AI

UNLV’s PGA Golf Management University Program partners with Las Vegas-based AI technology company Evenplay to study the effects of rewards on skill level

Published

11 months ago

March 17, 2025

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There’s a timeless adage from NBA great Allen Iverson: “Practice?!” But now, almost ironically, AI (that is, Artificial Intelligence) will be helping us replicate big-time pressure in that very scenario.

Evenplay, an AI technology company based out of Las Vegas, has created a patented golf simulator application that creates challenges for all skill levels, with the intention of improving play performance through the use of cash rewards.

“What we have is a machine-learning algorithm that takes all of your shot data and says, ‘What are you going to do next from 175 yards?,’ and creates targets personalized for your skill level with money on the line,” said Sameer Gupta, co-founder of Evenplay. “If you practice with pressure, you’re probably going to get better faster.”

UNLV has partnered with Evenplay, taking on the task of studying the impact of rewards on skill level, and how well this experience translates the gains from practice into practical use on the real course.

“It sounded like a good opportunity to build a relationship and a bridge with this company,” said Chris Cain, director of the PGA Golf Management University Program within UNLV’s Harrah College of Hospitality. “And to see if we can continue to advance off-course golf, improve diversity in the consumer base, and think a little bit differently and daring, which is what UNLV’s all about.”

Upping the Ante on Research

The ability to create a feedback loop – one where you practice in the same conditions as when something’s on the line – is the goal: replicating the jitters that come from staring down a big putt, and then training yourself to handle the pressure before you step onto the course.

Evenplay does this by paying out money depending on the shot, using rewards as a way to create real stress in a controlled setting.

“What we have is a turn-key stress generator,” said Gupta. “Our model projects a thousand shots from every distance, with a target drawn where about half of your shots should be capable of landing. We’ve taken a skill-based activity and are able to predict what you will do next.”

The study at UNLV uses a more controlled version of the wagers. Randomly selected participants will receive various payouts such as lesson or UNLV Gift certificates based on their group assignments and the level of contributions to the study.

“This is a skill-based gaming application that allows someone to make a bet and have fun doing it,” said Cain. “What we’re doing at UNLV is seeing if the variable payouts influence program retention – do they play longer or more often? Does this also influence skill improvement? Wouldn’t it be cool to have some sort of technology in place that actually uses gaming as a way to positively influence skill improvement?”

The study is made possible through UNLV’s Sports Innovation Institute (SII), and the College of Hospitality’s Center for Golf Management, in collaboration with the university’s International Gaming Institute. The SII acts as a hub for all of the faculty who do research in sports, enabling them to work together to find solutions to problems and advance the commercialization of products fitting that criteria.

“With Evenplay’s expertise, as well as the Sports Innovation and the International Gaming institutes, that trifecta makes for a pretty special partnership here in Las Vegas,” Cain said. “There are thousands of data points in every swing that UNLV is looking forward to analyzing to see if this really changes the way we practice.”

Growing the Game

It’s no secret that the game of golf is expensive and often exclusive. The National Golf Foundation estimates the cost of a full round at a public course in the U.S. was $43 in 2023. That’s just getting on the course. When you add hundreds and thousands of dollars into equipment costs, training, and lessons, the financial barrier to entry becomes quite imposing.

“There are about 120 million people interested in the game and only 45 million participating,” said Cain. “Technology’s going to help close that gap, and being able to take lessons without being on the golf course will be part of the future, making it more inclusive, accessible, and affordable.”

Improving the accessibility of the game is one of the desired outcomes for the research, potentially showing a greater translation of the skills developed in a simulator using Evenplay to the course itself.

“It’s winter right now – nobody’s taking swings on green golf courses in Chicago,” said Gupta. “All of those players are using simulators indoors. We’re growing the amount of people who can engage with golf by changing how often people can meaningfully play the sport at all times of the year.”

Changing the game doesn’t end with golf. The patent for Evenplay features a baseball player swinging a bat, and the plan is to roll into bowling next. Its partnership and ongoing study with UNLV is only expediting the interest in this potential shakeup to the practice session.

“The ability of UNLV to effectively structure a relationship with the PGA is very impressive and unique in the market,” said Gupta. “And bringing that knowledge to a private company like ours is essential to our growth.”

The results of Evenplay’s efficacy in providing measurable improvement to player skill will be shared as the study concludes later this year.

