Latest News
Successful Premiere of Portside Game Assembly: the Indie Conference on the Water Returns in June 2026
On June 26 and 27, Gamecity Hamburg, as part of Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft, celebrated the successful premiere of Portside Game Assembly. A B2B conference for indie studios with 100 selected studio directors from 15 countries on a ship cruising through the port of Hamburg. The event provided a confidential setting for studio executives to exchange ideas and gain new perspectives. The list of attendees is carefully curated, allowing only management-level representatives from indie studios that have successfully published at least one game on board. In addition to the conference, three other Portside Game Assembly events facilitated interaction between industry members of the Hamburg games industry and international guests, as well as additional networking with conference participants, publishers, and game studios. 200 additional games industry peers met with the conference attendees in three other extraordinary Hamburg locations for networking and exchange. Following a successful premiere and receiving very positive feedback from attendees, the second Portside Game Assembly in Hamburg is scheduled for June 25 and 26, 2026!
“We saw a gap within the calendar of international games industry B2B events and decided to go for it. With the Portside Game Assembly, we are creating a space in which leaders of indie studios can exchange ideas confidentially and on an eye level. By curating the list of participants, we guarantee that participants get new impulses for their business and make relevant new contacts without distraction. We develop the content of the program in close exchange with the participating studios and always for the perspective of studio directors and founders. We are overjoyed with the feedback from the attendees on the premiere and are starting to plan the second Portside in June 2026”, explains Dennis Schoubye, Head of Gamecity Hamburg.
“With companies that have been successful for decades and a diverse and growing indie game scene, the games industry is an important part of Hamburg’s creative industry. With Portside Game Assembly, we have developed another key element that strengthens the importance of Hamburg as a games location by bringing important studio heads and industry contacts to Hamburg and thus promoting international exchange”, comments Egbert Rühl, Managing Director of Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft.
Quotes from Participating Studios
“There was a great atmosphere, and the curation was a good mix of profiles and range of companies. It was easy to get in touch with people at the different locations. I’d recommend Portside Game Assembly to network, meet other indies to connect, ask questions, and share knowledge”, Thomas Pfeiffer, CEO & Co-Founder Evil Empire.
„Portside is not your typical conference, It’s something special. No business cards, no distractions, just studio heads having real, honest conversations. Everyone in the room has been through the same challenges, and that shared experience creates a rare level of openness. Ideas, insights, and best practices were shared freely, and I left with a notebook full of actionable takeaways. Absolutely worth it”, Jeroen Janssen, Studio Head & Founder Happy Volcano.
„Portside Game Assembly provided a wonderful ‘Free Port’ for me as an Indie Dev Executive to meet with likeminded leaders from the industry.
Good, deep, conversations about what works – and what doesn’t”, Christian Nyhus Andreasen, Partner & COO Fair Games.
The program of Portside Game Assembly included a keynote on the Triple-i Initiative, short impulse talks and roundtables focusing on thought provoking and subsequent discussions. All of this on a conference ship cruising through the port of Hamburg and along the river Elbe.
After a keynote speech by Benjamin Laulan (COO & Co-Founder Evil Empire), the two conference tracks (impulse talks & roundtables) provided numerous opportunities for input, exchange and insights from speakers like Philomena Schwab (Co-Founder Stray Fawn Studio), Søren Lundgaard (CEO Ghost Ship Games), Mauricio García (Studio Director The Game Kitchen), Kevin Zuhn (Creative Director & Co-Founder Young Horses), René Habermann (Director Bippinbits) and many more.
Participating studios at the premiere of the Portside Game Assembly included Bippinbits, Bolt Blaster Games, Byterockers’ Games, Chasing Carrots, Cipsoft, Color Gray, Cybernetic Walrus, Digital Cybercherries, Digital Sun, Evil Empire, Fair Games, Foulball Hangover, Gamious, Ghost Ship Games, Grizzly Games, Happy Volcano, Hutlihut, Indoor Astronaut, Kafi, kaleidoscube, Keen, Maschinen-Mensch, Megagon Industries, Mooneye, Osmotic Studios, Overhype Studios, Paint Bucket Games, Rockfish Games, Spellgarden Games, Stray Fawn Studio, Studio Seufz, Styrax Studios, The Game Kitchen, The Good Evil, Tiny Roar, Torpor Games, Toukana Interactive and Young Horses.
All speakers of Portside Game Assembly 2025: https://portsideassembly.com/program/
At the three accompanying events of Portside Game Assembly, the 100 conference attendees exchanged ideas with 200 people from the local and international games industry. The Opening Mixer the evening before kicked off the series of events with a relaxed networking session, followed by a morning networking brunch in the Hamburg HafenCity. The closing Games Industry Party after the conference brought all participants together on the culture ship MS Stubnitz for an atmospheric final.
Sponsors and partners photon and Twin Harbour Interactive were on board to support the premiere of the Portside Game Assembly.
The post Successful Premiere of Portside Game Assembly: the Indie Conference on the Water Returns in June 2026 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.
