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David Darling – Key Architect Of The UK Video Games Industry And Founder Of Kwalee, Honoured With Fellowship From WCUC

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A key architect of the UK video games industry has been honoured with a Fellowship from a Midlands college group and university centre.

David Darling, Founder & CEO of game development studio and publisher Kwalee and co-founder of Codemasters, has been named a Fellow of Warwickshire College and University Centre (WCUC).

The Fellowship was awarded in a ceremony at St Mary’s Church in Warwick on 13th October, which also saw students graduating from across the university centre.

David Darling, CEO of Kwalee, receiving the Fellowship Award from Angela Joyce, CEO of WCUC.

WCUC is the Higher Education arm of college group WCG (formerly Warwickshire College Group), which includes Royal Leamington Spa College, Warwick Trident College, Moreton Morrell College, Rugby College, Pershore College, and Evesham College.

Royal Leamington Spa College is based in the heart of Silicon Spa, a moniker for Leamington Spa, one of the biggest clusters of games developers in the UK.

The college runs a series of Games Design and Games Art courses from Level 3 up to degree level, with many of its graduates going on to work for games developers including Kwalee.

David Darling is recognised as one of the founding fathers of ‘Silicon Spa’, having founded Codemasters with his brother Richard in the region in 1986.

Codemasters launched classic game series, including Micro Machines, Dizzy, and Colin McRae Rally, which have gone on to sell millions of copies worldwide. In 2007, the Darlings sold their interests in the business.

David Darling founded Kwalee in Leamington Spa in 2011 and has grown the business into one of the world’s most successful hypercasual game publishers. Since its inception, their games have been installed over 900 million times. Darling is still innovating after decades in the industry and he remains as committed as ever to bringing great games to millions of players on mobile, PC, and console platforms.

Kwalee employs approximately 300 people across its studios in the UK, India, Portugal, and China and remote team members worldwide. The company’s success has seen more than £1.5 million in profits paid directly to its employees. Currently, Kwalee has over 180 open roles on its careers portal.

David Darling opened up about his shared history with Warwickshire, saying: “It was a great surprise and I’m really proud to have been made a Fellow of WCUC. I’ll try and motivate the students and take a particular interest with those on the games art and games design courses. My daughter studied at the college and really enjoyed and benefited from their creative, practical, and hands-on approach.

We’re always looking for new talented people at Kwalee and the educational system’s role is very important in developing that talent.”

It’s great that people have the opportunity to learn about games now, that wasn’t really an option when I was a student back in the 1980s.

When I was a child, we moved around the world. I went to 14 different schools and lived in a lot of countries. We settled here in Warwickshire and have been here for 30 years now. It’s home to me, a beautiful place, and I love living here in the heart of the country.

Angela Joyce, CEO of WCUC, said: “The title of Fellow is the highest accolade we can award as a college group and university centre. Fellowships are presented after great consideration, and we were delighted to recognise David Darling this year.

David is one of the most influential figures in the nation’s video game industry of the last 40 years and is still innovating and creating great games for millions of players worldwide.

His work has had a significant positive impact on the economy in Leamington and wider Warwickshire, and we are pleased to welcome David to our select group of Fellows.”

Watch the video from the ceremony:

George Miller (Gyorgy Molnar) started his career in content marketing and has started working as an Editor/Content Manager for our company in 2016. George has acquired many experiences when it comes to interviews and newsworthy content becoming Head of Content in 2017. He is responsible for the news being shared on multiple websites that are part of the European Gaming Media Network.

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Week 38/2025 slot games releases

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Here are this weeks latest slots releases compiled by European Gaming

Fruitferno 40” went live, a new 5×4 slot from Hölle Games. It comes just a few weeks after the Dragon’s Diamonds launch, a cluster-style title with an equally hot theme! Following up to that 6×5 scatter-pays smasher, the Hölle team have taken a short detour to drop a 40-payline sequel to Fruitferno 20, for all those slot purists out there.

GAMOMAT is raising the stakes again with the release of its horror-themed Dead Legion. Set on a war-torn battlefield that’s shrouded in mist, Dead Legion unfolds within a macabre world where the dead legions have risen. An epic, dark live orchestral soundtrack intensifies the atmosphere across the 5×3 reels.

Reflex Gaming is heading deep into ancient ruins with the launch of The Cursed Idol of Montezuma Treasure Hunt, a visually stunning, Aztec-themed slot that introduces the company’s exclusive Treasure Hunt game mechanic. This 6×4, 20-payline title combines mystery, tension and progressive gameplay in a setting inspired by the legends of Montezuma.

Precision meets power in Crown Supreme Hold & Win from ICONIC21, the in-demand iGaming content provider. To take the throne, players must navigate a compact 3×3 grid and the regal Hold & Win mechanic in a slotting experience that pulses with anticipation and big win potential.

Relax Gaming, the iGaming aggregator and supplier of unique content, has launched Net Gains Dream Drop, a high-energy sequel where players can reel in massive rewards beneath the waves. Packed with coastal chaos and big catch potential, Net Gains Dream Drop offers 4,096 ways to win, three types of Mystery Symbols, Coin Collection mechanics, stacked Wilds, and more.

SlotMatrix, the world’s largest casino content aggregator, proudly announces the launch of 20 Armadillos, a thrilling new slot adventure set deep in a jungle where fortunes roll wild. 20 Armadillos is a 5-reel, 4-row slot with 20 lines, medium-high volatility and RTP options of 94.16% and 96.96%. With a maximum multiplier of 30,000x and a responsive, mobile-first design, the game blends rich visuals with high win potential.

