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Innovation nurtures talents: PlanetPay365 offers two employees an experience at Viola Park’s Fiorentina Training Center
SKS365, through its multiservice platform PlanetPay365, partner of ACF Fiorentina – gifted two of its employees, Giuliano Ragno (Retail Tech Manager) and Nebojsa Nisavic (Automation Quality Assurance Engineer) with a unique experience characterized by technological innovation, inclusion, and talent growth under the common theme of sports, as they were guests for a day at Viola Park, the brand-new home of the Tuscan club.
The two winners of a special internal contest among the company’s employees had the opportunity to enter into the heart of one of the most advanced sports centres in Europe, noticing at Viola Park those same elements of technological innovation and inclusivity that distinguish the SKS365 entity, where approximately 600 people from over 20 different nationalities coexist across the four offices of the group (Italy, Serbia, Malta, and Austria).
From the training pitches of the Youth team and the Women’s team to the Media Center, from the TV studio to the Villa, the office of President Rocco Commisso, to the meeting points of the athletes such as the canteen, the gym, and the bar. Throughout the day, Giuliano and Nebojsa, guided by the staff of ACF Fiorentina, were able to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of Viola Park and live a 360-degree experience, by visiting 10 different locations of the sports center.
The highlight of the special tour was the meeting with some of the most important members of ACF Fiorentina. Ragno and Nisavic had the privilege of receiving Fiorentina jerseys from Nicolas Burdisso, Technical Director of ACF Fiorentina, and getting to know the team’s Match Analyst, who shared valuable insights with them on the technical-tactical analysis of the performances of the Viola players, emphasizing the importance of the work of each club member to achieve team success.
To end in style the day, the two employees were allowed to watch the first team’s training from a privileged position and meet some of the most representative players of ACF Fiorentina at the end of the session, including Andrea Belotti and Nico Gonzalez and take some photos too. In particular, Nebojsa, who works at the Belgrade office of SKS365, was excited to meet in person the defender of Fiorentina and of the Serbian national team Nikola Milenkovic, thus completing a truly unforgettable experience.
“I’m really thrilled”, comments Nebojsa Nisavic. “It was all fantastic: so many football pitches, auxiliary facilities in a magnificent environment and in a stunning location. I’m truly speechless”. For him, the trip had an even greater significance, as it was his first time in Italy. “It’s more than I expected. Italy is beautiful, I’m amazed by the nature, the people, and their hospitality. I thank SKS365 and PlanetPay365 for giving me this fantastic opportunity”.
“I come from years of sports, and visiting such an innovative facility, fully dedicated to football, was wonderful”, says Giuliano Ragno. “Understanding the mechanisms, assisting at the training, and everything revolving around such an important team was fantastic”.
“SKS365 and Fiorentina share the same values and drive for innovation that contributes to the creation of new ideas and products”, explains Gianfranco Pastore, Head of Sponsorships & Partnerships at SKS365. “With PlanetPay365, our brand of high-value-added services with high technological value, we have been Official Value-Added Service Partners of Fiorentina for three years, and we are happy to be here. At Viola Park, we find the same processes that we experience in our company for sharing ideas and living together, two points that encourage creative and operational processes”.
“We often connect the concept of innovation with technology. Many times, however, as happens at Viola Park, it can also be connected to rethinking behaviors, processes, and relationships differently from the past. Our sports center rewards the values of gender and generational inclusion and brings together all these values”, adds Enrico Peruzzo, Revenue Director of ACF Fiorentina.
“The first feeling is that of pride in working here, of being part of this family that had the great idea of thinking of a sports center like this”, continues Nicolás Burdisso, Technical Director of ACF Fiorentina. “On a practical level, this is reflected in the quality of work in the ranking, in the performance, and above all in generating a great sense of belonging. The fact that we are always together, that we bring together the youth team, or the women’s team, with the Serie A players – who represent the end point and with whom everyone can identify – is one of the dynamics that we should stimulate”.
The employer branding initiative of SKS365 at Viola Park further testifies the company’s commitment to creating a positive and engaging work environment, where the growth and the development of talents are fundamental aspects to achieve company successes.
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Carlo Santarelli
Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. Names Carlo Santarelli Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations

Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. announced that Carlo Santarelli has been appointed Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations, a new position at the Company. Mr. Santarelli will begin his new position on August 18, 2025 and will report to GLPI President and Chief Operating Officer, Brandon Moore.
Mr. Santarelli brings over 25 years of Wall Street experience in Equity Research and Investment Banking to his new role and joins the Company from Deutsche Bank where he was Managing Director of Gaming & Lodging Equity Research. Prior to Deutsche Bank, Mr. Santarelli held similar positions at Bear Stearns, JP Morgan and Wells Fargo. He consistently ranked highly in Institutional Investor and other sell-side analyst research polls as a thought leader in the space, providing unique perspectives on industry events and trends with his data-driven approach and stock picking talent. Carlo Santarelli graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Economics in 2000.
Peter Carlino, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GLPI, said: “We’ve known and respected Carlo’s research work on the gaming, lodging and gaming REIT sectors for many years. Carlo brings to GLPI an in-depth knowledge of the industry and its participants, having experienced GLPI’s original formation of the gaming triple-net-REIT structure from a research analyst and capital markets perspective. We value his deep network of contacts among institutional investors, sell-side analysts and a wide range of gaming industry operators and we look forward to the value of his contributions.”
In his new role, Mr. Santarelli will work with Mr. Carlino and GLPI’s senior management to develop and evaluate growth opportunities and strategic relationships, and will oversee investor relations interactions.
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Industry News
VIP Play Announces Departure of Chief Financial Officer

VIP Play, a technology-driven leader in interactive consumer engagement, announced that Jim Mackey, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, will step down from his role, effective August 8, 2025.
The Company has initiated a transition process and is in the process of identifying a successor. Mackey will assist in an orderly transition over the coming weeks.
“We thank Jim for his contributions to the Company, particularly during a transformative period for our business. We remain focused on executing our strategic priorities, including financial visibility, operating efficiency, and delivering value to our stakeholders,” said Les Ottolenghi, CEO of VIP Play.
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eSports
Esports Charts Becomes Official Viewership Analytics Partner of StarLadder Budapest Major 2025

Esports Charts, the leading esports viewership analytics provider, has partnered with StarLadder, a pioneering tournament organiser. The Budapest Major 2025 marks a highly anticipated comeback for StarLadder, as it is their first Counter-Strike Major since 2019 and a significant return to the top-tier esports arena.
As the official analytics partner of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, Esports Charts will provide comprehensive, real-time audience data and insights throughout the event. This will empower organisers, teams, sponsors and fans with unparalleled transparency and a deeper understanding of the tournament’s global reach.
Artyom Odintsov, Co-founder and CEO of Esports Charts, said: “We are thrilled and proud to provide viewership analytics for StarLadder for the Budapest Major 2025. Since both Esports Charts and StarLadder are Ukraine-born companies, we share similar values and deal with similar challenges, which brings us even closer.
“It’s genuinely exciting to follow how viewership will develop at this Major. But knowing the expertise, drive, and passion that the organizers are bringing, I have no doubt we’ll witness some incredible things happen in Budapest.
“Esports Charts has always been driven by a mission to provide the esports community with accurate, actionable data, and we look forward to showcasing the impact and audience engagement of this world-class event.”
StarLadder has been a driving force in global esports for almost 15 years now, since hosting its first tournaments in 2011. Renowned for its innovation and reliability, the company has organised some of the industry’s most iconic events. These include the StarLadder Berlin Major 2019, which accumulated over 44 million hours watched and remains in the top 10 CS events by this metric, and the legendary StarSeries tournaments which started back in 2012.
Viacheslav Shcherbakov, Sales and Partnerships at StarLadder, said: “We’ve been working with Esports Charts since their founding and have always valued their professionalism and integrity. In a market where reliable data is essential, Esports Charts provides honest, transparent numbers, exactly the kind of insights sponsors and stakeholders rely on when assessing the potential reach of a World Championship event.
“We’re confident that this partnership will result in a high-quality analysis of our tournament’s performance and the audience data we’ll report to our partners. It’s a collaboration built on trust, shared values, and a deep understanding of what it takes to elevate esports to the next level.”
The Starladder Budapest Major 2025 will be held from November 24 to December 14 in Budapest, Hungary. The event will bring together the world’s top 32 Counter-Strike 2 teams to compete for a $1.25 million prize pool and one of the most prestigious titles in esports.
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