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The boom of virtual gaming tournaments
The global gaming industry is undergoing rapid change and is seeing significant growth year on year. It is currently worth around £116 billion, and it is expected to grow by a Compound Annual Growth Rate percentage of 12.9% between now and the year 2027.
There are a number of key factors that are driving this, including the availability and advancement of technology. Both the hardware and software of games consoles, computers and gaming accessories are improving greatly in terms of efficiency, innovation and usability.
Increased access to internet services with decent connection and speed has also influenced this, as well as the relatively new development of influencer marketing through streaming platforms. Of course, it is also undeniable that recent global events have meant that people have had to spend more time at home social distancing and have found themselves playing more games. Gaming has provided entertainment and social engagement to people who may have been too busy to play regularly before. There are game types to suit everybody, from action and adventure games to strategy and puzzle games. All gaming sectors have seen an increase of gameplay during this period and one in particular is the casino industry. In the last several months, many people have signed up to one of many casino sites to play their favourite games like blackjack and poker. The increase of players has been forced by the closure of land-based casinos meaning people had to move online to access casino games. And it was not just normal casino games that had to take place online, many large gambling events like the World Series of Poker tournament also had to move online due to the recent pandemic. Many events and competitions were already taking place virtually, however this year has seen more events than ever make the transition online, is this phenomenon going to stay?
Virtual Competitions
There has also been a boom in virtual gaming tournaments, or esports tournaments, during this time. The number of tournaments has skyrocketed in comparison to previous years, so too has the audience numbers on streaming sites such as Twitch and YouTube. As conventional tournaments across the sports and entertainment industries have faced cancellations or postponements, virtual competitions have acted as their replacements.
There are three main types of esports that are run as virtual gaming competitions. One is first person shooters (FPSs), these can be player v player or team games, with popular examples including Call of Duty, Doom and Counter-Strike. There are also fighter gaming competitions, such as those held for Super Smash Bros or Street Fighter. However, some of the most anticipated tournaments are those in the Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) category, with League of Legends and DOTA 2 being the big names in this area.
Many players participate in these events due to their financial incentives. Large corporations sponsoring these events draw in professional players with the promise of huge cash prizes. Pros train for these events all year round, gaming to them is a career choice as they fund their passion through prize winning and sponsorship deals scored through their streaming channels. DOTA 2 is by far one of the biggest tournaments in terms of the amount of prize money it gives out. Since the game was released in 2013, there have been 54 tournaments and the average prize has been a hefty sum of $111,111 US dollars. This year’s prize money hase totalled $6 million.
Replacing Sporting Events
Virtual gaming tournaments this year have acted as a good replacement for some of the major sporting events.
After F1 was forced to postpone earlier this year, Torque Esports’ All-Star Esport Battle took over in March. Racers from a variety of motorsports joined in on the action, including the legendary Max Verstappen. Verstappen found victory at the Redline’s Real Racers Never Quit competition series when he won the first qualifier, however the final saw Rudy Van Buren take home the top prize after he dropped out. Van Buren actually holds the title of ‘World’s Fastest Gamer’ in 2017.
There was also the virtual Formula One Grand Prix which attracted both pro gamers and champion F1 stars. This was the second time the event ran and this year it was based on Albert Park circuit in Melbourne. Competitors included Ben Stokes, an England cricketer, and racing driver Alex Albon. The trophy was won by two time Grand Prix winner Charles Leclerc.
Another high-profile esports tournament was the Fortnite World Cup. In the summer of 2019, the Fortnite finals were streamed across Twitch, Youtube, Twitter, Facebook and within the game itself. Weekly online tournaments started in April, with players from each region competing to qualify for the finals and be in for a chance of winning a cut of the $1,000,000 prize pool. The overall winner was 16 year old Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf, who lifted the trophy at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. This year however, Epic Games have had to put a stop to the World Cup this year due to the cross-region nature of the event. They instead moved all over competitions exclusively online this year, including the Fortnite Champion Series and the Fortnite Cash Cups.
