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Home advantage: Veloce Racing takes aim at Extreme E finale

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Jamie Chadwick and Lance Woolridge to contest inaugural Extreme E finale in Dorset, England

Veloce Racing is primed to see out the 2021 Extreme E season on home soil this weekend (17-19 December) as the inaugural season of the off-road all-electric racing series reaches its dramatic conclusion with the Jurassic X Prix in Dorset, England.

At the wheel is newly crowned two-time W Series champion Jamie Chadwick. The 23-year-old returns to the championship after missing the previous two rounds, owing to calendar clashes with the single-seater category.

Chadwick will be joined by the team’s season-long Reserve and Development Driver Lance Woolridge. The South African ace joins the squad for the final round of the season after a successful year of racing in his home country, as well as attending several X Prix providing invaluable advice and insight to Veloce.

The 2021 season has been one of highs and lows for the London-based squad. The Desert X Prix in Saudi Arabia would signal the start of the championship and a troubled first race for Veloce, with the green and black ODYSSEY 21 dramatically rolling out of contention on the first competitive lap of the weekend.

In Senegal, however, the team would fare much better. In a battle of attrition, a calm and collected approach across the event saw the team pick up its first-ever podium finish with a well earned second place.

Next up was Greenland and the Arctic X Prix. A race that saw the #5 squad produce eye-catching pace in the qualifying stages, only to be cruelly denied a place in the final as a result of an all-or-nothing lunge over the ‘Rock Garden’ that ultimately ended with suspension failure mere metres from the finish line.

The penultimate round of the season saw the drivers go head-to-head in Sardinia, Italy at the Island X Prix. Once more, the Veloce squad looked to be in fine fettle, setting promising lap times from the outset. It was not to be, however, with the car ending the Crazy Race on the sidelines following a spectacular crash.

For the final race of Extreme E’s first-ever season, with a fresh driver line-up and renewed motivation, the team have their sights set on a strong showing in Dorset to carry through the winter break.

Lance Woolridge, Driver, Veloce Racing said: “I’m really pleased that Veloce has given me the opportunity to race at the final round of the season. We’ve all put a lot of work in to make sure the car is performing at the best possible level all year and now to be able to put that into practice is incredible.

“Jamie [Chadwick] has had a brilliant year with the podium back in Senegal as well as her W Series championship, so I’m confident that together we’re capable of getting a good result for the team to cap off the season!”

Jamie Chadwick, Driver, Veloce Racing commented: “I can’t believe it’s the end of the season already. It feels like yesterday that we were all in Saudi Arabia not knowing what to expect from this amazing new series.

“It’s great to be returning for this final race and I’m excited to see what Lance [Woolridge] and I can accomplish together. The last time I drove the ODYSSEY 21 car we got a podium, so I think it’s only natural to set another top-three finish as the target for this weekend.”

Rupert Svendsen-Cook, Co-Founder & CEO Veloce Group added: “Everyone is really excited for Veloce’s home race in Extreme E, and true to form, the British weather looks to have provided us with some of the most extreme conditions faced so far with a very muddy course! We’re also very happy to have Jamie and Lance on board for the final event of the year – it’s great to give them the opportunity together.

“As with all debut seasons, we have had some ‘learning experiences’ along the way and we are well-positioned to maximise the weekend both on and off track with our loyal partners. Regardless of the result in Dorset, Extreme E has put on an excellent show in its first year and Veloce is proud to have been a part of it.”

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BMM TESTLABS PROMOTES SACHA MCLAUGHLIN TO VICE PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL QUALITY ASSURANCE

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BMM Testlabs, the world’s original gaming test lab renowned for exceptional product compliance and certification services, today announced the promotion of Sacha McLaughlin to Vice President of Global Quality Assurance.

BMM’s President of Land-Based Gaming & Inspections, Kirk White, said, “Sacha has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership, operational excellence, and a customer-first attitude. Her experience and passion will be critical as we continue to grow our QA services to meet the always-evolving needs of the global gaming industry.”

With over 18 years of experience in software implementation and seven years in the gaming industry, McLaughlin brings extensive knowledge of both agile and waterfall development methodologies, test planning, project management, and cross-regional team leadership. She is recognized for her ability to build and scale QA organizations that deliver quality, speed, and value to customers.

McLaughlin joined BMM in 2018 and has held roles of increasing responsibility within the Company, most recently serving as Senior Director of Quality Assurance. Throughout her tenure, she has been instrumental in expanding BMM’s QA capabilities and helping customers launch products into the global gaming market more quickly, with a focus on regulatory compliance, functionality, fairness, and security.

The post BMM TESTLABS PROMOTES SACHA MCLAUGHLIN TO VICE PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL QUALITY ASSURANCE appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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Totogaming Joins Cernica Pantelimon RunFest: Not Just Present, But Fully Participating

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“We weren’t just present — we were participants of Runfest. And that’s one of the most important aspects,” said Artak Ashkhatoyan, Deputy CEO of Totogaming.

On July 6, Totogaming joined the Cernica Pantelimon Runfest in Romania, once again emphasizing the importance of promoting amateur sports and a healthy lifestyle.

“Supporting such initiatives is a priority for TotoGaming. First, 50% of the proceeds from RunFest will be donated to the CLOVES Romania Foundation, supporting children affected by CLOVES Syndrome. And second, we’ve always believed in showing our passion for sports through actions, not just words. Have you noticed how we’re constantly rushing through life, yet when we look back, it often feels like we haven’t moved at all? It’s important for us to lead by example and show the importance of participation. This is exactly the message we’re promoting through our team’s active involvement in the marathon. After all, there can never be too much sport in our lives,” said TotoGaming’s Deputy CEO, Artak Ashkhatoyan.

