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Conferences in Europe

Post-Event – Prague Gaming Summit 2022 brings back the great vibes

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  • The leading conference in the CEE region has returned and brought the usual great vibes for the participants

Last week, the major stakeholders of the gaming and gambling industry of the CEE region, have gathered in Prague for the 6th edition of the PRAGUE GAMING SUMMIT.

The summit was supported by sponsors such Tom Horn Gaming, nanocosmos, Global Bet, and Nordic Gambling.

The participants of the conference had the opportunity to dive into licensing and business-related information from the Czech and Polish markets with top experts sharing their insights.

Jakub Kolomicenko – Senior Compliance Officer at Kaizen Gaming, Jan Urbanec – CEO at Endorphina, and Vojtech Chloupek – Partner at Bird & Bird Czechia, have presented the Czech market and the panel was moderated by Mgr. Petr Kozák, MBA – IFGR Lawyer and Secretary-General.

The panelists have stressed on the fact that the requirements of the Czech legislator are not competitive and often cause headaches that drag down the legal industry and give the opportunity for the black (unlicensed) market to grow.

The compliance related discussions continued with a focus on the Polish gaming and gambling industry where Anna Wietrzyńska-Ciołkowska – HEAD OF THE GAMES AND GAMBLING PRACTICE AT DWF POLAND and Ewa Lejman-Widz – Attorney at Law, Tax Advisor, Head of Polish Desk at WH Partners, have answered some of the burning questions that operators are asking daily.

The conference continued with a keynote presentation about Live Games, which emphasized on how operators can ensure a high-quality user experience with live streaming and was presented by Oliver Lietz – CEO at nanocosmos.

Just before the traditional fire-side chat which was hosted again by Dr. Simon Planzer – Partner at PLANZER LAW, and had Nadiya Attard – CCO at Relax Gaming as its guest, the participants had the opportunity to dive into the latest updates about Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway in the Nordic Updates series that is sponsored by Nordic Gambling.

The session was joined by Minna Ripatti – Founding partner and legal advisor at Legal Gaming in Finland , Alexander Mollan – Senior Lawyer at Brækhus Advokatfirma DA, Gustaf Hoffstedt – Secretary-General at the Swedish Trade Association for Online Gamblingand was moderated by Petter Fagrell – Senior Legal Advisor at Nordic Gambling.

Right after the complimentary lunch, the participants had the chance to hear from Tony He – AML expert at Sentinels, about the vital role of Fintech and the gaming industry.

Just before the conference program turned towards Responsible Gaming and the sports betting industry, a One-on-One session between a newly licensed operator in Czechia and a newly licensed game provider had brought a case-study about licensing in the jurisdiction. The two speakers and industry also industry experts, have pointed out the fact that the biggest current issue in Czechia is adding new providers, which is currently reported as a painful process. This coming from two companies that just went through the certification process and just secured their operation licenses.

The Responsible Gaming panel focused on an important topic, which is the consequences of not adding an RG program to an operation can damage the sustainability of a business in the gaming and gambling industry.

The session was joined by Šimon Vincze – Safer and Sustainable gambling lead at Casino Guru and Panagiotis Skyrlas – Head of Information Security & Compliance – Group DPO at Kaizen Gaming, and was moderated by Dan Iliovici – Vice President at Rombet.

For such an engaging event where the audience was more interactive than ever, the final session was one for the historic books. The session titled as “Online sports betting & Esports in the CEE region, where are we at?” was joined by industry veterans such as Marek Suchar – Head of Partnerships at Oddin.gg, Gal Ehrlich – CEO at BETER, Ondrej Šilhavý – Senior Sales Manager at Bayes Esports and last but not least Robert Dowling – Chief Commercial Officer at GlobalBet. The historical session was moderated by Lazar Miučin – CEO and Co-Founder of iGaming Advisor.

Once the panel discussions have ended, the participants were invited to unwind and network during a boat cruise in Prague.

