Connect with us

Industry News

Top 5 High Variance Slots For 2020 So Far

Published

on

Reading Time: 3 minutes

 

The high variance slots market is home to some of the most exciting gameplay in the casino industry right now. The popularity of these high risk slots has been driven by talented studios like Big Time Gaming who revolutionised this niche with their Megaways game format, and by the exposure that gambling streamers have given the games through their live feeds on sites like Twitch.tv. High variance games are all about drama – fast, high paying action played out in big win sequences that are very irregular, but massively rewarding when they strike. In 2019 more studios jumped on the bandwagon to produce games with super-high variance ratings and big top payouts. And this year, the golden age of high variance has continued with more features and higher payout potential across the board.

So, to keep you up to date with the action so far we’ve chosen our top 5 high variance games for 2020.

 

Advertisement
Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 (25-26 March)

Royal Mint Megaways – Big Time Gaming

Popular slot game and casino site review magazine, The Casino Heat, recently referred to Royal Mint Megaways Enhanced Free Spins format first aired in their Lil Devil slot. The game has a 40,000x top advertised payout, making it potentially one of the biggest paying slots of the year.

 

Pink Elephants 2 – Thunderkick

Back in 2017 Pink Elephants was Scandanavian developer Thunderkick’s take on the 4,096 win ways format used in slots like Raging Rhino. But it had a twist – aside from the psychedelic theme, there were added thrills in the free spins round where collecting glowing ‘orbs’ led to symbol upgrades, enhanced reels, and much higher payouts. It’s a game that is particularly memorable to play and continues to be popular three years on. So of course slots fans are thrilled at the prospect of a follow-up, due for release in the first week of May. The action has moved to a mountain setting and meerkat symbols are replaced with goats, but apart from that the game works in pretty much the same way, only with an improved jackpot of 10,000x.

Advertisement
Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 (25-26 March)

 

Punk Rocker – Nolimit City

The NoLimit City game studio is a relative newcomer to the scene in comparison to other names, but they are really starting to make their mark in 2020. Punk Rocker is one of their best releases to date, taking its theme from the London music scene that spawned bands like the Sex Pistols. It’s full of Banksy-type illustrations of English icons too, including Churchill, drawn against the backdrop of the London Underground. But graphics aside, it’s the stacks of features that have made Punk Rocker so popular. There are Mystery Symbols, Re-Spins, two Free Spins rounds, and Multipliers and Jumping Wilds to enhance the basic gameplay and push the win potential up to 8,000x.

 

Hellcatraz – Relax Gaming

Advertisement
Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 (25-26 March)

Relax Gaming, who produce their own games as well as running the Silver Bullet platform, are starting to create some really top high variance titles too. They have three Megaways slots under license from BTG under their belts, and Hellcatraz is their newest high volatility product. It has been designed like an 80s Atari game with 8-bit graphics and a backdrop that evokes San Fransisco Bay and the notorious Alcatraz prison island, home to murderers and mobsters. What’s interesting about Hellcatraz is the gamification format – players must collect 2,000 key symbols to unlock the bonus round where free spins come with mystery symbols and an enhanced paytable with a top prize of 50,000x.

 

Heroes Hunt Megaways – Fantasma Games

Fantasma Games partnered up with Relax Gaming to utilise their Megaways license and deliver this slot on the Silver Bullet platform in April 2020.  Heroes Hunt has a Dungeons and Dragons type theme, with Wizard and Warrior heroes who all have superpowers. Players pick which hero they want to activate at the start of the game, and others can be activated throughout. It’s an exciting enhancement to standard gameplay and with Expanding Wilds, Re-Spins and Multipliers to drive the wins, this slot is a thrilling ride for high risk fanatics. With 46,656 paylines and a top payout of 26,000x Heroes Hunt is getting a lot of attention and will surely be one of the top games of the year.

 

Advertisement
Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 (25-26 March)
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Industry News

CasinoWebScripts Enables Direct Provider Connections and Eliminates the Need for Aggregators

Published

on

casinowebscripts-enables-direct-provider-connections-and-eliminates-the-need-for-aggregators
Reading Time: 2 minutes

 

CasinoWebScripts, a leading provider of iGaming software solutions, is drawing attention to a powerful infrastructure model already in use by several clients — one that enables direct integration between online casino operators and game content providers. As the industry evolves, the company is now actively promoting this approach as a smarter alternative to traditional aggregation.

