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Introducing Viking Smash from Stakelogic
Developer’s latest Norse-themed video slot sees player go into battle with Wandering Wilds, Respins and Free Spins helping them in their quest
Stakelogic, the developer behind some of the biggest blockbuster slots this year, is taking players into battle with its latest Norse-themed game, Viking Smash.
The 5×3 reel, 243 payline slot is set against the backdrop of a fierce battle where Vikings wander across the reels in search of the enemy before turning Wild for some truly smashing wins. This exciting new slot has an additional and unusual plot twist, paying both ways – left to right and right to left.
These Walking Wilds land at each side of the reels and move from one side to the other for extra win combinations – each step they take triggers a Respin.
The Respins keep on coming until all of the Walking Wilds have exited the reels or the Free Spins bonus is triggered.
When the Wild symbols are next to each other or one position apart on the same row while Respins are active, the Wild symbols smash together and award Free Spins.
One pair of Wilds awards 10 Free Spins with four additional Free Spins for each extra pair.
During Free Spins, the Wild symbols may land anywhere on the reels and move one position, triggering Respins until they exit the reels on the opposite side to which they started.
Just as in the base game, when Wilds are next to each other or one position apart on the same row during Respins they smash together and award an addition four Free Spins.
Viking Smash also comes hooked up to Stakelogic’s innovative Super Stake feature which allows players to effectively place a side bet with each spin to be in with the chance of triggering a bonus.
In Viking Smash, this is Random Wilds – on a losing spin, two to six Wild symbols will appear on reels one and five to provide a second chance to land high value win combinations.
For players that really want to take the axe to their rivals and walk away with the largest haul, Viking Smash also offers the opportunity to Gamble and potentially multiply their winnings by x2 or x4.
Stephan van den Oetelaar, CEO of Stakelogic, said: “Norse themed slots are among the most popular in the markets where we make our games available, and with Viking Smash we aim to combine this thrilling theme with gameplay that is just as exhilarating.
“As players enter the battle, Wilds wander across the reels for even more win combinations and Respins trigger that can see them land incredible treasures. The team has done an excellent job with Viking Smash, and we look forward to seeing it sail into operator game lobbies.”
Cibelae
EveryMatrix signals LatAm expansion plans with CIBELAE membership

EveryMatrix has joined CIBELAE, the official branch of the World Lottery Association for 80 Hispanic American speaking countries, including Latin and Central America, Spain and Portugal, signalling its plans to expand its global reach across multiple regulated markets.
The application to join the Corporación Iberoamericana de Loterías y Apuestas de Estado as an Associate Member was approved at CIBELAE board level and is due to be formally ratified during the organisation’s Annual Ordinary Assembly later this year.
Membership positions the tier-1 technology provider alongside the most reputable lottery and iGaming institutions in 80 countries across six continents including Latin America, gaining valuable networking opportunities across events, working groups and industry discussions with major local operators.
It will also provide EveryMatrix with increased regional influence enabling its local and international commercial and product experts to contribute to shaping conversations around regulation, technology, and innovation within the lottery, betting and iGaming sectors.
EveryMatrix has a long history of working closely with tier-1 customers in LatAm and Spanish and Portuguese speaking markets with products including its SlotMatrix aggregation and exclusive content licensed and/or certified in Brazil, Columbia, Peru, Portugal, Spain, and many more territories.
Ebbe Groes, Group CEO & Co-Founder EveryMatrix, said: “This is a great step forward in both solidifying and expanding our presence in Latin America, Spain, Portugal and many other key territories as a trusted technology partner for lotteries.
“We look forward to leveraging this membership to create new, long-lasting relationships and opportunities and contributing to the growth and sustainable success of many important regulated markets.”
Rodrigo Cigliutti, Executive Director, CIBELAE, said: “The incorporation of EveryMatrix as an Associate Member of CIBELAE brings to our network a world-class B2B technology partner, renowned for delivering scalable, compliant, and innovative solutions that empower national and state-owned lotteries to modernise, expand omnichannel operations, and enhance player protection in regulated markets worldwide.”
The post EveryMatrix signals LatAm expansion plans with CIBELAE membership appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Latest News
SBC Summit 2025: New Conference Track Explores Asia’s Gaming Market

SBC Summit 2025 will provide delegates with a comprehensive overview of the latest developments shaping Asian sports betting and iGaming, delivered through its new Emerging Markets conference track.
