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Casino Guru Awards 2025 welcomes two esteemed judges: Duncan Garvie and Monica Shafaq
Casino Guru is proud to announce the addition of two distinguished industry professionals, Duncan Garvie and Monica Shafaq, to the panel of judges for the upcoming Casino Guru Awards 2025.
The Casino Guru Awards 2025, now in their third edition, celebrate excellence, transparency, and social responsibility in the iGaming industry. With Duncan and Monica joining the judging panel, the awards continue to uphold their commitment to fairness and integrity.
Meet the New Judges
Duncan Garvie – Founder and Trustee of BetBlocker
Duncan Garvie has been a leading advocate for consumer protection in the gambling industry for over a decade. As the founder of ThePOGG, the first affiliate-based complaint service approved as an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provider, Duncan has pioneered initiatives to improve player safety and resolve disputes fairly. In 2017, he founded BetBlocker, a registered charity offering free tools to help individuals manage their gambling habits. Today, he continues to champion responsible gambling as Chair of the Board of Trustees for BetBlocker.
Duncan shared his enthusiasm for the role, stating:
“I’m thrilled to participate as a judge for the Casino Guru Awards 2025. Casino Guru has been setting the bar for the affiliate sector with their player protection initiatives for years now, which have significantly improved the dialogue around several key areas in the safer gambling space. Being invited to take part in the judging process is an honour in itself.”
Monica Shafaq – CEO of Gordon Moody
Monica Shafaq brings a wealth of experience from the charity sector, with a focus on mental health and gambling addiction. Since January 2024, Monica has served as CEO of Gordon Moody, an international charity addressing gambling addiction and raising awareness. Previously, as CEO of the Kaleidoscope Plus Group, Monica led the organisation to multiple accolades, including inclusion in The Sunday Times Top 100 Companies to Work For.
Beyond her charity work, Monica is a recognised leader in promoting equality, diversity, and social justice through various non-executive roles in football and public health. Her dedication has earned her recognition as one of Europe’s Top 50 most influential Muslims.
Monica expressed her excitement, saying:
“I’m thrilled to join the panel of judges for the Casino Guru Awards 2025, an initiative that celebrates excellence and innovation in the gambling industry. This is a fantastic opportunity to recognise the individuals and organisations driving positive change and promoting responsible practices. I look forward to collaborating with my fellow judges and contributing to the selection of outstanding nominees and winners.”
About the Casino Guru Awards 2025
The Casino Guru Awards continue to set high standards in the iGaming industry by recognising achievements across categories such as fairness, responsible gambling, and social responsibility. This year’s event introduces two new categories:
- Players’ Choice: Empowering players to vote for their favorite game provider.
- iGaming Changemaker of the Year: Honouring individuals whose leadership and projects have significantly influenced the online gambling sector.
The awards will culminate in a live ceremony on June 6, 2025, at the prestigious Hilton Hotel in St. Julian’s, Malta. This invite-only gala promises an unforgettable evening of recognition, networking, and celebration.
The Casino Guru Awards 2025 welcomes nominations until February 28, 2025. Shortlisted nominees will be announced in March, with the public voting for select categories opening soon after.
The post Casino Guru Awards 2025 welcomes two esteemed judges: Duncan Garvie and Monica Shafaq appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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SlotMatrix kicks off festive season with Santa’s Golden Christmas release
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SlotMatrix, the world’s largest casino content aggregator, is embracing the holiday season with Santa’s Golden Christmas, a sparkling new slot packed with festive cheer, golden prizes, and heart-warming holiday magic.
Set in a winter wonderland, the game brings players closer to the jolly gift-giver. Snowflakes drift across the reels, each carrying the potential to boost Jackpot values or trigger Stanta’s Jackpot Wheel, where Mini, Minor, Major, Mega, and Grand prizes await.
The Free Spins bonus delivers even more festive excitement. Locking full reels clears columns, opens new positions, and increases the Free Spins Multiplier, which can climb from 1x all the way to 10x. Each cash prize collected during Free Spins is amplified at the end by this multiplier, turning generous gifts into golden wins.
Exclusively available through SlotMatrix, Santa’s Golden Christmas is enhanced by EveryMatrix’s proprietary gamification tools, including free spins and leaderboards, and can be seamlessly integrated with EngageSuite, the all-in-one player loyalty solution.
Carl Gatt Baldacchino, Head of Account Management, SlotMatrix: “We are nearing the end of the year, and we wanted to celebrate this wonderful season with a special game.
“The dazzling visuals, joyful audio, and ever-present chance of hitting Santa’s biggest prizes make this the perfect choice for the holidays. ‘Tis the season to be jolly, ‘tis the season to play Santa’s Golden Christmas.”
