Press Releases
Yaspa Secures UK Government Grant for Safer Gambling Platform
The payment provider has been awarded an Innovate UK grant for its safer gambling and AI platform
Instant bank payment provider Yaspa has been awarded a government grant for its safer gambling payments and AI platform by Innovate UK, the United Kingdom’s innovation agency.
Yaspa’s innovative web-based B2B platform will combine payments and AI to help gambling operators identify vulnerable players in a frictionless manner. The platform, which will be the first of its kind, will help gambling businesses to identify and address some of the United Kingdom’s 300,000 estimated ‘problem gamblers’.
Using open banking technology, Yaspa will provide operators with access to player transaction data at the point of deposit, giving a significantly broader and more accurate picture of a player’s pan-operator activity. The application of AI modelling will then detect the likelihood of them being at risk of harm due to gambling.
The inclusion of payment data will offer a frictionless way to conduct affordability checks that goes beyond current consumer protection initiatives such as paper-based affordability checks and reliance on data from within a single operator’s domain.
“With Innovate UK’s support, Yaspa will play a pivotal role in the future of compliance within the gambling sector,” the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer for Yaspa, James Neville, said. “With the use of fast-growing technologies including AI and open banking, our safer gambling platform will reimagine how affordability checks are conducted and actioned to protect vulnerable players.
“Currently, operators view players at the single operator level and rely on disruptive checks that risk driving people to grey markets. Yaspa’s frictionless process, combined with a pan-operator view, will transform the experience for operators and players alike.”
The project is a response to the United Kingdom government’s plans to reform the country’s gambling landscape, which have set out expectations for operators to implement frictionless financial vulnerability checks for players, mooting open banking as a possible solution.
The receipt of co-funding from Innovate UK will enable Yaspa to work with academics in safer gambling and AI to build a platform that uses world-class data analysis to ensure players can make quick and easy deposits with non-disruptive, real-time risk detection.
The Yaspa platform will meet operator needs and exceed regulatory requirements while addressing the far-reaching ramifications of problem gambling in the United Kingdom.
The post Yaspa Secures UK Government Grant for Safer Gambling Platform appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
bet365
IBIA and PFA Canada join forces to provide sports integrity education to the Canadian Premier League
CPL first to benefit from CA$300,000 education fund commitment by regulated sports betting operators.
The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) and its members bet365, Betway and FanDuel have partnered with the Professional Footballers’ Association Canada (PFA Canada) to design a bespoke two-year sports-integrity education program for players and staff in the Canadian Premier League (CPL).
In 2024, the program – which will start in May – will educate approximately 300 players and staff about the potential threat of sports-betting related match-fixing to the integrity of the Canadian Premier League, their careers, as well as its potential to defraud sports betting operators and customers. The agreement also stipulates a repeat training in 2025 to ensure new players joining the league are also able to protect themselves from criminals and corrupters and report any suspicious activity.
Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “IBIA’s members take their role – as responsible regulated betting operators – in protecting the integrity of sporting competition and of betting markets seriously. Alongside balanced, efficient and evidenced-based regulation, protecting soccer players, staff and officials from being targeted by criminals is an essential first step to stamping-out sports-betting related match-fixing and fraud.”
The program will include a combination of dedicated in-person trainings and online resources for players and staff in the CPL’s eight league teams. The in-person sessions will educate players on the environment in which they are operating, including rules and sanctions, as well as highlighting the scale and accuracy of technology enabled sports integrity monitoring.
Dan Kruk, Executive Director of PFA Canada, said: “IBIA has delivered sports-integrity education to over thirty-five thousand athletes in Europe since 2010, and we’re grateful that they can leverage that know-how to design a bespoke training for CPL players. At PFA Canada we understand that, despite being more resource-intensive, in-person sports integrity education is essential to gain the trust and understanding of busy athletes, and to enable full, frank and open conversations.”
The CPL’s sports-integrity education program has been enabled by a CA$300,000 commitment over three years by IBIA and its member operators bet365, Betway and FanDuel for the Canadian market, from which other sports are also expected to benefit.
“At FanDuel Canada, we recognize the critical role athlete education plays in maintaining sports integrity,” said Dale Hooper, General Manager of FanDuel Canada. “We are thrilled to expand our engagement with IBIA through this new partnership helping to build a curriculum that will help athletes understand their role in protecting sport.”
Joachim Bjerg of Betway stated: “We’re very proud to partner and support IBIA and the Professional Footballers’ Association Canada that will design, create and implement a bespoke course that will further enhance Betway’s global commitment to educating players and staff involved in sport.
“As a responsible regulated betting operator, we see our role in this sector imperative to safeguarding the integrity of sports and we very much look forward to working with IBIA on this exciting and important initiative.”
Jean-Francois Reymond, IBIA’s Education Ambassador, who will work with the PFA Canada trainers on the May launch, said: “We look forward to working with PFA Canada to further protect the Canadian Premier League from the threat of sports-betting related match-fixing. Protecting the integrity of sport means protecting the integrity of athletes. Most often through a lack of awareness, it is the athletes who are risking their careers and livelihoods. IBIA’s objective is to help build a best-in-class program for all athletes that serves to protect the integrity of Canadian sport and the careers of Canada’s athletes.”
IBIA’s sports-integrity education program is a global offering, alongside IBIA’s not-for-profit model for sharing data on suspicious sporting events with sports regulators and law enforcement, player education can significantly reduce the threat of sports betting related match-fixing. In 2024, IBIA has already trained athletes at the EUBC’s European Boxing Championships in Serbia and is in active discussion with sports governing bodies in Canada and several other jurisdictions to ensure that as many athletes as possible can benefit from sports integrity education. Please contact us if you are interested in learning more.
