Latest News
Sam Sadi predicts Fanatics success at Xtremepush iGaming event
Fanatics has the tools to come out on top in the race between the two major newcomers in the US sports betting market, according to LiveScore Group CEO Sam Sadi.
Speaking at iGaming 2024: The Future of iGaming, an event hosted by Xtremepush, the leading omnichannel customer engagement platform powered by a real-time customer data platform (CDP), Sadi outlined his belief that the superior knowledge and experience of the Fanatics team presents them with a significant competitive advantage over rivals ESPN Bet.
Flutter, the parent company of FanDuel, has estimated that the overall regulated sports betting market in the US will be worth more than $40 billion by 2030.[MC1]
“Fanatics has the better chance of winning,” said Sadi, in a fireside chat with Xtremepush CEO Tommy Kearns at London’s Southbank Centre. “ESPN Bet probably won’t, unless they realise the full difficulties they face with Barstool, they understand what’s missing, they’re patient and they invest a lot in technology.
“Why should Fanatics win? Because they already understand it. A lot of their executives, management and engineering team come from Sky Bet. They know what it takes to build a world-class sportsbook and they know that convergence is difficult. They’re willing to be patient and construct an entire ecosystem piece by piece, with every component being best-in-class.”
Coveting convergence
Sadi also touched on the hot topic of convergence in sports betting, such a big area for his company LiveScore and LiveScore Bet, outlining the area in which he sees scope for innovation.
“A lot of technology resources today are spent on remaining compliant,” he said. “We are in an over-regulated industry where margins have been eroded, meaning companies can’t invest as much in innovation.
“Just as we have done, you are looking for alternative strategies and inefficiencies in the ecosystem of sports content and media. If you include this in a fully owned ecosystem, there is margin for improvement. This is the part of the experience where you can start innovating and investing, as opposed to within a sportsbook where you can’t make as much of a difference.”
Player Engagement 2.0 – Turning Visitors into Loyal Players
Other external speakers at the well-attended event, which hosted operators, suppliers and media from the iGaming industry, included Joanna Beaton, Head of CRM at Kwiff, Adrian Căpriţă, CRM and VIP Director at Superbet, and Tom Dyson, Head of Gaming Managed Services at EveryMatrix, who discussed the future of player engagement, retention and loyalty.
Beaton also expanded on the theme of regulation and the consequent need to retain players, with personalised experiences acting as a powerful engagement tool.
“A lot of the attention has been on acquisition, but as the market becomes more saturated, regulation becomes stricter and deposit limits are there to deal with, so retention has to become central. How do you stand out if you can’t bonus your player who is playing with three or four more other bookies through your product?
“It’s really important to know your player profiles and half the job is understanding data. If not, you’re basically throwing money into the wind and hoping for the best. We’ve worked with Xtremepush over the last year and have hundreds of attributes now in terms of player profiles, which have enabled some beautiful onboarding journeys. Because of the level of data that we have access to, we’ve seen tremendous uplift.”
Dyson’s view, meanwhile, was that there are limits to the extent to which brand marketing is effective in the battle for player retention.
“Brand recognition is the only area where I can see marketing being responsible for retention,” he said. “How often can I get my brand in front of someone I’ve had a contact point with? Thereafter, the responsibility is with the product. You have to get players in the door and engage them with an experience that might be different, but which needs to match up with what you promised. That needs to happen in real-time, because tomorrow they might have already been sent to other operators.”
Pushing the positives
For Beaton, the fundamental key to unlocking player loyalty is the provision of a positive initial experience.
“Even though we have a sizable brand, we are in a congested market and looking after players should be a priority,” she added. “When players come through the door, creating memorable positive experiences is what builds the foundation of loyalty. This is especially the case when regulation is getting tighter and bonusing is becoming harder. While acquisition is important, retention and creating that first positive experience is vital.”
Latest News
Introducing Rhythm of Resistance: A Fresh Rhythm Metroidvania Where Your Playlist Is Your Weapon
Drenched in Darkwave: Innovative 2.5D Rhythm Based Metroidvania – Fueled by Forbidden Music and Gothic Soundscapes.
NetherMoon Game Studio, a small independent development studio based in Karlstad, Sweden, unveiled today Rhythm of Resistance, a shadow-draped adventure that fuses the somber tones of gothic and darkwave music with atmospheric Metroidvania exploration, creating an unforgettable game experience unlike anything you’ve seen, or heard, before.
Proudly tipped to be the world’s very first Rhythm Metroidvania, Rhythm of Resistance places explorers in the role of Aria, a hero fighting for survival in a dystopian future where music is forbidden, joy outlawed, and the skies hang heavy with cloying silence. The world is ruled by shadow and steel, until Aria discovers a relic of the old world – a cracked cassette player pulsing with forbidden power. This ancient music player unlocks a host of mysterious abilities, and allows her to navigate through labyrinthine dungeons, spectral foes, and traps as cruel as they are cursed. Each corridor hums with a forgotten melody, each enemy a sentinel of silence.
