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New scoring system that ranks games based on their representation of race, gender and disabilities reveals there’s still a long way to go to accurately represent the diverse communities playing them
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A new study by Currys PC World investigating diversity in the gaming industry has found that, while the representation of race, gender and disabilities has improved in games since the nineties, there is still a distinct bias in favour of the young, white, straight male.
Using a bespoke scoring system (please see methodology for breakdown), they analysed games that have made a mark at E3 and The Game Awards over the last 20 years. Games were awarded points for: female characters in prominent positions; for exploring LGBTQ+ plot points or themes; for mixed race characters prominently placed in the story; and for disabled characters or references. Their key findings are below:
Ethnic minorities are still underrepresented in games, but things are (slowly) improving
Despite efforts being made in recent years to improve the ethnic diversity of characters in games, an analysis of all games nominated for a Game Award from 2003 to 2018 unearthed that black and ethnic minorities are still severely underrepresented.
While RPGs (role-playing games) sometimes offer a choice of playable characters, their default characters are often white. When other ethnicities are represented, it’s also common for them to be type-cast.
“The diversity that is applied to white characters is something that is often missing when other races are depicted in games.” Adam Campbell, co-founder of POC in Play. “Representation still feels incomplete and inconsistent. We’re still also hard pushed to find those protagonists that are not the stereotypical Indiana Jones or the tough, bald, male type, so ‘diversity’ is the exception rather than the rule.”
· Proper ethnic diversity is still lacking. Only 3% of Game Award nominees (2003-2018) have featured a person of colour as a default protagonist.
· Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and The Walking Dead are the only games where a playable person of colour is baked into the story from start to finish.
· Fallout 4 doesn’t feature a specific character on the cover, but the player creator screen serves a generic white male/female face as the first thing you see.
· Canada is by far the best at getting representation right. Edmonton’s Bioware has put an emphasis on freedom of choice of character, and Ubisoft Montreal consistently tells diverse stories (e.g. Assassin’s Creed).
Representation of women in games is on the rise, yet the characters are often hyper-sexualised
With as many as 42% of gamers in the UK being female (and that number rising to 52% in France[1]) it only makes sense that women are represented equally in games. This doesn’t appear to be the case, however. While the last decade has seen a 189% increase in games featuring playable female characters, fewer than a third of game covers feature a woman in a prominent position. When women are featured, they’re often sexualised. For example, the cover of San Andreas sports a blonde-haired woman in a come-hither pose.
“Female characters have historically been hyper-sexualised for the male gaze in gaming,” says Jay-Ann Lopez, founder of Black Girl Gamers. “You can observe this with the various representations of Lara Croft. I do not believe there is an inherent problem with women being viewed as sexy. However, when it is the only version of women shown, it strips us of our depth and limits us to serving as purely visual objects. Still, there are more and more holistic and nuanced female characters appearing within games.”
· Game covers continue to put men first. Only 11% of covers have women as the focal point, or with a share of the focus.
· From 2012 onwards, diversity has markedly improved. The Walking Dead release that year starred a black man (Lee) and a young mixed-race girl (Clementine) and was a critical and commercial hit.
The notion that people with disabilities need to be “fixed” is rife in the gaming industry
On the rare occasions that disabilities are represented in games, they are more likely to be physical ailments than mental. Mental health has only been tackled in the last few years as awareness rises. Plus, characters with a physical disability are often “fixed”.
Accessibility expert Ian Hamilton says: “This notion that people with disabilities are broken and need to be fixed – a concept known as the medical model of disability – was rejected and abandoned in the 1970s, yet still persists in media and in games, often through the trope of medical conditions being replaced by superhuman powers or superhuman prosthetics. Moreover, games are often guilty of furthering the myth that a disability is rare, with all the impact that has on broader prejudice and discrimination.”
· Deadly Premonition shows protagonist Francis York Morgan talking to an imaginary character, Zach. What starts off as a curious subplot turns into a fascinating exploration of mental health.
· The Joker, ace pilot of Mass Effect’s SS Normandy, suffers from Vrolik syndrome (brittleness of the bones), while Lester, the sardonic sidekick in Grand Theft Auto V, has an unnamed wasting disease. Yet both men are fiercely independent in spite of the challenges they face and are not defined by their disabilities.
LGBTQ+ themes are being explored more in gaming narratives
LGBTQ+ themes are rarely explored in games, and that’s especially true of the biggest titles.
