Latest News
Q&A: Chris Armes Takes Charge as High 5 Games’ CTO
High 5 Games bolsters their executive leadership team with Chief Technology Officer, Chris Armes.
Chris brings to High 5 Games the experience of having managed global engineering teams for several Fortune 100 companies over the past 25 years. Since moving into iGaming in 2017, he’s never looked back and compares the burgeoning industry today to the dotcom business during the boom in the mid to late 90s.
In his position as CTO, Chris works closely with Jerry Wilson, who is in charge of creative strategy for game content and brands at High 5 Games. Another ally Chris counts on to help him meet deliverables is Gino Fratto, who leads the product and project management teams.
We put Chris under the spotlight to answer a few questions about what led him to High 5 Games, his management style and the challenges and opportunities presented by his new role.
Could you please tell us about how you got to where you are now?
Chris: My background is in software development and engineering on large-scale international projects. Throughout my career I’ve been fortunate to have been part of and manage many high-performing global teams across the full spectrum of the delivery experience. In every organization where I’ve led technology, my strong suit is the ability to balance product and customer needs to ensure the success and sustainability of any solution my team delivers.
How do you see your role as the CTO at High 5 Games?
Chris: I’m responsible for leading the development and implementation of the technology strategy for High 5 Games. This involves overseeing everything from building platforms to developing the technology behind H5G’s industry-leading games. Another key process I must carefully manage and oversee in my CTO role, is taking fresh products and features through the rigorous phases of testing and deployment before they are brought to market for our customers.
What is the best way to build and nurture a technical team in the iGaming space?
Chris: As a leader of a tech organization, you and the business are only as good as the team you build, which is why building the best technical team is your key to success. iGaming today reminds me a lot of the dotcom business during the boom when business differentiation was by finding people with the right kind of experience to join their team. Having a globally dispersed business is an opportunity to build a more talent-diverse team but close collaboration must be a focal point to get the most out of every individual.
How do you approach the challenge of aligning your engineers and developers with the broader objectives of the business?
Chris: The best way for teams to see the value of their work and how it contributes to the company’s vision, is to communicate these goals across the entire organization. This communication should be ongoing so that it forms part of the culture and everyone is aligned with these objectives. The biggest challenge often lies in balancing technological innovation with time to market. Engineers and product managers must be adept at delivering solutions through a phased approach. Being agile helps to ensure continuous innovation while at the same time preventing bottlenecks when a final product can’t be delivered all at once.
How do you balance the need for innovation with the stability and reliability required in a tech environment?
Chris: It’s important to have a regular release cadence for products and features which accounts for factors such as quality and time. If a technical solution is not ready for release, it’s often better to hold off and prevent a negative customer experience. The ‘tech debt’ that can accumulate when choosing an easy quick-fix over a better, more time-consuming solution, is another key consideration when project planning. I strive to create a team environment where we are not only solving problems but continually disrupting, so time is built into sprints for not only addressing the unexpected but innovation as well.
“As a leader of a tech organization, you and the business are only as good as the team you build, which is why building the best technical team is the key to success.”

Latest News
Flashscore expands Follow Player feature to basketball and ice hockey NBA and NHL stars
Reading Time: 2 minutes
-
New Follow Player feature lets fans track their favourite basketball and ice hockey players with real-time notifications, including NBA and NHL
-
The NBA competition page received over 1.1 billion opens last season alone, demonstrating the market appetite for more detailed match statistics fans want to access
-
This follows the launch of the platform across football in September, activated by 1.3 million fans so far
Flashscore, the world’s most popular live scores and sports news app, has expanded its Follow Player functionality to basketball and ice hockey, allowing users to get real-time updates on their favourite basketball and ice hockey stars in the NBA, NHL and other leagues.
The launch follows the success of the feature for global football fans, launched in September. Within two months of being launched, 1.3 million fans are actively using Follow Player for football, averaging five players each, resulting in around 6.5 million player favourites.
The enhancement allows Flashscore’s 100 million-plus monthly users to add up to 100 of their favourite players to receive personalised notifications. Updates include alerts on whether a player is in the starting lineup, their in-game stats like goals and assists, and post-match performance ratings.
The expansion comes as Flashscore data reveals huge user engagement with the NBA and NHL during the 2024-25 season. In the last NBA season, there were more than 1.1 billion match detail opens across 1,316 games, with an average of around 320,000 users per match.
The most-followed team was the Los Angeles Lakers, attracting an average of 515,000 users to their games. In ice hockey and the NHL, last season saw more than 783 million match detail opens across 1,420 games. The Washington Capitals were the most popular team, with an average of 390,000 users per game.
Company data shows basketball and ice hockey are among the most popular sports with Flashscore users, beyond only football and tennis.
Tomáš Pondělík, Chief Product Officer at Flashscore, said: “Following the hugely successful launch of Follow Player for our football fans, expansion to Basketball and Ice Hockey is the next logical step. Fandom is evolving, and we’re seeing a significant shift from fans, especially with the younger generation, following only their favourite teams to a deeper interest in individual players. We see the same trend in basketball and hockey, where superstars often have a global following that transcends team loyalties. Being able to offer our users the chance to follow real-time updates from their favourite football, basketball and ice hockey stars sets Flashscore apart from other live scores apps.
