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Indian Esports stakeholders reflect on historic year for video-gaming industry; share outlook for upcoming year
A groundbreaking year for Indian Esports, marked by participation in the Asian Games 2022, witnessed global triumphs, mainstream recognition, and brand investments, laying the foundations for a successful 2024
The year 2023 has been defined by a multitude of key events and accomplishments for Indian Esports. The ‘Leveling up: State of India Gaming FY’23’ report by Lumikai in collaboration with Google states that India was home to 568 Mn gamers in FY23. The country’s gaming market hit $3.1 Bn in FY23 and is projected to reach $7.5 Bn by FY28, growing at a CAGR of 20%.
The Indian contingent’s participation in the Asian Games 2022, where Esports debuted as an official medal sport, and the remarkable fifth-place finish secured by the League of Legends team emerged as the year’s crowning achievement that showcased the nation’s Esports prowess on the international stage. S8UL, India’s premier Esports organization, added to this triumph by winning the first-ever ‘Global Impact on Mobile Gaming’ at the MOBIES Awards as well as the ‘Content Creator of the Year’ award at the global Esports Awards 2023.
Mr. Animesh Agarwal aka 8Bit Thug, Founder and CEO of 8Bit Creatives and S8UL, reflected on these milestones, stating, “The recognition on the global stage including our country’s talented contingent competing at the Asian Games 2022 and S8UL achieving unprecedented success elevated the industry’s status. The stigma surrounding gaming as a career choice has dissipated, opening new opportunities for aspiring gamers and legitimizing Esports as a viable and respected profession.”
The year also witnessed a transformative influx of brands into the Esports ecosystem, with notable examples such as IQOO SOUL’s historic title sponsorship with Team SOUL. Mr. Animesh Agarwal highlighted the significance, saying, “The increasing involvement of non-endemic brands, their entry into the gaming space, and the rise of official tournaments have reshaped the industry’s landscape. IQOO SOUL’s title sponsorship with IQOO highlights the expanding horizons of Esports sponsorships with brands across all domains. The influx of non-endemic brands brings both financial support and broader visibility to gaming creators, organizations, tournaments, and other Esports events.”
The amendments made to the Information and Technology (IT) Act by the Indian government played a pivotal role in distinguishing Esports from real money gaming (RMG). This recognition provided legitimacy to the sector, leading to increased sponsorships and investments.
States like Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh have also taken proactive steps, with initiatives such as the country’s first esports academy and tournaments. Educational institutions have also embraced Esports with the inclusion of Esports in the curriculum.
Sharing his thoughts on these developments, Mr. Lokesh Suji, Director of Esports Federation of India (ESFI) and Vice-President of Asian Esports Federation (AESF) commented, “The future of Esports is exceptionally bright in India. Through the consistent efforts of ESFI, the Indian government officially recognized Esports as a multi-sport event and categorized it under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in December 2022. Beyond official recognition, infrastructure development is a critical factor for the sustained growth of the Esports industry. The initiatives by our government and numerous states have laid the groundwork for potential financial backing and infrastructure growth in the coming years. Esports now proudly stands alongside the traditional sports of the country, attracting more players and sponsors to the industry.”
After its temporary hiatus, the triumphant return of Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) this year was an instrumental factor for the Indian Esports industry. Emphasizing the resilience and growth, Mr. Rohit Agarwal, Founder & Director, Alpha Zegus noted, “Content solutions have been our top priority in 2023, and it has been an incredible year for us. Titles like BGMI had a comeback that boosted the Esports industry by more than 4x factor, while publishers like RIOT took serious efforts and made massive investments into the Indian gaming space. In numbers, we generated more than 400 pieces of quality content for our partners and saw a 300% growth in content solutions as compared to 2022. In 2024, our efforts are going to continue towards content solutions and experiential marketing, expanding our base to different regions, and bringing more quality to our work.”
As Esports continues its ascent as a global phenomenon, the inaugural Esports World Cup 2024 and the entry of streaming giants like Netflix and YouTube into gaming signal a revolutionary shift for Indian esports in the upcoming year. The convergence of these factors coupled with other trends promises a dynamic and transformative year ahead.
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Spinmatic unveils groundbreaking hybrid Slot-Plinko game
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Spinmatic, a leading developer of cutting-edge casino games, today announced the launch of Elemental Fusion, a revolutionary title that fuses the mechanics of Video Slots with the engaging features of Plinko games. This innovative product release highlights Spinmatic’s commitment to developing unique and compelling gaming experiences for the igaming market.
Elemental Fusion introduces a novel hybrid model, offering players a distinctive blend of traditional reel-spinning action and a collector-driven bonus system culminating in a dynamic Plinko round. The game consists of harnessing the power of five sacred elements -Fire, Earth, Water, Air and Galaxy- guided by an in-game Alchemist character.
The core innovation lies in two distinct yet interconnected features:
- Accumulative multipliers & Fusion reaction: The game features five Element Elixir symbols. Landing these symbols triggers a Fusion Reaction where an accumulative multiplier builds up. Multipliers can reach up to x50 and stack across spins. When a win is achieved, it is multiplied by the accumulated value, which then resets.