In the conventional model, aggregators act as intermediaries between content providers and casino platforms. While convenient, this structure often limits operators’ control over technical and commercial aspects, introduces latency and adds additional costs. CasinoWebScripts’ model removes the need for an aggregator by enabling operators to connect directly to game providers using a simplified and consistent integration method.

“Our goal is to simplify the way operators work with game studios, regardless of the type of casino they operate — whether it’s real-money, crypto, or social sweepstakes. By providing the tools and infrastructure for direct connections, we empower both sides to negotiate directly, optimize performance, and reduce third-party dependencies,” said Oscar Stevens, Head of Business Development at CasinoWebScripts.

Advertisement
Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 (25-26 March)

Key Features of the Model Include:

• Direct Integration: Operators connect with game providers through a unified framework, without using an aggregator.

• Faster Load Times and Lower Latency: The streamlined architecture improves game performance and platform responsiveness.

• Independent Commercial Agreements: Operators and providers manage their own contracts, pricing and terms with full autonomy.

• Easy Expansion: The system supports the quick addition of new providers, with minimal integration overhead.

Advertisement
Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 (25-26 March)

• Technology-Only Role: CasinoWebScripts supplies the infrastructure but does not interfere in commercial relationships.

This infrastructure shift reflects growing demand from operators looking for more autonomy in their business models. It also addresses concerns about transparency and technical bottlenecks that often arise with aggregator-based systems.

“Our platform is designed to serve those who want to scale fast and retain control over their operations. With this model, operators no longer have to compromise on performance or commercial independence,” added Stevens.

The post CasinoWebScripts Enables Direct Provider Connections and Eliminates the Need for Aggregators appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Advertisement
Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 (25-26 March)
Continue Reading

Compliance Updates

Exclusive Commentary from Vixio On Their AML Outlook Findings

Published

on

exclusive-commentary-from-vixio-on-their-aml-outlook-findings
Reading Time: 2 minutes

 

Your recent AML Outlook report highlights over €36 million in fines issued across Europe in just one year. What recurring weaknesses or compliance gaps are regulators most commonly identifying in payments and e-money firms?

John Gidla (JG): Regulators continue to flag underinvestment in anti-financial crime controls as a key concern for payments and e-money firms. Common themes include weak governance, limited oversight, and fragmented controls, all of which increase vulnerability to financial crime. There’s a growing expectation that firms scale their compliance frameworks in line with their risk exposure and growth trajectory

 

Advertisement
Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 (25-26 March)

The report mentions that AML compliance can be costly—yet the reputational and financial risks of non-compliance are even greater. What are the most cost-effective measures firms can implement today to strengthen their AML frameworks without overwhelming their budgets?

JG: While not all firms can afford advanced compliance tools, strong governance remains one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce risk. Practical steps such as training staff on emerging threats, embedding a culture of accountability, and regularly updating frameworks as the business grows can go a long way in strengthening AML resilience without major spend.

 

With the creation of the EU’s new AMLA authority, do you expect a more consistent and centralized enforcement approach across Europe? How might this change how firms prepare for inspections and adapt their compliance strategies?

JG: AMLA has the potential to bring greater consistency to AML enforcement across the EU, addressing long-standing issues caused by fragmented supervision and uneven implementation by national authorities. Its impact will depend on how much direct oversight it gains, how assertively it acts on cross-border risks, and whether it can close the regulatory gaps that have permitted high-profile scandals. Firms should expect more rigorous and standardised inspections and will need to ensure their compliance programmes are not only locally robust, but scalable across jurisdictions.

Advertisement
Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 (25-26 March)

 

Vixio emphasizes the importance of a proactive rather than reactive compliance culture. In your view, what does a ‘proactive’ AML strategy look like in 2025, and what technologies or best practices are leading firms adopting to stay ahead?

JG: A truly proactive AML strategy in 2025 extends beyond technology to encompass a strong compliance culture at every level of the organisation. Leading firms understand that combating financial crime isn’t just the responsibility of the compliance team — it’s integrated into day-to-day operations, with senior leadership driving risk awareness across departments. In terms of technology, firms are increasingly adopting AI, machine learning, and automated monitoring systems to detect suspicious activity early and reduce human error. However, culture plays a critical role; firms that foster a compliance-first mindset and invest in ongoing staff training are better positioned to adapt to emerging threats and ensure that their compliance frameworks evolve in step with business growth and digital transformation. A proactive approach also means constantly reassessing risk and using data to predict and prevent issues, rather than just reacting to them. With regulations in constant flux, and regulators ramping up enforcement, proactive compliance looks like implementing strategies to anticipate regulations, not just react to them. In Vixio’s PC Outlook Report, we found that a clear majority of firms surveyed are using some form of outsourcing for their compliance functionality, turning to firms like Vixio to get ahead of regulatory change.

