Latest News
Apparat Gaming unleash a howling Hold & Spin adventure in 5 Moon Wolf
This month, Apparat Gaming – the software developer famed for delivering quality iGaming titles with a German accent – is inviting players to embrace the call of the wild and join the pack for a howlingly good time in the brand-new release, 5 Moon Wolf Hold & Spin.
Offering medium volatility and max wins of 2,500x, 5 Moon Wolf Hold & Spin is a five-reel slot with 20 fixed paylines. Set in the imposing canyons of the American west, the game boasts a range of majestic predators on its reels, with eagles, bears, mountain lions and wolves all appearing as high-value icons.
The real “bite” of the game, however, comes in the form of its two distinct bonus features, which can be activated by hunting down three scatters or five full moons respectively. The first is a free spins round, while the second is Apparat’s popular Hold & Spin game, which is linked to four local jackpots.
Dealing with the two features in order, once three scatters have been hit, night will fall on the reels as at least eight free games are awarded. During these free spins, not only will all low value symbols be removed from the reels, but players can also extend the feature by landing further scatters or trigger an even more lucrative version of the Hold & Spin bonus in which the prizes for full moons are doubled.
The Hold & Spin feature, which is triggered by five or more full moons, begins with a pack of wolves chasing across the screen while a series of free respins are played as long as at least one new moon appears within the next three respins. This allows players to collect moons to win instant cash prizes as well as the Mini, Minor and Major local jackpots, with an additional Grand Bonus being awarded should they successfully fill all 15 reel spaces before the respins come to an end.
Of course, for players who are champing at the bit to enter the Hold & Spin bonus without triggering it manually, an optional Buy Feature is also available. With this granting them immediate access to the bonus for an additional stake, they can therefore bypass the luck factor and dive directly into the feature, where they’ll be able to sink their teeth into lunar-powered wins without needing to wait.
Martin Frindt, Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer at Apparat Gaming, said: “With Apparat’s signature Hold & Win feature already proving a howling success with players, we thought it was high time we gave the popular bonus another run out in our action-packed slot adventure, 5 Moon Wolf.
“Linked to four lucrative local jackpots, this exciting extra gives our new lupine-themed game plenty of bite – and when coupled with a free spins feature that uses only the slot’s higher-value symbols, we’re sure players are going to love taking a walk on the wild side now that 5 Moon Wolf Hold & Win is out.”
Editor’s Take
Why this matters: “Emotion recognition” usually raises immediate red flags regarding privacy and GDPR. However, Gotcha’s differentiator—processing micro-expressions in real-time without storing biometric data—could be the key to unlocking this tech for regulated markets. The potential use cases in iGaming are massive: from detecting distress for Responsible Gambling interventions (e.g., stopping a tilt) to identifying “tells” or stress indicators in potential fraud/bonus abuse scenarios.
The Full Story
SCCG Management, the global advisory firm led by Stephen Crystal, has announced a strategic partnership with Gotcha, a technology company specializing in real-time emotional intelligence and behavioral analysis.
The deal will see SCCG spearheading Gotcha’s go-to-market strategy, introducing its proprietary “Emotion AI” platform to a network of over 100 client partners across the sportsbook, iGaming, and digital entertainment sectors.
How It Works: The Science of Micro-Expressions Gotcha’s platform utilizes advanced behavioral science to analyze facial micro-expressions—involuntary muscle movements that reveal genuine emotions—in real-time. By detecting these subconscious signals, the software enables operators to look past what a user says or clicks and understand how they actually feel.
The technology targets critical operational areas including:
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Customer Experience: Measuring genuine engagement levels.
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Fraud Detection: Identifying behavioral stress markers associated with deceit.
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Employee Performance: Evaluating service quality in support or VIP management roles.
The Privacy “Firewall” Crucially for the highly regulated gaming industry, Gotcha has designed its system with a “privacy-first” architecture. The technology delivers instantaneous emotional insights without retaining or storing biometric data. This “no-storage” approach is designed to keep operators compliant with stringent global data protection standards (such as GDPR), solving one of the biggest hurdles for biometric adoption in Europe and North America.
Management Commentary Stephen Crystal, Founder and CEO of SCCG Management, highlighted the regulatory fit of the tech:
“Emotion-driven insights represent a powerful next step in how gaming and digital platforms understand trust, engagement, and user experience. Gotcha has developed a scientifically grounded, privacy-first technology that aligns well with the needs of regulated gaming markets… We’re excited to support their expansion.”