Prague Gaming Summit is very close to our hearts here at #hipthers and each year adds another special chapter to the history of the event. We are already looking to set the dates for 2023 and we are going to grow it even bigger by co-hosting it with TECH Meetup CEE. Special thanks to all the cool people that joined us on the 21st of June and we are grateful to our sponsors for supporting the event,” stated Zoltán Tűndik, Co-Founder and Head of Business at Hipther Agency.

The team at Hipther Agency is also excited to announce that the registrations are in full swing for their next stop, which is this year’s CEEGC Budapest and CEEG Awards (held alongside the conference).

The 7th edition of the yearly summit is set to return to the in-person format on 16 September 2022 and is going to be held at the Ritz-Carlton Budapest.

Starting 2022, the return of the boutique-style in-person meetup is also bringing a new format that will allow more interaction among the attending delegates. You can secure your seat on this link.

Besides the registration opening at the CEEGC, the team is reminding you that the nomination phase for the 2022 edition of the CEEG Awards is also open.

You are invited to nominate your brand for the most prestigious awards in the gaming industry in the Central and Eastern European region. The nomination phase ends on 15 July and will be followed by a public online voting phase to determine the shortlist per each category.

Nominate your company here: https://hipther.com/events/ceegc/ceegawards2022/

 

Hipther Agency is the parent brand of European Gaming, PICANTE, WireUp Zone, and Gaming Americas, eSports Connect, the HIPTHER news app and the WireUp networking app found on the Play Store.

To receive constant updates from Hipther Agency and conference agenda updates, subscribe here: http://eepurl.com/hfyZxf

For sponsorship/speaking inquiries, make sure to reach out to Andrada Marginean (B2B Sales Manager at Hipther Agency) at [email protected]

For media-related inquiries, please contact Alexandru Marginean (Marketing Specialist at Hipther Agency) at [email protected]

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Conferences in Europe

Altenar Steps in as General Sponsor of EEGS 2025

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The prestigious Eastern European Gaming Summit (EEGS) is set to welcome Altenar, a prominent sports betting software provider, as a General Sponsor for its 2025 edition. Scheduled for 26th and 27th November at the IEC in Sofia, Bulgaria, this partnership exemplifies Altenar’s unwavering commitment to driving innovation and growth within the gaming and entertainment sectors. This long-standing collaboration has consistently generated mutual benefits and opportunities for both Altenar and the event, as well as for all participants involved.

Altenar continues to deliver top-tier solutions for licensed operators across the globe. From standalone sportsbook offerings to comprehensive turnkey solutions, Altenar combines proven reliability with tailored services to meet diverse client needs.

Since its inception in 2011, Altenar has powered hundreds of online sports betting platforms, while their self-service betting terminals and mobile applications adapt to the evolving demands of operators, leading to a rapidly expanding client portfolio in over 30 countries.

Altenar’s involvement as a sponsor underscores their essential contribution to the overall success of the EEGS, emphasizing a collective dedication to excellence and advancement in the industry. This year’s event promises to be a critical platform for industry leaders, visionaries, and entrepreneurs to discover and discuss the latest trends in gaming, entertainment, and hospitality.

As the foremost conference in the region, the Eastern European Gaming Summit (EEGS) offers an engaging setting for industry pioneers to network, collaborate, and delve into the opportunities shaping the future of gaming and entertainment.

Align your company with this esteemed conference and take advantage of the insights and expertise shared at the event.

Check the available sponsorship options here.

The post Altenar Steps in as General Sponsor of EEGS 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Conferences in Europe

Speaking the Player’s Language: Promatic Group’s Take on Game Localization in CEE

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The Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 brought together some of the brightest minds in the iGaming and tech industries – and the conversation didn’t stop when the curtains closed. As this year’s General Sponsor through its Promatic Games brand, Promatic Group made a powerful impact on-stage and behind the scenes. In a dynamic keynote presentation titled “Localizing Slot Games: Does the Central European Player Need Localized Content?”, Maciej Makuszewski, iGaming Director, and Luka Oblak, Head of Product Design, explored how cultural nuances shape player engagement and game performance across regional markets.

