The Indian Enforcement Directorate (ED) has intensified its investigation into Karnataka Congress MLA K.C. Veerendra, also known as “Puppy,” over alleged involvement in a large-scale money laundering and illegal betting operation. The legislator, arrested in Sikkim on Saturday, August 23, was brought to Bengaluru on Sunday for further questioning in connection with financial transactions tied to casinos in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Georgia.

Veerendra was apprehended in Gangtok, where he had reportedly been pursuing a deal to lease land for a casino venture. After his arrest, he was produced before a special court in Bengaluru, which granted ED custody until August 28. To prevent any incidents during his transfer, strict security was enforced at Kempegowda International Airport, and he was quickly escorted to an undisclosed location for interrogation.

Authorities confirmed that multi-state raids preceded the arrest, covering 31 locations across India, including Bengaluru, Hubballi, Chitradurga, Goa, Jodhpur, Mumbai and Sikkim. Five casinos in Goa—Puppy’s Casino Gold, Ocean Rivers Casino, Puppy’s Casino Pride, Ocean 7 Casino, and Big Daddy Casino—were also raided as part of the ongoing probe.

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According to ED sources, preliminary findings suggest that Veerendra maintained financial links with casinos and shell companies operating in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Georgia. Evidence gathered during the raids points to overseas transactions and the use of foreign entities to launder large sums of money, some of which may have originated from cyber fraud. Officials suspect that these funds were “converted into white money” by being disguised as credit card transactions.

Documents recovered from multiple properties also revealed that Veerendra was in the process of finalising a deal to acquire a casino from Santiago Martin, a businessman widely recognised as the “lottery king” of Tamil Nadu. Martin is already under investigation by the ED in a separate money laundering case and is known for his financial ties to political figures.

Incriminating evidence seized from Veerendra’s residences, including Rs 12 crore in cash and a significant quantity of jewelry, is now being analysed. The ED has also uncovered records suggesting that his brother, K.C. Thippeswamy, managed three Dubai-based entities—Diamond Softech, TRS Technologies and Prime9Technologies—believed to be connected to their gaming and call centre businesses.

How Gaming Corps’ Website Redesign Mirrors the Industry’s Shift Toward Seamless Digital Journey

The online gaming industry is a whirlwind of constant change, and to stay ahead, companies must evolve their digital presence. Juha Kauppinen, CEO of Gaming Corps, explains why the company’s recent website redesign was more than a simple visual update. It was a strategic move to better reflect the company’s growth, showcase its expanded portfolio, and create a seamless digital experience for partners and stakeholders.

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What prompted the decision to redesign the website?

We had clearly come to a natural point in Gaming Corps’ growth, so the need for a redesign just naturally became obvious.

We’ve had many new game releases, record-breaking quarters, and the launch of our Remote Gaming Server, so it became clear to the team that we needed a website which better reflected who we are today.

It wasn’t just about a fresh look, it was about making it easier for partners to explore what we offer and connect with us in a more intuitive, seamless way.

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How does the new site better reflect who you are as a business today compared to a year or two ago?

A year or two ago, we were still finding our footing and growing our portfolio.

But today, we’re a more established, ambitious company with a clear identity and vision. The new site reflects that shift – it’s more polished, more dynamic, and built to showcase not just our games, but our capabilities as a partner and platform provider.

What were the most important improvements you wanted to make during the redesign — and why were they important for your users or partners?

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We wanted to ensure the website reflected how we present ourselves as a modern, innovative studio.

So, we now have a more modern, user-friendly design and a UX that’s more intuitive. What this means is that the site is easier to use, whether you’re a client, partner or stakeholder.

Speaking of partners, it’s now easier for them to understand what we do and explore our games.

We’re very proud of the Gaming Corps portfolio, so now we can showcase it much better, with clearer vertical distinctions between our Mine, Smash4Cash and Plinko games, etc.

