Make-A-Wish® International, the world’s leading wish-granting organization, has announced the launch of its Infinite Wishes Initiative, a global programme aimed at uniting the video games industry to help grant life-changing wishes for children living with critical illnesses.

Launched in response to a dramatic rise in gaming-related wishes – ranging from building custom PCs to meeting developers or creating custom skins – Infinite Wishes provides a flexible, inclusive framework for the industry to make a meaningful impact, no matter an organization’s size or budget. With tiered partnership levels and non-financial participation options, companies can get involved in ways that align with their goals and resources.

April Stallings, Charitable Gaming and Creators Community Manager at Make-A-Wish International, commented:

“Infinite Wishes is about creating pathways for the games industry to do great things, whether that’s funding wishes, hosting a livestream, or simply sparking a new idea for impact. We know how passionate and talented this community is. This initiative is about giving teams a purpose-driven outlet to rally around – one that lifts spirits, sparks creativity, and changes lives.”

To help shape and guide the programme, Make-A-Wish International has assembled a Games Industry Advisory Committee made up of leaders and experts across the sector. Going into its second year, the committee includes representatives from Square Enix, Bethesda, Bandai Namco Entertainment, Raccoon Logic, 2K, Deviant Legal, Modoyo, Stream for a Cause, and Dames4Games.

Wouter Van Vugt, EMEA Communications & Community Engagement Senior Director at Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe and Chair of the Make-A-Wish Games Industry Advisory Committee, added:

“There’s never been a better time for the games industry to show its heart. Through Infinite Wishes, our industry has the opportunity to channel our collective goodwill and reach into something that delivers lasting, real-world impact for children who need it most. The opportunity to help fulfil a child’s wish is one of the most powerful things we can offer.”

Since 1980, Make-A-Wish has granted over 615,000 wishes globally. In 2024 alone, the international network granted more than 16,000 wishes, with gaming playing a growing role in the wish journey of many children. The Infinite Wishes initiative reflects Make-A-Wish International’s commitment to expanding its impact through new and innovative partnerships with the gaming community.

Inaugural members of the Infinite Wishes Initiative include Raptor PR and PlaySafe ID.

The partnership will deliver smarter support for iGaming operators, including multilingual support, regulatory compliance, and elevated player experiences

Tugi Tark today announces a strategic partnership with WebPrefer, the Swedish software company behind the Wepam iGaming platform. The collaboration brings Tugi Tark’s AI-powered support software into WebPrefer’s core technology, offering iGaming operators a fully integrated solution for modern customer service.

As the iGaming industry faces increasing demand for multilingual support, regulatory compliance, and elevated player experiences, the integration of Tugi Tark’s AI-powered customer service software directly into the Wepam Player Account Management (PAM) system offers operators an innovative edge. This solution enables faster, smarter, and more scalable player support across markets.

WebPrefer’s Wepam platform is built with adaptability in mind, supporting multi-brand operations, CRM, rewards, responsible gaming, and real-time monitoring. By integrating Tugi Tark’s customer support software directly into its PAM system, WebPrefer delivers a plug-and-play solution for iGaming operators.

Harpo Lilja, CEO of Tugi Tark, said: “We are thrilled to partner with WebPrefer to bring smarter support to the iGaming world.This collaboration underscores our shared commitment to help operators create deeper connections with their players through AI-enhanced support.”

Mikael Lindberg Castell, Founder & CEO of WebPrefer, said: “Implementing Tugi Tark’s AI Agent support tool into our own PAM solution was a no-brainer for us. Assisting end users is fundamental to any business, and together with Tugi Tark we can now present a complete solution for iGaming operators. This partnership is one more way we’re making player care faster, smarter, and at scale.”

This partnership marks a significant milestone in both companies’ missions to modernize iGaming support and operational strategy. The integrated system is customizable, fast to deploy, and designed with regulatory frameworks in mind, ideal for operators scaling across brands, geographies, and languages.

Welcome to HIPTHER Community Voices, where we sit down with industry leaders to discuss their journey and vision. Today, we’re joined by Jurijs Rapoports, the Chairman of the Board and COO of Tonybet.

With a career spanning over a decade in iGaming and technology, Jurijs has a reputation for building high-performing teams and driving operational excellence. His strategic leadership has been instrumental in Tonybet’s success, focusing on global market growth and operational efficiency. He’s known for balancing big-picture vision with hands-on execution, empowering his teams to excel while actively engaging with the broader iGaming community.

Since taking the helm of Tonybet SIA in 2024, Jurijs has been guiding the company’s next phase of strategic growth, solidifying its position as a major competitor in the international iGaming landscape. We’re excited to dive into his experience and insights.

Tonybet has made a name by sticking to the rules. What drives your commitment to full licensing, even in markets where others cut corners?

We don’t make light of our license acquisitions, that’s for sure. There are a lot of reasons for this, but most importantly it supports our main goal to give the best experience possible to our users.

We hold several licenses worldwide since 15 years of running the business, such as Canada and the Netherlands, both of which have particular requirements to enter the market. With our experience to follow the law to the letter and operate in various places, we are then seen more as trustworthy. As a brand, it’s gaining us a respected name in an industry usually surrounded by stigma. The fact that we can promote ourselves as a licensed operator is like showing our badge of honor. We show to our players, new or existing, how reliable we are. Our dedication to cultivating this trust creates meaningful, long-lasting connections with them.