On Thursday, 18 September 2025, at the Feira Internacional de Lisboa (FIL), the stage will bring together Asia’s leading industry figures to examine a market valued at over $18.3 billion last year. Sessions will cover how operators can navigate compliance across the continent’s diverse jurisdictions, whether India is moving towards a regulated market, and if the wider Asia-Pacific region represents the next major opportunity for international businesses.
The Asia-focused track will mark the culmination of three days of conference action on the Emerging Markets Stage. Day one will explore opportunities in Africa, and day two will analyse the markets of Eurasia and the Middle East.
Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and founder of SBC, said: “If you’re building a global gaming business, you can’t afford to ignore Asia. This track makes it clear why the region belongs at the center of every long-term growth strategy.
“Asia needs a platform where regulators, operators, suppliers, and investors can talk openly. SBC is proud to provide that space, and the Emerging Markets stage is the centerpiece of that effort.”
Opening the discussion is the panel Asia: Navigating Regulation, Opportunity and Uncertainty, which will take an in-depth look at the regulatory landscape across the entire region. Here, industry experts Rory Anderson (Consultant, 12BET), Paul Fox (Chairman & Founder, Claymore Solutions), Lau Kok Keng (Head of Intellectual Property, Sports & Gaming, Rajah & Tan Singapore), Yuta Romanchenko (CBDO, Big Idea), and panel moderator Rosalind Wade (CEO, WinnaMedia) will explore contrasting jurisdictions, from the rise of alternative betting in India to Macau’s entrenched land-based sector, while also assessing which countries are most primed for investment and market entry.
India’s Regulatory Roadmap: The Next Decade for Gaming will shine a spotlight on the country’s complex state-by-state framework and the legal divide between games of skill and games of chance, which has created a unique environment: fantasy sports, lottery, and horse racing have flourished, while online gaming and traditional sports betting remain largely restricted. Bringing together Ranjana Adhikari (Partner, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co Advocates & Solicitors), Anton Kaszubowski (Managing Director, SBC Advisory), and Japneet Singh Sethi (Chief Growth Officer – South Asia, iGaming NDA), the panel will explore whether the industry is moving toward meaningful regulation or if the grey market will continue to dominate.
The panel Philippines: Life after POGOs will bring together Dominique Laconico (President & CEO, MegaBet+ & Scorebet), Keith McDonnell (Director, KMI Group), Joe Pisano (CEO, Jade Gaming), and Marie Antonette “Tonet” Quiogue (Principal, Arden Consult) to examine the country’s shift from offshore gaming operators (POGOs) to the newly introduced PIGOs. The discussion will explore whether this transition makes the Philippines Asia’s first truly regulated market, the continuing role of PAGCOR, the fate of overseas populations once served by POGOs and the lessons other Asian jurisdictions can draw from this model.
The SBC Summit 2025 agenda also includes the Global Markets stage, which will provide a focused look at the world’s most profitable sports betting and iGaming markets. Over the course of three days, delegates will gain insights into strategies for market entry and expansion in Latin America & Brazil, Western Europe and North America.
Get your tickets for SBC Summit 2025 today!
The post SBC Summit 2025: New Conference Track Explores Asia’s Gaming Market appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
gambling companies
How Alberta’s Insider Lobbyists Delivered for Gambling Companies

Private gambling companies and industry groups have waged a years-long lobbying campaign to shape Alberta’s regulated internet gaming and sports betting strategy, including hiring several consultants with ties to the United Conservative Party government, the Investigative Journalism Foundation has found.
Alberta is expected to launch its iGaming market early next year, making it the second province where residents can legally gamble online and place bets with private operators. Provincial records show that since 2020, at least 21 different gambling companies and industry associations registered to guide, inform, and educate various government ministries on online betting regulation and market frameworks.
Global gaming platforms like BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, and Bally’s Corp. have all sought meetings with Alberta government officials, as have a swath of major Canadian companies including the Stars Group, Score Media and Gaming, and its parent company, Rogers.
Along with their own in-house advocates, gaming companies and groups have also enlisted the help of professional influencers from more than a dozen public relations firms.
The IJF’s analysis of public lobbying records found 11 of the lobbyists registered to represent the gaming and sports betting industry previously held positions within the United Conservative Party or the Alberta government.
Representing the Canadian Online Gaming Association, Endgame Strategies’ lobbyist Pierçon Knezic worked as the UCP’s deputy campaign manager during the 2023 election. In between her time as a ministerial press secretary and a senior communications adviser for Alberta’s government, Eliza Snider was part of the team managing the Score Media and Gaming account for public relations giant Hill & Knowlton.