Zitro has made its mark at the Feria Internacional del Juego de Madrid (FIJMA 24), presenting an exciting range of products designed to captivate Spanish players. Under the slogan “Each Game, A Story”, Zitro has once again demonstrated its commitment to excellence in the gaming industry in Spain.
At the recent edition of the Madrid show, Zitro once again surprised attendees with a large display of games. Up to 13 new slot titles were presented, with mechanics never seen before by players in Spanish gaming halls, all compatible with the Mega y Más system.
Among the most outstanding products presented by Zitro at the Madrid Show was Fu Frog, a captivating title for the Allure Glare cabinet, which leaps onto the scene with up to 7 bonus links. These are powered by a trio of exclusive features, each represented by three colored frogs: the green frog multiplies prizes, the orange one doubles the bonus, and the yellow one grants extra lives.
Epic Kingdom, showcased brightly on the Altius Glare cabinet, features an innovative “3-level Link” bonus. As link symbols appear, players will unlock three extra levels of thrilling gameplay on the bonus screen, until reaching the Mega Zone, where they can win the MEGA jackpot with just one symbol.
Another of Zitro’s stars at the show was Energy Link, presented on the Fusion Glare cabinet, and featuring up to 4 different bonus links, Energy Link is the perfect evolution of Zitro’s popular games, Link King and Link Me, which are well-known to Spanish players and operators, including the player favorite, Link Up feature, allowing them to enhance each of the bonus links by raising their bet.
Games such as Billy the Pig, which features a super dynamic bonus never seen before in Spanish gaming halls, and many other games such as Drum Dynasty, Epic Empires, Boost Link King, or Boost Link Me also stood out at the show.
As for video bingo, a market segment in which the company is the leader, Zitro has showcased a variety of new and captivating titles, such as The Great Wealth or Fratelli Pizza, which feature free games, as well as Stravaganzza Da Vinci and Stravaganzza Double Bonus, which significantly enhance access to the bonus rounds in these popular games.
In addition, Zitro is taking a step forward in its online gaming universe with a diverse range of Zitro Digital games, adapting the company’s most successful games to the Digital market and including new and improved tools and features that will captivate players.
Zitro’s founder, Johnny Ortiz, stated: “We are thrilled to share our latest gaming products for the Spanish market. Fu Frog has undeniably stolen the spotlight at the show and is already a sure bet. Our award-winning portfolio boasts innovative game mechanics, recognized, across the globe, from America to Europe, and delivers fantastic results in Spanish gaming halls where they’ve already been installed. We do not doubt that these new additions, alongside upcoming releases this year, will redefine the entertainment landscape in Spain and set the bar for future trends.”
Manuela Jiménez, Zitro’s vice president, also stated: “We would like to thank everyone who visited our booth at the Madrid show. The support from customers, authorities, and visitors alike is fundamental for us, and it drives us to continue innovating and offering high-quality gaming experiences”.
Mirroring the excitement, Zitro’s Commercial Director, Vicente Fernández, expressed his satisfaction with the customer response. “The feedback we’ve received at the show has been exceptional,” he remarked. “The strong interest from operators and players highlights our games’ impact on the market”.
The post ZITRO MAKES HISTORY AT THE MADRID SHOW appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The United Kingdom is one of the countries represented in the largest video game competition between universities across Europe. Students from University of Roehampton, Nottingham Trent University, and Staffordshire University will fight to qualify for the Grand Final and become champions of UNIVERSITY Esports Masters (UE Masters).
After demonstrating a high level in the previous qualifiers, the British universities will have four teams participating in the UE Masters Playoffs, which will be played on the following dates: Rocket League (May 11 and 12) and VALORANT (May 25 and 26). In addition to the players from the UK, opponents representing Croatia, Belgium, France, Italy, Germany, Ukraine, Ireland, Spain, and the Netherlands will also take part. The matches can be followed on the competition’s official Twitch channel (twitch.tv/uemasters).
Two teams of University of Roehampton will seek victory in Rocket League Playoffs this weekend. On the other hand, students from Nottingham Trent University and Staffordshire University will try to be the winners in the VALORANT Playoffs in the coming weeks.
The 2023/24 edition of the UE Masters, which will distribute a total prize pool of 14,000 euros, has counted with the participation of university teams from 17 European countries and the support of Riot Games, one of the world’s leading video game developers (publishers).
Beyond of a video game competition
UNIVERSITY Esports Masters is a video game competition integrated within UNIVERSITY Esports, a global esports, gaming and technology project that is present in 26 countries on four continents and has the participation of more than 100,000 universities.
The main objectives of UNIVERSITY Esports Masters are to create a sense of community among players from all over Europe, to give them the opportunity to compete in high quality international tournaments and to provide avenues for young people to develop a career within the esports world, as well as to find a place to learn and enhance their skills.
The potential of esports and gaming in the UK
Gaming and video game competitions are positioned as one of the fastest growing sectors of the entertainment industry year on year globally. According to the statistics portal Statista, “the United Kingdom is experiencing a surge in Esports popularity, with a growing number of tournaments, teams, and dedicated arenas.”
The same source forecasts that the domestic esports market in the UK will reach revenues of £183.3 million in 2024, with a penetration rate of 27.9%. By 2028, it estimates revenues of £234 million and a market share of 33.1%.
The post Students from three British universities will fight to become champions of UE Masters appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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