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Playbook Engineering appoints Jonathan Chilton as Chief Operating Officer

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Playbook Engineering, a leading global betting platform provider, has expanded its executive team with the appointment of Jonathan Chilton as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO).

This hire is the latest in a series of appointments within the business over the past few months, following on from Luke Cousins joining the company as Commercial Director in July.

Chilton has over 19 years of industry experience and joins Playbook from GM Gaming Limited, a Betway group limited company, which is part of Super Group/SGHC, where he held various positions over the past six years including CEO/COO, Operations Director and Executive Director.

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Previously, Chilton has worked in South Africa, including 12 years at Osiris Trading working within a variety of roles at the Johannesburg-based company.

With Playbook continuing to expand its offering on a global scale, Chilton brings a vast knowledge of operational and strategic management, governance and compliance to his position.

This latest appointment enhances Playbook’s reputation as a global player within sports and casino, thanks to its state-of-the-art development of its technology whilst providing the best player experience on the market.

Commenting on his appointment, Jonathan Chilton, COO at Playbook, saidI am delighted to join Playbook at such a critical point in their journey and am very excited about contributing to the company’s strategy and ambition to take their platform global.

“I have inherited an amazing team from my predecessor and hope to build on its success and potential, but also looking at maturing regulated markets such as in the US or Ontario, which can be difficult markets to penetrate but ultimately very valuable.”

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Asia

Esports Returns to Singapore with BLAST’s Dota 2 Arena Event After Sellout Counter-Strike World Final 2024

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  • BLAST Dota Slam Singapore to take place this November at Singapore Indoor Stadium in partnership with Singapore Tourism Board and AEG Presents Asia

  • The world’s best Dota teams will meet in Singapore from 4th – 9th November 2025 to compete for a prize pool of $1,000,000 at the first ever BLAST Slam arena event 

Esports entertainment company BLAST has announced the return of its world-class events to Singapore with the BLAST Dota Slam Singapore, set to take place in November 2025 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, supported by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).

This announcement follows the sellout success of the BLAST Premier World Final 2024, which marked BLAST’s Southeast Asia debut and saw more than ten-thousand fans pack out the Resorts World Convention Centre to witness the world’s top Counter-Strike teams compete for the $1 million prize pool.

Building on that momentum, Singapore will now host the BLAST Dota Slam arena event, teaming up with AEG Presents Asia again to bring together the world’s best Dota teams to battle it out for $1,000,000 in front of a live audience and millions of fans tuning in globally across 50+ territories and in 12 languages.

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The BLAST Dota Slam Singapore is the latest milestone in BLAST’s global expansion into Dota 2, and reinforces Singapore’s growing reputation as a premier destination for sports and live entertainment. It marks the second consecutive year the city-state has hosted a BLAST arena tournament, following the successful Counter-Strike event in 2024.

James Woollard, Director of Market Development at BLAST, said: “Singapore delivered one of the most passionate esports crowds we’ve ever seen during last year’s BLAST Premier World Final. We’re thrilled to be returning with our next major arena show – this time for Dota 2 – and to once again partner with the Singapore Tourism Board and AEG Presents Asia to help to further grow Southeast Asia’s esports ecosystem. The response to our events in Singapore has been incredible, and this November’s Dota Slam promises to be another landmark moment for fans and for the region. Singapore has an impressive history and pedigree for the biggest international sporting events, supported by STB, and BLAST is proud to be building on this with the biggest esports events.”

Ms Lilian Chee, Director, Sports, Singapore Tourism Board, said: “We are delighted to welcome BLAST back to Singapore, this time with the Dota Slam. Building on the success of the BLAST Premier World Final, this event further reinforces Singapore’s reputation as a world-class destination for sports and live entertainment. We look forward to welcoming the passionate fans, players and partners once again to our vibrant city.”

BLAST’s return to Singapore is set to shine a global spotlight on the city while delivering significant economic benefits and meaningful destination marketing. With an estimated economic impact in the tens of millions, the tournament further demonstrates how esports events are evolving into major cultural and economic drivers for host cities – on par with large-scale traditional international sporting events.

With Singapore, Rio, London, Austin, and Lyon among the major destinations on BLAST’s global calendar this year, it is evident that governments, cities and tourism bodies are recognising the power of esports to attract young and engaged visitors, create jobs, and drive international visibility.

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The post Esports Returns to Singapore with BLAST’s Dota 2 Arena Event After Sellout Counter-Strike World Final 2024 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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partnerships

LuckyStreak launches new SmartStudio greenscreen technology with WinSpirit

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Casino operator’s greenscreen-powered Live Blackjack experience to deliver immersive, custom gameplay and deeper brand engagement

LuckyStreak, the Riga-based live games provider, has launched its fully customisable SmartStudio greenscreen technology with online casino operator WinSpirit, delivering a high-spec branded Live Blackjack experience.

