Latest News

Relax Gaming: Technology supporting game innovation

Published

3 years ago

October 19, 2022

Reading Time: 4 minutes

European Gaming caught up with Relax Gaming’s Marta Zogala, Senior Product Manager and Johan Jönsson, Casino Client Architect, about the phenomenal success of the company’s Dream Drop jackpots innovation and how its front-end integration solution Relax ApexⓇ made this possible.

Before we get started, talk us through Dream Drop’s success since its launch – what’s the story behind it and how popular has it been?

MZ: Dream Drop Jackpots has enjoyed fantastic success since its launch, much of which is owed to the meticulous research processes of our teams. When we set out to build Dream Drop, our scope was to first address several shortcomings that existed in the jackpot space, and then to inject our signature flare for excitement generation.

We sought to deliver on aspects of the mechanic that the current market couldn’t satisfy, such as must-drop features, engaging games beyond the jackpot functionality, providing big-ticket prizes, and generating more frequent fallouts than any other jackpot that exists. In four short months, we’ve had over 900,000 winners, including 35 Major, and three Mega. These are figures that would usually take years to achieve with other jackpot mechanics.

The frequent must-drop mechanic was built with both the traditional player group as well as the new demographic of jackpot players in mind. In recent years, we’ve experienced a drastic shift towards mobile, with players logging in more often but for shorter sessions and this sparked quite a few of our core ideas. We believe that the days of slow-growing and falling jackpots are over and our progressive jackpot is out to prove this.

Gaming innovation is a word spoken about plenty in the industry – but in your eyes, what translates a product innovation into operator and studio success?

JJ: I believe addressing needs is at the root of most successful innovations. An ideology we hold at Relax is founded on listening to our audience before developing the next novelty. By keeping that dialogue open between ourselves and operators, players, and streamers we’re able to identify what the market is lacking, which provides the first puzzle piece to satisfying them and the nucleus of the next big idea.

Following that, I think execution is key. You can have the best idea, but ultimately, without the technical know-how to bring it to market, you have nothing at all. At Relax, we emphasise that our technical foundations help us carve out our route to success by helping our studio partners and operators reach their targets. Relax ApexⓇ is a perfect example of this, providing quality-assured, fully-compliant content at speed with the added benefit of offering Relax Loyalty tools and promo campaigns, we’ve created an equation that brings each party closer to their goals.

Relax’s Apex has been mentioned multiple times as essential to making Dream Drop happen, how does it work and what makes it integral to Dream Drop?

JJ: Relax ApexⓇ works on a standardised integration system that we use to intercept and communicate with a game on a generic level. This allows us to produce content such as Dream Drop outside of the game while maintaining deep integration. In this way, the need for extra modifications to implement the mechanic is entirely removed, making it fast and easy. Through Relax ApexⓇ, we’re able to write the Dream Drop module a single time and deploy it among multiple games at once.

How much do you see regulatory overlays, such as Relax Apex, being integral to the future success of game features?

MZ: Relax ApexⓇ is vital to our future growth in regulated markets. It allows us to extrapolate and create abstractions on a level that simply was not possible before. The infrastructure not only provides regulatory overlays, but also integrates new features into existing games such as in the case of the Dream Drop Jackpots and our upcoming promotional portfolio.

This just scratches the surface of our future plans for the framework. We look forward to sharing more soon and continuing to break barriers in the industry!

Given the current regulatory environment in Europe – how much will products like Relax Apex prove to be a key differentiator?

MZ: Compliance and speed-to-market for new jurisdictions are currently some of the biggest challenges being faced by businesses operating in the iGaming industry. A single automated solution that enables fast and easy adaptation to new requirements is sure to become imperative to the future of our landscape. Having an overlay of this kind offers security for Relax and our partners while giving our operators the confidence to distribute content widely.

JJ: Products like Relax ApexⓇ lift the regulatory burden off game producers, allowing them more time to focus on the quality of their content, while saving operators time by reducing their game-by-game QA duties and bulk of compliance implementation. If the current regulatory landscape is anything to go by, software of this kind will become key differentiators sooner than we think.

Last but not least – talk us through the future of compliance for major platform providers and game studios like Relax, how do you plan to continue staying ahead of the curve?

