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Ascot Racecourse and Tote Sign New Five-Year Agreement

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Ascot Racecourse and UK Tote Group commit to continue to grow pool betting together

Support and development of World Pool at the heart of the agreement

Ascot Racecourse and the Tote have signed a new agreement that will strengthen and grow pool betting in the United Kingdom.

The agreement, which commenced on January 1, 2024, ensures all pool bets placed on racing from Ascot Racecourse will continue to support liquidity in the United Kingdom pool, which has been operated by the UK Tote Group since October of 2019. This includes bets placed on-course under the Bet with Ascot brand, remotely via Tote.co.uk and through bookmakers and third-party partners.

Over the last four years, Ascot Racecourse and the Tote have built a positive partnership. Pool betting on racing from Ascot Racecourse is growing year-on-year and both parties are committed to accelerating this under the new agreement. The growth is due to both the quality and popularity of the racing action on the track and the innovations being brought to pool betting in the United Kingdom, which are appealing to a growing number of racing fans betting on the sport. Since 2020, remote B2C turnover (British and Irish customers betting on Tote.co.uk/ie) on racing from Ascot Racecourse has more than trebled while overseas turnover (international customers) is up 22% over the same period with the help of World Pool.

Internationally, Ascot Racecourse has been central to World Pool since its inauguration at Royal Ascot in June of 2019. The Royal Meeting proved a successful template for the World Pool model, whereby Tote operators from 28 countries commingle pools, hosted by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, to significantly increase liquidity and enhance the betting experience. With World Pool days on British and Irish race-days having grown to 17 days in 2023, the sport is benefiting from increased financial income through higher media rights payments, while racing fans enjoy deeper, more stable pools and enhanced competitive returns. For example, a £1 bet with the Tote on every winner on British and Irish World Pool days in 2023 paid £263 more than the industry starting price with the Tote win overround at 109% versus an industry starting price overround of 122%.

Ascot Racecourse, along with other British Racecourses and the Tote, will be working closely with the Hong Kong Jockey Club to help ensure the continued growth of World Pool in 2024. This will be achieved via racecourses making the race fields on World Pool days as competitive as possible and thus attractive to bet on while the Tote is continuing to improve the value and experience of pool betting for racing fans.

“We are delighted have a new agreement in place with the Tote that will allow us to build on what has been achieved domestically and internationally over the last four years,” the Chief Executive for Ascot Racecourse, Alastair Warwick, said. “As one of the original architects of World Pool, alongside the Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Tote, we are excited to support the further development of World Pool to ensure both racing fans and the sport benefit from it. We were thrilled to see that Royal Ascot produced five of the top six World Pool days by total turnover in 2023 and also that QIPCO King George Day performed so well after some targeted race planning changes. We will ensure that Ascot Racecourse’s top-class racing continues to be at the forefront of British racing’s efforts to see that the sport is watched and bet on by a growing domestic and global audience.”

“The Tote is immensely proud to be a partner of Ascot Racecourse, which hosts some of the most prestigious race-days in the sporting calendar,” the Chief Executive for UK Tote Group, Alex Frost, said. “This new agreement ensures Ascot Racecourse and the Tote are perfectly positioned to work together to achieve a strong United Kingdom pool, alongside the continued development of World Pool, which are crucial elements to the future financial sustainability of the sport. I would personally like to thank Alastair and his excellent team at Ascot Racecourse for their ongoing support and everyone at the Tote looks forward to continuing our partnership with Ascot Racecourse over the next five years.”

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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Soft2Bet’s Quickcasino Wins at EGR Europe Awards 2025

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Soft2Bet’s Quickcasino has been awarded “The Nordics and Baltics – Rising Star” at the prestigious EGR Europe Awards, reinforcing its status as one of the region’s most innovative and fast-growing online gaming brands.

This recognition is a testament to Soft2Bet’s commitment to market-leading technology, data-driven gamification, and player-first experiences. By combining cutting-edge mechanics with a highly localised approach, Quickcasino has established itself as a force in Sweden’s competitive iGaming landscape.

A Market Leader in Innovation and Gamification

Quickcasino.se has redefined the Nordic and Baltic iGaming experience, blending seamless UX, high-speed transactions, and a unique gamification ecosystem to keep players engaged. Powered by Soft2Bet’s proprietary MEGA (Motivational Engineering Gamification Application) solution, the platform delivers dynamic challenges, real-time progression, and personalised incentives, creating an experience that is both immersive and rewarding.