The integration gives WinSpirit the ability to completely customise every visual element of the blackjack environment, from the set, walls and floor, to the dealer’s backdrop, with the brand’s logo and colours. This creates a high-impact, bespoke experience that drives stronger engagement between brand and player.

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LuckyStreak’s green screen solution lets operators like WinSpirit create fully customised, branded live casino environments without needing physical set builds. It’s flexible, fast, and cost-effective. Operators can choose different backgrounds, themes, branding elements – even switch between them dynamically if needed.

Designed with flexibility and fast deployment in mind, LuckyStreak’s highly advanced SmartStudio system offers chroma system keys in full HD with low latency, to promise razor sharp streams. The technology offers studio-grade production, multi-camera greenscreen and a semi-dedicated table layout that enables precise drop logos, video and stills layering and vibrant colour matching. The result is a deeply immersive and visually distinct blackjack game that perfectly aligns with WinSpirit’s brand identity.

This launch reinforces LuckyStreak’s commitment to delivering versatile and custom solutions for operators looking for more tailored and brand-led experiences across their live casino offering.

Ido Kamiel, COO at LuckyStreak, said: “We’re delighted that WinSpirit has chosen to enhance their players’ blackjack experiences with our greenscreen technology. It is designed to be highly flexible to meet our customers’ diverse and individual branding needs, and simple to deploy, to really enable us to forge closer relationships between player and brand, and to ensure that those meaningful moments are unforgettable.

“We are pleased to say that this is being reflected in longer and more involved player sessions compared to their generic table KPIs.”

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Oleksandr Kotsenko, Business Development Lead at WinSpirit, said: “At WinSpirit, we’re always focused on offering players more choices and enhancing their gaming experience.

“Our partnership with LuckyStreak has been a perfect step in bringing this vision to life. We’re excited about this partnership and confident that LuckyStreak will delight our players while making a fantastic addition to our library.”

The post LuckyStreak launches new SmartStudio greenscreen technology with WinSpirit appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Industry Awards

Casino Guru Awards 2025: Winners decided, spotlight turns to the Live Gala in Malta

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A Celebration of Fairness, Responsibility, and Innovation in iGaming

The countdown is on for the Casino Guru Awards 2025, where the most impactful and forward-thinking figures in the online gambling space will be honored. After an intensive evaluation period, the panel of expert judges has already cast their votes. The winners are now known—though kept under tight wraps—awaiting their official reveal during the gala evening.

The Gala Ceremony, taking place on June 6, 2025, at the prestigious Hilton Hotel in St. Julian’s, Malta, will bring together key stakeholders from across the industry to celebrate excellence in transparency, fairness, and player protection. This year’s event continues to spotlight initiatives that drive real change, showcasing responsibility and innovation at the heart of iGaming.

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In addition to the categories evaluated by the judges, the Players’ Choice and Voice of the People awards have engaged the wider public—highlighting community involvement. Notably, the Voice of the People category attracted over 150,000 public votes, underscoring the growing influence and reach of the Awards.
“It’s truly inspiring to witness such a strong response from the global community. The number of nominations and public votes speaks volumes about how well-known and meaningful these projects have become,” said Daniela Sliva, PR & Creative Projects Director at Casino Guru.

Since the launch of the 2025 edition, the Awards have attracted nearly 600,000 visitors, generated hundreds of nominations, and reflected a growing movement toward greater accountability in the industry.
The shortlist represents a diverse mix of organizations pushing boundaries and raising standards in responsible gambling—including notable names such as EveryMatrix, DraftKings, Pragmatic Play, BGaming, Soft2Bet and more. The evaluation phase involved detailed questionnaires, evaluation calls with shortlisted companies, and a transparent scoring framework. To preserve credibility and impartiality, judges disclosed all potential conflicts of interest before the review process began.

Gala highlights
Hosted by renowned presenter Martin Sepiano, the evening promises an engaging blend of insight and entertainment:

  • Panel Discussion with Judges – A rare behind-the-scenes look into the evaluation process and the values driving the Awards.
  • Live Performances by Jessica Micallef & Band
  • Special Dance Act by The Snake Venom Project Dancers
  • Afterparty at Tiffany Lounge with DJ Luke Panza

With anticipation building, the Casino Guru Awards 2025 Gala promises not only to reveal the industry’s top performers, but also to foster meaningful dialogue about the future of fair and responsible gambling. Whether judged by a panel of experts or chosen by the public, each nominee has contributed to shaping a more transparent and ethical iGaming landscape.

The post Casino Guru Awards 2025: Winners decided, spotlight turns to the Live Gala in Malta appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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