This being said, things are improving. Some of the biggest games to tackle homosexuality with grace in the last 20 years include:
· Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (2018) and The Sims (2000) with both allowing you to enter a relationship with anyone you please
· The Last of Us (2013) boasting an expansion pack that portrays Ellie in a relationship with another girl,
· Fallout 3 that features a romanceable gay character, and
· Life is Strange (2015) that explores a number of well-written gay characters.
“Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator lets players be either a cis or trans man and captures a reality of the gay community I haven’t seen before in a game. Not every game can be Dream Daddy – and not every game has to be.” Alayna M. Cole, MD of Queerly Represent Me.
· Only 11% of GOTY nominees and E3 winners offer up significant LGBTQ+ storylines.
· From 2009-2018, there’s been a 300% rise in games featuring proper representation when compared to the preceding ten years (1999-2008).
Ultimately, things are getting better. Since 2012, nearly half of all games have featured diverse casts, LGBTQ+ themes or characters of colour – as opposed to 26% pre- 2012. Plus, The Last of Us II, one of the biggest PS4 games coming out in the next year, is set to feature a female LGBTQ+ lead. With time, here’s hoping that the enduring (and inaccurate) stereotype – that only young, white men play games – will fizzle out.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_and_video_games
Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network
This is a Syndicated News piece. Photo credits or photo sources can be found on the source article: New scoring system that ranks games based on their representation of race, gender and disabilities reveals there’s still a long way to go to accurately represent the diverse communities playing them
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WinSpirit Launches “Wish Express” — A Holiday Campaign Bringing Back the Magic of Dreams
This festive season, WinSpirit Casino has launched a heartwarming campaign called Wish Express — a New Year campaign that invites players to share their most genuine wishes, with one lucky dream set to be made real by WinSpirit itself.
Inspired by the childhood tradition of writing letters to Santa, this campaign turns nostalgia into an interactive community experience. Instead of mailing wishes to Lapland, participants can now send them aboard a virtual train — the Wish Express — and receive rewards simply for taking part.
Journey of wishes and rewards
The idea is simple yet full of holiday spirit. It brings back that familiar childhood feeling — when the world felt a little more magical, and every twinkle of a holiday light promised something wonderful was about to happen.
This campaign taps into that sense of wonder, inviting players to dream freely and feel the joy of small surprises along the way. Players share a personal wish through a special form, and every step along the way brings something special in return:
- 20 Free Spins just for sharing your wish.
- 50 Free Spins if your wish is featured on WinSpirit’s social channels.
- 100 Free Spins if the community picks your wish as the most inspiring.
And the highlight? One particularly heartfelt wish will be fulfilled in real life, turning a sincere online story into a true holiday miracle.
Celebrating sincerity
Beyond the bonuses, the project’s real goal is to remind players about the joy of believing — not in luck, but in kindness and possibility. Players, streamers, providers and media have already joined the initiative, turning it into a shared celebration of optimism and festive warmth.
Some of the wishes already shared are as heartwarming as they are diverse. One player dreams of a world where everyone does just one good deed a day. Another one wishes to reunite with a sibling they haven’t seen in years. And our partners? They’re dreaming too — from more smiles in 2026 to a future with four-day work weeks and more time to truly live.
WinSpirit invites everyone to take part — not only by sharing their own wish, but also by following the stories of others, discovering what the community dreams about, and voting for the most inspiring ones.
Through its warm storytelling and genuine tone, Wish Express feels less like a promotion and more like a celebration of shared dreams — a reminder that magic still exists when we choose to believe. What’s your wish — the one you’ve held onto for years? Share it with WinSpirit, and let’s see if this holiday season brings it to life.
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Ho-Ho-Hold onto Your Wins! Booming Games Takes Festive Fun to the Next Level with Santa in Vegas!
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This holiday season, Santa’s traded in his sleigh for a private jet and touched down on the Vegas Strip! Santa in Vegas delivers festive fun and flashy riches in a vibrant 5×4 slot packed with luxurious symbols, glittering lights and that famous Booming Games excitement. Spin through jets, limos, watches and shimmering gifts as you chase down wild wins in the city that never sleeps.
Look out for the Santa Collect feature in the base game: Red Santa collects Coin symbols to trigger the Coin Collection bonus, while Golden Santa gathers Scatter symbols to randomly trigger the coveted Free Spins feature.