Now, post-event, we caught up with Maciej Makuszewski to delve deeper into the topic of localization, player behavior, and what makes content truly resonate in Central and Eastern Europe.

 

Maciej, your keynote at the Summit offered compelling insights into how culture and language affect game engagement. What do you believe is the biggest misconception about localization in the iGaming industry today?

It is that it is enough to hire a translator of a game to deliver localized content. This is not the end of the road – on the contrary – this is just the beginning. This may sound like saying the sun rises in the east, but I still would say there can be a lot more attention paid to giving games a local touch.

But coming back to translations, nowadays, even at this basic level, we can observe so many pitfalls and mistakes that could have been avoided if people really had the player at the core of their strategy. I guess we are past this time in history of globalization that unified products and content simply entered new markets with no tailoring whatsoever and there was demand for them, because there hadn’t been much of a choice of anything else. We’d like to see companies try harder when they enter new markets. I hope we will become one that actually gets the hyperlocalization just right.

 

You and Luka presented some standout cases on localized content. Could you share one example that truly surprised your team – either by outperforming expectations or revealing a cultural insight you hadn’t anticipated?

I guess that would be the transformation of a simple fruit game launched as Red Hot Jackpot in Poland, into a rich animations theme game it became in Nigeria. The nigerian version of Red Hot Jackpot is called Naija Wheels and it is the exact the same math model and game logic as Red Hot Jackpot, but what makes it appealing to the local customers of slot halls in Nigeria is its hyperlocal theme. Naija Wheels is a funny story of things you see in Lagos traffic. So instead of a Cherry symbol you have a symbol of a police officer. Instead of a plum symbol, you have an okada driver from Lagos etc.

Very different game themes, same logics, same business effects – the game is a great performing slot in Poland and a superb hit in Nigeria.

 

In your view, what are the non-negotiables when designing localized slot content for Central and Eastern European markets? Are there elements developers often overlook?

There are so many local markets in the CEE that it is really hard to unify this. But in a nutshell – we know in our region, highly volatile fruit themed games are very popular. Having said that, it is not a surfire way to success. You may want to localize the content even further through cultural and humor references.

 

The ROI of local-branded slots is often debated. Based on Promatic Group’s experience, when does it make strategic and commercial sense to invest in hyper-local content – and when is it better to focus on broader appeal?

It all depends why you do this and how you measure the ROI. If you measure a single game ROI this might be a trap. It will very much depend on the math model and features of the particular game. Apart from revenue stream, there are also costs to be considered. If we’re talking about a “game reskin” then certification will be something you can optimize and so on. There are numerous ways to tackle this issue. Sometimes you can come up with a hyper local game and just launch it somewhere else to test if it works, which will boost your revenue stream and the total ROI. All in all we are very happy with our local approach and we intend to stick to it.

 

Let’s talk about the future. With shifting player expectations and tech advancements like AI personalization, how do you see the localization strategy evolving over the next 2–3 years at Promatic Group?

I would expect this hyperlocalization becomes a commodity in the industry. This will also require a lot of human factor so that it is done the right way. AI will speed things up, but I believe that the human touch will be key. We already have amazing tools, but using them the right way is what will make a great difference.

The post Speaking the Player’s Language: Promatic Group’s Take on Game Localization in CEE appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Navigating Legal Frontiers: Nordic Legal’s Vision for the Finnish Gambling Market

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The Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 brought together top experts across the iGaming and tech landscape, and Nordic Legal stood out as the event’s Scandinavian Legal Expertise Sponsor. A renowned legal advisory firm in the Nordic region, Nordic Legal continues to shape the future of gambling legislation and compliance in Europe.

