A senior Clarion Gaming team led by Director of Industry Insight and Engagement, Ewa Bakun has been invited to speak at the Gaming in Spain conference, organised by Willem van Oort and taking place in Madrid on 26 June.

The presentation which will also see contributions from Clarion Gaming’s Liliana Costa, has the working title AI on ICE – cooperating with the Spanish and global research institutions to understand the impacts of Artificial Intelligence in the sector.

Looking ahead to the event Ewa Bakun said: “The invitation to speak at Gaming In Spain provides a perfect environment to officially introduce the ICE Research Institute  which as part of its remit is funding academic exploration of  AI ethics and applications in the gambling sector.

“As part of the relocation of ICE from London to Barcelona, Clarion Gaming together with Fira Barcelona have agreed a programme of collaboration with the objective of building a legacy which goes beyond the very significant economic impact of staging the world’s biggest gambling technology show in the city.

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“An annual investment fund has been allocated with the ICE Research Institute (IRI) offering grants to scientific and academic institutions to fund research on prevention and sustainability.

“The IRI is investing in research that generates hard data and provides a robust scientific base to inform decision making. Working closely with institutional stakeholders both in Spain and on the international stage the ICE Research Institute will promote cross-border scientific cooperation to ensure the ethical adoption of AI in the gambling industry.”

Gaming in Spain founder Willem van Oort, creator of the successful Gaming in Holland and Gaming in Germany communities said: “Gaming In Spain provides essential business intelligence on the Spanish iGaming market and I am delighted to be able to include Ewa and colleagues from Clarion Gaming to provide an update on the work that’s being undertaken by the ICE Research Institute.

“The vision is to foster closer cooperation between research institutions and the industry resulting in evidence-based decisions and debates. The ethical adoption of AI in gambling is arguably one of the most contentious and topical debates impacting the industry and I am looking forward to learn more about the pioneering work being supported by the ICE Research Institute as part of the ICE Legacy Project.”

A survey of SPFL players that attended the competition’s new gambling harm prevention education programme has shown that 96% of players are now confident that they know where to seek support if they are worried about their gambling behaviour, thanks to the knowledge provided to them as part of William Hill’s first season as title sponsors.

With the intention of ensuring that players and staff across all four divisions understand the importance of safer gambling, the programme has reached nearly 800 players and a further 160 staff members, as 37 clubs hosted talks during the 2024/25 season from two former professional footballers with their own past issues of gambling-related harm to share.

The two ex-pros – former Wales U21 and Wrexham striker Marc Williams and Scotland-capped former Liverpool defender Dominic Matteo – were seconded to clubs by EPIC Global Solutions; leaders in gambling harm prevention whose client base includes all 72 EFL clubs, MLB teams and the vast NCAA college sports network.

As a result of the sessions, alongside virtually every player now knowing where to seek support if they are worried about their gambling behaviour, 93% confirmed they now have a good or excellent level of awareness of professional athletes’ vulnerability to harmful gambling – an increase from 70% having that level of knowledge before the session.

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The same post-session figure – 93% – also believed they had a good or excellent level of awareness around gambling and professional integrity, which rose from 74% before the session.

Neil Doncaster, SPFL group chief executive, said: “These figures show the real impact that EPIC’s gambling harm awareness programme has had with SPFL clubs and its players, which is great to see.

“We’ve had extremely positive feedback from our members on how informative the sessions have been and it’s excellent it has reached so many players and staff members across our game in its first season.

“We’re proud to continue to support this partnership alongside William Hill and look forward to seeing it develop further in the seasons ahead.”

Among the players to take part in the series of talks was Hibernian’s Kieron Bowie, who made his Scotland debut in Monday’s 4-0 win over Liechtenstein. Speaking after hearing how Marc Williams’ professional career was affected by issues with problem gambling, he admitted:

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“In this industry, obviously you have a lot of free time; you’re in hotels overnight or you’re away on international duty and you’re left to your own devices, doing whatever on your phone. It’s easy to get roped into that, especially in this environment where there’s a lot of gambling, like cards on the buses and all that sort of stuff, so it’s easily done.  

“I think seeing what he went through just reassures that that’s not the path you want to go down.”

The education programme will continue for a second season in 2025/26, with a focus on extending the audience to include SPFL clubs’ academies and women’s squads, as well as engaging with community trusts and supporter groups to ensure the message is also accessible to fans of all 42 clubs.