Amusnet has released its latest video slot, Roman Coins – a game that captures the magnificence of the Roman Empire and brings it to life on the reels. It is Amusnet’s first-ever 3-pot video slot. With a 5-reel layout and 25 fixed paylines, Roman Coins strikes a perfect balance between classic slot structure and innovative mechanics.

Play’n GO throws the switch on Lab of Madness It’s a Wild!, a gothic comic-inspired slot that surges with strange science and surprise. Players join the unconventional Dr Frankenstein as she attempts to jolt her patchwork Monster to life in a lab where every pull of the lever sparks new possibilities.

Playson, the accomplished digital entertainment supplier, ups the ante in its latest Irish folklore release, Golden Penny x1000, with a rare 6×5 reelset, x20,000 max win and a bountiful Free Spins Bonus. In an enchanted twist to base play, the colourful game field comes alive with collapsing symbols. Eight matching symbols form a winning combination, with the total of the symbols forming the win value.

Evoplay, the award-winning game development studio, has launched Lunar Wilds, an atmospheric slot that combines mystical forest visuals with powerful features and big win potential. Set beneath a silver moon, the game transports players deep into an enchanted wilderness, where packs of wolves roam under the night sky.

The God of the Sea unleashes lavish gameplay in Blueprint Gaming’s latest offering, Rise of Atlantis Legacy, with the highly anticipated title introducing a new Gates of Atlantis bonus game, boosting the chance of significant cascading returns. Boasting the ability to appear on any of the six reels, Rising Multipliers offer enriched payouts if featured in a winning combination, which are added at the end of a successful cascade.

Stakelogic is setting sail into uncharted waters with its latest slot release, Kraken’s Catch, a feature-packed, high-volatility slot where monstrous multipliers and a mysterious sea creature lie beneath the surface. This 5×3 slot with 15 win lines invites players on a nautical adventure where every spin can uncover treasures from the deep.

 

The post Week 38/2025 slot games releases appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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KSA Issues New Duty of Care Guidance for Gaming Arcades and Casinos

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The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has issued new guidance for gaming arcades and casinos to improve the implementation of their duty of care. The KSA previously visited gaming arcades across the country. These visits revealed that while most arcades are paying attention to their duty of care, implementation could be improved in some areas. The guidance the KSA is now sharing with license holders contains practical tools and explanations, but no new rules.

Duty of care of arcades

With the implementation of the Gambling Act (Wet Koa), the duty of care for gaming arcades has been further expanded. This means they are obligated to prevent and mitigate gambling addiction as much as possible. Since then, gaming arcades have taken steps to comply with this requirement. However, in practice, the stated good intentions and the relevant policy are not always sufficiently aligned. The KSA has discussed this with various parties within the sector. Based on the input from these discussions, the new guidance has been developed.

Guidance

The guidance for arcades includes resources that providers can use to properly fulfill their duty of care and better inform their employees. The guide provides explanations and examples of what arcades must do and what the KSA expects of them. It also includes an overview of frequently asked questions. In addition to the guidance, a poster and an animation have been developed to raise awareness among arcade employees about the duty of care.

Along with the duty of care guidance, arcades also received a Guideline for Identity and Cruks Verification. The KSA regularly receives questions from the sector about the Cruks exclusion register. This guideline addresses the operation of Cruks and the most common questions and problems.

KSA chairman Michel Groothuizen said: “Certain key factors of the duty of care are easier to monitor for online providers than in brick-and-mortar casinos. In our conversations with arcade owners, we’ve noticed that they want to do more with the duty of care, but sometimes still struggle with its proper implementation. With this new guidance, supplemented with informational materials for employees, we’re giving them new tools to do so. In this way, we’re working together to ensure that players are optimally protected even at brick-and-mortar providers.”

The post KSA Issues New Duty of Care Guidance for Gaming Arcades and Casinos appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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QuinnBet Expand Ospreys Partnership

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The Ospreys announced that official betting partner, QuinnBet, had expanded their partnership with the Ospreys. The partnership will see QuinnBet take a place on the Ospreys shorts of all three of the team’s kits this season.

The new, multi-year partnership will see the QuinnBet logo take a prominent placement on the back of all three playing shorts.

With the Ospreys competing in front of multi-continental audiences in both the BKT URC and EPCR Challenge Cup this season, QuinnBet’s brand is set to reap the benefits.

Launched in 2017, QuinnBet, regulated by the UK Gambling Commission, and in Ireland by The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, has firmly established themselves in the iGaming industry by providing a socially responsible service. With an emphasis on giving more back through unique promotions and excellent customer care, QuinnBet has become a trusted name in the industry.

Head of Commercial for the Ospreys, Richard Lancaster, said: “We’re delighted that QuinnBet have decided to expand their partnership with the Ospreys. We have already built a successful relationship, and we’re looking forward to building on that even further in the coming seasons.

“Working with QuinnBet has already been hugely beneficial for us in education around Safer Gambling awareness, and we’re already planning on how to improve on this even further as we look ahead to the future.”

Niall McPartland, Head of Commercial and Sponsorship at QuinnBet, added: “We are delighted to enter this significant three-year partnership with Ospreys Rugby.

“The partnership builds on our inaugural 24/25 season sponsorship of The Ospreys, and the extension until 2028 demonstrates the success of the partnership to date and the huge regard we have for the club.

“Ospreys are one of the dominant forces in Welsh rugby, producing numerous players who have gone on to represent Wales and The Lions internationally. We are therefore privileged that our association with the club, will showcase QuinnBet at the highest level to Rugby supporters across the UK, Ireland and internationally.

“We commit to utilising the partnership to promote our brand in conjunction with Safer Gambling, which is integral to our business and which Ospreys Rugby is fully supportive of. We would like to wish everyone at the club the very best for the season ahead.”

The post QuinnBet Expand Ospreys Partnership appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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