Leading SkillOnNet brand PlayOJO has reunited with creative agency Isobel for the second phase of its global ‘It’s Alive’ campaign, which continues to push creative boundaries in the online gaming sector with a playful undead twist.

The new ad takes the excitement of our original 2023 ‘monster’ campaign to new heights and showcases the fun of PlayOJO’s live casino games, breathing life into a spooky graveyard and transforming it into the electrifying world of PlayOJO live casino. In this captivating ad, we see hands playfully come to life from the ground, infused with the spirit of PlayOJO’s live casino and live gameshow experience.

The campaign launches in the UK on 29^th July across TV and digital channels, before expanding to Spain, Canada, and Latam before the end of the year. It will go out on linear TV (Sky, Channel 4, ITV) and BVOD, as well as social and digital channels.

The concept is aimed at a live casino audience and forms part of a wider marketing strategy designed to reinforce PlayOJO’s unique positioning as the fun, fair and truly entertaining alternative in the online casino space.

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Rob Fletcher, founder at Isobel, said: “This was a brilliant opportunity to extend a distinctive creative story that’s already created a buzz. The new film keeps the unexpected charm of ‘Monster’ but ramps up the fun even further with zombie hands, neon lights, and a party in a graveyard. We wanted to show that when it comes to live casino, PlayOJO doesn’t just play differently, it comes alive.”

Peter Bennett, CMO at PlayOJO, said: “In a category that often leans heavily on clichés and indistinct messaging, standing out creatively is essential, it’s also a key part of our brand strategy. Our work with Isobel has helped us build a creative platform that’s bold and memorable, but also consistent with our brand and commercially effective. The ‘It’s Alive’ campaign reflects our commitment to entertaining our players in ways that are as unconventional as they are on-brand.”

Five teams have convinced the Games Lift awarding committee of the potential of their game projects.  On September 8, the Games Lift incubator will launch its next round, supporting teams with a one-year workshop and mentoring program featuring input from international industry experts and 15,000 euros in financial support. More than 30 experts from the Games Lift Network will share their experience with the teams and provide professional and tailored support for the game projects. In addition to the extensive exchange, mentoring, and many workshops, the teams will travel to an international industry event together. This combination of benefits makes Games Lift unique as an incubator for games in Germany. The Games Lift Incubator is organized and run by Gamecity Hamburg on behalf of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.

In its sixth year since its introduction, a total of 43 teams and solo developers applied to participate in the Games Lift Incubator – more than twice as many as in previous years. The decision on the five participating teams was made by the award committee, consisting of Kristin von der Wense (Publishing Producer, Daedalic Entertainment), Ole Schaper (Managing Director, The Sandbox Hamburg (Sviper GmbH)), Heiko Gogolin (Managing Director, Rocket Beans Entertainment), and Tobias Graff (Co-Founder Mooneye Studios).

Margarete Schneider, Project Manager at Gamecity Hamburg and also part of the selection committee, said: “We are delighted about the rising awareness and popularity of Games Lift – this year we received applications from seven countries and three continents. However, we also see the growing demand as a sign that, in the current industry situation, low-threshold support programs such as the Games Lift Incubator are becoming even more important. We are therefore very pleased to accompany five Hamburg teams on their way to the successful release of their first title.”

The five games and teams for the Games Lift Incubator 2025 are:

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• The Wrong Horse by Sharon Sacks & Vincent Will
• Encaged and Ungraded by Leif Gutowski
• Fading Skies by Distant Blue
• Phasmopass by Curio Compass
• Project: Slimepot by Calluna Games

The Wrong Horse is a colorful murder mystery adventure set at a horse racing track. As a journalist, it is the player’s task to uncover the secrets surrounding the mysterious death of a jockey and identify the perpetrator.

Encaged and Ungraded is a mixture of anomaly horror and job simulation. A shady company forces players into the role of a card grader, where they check various cards for authenticity and quality. But soon, players find themselves searching for eerie and dangerous anomalies – and hopefully they can make it through to the end of their shift.

Fading Skies revives the charm of the PS2 and GameCube era by combining classic 3D platforming with modern action RPG elements. As Ryn, a young woman accompanied by a small magical dragon, players travel through a broken world full of secrets. The mission is to stop the planet’s decay and confront the shadows of a forgotten past.

Phasmopass is a turn-based roguelite. Players lead a team of humans trapped in a never-ending volleyball reality show against ghostly opponents. Powerful items and pacts with other ghosts help players win tournaments to escape the dystopian city of Limbo!

Project: Slimepot (working title) is an action-adventure game in which players explore a dungeon full of monsters, turn them into dishes, and serve them to guests in their tavern. Here, exciting dungeon crawling meets creative cooking and relaxed tavern management.

Inspired Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: INSE), a leading B2B provider of gaming content, systems, and solutions, has announced the release of three new online slot titles this July across UK and Malta iGaming  jurisdictions: Chili Poppers™, Bichos Mágicos™, and Bigger Piggy Bank™. Each title is designed to provide distinctive gameplay experiences while delivering strong performance for operators.

Chili Poppers is a spicy, Mexican-themed descendant of the popular Happy Fortune Dragon™, featuring a 5×3 layout with 10 win-lines. Building on proven mechanics, the game introduces pseudo-persistent pots that grow with every Chili Pepper symbol on the centre reel, triggering one of three key features: coin boosts, multipliers, or Free Spins. With locked Wilds and persistent enhancements during Free Spins, Chili Poppers offers explosive win potential and player engagement.

Bichos Mágicos is Inspired first Brazilian Portuguese game. It brings vibrant, cartoon-style charm to an 8-symbol scatter-pays mechanic and fun cascading wins. Multipliers ranging from 2x to 10x can drop throughout the gameplay, culminating in a Mystery Multiplier worth up to 500x after cascades end. Designed for casual players, the game also includes Bonus Buy and Fortune Bet features, giving users more control and faster access to the game’s high-energy Bonus round.

Bigger Piggy Bank, the sequel to Inspired’s successful Big Piggy Bank™, enhances the original’s popular cash collector mechanic with fresh features and more fun ways to win. Players are rewarded with big wins when Collector symbols land on reel five, randomly triggering a Bonus Wheel that offers Free Spins, Prize Pots, or Golden Piggy Free Spins. With the chance to land oversized symbols, Prize Pot Tokens, and a coveted Grand Prize, Bigger Piggy Bank delivers an engaging experience. For added control, players can use the Bonus Buy feature to enter the Bonus directly and Fortune Spins for the opportunity to focus on collecting piggy wins. The Gamble feature allows players to risk their base game wins to win more cash or trigger the bonus game.

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Claire Osborne, Vice President of Interactive at Inspired Entertainment, said: “Inspired’s July lineup showcases an exciting portfolio of new content designed for worldwide success, that’s packed with variety and innovative ways to win. Each title combines proven mechanics with exciting features that we’re confident will resonate across diverse markets, this summer and beyond.”