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Casino Guru Reveals Findings from Unique Safer Gambling Week Campaign

Published

4 years ago

December 2, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Safer Gambling Week is a yearly initiative originated in the United Kingdom that aims to raise awareness of safer and more responsible gambling. Casino Guru, staying true to their values and going further than expected in efforts to improve player safety, has created a unique campaign that promoted safer and responsible gambling messages across their English website over the course of the Safer Gambling Week 2021, from Nov 1 to Nov 7.

The team worked with the premise that responsible gambling messages need to be interesting and distinctive to capture the users’ attention and truly get the message across. That is why they crafted a unique campaign aiming to increase awareness of gambling addiction and responsible gambling and motivate players to take action if needed.

“Despite our efforts to create well-researched and truly helpful educational responsible gambling content, only a small percentage of our visitors searches for it and reads it. Unfortunately, players often start looking for this type of content only after noticing the first signs of problem gambling. The majority of players gamble responsibly, and it is crucial to reinforce their good habits and promote preventive steps that minimize the chance of becoming problem gamblers later on,” explains Šimon Vincze, Responsible Gambling Projects Lead at Casino Guru.

In line with this approach, Casino Guru’s creative team has designed and implemented three different responsible gambling messages – “It’s Safer Gambling Week 2021”, “Thank you for caring”, and “Responsible players do not lose” – each designed with a different deliberate idea in mind, to allow the team to test and measure what kind of messaging works best. Each version linked to a different responsible gambling article that complemented and built upon the original message.

These messages appeared at prominent locations across the website to make them as visible as possible. The detailed version of the message was displayed as a widget in the website’s list of best casinos. It was designed to resemble the cards presenting information about individual casinos to minimize ‘banner blindness,’ as people are used to overlooking ads and other elements that look like ads. The simpler and shorter version of the message was displayed at the top of each page, in a bright orange widget to visually stand out and go in line with Safer Gambling Week’s colour scheme.

Overall, 2.31% of the users who saw one of the three messages clicked it to read more. This percentage was the highest for the ‘Responsible players do not lose’ message at 2.54%, followed by ‘Thank you for caring’ at 2.35% and ‘It’s Safer Gambling Week 2021’ at 2.05%. The team has not measured any significant differences in metrics measured in different genders and age groups.

Vincze comments on the findings: “In terms of the number of visitors who clicked the message, the ‘Responsible players do not lose’ version yielded the best results. However, it had the lowest percentage of users that spent at least 60 seconds browsing the linked article. This was in line with our expectations, as this version was a bit of a clickbait, although one with good intentions. On the other hand, the ‘It’s Safer Gambling Week 2021’ version, in which the messaging was most informative and least captivating, yielded the least clicks but the highest percentage of users who then spent at least 60 seconds on the article.”

The individual articles linked from the three messages contained links to other, more encyclopaedical responsible gambling content, such as a list of problem gambling help centres, articles about gambling addiction and overcoming it, safer and responsible gambling, and more. The list of problem gambling help centres garnered the most attention, although this was likely influenced by a link to it placed at the top of each of the three articles.

Vincze adds: “When it comes to helping players and making a positive impact, numbers and metrics are not the only things that matter. Even if our campaign helped only one player stay safer while gambling or look for help, we can call it a success, regardless of the overall statistics we measured.”

He continues by putting the campaign into a broader context: “In comparison to our normal educational articles about problem and responsible gambling, our Safer Gambling Week campaign has been seen by a relatively big number of visitors. To make sure we maximize our positive impact all year round, we plan to use our findings to create an effective long-term campaign, which will be part of our future efforts aimed at educating and informing players and the public about gambling and its dangers. There is much to look forward to!”

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From ‘Mummyverse’ to Crash Games: Belatra Reviews a Landmark 2025

Published

15 hours ago

December 23, 2025

George Miller

Editor’s Take

Why this matters: Belatra has been a steady hand in the slots world for a long time, but 2025 marked a distinct shift in strategy. By entering the Crash vertical with Goose Boom Bang and winning big at SiGMA Africa, the studio is clearly pivoting to capture the high-growth, high-frequency players in emerging markets. They are no longer just a “classic slots” developer; they are diversifying the portfolio to ensure relevance in regions like LatAm and Africa.

The Full Story

Belatra Games, the specialist online slots developer, has issued a strategic review of its 2025 operations, celebrating a 12-month period defined by entry into new game verticals, significant franchise expansion, and high-profile industry recognition.

The year was characterized by a dual strategy: deepening engagement in established markets while aggressively expanding its content portfolio to suit local preferences in emerging territories.

Portfolio Evolution: Crash and Battles 2025 saw Belatra move beyond its traditional slot roots. The company made its debut in the high-demand Crash game vertical with the launch of Goose Boom Bang, a title designed to tap into the fast-paced gameplay preference of younger demographics.

Additionally, the studio introduced a fresh game concept with the launch of Battles, a new format unveiled for the first time in 2025, with further development planned for 2026.

The ‘Mummyverse’ Expands For fans of classic slots, the highlight of the year was the aggressive expansion of the Mummyverse. Belatra nearly doubled the size of this franchise over the year, making it the most extensive game universe in their entire catalog.

The developer also focused on B2B localization, releasing a number of exclusive bespoke games created specifically for selected operator partners to meet specific local market tastes.