The post UNLV’s PGA Golf Management University Program partners with Las Vegas-based AI technology company Evenplay to study the effects of rewards on skill level appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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Investor`s perspective: highlights from ICE Barcelona 2026

Published

1 week ago

February 5, 2026

Wladimir P.

investor`s-perspective:-highlights-from-ice-barcelona-2026

The Investments team at RedCore held dozens of meetings at ICE Barcelona with projects from MarTech/Traffic, iGaming, AI/ML, and RegTech. We share our observations on the direction of the market and changes in the approach of startups.

Technology is the main trend

The products at the conference focused on offering fundamentally new solutions rather than competing head-on. There were a huge number of game providers, but the ones that attracted attention were those betting on technological innovation.

“The trend is clear: products are trying to offer something completely new, rather than just competing in their niche,” notes Andrei Alexandrov, Investment Portfolio Manager at RedCore.

The influx of incoming applications confirmed this: even without a targeted search, most projects fell within the fund`s priority areas — MarTech/Traffic, iGaming solutions, AI/ML, and RegTech.

AI and data are changing the traffic game

At iGB Affiliate, which ran parallel to ICE, AI solutions for traffic were everywhere: trackers, predictive models, player behavior analysis panels. This reflects the maturity of the market — traffic optimization is no longer possible without ML/AI approaches.

The main competitive asset today is data and segmentation. Those who segment more deeply, personalize, and truly understand the behavior of their audience will win. Granular data, behavior by micro-segments, is no longer a “nice-to-have” but a necessity.

“Affiliates are increasingly acting not just as CPA traffic partners, but as full-fledged marketing experts who use data and content to improve engagement,” notes Iryna Yeromenko, Investment Portfolio Manager at RedCore.

Startups have become more mature

Just a few years ago, conferences were often attended by teams with raw ideas. Now the situation has changed: founders come with well-developed pitches, clear business models, and a clear understanding of the market.

“Startups are particularly impressive this year: everyone comes prepared and tries to present themselves in the best way. There was almost no one who came with just an idea,” says Andrei Alexandrov. “Some said that we are their priority fund. This level of trust confirms that we are moving in the right direction.”

Record dealflow, but quality is more important

The volume of incoming applications for ICE Barcelona exceeded the total for all other events last year. But a large flow also means risk: without clear selection criteria, it is easy to waste time on irrelevant projects.

“There are a lot of introductions, pitches, and “let`s talk”. At the same time, it is important to remember that quantity does not equal quality. ICE reinforces the need for strict investment filtering, as without clear criteria, it is easy to get lost in the noise,” explains Oleksandr Briukhovetskyi, Investment Portfolio Manager at RedCore.

This principle also works in traffic: the best affiliates focus on data strategies, mobile-first and video-first content, as well as player behavior patterns. Affiliates get access to more metrics, which lets them buy better traffic.

Long-term value instead of quick deals

ICE Barcelona isn`t about closing deals on the spot. The main value of the conference lies in the opportunity to create the foundation for partnerships for the next 6–12 months.

“Conferences bring strategic value. In terms of the density of quality contacts, long-term deals, and relevant contextual conversations, they are confidently ahead of most other channels,” — notes Oleksandr Briukhovetskyi.

Industry boundaries are blurring

ICE attracts a large number of cross-industry projects that are not formally related to iGaming but seek to integrate into this market. This creates new opportunities for investors who can see synergies between different verticals.

“ICE is a rare case where all elements of the iGaming chain are gathered in one space: operators, providers, payments, RegTech, AI, traffic, media buying, crypto, Web3. The boundaries of the industry are blurring right in front of our eyes,” Oleksandr sums up.

Where is the market headed

The market is moving towards consolidation. The trend towards aggregators and super apps is growing stronger, and now AI has joined the mix. The greatest potential lies in automated management systems, data aggregators, big data products, and predictive analytics.

In iGaming, there is growing demand for infrastructure solutions: tools for Retention, Customer Support, Antifraud, Responsible Gaming, and regulation. There is particular interest in products that allow operators to independently create loyalty systems, custom games, and analytics.

The focus of investors has shifted. Previously, they pursued ideas, but now expertise and team stability matter more. The number of startups has grown, as it is easier than ever to create an MVP in the AI era. Therefore, Due Diligence is critical: how well does the product solve a real market problem, and whether the team is ready to develop and monetize it.