When it comes to us as a company, we can now highlight our careers section to support our drive for talent acquisition and to keep growing our fantastic team.

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Finally, the new site also gives more prominence to our investor relations, reflecting our position as a listed company and offering clarity on that.

Were there any common pain points, feedback, or gaps in the old site that influenced your approach to the new one?

The main product offering wasn’t clear to partners or visitors. The site design felt outdated and more suited to an early-stage company, and those days are long behind us now.

Our investor relations content wasn’t visible or prioritised enough, considering that we’re a PLC, and existing partners weren’t highlighted.

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The old site just didn’t reflect who we are, what we do and what we can do. The new one does all of those things.

How important is your website today in terms of attracting or informing potential partners, clients, or stakeholders? Has that role changed in recent years?

Our website has become a much more important touchpoint for us, especially as we’ve grown internationally and have expanded what we offer to our B2B clients.

Our site is often the first chance we get to make an impression on potential partners or stakeholders, so it needs to communicate who we are, what we offer, and where we’re going.

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The role of our website has evolved – it’s no longer just a digital brochure; it’s a core part of how we connect and do business.

What would you say to other companies in the B2B iGaming space thinking about refreshing their digital presence?

Don’t underestimate the impact of a strong digital presence, because it’s more than just visuals.

It’s about clarity, usability, and showing your value at a glance.

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Also, involve your people from across the company early on, as this helps create something that truly reflects your brand and speaks to your audience.

In a move set to reshape the B2B gaming landscape across LatAm and other regulated markets worldwide, FIRST, Light & Wonder (L&W), and OpenTag today unveiled a landmark alliance. This move merges FIRST’s Tier 1 sportsbook, L&W’s original content capabilities and powerhouse aggregation, and OpenTag’s fully integrated platform solution. 10Bet has become the first major operator to sign within the framework – deploying the combined suite across multiple jurisdictions.

FIRST will deliver its high-performance sportsbook, renowned for its latency-free pricing, robust risk controls, and seamless scalability, positioning operators for maximum margin and player retention.

Light & Wonder, the content and aggregation powerhouse, and home to ELK and L&W studios, will provide the global content for the alliance. ELK pushes mathematics and artwork boundaries and produces hits such as the Pirots series, while L&W studios is known for successful in-house franchises like Huff N‘ Puff. Light & Wonder will also provide the game aggregation platform that will open up extensive possibilities for third party content, enabling a truly limitless casino offering. 

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OpenTag’s agile platform ties everything together – streamlining integration, compliance and player experience, offering a single point of control for sportsbook, casino, and live content.

10Bet Head of Marketing, Yuval Klein commented:

“This partnership gives us unmatched access to world-class sportsbooks, elite gaming content, and a rock-solid platform backbone. We can use this offering to expand into new markets, delivering consistent, high-quality experiences and grab market share.

This strategic combination marks the first deployment of a truly comprehensive B2B offering – spanning sportsbook, casino aggregation, original content, and platform – under one integrated deal.”

Magdalena Podhorska Okolow, VP Commercial MD Europe at Light & Wonder, added:

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“Light & Wonder is thrilled to have been selected to provide casino content exclusively to operators that will benefit from this best-in-class sports and casino turnkey package. We continue to prioritize LatAm and partner with highly respected, proven providers such as FIRST. We are proud that L&W’s gaming aggregation technology will help set a new standard in the turnkey service that targets operators with the highest ambitions and growth plans.

Tom_________, CEO of FIRST, said:

“By combining FIRST’s sportsbook excellence, L&W’s game innovation and aggregator tech, and OpenTag’s full platform suite, we are delivering Tier 1 solution architecture under one unified partnership. 10Bet’s fast adoption across multiple jurisdictions demonstrates both the global demand and turnkey readiness of our offering.

With the 10Bet integration underway, this partnership signals a new era of Tier 1 B2B engagement – fast to market, easy to deploy, and built for scale in emerging regulated gaming territories.”

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