iGaming just got a new ride. Bet It Drives, GR8 Tech’s new podcast, takes the industry’s most interesting voices out of the studio and into the fast lane. Hosted by Yevhen Krazhan, CSO, each episode is filmed entirely in a moving car, with cameras rolling and London as the backdrop.

No predictable Q&As: Bet It Drives pairs high-energy visuals with relaxed, unscripted dialogue. Shot by the award-winning crew behind campaigns for global brands, the format blends high-energy visuals with the kind of candid moments you only get when people are truly relaxed.

“Bet It Drives was born from a simple idea—great conversations happen when people feel at ease,” said Yevhen Krazhan. “Driving through London strips away the formality, lets personalities shine, and captures the pace and unpredictability that define the iGaming industry.”

The premiere kicks off with Alex Pratt, Group Managing Director of Clarion Gaming, who oversees a portfolio of leading B2B events and media brands, including ICE, iGB Affiliate, and iGaming Business. With over two decades in the iGaming industry, Pratt has been instrumental in shaping its evolution and is recognized for his insights into emerging markets, technological advancements, and fostering community within the gaming sector.

During the ride, Alex opened up about:

• ICE vs. iGB Live—which is his personal favorite, and why.
• Organizing world-class iGaming events and how major decisions like moving ICE to Barcelona come together behind the scenes.
• Partnering with big tech and how such collaborations shape the future of iGaming.
• Advice for startups attending conferences.
• Alex’s Spotify playlist and the tracks that keep him going.
• The most jaw-dropping booths he’s ever seen on the exhibition floor.
• Which panels or attendees would he ban for the greater good of the industry.
• Memorable after-parties—the kind you don’t forget, even if you wish you could.

“Alex really showed us what is happening on the front and the back of high-end igaming events,” said Krazhan. “From the strategic calls that shape entire conferences to the wild stories that never make the press, this episode is a perfect mix of insider knowledge, candid moments, and the kind of energy that makes you wish the ride was longer.”

With upcoming guests including Stephen Crystal, Rohini Sardana, and Helen Walton, Bet It Drives is set to deliver brilliant storytelling, unscripted moments, and a visual style unlike anything else in iGaming media.

Access Episode 1 with Alex Pratt on YouTube or Spotify—and buckle up.

With four spots, one stage and R60 000 on the line, South Africa’s sharpest squads are gearing up for a Call of Duty clash like no other.

The 2025 Hyprop MTN Shift Gaming Experience is about to get louder, faster and more intense. Hyprop, in collaboration with MTN, is introducing SHIFT COD – a Call of Duty tournament designed to test South Africa’s sharpest squads in a no-excuses, high-pressure arena. Four online qualifiers. One LAN finale. R60,000 in prize money. Only the best survive.

The format stays sharp and unforgiving: each qualifier is a single-elimination best-of-five series. Teams will battle across Hardpoint, Search and Destroy, and Control. Only the top squad from each of the four qualifier events will earn a shot at the LAN finale, taking place at Canal Walk on 12 and 13 September. Finalists will cover their own travel and accommodation, but the stage – and the spotlight – will be waiting.

“The Shift Gaming Experience is about putting real competition at the centre of public spaces and connecting people through the power of play,” said Christie Stanbridge, Brand and Campaigns Marketing Manager at Hyprop. “Adding Call of Duty to the lineup takes the intensity up a notch. We’re giving gamers a serious platform to show what they can do – live, on stage and in front of a crowd.”

The four qualifiers took place online, where teams signed up for free:

• Qualifier 1: 26-27 July
• Qualifier 2: 2-3 August
• Qualifier 3: 9-10 August
• Qualifier 4: 16-17 August

All qualifier finals were broadcast, giving fans full access to the action and allowing players to gain exposure beyond the scoreboard.

Four teams qualify for the LAN finale, where they’ll compete in a double-elimination bracket for a prize pool structured as follows:

• 1st place: R30,000
• 2nd place: R15,000
• 3rd place: R10,000
• 4th place: R5,000

Now in its third year, the Hyprop MTN Shift Gaming Experience has become one of the country’s most visible platforms for esports and casual gaming. Hosted at Hyprop-owned malls including Canal Walk, Clearwater and The Glen, the experience blends competitive tournaments with public engagement to bring gaming into the mainstream.

“MTN SHIFT isn’t about gimmicks. It’s built for players, whether you’re grinding in ranked or showing up to prove a point on LAN,” said Stanbridge. “We’ve seen how gaming can energise our spaces and create new communities. SHIFT COD builds on that energy.”

With only four LAN spots available, the window to make your mark is narrow, and the competition will be ruthless. Visit acgl.gg/mtnshift.

Remaining Tournament Dates & Venues:

SHIFT COD is part of the MTN Shift Gaming Experience which takes place at:

Capegate – Online Qualifier: 31 Aug | In-Centre Event: 5 – 7 Sep

Canal Walk – Online Qualifier: 7 Sep | In-Centre Event: 17 – 21 Sep

Dreidel, the hottest land-based slot developer based out of Mexico, is lighting up the thrills and letting the big prizes explode in Bomb Crush, the latest game to hit its cutting-edge 5ENTURI0N cabinet.

Bomb Crush has an action-packed base game where Coloured Fire (red, blue and green) symbols appear and accumulate along with their corresponding Bombs. They also bring suspense, as they can trigger the game’s Hold & Spin feature at any moment.

There are three Hold & Spin features in play – Expand, Collect and Multiplier – and if two or all three of the Bonus features are triggered simultaneously, a Combined Bonus can be activated.

But that’s not all. Landing three Bomb Crush Wheel symbols during the base game awards a spin on the Bomb Crush Wheel, which can grant one of the Mini, Minor, Major or Grand Prizes, or it might trigger the Hold & Spin feature or the Combined Feature.

If all three Coloured Fire symbols land in the same spin, at least one Bonus feature will be activated.

Let’s take a closer look at some of these features.

Bomb Crush Bonus

When entering the Bomb Crush feature, three spins are awarded and reset whenever a Fireball symbol lands in the unlocked area of the game grid. The grid also expands to a 7×5 reel setup, but with the top four rows locked in chains.

If a Dynamite symbol drops in the unlocked area, one chained row gets unlocked in ascending order. Once a Dynamite symbol unlocks a row, it transforms into a Fireball symbol.

Hold & Spin Expand 

Again, three spins are awarded, but this time, Red Bomb symbols may appear and fill the entire column with Fireball symbols within the unlocked game areas. If Fireballs are already in place, additional credits get added to those symbols.

Hold & Spin Collect

Blue Bomb symbols appear to absorb and collect all the prizes from the Fireball symbols in play in the column in which they land, within the unlocked game area. Once this is done, the Blue Bomb symbol transforms into a Fireball symbol with the total collected amount.

Hold & Spin Multiplier 

The Multiplier can be triggered on any spin, marking one or more positions on the grid with a green frame which then Multiplies the prize of any Fireball symbol within it by either 2x, 3x or 4x. If the frame lands on an empty position, it remains there until a Fireball symbol fills it or the feature ends.

The game can be played in different modes – Festival of Light, Nuclear Win and Wild Treasury – with different Wild symbols in play for each.

José Shemaria CEO at Dreidel, said: “Bomb Crush is an explosive slot game that builds anticipation with every spin, thanks to the Hold & Spin format it has been built around.

“This is a Bonus-heavy game that delivers a range of player experiences depending on the game mode being played and which Hold & Win features are triggered.

“This will ensure player engagement remains high, while giving a strong reason to return to the machine to see what else Bomb Crush has in store.

“This is a high-impact game that operator will absolutely want to bring to their casino floors.”