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Vixio announces the finalists for the 2023 Global Regulatory Awards
Now in its seventh year, the GRAs recognise and celebrate the achievements of individuals, teams and organisations across the gambling industry who have excelled in compliance, corporate social responsibility and safer gambling.
“We received a record number of submissions, making this year’s awards the most competitive since inception. The quality of nominations demonstrates how the industry views the importance of compliance and the ongoing requirement to maintain compliance excellence,” stated Mike Woolfrey, CEO of Vixio. “Thank you to the judging panel for your hard work and rigorous and independent judging to ensure the awards are hotly contested. Those who made the shortlist should consider this a significant achievement.” Woolfrey further stated.
The 2023 Global Regulatory Awards presentation will take place on November 29th at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Due to the popularity of the awards, tables will sell out fast. Vixio advises booking now to ensure you don’t miss out.
The official 2023 shortlist is as follows:
AML/MLR Professional of the Year
- Antonello Cuschieri, Greentube
- Camila Caresi, Pay4Fun
- Laura Kolens–Matley, Flutter Entertainment
- Ross Ferguson, Genting Casinos
Award for Commitment to Compliance by an Affiliate Company
- Better Collective
- Gambling.com Group
Award for Outstanding Contribution to Safer Gambling – Category Sponsor: San Manuel Tribal Gaming Commission
- 888 William Hill
- Betsmart Consulting
- Betting and Gaming Council
- Casino Guru
- DraftKings
- Entain
- EPIC Risk Management
- Gauselmann
- Genting Casinos
- Kaizen Gaming
- Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation
- YGAM
Award for Outstanding Individual Contribution to Responsible Gambling – Category Sponsor: BetConstruct
- Aaron GlynWilliams, Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation
- Anna Davies, Metropolitan Gaming
- Martin Lycka, Entain
- Paul Buck, EPIC Risk Management
Best Regulatory Law Firm of the Year
- Bird & Bird
- CCA Law Firm
- CMS
- Greenberg Traurig
- GTG Advocates
- Herzog Fox & Neeman
- Kyriakides Georgopoulos Law Firm
- RM Legal
- Segev LLP
- Simion & Baciu
Best Regulatory Lawyer or In–House Counsel of the Year
- Alcina de Oliveira Alves, CCA Law Firm
- Andy Danson, Bird & Bird
- Cosmina Maria Simion, Simion & Baciu
- Emeline d’Ollone, Catena Media
- Erica Okerberg, Greenberg Traurig
- Filipe Mayer, CCA Law Firm
- John Kyriakides and John Broupis, Kyriakides Georgopoulos Law Firm
- Matthew Plampton, Bally’s Interactive
- Sue Dawson, Light & Wonder
- Thalia Siamani, OKTO
Chief Compliance Officer of the Year – Category Sponsor: DraftKings
- Alex Henderson, GIMO
- Ashley Padgett, Flutter Entertainment
- David Webb, BetConstruct
- Jimmy Howard, Metropolitan Gaming
- Tom Cunningham, National Indian Gaming Commission
- Zeljka Perkovic, Huddle
Compliance Innovator of the Year
- ArdentSky
- Compliable
- Department of Trust
- Docaposte
- Neccton
- OneComply
- Pay4Fun
- SQR Group
Compliance Professional of the Year
- Blaine Preston, Light & Wonder
- Christina Thakor–Rankin, 1710 Gaming
- David Webb, BetConstruct
- Helen Davies, Flutter Entertainment
- Jessica Feil, OpenBet
- Jimmy Howard, Metropolitan Gaming
- Karine Kocharyan, BetConstruct
- Mike Robbins, Gaming Laboratories International
- Roxana Numa, Department of Trust
- Roxane Scicluna, Greentube
- Sara Condo, IGT
- Sarah–Jayne Van Greune, Ilixium
Compliance Rising Star Special Award
- Adelayo Banjo, Games Global
- Antoine Vandemoortele, Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation
- Daniel Spencer, EPIC Risk Management
- Jessica Keogh, Games Global
- Johannes Ingi Kolbeinsson, PAYSTRAX
- Melanie Dunmar, Design Works Gaming
- Oana–Adina Rusu, Greentube
- Thomas Zhong, IMG Arena
Compliance Team of the Year
- BetConstruct
- Estoril Sol Digital
- EveryMatrix
- Flutter Entertainment
- Gauselmann
- Genting Casinos
- Gaming Laboratories International
- Huddle Tech
- Kaizen Gaming
- Metropolitan Gaming
- Scientific Games
- Videoslots
Head of Regulatory Affairs/Government Relations of the Year
- Adam Torres, San Manuel Tribal Gaming Commission
- Antony Gevisser, Super Group
- Charmaine Hogan, Playtech
- David Foster, Entain
- Jessica Feil, OpenBet
Legal Team of the Year
- Campeón Gaming
- EveryMatrix
- Kambi
- Light & Wonder
- Oryx Gaming
- Paysafe
- Segev LLP
- Soft2Bet
Outstanding Contribution to Safer Game Design
- Design Works Gaming
- Light & Wonder
- Print Studios
Outstanding Contribution to Sports Betting Integrity Award
- Entain
- Flutter Entertainment
- Genius Sports
- Neccton
- Sportradar
Payment Service or Solution Provider of the Year
