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Animo Studios debuts virtual hosts for live table games starting with Stake

Published

8 months ago

September 12, 2025

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

World’s largest online casino operator is first to introduce Animo’s live-action, animated hosts designed specifically for iGaming sector

Animo Studios, founded by top livestreamer and Fortnite champion Harley Fresh, has launched a suite of live, animated characters for live online games, exclusively on Stake for a limited time.

Through a combination of advanced motion capture, live broadcasting, machine learning, and proprietary software and hardware, Animo allows human hosts to transform into live-action characters with unique names, storylines, and personalities. These characters have been created to provide an incredibly immersive experience for online gamers and bettors.

Animo’s proprietary technology is also designed to scale, with ambitions to extend beyond table games and into live game shows, with other products in development. This partnership unlocks vast potential for IP and branding in the live sector, where Animo’s team have joined forces with IP veterans, who have executed campaigns with Netflix, Warner Bros and Universal Studios, among others.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLe-iZdD0Sw

“Animo is set to reshape table games, game shows, and beyond, reimagining how we play, connect, and engage online,” said Animo CEO Fresh, who boasts almost 8 million subscribers on YouTube. “The live entertainment space has stagnated for too long, and we see enormous potential to bridge the gap between gaming and iGaming.”

Real-time interaction

Animo’s animated hosts interact with physical objects in immersive environments. Players can communicate directly with their hosts, creating a new level of engagement and trust.

Animo will also offer celebrities and influencers the opportunity to insert IP-based characters into platforms, game shows, and other formats – bringing their profile to a wider audience.

“Animo’s innovative use of software and hardware pushes the entertainment experience to the next level,” said Brais Pena, Chief Strategy Officer of Easygo, the Melbourne-based tech powerhouse behind Stake. “It’s exactly the type of project we want to support.”

Animo is positioned to attract entirely new audiences and bring online players back to live table games. It has partnered with some of the world’s largest iGaming operators and aggregators, starting exclusively with Stake after going live for the first time on Monday 8 September.

The post Animo Studios debuts virtual hosts for live table games starting with Stake appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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AB Trav och Galopp

Richard Woodbridge Elected to ATG Board of Directors

Published

20 minutes ago

May 11, 2026

Wladimir P.

richard-woodbridge-elected-to-atg-board-of-directors

At the Annual General Meeting of AB Trav och Galopp (ATG) on Thursday, May 7, 2026, Richard Woodbridge, CEO of Scandinavian Heritage AB, was elected as a new independent member of ATG’s board. He succeeds Mårten Forste, who left the board at the end of 2025.

“We welcome Richard to ATG’s board. His solid experience from the gaming market will add significant value to the board’s work,” said Peter Norman, chairman of ATG.

“I am pleased and grateful for the trust in me to take a seat on ATG’s board. ATG is a very strong company and brand with an important role in both gaming and horse racing, and I look forward to future collaboration with the rest of the board,” said Richard Woodbridge.

The Nomination Committee’s proposal for re-election of other board members was approved by the meeting.

ATG’s board thus consists of:

• Peter Norman (Chairman, independent)

• Boris Lennerhov (Vice Chairman, trotting representative)

• Katarina G. Bonde (Board member, independent)

• Marie Osberg (Board member, independent)

• Richard Woodbridge (Board member, independent)

• Marie Thelander Dellhag (Board member, trotting representative)

• Anders Lilius (Board member, galloping representative)

Employee representatives on the board:

• Björn Haglund (Board member, employee representative)

• Camilla Hasselström (Board member, employee representative)

• Alternates: Gustav Enström and Leo Wilson, both employee representatives.

The post Richard Woodbridge Elected to ATG Board of Directors appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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ReferOn completes management buyout as Alex Bukin becomes CEO

Published

20 minutes ago

May 11, 2026

Wladimir P.

referon-completes-management-buyout-as-alex-bukin-becomes-ceo

ReferOn has completed a management buyout, with former General Manager Alex Bukin acquiring the iGaming affiliate management platform and taking over as Chief Executive Officer.

Bukin said the deal is intended to support longer-term product and market plans: “This is an important moment for ReferOn and the beginning of a new chapter for the business. The management buyout provides us with the long-term focus required to continually advance the platform. We remain committed to product development, strengthening our offerings for partners, and supporting ReferOn’s continued growth across key markets.”

ReferOn reported that in its first 12 months post-launch it recorded 35.7 million clicks, 2.4 million registrations, 18,000 affiliates, and 136,000 active trackers. The company also said it was named “Best Affiliate Platform” in 2025 and 2026 by industry stakeholders.

The company said the ownership change will not affect day-to-day operations and that existing support and partnerships will continue. It also pointed to recent product updates including Refie, described as a built-in interface layer, alongside features such as dynamic reporting, Company Grouping, Sub-Affiliation, Independent Deal Calculation (IDC), two-factor authentication (2FA), and mobile optimization.

As part of the transition, ReferOn said its leadership team remains in place, with Vlad Bondarenko moving from Head of Product to Chief Product Officer and David Harris moving from Operations Lead to Chief Operations Officer.

The post ReferOn completes management buyout as Alex Bukin becomes CEO appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

ELA Games

ELA Games’ Joker Winpot shortlisted for Game of the Year at SBC Awards Americas

Published

20 minutes ago

May 11, 2026

Wladimir P.

ela-games’-joker-winpot-shortlisted-for-game-of-the-year-at-sbc-awards-americas

ELA Games said its slot title Joker Winpot has been shortlisted for “Game of the Year” at the 2026 SBC Awards Americas, with winners set to be revealed on June 10, 2026 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The company described Joker Winpot as a consistent performer in its portfolio, combining a dark, character-driven theme with a 1×1 grid format.

ELA Games said the title’s core differentiator is its proprietary Winpot mechanic, a progression-based feature built around player choice. As rewards build inside the Winpot, players can either cash out or keep spinning in pursuit of higher payouts.

The 2026 SBC Awards Americas ceremony will take place at the Broward County Convention Center. Organizers expect around 600 industry professionals, with the awards running alongside SBC Summit Americas from June 9–11.

The post ELA Games’ Joker Winpot shortlisted for Game of the Year at SBC Awards Americas appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.