Trigger the Free Spins bonus and experience the exciting symbol upgrade feature. With every spin, low-paying symbols can be eliminated and high-paying symbols can be upgraded, boosting your chances for bigger and brighter wins!
The excitement peaks in the Gift Spin, a guaranteed spin at the end of Free Spins where every Wild you’ve collected during Free Spins is dropped onto the reels in a powerful finale, with up to 20 Wilds unleashed for explosive win potential.
With seasonal cheer, golden glamour and a sleigh-full of win potential, Santa in Vegas brings you the ultimate Christmas party on the Strip. Time to jingle all the way to jackpot city!
Play Santa in Vegas now!
“Santa in Vegas is all about turning up the holiday cheer with a Vegas twist,” said Craig Asling, Director of Games at Booming Games.
“We’ve mixed bright visuals, exciting features and plenty of win potential to deliver a game that’s both festive and full of fun, it’s Christmas with a touch of Vegas sparkle.”
The post Ho-Ho-Hold onto Your Wins! Booming Games Takes Festive Fun to the Next Level with Santa in Vegas! appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Vixio, a leading provider of regulatory intelligence solutions, unveiled its 2025 Global Regulatory Awards (GRAs) winners last night during an event in London.
More than 300 industry leaders, regulatory experts, and esteemed professionals of the global gambling industry attended the prestigious event. The independently judged GRAs recognise and celebrate the achievements of individuals, teams, and organisations in the gambling industry who have excelled in compliance, corporate social responsibility, and safer gambling.
The ninth annual awards ceremony recognised winners across 22 categories.
Notable winners on the evening included Playtech, Casino Guru, and Kambi.
Vixio also recognised outstanding individuals, such as Bill Curtis of DraftKings, named Compliance Professional of the Year, Corinne Valletta of Betsson Group, awarded Chief Compliance Officer of the Year, and Wes Himes, who was recognised with the Special Award for Compliance Lifetime Achievement.
“Thank you to everyone who joined us at last night’s Global Regulatory Awards in London,” stated Mike Woolfrey, CEO of Vixio. “This year has seen significant regulatory change across the industry, making the quality of entries even more impressive. Our independent judges did a fantastic job in selecting the winners, who truly represent the highest standards in regulatory compliance. Congratulations to all, and we look forward to welcoming you to the 10th annual Global Regulatory Awards next year!”
Awards were presented by category sponsors: Docaposte, DraftKings, eCOGRA, Gaming Associates and White Bullet.
The award evening was associate-sponsored by: Greentube, San Manuel Tribal Gaming Commission, Scientific Games, and Soft2Bet.
The 2026 Global Regulatory Awards presentation will celebrate the 10th annual GRA event and is set to take place on November 18th, returning to the historic Grand Connaught Rooms in Central London.
The official 2025 winners are as follows:
AML or MLR Professional of the Year
Eleni Panagiotopoulou, SOFTSWISS
Award for Commitment to Compliance by a Supplier
GeoComply
Award for Commitment to Compliance by an Operator
Tipico Games
Chief Compliance Officer of the Year
Corinne Valletta, Betsson Group
Compliance Innovator of the Year
Sharp Vision
Compliance Lifetime Achievement Special Award
Wes Himes
Compliance Professional of the Year
Bill Curtis, DraftKings
Compliance Rising Star Special Award
Medisha Moodley, Games Global
Compliance Team of the Year
Playtech
Head of Regulatory Affairs or Government Relations of the Year
Devon Dalbock, GLI
Legal Team of the Year
Kambi
Marketing Compliance Team of the Year
Catena Media
Outstanding Contribution to Safer Gambling
Casino Guru
Outstanding Contribution to Sports Betting Integrity
ALTENAR
Outstanding Individual Contribution to Safer Gambling
Dr. Michael Auer, Neccton
Payment Service or Solution Provider of the Year
Paysafe
RegTech Provider of the Year
Mindway AI
Regulatory Initiative of the Year
Gambling Regulatory Authority (URHH SK)
Regulatory Law Firm of the Year
Bird & Bird
Regulatory Lawyer or In-House Counsel of the Year
Behnam Dayanim, Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
Responsible Gambling Service or Solution Provider of the Year
BetBlocker
Testing Service or Solution Provider of the Year
BMM Innovation Group
The post Vixio Announces Winners for the 2025 Global Regulatory Awards appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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