Virtual Gaming Industry is Growing
At the rate that the virtual gaming industry is growing, in the future we may see the same kind of media coverage and attention for these tournaments as we do some of the major traditional sports competitions. Huge audiences already enjoy watching these events via live streams, and many also place bets too. As stadium events around the world continue to be cancelled and postponed, virtual gaming tournaments are continuing to become a more mainstream form of entertainment for fans of competitive sports.
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1spin4win Unveils Classic Christmas Hold and Win to Honor Yearly Tradition
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Online slots provider 1spin4win comes out with Classic Christmas Hold and Win, a 3×3 retro fruit experience reminiscent of land-based slot machines. The nostalgia-filled holiday-themed slot releases December 19.
Classic Christmas Hold and Win invites players to experience an authentic holiday feel bolstered by nostalgic retro fruit symbols, flaming sevens, and jolly golden bells. The game’s most helpful symbol is a gift-wrapped Wild box, which lies along with other symbols on the festive reels that light up like a Christmas tree when a win occurs.
The title gives out exciting double payouts when all 9 reel cells are filled with one and the same fruit symbol and has an x1,000 Mega Jackpot and x100 Minipot on offer in the player-popular Bonus round mode.
27 paylines ensure enough gameplay variety, while the x1,500 max win will be attractive to a vast player pool. The slot’s 97.10% RTP is a safe bet for casinos that guarantees players will enjoy the balance and return for more.
“A week earlier, we released Christmas Gems Hold and Win, a more modern-looking festive slot with contemporary gem symbols and well-polished HD visuals audiences are now accustomed to,” shares Olga Bogdanova, Art Director at 1spin4win. “This week, Classic Christmas Hold and Win debuts an old-fashioned slot with the goal of taking players on a journey back in time to the well-known security of device-free celebrations and land-based gambling. By switching up our art style and adding different lighting, we offer players a chance to cozy up and take a break from the fast-paced world we live in.”
Coming up with season-themed slots during holidays is a tradition that started at 1spin4win with Lucky Xmas 20 in early 2022. Later that year, Lucky Eve 100 and Lucky Christmas 243 delivered bundles of joy to players. In 2023, the online casino provider released Northern Gold Rush, Lucky Snowlight, and Fruity Christmas, focusing on Christmas themes throughout the month. This year is a little different: Cash’n Fruits Fortune 100 spruced up the December game list to give operators an opportunity to feature a new non-Christmas-themed game along with Christmas Gems Hold and Win and Classic Christmas Hold and Win.
The slot studio prioritizes releases tied to seasonal celebrations because they have proven to attract new players, re-engage existing ones, and increase player sessions overall, which is what every operator strives for.
Explore all holiday-themed slots from 1spin4win in their portfolio.
The post 1spin4win Unveils Classic Christmas Hold and Win to Honor Yearly Tradition appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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The Power of High Performance: GR8 Tech Achieves 25% Turnover Growth in 2024
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GR8 Tech has successfully closed the year – a 25% year-on-year increase in turnover, dozens of new clients signed, and a significant boost in client revenue. Throughout the year, the company developed nearly 200 new features and improvements, continually enhancing the functionality of its platform. With over 12.4 billion bets placed in 2024 (a 125% increase year-on-year), GR8 Tech has proven its ability to scale and deliver consistent performance, even during the busiest events.
“Our primary focus in 2024 was to empower operators with tools for seamless platform customization and streamlined management. We introduced geo-specific solutions that enable faster market launches, adapting platforms to meet local demands—whether through bonus mechanics, payment methods, or tailored content for sportsbook and casino. At the same time, we strengthened our offerings with enhanced sportsbook features, new games in the casino vertical, and innovative gamification mechanics to drive player engagement,” said Denys Parkhomenko, Chief Product Officer at GR8 Tech.
GR8 Tech demonstrated its robust scalability by handling 21.5 million bets during the IPL 2024 alone. With the capacity to process 20,000 bets and 54,000 wallet transactions per second, the platform consistently performs even during high-traffic periods.