JJ: In the gaming industry, you need to keep moving to keep up. Regulations will only increase and more measures are bound to emerge that will alter the way we produce content time and again. A well-oiled machine is imperative to continue adapting, improving and innovating, which involves having sound technical foundations, compliance experts at hand, and talented creatives at the core.

By utilising the latest technologies and creative initiatives such as Relax ApexⓇ, our developers are able to prepare and face the challenges with sufficient knowledge and adapt to unforeseen scenarios.

MZ: In fact, this is also how the idea of Relax ApexⓇ was born; we looked at how we could organically build a technology-driven solution to our own issues and explored growing it to span those of our operators and studio partners. The result is a framework that empowers our partners and our teams to keep pushing the limits of iGaming.

Latest News

From Rolling Loud to Riot Games: How 2025 Became the Year of Indian Gaming

Published

44 minutes ago

December 23, 2025

George Miller

Editor’s Take

Why this matters: India has long been a mobile-first gaming market (thanks to PUBG Mobile/BGMI). But 2025 proved that PC esports is not dead; in fact, it’s thriving culturally. Riot’s ability to integrate VALORANT into mainstream Indian youth culture—from “topper” billboards on exam result day to hip-hop festivals—is a masterclass in localized marketing. The success of S8UL Esports in League of Legends also signals that South Asia is finally ready to compete in global Tier 1 events.

The Full Story

Riot Games has released a retrospective on 2025, describing it as the year gaming in South Asia “didn’t feel tucked away anymore,” but rather became an unmistakable part of mainstream culture.

From filled cafés during watch parties to billboards featuring “inside jokes” from voice comms, the publisher’s year was defined by a massive surge in engagement across India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, and Bhutan.

The Competitive Surge: LoL and VALORANT The year began with the launch of Legends Ascend South Asia, a structured pathway for League of Legends talent that the region had been demanding. Ninety-five teams competed, culminating in S8UL Esports lifting the trophy and qualifying for the LCP Wild Card Playoffs—placing South Asian talent directly into the global conversation.

Simultaneously, PC esports found its footing in India through VALORANT Challengers South Asia.

The Numbers: The circuit recorded over 103 million live and non-live views throughout the season.
The Finals: The LAN event peaked at 50,000 concurrent viewers, proving that the appetite for PC tactical shooters remains fierce in a mobile-dominated region.

Cultural Crossovers: V5 and Rolling Loud Midway through the year, VALORANT celebrated its fifth anniversary (V5) with a campaign deeply rooted in Indian student culture.

“VAL Toppers”: On JEE results day (a major academic milestone in India), Riot reimagined the traditional “exam topper” billboards to celebrate Radiant-ranked players, sparking a viral conversation.
Rolling Loud India: In November, gaming met hip-hop. Riot integrated VALORANT into one of the world’s largest hip-hop festivals, with karaoke pods and gaming zones operating alongside performances by Wiz Khalifa and Central Cee.

Management Commentary Anushka Bhatnagar, Publishing Lead for Riot Games India & South Asia, reflected on the shift:

“2025 felt like a year when India’s gaming and esports landscape stepped into the centre of cultural conversation. VALORANT turning five reminded us how deeply the community here has shaped the game. From grassroots watch parties to moments like Rolling Loud, the ecosystem grew with a confidence that felt distinctly homegrown.”

Grassroots Momentum Beyond the flash of festivals, the year was sustained by community energy. College events introduced first-time players to the ecosystem, while local watch parties turned malls into pop-up arenas, ensuring that the growth of South Asian gaming was built “together” rather than just broadcast from above.

The post From Rolling Loud to Riot Games: How 2025 Became the Year of Indian Gaming appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.

Latest News

Wazdan Strikes Major Croatian Deal with Admiral.hr

Published

44 minutes ago

December 23, 2025

George Miller

Editor’s Take

Why this matters: Croatia is becoming one of the most robust regulated markets in the Balkans. For a supplier like Wazdan, partnering with a brand like Admiral—which has immense brand equity in the region thanks to its land-based heritage—is a significant “trust signal.” It moves Wazdan from being just another provider in the lobby to a core content partner for a market leader.

