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Will An iGaming Show Ever Make It To Mainstream Tv?

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These competitive video game competitions, iGaming, are known by half of the people aged 55 to 64. Sell-out venues and $100 million prize pools have enhanced esports’ exposure and alleviated any doubts about its long-term viability, serving as a striking reminder of how far the genre has progressed since the first professional competitions in the 1990s.

The recent year has seen a large portion of this rise. In the UK and the US, more than 60% of those who say they watch esports content do so at least once a week, with 3 in 10 admitting they had never heard of esports before a year ago.

In 2018, esports saw significant structural changes, with franchised leagues moving it closer to the structure of traditional sports. More and more people get to engage and participate in game shows online, including the Ladbrokes game shows.

This is helping to make esports a rather more integrated and accessible form of entertainment for new audiences and attract potential investors and sponsors looking for indicators of high revenue potential.

With all these structural changes in place, esports is on the verge of reaching a turning point in 2019.

What Next for iGaming?

Brand investments, such as marketing, sponsorship, and media rights account for a large portion of esports’ growth. Global businesses such as Toyota and Coca-Cola are joining in on the fun by sponsoring Overwatch league games; traditional sports leagues are establishing esports competitions. The question of whether advanced competitive gaming should indeed be made an Olympic sport is still being debated. Broadcasters are trying to follow suit, seeking ways to include esports into their programming.

However, if broadcasters wish esports to be as popular as traditional sports on television, they must modify the format to appeal to a broader audience.

Broadcasters should integrate esports into their program schedule because it makes total sense. Esports has its roots in the realm of internet video, which is a significant element of both millennial and Generation Z (Gen Z) viewers’ daily entertainment habits.

The esports material popular on streaming services like Twitch usually appeals to a narrow audience already well-versed in competitive gaming. This audience is highly interested in and knowledgeable about the most sophisticated games and will cheerfully watch a live event for hours and hours. Broadcasters must adjust their online model such that it is TV-friendly to make esports appealing to the public. Online games, for example, can be highly violent, difficult, and time-consuming. Broadcasters must change their focus to less aggressive and more straightforward titles like Street Fighter and Rocket League, which would allow them to cut the length of esports programming from hours to minutes, rendering the genre suitable with television time limits.

Broadcasters could also cooperate with traditional sports organizations to make esports TV more appealing. Taking advantage of the popularity of prominent sports like football and basketball can propel the genre’s growth among a wider audience and transform it into a global phenomenon.

Between esports and traditional sports, there has already been a lot of crossovers. The English Premier League began its foray into professional gaming in January when it launched the ePremier league. High-profile players like Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin and Juventus’ Andrea Pirlo, both passionate gamers, have helped promote the genre. Broadcasters make the genre more relatable to general audiences by introducing esports programs that incorporate generally known sports and employing high-profile traditional sports personalities as ambassadors for the genre.

How will the VR revolution affect the iGaming industry?

When you go into a land-based casino, the glittering slot machine lights, the jingling of money, and the exhilaration of playing at the casino tables engulf you. All of this is visually pleasing and encourages customers to play more. VR technology claims to replicate the same experience through sensory inputs based on a customer’s emotional and physical responses. After selecting a table, you can sit down as if you were in a real casino.

Virtual reality (VR) has already begun in the iGaming sector, with SlotMillion.com launching its VR Casino and other VR ventures in the works. They contacted numerous regulators to establish this new medium of VR, and the MGA (Maltese Gaming Authority) was the first to approve such practices. However, they insisted that clocks be placed on the walls so that clients do not lose track of time while in the Virtual Casino. There are no clocks in genuine casinos to distract you from glancing at the time. I like how some casinos are set up, some with the entrance on the 80th level of a skyscraper with a futuristic cityscape view. This has been a very remarkable experience.

Apart from Microgaming, several other iGaming businesses are exploring VR, including Topgame Technology, Lucky VR, NetEnt, and Google Glass’ new real-money gambling option called “Glass Betting.” It’s fascinating to see how these unique games are created, brought to life, and broadcast on mainstream media.

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MixRift Appoints Former Meta VP Ingrid Cotoros to Board of Advisors to Accelerate Mixed Reality Gaming Innovation