Awards and Recognition The company’s strategic shifts were validated by industry accolades. Belatra secured over 30 nominations throughout the year, with standout wins including:

Best Slot Provider (awarded by BitStarz).
Most Played Game of 2025 for Make It Gold at the SiGMA Africa Awards.
Player’s Pick Award.

Management Commentary Misha Voinich, Head of Business Development at Belatra, commented on the studio’s momentum:

“This year has truly defined who we are as a studio – ambitious, creative and focused on building long-term partnerships. We’ve expanded our universes, launched new ones and entered exciting new markets that will all help us carry this momentum into the New Year.”

The post From ‘Mummyverse’ to Crash Games: Belatra Reviews a Landmark 2025 appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.

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‘Chaos and Soul’: Ebaka Games Plots Global Expansion After Viral Launch

Published

15 hours ago

December 23, 2025

George Miller

Editor’s Take

Why this matters: The “Instant Game” vertical (Crash, Plinko, Mines) is becoming crowded, but Ebaka Games is cutting through the noise with a distinct brand personality. By securing BMM Testlabs certification so quickly after launch, they are signaling to Tier 1 operators that despite their “chaotic” marketing vibe, the math underneath is solid and compliant. The backing of industry veteran Dmitry Belianin also adds immediate commercial credibility to the startup.

The Full Story

Ebaka Games, the fledgling studio that promises to bring “chaos and soul” to the iGaming sector, has outlined an aggressive growth strategy for 2026 following a landmark launch period in late 2025.

The studio, which officially debuted in November, reports that its initial rollout reached more than five million people worldwide. The launch saw its portfolio go live with the operator Menace, serving as the initial testbed for its mechanics and “Ebaka modes.”

The Product: Instant Games with Personality Ebaka is bypassing traditional slots to focus on the high-growth vertical of fast-paced, instant-win games. Their initial lineup includes:

Plinko
Mines
Tower
Limbo
Crash

Differentiation is achieved through unique mascots and signature gameplay tweaks designed to offer high win potential and distinct visual identities, moving away from the generic interfaces often found in this genre.

Regulatory Milestone Crucially for its 2026 roadmap, Ebaka Games has confirmed it has secured certification from BMM Testlabs. This accreditation validates the fairness and integrity of its RNG (Random Number Generator) and game engines, removing a major barrier to entry for regulated markets. With this certification in hand, the studio plans to launch with a number of “major brands” in the coming year.

Management Commentary Vitalii Zalievskyi, CEO of Ebaka Games, commented on the studio’s unorthodox approach:

“It’s only been a few weeks since we first introduced Ebaka Games to the world. The feedback has been breathtaking, and it vindicates the decision for us to take a different path to the rest of the industry. You don’t need huge marketing budgets to grab people’s attention if you are building something truly innovative.”

Industry Backing The studio describes itself as being “created by players for players” but boasts significant industry firepower in its corner. The team includes Dmitry Belianin, a well-known figure in the sector who is the co-founder of Blask and Menace, as well as Managing Partner at Already Media.

The post ‘Chaos and Soul’: Ebaka Games Plots Global Expansion After Viral Launch appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.

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Racing Meets Nightlife: SBK Backs ARC’s New ‘Friday Night Live’ Series

Published

15 hours ago

December 23, 2025

George Miller

Editor’s Take

Why this matters: British racing has a well-documented demographic problem; its core audience is aging. “Friday Night Live” is a direct attempt to fix this by blending high-stakes racing with the “experience economy” (DJs, nightlife vibes) that appeals to Gen Z and Millennials. Bringing SBK on board—a mobile-first, app-only sportsbook—is a perfect demographic fit, while the Racing Post adds the necessary credibility to ensure the actual racing product remains the focus.

The Full Story

Arena Racing Company (ARC) has unveiled the strategic commercial lineup for its upcoming Friday Night Live series, confirming SBK as the Exclusive Betting Partner and The Racing Post as the Official Media Partner.

Set to launch in January 2026, Friday Night Live is a new initiative created in collaboration with youth-focused events company INVADES. The series is designed to overhaul the traditional race day experience, featuring fast-paced fixtures under floodlights, DJ sets, and significant entertainment elements sandwiched between races.

The Commercial Deal

SBK: As the exclusive betting partner, the Smarkets-owned sportsbook will take naming rights and on-course branding for all 35 races. Crucially, these races will be broadcast live on mainstream television via ITV Racing as well as Sky Sports Research.
The Racing Post: As the Official Media Partner, the publication will provide content, coverage, and promotion across its digital platforms, aiming to bridge the gap between established racing purists and the new audience ARC hopes to attract.

A High-Stakes Experiment The series is not just a marketing exercise; it carries serious sporting weight. Each of the five scheduled nights will feature over £200,000 in prize money. The fixtures will rotate across three of ARC’s all-weather tracks: Wolverhampton, Newcastle, and Southwell.

Management Commentary David Leyden Dunbar, Group Director of Commercial Strategy at ARC, was clear about the target audience:

“We have been very clear that one of the aims of Friday Night Live is to engage the next generation of racing fans… Both [partners] have shown real enthusiasm to work with us… as well as using the platform that these fixtures will offer them to also engage with more established racing and sports fans.”

Adam Baylis, Marketing Director at SBK, added:

“Friday Night Live [is] a fresh and engaging concept that brings a new energy to British racing. SBK has always been built around sport… our focus is on enhancing the live race day experience in a fun, social and responsible way.”

The 2026 Schedule The series kicks off immediately in the new year: