Red Papaya, the vibrant flagship studio powered by Microgaming, has officially launched its latest blockbuster title: Nova Blast Ultra. Strapping players into a high-octane journey to the farthest reaches of the galaxy, this cosmic release blends high-end cinematic production with a suite of volatile mechanics.

Set against a backdrop of radiant space diamonds and blazing asteroid fields, the game promises a “white-knuckle ride” through deep space, where galactic wins shine brighter than the stars.

Interstellar Mechanics & Dazzling Rewards

Nova Blast Ultra is engineered to deliver futuristic precision and explosive potential. The game features an expansive 6,400 ways to win, ensuring constant action across the reels.

Key gameplay features include:

• Nova Blast Cash & Jackpot Collection: A futuristic evolution of the popular collection mechanic. Hidden within the nebula-rich treasure zones are five static Jackpots, with the top prize reaching a stellar 2,500x the bet.

• Energy Core Multipliers: Collect Energy Cores to boost your Cash Multiplier. In the base game, multipliers reach up to 5x, while the Free Spins round rockets this potential up to 10x.

• Nova Blast Respins: Trigger enhanced respins that clear the board for the coveted Cash and Jackpot symbols, supercharged by Random Multiplier Energy.

Choose Your Orbit: Quantum Customization

For players seeking full control over their mission, landing Bonus symbols or filling the Quantum Meter triggers the Choose Your Nova Blast Free Spins. This feature allows players to select their own orbit, balancing the number of Free Spins against the frequency of Cash symbols.

The “space storm” intensifies during this round, where retriggers and surge respins work together to push the Cash Multiplier toward its dazzling 10x peak.

A New Standard for High-Production Slots

The high-stakes gameplay is complemented by out-of-this-world animations and a pulsating electronic soundtrack that keeps the momentum high.

Madelein Ozok, Head of Studio at Red Papaya, commented on the launch:

“Nova Blast Ultra is our most explosive slot to date. It captures the essence of Red Papaya—thrilling gameplay, big sound, and striking animations. We’ve combined creativity with deep data analytics to ensure this hits the mark with players spin after spin. We can’t wait to see it navigate its way to the top of casino lobbies.”

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Big Daddy Gaming®, the high-profile newcomer to the slots industry, has finalized a major commercial agreement with ComeOn Group. This partnership marks a significant milestone for the studio, which was founded by a trio of industry heavyweights from Relax Gaming and Evolution.

The deal will see Big Daddy Gaming’s debut portfolio integrated across ComeOn Group’s international brand stable, with a specific focus on high-traffic Swedish brands like Snabbare and Hajper.

Reel Fun. Real Value: The Studio’s DNA

Launched in late 2025, Big Daddy Gaming® entered the market with a mission to disrupt what its founders describe as an “oversaturated and stagnant” supply chain. The studio’s philosophy, Reel Fun. Real Value., aims to combine humorous, high-quality creative content with a commercial model that prioritizes long-term operator profitability.

Leadership & Strategic Backing

The studio’s rapid ascent is fueled by the combined experience of its founding team:

• Erland Hellstrom (CEO): A former commercial executive at Evolution, known for managing tier-one operator relationships during periods of hypergrowth.

• Simon Hammon (Co-Founder): Former CEO of Relax Gaming and a key figure in the early success of NetEnt.

• Daniel Eskola (Co-Founder): Former Chief Product Officer at Relax Gaming and product leader at Kindred.

The venture is further supported by capital from Castech, a gaming-focused investment fund, ensuring the studio has the financial runway to scale its technical infrastructure.

Sweden: The First Major Regulated Milestone

The partnership with ComeOn Group aligns perfectly with Big Daddy Gaming’s recent regulatory success. On November 11, 2025, the studio secured its B2B supplier license from the Swedish Gambling Authority (Spelinspektionen).

“Securing the SGA licence is a major validation of our compliance standards and technical readiness,” said Erland Hellstrom, CEO at Big Daddy Gaming®. “Sweden is an essential market in our growth strategy and securing this approval allows us to immediately begin servicing our operator partners here.”

Deployment Timeline & Key Markets

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ClearStake, the London-based player verification platform, has announced the appointment of industry veteran Luke Cousins as a Commercial Advisor. The move comes as ClearStake accelerates its growth following a successful £1.5 million funding round in late 2025.

Cousins brings over 15 years of experience to the role, having previously served as Commercial Director at Playbook Engineering. His background includes senior positions at Pentasia and consultancy work for major brands like Unikrn (Entain), Hypometer, and Moja Group.

Scaling the “ID by Bank” Revolution

Cousins will focus primarily on the commercial rollout of ID by Bank, a product designed to solve the “drop-off” problem in UK iGaming by replacing manual document uploads with instant, bank-verified identity checks.

How ID by Bank Transforms Onboarding:

• Instant Verification: Players verify their name, address, and DOB directly through their banking app in under 30 seconds.

• Reduced Fraud: Uses biometric authentication via banking apps to eliminate deepfakes and document tampering.

• Increased Conversion: Already proven to significantly boost First Time Depositor (FTD) rates by removing friction at the point of registration.

“ClearStake is tackling one of the most persistent problems in UK iGaming – player drop-off at the point of verification,” said Luke Cousins. “ID by Bank is a genuinely practical solution that improves conversion without compromising on compliance.”

Strategic Growth and Backing

The appointment of Cousins follows a string of high-profile additions to the ClearStake advisory board, including:

• Paul Myatt: Former NetEnt and Aspire Global executive (Sales & Marketing).

• Alistair Boston-Smith: Former Bede Gaming executive (Strategy Advisor).

The company’s recent £1.5m funding round attracted a “who’s who” of industry investors, including Savvas Fellas (MrQ CEO), Michael Brady (Bede Gaming founder), Max Wright (White Hat Gaming founder), and Paddy Power.

Partnership Momentum

ClearStake’s technology is already integrated with leading UK operators such as tombola, MrQ, and Ivy Casino. The platform’s ability to provide “audit-ready” data has made it a preferred choice for operators navigating the UK Gambling Commission’s evolving affordability and AML frameworks.

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