In Rhythm of Resistance, music is your key to success. As your adventure progresses, Aria discovers dusty cassettes hidden in the ruined world and expands her music library, unlocking more than 20 unique tracks, each holding the key to progression and altering the gameplay, unlocking different stats and abilities. Choose your playlist with care, in Rhythm of Resistance, your chosen beats can be your saviour or your downfall, with each track dynamically changing your surroundings, working at a different tempo to increase or devastate your chances of survival. Players will enjoy full freedom to choose the haunting songs, and will watch as the entire world around them reacts to their choices.
Expected to release in 2026 on Steam, Rhythm of Resistance offers a host of unique gameplay features, the first and only Metroidvania adventure where your playlist is your weapon! With music controlling your destiny, playlists can not only alter your surroundings, but alter enemy behaviour, reveal hidden paths, and solve the most fiendish of musical puzzles.
Music is a key factor in the title, with two early band announcements being Swedish goth sensation ABU NEIN, who took the darkwave world by storm with the release of their debut album “Secular Psalms” in 2020, and Underground Fire, a Swedish gothic rock band formed in 2015 by the aptly named Rob Coffinshaker in 2015. More musicians will be announced as the game’s development progresses, but you can be sure that they will delight any fans of the genre.
Joel Fjällsby, Founder & Creative Director at Nethermoon Game Studio commented, “I wanted the music to be real songs with lyrics and everything. Like an old track you could actually find on a forgotten cassette tape. With this in mind, I reached out to bands that felt like a great fit—and everyone so far has fallen in love with the project.”
Get your groove on and feel the beat to attack, parry, dodge, and unleash powerful abilities, all in perfect sync to your soundtrack. Be on the lookout for spare parts to upgrade your music player and unlock new powers as you traverse a vast, haunted landscape of crumbling cathedrals, rust-choked catacombs, and decaying factories echoing with the whispers of lost, solemn songs as players guide Aria to uncover clues of a long-forgotten past.
Rhythm of Resistance Feature Highlights:
- World’s first rhythm based Metroidvania where every beat defies the void, and your playlist is your weapon!
- Wield the force of music to unlock exciting features and abilities.
- Discover 20+ forbidden cassette tapes,each one distorting reality in strange and surprising ways while dynamically changing your game experience
- Choose your tracks wisely to alter enemy behaviour, reveal hidden paths, and solve musical puzzles.
- Stay on the beat to stay alive! Attack, parry, dodge, and unleash powerful abilities in sync with the dark pulse of your chosen song.
- Traverse a vast interlinked world of cathedrals, catacombs and factories to uncover clues of a long-forgotten past.
- Collect spare parts to upgrade your music player and unlock new abilities.
- Featuring a haunting gothic darkwave soundtrack from a range of underground artists.
Joel Fjällsby, Founder & Creative Director at NetherMoon Game Studio commented, “I’ve always been drawn to dark music, dystopian worlds, and of course Metroidvanias—so this project is the perfect fusion of everything I love. Honestly, I’m surprised no one’s made a game like this before. It’s a massive undertaking, especially for a new studio, but I love every hour of it. Seeing this dark, mysterious world come alive is incredibly rewarding.”
Rhythm of Resistance – Every beat, a rebellion. Every song, a revolution.
To find out more about Rhythm of Resistance and to Wishlist, please visit the Steam page here: store.steampowered.com/app/3269550/Rhythm_of_Resistance/
Find out more about the team on the Nethermoon website: nethermoon.com
Stay up to date with all the latest news by following NetherMoon Game Studio on social media: YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X, LinkedIn
The post Introducing Rhythm of Resistance: A Fresh Rhythm Metroidvania Where Your Playlist Is Your Weapon appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
Aristocrat Interactive Delivers New Player-Centric Experience to Cliff Castle Casino Hotel Through Mobile and Cashless Systems
Cliff Castle Casino Hotel Expands Long-Standing Relationship with Aristocrat Interactive Through New Products & Solutions
Aristocrat Interactive™ announced today the roll out of new player-centric solutions to Cliff Castle Casino Hotel, located in Camp Verde, Arizona, as part of a recent deal under its Gaming Systems division.
Already an Oasis™ customer for over 20 years, as part of the deal signed in December, Cliff Castle Casino Hotel will be adding Aristocrat Interactive’s player mobile app, PlayerMax™, as well as its Mobile nCompass™ cardless solution, ONE LINK progressive management solution and Oasis Loyalty™ suite of products, all rolling out over the course of the summer.
