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GambleAware Announces New Senior Hires

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GambleAware has announced the appointment of a Chief Commissioning Officer, Chief Communications Officer and Chief Operations Officer to its senior team. The individuals were chosen for their extensive experience of working within the public health sector, including NHS England and Public Health England.

The new hires were made to meet the requirements and objectives laid out within GambleAware’s new five-year Organisational Strategy, including the commitment to applying a public health approach to addressing gambling harms.

Anna Hargrave will be joining GambleAware as the new Chief Commissioning Officer. Having worked in NHS commissioning for 13 years, she is a highly experienced health and care leader and brings to the role a wealth of knowledge and expertise of the intricacies of the system. Her hands-on experience of working collaboratively at a national level with government departments and industries will be highly beneficial in the expansion of the National Gambling Treatment Service.

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“I am deeply passionate about reducing health inequalities in the UK and minimising the impacts of gambling harm on people and their families is a key component of this. I am pleased to have been given the opportunity to share my skills of working within the health and care system with GambleAware and look forward to working with the charity and other public health agencies, local authorities and organisations to help reduce gambling harms,” Anna Hargrave said.

Alexia Clifford will be taking on the role of Chief Communications Officer at GambleAware. As Marketing Director at Public Health England (PHE), Alexia has led Government’s flagship public health campaigns across a wide range of priorities, including mental health, physical activity, healthy eating and smoking cessation. These campaigns are recognised as being amongst the very best in the industry. They have successfully changed behaviour at scale, through audience insight, behavioural science, sophisticated targeting and innovative digital techniques. Alexia will bring this public health experience to GambleAware as the charity seeks to increase awareness and understanding of gambling harms.

“I am thrilled to be joining GambleAware, and to play my part in delivering its vision of a society where people are safe from gambling harms. I look forward to bringing my skills and expertise to this crucial public health priority, and to leading communications and marketing programmes that make a demonstrable contribution to improving people’s lives,” Alexia Clifford said.

GambleAware has also hired a new Chief Operations Officer alongside other senior recruits, including a new Research, Information and Knowledge Director; Head of Programme and Project Management; Prevention and Evaluation leads; and a Fundraising & Engagement Manager. All the new hires are indicative of the step change GambleAware is making, by working to deliver an integrated and strategic plan to help prevent gambling harms in Great Britain.

“We are very pleased to welcome our new senior leaders, each of whom bring with them invaluable skills and knowledge in areas integral to the successful delivery of our new five-year organisational strategy. We are working hard to drive forward GambleAware’s new programme of work which demonstrates leadership in establishing, developing, and maintaining a co-ordinated network of services, including the expansion of the National Gambling Treatment Service,” Zoë Osmond, Chief Executive of GambleAware, said.

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DoubleDown Interactive Enters into Agreement to Acquire German Social Casino Operator WHOW Games

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DoubleDown Interactive, a leading gaming company delivering exceptional player experiences across multiple genres, announced that it has entered into a Share Purchase and Transfer Agreement with Azerion Tech Holding to acquire WHOW Games GmbH, a social casino developer headquartered in Hamburg, Germany.

The initial consideration for 100% ownership interest in WHOW Games is €55 million (approximately $64.7 million). An additional earn-out payment of up to €10 million, payable to Azerion at €5 million annually, is contingent upon WHOW Games meeting certain performance targets during each of the first and second year following the closing date. The acquisition will be financed through DoubleDown’s cash reserves and is expected to close during the third quarter of 2025.

DoubleDown intends to leverage WHOW Games’ proven expertise in the Europe market and partner-driven business model alongside its own operational strength, marketing capabilities and extensive gaming content to pursue growth opportunities in Europe, particularly in Germany. According to research from Eilers & Krejcik Gaming LLC, the European social casino market grew in 2023 and 2024 as compared to the overall market which has entered a mature stage. WHOW Games offers a versatile portfolio of social casino apps with proprietary brands such as MyJackpot and Lounge777 as well as third-party labeled social casino offerings including Merkur24 through strategic licensing agreements with prominent global brick and mortar casino companies.

In Keuk Kim, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, said: “This acquisition marks a significant step toward increasing our competitiveness in the growing German social casino market. Leveraging our combined operational expertise and enhanced scale, we aim to unlock valuable synergies. We are delighted to welcome the WHOW Games team to DoubleDown and look forward to working collaboratively on initiatives to drive growth across the business.”

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Giovanni Valerio Valeriota, Chief Executive Officer of WHOW Games, said: “We are excited to begin this new chapter as part of the DoubleDown family. Their deep expertise in gaming makes them a natural fit for WHOW Games, and we believe that this partnership will accelerate our growth and innovation. I would like to express our sincere gratitude to Azerion, whose support and strategic guidance during our time together has been instrumental in shaping WHOW Games into the strong and dynamic company it is today.”