Per Widerstrom, CEO of evoke, the parent group of William Hill, said: “The education programme is a fundamental element of our sponsorship. It’s really important that we balance the passion of players and fans with gambling responsibly, and I am delighted to see such good progress made during our first year of sponsorship. 

“We now look forward to next season and extending the programme to academies, women’s squads and supporters”

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Five years ago, VALORANT arrived in South Asia with a simple promise: to deliver clutch gameplay and high-octane FPS hero shooter action. What followed was far more – late-night team talks in dorm rooms, friendships built in cyber cafes, taunts turned into inside jokes, and a vibrant community that made the game unmistakably their own. This month, on VALORANT’s 5th anniversary, Riot Games brought that journey full circle with V5, a campaign built as a tribute to every South Asian player who made VALORANT more than just a game.

V5 was designed to be a true reflection of the players, a campaign that lived in the same spaces they do: on their campuses, in their cafes, and on their timelines. Rooted in cultural nuance, it celebrated the reality of the player experience through animated shorts based on real stories, UGC-driven content, murals, college activations, and a host of community-driven celebrations. 

“V5 is our ‘Thank You’ to a generation of players who made VALORANT their own,” said Arun Rajappa, Country Manager, Riot Games India & South Asia. “Whether you’re top-fragging in ranked matches or reminiscing over your first LAN, this campaign is about your story. We wanted V5 to reflect the unique way South Asia has embraced VALORANT. The response has been uplifting, and it only reinforces why we build with community at the center.”

At the heart of it all was the V5 key visual, a vibrant and colorful tapestry of South Asian gaming culture. It was as much about memory as it was about mood: a steaming cup of chai to honor the all-nighters, subtle nods to LAN café setups that birthed both rivalries and friendships, and the unmistakable “NHK?” (“Nahi ho raha kya?”) jibe, which has become part of the everyday VALORANT vocabulary across the region. This logo was a visual time capsule, recognizable, relatable, and a proud representation of the region’s gaming culture..

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As part of V5’s on-ground presence, Riot reimagined the streets of Mumbai, Delhi, Gurgaon, and Kota with an OOH (Out-of-Home) campaign that didn’t just speak to the community, it spoke like them. Across Gurgaon, Mumbai, and Delhi, LED billboards lit up with iconic in-game callouts like the playful jibe “Kal aana kal” and the ever-reliable pre-round “Skin dede bro!” phrases that have become part of everyday VALORANT banter. In Kota, the campaign took a hyperlocal twist, with traditional billboards across high-traffic areas. What made the campaign stand out was that these callouts weren’t just written for the community; they were voted on by them, turning the streets into shared arenas of recognition and pride.

One of the most timely and playful moments of the V5 campaign landed on June 2 — the day IIT-JEE Mains results were announced, a high-pressure milestone for millions of students across India. Seizing this cultural flashpoint, Riot rolled out ‘VAL Toppers’, a cheeky twist on the way coaching centres in cities like Kota celebrate academic success. But instead of JEE rankers, these billboards spotlighted Radiant-ranked VALORANT players, honoring them with the same visual fanfare usually reserved for exam toppers. With VAL Toppers, Riot offered a tongue-in-cheek nod to South Asia’s competitive spirit, proving that top-tier aim and top-tier ambition can shine in very different arenas.

The campaign made its presence felt at the VCSA Split 2 finals, where VALORANT set up an open-access booth at the Phoenix Market City, Mumbai. Visitors, many new to the game, got hands-on with VALORANT and a lot of exciting swag like custom marshmallows featuring their favourite agents and t-shirts capturing elements of V5. It was a low-barrier, high-impact entry point that turned casual curiosity into active interest.

To close the campaign, Riot hosted V5 Game Night at ApeCity, India’s first org-led gaming cafe in Navi Mumbai, transforming it into a celebration zone with friendly showmatches, video games, and a comedy set by popular comic Raunaq Rajani. It was a final nod to the players who built the community and a call to those who’ll define what comes next.

According to the Lumikai State of India Interactive Media and Gaming Report FY24, India’s gaming market generated $3.8 billion in FY24 and is projected to grow to $9.2 billion by FY29. With 66% of gamers coming from non-metro cities and 43% being first-time earners aged 18–30, the data reflects gaming’s growing cultural and economic weight. V5 is a reflection of this moment, when games stop being pastimes and start becoming part of how an entire generation communicates, celebrates, and connects.

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V5 ultimately proved that VALORANT in South Asia is lived, embedded in comms, cafe walls, student timetables, and weekend routines. And now, it has cemented its place in India’s entertainment mainstream.