The Full Story

Wazdan, the developer defining itself as “gain-focused,” has solidified its position in the Balkans by signing a major content partnership with Admiral.hr, one of Croatia’s leading online gaming operators.

The collaboration will see a curated selection of Wazdan’s high-performance titles deployed to Admiral’s extensive player base. The initial rollout features some of the studio’s strongest recent releases, including:

9 Bells
Book of Faith
12 Coins Grand Gold Edition
25 Coins Grand Gold Edition
Mighty Wild: Panther Grand Diamond Edition

Mechanics Over Aesthetics While the visual quality of the games is a draw, the partnership is heavily focused on Wazdan’s proprietary engagement mechanics. Admiral.hr will leverage features such as Cash Infinity, Sticky to Infinity, and the renowned Hold the Jackpot bonus engine. These mechanics are designed specifically to increase session time and player retention, key metrics for operators in mature European markets.

Management Commentary Magdalena Wojdyla, Head of Account Management for Europe at Wazdan, highlighted the strategic fit:

“Partnering with Admiral.hr is an important step in strengthening our presence in Croatia and the wider European region. Admiral is a highly respected brand with a deep understanding of its players, making it an ideal partner for showcasing our proven portfolio and engagement-driven mechanics.”

Žarko Žuvela, Head of Online Gaming Department at Admiral.hr, emphasized the need for fresh content:

“Wazdan has built a strong reputation for creating content that combines innovative mechanics with standout visual appeal… The addition of these popular titles and retention-focused features will enhance our casino portfolio and provide our players with fresh, high-quality entertainment.”

This deal marks the latest step in Wazdan’s aggressive European expansion strategy for late 2025, following a string of commercial successes in neighboring jurisdictions.

The post Wazdan Strikes Major Croatian Deal with Admiral.hr appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.

Latest News

QTech Games Adds Africa’s ‘Crazy Rocket’ Hitmaker AbraCadabra to Platform

Published

44 minutes ago

December 23, 2025

George Miller

Editor’s Take

Why this matters: In regions like Africa and LatAm, players aren’t always looking for heavy, 4K video slots. They want fast, lightweight, high-frequency games—often called “Turbo” or “Crash” games. AbraCadabra’s Crazy Rocket has already proven it works with thousands of daily users in Africa. By adding this studio, QTech is doubling down on the type of content that actually converts in low-bandwidth, high-volume jurisdictions.

The Full Story

QTech Games, the leading game aggregator known for its dominance in emerging markets, has announced a new content distribution deal with AbraCadabra, a supplier specializing in high-paced, instant-win casino experiences.

The partnership ensures that QTech’s robust pipeline remains stocked with the specific genre of games currently driving growth in territories across Africa, Latin America, and Asia.

The “Crash” Factor AbraCadabra has carved out a niche by producing dynamic content that appeals to the modern, mobile-first player. The standout title in the integration is Crazy Rocket, a crash game that has reportedly “taken Africa by storm” in recent months, logging thousands of daily active players due to its fast mechanics and suitability for markets with variable internet speeds.

Beyond crash games, the deal brings a suite of crypto-ready and “Turbo” style games to the QTech platform, including:

Mayan Plinko
Narco Mines
Lucky Fish
Football Keno

These titles rely on sophisticated math modeling to vary volatility, creating the engagement loops necessary for retention in competitive markets.

Management Commentary Philip Doftvik, CEO at QTech Games, noted that localized content is the aggregator’s primary metric for success:

“AbraCadabra’s content brings a level of gameplay that reliably brings players coming back for more, improving repeat-session and dwell-time metrics. Like us, they know that localized solutions represent the key to success across a patchwork array of global opportunities.”

Serob Vardanyan, CEO at AbraCadabra, emphasized the distribution power of the deal:

“We are aiming to become the leading B2B casino game provider, delivering high-engagement games that offer superior player retention and crypto-ready solutions. Deals with aggregators of QTech’s stature bring that goal closer to realization.”

The integration is effective immediately, making the AbraCadabra portfolio available to QTech’s extensive network of operator partners in emerging territories.

The post QTech Games Adds Africa’s ‘Crazy Rocket’ Hitmaker AbraCadabra to Platform appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.