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How Did the Pandemic Impact the Casino Industry in Romania?

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Romania is known for its good gambling industry, with twenty high-class casinos spread throughout the country, offering slots, video poker, table games, and other popular casino games. However, the Covid-19 sets back Romanian gambling industry by five years, says the National Institute of Statistics or INS.

 

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The gambling operators in Romania had experienced one of the most devastating declines of the last three decades when it got hit by the pandemic. The local gambling industry plunged by around 24% in March 2020. Its March revenue was only around half of February’s. Then, the gambling business showed almost zero revenue in April and May.

 

Effects of the pandemic

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Because of the situation, Game World Romania, led by Attila “Otto” Török, has prioritized the customers’ and employees’ safety. They have also prioritized the long-term business principles and have organized their activity, allowing them to adapt as fast as possible to the various changes that happened during the pandemic.

For instance, they have tried different operating hours in the hopes of returning to their 24/7 operation as soonest as possible. During that time, they have constantly been communicating with their employees and clients. They also maintain good communication with the authorities and professional associations for precise information on the newest innovations about gambling halls.

Based on the National Gambling Office’s data, the Romanian market has 250 active gambling operators. Each year, these operators contribute around EUR 600 million to the state budget. When 2020 began, the local gambling industry had around 45,000 direct employees. Moreover, a thousand others work independent and related fields.

“According to Romslot data, for each RON the Romanian gambling industry generates, the upstream and downstream industries – HoReCa, IT&C, security – generate another 5 RON,” Török said.

He also said that Game World has around 400 employees, and the parent groups have around 2000 workforce.

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When it comes to the biggest challenges the Romanian gambling industry has faced, it is the challenges of the CoVID-19 pandemic. All gambling operators have implemented all the safety measures required by the law to keep the virus from spreading.

 

Among the safety measures are the following:

  • Gambling tables and machines should be 1.5 meters apart, or barriers must be installed.
  • The maximum number of players inside is one person for every four square meters.
  • Players and employees must undergo temperature screening. Those who will exceed 37.3 degrees Celsius, having difficulties in breathing, severe cough, an altered state, or fatigue are not allowed to enter the site.
  • Players must wear a face mask while inside the location.

 

Reshaping the future of the gambling industry

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The gambling industry is adopting the latest innovation in technology, such as augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence (AI), and blockchain both in Romania and globally. With this in mind, it is clear that technology plays a vital role in reshaping the gambling experience.

The pandemic has brought opportunities to the market. This is especially true for online casinos, which are doing very well regardless of the situation. On the other hand, land-based casinos continue to struggle.

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“For offline operators, the current situation is an exercise to adapt to the most difficult and unpredictable conditions,” says Török.

“Technology is one of the engines of this sector and the dynamic of the last few years has proven it. The industry experienced significant growth with each year that passed and the changes we will witness by 2030 will certainly be more impactful than those that have occurred since 2010,” Török adds.

Török also points out that utilizing blockchain, AR, VR, AI, and other technological innovations in all aspects of the business, from transaction security, to gambling experience and client communication, are the future of the gambling industry.

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TEN Launches First-ever Fully On-chain Poker Powered by Autonomous AI Agents

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TEN, The Entertainment Network for AI‑Native iGaming, has launched House of TEN—the first fully on-chain poker application featuring autonomous AI agents with trustless, encrypted gameplay.

More than just a technical milestone, the launch signals the arrival of AI-native iGaming—a new category of on-chain entertainment where AI agents and trustless wagering converge. The successful launch of House of TEN illustrates how TEN’s unique, encrypted execution environment is expanding the possibilities for what can be achieved on the Ethereum blockchain. With programmable privacy, verifiable randomness and no off-chain logic, TEN enables fully autonomous, high-stakes games that merge crypto trustlessness with real gameplay complexity.

Poker That Actually Works On-Chain

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Poker has been played for over 200 years, but until now, it couldn’t exist fully on-chain without compromising fairness or privacy. By solving long-standing limitations around privacy, randomness, and user experience—without relying on off-chain components—TEN is enabling games that were previously considered impossible to build on-chain. Users can stake on AI agents with distinct strategies and personalities, earning ZEN—a prediction-based rewards system that converts into future airdrops.

Poker requires hidden information, strategic play and fair randomness—none of which have been possible in previous blockchain implementations without compromising trust assumptions. TEN uses TEEs to deliver encrypted card hands and secure, verifiable randomness, without any off-chain logic.

“We’ve built the world’s first true on-chain poker with AI agents you can stake on. It’s one of the most technically advanced dApps ever deployed in Web3. To make it work, we had to solve cryptographic challenges that most thought were impossible—like fully private card hands, autonomous logic, and fair, tamper-proof dealing,” said Cais Manai, Co-Founder & Head of Product at TEN.

