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Playtika’s Bingo Blitz and Make-A-Wish partner on campaign to grant the wishes of children facing a uniquely challenging Christmas
Bingo Blitz – the world’s #1 bingo game from Playtika – and Make-A-Wish – the non-profit that creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses – have launched a unique holiday campaign this Christmas.
“Virtual dishes for wishes”
From 22nd – 26th December, Bingo Blitz players across the world will be invited to take part in a “virtual dishes for wishes” challenge.
The in-game event will let players collect ingredients while playing Bingo and use them to cook a wide range of dishes in the app’s virtual kitchen, part of the Chef Feature in the Bingo Blitz game.
The aim is to get players to prepare 300,000 virtual dishes and Bingo Blitz will donate $100,000 to Make-A-Wish. A virtual meals counter will be introduced to allow players to see their collective progress, and the donation will be used to fulfil as many wishes as possible for children with life-threatening illnesses.
This is the second year in a row that Bingo Blitz has organised an in-app donation event for Make-A-Wish, strengthening the partnership between the two organisations.
Bingo Blitz will also be raising awareness of the charity across its app, website, and social channels to encourage millions of players around the world to donate directly to the global charity. Players and non-players alike can visit www.worldwish.org/playtika to donate.
Inspiration from a 12-year-old with a passion for food
In the United States alone, three children are diagnosed with a critical illness every hour – that’s 27,000 children every year[2].
This means that thousands of children will face a very difficult Christmas. In honor of them, Bingo Blitz’s virtual kitchen is going to become a place where wishes can come true for children with critical illnesses.
One young person whose own wish came true has been a particular inspiration for this campaign, and in particular, the decision to use Bingo Blitz’s virtual kitchen to support Make-A-Wish.
Joshua was 12 when he underwent a bone marrow transplant as part of treatment for childhood leukemia. Recovering in hospital, North Carolina wish kid Joshua spent hours watching cooking shows from his hospital bed. His wish revolved around his passion for food, and his dream of sampling and creating amazing dishes.
After a request was submitted to Make-A-Wish, he was given the chance to visit some of the best restaurants and food trucks in LA and to participate in cooking some incredible street food. He also graced the red carpet and plated dishes at a food festival in the city.
“Joshua’s wish came on the heels of his bone marrow transplant,” said his mother, Rashelle. “It was so positively overwhelming it almost overshadowed what he had gone through.”
For children dealing with a critical illness, a wish is more than just an incredible experience. Especially over the holiday season, a wish creates strength, hope, and transformation, in a child and in a community.
Giving through gaming
Bingo Blitz is part of Playtika, a leading gaming company with a passion for mobilizing gamers to make a real difference.
This motivation meant that, during 2020 and in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Bingo Blitz partnered with Feeding America to donate one million meals to help tackle hunger[3] and Playtika partnered with the World Health Organization’s #PlayApartTogether campaign[4], which encouraged gamers worldwide to socially distance but also to combat loneliness and social isolation through gaming.
This second year of partnership between Bingo Blitz and Make-A-Wish is a continuation of that work, in order to change lives and give back to communities through the power of gaming.
For every wish granted, at least three more children are waiting
Despite the pressures of the pandemic, Make-A-Wish has continued to make a life-changing difference. Make-A-Wish granted more than 25,000 wishes globally in 2020 and over 500,000 wishes since 1980.
But for every child like Joshua who has had their wish come true, there are at least three more children waiting.
That is why Bingo Blitz is calling on its players across the world to be part of this campaign over the holiday season and to help make dreams come true for children facing a very difficult Christmas.
“We are very proud to be supporting Make-A-Wish for the second year in a row to help grant more wishes for children with critical illnesses, who are facing a uniquely challenging Christmas. The holiday period is all about giving, and we know that our wonderful community of Bingo Blitz players really care and want to make a difference”, said Dudu Dahan, General Manager at Bingo Blitz. “It is inspiring to see what Make-A-Wish achieves for thousands of children. Being able to contribute to that is a privilege.”
Luciano Manzo, CEO of Make-A-Wish International said, “We thank the Bingo Blitz community for embracing Make-A-Wish for a second year – the money they are raising allows us to bring hope, strength and joy to our wish children during a very meaningful time of the year. The power of wishing is life-changing and this support from Bingo Blitz will enable us to grant more wishes for children with critical illnesses when they need it most.”
BMM
BMM TESTLABS PROMOTES SACHA MCLAUGHLIN TO VICE PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL QUALITY ASSURANCE

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

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

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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