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Calema to Perform at Legends Charity Game in Lisbon
The debut Legends Charity Game will pair football legends with a half-time show from Calema, the celebrated music duo and one of the Lusophone world’s biggest musical successes.
Taking place on Monday, 15 September 2025 at either Estádio da Luz or Estádio José Alvalade, the match will see Portugal Legends face off against World Legends, with the aim of raising €1 million for charity*.
Brothers António and Fradique Mendes Ferreira, known as Calema, have become international stars through their unique blend of pop, Afrobeat, and Lusophone influences. Born in São Tomé and Príncipe and based in Portugal, the duo has built a devoted following across Europe, Africa, and Latin America, with a fan base of millions worldwide. Earlier this year, they made headlines with a near sell-out concert at Lisbon’s Estádio da Luz, drawing almost 60,000 fans in what was described as a landmark moment for Lusophone music.
At the Portugal vs World Legends Charity Game, Calema will perform live at half-time before 60,000 fans and millions watching worldwide. Kick-off is at 20:00, with gates opening at 18:30. With prices from €21.60 (including VAT), adult fans get a full evening of football action and live music at a remarkable value.
Rasmus Sojmark, Founder of Legends Charity Game organiser, Sport Global, said: “The Legends Charity Game is about more than what happens on the pitch. It’s about celebrating what unites us. Football and music both inspire, and with Calema performing, we’re bringing those worlds together to support causes that truly matter.”
Calema said in a joint statement: “We are honoured to perform at the first Legends Charity Game in Lisbon. Football has always been close to our hearts, and this is a chance to celebrate it while supporting charities that make a real difference. Sharing this night with football legends and fans from all over the world will be a huge highlight of our career.”
The Portugal Legends team will be captained by Luís Figo and feature some of the nation’s most celebrated players, including Ricardo Quaresma, Ricardo Carvalho, Deco, and José Bosingwa. They will be joined by a strong supporting lineup of former internationals such as Fábio Coentrão, Vítor Baía, Nuno Gomes, Simão, Hélder Postiga, Maniche, Hugo Almeida, and Costinha, who will also serve as team manager.
Their opponents, the World Legends, will bring together global icons including Kaká, Cafu, Javier Zanetti, Peter Schmeichel, and Gheorghe Hagi, alongside other stars such as Leonardo Bonucci, Marco Materazzi, Henrik Larsson, Edwin van der Sar, Marek Hamsik, Gaizka Mendieta, Javier Saviola, and Youri Djorkaeff.
All proceeds from the match will be donated through the Sport Global Charitable Foundation* to four causes: Cruz Vermelha Portuguesa, Cáritas Portuguesa, International Alert, and the Ukrainian Red Cross Society.
The Legends Charity Game is an annual event organised by Sport Global and will run until 2030, alongside its sister company’s flagship industry gathering, SBC Summit, which covers betting, gaming, tech, payments, and marketing.
Tickets for the Legends Charity Game are now on sale, starting from €21.60 for adults and €10.80 for children (VAT included). Premium Category 1 tickets are also available at €54.00 for adults and €27.00 for children under 12.
* Sport Global Charitable Foundation is a restricted fund under the auspices of Prism the Gift Fund (UK registered charity no. 1099682). All profits from the Legends Charity Game will support the Foundation’s beneficiary charities.
The post Calema to Perform at Legends Charity Game in Lisbon appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
R. Franco Digital, the leading Spanish iGaming provider, has been officially shortlisted for Casino Platform Supplier of the Year at the prestigious EGR Europe Awards 2026. The nomination recognizes a landmark year for the company, characterized by the explosive growth of its IRIS Open Omnichannel Platform and a major commercial breakthrough into the Italian market.
The winners will be announced during a gala ceremony on February 18, 2026, at the Hilton Malta, where the industry’s top-tier operators and suppliers gather to celebrate European gaming excellence.
IRIS: The Engine of Omnichannel Growth
The core of R. Franco Digital’s success lies in its IRIS platform, a highly scalable, multi-jurisdictional solution that unifies casino, sports betting, and retail management.
IRIS Platform Milestones (2025-2026):
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Jurisdictional Reach: Certified in 6 jurisdictions and operational in over 10 regulated markets.
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Content Depth: Seamlessly integrated with over 1,600 games from global third-party providers.
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Operational Stability: Provides 24/7 multilingual support and advanced real-time analytics for operators.
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Commercial Momentum: Secured 50+ new operator partnerships and entered three new markets within the last 12 months.
Performance Highlights: 4 Billion Game Rounds
R. Franco Digital’s games portfolio has seen a massive surge in engagement, bolstered by 20 new high-performance slot releases in 2025. Standout titles such as Strange Spins, Aphrodite, Zorro: Final Duel, Ovomon, and The Phantom contributed to a record-breaking year.
| Metric | 2025–2026 Achievement |
| Total Game Rounds | 4 Billion+ across regulated markets |
| Revenue Growth | 30% Increase during the judging period |
| New Content | 20 New slot titles launched |
| Expansion | Debut in the Italian regulated market |
Strategic Italian Market Entry
A major factor in the EGR shortlisting was R. Franco Digital’s successful entry into Italy. The provider rapidly localized its content to meet the specific demands of Italian players through tier-one partnerships:
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Stanleybet.it: Launched 19 games, including the Italian-exclusive debut of Strange Spins.
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888.it: Successfully rolled out the popular Super 7 3×3 title.
“We’re proud to be shortlisted for this award, which reflects the strength of our IRIS platform and the quality of the content we’ve delivered over the past year,” said Javier Sacristán Franco, International Business Director at R. Franco Digital. “Our team has worked hard to support operators with reliable, innovative solutions… we are delighted to see that effort recognised.”
The post R. Franco Digital Shortlisted for Casino Platform Excellence at EGR Europe Awards 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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.
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Reel Clearing: When a vertical reel is filled with Bun symbols, the prizes are instantly collected, and the reel is cleared.
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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.
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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.
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Progressive Jackpots: Grand and Major tiers for life-changing win potential.
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Fixed Jackpots: Minor and Mini tiers awarded through symbols landing during features.
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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 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.
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