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
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has issued monetary penalties totaling $350,000 against Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto for multiple violations of provincial gaming standards. The penalties follow an impromptu after-party that was permitted to take place in the pre-dawn hours directly on the casino’s gaming floor. On September 27, 2024, an electronic dance music event attended by thousands of people was hosted in the theatre adjacent to the casino at Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto. The event was marked by widespread intoxication, disorderly behaviour and numerous criminal and medical incidents – both inside and outside the venue – including alleged assaults, drug overdoses and acts of public indecency. Although paid duty officers were present, additional police and emergency services were required to manage the situation.
International Game Technology PLC, doing business as Brightstar Lottery, announced that Michelle Carney, Brightstar’s Vice President of Global Lottery Marketing, will be inducted into the Lottery Industry Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2025. The induction ceremony will take place this September at an industry event in Ontario, Canada hosted by the Public Gaming Research Institute (PGRI) in conjunction with the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL). In her current role, Carney is responsible for the development of marketing and communications strategies that support growth for Brightstar’s Global Lottery business, including lottery product marketing, trade shows and events, thought leadership communications and B2C marketing campaign materials to support customer launches of new game content.
Partnerships
International Game Technology PLC announced that its subsidiary, IGT Canada Solutions ULC (IGT), signed an eight-year agreement with Atlantic Lottery to supply its IntelligenEVO video lottery central system technology across Atlantic Canada. The agreement includes the option for multiple extensions and positions the Atlantic Lottery to become the first World Lottery Association (WLA)-affiliated lottery operator to deploy IGT’s next-generation central management system in a game-to-system (G2S) distributed market. With peak system security, network availability and responsible gaming functionalities, IntelligenEVO is a reliable, scalable solution that can meet the needs of today and in the future. The solution will accelerate time-to-market and enables the Atlantic Lottery to benefit from the system’s suite of player-focused functionality. The technology’s G2S and open API design optimises data collection and delivery and will enable Atlantic Lottery to customise their programme for evolving player needs.
EDGE Boost by EDGE Markets, a financial platform for smart bettors and gamblers, has partnered with World Series of Poker, the premier series of worldwide poker tournaments. The EDGE Boost debit card is now the preferred payment method for WSOP, offering ease of payment, safety and several exclusive on-site perks for tournament players. In past tournaments, WSOP players were limited to $10,000 per transaction and had to complete a lengthy approval process, often resulting in frequent cash deposits. Now, those using the EDGE Boost card through PayPal checkout can bypass traditional credit card verification. They can also make entries up to $250,000, which eliminates the need to carry large sums of cash at the event and increases security measures.
The post Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – June 30-July 6 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
7777 gaming is proud to announce that it has successfully obtained the required certification to offer its iGaming content in Italy, marking a significant step forward in the company’s continued expansion across regulated European markets.
This milestone underlines 7777 gaming’s strategic vision of building a global presence through compliance, innovation, and strong partnerships. The Italian market, known for its mature regulatory framework and discerning player base, presents an ideal environment for the company’s next-generation games to thrive.
“Italy is an essential milestone in our international roadmap. With certification secured and partnerships already signed with well-established local companies, we’re bringing our fresh and distinctive portfolio to one of Europe’s most mature gaming markets,” said Elena Shaterova, Chief Commercial Officer at 7777 gaming. “We’re excited to build on these strong collaborations and deliver gaming experiences that truly stand out.”
The certified game package for the Italian market showcases 7777 gaming’s signature diversity in format, theme, and gameplay innovation. It includes a robust lineup of slot games, such as Crazy 100 Bucks, Cash 100, Thracian Treasures, and Vault Looter – titles built to deliver consistent performance and broad appeal. The portfolio also features instant win games like Sea of Treasures and Bloody Stakes & Riches, offering fast-paced mechanics. Additionally, 7777 gaming introduces its distinctive “Innovative” – a category reserved for titles that push creative and technical boundaries. Among them, Devil’s Deal Soul for Sale stands out with its unique storytelling, visual style, and experimental gameplay, reflecting the company’s bold approach to modern iGaming entertainment.
All games are designed with a strong focus on player engagement, featuring popular functionalities such as multipliers, bonus rounds, free spins, gamble features, expanding reels, and buy bonus options.
With this new certification, Italy becomes the 14th consecutive market in 7777 gaming’s global expansion. Over the past three years, the company has extended its reach worldwide, establishing a presence across diverse regions and regulated markets. Since the beginning of 2025 alone, 7777 gaming has secured entry into Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Croatia, and Italy underlining its commitment to growth and trusted partnerships. The team remains dedicated to bringing high-performing, regulation-ready content that resonates with players and operators everywhere.
About 7777 gaming:
7777 gaming is an innovative and data-driven B2B igaming provider, founded in 2020 with the mission to revolutionize and challenge the status quo in the industry by offering 360-degree platform, state-of-the-art online casino games, iLottery, Jackpot, and marketing solutions, draw-based games, scratch cards, and much more.
The product is built by a dedicated team of visionaries with over 20 years of experience. The games and the RNG are tested and compliant in several highly regulated jurisdictions worldwide. Besides, the company achieved and maintained ISO 27001 certification. 7777 gaming holds a gambling license in Bulgaria and Romania and an MGA Certificate to provide its online casino games to these markets.
7777 gaming is already partnering with the leading aggregators and platform providers in the igaming industry.
Contact us:
https://www.7777gaming.com
Social Media:
The post 7777 gaming gains certification for Italian iGaming market appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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