Central Europe
Pixel Federation goes back to Slovakian roots to ramp up its successful CSR strategy
The largest game developer in Slovakia, Pixel Federation, has spent the last 14 years growing successfully, now boasting a staggering €47.8m annual revenue in 2020 and 120 million loyal players across international markets, however it has also consistently dedicated itself to contributing to Slovakia’s development. A strong focus on responsible business strategy has always been key to Pixel Federation’s operations and supporting its hometown of Bratislava was core to the CSR. Pixel rose admirably to the challenge of the pandemic, with focus splitting from its long-standing education and innovative development, towards fundraising resources for frontline workers, and now Pixel is adapting its CSR strategy once again, to focus on the environment.
Actively contributing to the green fight swept the games industry last Summer, with initiatives such as Playing for the Planet and Green Game Jams pointing the spotlight onto the impact gamers and respective developers can have on global issues. A sector heavily scrutinised for its environmental footprint and carbon waste, it was an important step for game developers to take towards counteracting their global footprint and joining together to conserve the environment. For Pixel Federation staff and expansive player communities, doing their bit for the planet continues to be a poignant issue and so the company has pledged to dedicate a large portion of its upcoming CSR to a number of environmental projects.
“Education, the environment, culture and sport are still only an appendix on the edge of many Slovakians’ understanding of life skills. It’s a long-term and unchanged situation in non-strength sectors as they don’t have a quick return on investment. We want to ensure that the Slovakia we leave behind is better than the one we were born into,” says Co-Founder, CSR Strategy lead and CLO, Lucia Šickova.
Breath of fresh air
Pixel Federation is a company rooted in strong community values, and the call from the players and staff was clear; the environment is key to our greater survival, and a worthwhile and meaningful investment. Rolling up its sleeves to get back to its founding roots, the company chose to collaborate with Bratislava city on the 10,000 trees project, the first 12 of which, planted through this green initiative, already stand proud on Šancova Street in Bratislava.
“I see this activity as a partnership with the city. Our motivation is not personal or corporate PR, our motivation is impact and something that will outlive all of us,” comments Co-Founder and former CEO, Šimon Šicko
Alongside dedicating time and funds to the 10,000 trees project, Pixel Federation will also work closely with BROZ (Bratislava Regional Conservation Association) which brings together professional conservationists dedicated to the protection and restoration of rare habitats in the Slovakian mountain range, Little Carpathians. These mountains are victim to extensive felling, often of healthy trees, leaving behind a sparse and barren environment. Funding from Pixel Federation will be used to mark healthy trees for forest rescue and rejuvenation of the local habitat.
With these projects already underway, Lucia is determined that Pixel Federation’s support for wider efforts won’t be fixed, to allow for spontaneous aid where needed. “Our CSR strategy has always been a combination of long-term, consistent support for the projects we believe in, as well as one-time support for efforts we see as an urgent need. In recent years, we have also supported the Kramáre Hospital, the well-known Red Nose initiative, and focused our efforts to fundraise for frontline workers when the COVID-19 pandemic first hit Slovakia,” affirms Lucia.
The results stand firm
At the birth of Pixel Federation’s charitable ventures, the main ambition was to raise awareness of gaming and provide opportunities for young people to encourage fostering creativity and innovative skills, a field that Slovakian education at the time did not consider worthwhile.
Pixel’s first education project was the Butterfly Effect: a unique and highly valued platform across the nation where successful Slovakian digital companies such as Sygic, Leaf, HubHub and Pixel Federation share their knowledge with young people, and the results are impressive. More than 130 programme graduates have successfully created 22 products and produced four new start-ups full of enthusiastic young talent. With long-term financial support from Pixel Federation, the dedicated people behind Edulienka were able to create a standardized education system that focuses on innovative and comprehensive development of 21st century skills in socially disadvantaged children. Distributed amongst a number of schools in Slovakia, Pixel’s time and funds supported this project to ensure the expansion of the first school from 15 to 100 pupils and enabled those from socially disadvantaged families to study.
Pixel Federation also initiated the pandemic driven platform Who will help Slovakia to aid Slovak medical facilities in the face of COVID-19. Together with a number of other parties, Pixel launched a nationwide fundraising project in a record time of just a few days, gaining wider support from several companies including tech giant Amazon, ČSOB Foundation and many others. In total, Who will help Slovakia, headed by Pixel Federation, successfully raised an incredible fund of more than €1.4 million.
There is little doubt that the results Pixel has derived from its dedication to supporting development within Slovakia speak for themselves. The education projects alone have enabled hundreds of students to develop otherwise unattainable life skills and helped transform Slovakia into a gaming industry to be reckoned with.
SOFTSWISS, a global tech supplier of software for the iGaming industry, along with its employees, has actively aided communities affected by the recent flooding in Southern Poland.
In September, Storm Boris brought devastating floods to Central and Eastern Europe, causing widespread damage. Torrential rains left thousands of homes submerged, severely impacting numerous cities in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Romania. In Poland, the southern regions were hit the hardest, with dozens of towns requiring urgent evacuations and support for affected communities.
To provide immediate relief, SOFTSWISS made a financial donation to the Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy, a well-known Polish charity organisation. SOFTSWISS has two development offices in Poland, allowing employees to quickly join the relief efforts and offer their assistance during the flood.
Under the company’s coordination, Polish employees packed boxes of over 100 kilograms of essential items, including food, hygiene products, and necessities such as matches, candles, and batteries. SOFTSWISS handed these supplies to Caritas Polska, a charitable organisation spearheading relief efforts for the affected areas.