That also reflects in our marketing strategies, from adding legal lines to reminding players to game responsibly, keeping in mind the rules set for us. As a result, we’re driven to give premium entertainment where player safety and comfort is indispensable. Overall, it pushes us to be adaptable and creative. Yes, it is a difficult path to take, but we hold onto the belief that it will lead us to sustainable, long-term success.

In an industry where shortcuts are common, what does “doing things right” actually look like at Tonybet?

We know we’re “doing things right” when more and more players are being trusting and loyal through the little improvements, rather than game-changing ways, in all the things we create. Even in strengthening our brand, we always take a closer look at the market.

At Tonybet, we always show to our players that we treat them as a community. When it comes to promoting our platform, we portray iGaming as a valid and meaningful form of leisure. As long as it’s done responsibly, there’s no shame in doing so. But as we’re all aware, there are more operators that opt for shortcuts, making things worse for the very few that truly care for the market and understand the importance of complying with regulations. There are even several cases of non-compliant campaigns that are still practiced to this day and spread around. This kind of exploitation cannot continue any longer than it should have. Changes must be made. That’s why we consistently do what we do. By advocating for responsible gaming, safety, and mutual respect for our players, we encourage others to turn in a more ethical direction.

Fraud is a growing threat. How is Tonybet using machine learning and tech to stay ahead of bad actors?

Fraud is something that will not ever stop. It’s an inevitable force that should not be dealt with passively. But thanks to machine learning models, real-time monitoring is possible and much more effective against bad actors. At Tonybet, we have a combination of solutions in our systems, including behavioral analytics, device fingerprinting, geolocations, and many more. We also collaborate with trusted third-party vendors that provide us tools and global intelligence that give us security advantages.

Of course, these tools could only go so far without training the very backbone of the company. So, we also adopt practices like red teaming, audits, and internal stress testing.

We don’t have a one-size-fits-all solution. We’re always evaluating our systems to check for blindspots.

Can you share an example of when your risk or player protection systems helped prevent a potential crisis or high-risk situation?

There was one time we detected a group of 400 newly registered accounts acting strangely. These accounts shared the same device fingerprints, with IP overlaps and identical gameplay patterns, such as adding small bets right after redeeming a welcome offer. This is a common behavior of coordinated bonus abuse. Our fraud detection system flagged the activity within hours of them becoming active. Without our high-tech solutions, it might take days or even weeks for one person to connect all the dots manually. Our team acted quickly, freezing the accounts and reporting the incident within the same day. In the end, we prevented over €30,000 in potential losses, kept the promotions going, and went back to business as usual without any PR nightmare.

It was a great example of how the right technology doesn’t only make us respond faster: it allows us to act early, protect the business, and prevent honest players from being affected.

Gamification is a buzzword—but what does it mean to you? What new features are in the works to keep players engaged and entertained?

True, gamification is all the rage nowadays, a marketable catchphrase in the industry. But to us, there’s more to it than that. We have a tagline “We’re here to play,” that we place in all of our promotional campaigns. It’s our main philosophy to be dedicated to creating what’s fun and exciting for people. To bring a grand experience where players would think and feel our platform is just like playing in a real casino. Gamification makes this feat possible. So to us, it plays a big role.

Gamification is part of our USPs. We invested a lot on it for our platform. Alongside the use of AI, players can see a personalized gaming lobby based on their preferences. Another gamified feature is the Daily Missions, created for those who only have little time to play but still being able to get rewards by accomplishing simple tasks. Our VIP program, on the other hand, was also refined by gamification for our loyal players. Both casino and sports-betting have some sort of VIP levels that makes the overall gameplay more engaging and interactive. These are available in our platform and mobile apps already and they get updated based on user feedback.

With the pace of tech and regulation accelerating, where do you see Tonybet in the next five years?

By then, Tonybet would be in a leading position as a reliable operator for both regulators and users. I’d want our brand to be known for delivering a casino and sports-betting platform that managed to balance being fun and yet also trustworthy.

Part of our roadmap is to continue refining our product using AI and other cutting-edge tools available to us. We’re always looking for new and better ways to personalize the experience for our users, something as intuitive and innovative as Daily Missions, which is one of our standout features.

When it comes to accessibility, we will continue reaching out with our existing players and make sure our services are available to the right people. We will be leveraging affiliates and Google search channels for this one.

There’s this vision we have to become a market driver that highlights how important white-label operators are for player comfort and security. So in everything we do, we will keep on promoting responsible and safe gaming practices, and helping players embrace them every step of the way.

A huge thank you to Jurijs Rapoports for joining us and sharing his insights on responsible gaming, operational excellence, and Tonybet’s commitment to building a brand rooted in trust.

His perspective on how adherence to regulations and player safety isn’t a hurdle, but a foundation for long-term success, is a powerful message for the entire industry. It’s clear that under his leadership, Tonybet is not just playing the game, but also working to change it for the better.

HIPTHER Community Voices is a platform dedicated to highlighting the leaders, innovators, and visionaries shaping the future of the iGaming and tech industries.

If you’re a member of the HIPTHER Community and have a story to tell or an opinion to share, we want to hear from you! Reach out to us to be featured in our next interview.