The post SlotMatrix kicks off festive season with Santa’s Golden Christmas release appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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CHESS SUPERSTARS CARLSEN, NAKAMURA, AND GOTHAMCHESS JOIN BETBY FOR CHESS MASTERCLASS AT ICE BARCELONA
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BETBY, the Tier 1 B2B sportsbook supplier, has announced an unparalleled activation for ICE Barcelona 2026, bringing together three of the most influential figures in chess: Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Levy Rozman (aka GothamChess). This will mark the first time that all three will appear publicly together in Europe, adding a landmark moment to one of the industry’s major events.
Magnus Carlsen, BETBY’s global brand ambassador, five-time World Chess Champion, and officially considered the greatest player in chess history, will be joined by Hikaru Nakamura, current world number two, five-time US Champion, and one of the best grandmasters of the modern era. They will also be accompanied by Levy Rozman, better known globally as GothamChess, the world’s largest chess streamer with more than 7 million YouTube followers and a central figure in chess’ surge in mainstream popularity.
This unique gathering underscores the shared vision between BETBY and the global chess community: innovation, strategic excellence, and the pursuit of new frontiers in digital entertainment. Chess continues to experience a cultural renaissance, fuelled by new competitive formats, digital viewership, and its recent inclusion in the Esports World Cup, where Carlsen claimed the inaugural title.
The activation also marks a major moment in the second phase of BETBY’s global campaign with Magnus Carlsen, “Leaders Choose Leaders.” This campaign is built on the idea that true leaders — in chess and business — recognise excellence and choose to surround themselves with others who operate at the highest level.
Carlsen, Nakamura, and Rozman will join BETBY at 12:00 pm on Day 2 (20 January) of ICE Barcelona, at stand 5K20 in Fira Barcelona Gran Via, offering attendees a rare opportunity to get up close and engage directly with three of the sport’s most recognisable figures.
The appearance will include a live press conference, as well as exhibition matches featuring Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Levy Rozman.
“Bringing Magnus, Hikaru, and Levy together at ICE Barcelona is a once-in-a-lifetime moment,” said Leonid Pertsovskiy, CEO at BETBY. “Anyone who loves chess knows how special this is. Having these three on the same stage guarantees an incredible show full of energy, personality, and the kind of excitement you rarely get to see live. We’re proud to create a moment that fans and our partners will remember for a long time.”
BETBY invites chess fans, industry professionals, and ICE delegates to witness this exceptional activation at stand 5K20, where strategy, entertainment, and elite talent converge in a show you won’t want to miss.
The post CHESS SUPERSTARS CARLSEN, NAKAMURA, AND GOTHAMCHESS JOIN BETBY FOR CHESS MASTERCLASS AT ICE BARCELONA appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Gaming Corps signs new content partnership with Buzz Bingo
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Gaming Corps – a publicly-listed game development company based in Sweden, has partnered with Buzz Group, the company behind the UK’s largest omnichannel bingo operator, Buzz Bingo.
Buzz Bingo has a five-decade heritage, a cross-generational community of more than a million members, and 79 bingo clubs that welcome nearly 100,000 players each week. Its digital platform extends this community online, offering hundreds of slots and recreating the safe and sociable atmosphere that has long defined its venues.
Buzz Bingo’s digital platform will now feature a host of Gaming Corps’ standout titles such as 3 Pigs of Olympus, a light-hearted mythological slot packed with Instant Prize action and an escalating Bonus Pot, along with Anubis vs Horus: Twin Titans, where two of mythology’s most powerful deities face off in a battle for legendary rewards.
These join the wider portfolio of Crash, Mine, Table, Plinko and Slot content, all available across mobile, desktop and in-club Touchpads.
Adam Pentecost, Director of Customer Success at Gaming Corps, said: “Buzz Bingo has a unique place in British entertainment. Few brands have such deep community roots or such a loyal, cross-generational audience. That makes this partnership particularly meaningful for us. Our goal is always to build games that feel engaging from the very first interaction, and Buzz’s focus on sociable, inclusive play is a natural home for our content. We’re looking forward to supporting their continued growth across both digital and in-club channels.”
David Swaine, Head of Product Slots & Games at Buzz Bingo, added: “We’re pleased to bring Gaming Corps titles to buzzbingo.com as we continue expanding our online games library. Their mix of inventive mechanics, bold themes and easy-to-pick-up gameplay fits well with what our players enjoy, both in-club and online. We’re excited to add more of their releases over the coming months.”
The partnership marks Gaming Corps’ latest move in strengthening its position in the UK market, adding another recognisable British entertainment brand to its growing network of operator partners.
The post Gaming Corps signs new content partnership with Buzz Bingo appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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