In this post-event interview, we caught up with Pekka Ilmivalta, Head of the Finnish Office at Nordic Legal, to dive deeper into the firm’s insights on the upcoming Finnish gambling reform, the legal challenges it poses, and the opportunities it presents for operators preparing to enter the market.

 

Finland is preparing to launch its regulated gambling sector in January 2026. As an expert with over 20 years of experience in the gambling industry, how do you view its draft legislation and the current state of the Finnish gambling market? 

Finns are used to gambling online, and the size of the market is close to 2 billion euros in GGR. As the market share of the national monopoly operator, Veikkaus, has declined to around 50 percent, nearly half of the gambling spending already takes place outside the Finnish regulation. Therefore, the gambling legislation reform is really needed.

The Government Proposal now being dealt with in the Finnish Parliament is generally a comprehensive and a good package. As the political parties are quite unanimous about the need for the reform, I expect the parliamentary discussion to concentrate on the balance between responsibility measures and the features making the market interesting enough for the operators to enter the regulated market. Especially marketing, use of affiliates and bonusing will, and should, be discussed.

I believe that the Parliament will approve the new legislation early next autumn and that the B2C license application process will be able to begin already in January next year.

 

The Finnish legislative review council has raised concerns about potential increases in gambling harms under the new regulatory framework. What measures do you believe are necessary to mitigate these risks, and how could Finland balance market liberalization with responsible gambling practices?

Personally, I think that gambling harms must be taken seriously. However, as almost half of the Finnish gambling now happens outside the regulated market, I am convinced that succeeding in channelization is a crucial starting point to really mitigate gambling harms. Therefore, attractiveness of the market and measures against the black market are extremely important. Furthermore, self-exclusion and responsible gambling tools are, of course, needed for the players. Generally, I believe that AI assisted monitoring could and will have an important role in preventing harmful gambling in the future. To really work, responsible gambling tools need to be both pragmatic and relevant for each individual player.

 

Considering Finland’s upcoming gambling reform, what legal and operational challenges should gambling operators be prepared for, particularly regarding compliance and player protection? Which key trends do you see shaping the market’s future?

As it seems now that affiliates and welcome bonuses will be banned, operators will have to find other means to build their brand and acquire customers. Even though traditional marketing and sponsoring are widely acceptable, I would expect to see innovative solutions to stand out from the probable marketing avalanche during the first months after the market opening. Perhaps new kinds of sponsorships or retail activities? Or even enhanced player protection measures to gain a competitive edge?

Overall, I would advise operators to start their market entry preparations early enough. The licensing procedure could take several (6 to 9) months. Also, adjusting to the local technical and player protection requirements might not happen overnight.

 

What insights could help Finland create a balanced and effective gambling market?

I believe that the new legislation will provide a good enough framework for a functional gambling market. However, based on experiences from Sweden and Denmark, I would point out two practical aspects crucial to making the new legislation effective: First, there needs to be collaboration between licensed operators and the new regulator. Dialogue and a mutual will to find solutions should be the common mindset. Secondly, the regulator hopefully has enough resources (tools, persons and persistence) to interfere with the black-market operations, which will evidently still exist also after the reform.

 

Nordic Legal has extensive experience advising European governments on regulatory best practices. How can your firm assist operators looking to enter the Finnish market and navigate the evolving legal landscape?

With our deep knowledge of Finnish legislation, extensive experience from regulatory developments in other jurisdictions, and strong industry relationships, we are well-positioned to support operators and B2B suppliers entering the Finnish market. We can offer comprehensive guidance not only on compliance and licensing, but also on navigating strategic challenges, ensuring our clients are well-prepared for a dynamic and shifting legal landscape. Our proactive approach enables us to identify regulatory changes early and help clients stay ahead of industry developments.

 

The post Navigating Legal Frontiers: Nordic Legal’s Vision for the Finnish Gambling Market appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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