Are you building a product in MarTech, iGaming, AI/ML, or RegTech? Tell the Investments team at RedCore about your project: https://redcore.group/lets-cooperate/

The post Investor`s perspective: highlights from ICE Barcelona 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AI

Wanted: Ambitious Tech Ventures — RedCore Investment Team Lands in Dubai

Published

2 weeks ago

February 3, 2026

Wladimir P.

wanted:-ambitious-tech-ventures-—-redcore-investment-team-lands-in-dubai

The investment division of international business group RedCore is joining AIBC Eurasia to connect with ambitious founders and tech teams. The summit runs February 23–25 at Dubai Festival City — find the team at booth 3D.

Investments at RedCore focuses on ventures in MarTech/Traffic, FinTech, RegTech, Web3, Gaming software vendors, and AI/ML. The team is especially interested in meeting game content suppliers, RegTech solution providers, and creators of AI-driven digital products.

RedCore’s investment philosophy centers on M&A and strategic partnership rather than traditional venture funding. The business group steps in as an active partner, not a passive investor. Portfolio companies gain access to experienced specialists, legal and operational support, technology infrastructure, proven marketing channels, and a broad industry network. Often, RedCore becomes a startup’s first customer — shortening the road to market validation. Where other founders spend years chasing product-market fit, RedCore-backed teams can land their first paying clients within three to six months.

The ideal project has a working MVP, early commercial traction, transparent unit economics, and global scaling ambitions. In exchange, RedCore offers not just capital — but a long-term strategic partnership built on shared expertise and active involvement in business growth.

Interested? To schedule a meeting with the Investment Portfolio Manager simply approach the reception desk and use the touchscreen available at the booth 3D. Or pitch your project here: Apply to RedCore

The post Wanted: Ambitious Tech Ventures — RedCore Investment Team Lands in Dubai appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AI

Scientific Games Appoints Ovie Doro as SVP of Data, Analytics & AI

Published

2 weeks ago

February 2, 2026

Wladimir P.

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Scientific Games today named Ovie Doro as Senior Vice President of Data, Analytics & AI, a strategic hire that accelerates the company’s investment in data science, machine learning and AI-driven insights for its global lottery business. Doro will lead the expansion of SG Analytics, Scientific Games’ enterprise analytics group, to deliver stronger product performance, personalized player experiences and measurable ROI for lottery customers across retail and digital channels.

Driving analytics-led growth for lotteries

Scientific Games says the appointment marks a step-change in how it uses data and AI to inform lottery game development, optimize player engagement and support lottery beneficiaries. As head of SG Analytics, Doro will focus on turning large volumes of market and player data into actionable intelligence for product, sales and operations teams.

“Advanced analytics is critical to how Scientific Games supports our lottery customers and drives innovation and performance for sustainable growth,” said Pat McHugh, CEO of Scientific Games. “Doro brings deep experience understanding consumer behavior and building scalable analytics and data science capabilities at global organizations, and we’re excited to have him lead this mission-critical work.”

What Doro will lead at SG Analytics

Doro’s remit will include expanding capabilities in:

Market and channel intelligence to identify growth opportunities across regions and channels
ROI and growth modeling to quantify the value of product and marketing investments
Data engineering and standardized reporting to speed insights to decision-makers
Data science, machine learning and experimentation for personalization and cross-channel optimization
Visualization and business intelligence to make analytics accessible to commercial teams

These priorities are designed to better connect retail and digital play, enable experimentation-driven product improvements, and provide lotteries with measurable results that support their beneficiary missions.

Proven leader in enterprise analytics and ML

Doro brings more than a decade of experience building enterprise analytics and machine learning platforms for major consumer and e-commerce companies. Most recently he served as Senior Global Director of Data Science & Machine Learning Engineering at AB InBev, where he led the AI strategy for the company’s global B2B e-commerce platform. His prior leadership roles at Walmart and Jet.com focused on customer analytics, personalization, experimentation platforms and lifecycle modeling—translating applied research into production-grade analytics systems that drive growth and retention.

“Doro’s appointment strengthens our ability to translate data into action and value for our customers,” said Carrie Galvin, Chief Transformation & Strategy Officer at Scientific Games. “His experience building analytics capabilities that deliver real-world business outcomes will help us better serve lotteries through smarter products and performance insights.”

Background and reporting

Doro holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics from KTH Royal Institute of Technology. At Scientific Games, he will report to Carrie Galvin and collaborate closely with leaders across product, technology, sales and operations.

With this hire, Scientific Games positions SG Analytics to accelerate AI-driven product development, deepen personalization, and deliver clearer ROI for lotteries worldwide—strengthening the company’s role as a data-first partner to the lottery industry.

The post Scientific Games Appoints Ovie Doro as SVP of Data, Analytics & AI appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.