Latest News
Finnish Minister Says State Should Treat Gambling Monopoly Revenues like Alcohol Profits
Antti Kurvinen, Finland’s minister of science and culture, has proposed that revenues from the state-owned gambling monopoly, Veikkaus, be transferred to the state budget.
On Saturday Kurvinen said that the betting agency’s income is declining, and without a change so will the income of charities and other groups that benefit from its profits. Veikkaus revenues are distributed to organisations in the fields of culture, sports, science, and youth work as well as social welfare and health.
Kurvinen proposed making the change from the beginning of 2024.
“My view is that from the beginning of 2024, Veikkaus’ income should be transferred to the state budget in the same way as, for example, Alko transfers its own dividends and income to the state budget, from which they are used for good purposes,” Kurvinen said.
Kurvinen said that he has reached the same position on the matter as a working group chaired by former Bank of Finland Governor Erkki Liikanen, which last spring proposed a comprehensive reform to divert gambling revenues to general government revenue and transfer current beneficiaries to the budget framework procedure.
The need for reform is due to Veikkaus’ declining income. This is due to a drop in slot machine revenues because of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as measures taken to tackle gambling addiction.
“Without a clear change and reform, we will find ourselves in a situation where the income of Veikkaus’ beneficiaries is constantly falling. This is about the income of Finnish science, culture, youth organisations and especially sports and exercise,” Kurvinen said.
According to Kurvinen, the distribution of Veikkaus revenues through the budget would bring predictability to cash flows, which is essential for beneficiaries.
“Recent years have shown that we are in a strange situation here: the success of a Finnish gaming company determines what kind of resources there are, for example, for top Finnish sports and youth sports or for high-level Finnish research. This creates a strange, uncertain situation,” Kurvinen said.
The problem with the new way of distributing Veikkaus, revenues has been that it would make the funding of beneficiaries dependent on political decision-making.
Kurvinen does not deny that the change would increase the role of political decision-making, but said he considers that a lesser evil than the uncertainty and funding cuts that lie ahead if no reforms are made.
“In the long run, however, it would be clearer and less problematic to make political value decisions than for the success of Veikkaus’ business to be the determining factor in how many opportunities there are for young researchers in Finland or how much art is funded in Finland,” Kurvinen said.
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Endorphina
Endorphina releases Zalatar online slot with Hold and Win jackpots
Endorphina has launched Zalatar, a new myths-and-legends themed online slot, expanding its recent run of fantasy-leaning releases.
The supplier said Zalatar is a 5-reel, 3-row game with 25 fixed paylines, 96.03% RTP and high volatility.
Feature-wise, Endorphina said the title includes a Mystery Pick ‘Em feature, three Hold And Win Bonus Games, and Scatter and Wild mechanics. During Hold And Win, the company said “colorful orbs” can award Collector and Multiplier functions, plus Min, Mid, Max, and Ultra Jackpots.
The game also includes Endorphina’s Risk Game, where the company said players can double wins up to 10 times by beating the dealer’s card.
Endorphina said Zalatar is available across mobile, tablet and desktop. The Prague-based supplier also reiterated that its portfolio includes “210+” slots and partnerships with “6,000+” operators worldwide.
The post Endorphina releases Zalatar online slot with Hold and Win jackpots appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
creator-economy
DuelBits says its Justin Gaethje UFC campaign drove 122m verified views
DuelBits says its JUSTIN2026 campaign with UFC fighter Justin Gaethje generated more than 122 million verified clip views and contributed to “one of DuelBits’ strongest UFC betting events in recent memory.” The operator said the campaign exceeded its KPI target of 100 million impressions and was distributed through a network of more than 140 creators.
The campaign was framed by DuelBits as a challenge to the industry’s common approach to athlete and influencer partnerships, arguing that many operators wait until an athlete’s commercial value peaks.
Jasper Hoekert, Chief Marketing Officer at DuelBits, said: “Too many operators approach ambassador partnerships as sponsorship deals. They wait until someone has already become one of the biggest names in sport before trying to work with them. At that point, everyone is competing for the same audience, the same inventory and the same headlines.”
Hoekert added: “The real opportunity is identifying athletes who perfectly align with your audience before they’re the obvious choice. If you genuinely believe in someone, you can build something together rather than simply renting their reputation once they’ve already made it.”
DuelBits said the JUSTIN2026 activation was built around a “premium hero film” supported by six short-form edits, behind-the-scenes videos and photography, with creator-led distribution across social media and MMA communities. The operator also said the flagship content was integrated into Gaethje’s “Art of Violence” YouTube series to extend the campaign beyond a single event window.
The company positioned distribution strategy as a key lever alongside content production. Hoekert said: “A brilliant piece of creative means very little if nobody sees it. We’ve reached a point where distribution deserves just as much strategic attention as the content itself. Working with creators, community pages, and trusted media partners allows campaigns to travel much further than relying on your own social channels alone.”
DuelBits also argued that modern KOL and ambassador campaigns should be assessed beyond top-line reach. “Views are an important benchmark because they show you’ve earned attention, but attention isn’t the finish line,” Hoekert said. “What matters is whether that attention drives action. In our case, we saw strong promotional code engagement alongside one of our best-performing UFC betting nights. That’s when you know the creative has delivered genuine business value rather than just impressive headline numbers.”
The post DuelBits says its Justin Gaethje UFC campaign drove 122m verified views appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
game launches
Play’n GO launches Reactoonz Blitzways with new Blitzways mechanic
Play’n GO has launched Reactoonz Blitzways
across its operator network, expanding the Reactoonz slot franchise with a new gameplay mechanic called Blitzways
. The release date is 23 July 2026.
The launch is also tied to a brand activation featuring Reactoonz character Garga, shown driving the TGR Haas F1 Team car ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, according to the company.
Ebba Arnred, Chief Marketing Officer at Play’n GO said: “The Reactoonz are some of the most recognisable characters in online gaming, and few franchises have the heritage, audience loyalty, and cultural significance that Reactoonz has built over the years.
“Reactoonz Blitzways
is about taking that legacy forward. We wanted to create something that feels immediately familiar to fans while introducing a genuinely new gameplay experience through Blitzways
. The result is a game that respects everything players love about Reactoonz while showing that great IP should never stand still.
“Garga’s journey perfectly reflects that philosophy. From space exploration to stepping into a Formula One car, we’re continuing to treat these characters as more than game symbols. They’re part of a living universe that can evolve, create stories, and connect with audiences in new ways. Reactoonz Blitzways
is the next chapter in that story, and we’re incredibly excited for players to experience it.”
Play’n GO said Blitzways
“seamlessly blends Dynamic Payways with Cluster Pays”. Each spin features between two and seven symbols landing on every reel, creating up to 16,807 Blitzways
. The company said wins are made via clusters connecting across at least three reels, with features including cascading wins, Wild creation, Bonus Symbols, the Cosmic Prize feature, and Free Spins with sticky and multiplier Wilds.
The post Play’n GO launches Reactoonz Blitzways with new Blitzways mechanic appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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