“Cliff Castle Casino Hotel has been a valued customer of Oasis™, our comprehensive casino management system, for over two decades now,” said Kristen Jones, VP of Sales of Aristocrat Interactive Gaming Systems. “We take great pride in being a trusted provider of products that support casino operations, while also keeping the player experience top of mind.”
These additional products will enable Cliff Castle Casino Hotel to push real-time progressive data to marquee video displays and electronic gaming machines (EGM) on the floor through ONE LINK. Separately, the Oasis Loyalty™ suite of products, will allow for advanced campaign management and enterprise-wide tier management – ultimately, leading to operation efficiencies and strengthened player retention.
Through PlayerMax™, Cliff Castle Casino Hotel patrons will benefit from access to a blend of immersive options, engaging features like live progressive jackpots, exciting rewards and personalized offers to stay informed through timely, location-based communications.
Players will also be able to “card-in” via their mobile device, enabling them to play an EGM without having to insert a physical players’ card.
“Aristocrat Interactive has been instrumental in our ability to provide our players with a personalized and entertaining casino experience,” said Paul Hamm, Director of Gaming for Cliff Castle Casino Hotel. “We’re confident that the addition of these products will continue to elevate the player experience and show the value we bring to players, reinforcing Cliff Castle Casino Hotel as a premier gaming destination.”
The post Aristocrat Interactive Delivers New Player-Centric Experience to Cliff Castle Casino Hotel Through Mobile and Cashless Systems appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Zimpler, a leading Swedish company in Pay-by-bank solutions, today announced the launch of Zimpler ID+, a new identity layer designed to simplify compliance and accelerate user conversion within digital payment environments. By embedding biometric identification and regulatory checks directly into the first user interaction, Zimpler ID+ reduces friction in sectors with complex onboarding requirements.
“Zimpler ID+ gives our partners a direct path to compliance and conversion – cutting onboarding time, reducing drop-offs, and removing the need to build identity infrastructure in-house,” said Tobias Gunnesson, Chief Product Officer at Zimpler.
“While most verification flows still rely solely on deposit-based triggers or cookie tracking, we’re the first to enable verification at the point of entry – meeting compliance head-on and delivering a better user experience from the start.”
Purpose-built for highly regulated digital environments
Zimpler ID+ serves industries where compliance is critical and abandonment rates are costly, such as iGaming and financial services. It ensures users are verified from the start, without requiring deposits or post-registration identity checks.
Key features include:
- Quick onboarding: Verification and collection of KYC data takes place at the first point of contact, not only at the point of payment
- Seamless return user experience: Returning users can identify with biometric technology and are recognized with the help of cookies
- Works even without cookies: If cookies are unavailable, the user can easily identify themselves using a passkey
- Built-in compliance: Regulatory assurance at every step of the customer journey
By functioning as a unified identity layer from sign-up through repeat visits, Zimpler ID+ helps businesses minimize onboarding churn and maximize regulatory confidence.
Solving identification friction at scale
The launch of Zimpler ID+ comes as businesses across Europe face rising pressure to improve digital onboarding while maintaining regulatory standards. National ID systems remain foundational – but they weren’t built to optimize every business touchpoint.
Zimpler ID+ complements these systems by offering operators a plug-in layer of biometric identification and gathering of KYC information tailored to business needs. It removes the need for deposit triggers, repeated logins, or re-verification after a device change.
“With Zimpler ID+, we’re introducing a flexible approach that gives businesses more control over identity flows – without compromising security or relying solely on external systems” said Gunnesson.
Product availability
Zimpler ID+ is now available as a value-added service to select partners in Finland, with more markets to be added in the future.
By embedding advanced onboarding capabilities directly into its existing infrastructure, Zimpler expects ID+ to strengthen customer retention and enhance platform value across regulated sectors for years to come.
The post Zimpler introduces ID+: A next-gen identification layer for digital payments appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
-
Latest News4 weeks ago
The winners of the Casino Guru Awards 2025 announced: A night of celebration, integrity, and inspiration
-
Latest News4 weeks agoThat was unforgettable! – The Boomerang Bet “AC Milan vs. Bologna Trip” Instagram Giveaway winner shared his emotions
-
Latest News4 weeks ago
DATA.BET Rolls out Full-Service Sportsbook Solution
-
Latest News4 weeks ago
Atlaslive Analysis: European Gambling Market Enters €123.4 Billion Digital-First Era
-
Latest News3 weeks ago
Meet 22Bet Partners at iGB Live London: Tennis, Talks & Wimbledon Dreams
-
Latest News5 days ago
Current Games Activates the Nitro on Neon-Soaked Arcade Combat Racer: Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights
-
Latest News4 days ago
NODWIN Gaming partners with Esports World Cup Foundation to manage media rights sales across South Asia
-
Latest News3 weeks ago
IGT Lottery Becomes Brightstar Lottery