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Innovative mixed reality gaming developer strengthens leadership team with hardware technology veteran behind Quest 3, Ray-Ban Meta glasses, and Orion AR prototype
MixRift, an innovative mixed reality (MR) gaming developer, today announced the appointment of Dr. Ingrid Cotoros as a key member of its Board of Advisors.
Cotoros brings over 20 years of hardware engineering expertise from her leadership roles at Meta’s Reality Labs and GoPro, where she spearheaded the development of breakthrough technologies that powered the world’s most advanced VR, AR, and smart glasses products.
As the former VP of Technology Engineering for Devices at Meta’s Reality Labs, Cotoros founded and led a thousand-strong team of specialised technologists who delivered the hardware innovations behind Meta’s Quest Pro, Quest 3, Quest 3S VR headsets, Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, and the cutting-edge Orion AR glasses prototype. Her technical contributions span depth perception systems, immersive audio experiences, and world-locked display technologies that have shaped the mixed reality landscape since 2020.
“The future of gaming lies in creating unique experiences that blend digital and physical worlds,” said Dr. Cotoros. “MixRift’s vision for mixed reality gaming represents the next evolution of how we interact with digital content, and I’m excited to help them bring truly immersive experiences to players.”
Cotoros’ appointment aligns perfectly with MixRift’s ambitious technology roadmap, and reflects MixRift’s commitment to staying at the forefront of technological innovation in gaming.
“Ingrid’s deep understanding of hardware capabilities and sensing technologies complements our founding team’s vision beautifully,” said Bobby Voicu, CEO of MixRift. “Her experience developing the technologies that power every major VR and AR device launched in recent years gives us invaluable insight into what’s possible today and what’s coming next. We’re basically talking about someone who’s been at the forefront of every breakthrough that’s made our industry possible.”
During her tenure at Meta, Cotoros championed the strategic sequencing of features to engage customers in AI-powered computing platforms. Prior to Meta, she led multiple first-to-market innovations at GoPro, including the development of the first consumer-grade high-definition spherical camera and professional-level panoramic stereo capture systems.
Cotoros will focus her advisory efforts on understanding the physical capabilities of emerging device platforms and how they can unlock new interaction modes and experiences for gamers. A physicist by training with a PhD in Condensed Matter Physics from UC Berkeley and a BS in Physics from Caltech, Cotoros holds 26 US patents in camera hardware and content processing. Her diverse technical background reflects the interdisciplinary approach needed to solve complex mixed reality challenges.
Before her consumer electronics career, Cotoros served as a rocket scientist and space systems engineer at Lockheed Martin, developing space applications and defense programs. She was twice selected for Romania’s national team at the International Physics Olympiad, demonstrating her early passion for pushing the boundaries of what’s technically possible.
Meta Connect 2025 Meeting Opportunities
MixRift CEO Bobby Voicu will be attending Meta Connect 2025 (September 17-18, Menlo Park) and is available for media briefings about MixRift’s mixed reality gaming roadmap and strategic vision. With the company’s recent advisory board expansion bringing deep hardware expertise from Meta’s Reality Labs, Bobby can discuss how MixRift is leveraging insider knowledge of upcoming device capabilities to build next-generation gaming experiences. He’ll be sharing exclusive previews of MixRift’s upcoming titles and discussing how the company is positioning itself at the intersection of advanced hardware and innovative game design.

The post MixRift Appoints Former Meta VP Ingrid Cotoros to Board of Advisors to Accelerate Mixed Reality Gaming Innovation appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Getting to Know Incline Gaming Marketing with Chief Commercial Officer Jo Dennis

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Incline Gaming Marketing is redefining how gambling brands scale and succeed worldwide. Founded by industry veteran Peter Laverick, the agency delivers end-to-end digital marketing services across user acquisition, CRM, and creative. In this interview, CCO Jo Dennis explains how Incline acts as an extension of operators’ in-house teams, helping them acquire players, boost retention, and compete globally.

 

Incline Gaming Marketing. Tells us what we need to know about the business.

Incline Gaming Marketing (Incline) is a full-service digital marketing partner dedicated exclusively to the regulated gambling industry. We’re not just a supplier of campaigns or assets, we run marketing operations end-to-end for our partners, functioning as an extension of their in-house team.

Our expertise spans user acquisition, CRM, and creative, delivered by specialists who’ve worked inside top operators and suppliers. With offices in San Francisco, Philadelphia, and London, we provide market-specific strategies and execution for brands in North America, Europe, Africa, Australia, and beyond.

Founded by industry veteran Peter Laverick in 2020, Incline is part of The Conexus Group alongside Pentasia (recruitment) and Partis (strategy and M&A). Our partners range from household-name operators to ambitious new entrants, all looking for a team that can step in, own the process, and deliver measurable results from day one.

 

Who are the main players running the business day to day?

Peter Laverick, our CEO and founder, has led marketing at some of the industry’s biggest names, including BetVictor, Aristocrat, and PlayStudios. Chief Commercial Officer Jo Dennis joined through our acquisition of Random Colour Animal in 2024 (RCA was originally founded in 2018) and brings more than 25 years in brand and marketing strategy.

Chief Marketing Officer Oren Langburt has over 15 years’ experience in real-money gaming, including leading marketing at FanDuel. VP Partner Success Haig Sakouyan is a 20+ year industry veteran, ensuring our partnerships deliver beyond marketing.

 

Talk us through Incline Gaming Marketing’s core service offering.