- Freemarket
- Ilixium
- OKTO
- Paramount Commerce
- Passport Technology
- Pay4Fun
- Paysafe
- PAYSTRAX
Regtech Provider of the Year
- BetConstruct
- Department of Trust
- Gaming Innovation Group
- GeoComply
- IDnow
- Mindway AI
- Neccton
- OneComply
- Playtech
- Rightlander
- SG:certified
- Synalogik
Regulatory Initiative of the Year – Category Sponsor: Docaposte
- DGOJ (Spain)
- iGaming Ontario
- San Manuel Tribal Gaming Commission
- Slovak Gambling Regulatory Authority
Responsible Approach to Advertising or Marketing Award
- Flutter Entertainment
- Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation
- Slovak Gambling Regulatory Authority
Responsible Gambling Service or Solution Provider of the Year – Category Sponsor: Kaizen Gaming
- Betknowmore UK
- Department of Trust
- EPIC Risk Management
- Focal Research Consultants Limited
- Gamban
- GamCare
- GBG
- Gordon Moody
- LexisNexis Risk Solutions
- Mindway AI
- Neccton
- YGAM
The 2023 recipient of the Compliance Lifetime Achievement Special Award, sponsored by eCogra, will be named via a separate special announcement prior to the Global Regulatory Awards ceremony.
BMM
BMM TESTLABS PROMOTES SACHA MCLAUGHLIN TO VICE PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL QUALITY ASSURANCE

BMM Testlabs, the world’s original gaming test lab renowned for exceptional product compliance and certification services, today announced the promotion of Sacha McLaughlin to Vice President of Global Quality Assurance.
BMM’s President of Land-Based Gaming & Inspections, Kirk White, said, “Sacha has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership, operational excellence, and a customer-first attitude. Her experience and passion will be critical as we continue to grow our QA services to meet the always-evolving needs of the global gaming industry.”
With over 18 years of experience in software implementation and seven years in the gaming industry, McLaughlin brings extensive knowledge of both agile and waterfall development methodologies, test planning, project management, and cross-regional team leadership. She is recognized for her ability to build and scale QA organizations that deliver quality, speed, and value to customers.
McLaughlin joined BMM in 2018 and has held roles of increasing responsibility within the Company, most recently serving as Senior Director of Quality Assurance. Throughout her tenure, she has been instrumental in expanding BMM’s QA capabilities and helping customers launch products into the global gaming market more quickly, with a focus on regulatory compliance, functionality, fairness, and security.
The post BMM TESTLABS PROMOTES SACHA MCLAUGHLIN TO VICE PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL QUALITY ASSURANCE appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Eastern Europe
Totogaming Joins Cernica Pantelimon RunFest: Not Just Present, But Fully Participating

“We weren’t just present — we were participants of Runfest. And that’s one of the most important aspects,” said Artak Ashkhatoyan, Deputy CEO of Totogaming.
On July 6, Totogaming joined the Cernica Pantelimon Runfest in Romania, once again emphasizing the importance of promoting amateur sports and a healthy lifestyle.
“Supporting such initiatives is a priority for TotoGaming. First, 50% of the proceeds from RunFest will be donated to the CLOVES Romania Foundation, supporting children affected by CLOVES Syndrome. And second, we’ve always believed in showing our passion for sports through actions, not just words. Have you noticed how we’re constantly rushing through life, yet when we look back, it often feels like we haven’t moved at all? It’s important for us to lead by example and show the importance of participation. This is exactly the message we’re promoting through our team’s active involvement in the marathon. After all, there can never be too much sport in our lives,” said TotoGaming’s Deputy CEO, Artak Ashkhatoyan.
A Simple Concept, a Powerful Impact
The concept of this sports event is straightforward: choose a distance between 1 to 21 kilometers and run. The goal? Make sport an integral part of everyday life. The crowd certainly embraced that, gathering as early as 8:30 a.m. — on a Sunday morning.
Totogaming contributed in two distinct capacities: as an official sponsor and as an active participant. A dedicated team of 13 employees represented the company at the Cernica Pantelimon RunFest, with 7 of them proudly taking part as runners.
More Than Just a Run
It wasn’t an easy challenge — especially because among Totogaming’s runners were people for whom running isn’t a daily habit, or even part of their life at all. Yet they couldn’t miss the opportunity, not least from the perspective of corporate responsibility.