“Our community has been asking for this feature, and the data shows a clear appetite for in-depth information. With Follow Player now available for basketball and ice hockey, fans can track their heroes in real time with the fast, non-intrusive notifications they expect from us. We’re already working on adding more meaningful player data to give fans a richer understanding of performance, and this is just the beginning.”
The post Flashscore expands Follow Player feature to basketball and ice hockey NBA and NHL stars appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
BC.GAME Releases “Tim & Larry”
Reading Time: 2 minutes
BC.GAME has released Tim & Larry, a new in-house developed slot combining traditional video slot mechanics with a cartoon-inspired theme centered around a kitchen standoff between a cat and a mouse. The game features high volatility, a theoretical RTP of 96.91%, and a capped maximum payout of 15,000× the base bet.
The base game operates on a five-reel layout set inside an animated fridge. Special features include two types of expanding wild symbols:
Food Duel wilds expand to cover full reels and reveal one of two randomly drawn multipliers (up to 200×), which are additive when multiple wilds participate in the same win line.
Tim’s Presents symbols also expand, trigger between 1 and 6 random wilds across the board, and apply a multiplier to wins in which they’re involved.
Only one special symbol type can appear per spin (Food Duel, Tim’s Presents, or Bonus Scatter), making each event discrete and easier to track during gameplay.
The game includes a progress mechanic linked to Tim’s Presents. Each piece of cheese dropped adds one point to a meter; once it reaches 25 points, players receive a Tasty Spin, in which all symbols are replaced with fixed-value cash symbols ranging from 0.2× to 500× the bet.
Cheese collected beyond the 25-point threshold carries over to the next cycle. Meters are tracked independently for each bet level.
Two Bonus Modes with Distinct Paths
The game includes two Free Spins modes, each unlocked by a different number of Bonus Scatter symbols:
Diner Fight (3 Scatters): Features elevated rates of Food Duel and Tim’s Presents, with progression unlocking higher-value Tasty Spins.
BBQ Mayhem (4 Scatters): Focuses on collecting cheese-born wilds to unlock stages with guaranteed Food Duel spins (up to 5), offering more burst-style potential.
Each mode provides a clear structure, allowing players to choose between gradual buildup or concentrated payout rounds.
Tim & Larry is now live across the BC.GAME platform and available for all supported jurisdictions. Players are advised to review game rules and volatility details before engaging with high-risk features such as Max Win Shot.
The post BC.GAME Releases “Tim & Larry” appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
Kambi Group plc agrees Turnkey Sportsbook partnership with Dutch online operator Betnation
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Multi-year agreement will see the home of premium sports betting solutions deliver its market-leading online sportsbook to Betnation in the regulated Netherlands market
Kambi Group plc (“Kambi”), the home of premium sports betting solutions, has agreed a multi-year partnership with Dutch online operator Betnation to deliver its comprehensive Turnkey Sportsbook solution in the regulated Netherlands market.
Under the terms of the partnership, Kambi will power Betnation’s online sportsbook offering with its award-winning end-to-end sportsbook technology and services, including robust betting engine, advanced trading and risk management capabilities and regulatory compliance expertise.
Having successfully operated an online casino in the Netherlands since October 2022, Betnation will leverage Kambi’s proven turnkey capabilities to expand its presence in the online sports betting vertical.
With more than 50 partners globally, Kambi’s Turnkey Sportsbook has become the sportsbook of choice for operators in regulated markets — combining global scale, cutting-edge technology and flexibility to drive growth, ensure stability and deliver market-leading performance. Kambi’s Turnkey Sportsbook also offers an extensive range of operator empowerment tools, including price differentiation and player engagement solutions, which enable partners to stand out in competitive markets and deliver a unique sportsbook experience for their players.
Werner Becher, CEO of Kambi, said: “We are delighted to agree this partnership with Betnation as we strengthen our position as the sportsbook partner of choice for operators in regulated betting markets. As Betnation embarks on its next phase of growth, Kambi’s Turnkey Sportsbook solution offers the flexibility, scalability and performance needed to compete in highly competitive markets like the Netherlands, and we look forward to supporting our new partner’s success.”
Robert Schouten, CEO of Betnation, added: “Kambi’s reputation for excellence, cutting-edge technology and a commitment to regulated markets made them the natural choice as our new sportsbook provider. Their technology and expertise will enable us to provide our customers with a premium betting experience that matches the high standards they already expect from our online casino product.”
The post Kambi Group plc agrees Turnkey Sportsbook partnership with Dutch online operator Betnation appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
-
Latest News2 months ago
Light & Wonder to Participate in the 2025 Australasian Gaming Expo
-
Latest News2 months ago
ReferOn Shortlisted for Acquisition & Retention Partner of the Year at SBC Lisbon 2025
-
Latest News2 months ago
Gavin Hamilton Joins Sports & Wellbeing Analytics as Chairman to Accelerate Global Expansion
-
Latest News1 month ago
Duels for Friends in Trophy Hunter. Invite your friends and create a shared space for fun and competition.
-
Latest News2 months ago
BC.GAME Launches “Nezha” Slot with Up to 46,656 Ways to Win and 10,000x Max Payout
-
Latest News3 months ago
Uzbekistan Introduces Penalties for Illegal Gambling Operations
-
Latest News3 weeks ago
Announcement: 25th September 2025
-
Latest News2 months ago
NODWIN Gaming Acquires Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Stake in Evo; Becomes Majority Holder
You must be logged in to post a comment Login