Earlier this year, SOFTSWISS also organised a large-scale charity and awareness campaign to support flood-hit regions in Brazil.
“Unfortunately, natural disasters happen, and we don’t want to stand idly by. We strive to help in any way we can. This aligns with one of our core values, We See People, which applies not only to our employees. We always see the people beyond the business, and I believe our ESG initiatives reflect this,” said Natalia Perkowska, Deputy Chief HR Officer at SOFTSWISS.
The aid campaigns in Poland and Brazil are part of SOFTSWISS’ broader global strategy focused on social responsibility and sustainable development (ESG). The company also dedicates to long-term social and environmental projects, with notable initiatives such as participation in World Environment Day, Pink October, Movember, and various environmental protection efforts.
Recently, SOFTSWISS was recognised as The Best Employer of 2024 at the SBC Awards.
About SOFTSWISS
SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience in developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS holds a number of gaming licences and provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Online Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 23,500 casino games, the Affilka Affiliate Platform, the Sportsbook Software and the Jackpot Aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS revolutionised the industry by introducing the world’s first Bitcoin-optimised online casino solution. The expert team, based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia, counts over 2,000 employees.
The post SOFTSWISS Steps In to Assist Southern Poland After Severe Flooding appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Relax Gaming, the iGaming aggregator and supplier of unique content, has enhanced its European presence by making its debut in Switzerland with leading operator Grand Casino Luzern and its online platform, mycasino.
This partnership with Relax will see the supplier’s award-winning portfolio of games including Banana Town, Money Train and Wild Chapo now available to Swiss players with more titles to follow.
Founded in 2019, mycasino is operated by Grand Casino Luzern, a renowned casino operator in the heart of Switzerland.
The country’s leading online casino boasts a cutting-edge offering with exclusive titles regularly being added, as well as seamless deposit and withdrawal functionality. With its commitment to safety, innovation, and superior customer experience, mycasino offers a secure and enjoyable online gaming experiences for Swiss players.
The Swiss market marks the twenty-third global jurisdiction that Relax Gaming now operates in after passing the stringent regulatory processes and obtaining approval from Federal Gaming Board (FGB).
This is Relax’s latest step in extending its reach across Europe with further plans to increase its footprint with additional partnerships planned over the continent in the near future.
Martin Stålros, CEO of Relax Gaming, said: “Our continued growth across the globe is something we are all incredibly proud of. The Swiss market presents many interesting opportunities and I believe we have the right content to appeal to the passionate audience.”
Alexia Smilovic Rønde, Chief Regulatory Officer at Relax Gaming, said: “Entering the Swiss market through our prime partnership with Grand Casino Luzern marks another significant step in expanding our presence in high-profile regulated markets.
“Switzerland is truly a staple of European jurisdictions and is known for its high regulatory standards, which we are pleased to have successfully met. We will be looking forward expanding our presence in the coming months.”
Wolfgang Bliem, CEO at Grand Casino Luzern, said: “The partnership with Relax Gaming marks an important step for mycasino.
“Their innovative approach and diverse game portfolio perfectly align with our commitment to maintaining our leadership in the market. We’re thrilled to be the first online casino in the Swiss market to partner with Relax Gaming and continue providing top-tier entertainment to our players.”
Established as one of the industry’s leading B2B suppliers, Relax Gaming was awarded GGA’s Product Launch of the Year in February 2023 for Dream Drop Jackpots. Money Train 3 names the 2023 CasinoBeats Game Developer Awards amongst its 6 Slot of the Year titles, while the brand also won the award for Skill Games Supplier at the 2023 EGR B2B Awards along with the Innovation in Mobile award at the 2023 SBC Awards.
Relax Gaming provides more than 4,000 online casino games, from its high-performing proprietary slots to a significant, varied library of content from hand-picked third-party studios via its partnership programmes.
The post Relax Gaming partners with Grand Casino Luzern to launch in Switzerland appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Partnership marks studio’s first foray into Hungarian market
Independent slots studio Thunderkick has launched its games with Vegas.hu, an online casino operated by Las Vegas Casino (LVC) Diamond, marking its debut in the Hungarian iGaming market.
Hungary is the third new market entered by Thunderkick in 2024 – following the announcement that its games would go live in Canada and Colombia – highlighting the provider’s commitment to targeted global expansion.
Vegas.hu is a pioneering platform having become the first legal online casino established in the country in 2017 and has since established itself as one of the most successful and highest-grossing brands in Hungary.
The partnership, which commenced in early August, saw a collection of Thunderkick’s games integrated onto Vegas.hu, including fan-favourites Midas Golden Touch 2, Beat the Beast: Dragon’s Wrath, and Gods of Rock! Reborn.
The game developer has already reported early success among its titles, with this strong performance emphasising the quality of Thunderkick’s product portfolio, which continues to resonate with players across the globe.
Fredrik Ekholm, Head of Sales at Thunderkick, said: “We are dedicated to enhancing Thunderkick’s presence on our home continent, and the debut of our slots in Hungary reaffirms this.
“Since becoming the nation’s first regulated online casino, Vegas.hu has built a reputation as an industry leader, and we are excited to partner with the prestigious brand as we look to expand our European player base.”
Brigitta Szenczy, Head of Gaming and Studio at Vegas.hu, added: “At Vegas.hu, we have a history of providing exciting gaming experiences to Hungarian players through a portfolio of best-in-class titles.
“Thunderkick’s cutting-edge slots are sure to resonate with Vegas.hu players as we continue diversifying our content offering.”
The post Thunderkick enters Hungary with LVC Diamond brand Vegas.hu appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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