The post DoubleDown Interactive Enters into Agreement to Acquire German Social Casino Operator WHOW Games appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Swintt Joins Forces with TOPsport to Capitalize on Lithuanian Market

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Swintt Joins Forces with TOPsport to Capitalize on Lithuanian Market
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Swintt – the award-winning software provider behind recent slot sensations Big Max Pot Hunter and Big Fish – has announced it has formed a new partnership with established Lithuanian betting brand, TOPsport, that will see the studio further raise its profile in the country.

With the new deal now in place, Swintt is already live with 36 Premium releases on the TOPsport platform, with these giving players access to a roster of classically-themed games that combine the design elements of traditional land-based slots with exciting mechanics and bonus features.

Established in 2002, TOPsport is Lithuania’s first and largest gambling operator, boasting a strong bricks-and-mortar presence that includes 50 casino slot saloons spread across 26 towns in addition to its online enterprise. Given the brand’s rich land-based heritage, the SwinttPremium range seems to be ideally suited for its customers, who will enjoy the slots’ familiar look and feel.

Among the Premium options now available at TOPsport.lt, players will be particularly keen to try the acclaimed Extra Win X, which adds an innovative Bonus Wheel to the iconic fruit machine format, and Max The Winner, which features a unique gathering mechanic that sees the titular cartoon squirrel appear on the reels during the bonus feature to collect acorns and award prizes.

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With these just being two of the standout examples from the new collection of Swintt slots that are now available at TOPsport.lt, the brand will be able to further cement its reputation as the country’s leading operator while Swintt continues to reach more players in the Lithuanian market.

David Mann, Chief Executive Officer at Swintt, said: “With TOPsport being Lithuania’s oldest and most-trusted betting brand, we’re delighted to be able to introduce our Premium releases to players on the platform. With all of these games offering themes and features that are inspired by traditional land-based slot machines, we’re sure they’ll prove a popular addition to their line-up.”

Linas Dargenavičius, Chief Commercial Officer at TOPsport, said: “With a diverse library of over 3,000 slot titles, TOPsport offers the most extensive selection of online casino games in Lithuania. The addition of SwinttPremium titles further strengthens our portfolio, bringing in games that resonate with players familiar with classic land-based machines. Their engaging mechanics make them a valuable extension of the experience we aim to provide.”

The post Swintt Joins Forces with TOPsport to Capitalize on Lithuanian Market appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Ukrainian Security Service, NCEC and AUGO Shut Down 133 Illegal Online Casinos

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Ukraine’s Security Service, the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection, the National Commission for the State Regulation of Electronic Communications, Radiofrequency Spectrum and the Provision of Postal Services (NCEC), and the Association of Ukrainian Gambling Operators (AUGO) have jointly blocked 133 illegal online casinos operating within Ukraine’s digital space.

According to AUGO’s press release on Tuesday, Derzhspetszviazok issued Directive No. 435/3236 on July 1, ordering the blocking of IP addresses and websites involved in illegal gambling. The directive was sent to internet providers and industry associations on July 3 and is mandatory for implementation within three working days—by July 8.

The association estimates that the joint operation disrupted a shadow business generating UAH 3 to 5 billion in illicit turnover every quarter.

Beyond blocking the sites with technical and software tools, the operation included broader organisational and technical efforts targeting the infrastructure that enabled these illegal platforms to function. Notably, unauthorised financial processing was halted, and associated P2P transactions were frozen.

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“In chess terms – white has made the first move, and black is already losing pieces on the board… No, w’re not grandmasters yet. But this will be a decisive chess match, and we’re convinced the illegal players will eventually have no choice but to leave the game,” said AUGO President Oleksandr Kohut, as quoted in the press release.

He emphasised that illegal casinos – most of which now have ties to Russia – inflict direct harm on the Ukrainian state, legal businesses and its citizens. These sites, which are frequently cloned after being blocked, also pose a high risk of fraud and the leakage of players’ personal and financial data.

This marks the first time the Security Service, Derzhspetszviazok, and NCEC have actively partnered with AUGO on such an initiative. The association, which was launched three months ago, provided software, analytical and informational support for the operation to dismantle the illicit online gambling sector.

Kohut affirmed that AUGO remains committed to further collaboration with regulators – including the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the newly formed PlayCity agency – as well as with law enforcement to swiftly detect and shut down illegal casinos online. AUGO also plans to work with state regulators to inform media outlets of future blocking decisions as soon as they are made and communicated to telecom operators.

The post Ukrainian Security Service, NCEC and AUGO Shut Down 133 Illegal Online Casinos appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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