Connect with us

Conferences in Europe

Announcing the shortlists for CEEG Awards 2022 (Central and Eastern European Gaming Awards)

Published

on

Reading Time: 4 minutes

 

The results of the online voting stage at the CEEG Awards are in, here are the top companies who made it to the shortlists.

 

The team at Hipther Agency is delighted to announce that the online voting stage for the 2022 edition of the CEEG Awards has ended and the shortlists have been decided by the industry.

For the past two weeks, the industry was invited to vote for their favorite suppliers and operators to determine the top five of each category. During the online voting stage, a grand total of 2741 votes have been submitted and there was quite a battle in some of the categories.

As a result, the top 10 most voted companies in each category have advanced to the shortlists and in some particular cases, there are even more due to the equal number of votes per company.

The final winners in each category are going to be decided by the attending delegates of the Central and Eastern European Gaming Conference (CEEGC) on 16 September in Budapest by a secret voting session at THE RITZ-CARLTON BUDAPEST.

View the program | Register/Get tickets here

Totaling 21 nomination categories, the awards are considered the leading accolade in the region, established to provide an independent, fair, and representative awards event that recognizes significant achievements across the Central and Eastern European gaming industries, including the Balkans.

You can find the shortlisted companies below, or by browsing this page:

https://hipther.com/events/ceegc/ceegawards2022/

Operators

BEST ONLINE CASINO IN CEE 2022

PALMS BET
PRINCESS CASINO
VLAD CAZINO
UNIBET
WINMASTERS
STANLEYBET
ADMIRAL
7777 BG
PUBLIC WIN
EFBET
SPORTINGBET
POKERSTARS

ONLINE CASINO – BEST CUSTOMER SUPPORT IN CEE 2022

CASA PARIURILOR
MOZZARTBET
PRINCESS CASINO
EFBET
BETFAIR
PINOCASINO
DUXCASINO
BAUMBET
PALMS BET
SCATTERS
SAZKA
BETANO

BEST SPORTS BETTING OPERATOR IN CEE 2022

SUPERBET
BAUMBET
FORTUNA
BETANO
7777 BG
FAVBET
BWIN
SPORTINGBET
NOVIBET
MAXBET
TIPSPORT
WINMASTERS
PUBLIC WIN
888
GET’S BET

SPORTS BETTING – BEST CUSTOMER SUPPORT IN CEE 2022

CASA PARIURILOR
GET’S BET
STANLEYBET
SUPERBET
NOVIBET
FORTUNA
PUBLIC WIN
SPORTINGBET
VISTABET
TIPSPORT

Lottery

BEST LOTTERY SERVICE PROVIDER IN CEE 2022

PLAYTECH
TOTALIZATOR SPORTOWY
MULTILOTTO
SG DIGITAL
IWG (INSTANT WIN GAMING)
HELIO GAMING
IGT
LOTTOLAND
SZERENCSEJÁTÉK ZRT.
INTRALOT

Casino Providers

BEST ONLINE CASINO PROVIDER IN CEE 2022

WAZDAN
TOM HORN GAMING
BF GAMES
PLAYSON
NSOFT
SYNOT GAMES
GLOBAL GAMING
RELAX GAMING
DIGITAIN
EZUGI
SPINOMENAL
IGAMINGPLATFORM
GAMEART
1X2 NETWORK

RISING STAR – ONLINE CASINO TECHNOLOGY IN CEE 2022

WAZDAN
TOM HORN GAMING
AMUSNET GAMING
IFORIUM
EVOPLAY
QUICKSPIN
EZUGI
ENDORPHINA
KIRON INTERACTIVE
SPINOMENAL
HACKSAW GAMING
BF GAMES

ONLINE CASINO INNOVATOR IN CEE 2022

TOM HORN GAMING
WAZDAN
EVOPLAY
PRAGMATIC PLAY
PLAYSON
NSOFT
HABANERO
SPRIBE
DIGITAIN
GLOBAL GAMING
BF GAMES

ONLINE CASINO INNOVATOR IN CEE 2022

TOM HORN GAMING
WAZDAN
EVOPLAY
PRAGMATIC PLAY
PLAYSON
NSOFT
HABANERO
SPRIBE
DIGITAIN
GLOBAL GAMING
BF GAMES

Sports Providers

BEST SPORTS BETTING PROVIDER IN CEE 2022

METRIC GAMING
ALTENAR
DIGITAIN
INSPIRED GAMING
PLAYTECH
EVENBET GAMING
BETLOGIK
NSOFT
EVERYMATRIX
MERIDIANBET

RISING STAR – SPORTS BETTING TECHNOLOGY IN CEE 2022

INSPIRED GAMING
BETCONSTRUCT
GOLDEN RACE
BTOBET
ULTRAPLAY
STATSCORE
EVENBET GAMING
GIG (GAMING INNOVATION GROUP)
DELASPORT
BETSOFT GAMING
BETGENIUS
BETLOGIK