The partnership signals a broader industry trend toward AI-driven behavioral intelligence, moving beyond simple transactional data to deeper, psychological metrics for decision-making.
The post SCCG Bets on ‘Emotion AI’: New Tech Can Read Player Faces for Trust & Fraud appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
SCCG Management, a leading advisory firm in the global gaming industry, today announced a strategic partnership with Gotcha, a pioneering emotion recognition technology company specializing in real-time emotional intelligence and behavioral analysis.
Through this partnership, SCCG will support Gotcha’s go-to-market strategy and business development efforts across gaming, digital entertainment, and adjacent technology-driven sectors. Gotcha’s proprietary platform leverages advanced behavioral science and facial micro-expression analysis to detect subconscious emotional signals in real time, enabling organizations to gain deeper, unbiased insights into customer behavior, trust, and engagement.
Designed with privacy and compliance in mind, Gotcha’s technology delivers instant emotional insight without retaining or storing biometric data. This approach allows operators and enterprises to enhance customer experience measurement, employee performance evaluation, fraud detection, and service quality while maintaining alignment with global data protection standards. The platform has already demonstrated success across multiple industries, including retail, public services, healthcare, and gaming.
SCCG’s role in the partnership includes sales support, strategic introductions, and go-to-market execution, leveraging its global network of more than 100 client partners across sportsbook operators, iGaming platforms, content studios, sports leagues, data providers, and B2B technology vendors. By integrating Gotcha into SCCG’s advisory and business development ecosystem, the partnership aims to accelerate adoption of emotion recognition solutions within regulated gaming environments and other high-interaction digital platforms.
“Emotion-driven insights represent a powerful next step in how gaming and digital platforms understand trust, engagement, and user experience,” said Stephen Crystal, Founder and CEO of SCCG Management. “Gotcha has developed a scientifically grounded, privacy-first technology that aligns well with the needs of regulated gaming markets and enterprise operators. We’re excited to support their expansion and introduce this capability to our global partner network.”
The partnership reflects a broader industry shift toward AI-driven behavioral intelligence designed to improve transparency, engagement, and operational decision-making without compromising privacy, ethics, or regulatory compliance.
The post Gotcha Joins SCCG Network: Using Micro-Expressions to Measure Player Engagement appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
AI Casino Recommender
Meridianbet Doubles Down on Belgium: New Casino License Unlocks €455m Market Segment
Editor’s Take
Why this matters: This is a classic “Cross-Sell” play. Meridianbet has already spent seven years building a sports betting database in Belgium. By securing this B+ license, they can now monetize those same users with higher-margin casino products (slots, table games) without needing to acquire new traffic from scratch. With the Belgian casino sector growing at 20% year-over-year, this is a significant revenue unlock for the GMGI portfolio.
The Full Story
Meridianbet, the sports betting and gaming operator owned by Golden Matrix Group Inc. (NASDAQ: GMGI), has successfully expanded its regulatory footprint in Europe by securing a B+ online gaming license in Belgium.
The new license (B+ 4016) authorizes the company to launch a comprehensive online casino platform—featuring slots, table games, and automated live games—starting in January 2026. This move significantly broadens the operator’s capabilities in the country, complementing its existing sports betting operations which have been active in the Belgian market for seven years.
Targeting the Largest Market Segment The strategic rationale behind the license is clear: Casino is now the dominant force in Belgian gambling. According to the Belgian Gaming Commission, the online casino vertical generated €455 million in Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) in 2023, representing a 20.2% year-over-year increase.
By entering this vertical, Meridianbet gains access to the largest and fastest-growing segment of a market that generated a total of €944.6 million last year.
Tech-First Entry Meridianbet plans to deploy its proprietary AI Casino Recommender technology for the Belgian launch. This system analyzes player behavior and preferences in real-time to deliver personalized game suggestions, a crucial differentiator in a highly concentrated market where just ten operators account for 94% of all online wagers.
Regulatory Context Belgium is known for having one of Europe’s strictest regulatory frameworks, characterized by rigorous compliance standards and player protection protocols. Securing this license validates Meridianbet’s operational standards and deepens its foothold in a “mature” market that is notoriously difficult for new entrants to penetrate.
The post Meridianbet Doubles Down on Belgium: New Casino License Unlocks €455m Market Segment appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
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