- Collect Feature & Plinko Bonus: Players activate the Plinko bonus round by collecting 10 Element Elixir symbols for one of the four core elements (Water, Air, Earth or Fire). Landing a Special Plinko Symbol on the 3rd reel randomly contributes one symbol to the corresponding element’s collector. A key mechanism is that other element collectors do not reset when a Plinko game is triggered, allowing for the rapid chaining of bonus rounds.
The Plinko bonus round offers a sophisticated and varied experience, determined by the collected element. Before the balls drop, a wheel spins to determine the number of balls, ranging from a minimum of 10 to an impressive 100.
Each of the four unique Plinko games features 16 rows and is designed with a distinct volatility profile and prize mechanic, and each guarantees a specific Jackpot tier (Mini, Midi, Maxi and Grand Jackpot).
Spinmatic invites operators to integrate Elemental Fusion immediately to offer players this pioneering gaming experience.
The post Spinmatic unveils groundbreaking hybrid Slot-Plinko game appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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RedCore was awarded “Transformation of the Year” at SiGMA Rome
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The RedCore business group received the “Transformation of the Year” award at the SiGMA Central Europe Awards ceremony, which took place as part of SiGMA Central Europe on November 3 in Rome. The award honors the company’s successful transformation from PIN-UP Global, an iGaming-focused holding company, to a diversified technology business group operating in various areas of digital business.
RedCore is the result of a large-scale transformation of PIN-UP Global, which began in 2024. This was a logical step that allowed the holding company to expand beyond the iGaming industry. The accumulated expertise allows the brands included in the business group to create technological solutions for fintech, marketing platforms, e-commerce, regulatory technologies, customer service, and platform B2C services with high user engagement.
Today, the international business group RedCore includes seven independent brands: PIN-UP Partners, Frogo, Pay.Partners, Communications Hub, mr.Booster, Riddick’s Partners, Talk with Us.
“This award recognizes that we have made the right strategic move. Over nine years of working in iGaming, we have accumulated expertise that is applicable far beyond a single industry. RedCore is the result of a transition from internal solutions to independent products for the market. We have created a business group ready to share high-quality technologies and team expertise with various digital businesses,” comments Marina Ilina, CEO and founder of RedCore.
The “Transformation of the Year” award at the SiGMA Central Europe Awards is especially significant as it recognizes RedCore’s ability to successfully adapt to changing market conditions and create new opportunities for growth. The award organizers highly appreciated the scale of the changes, the speed of their implementation, and the results of the transformation.
The post RedCore was awarded “Transformation of the Year” at SiGMA Rome appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Osborne Clarke advises Shore Capital on £205 million IPO of Winvia Entertainment, marking renewed momentum in London markets
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International law firm Osborne Clarke has advised Shore Capital on Winvia Entertainment plc’s £205 million AIM IPO and associated £40 million institutional placing. Shore Capital acted as nominated adviser, sole bookrunner and sole broker.
Technology focused business Winvia Entertainment is the second largest prize draw operator in the UK by market share and owns the brands Best of the Best and Click Competitions, through which players can play for prizes including cars, luxury watches and holidays.
Outside the UK, the company is focused on the fast-growing and regulated Romanian online gaming market, where it is a top three online casino operator, operating a multi-brand strategy including own brands such as Princess Casino, Royal Slots and Luck, white label brands such as Magnumbet, Cashpot and Excelbet, and a majority owned poker business.
Winvia Entertainment intends to use the net proceeds of the placing to fund acquisitions in the large but fragmented UK prize draw sector. It has been building a pipeline of other opportunities and is in discussions with several potential acquisition targets to allow it to consolidate its position in this rapidly growing market.
Admission and trading in the company’s ordinary shares on AIM took place on the 3 November 2025 at 8:00 a.m.
The IPO represents a significant AIM admission in H2 2025 and highlights the renewed interest in UK tech and digital-entertainment flotations. It follows commentary that the London listing market may be turning a corner, with several listing announcements and a strengthening pipeline emerging in recent weeks.
Commenting on the transaction, Ed Nisbet, Associate Director at Osborne Clarke, said: “We are delighted to have assisted the Shore Capital team in relation to the IPO of Winvia Entertainment. Both the UK and Romanian markets that the group is focused on offer exciting opportunities and this IPO perfectly positions Winvia to build on its existing strength to take advantage of these. This transaction, together with general market activity and our increasing pipeline of opportunities, is also demonstrative of the increased momentum in UK capital markets.”
Jonathan King, Partner at Osborne Clarke, added: “The Winvia IPO showcases the breadth of Osborne Clarke’s capital markets expertise – from advising on complex cross-border structures to supporting clients at every stage of their growth.”
Osborne Clarke’s Corporate team, which is ranked in the top tiers by both Chambers UK and Legal 500 UK for AIM, is considered a go-to practice for many companies in the tech, media and comms sector. Its clients range from global businesses to fast-growth start-ups and market challengers. The team advises at every stage of company development across all corporate issues, from equity and debt fundraisings to strategic M&A, IPOs and JVs.
The post Osborne Clarke advises Shore Capital on £205 million IPO of Winvia Entertainment, marking renewed momentum in London markets appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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