“We just finished the 7.5-kilometer race!” shared Petrut-Adrian Toea from the Totogaming team.
“It was amazing, honestly. Around the 2-kilometer mark, I had this little battle with myself — I told myself I had to finish the race, no matter what. And I did it! I came in around 60th place out of over 100 runners, which for me is a really good result.”
“I see my participation as a small contribution toward promoting a healthy lifestyle. In my close circle, everyone knows I’m not exactly the sporty type. I’m not athletic, and I usually prefer having fun in other ways. But showing up here, early in the morning, in this intense heat, and completing almost 8 kilometers with just one short break — I think it set a good example.”
“I hope seeing someone like me finish this challenge motivates my friends to try something similar for their own health. I believe that’s a meaningful contribution”, – added Petrut-Andrea.
Totogaming also made it possible for every attendee to bring sport into their lives — quite literally. At the Totogaming tent, participants could ride stationary bikes and receive prizes based on the number of points they earned through their efforts.
Whether they were running, cycling, or simply cheering for friends, the goal for everyone was the same: to reach the destination of champions — by bringing sport into everyday life.
The post Totogaming Joins Cernica Pantelimon RunFest: Not Just Present, But Fully Participating appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
AI
Liftoff’s 2025 Mobile Ad Creative Index Reveals UGC Is a Key Differentiator for Top Apps

Major findings from the newly launched report include playable ads having the potential to deliver impression-to-install rates 16 times that of non-playable formats for emerging gaming apps and a 20% increase in spending on interactive ads year over year.
Liftoff, a leading AI-enabled growth platform for the mobile app economy, has published its seventh annual Mobile Ad Creative Index. The report explores top creative trends that are attracting and scaling in ad spend across consumer apps and games. It also highlights the expanding role of AI in creative production, testing, and optimization.
This year’s Mobile Ad Creative Index specifically analyzes creative concepts that have excelled in scale for Liftoff’s highest-spending advertisers over the past 12 to 48 months. It is based on findings from over 4.7 trillion impressions, 263 billion clicks, and 1.1 billion installs between 1 January 2023 and 31 May 2025.
Highlights from the report include:
Top consumer apps are investing in interactive ads to compete for engagement
In 2024, the share of spend on interactive ads for top apps increased by 20% year over year. The share of spend increased by 2% for spenders outside the top tier. Top-spending apps differentiate their campaigns by adding innovations to evergreen concepts such as social scrollers, carousels, and scratch-offs.
Playable ads deliver returns across ad budgets for mobile game advertisers
In 2024, the share of spend on playable ads for top games averaged 35% higher than other games. Across all ad budgets, however, playable ads delivered higher conversion rates. Impression-to-install rates were 8 times that of non-playable formats for top spenders and 16 times that of non-playable formats for other game advertisers.
Tailoring “metaplay” elements to motivations can improve performance
“Metaplay” elements—gameplay that diverges from an app’s core design to appeal to a broader audience—are widespread, but top games gain an edge by tailoring their metaplay ads to the publisher audience. The report found that aligning “metaplay” creative with publisher audiences resulted in a 93% increase in installs-per-mille.
UGC is becoming a key differentiator in driving scale for consumer apps
The share of spend on user-generated content (UGC) increased 11% for top-spending apps, with social and utility apps seeing the most significant jump of nearly 30% between 2023 and 2024.
Widespread adoption of Gen AI leads to more customized ad experiences
Creative teams increasingly leverage AI to enhance top-performing assets with 3D and motion and to create and test variations. Top advertisers also use AI to recombine their assets in customized ad experiences that break away from standard video to playable formats.
Yann Zeller, Chief of Staff, Creative at Liftoff, said: “Today’s creative landscape is shaped by a single, powerful truth: attention is the commodity, and brands, games, and influencers are all vying for it. Great mobile ad experiences can earn attention by aligning context with behavior. As ad formats become richer and AI expands our ability to personalize and adapt creatives at scale, we’re able to unlock new insights into user behavior and motivation. We see users spend meaningful stretches with the right content, sometimes 60 to 90 seconds when the ad feels personal or prompts meaningful participation. This isn’t just a better way to advertise—it’s a better way to tell stories and the most exciting brief we’ve had in years.”
Soren Steelquist, Director of Creative Production, said: “The proof is in the data—more and more consumer apps are incorporating UGC into every stage of their marketing, and programmatic is no different. UGC works because it’s authentic and relatable, and users are more likely to be influenced by ad when it’s coming from a trustworthy source. To see higher impact from UGC creatives, work with a partner that can match the right creator with your brand and develop winning concepts that resonate with audiences.”
The post Liftoff’s 2025 Mobile Ad Creative Index Reveals UGC Is a Key Differentiator for Top Apps appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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