Japanese-Inspired “Kami Reign Ultra Mode”
-
Hold and3 days agoPragmatic Play Rings in 2026 with Joker’s Jewels Hold & Spin™
-
Five Elements Slot3 days agoPG Soft Concludes 2025 with High-Volatility Launch: Mythical Guardians
-
Latest News3 days agoFrom ‘Mummyverse’ to Crash Games: Belatra Reviews a Landmark 2025
-
Bespoke Gaming Studio3 days agoCreedRoomz and Casumo Forge Strategic Partnership to Elevate Live Casino Experience
-
B2B gaming software3 days agoGamblers Connect and BetOxygen Announce Strategic B2B Partnership
-
Button Blind3 days agoStretch Network Boosts Player Engagement with Year-End Platform Enhancements
-
B2B iGaming3 days agoGroove Technologies to Showcase Future of Scalable iGaming Growth at ICE Barcelona 2026