Wellington Advocacy employed a stable of former government staff for clients such as Pure Canadian Gaming and Caesars Digital, including Clancy Bouwman, assistant to Premier Jason Kenney; Brad Tennant, former UCP executive director; Ashley Wilde, former UCP director of operations; Nick Koolsbergen, Kenney’s chief of staff and campaign director; Peter Csillag, UCP caucus director of issues management from 2017 to 2019; Lucas Robertson, who served with the UCP caucus, the minister of health’s office and the UCP caucus whip’s office; and Ethan Lecavalier-Kidney, former policy adviser to Alberta’s finance minister.
Brandon Aboultaif, press secretary to Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Dale Nally, who is responsible for iGaming legislation, would not say which companies Nally has met with but told the IJF in an email that the minister and his department “continue to meet with all interested industry stakeholders to engage on issues related to the launch of a private, regulated iGaming market in Alberta.”
“We are taking the next step toward establishing a private, regulated online gaming market in Alberta by further engaging with Indigenous partners and stakeholders on Alberta’s iGaming strategy, including the development of regulations related to social responsibility and consumer protection,” he said.
Regulated online gambling has grown rapidly in North America following the decriminalization of single-game sports betting in the United States in 2018 and in Canada in 2021. Single-game betting allows people to bet on various aspects of individual sports events.
While the expansion of legal markets has corresponded with a surge in lobbying activity, industry efforts to push for privately owned online gambling go back much further, said Renze Nauta, program director for work and economics at Cardus, a non-partisan Christian think tank.
Nauta pointed to a 2011 report on single-event sports wagering and related press releases from the Canadian Gaming Association as examples of the long-standing push for open markets, as well as the source of industry statistics on black-market gambling activity that have been widely circulated and used to make the case for legalization.
“I can’t speak to the intensity of the lobbying effort; it’s clearly a long-standing one. Because from 2011 to 2021, that’s a 10-year period where there was clearly an attempt to bring this to Canada,” Nauta said.
In its publications, the Canadian Gaming Association estimated that Canadians were spending at least $10 billion annually on illegal single-event sports betting, and an additional $4 billion gambling on grey-market websites based in jurisdictions where these bets are legal. The estimate that $14 billion in illegal sports betting was taking place in Canada was subsequently cited by members of Parliament and continues to be referenced by government and media.
The potential taxable income that would come from capturing a share of black-market activity has been a primary justification for iGaming legalization cited by legislators from Alberta to Ontario to the federal government and various U.S. states.
The potential tax revenue has also been a consistent theme in lobbying communications recorded in the Alberta lobbyist registry. Notices filed by Pure Canadian Gaming note the “economic contributions of gaming to the Alberta economy.” The Stars Group declared its intention to educate the government and to establish “safe, regulated environments that benefit jurisdictions,” including “incremental government revenue opportunities.” And Century Mile Racetrack and Casino had discussions with the government on how “gaming can drive tourism and economic prosperity.”
A similar emphasis on corporate and economic benefits has also dominated Canadian media coverage of the legalization of sports betting, according to a study from researchers at the University of British Columbia.
About 85% of newspaper articles on sports betting between 2020 and 2022 featured themes of legality and industry change, while the issues of gambling harm and reform were present in less than a quarter of articles surveyed.
“The newspaper coverage through that three-year window is really emphasizing and framing the economic, business and financial considerations. Particularly this idea of capturing the illegal market through legalization and regulation, at the cost of much discussion around harms and the risks of excessive gambling and the health of the public,” said Luke Clark, director of the Centre for Gambling Research at UBC.
The study also found that industry representatives were by far the most frequent sources interviewed in media coverage. Seventy per cent of articles included voices from the gaming industry, while few academics, addiction and public health advocates or people with lived experience with gambling made the news.
Clark said this imbalance in perspective stems from the disparity in size and resources between the groups representing these different viewpoints.
While academics might offer a more complicated and nuanced take, they have less time to dedicate to media, and people with lived experience aren’t connected, co-ordinated and issuing press releases.
The gaming providers now operating in Canada, on the other hand, are big global gambling corporations with resources dedicated to influencing government and public opinion.
“These are huge companies with a footprint in many different parts of the world. They have large public relations teams and huge marketing and advertising budgets. And they’re very well positioned when media reach out. They’re right on it with clear messages that frame things from their perspective,” Clark said.
Source: thetyee.ca
The post How Alberta’s Insider Lobbyists Delivered for Gambling Companies appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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