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Arthouros Ioannidis Marks a Milestone at ProgressPlay and reveals that a new bingo launch is on the horizon this September
ProgressPlay, a leading name in the iGaming industry, proudly celebrates a significant milestone as Arthouros Ioannidis, Head of Account Managers, marks his seventh anniversary with the company. Remarkably, Arthouros has held seven different roles within ProgressPlay, reflecting his dedication, versatility, and significant contributions to the company’s success.
As a premier platform provider, ProgressPlay offers comprehensive turnkey, white-label, and standalone solutions for online gambling operators. With a robust portfolio of games and a commitment to innovation, ProgressPlay empowers operators to deliver exceptional gambling experiences. Arthouros joined ProgressPlay with a vision and dedication that have been instrumental in shaping the high-performance Account Management Team we see today.
With nearly six years of extensive experience in various roles within the company before his latest promotion last January, Arthouros brought a wealth of knowledge and a passion for excellence that have consistently driven the team to new heights. Over the past seven years, he has demonstrated exceptional leadership and strategic acumen, propelling ProgressPlay’s client relationships and operational efficiencies to the forefront. His deep understanding of client needs and market dynamics has been pivotal in fostering a culture of innovation and customer-centricity within the team, alongside Head of Sales and Marketing Marina Nahhas.
“Arthouros has been a cornerstone of our success,” said Nahhas. “His unwavering commitment, strategic insights, and ability to inspire those around him have not only strengthened our client relationships but have also significantly contributed to our growth and reputation in the industry.”
As the Head of Account Managers, Arthouros has been instrumental in developing and implementing strategies that enhance client satisfaction and drive business growth. His leadership has ensured that ProgressPlay remains agile and responsive in an ever-evolving industry landscape.
Reflecting on his journey, Arthouros stated, “It’s been an incredible seven years at ProgressPlay. The support and collaborative spirit within the company have been outstanding. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved together and excited about the future possibilities as we continue to innovate and lead in the iGaming sector.”
ProgressPlay’s comprehensive sportsbook and turnkey solutions include a casino platform, player management, payments module, and affiliate software, designed to boost operators seeking to effectively drive both revenue and efficiency with the latest cutting-edge technology. These solutions ensure that operators can offer a seamless and engaging experience to their customers, enhancing loyalty and driving growth.
Over 150 online casino and sportsbook brands have partnered with ProgressPlay, benefiting from a unique combination of casino games and sports betting. ProgressPlay’s sportsbook offers over 30,000 live betting markets and services across 20 languages, providing a broad and inclusive platform for operators. The latest platform features a slick AI-driven UI/UX and extensive value-added services, alongside thousands of casino games, including slots, online casino, live casino, poker, table games, and sportsbook, accessible across all devices and currencies.
Itai Lowenstein, ProgressPlay CEO, remarked: “Arthouros’ anniversary is particularly significant as it coincides with a period of tremendous growth and exploration for our company. We’re charting new horizons and expanding our operations into exciting markets. Most importantly, these seven years symbolise the relentless hard work and dedication of the entire ProgressPlay team, driving us to thrive in this competitive landscape.”
The Account Management department, currently composed of five persons and expanding further, is a testament to Arthouros’ leadership. Each Account Manager handles around 30 key relationships, ensuring personalised and effective client management. Marina Nahhas, Arthouros’ mentor, adds, “Arthouros is the kind of manager we want, he leads from the front.”
A key focus of client conversations is CRM, as operators look for differentiation in the marketplace and lobby optimisation. Arthouros notes, “ProgressPlay is aligned closely to the market and also ahead of the curve.” He adds; “Every day we have an opportunity to work with some amazing people,” emphasising the company’s collaborative spirit and innovative drive.
Despite occasional differences in viewpoints within the team, Arthouros views this positively, considering it “another voice in the room, an alternative view.” Although ProgressPlay is very UK-centric in terms of standards and compliance with UKGC, the company has been active in other jurisdictions and has plans for further internationalisation with their new standalone product that allows operators to market in any jurisdiction.
Exciting developments are on the horizon for ProgressPlay, including the launch of a new bingo product in September he reveals. Arthouros concludes, “There’s a big future for the industry and for ProgressPlay within it.”
The post Arthouros Ioannidis Marks a Milestone at ProgressPlay and reveals that a new bingo launch is on the horizon this September appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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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