In 2024, GR8 Tech signed numerous long-term partnerships, bringing its total number of projects worldwide to 45+ and proving the growing demand for customizable iGaming solutions. The company also received industry-wide acclaim, securing multiple prestigious awards, such as Silver as the Best Platform Provider of the Year at SBC Awards, “Best Online Sportsbook Provider” at SiGMA Eurasia, “Best Workplace” at SiGMA Americas, and “Rising Star Provider of the Year” at the Affpapa iGaming Awards 2024.
Building on its achievements, GR8 Tech is set for another successful year, continuing to deliver industry-leading solutions for operators around the world.
“Improvement and excellence are about consistently staying ahead. A trend might emerge and then disappear tomorrow, but improving your product – making it better than the competition – has lasting value. Whether it’s through better personalization, risk management, recommendations, or any other aspect, improvement is essential. And in this industry, you don’t really have a choice. It’s so fast-paced that if something new and valuable appears, you need to adopt it immediately. The mindset of constant improvement is what keeps a product relevant and competitive,” said Sergey Ghazaryan, CRO at GR8 Tech.
GR8 Tech heads into 2025 with a continued commitment to driving high-performance results, leading industry trends, and challenging the norm.
The post The Power of High Performance: GR8 Tech Achieves 25% Turnover Growth in 2024 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Biggest Game Portfolio and 3 New Products: SOFTSWISS 2024 Overview
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Expanding into new markets and unveiling innovative products, SOFTSWISS, a leading tech company with over 15 years of iGaming expertise, looks back on the milestones of its anniversary year.
Tech Achievements
This year, SOFTSWISS enriched its portfolio with three new products: the Lotto Software, the Retail Betting Solution, and a Horse Racing module integrated into the Sportsbook. These new products give operators flexible and secure tools to expand their lottery and betting services.
With over 23,500 games from more than 280 providers, the SOFTSWISS Game Aggregator has become the largest game hub in the industry. Equipped with unique player engagement tools, it supports over 1,200 iGaming brands, setting a benchmark for innovation and scale.
Uniting Expertise and Efforts for Global Impact
By acquiring a majority stake in South Africa’s Turfsport, SOFTSWISS is combining the expertise of both companies to provide top-tier iGaming solutions in the African region. Securing a significant share in Germany’s Ously Games, the driving force behind the rapidly growing European social casino SpinArena.net, has opened a new niche for SOFTSWISS in the promising social entertainment market.
SOFTSWISS welcomed Formula 1 legend Rubens Barrichello as its Non-Executive Director for LatAm, bolstering the company’s presence in the Brazilian market. By merging expertise from two dynamic industries – iGaming and racing – SOFTSWISS delivers unparalleled insights to drive boundless business growth for its clients.
Amid the devastating floods in Brazil, SOFTSWISS launched the ‘Help Brazil’ campaign, rallying industry players to support those in need. The initiative gained widespread backing from the iGaming media and was honoured as the Socially Responsible Initiative of the Year at the SBC Latinoamérica Awards.
Celebrating 15 Years of Excellence
Marking its 15th year in the iGaming industry with significant achievements, SOFTSWISS honoured this milestone with the Grand Anniversary party. The event took place in Lisbon and united around 600 guests.
SOFTSWISS team also celebrated gaining 22 industry accolades in 2024. Software Supplier, Best Platform Provider, Aggregator of the Year, Crypto Company of the Year, Affiliate Software Supplier, Innovation in iGaming Technology, and Responsible Gaming Award – to name just a few in product categories.
Andrey Starovoitov, Co-CEO at SOFTSWISS, summarises: “New Year’s Eve is a time-honoured moment for reflecting, celebrating achievements, and learning from challenges. At this moment, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to our partners, clients, and our incredible team, whose dedication and hard work made this year truly remarkable.”
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 Biggest Game Portfolio and 3 New Products: SOFTSWISS 2024 Overview appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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