A Simple Concept, a Powerful Impact

The concept of this sports event is straightforward: choose a distance between 1 to 21 kilometers and run. The goal? Make sport an integral part of everyday life. The crowd certainly embraced that, gathering as early as 8:30 a.m. — on a Sunday morning.

Totogaming contributed in two distinct capacities: as an official sponsor and as an active participant. A dedicated team of 13 employees represented the company at the Cernica Pantelimon RunFest, with 7 of them proudly taking part as runners.

More Than Just a Run

It wasn’t an easy challenge — especially because among Totogaming’s runners were people for whom running isn’t a daily habit, or even part of their life at all. Yet they couldn’t miss the opportunity, not least from the perspective of corporate responsibility.

“We just finished the 7.5-kilometer race!” shared Petrut-Adrian Toea from the Totogaming team.

“It was amazing, honestly. Around the 2-kilometer mark, I had this little battle with myself — I told myself I had to finish the race, no matter what. And I did it! I came in around 60th place out of over 100 runners, which for me is a really good result.”

“I see my participation as a small contribution toward promoting a healthy lifestyle. In my close circle, everyone knows I’m not exactly the sporty type. I’m not athletic, and I usually prefer having fun in other ways. But showing up here, early in the morning, in this intense heat, and completing almost 8 kilometers with just one short break — I think it set a good example.”

“I hope seeing someone like me finish this challenge motivates my friends to try something similar for their own health. I believe that’s a meaningful contribution”, – added Petrut-Andrea.

Totogaming also made it possible for every attendee to bring sport into their lives — quite literally. At the Totogaming tent, participants could ride stationary bikes and receive prizes based on the number of points they earned through their efforts.

Whether they were running, cycling, or simply cheering for friends, the goal for everyone was the same: to reach the destination of champions — by bringing sport into everyday life.

The post Totogaming Joins Cernica Pantelimon RunFest: Not Just Present, But Fully Participating appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Liftoff’s 2025 Mobile Ad Creative Index Reveals UGC Is a Key Differentiator for Top Apps

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Major findings from the newly launched report include playable ads having the potential to deliver impression-to-install rates 16 times that of non-playable formats for emerging gaming apps and a 20% increase in spending on interactive ads year over year.

Liftoff, a leading AI-enabled growth platform for the mobile app economy, has published its seventh annual Mobile Ad Creative Index. The report explores top creative trends that are attracting and scaling in ad spend across consumer apps and games. It also highlights the expanding role of AI in creative production, testing, and optimization.

This year’s Mobile Ad Creative Index specifically analyzes creative concepts that have excelled in scale for Liftoff’s highest-spending advertisers over the past 12 to 48 months. It is based on findings from over 4.7 trillion impressions, 263 billion clicks, and 1.1 billion installs between 1 January 2023 and 31 May 2025.

 

Highlights from the report include:

Top consumer apps are investing in interactive ads to compete for engagement

In 2024, the share of spend on interactive ads for top apps increased by 20% year over year. The share of spend increased by 2% for spenders outside the top tier. Top-spending apps differentiate their campaigns by adding innovations to evergreen concepts such as social scrollers, carousels, and scratch-offs.

Playable ads deliver returns across ad budgets for mobile game advertisers

In 2024, the share of spend on playable ads for top games averaged 35% higher than other games. Across all ad budgets, however, playable ads delivered higher conversion rates. Impression-to-install rates were 8 times that of non-playable formats for top spenders and 16 times that of non-playable formats for other game advertisers.

Tailoring “metaplay” elements to motivations can improve performance

“Metaplay” elements—gameplay that diverges from an app’s core design to appeal to a broader audience—are widespread, but top games gain an edge by tailoring their metaplay ads to the publisher audience. The report found that aligning “metaplay” creative with publisher audiences resulted in a 93% increase in installs-per-mille.

UGC is becoming a key differentiator in driving scale for consumer apps

The share of spend on user-generated content (UGC) increased 11% for top-spending apps, with social and utility apps seeing the most significant jump of nearly 30% between 2023 and 2024.

Widespread adoption of Gen AI leads to more customized ad experiences

Creative teams increasingly leverage AI to enhance top-performing assets with 3D and motion and to create and test variations. Top advertisers also use AI to recombine their assets in customized ad experiences that break away from standard video to playable formats.

Yann Zeller, Chief of Staff, Creative at Liftoff, said: “Today’s creative landscape is shaped by a single, powerful truth: attention is the commodity, and brands, games, and influencers are all vying for it. Great mobile ad experiences can earn attention by aligning context with behavior. As ad formats become richer and AI expands our ability to personalize and adapt creatives at scale, we’re able to unlock new insights into user behavior and motivation. We see users spend meaningful stretches with the right content, sometimes 60 to 90 seconds when the ad feels personal or prompts meaningful participation. This isn’t just a better way to advertise—it’s a better way to tell stories and the most exciting brief we’ve had in years.”

Soren Steelquist, Director of Creative Production, said: “The proof is in the data—more and more consumer apps are incorporating UGC into every stage of their marketing, and programmatic is no different. UGC works because it’s authentic and relatable, and users are more likely to be influenced by ad when it’s coming from a trustworthy source. To see higher impact from UGC creatives, work with a partner that can match the right creator with your brand and develop winning concepts that resonate with audiences.”

The post Liftoff’s 2025 Mobile Ad Creative Index Reveals UGC Is a Key Differentiator for Top Apps appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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