We operate in three connected disciplines that together form a complete managed marketing service:

  • User Acquisition (UA): We plan, execute, and optimise campaigns across Meta, Google, TikTok, Snapchat, Apple, and programmatic networks, managing multi-million-dollar budgets. As an approved Facebook Business Partner, we’ve been rated the most effective media buyer in North America’s online gaming sector, achieving a 99.9% efficiency score.
  • Customer Relationship Marketing (CRM): Our CRM specialists handle the full player lifecycle — from onboarding and first-time deposit conversion to long-term retention and reactivation. We combine data-led segmentation with targeted offers and creative to grow lifetime value while controlling bonus spend.
  • Creative: We produce more than 1,000 assets per month, from brand identities and websites to broadcast-quality TV spots, slot game creatives, supplier content packs, and conference materials. All creative is performance-driven and integrated into UA and CRM campaigns for maximum impact.

When combined, these services allow us to act as a partner’s complete marketing department – – strategy, execution, and optimisation under one roof.

 

Which markets are you focused on? Are you pushing into any new regions?

We built our reputation in North America, where we work with leading land-based and online operators across casino, sportsbook, lottery, social gaming, and daily fantasy sports. We now deliver integrated managed services in Canada, the UK, continental Europe, Africa, and Australia, tailoring each approach to local regulations, player behaviours, and market dynamics.

For many partners, this means we handle all marketing in new markets from day one – avoiding the time and cost of building a local team – and then continue as their long-term, embedded marketing function.

 

Why are your services particularly valuable to operators in the current industry climate?

Player acquisition costs are rising, retention is harder than ever, and regulatory pressure is mounting. Building and managing an in-house team with the full range of skills required – from media buying to lifecycle marketing to creative production – is expensive and slow.

Incline solves that. We provide an instant, proven marketing department with deep gambling expertise, multi-channel capabilities, and global reach. Our managed services model means we don’t just advise, we execute, optimise, and deliver results. Whether launching in a new jurisdiction or scaling in a mature one, we know the levers to pull for sustainable growth.

 

What can we expect from Incline in the second half of the year?

We’re deepening our presence in Europe, Africa, and Canada while cementing our leadership in North America. Several major launches and brand refresh projects are underway, alongside scaled acquisition and retention campaigns for our long-term partners.

Our focus remains the same — provide operators and suppliers with a high-performing, fully managed marketing function that delivers measurable results faster, and with more certainty, than building it in-house.

 

The post Getting to Know Incline Gaming Marketing with Chief Commercial Officer Jo Dennis appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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BMM Innovation Group to Spotlight Product Compliance, Cybersecurity, and Training Expertise at CGS Recife in Brazil This Week

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BMM Innovation Group (“BIG,” “BIG Group,” “BMM,” or the “Company”), a technology conglomerate focused on product compliance testing, training, and cybersecurity solutions, will participate in the CGS Recife show on August 21–22 at the Recife Expo Center in Recife, Brazil.

On Thursday, August 21, from 12-12:25 p.m., Marzia Turrini, BMM Testlabs’ President, iGaming & Cybersecurity, will deliver a keynote address on “Cybersecurity & Compliance: Safeguarding Operational Integrity in iGaming’s New Digital Era.” Turrini, named Latin America ‘Leader of the Year’ at the SBC Awards Americas earlier this year, will deliver a presentation that will cover how operators and suppliers can integrate robust cybersecurity measures with strong compliance practices to protect revenue, reputation, and regulatory relationships.

BMM Testlabs has a long-standing commitment to supporting the growth and integrity of Brazil’s evolving gaming industry. As a trusted partner to regulators, suppliers, operators, and industry stakeholders, BMM works closely with regulatory bodies and state lotteries to ensure technical compliance, transparency, and responsible gaming.

With a test lab and office in São Paulo backed by BMM’s years of experience serving the Latin American market, the Company offers local knowledge and support combined with global expertise. The digital and land-based services and solutions that BMM can provide in Brazil include product testing and certification, inspections, field audits, technical evaluations, and advanced cybersecurity solutions through BIG Cyber. BMM also provides compliance-grade expert-led training on responsible gaming, AML, human trafficking awareness, fraud prevention and detection, and many other topics through RG24seven Virtual Training.

Turrini said, “Brazil is one of the most exciting gaming markets in the world, and BMM is proud to be part of its growth story. At CGS Recife, we’ll demonstrate how trusted product compliance, paired with cybersecurity and virtual training tailored for the gaming industry, can protect operations, build player trust, and strengthen the market. With our new São Paulo test lab and dedicated Brazil team, we’re committed to providing regulators, suppliers, and operators with the local expertise and global strength they need to succeed.”

The post BMM Innovation Group to Spotlight Product Compliance, Cybersecurity, and Training Expertise at CGS Recife in Brazil This Week appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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