AI Agents That Think, Bluff and Deceive

TEN’s poker experience includes autonomous AI agents with unique personalities and play styles, from aggressive risk-takers to unpredictable wildcards. Players can follow and stake on these agents as they compete in real time. The gameplay experience mirrors leading online poker platforms, only now, it’s fully on-chain, transparent and decentralized. Each hand is unpredictable. Odds move in real time based on player actions, not bots, because the game state is encrypted and can’t be sniped.

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The launch of House of TEN is a live demonstration of what the protocol makes possible:

• Trust in the protocol, not the people.

• Chain-level encryption.

• Lightning-fast finality.

• Seamless user experience (UX) that hides complexity.

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A Glimpse Into What’s Next for Ethereum

While poker is the first showcase, TEN is built to support much more. Its encrypted execution environment enables entirely new classes of on-chain games and AI applications that require privacy, randomness or complex off-chain-like logic—spanning DeFi, gaming and AI-based applications.

“TEN isn’t just another L2—we’ve built what we believe is the most sophisticated infrastructure in the space. This launch proves that real utility, strong user experience (UX), and cryptographic privacy can all coexist on Ethereum. We’re building for the future of institutions, enterprises, and autonomous systems entering Web3,” said Gavin Thomas, CEO of TEN Protocol.

The post TEN Launches First-ever Fully On-chain Poker Powered by Autonomous AI Agents appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Ygam Welcomes Two New Trustees

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Ygam has strengthened its board of trustees with two appointments bringing combined expertise in governance, policy, public affairs and safeguarding.

Judy White joins the Ygam board with over 20 years of experience in governance and operational leadership across the not-for-profit sector. A Chartered Secretary, Judy has a proven track record in governance, risk management, data protection, transformation and stakeholder engagement. She most recently served as Head of Governance at the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), where she oversaw governance, assurance and risk across the organisation.

Previously, Judy spent seven years at the Gambling Commission as a Senior Manager in Licensing, where she played a key role in assessing complex licensing applications. Judy’s deep understanding of governance frameworks and regulatory environments will provide crucial oversight and support as Ygam continues to grow and evolve.

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Iain Corby joins alongside Judy as an experienced leader with a diverse career spanning consultancy, government policy, and the third sector. His early career included 12 years as a programme management consultant at Deloitte before transitioning into policy work.

Iain has experience working in gambling harms prevention sector, previously serving as Deputy Chief Executive of GambleAware. He is currently the founding Executive Director of the Age Verification Providers Association which prioritises child protection in the digital space. With an MBA from UCLA and a reputation for delivering performance improvements, Ian brings strategic insight, commercial acumen and a wealth of knowledge in public affairs and communications.

Mike Wocik, Chair of Ygam, said: “We are delighted to welcome Judy and Iain to the Ygam Board. Their wealth of experience and expertise will further strengthen our governance and strategic leadership, ensuring we continue to operate at the highest standards. Strong governance is the foundation of our success, and their insights will be invaluable as we grow our impact and evolve as a leader in our field. I look forward to working with them to drive our mission forward and make a lasting difference.”

Judy White said: “I’m excited to join the fantastic team at Ygam. I’m passionate about supporting children and young people, and I’ve been hugely impressed by Ygam’s position as a leader in their field, with a clear commitment to high standards of governance and impact. I look forward to engaging and collaborating with the board and staff to advance Ygam’s vision and mission, ultimately supporting children and young people in safely navigating our increasingly digital world.”

Iain Corby said: “Although it has been six years since I was at GambleAware, I have followed developments in the field from a distance and recognise this is a time of great change and opportunity with the introduction of the new levy. The growing focus on prevention has never been more important, and I look forward to supporting the board, the whole leadership team, and the impressive team that is delivering such a formidable impact for young people across the country and beyond.”

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The post Ygam Welcomes Two New Trustees appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Narva Communications Becomes Svenska Spel’s New Agency for Corporate Communications

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Narva Communications has become Svenska Spel’s new agency for corporate communications.

“We received high-quality bids from some of Sweden’s leading agencies in Corporate Communication. After a thorough evaluation process, Narva was the agency that received the highest score. They have demonstrated great strategic acumen, strong analytical skills and a very good understanding of Svenska Spel’s mission and communication needs,” Andreas Jerat, Head of Corporate Communication at Svenska Spel, said.

Narva’s assignment includes strategic communication support within Corporate Communication, Public Affairs and financial communication. The assignment also includes the production of annual and sustainability reports. The agreement is valid for two years starting in May 2025, with the possibility of extension 1 + 1 year.

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“We are extremely proud that Svenska Spel has chosen Narva as a partner for its group communications. Svenska Spel is one of Sweden’s most well-known brands with an important social mission. We look forward to working with them to develop communications and help further strengthen the image of Svenska Spel as a role model for games that are offered in a safe and responsible manner,” said Frida Dahlgren, CEO of Narva Communications and account manager for Svenska Spel.

The post Narva Communications Becomes Svenska Spel’s New Agency for Corporate Communications appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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