BEST SPORTS BETTING INNOVATION IN CEE 2022

OFFSIDE GAMING
BETCONSTRUCT
GOLDEN RACE
NSOFT
MERIDIANBET
TAIN BETTING PROMOTIONS LTD
KAMBI
GIG (GAMING INNOVATION GROUP)
ALTENAR
SPORTING SOLUTIONS
BETLOGIK

RISING STAR – VIRTUAL SPORTS / FANTASY SPORTS IN CEE 2022

GLOBAL BET
DS VIRTUAL GAMING
SCOUT GAMING GROUP
EVENBET
KIRON INTERACTIVE
GOLDEN RACE
BETRADAR
VIRTUAL GAMING TECHNOLOGIES
VINFOTECH
NSOFT
MAGELLAN ROBOTECH
EVERYMATRIX

BEST VIRTUAL SPORTS / FANTASY SPORTS PROVIDER IN CEE 2022

EVENBET
MAGELLAN ROBOTECH
GOLDEN RACE
SCOUT GAMING GROUP
GLOBAL BET
NSOFT
BETCONSTRUCT
DS VIRTUAL GAMING
KIRON INTERACTIVE
EVERYMATRIX

BEST ESPORTS SERVICE PROVIDER IN CEE 2022

ULTRAPLAY
BETER
INBET GAMES
ELBET
BETGENIUS
TAIN BETTING PROMOTIONS LTD
ESPORTS ENTERTAINMENT GROUP
PANDASCORE

Connected categories

BEST TESTING LABORATORY IN CEE 2022

GAMING LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL(GLI)
ITECH LABS
ECOGRA
QUINEL
BMM TESTLABS
SLOVENIAN INSTITUTE OF QUALITY AND METROLOGY (SIQ)

BEST PAYMENTS SERVICE PROVIDER IN CEE 2022

ORANGE PAY
TRUSTLY
WIRECAPITAL
ECOMMPAY
EURO PAYMENT GROUP
PAYSAFE
HEXOPAY
WORLDPAY
EMERCHANTPAY
HIPAY

BEST INDUSTRY PRESS IN CEE 2022

E-PLAY ONLINE
CASINO LIFE AND BUSINESS MAGAZINE
IGAMING BUSINESS
GAMBLINGCOMPLIANCE
GIOCCO NEWS
GAMBLING INSIDER
INTERGAME
EGAME SPECTRUM
FOCUS GAMING NEWS
JAMMA EUROPE

BEST AUXILIARY IGAMING SERVICE PROVIDER IN CEE 2022

(TRANSLATION, LOCALIZATION, SEO, MARKETING, AGGREGATORS) 

INCOME ACCESS
DENCH EGAMING SOLUTIONS
ALL-IN GLOBAL
WAKEAPP
SLOTEGRATOR

BEST HOSTING PROVIDER IN CEE 2022

NETSHOP INTERNET SERVICES
INTERNET VIKINGS

BEST SUPPORT FOR RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING IN CEE 2022

ENTAIN
KAIZEN GAMING
ROMSLOT
GAME WORLD
EGT
CASINO GURU
ROMBET
KINDRED GROUP
KAMBI
FORTUNA

 

As mentioned earlier, to provide a fully transparent process, the final winners of each shortlist category will be decided by a special voting session held during the day of the conference.

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.

Among the already confirmed sponsors of the event, you can find Global Bet and Nordic Gambling.

The #hipthers have prepared multiple types of delegate passes that will accommodate the guest’s needs. You can check out the pass types and register on the following link: https://hipther.com/events/regbudapest/

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 (in the testing phase) 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]

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Conferences in Europe

Altenar Steps in as General Sponsor of EEGS 2025

Published

on

altenar-steps-in-as-general-sponsor-of-eegs-2025
Reading Time: < 1 minute

 

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.

Continue Reading

Conferences in Europe

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

Published

on

speaking-the-player’s-language:-promatic-group’s-take-on-game-localization-in-cee
Reading Time: 3 minutes

 

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.

Continue Reading

Compliance Updates

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

Published

on

navigating-legal-frontiers:-nordic-legal’s-vision-for-the-finnish-gambling-market
Reading Time: 3 minutes

 

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.

Continue Reading

Trending