Connect with us

Latest News

Opera GX wants you to pimp your browser with new Mods feature

Published

on

Reading Time: 2 minutes

 

The new era of deep browser customization has officially begun with the launch of Mods in Opera GX. With GX Mods, you can pimp your browser and make your online experience as unique as your gaming setup, personalizing the entire browser – from the keyboard sounds to how webpages look.

“Browsers get a bad rap on account of how boring some browsers are. But like no two users are the same, Opera GX is built to be different. With Mods, we wanted to give our users a means to express themselves instead of forcing them to stick to a set of default options,” said Maciej Kocemba, product director at Opera and mastermind of Opera GX. “GX Mods offer users a limitless number of customization options. It’s time to ditch boring browsers and start browsing like a badass.”

To usher in this new era, Opera GX has partnered with none other than Xzibit, rapper and host of the world famous car modification TV show Pimp My Ride who is moving from customizing cars to customizing web browsers.

“The customization game has up and changed. It’s time to pimp your browser,” said Xzibit. To do that with Opera GX, no crew of car mechanics is needed. Users can instead turn to GX Mods.

Every Mod comes with a mix of elements – including unique looks (animated wallpapers and themes), sounds (keyboard and UI) and shaders (GPU-driven effects that render in real-time while browsing the web). You can even customize how webpages look when browsing. How these Mods all work together is completely up to you, giving you total freedom to create something completely unique. But should you want some examples to start with, you can turn to the new GX Mod Store.

Launching today is also the GX Mod Store which features  dozens of pre-made Mods each inspired by either a game or gaming culture, taking cues from specific interests and moods, and creating totally unique looks, sounds and shaders. Available Mods include Cyberdeck, Anime, LoFi Chill, Blockified, Drive-by and Legendary Rift, as well as GXzibit – a Mod created exclusively by the man himself – Xzibit, who would naturally like you to use his Mod: the GXzibit, inspired by 2000s hip hop music.

Mods can be accessed from the sidebar in Opera GX, and installed from the new GX Mods Store. Here, users will be able to browse through all available Mods, whether they’ve been created by Opera GX or the community. All Mods are free, and highly modular; meaning you can mix and match elements from different Mods to create new versions, or even build your own and upload them to the store for other users to download.

Opera GX is the only browser designed for gamers, as it offers a myriad of customization options, including color themes, sound effects, background music, as well as CPU, RAM, and Network Bandwidth limiters designed to leave more of the computer’s resources for gaming. Opera GX Mobile is its mobile version available on both Android and iOS.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Apollo

Apollo Funds Complete Acquisitions of International Game Technology’s Gaming & Digital Business and Everi; Combined Enterprise to Operate as IGT

Published

on

apollo-funds-complete-acquisitions-of-international-game-technology’s-gaming-&-digital-business-and-everi;-combined-enterprise-to-operate-as-igt

 

Apollo announced the completion of the previously announced acquisitions of International Game Technology PLC’s (doing business as Brightstar Lottery) Gaming & Digital Business and Everi Holdings Inc. (Everi) by a holding company owned by funds managed by Apollo affiliates (the Apollo Funds). The all-cash transaction, valued at approximately $6.3 billion, brings together complementary businesses to form a privately held global leader in gaming, digital and financial technology solutions.

The two companies will be integrated into a combined enterprise in the coming months. Headquartered in Las Vegas, the combined enterprise will operate under the IGT name, while retaining the Everi brand in select markets and product lines. IGT will be organized into three business units: Gaming, Digital, and FinTech, creating a customer-first enterprise supported by a people-first culture that values talent, collaboration, and innovation.

“This is a defining moment for our industry. By uniting two leading organizations, we are building an enterprise with the scale, talent and technology to lead the future of gaming. With Apollo’s support, we are very well-positioned to deliver exceptional content across land-based and digital experiences, along with integrated financial solutions and casino management that enhance the player journey and drive value for our customers. I’m honored to be part of this exciting chapter and to help shape the future of IGT,” said Nick Khin, Interim CEO of IGT.

As previously announced, Hector Fernandez is expected to assume the role of CEO of IGT in the fourth quarter of 2025, following the expiration of a customary non-compete period. Until then, Mr. Khin will lead the organization and transition into the role of CEO of IGT’s Gaming business unit upon Mr. Fernandez’s arrival.