 

Thanks to John Gidla, Head of Payments Compliance at Vixio, for his insightful responses.

Advertisement
Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 (25-26 March)

The post Exclusive Commentary from Vixio On Their AML Outlook Findings appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Gambling in the USA

Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – April 28-May 4

Published

on

gaming-americas-weekly-roundup-–-april-28-may-4
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news again! Here, we are going through the weekly highlights of the American gambling industry which include the latest news and new partnerships. Read on and get updated.

Latest News

Bragg Gaming Group announced it has reached an agreement with its lenders, certain entities controlled by Doug Fallon, to repay USD 5 million of its outstanding USD 7 million secured promissory note and to extend the maturity of the remaining USD 2 million until June 6, 2025 (the Note). The company is in the process of securing a new revolving credit facility from a third-party lender. This facility is expected to offer more favourable terms than the existing Note, including lower borrowing costs and improved drawdown flexibility. All other terms of the original Note remain unchanged.

PENN Entertainment Inc announced plans for an expected $180–$200 million project to relocate its Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs (Ameristar) riverboat casino operations to a new, state-of-the-art land-based property to be rebranded as Hollywood Casino Council Bluffs (Hollywood Council Bluffs). The proposal is approved by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission in conjunction with a 15-year extension of Ameristar’s partnership with the nonprofit Qualified Sponsoring Organisation (QSO) Iowa West Racing Association. All commercial operators in Iowa are required to have an operating agreement with a QSO licensed to conduct gaming operations. Under the proposed plan, the new Hollywood Council Bluffs is expected to include roughly 125,000 square feet of new development with approximately 58,000 square feet of gaming space.

Advertisement
Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 (25-26 March)

PENN Entertainment Inc announced that it intends to nominate Johnny Hartnett and Carlos Ruisanchez for election to its Board of Directors following discussions with HG Vora Capital Management LLC (HG Vora). Ron Naples has informed the Board that he will retire from the Board, effective immediately. Barbara Shattuck Kohn and Saul Reibstein have notified the Company that they will not stand for reelection at the 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The Board now comprises eight directors, seven of whom are independent.

Partnerships

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Genius Sports Limited have announced a significant extension of their long-term partnership, reinforcing their shared commitment to innovation, transparency and the integrity of college athletics. Under the expanded agreement, Genius Sports has been appointed as the exclusive distributor of official NCAA data to licensed sportsbooks for all post-season tournaments, including March Madness, through 2032. This long-term agreement ensures the delivery of fast, accurate and secure data to the regulated sports betting market.

PrizePicks, the largest daily fantasy sports operator in North America, announced that it has been named the Official Daily Fantasy Partner of the San Francisco Giants. The new partnership strengthens the DFS leader’s presence in professional baseball and features digital and in-park activations at Oracle Park. As part of the multi-year partnership, PrizePicks branding will be showcased prominently throughout Oracle Park with rotating signage behind home plate and LED signage on each baseline. PrizePicks logos will be featured across the K-Counter in right field, creating an interactive experience for fans in the ballpark. Fans seated on top of the right field wall near the strikeout counter will have the opportunity to flip over the PrizePicks branded signs, revealing a “K” for each strikeout earned by a Giants pitcher.

The post Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – April 28-May 4 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Advertisement
Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 (25-26 March)
Continue Reading

Trending

Offering comprehensive coverage on all aspects of the gaming sector, our daily posts include online and land-based gaming, betting, esports, regulatory and compliance updates, and technological advancements. Regular features encompass daily news articles, press releases, exclusive interviews, and insightful event reports.

The platform also hosts industry-relevant webinars, and provides detailed reports, making it a one-stop resource for anyone seeking information about operators, suppliers, regulators, and professional services in the European gaming market. The portal's primary goal is to keep its extensive reader base updated on the latest happenings, trends, and developments within the gaming and gambling sector, with an emphasis on the European market while also covering pertinent global news. It's an indispensable resource for gaming professionals, operators, and enthusiasts alike.

Contact us: [email protected]

Editorial / PR Submissions: [email protected]

Copyright © 2015 - 2024 - Gaming News Room is part of HIPTHER Agency. Registered in Romania under Proshirt SRL, Company number: 2134306, EU VAT ID: RO21343605. Office address: Blvd. 1 Decembrie 1918 nr.5, Targu Mures, Romania