“Bringing together highly complementary businesses creates a more competitive, agile and well-capitalized platform built for long-term growth. We are confident that IGT is well positioned to deliver differentiated content and capabilities that better serve customers across the globe. We look forward to working closely with Hector, Nick and the rest of the talented IGT team to lead the industry forward,” said Daniel Cohen, Partner at Apollo.

The post Apollo Funds Complete Acquisitions of International Game Technology’s Gaming & Digital Business and Everi; Combined Enterprise to Operate as IGT appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

Continue Reading

Latest News

BHA Initiates Campaign Against Tax Hike

Published

on

bha-initiates-campaign-against-tax-hike
Reading Time: 2 minutes

 

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has urged the sport to collectively lobby the Government to back British racing and axe the Treasury’s proposal to hike tax on horserace betting by bringing existing online betting duties into one single rate.

The call comes ahead of the launch of “Axe the Racing Tax”, a BHA-led public campaign against the proposal which will be rolled out over the summer.

A tax hike for bookmakers in the Autumn Budget would be the third leg of a triple whammy of financial threats caused by Government policies which jeopardise the future of the sport in Britain.

Economic analysis commissioned by the BHA shows that aligning the current 15% tax rate paid by bookmakers on racing with that of online games of chance – currently taxed at 21% – by harmonising all remote gambling duties, could hit racing’s finances to the tune of £66m in lost income via the Levy, media rights and sponsorship. This is because operators are likely to seek to mitigate significant tax rises through cutting bonuses, reducing advertising and marketing budgets and increasing prices.

Should the Treasury seek to raise the proposed single duty rate further to help balance the books, the impact on racing’s finances would be devastating, with a projected £97m loss at a tax rate of 25%, a £126m loss at 30% and a £160m loss at 40%.

Brant Dunshea, Acting Chief Executive of the British Horseracing Authority, said: “It is vital that everyone working in racing, the media and bettors fully support and promote this campaign.

“The Government’s consultation on harmonising online betting duties, if followed through, poses one of the gravest risks to racing the sport has ever seen.

“It will punch a huge hole in racing’s finances, risk thousands of jobs across Britain and threaten the future of the country’s second most-popular sport and a cherished national institution.

“From now until the Budget we will be hammering home a very simple message to MPs, Peers and the Government on behalf of millions of racing fans. It’s time for the Government to back British racing and axe the racing tax.”

The post BHA Initiates Campaign Against Tax Hike appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Central Europe

Change of Chairmanship in the GGL Board of Directors as of 1 July 2025

Published

on

change-of-chairmanship-in-the-ggl-board-of-directors-as-of-1-july-2025
Reading Time: 2 minutes

 

On the occasion of the four-year anniversary of the Joint Gambling Authority of the Federal States (GGL) on 1 July 2025, Sandro Kirchner, State Secretary in the Bavarian State Ministry of the Interior, for Sport and Integration, has taken over the chairmanship of the GGL Administrative Board, succeeding Reiner Moser, Head of Office in the Ministry of the Interior, for Digitalisation and Municipalities for Baden-Württemberg.

During Reiner Moser’s term as Chairman of the Board of Directors, the GGL further established itself as a reliable institution for the supervision and monitoring of the online gambling market.

“The online gambling market has developed rapidly in recent years. The GGL has met the resulting challenges with great commitment and can already demonstrate remarkable results both in combating illegal gambling and in regulating and supervising the legal market. The exchange between the states and the GGL is always trusting and results-oriented. I would like to sincerely thank the Board of Directors and all GGL employees for this constructive cooperation over the past year,” said Head of Department Moser.

State Secretary Kirchner takes over the chairmanship at a time when the GGL is pursuing ambitious goals, including stronger international networking, particularly to further curb the illegal gambling market.

“The consistent prosecution of illegal offerings and player protection are my highest priorities. The work of the GGL must continue to be significantly geared towards ensuring that the business model of illegal gambling is not profitable in Germany,” said Sandro Kirchner.

With regard to his role as Chairman of the Board of Directors, he added: “I look forward to continuing the successful work of everyone involved over the past four years. We will certainly continue to face many challenges. However, I believe the GGL is well positioned to achieve this.”

The Board of Directors is the supervisory and steering body of the GGL. It consists of the heads of departments or state secretaries of the ministries responsible for gaming supervision in the 16 member states. The chair of the Board of Directors rotates annually on July 1st in alphabetical order of the member states.

The post Change of Chairmanship in the GGL Board of Directors as of 1 July 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Trending