Beyond gamification, Quickcasino’s commitment to top-tier security, lightning-fast payments, and market-driven customisation has resonated strongly with Swedish players. Its ability to merge high-performance technology with a player-centric approach, via MEGA, has driven remarkable growth, reinforcing its status as a market leader.

Uri Poliavich, Founder and CEO of Soft2Bet, commented: “Receiving European recognition from one of the leading industry awards is a proud moment for Quickcasino and Soft2Bet. This achievement not only recognises Quickcasino’s rapid success but also highlights how our B2C experience acts as a proof of concept for B2B partners. As we investigate new ways to enhance our offerings, the results we achieve with our brands showcase the power of our technology and help operators elevate player engagement, retention, and performance in highly competitive markets. This award reinforces our ability to drive success for our brands and partners.”

A Future Focused on Growth and Innovation

Quickcasino’s latest accolade adds to Soft2Bet’s growing list of industry recognitions. Looking ahead to 2025, the company is preparing for major market expansions, new strategic partnerships, and continuous advancements in gamification technology. With innovation at its core, Soft2Bet remains committed to pushing boundaries and delivering industry-leading solutions that shape the future of iGaming.

The post Soft2Bet’s Quickcasino Wins at EGR Europe Awards 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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The Lithuanian Gaming Control Authority (LPT) has completed its inspection: Olympic Casino has been fined almost 8.4 million euros

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The company Olympic Casino Group Baltija (OCGB) did not take sufficient steps to identify the origin of Šarūnas Stepukonis’ losing funds, and the monitoring of his financial transactions was only formal and ineffective. Such violations were identified by the Gaming Supervisory Authority, which conducted an inspection of OCGB’s activities in Lithuania. The company was fined almost 8.4 million euros.

The Gaming Supervisory Authority (LPT) investigated the actions taken by OCGB in response to Š. Stepukonis’ transactions on the company’s gaming website from December 2016 to the end of June 2021. The law obliges gaming operators to ensure that customer funds are not obtained from criminal activities or through participation in such activities. It is also mandatory to verify the origin of the funds. LPT found that the measures applied by OCGB were poor and insufficient, and the monitoring of Š. Stepukonis’ transactions was formal.

Gambling organizers must report suspicious transactions to the FNTT. Š. Stepukonis’ transactions had obvious signs that should have raised suspicions for the gambling organizer. However, the FNTT was not informed about this.

During the inspection, evidence was also collected that Š. Stepukonis’ gambling was irresponsible. The gambling company should have noticed this, especially since the client was assigned a personal manager who saw all of his transactions.

“Instead of finding out whether Š. Stepukonis had a gambling problem or informing the supervisory authority, Olympic Casino encouraged him to gamble even more. An individual incentive package was prepared for him. A total of 1.3 million euros was allocated for this. This “bonus” could only be spent on gambling. Other incentives were also allocated,” – comments on the results of the inspection by LPT Director Virginijus Daukšys.

Since mid-2021, gambling companies in Lithuania have no longer been allowed to offer incentives to their customers that they would later lose. Just before this tightening came into effect, Š. Stepukonis’ virtual gambling was moved from Lithuania to Estonia, where it was still allowed to encourage gamblers.

In this way, it was possible not only to maintain incentives for gambling, but also to avoid supervision by the LPT. If an ordinary gambler from Lithuania tried to go and register on the Estonian Olympic Casino website, he would be redirected to the Lithuanian website. However, in the case of Š. Stepukonis, the redirection was not carried out. These circumstances are part of the pre-trial investigation.

During the inspection, a total of five violations of the provisions of the Law on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism and the Law on Gambling were identified.

The law allows for a fine of up to twice the amount of damage caused. The damage was determined to be 6.4 million euros – the amount Š. Stepukonis lost at the Olympic Casino in Lithuania. When calculating the fine, an aggravating circumstance was taken into account – the company did not cooperate during the inspection.

According to V. Daukšys, after this story came to light, steps were taken to prevent similar cases from recurring. The most important change is the law, proposed by the LPT, which obliges gambling companies to take action upon noticing irresponsible gambling and to provide information about it to the LPT.

“Until now, there was no such obligation. Therefore, the LPT did not have information that would allow it to take preventive actions in advance,” says V. Daukšys.

The new Gambling Law will come into force in November this year. Its aim is to reduce the accessibility, attractiveness and potential harm to personal health of gambling.

LPT also reviewed its procedures, adjusted internal procedures, allowing for more frequent scheduled inspections of the activities of gambling companies. In addition, the Ministry of Finance conducted an audit of LPT’s activities. No significant operational deficiencies were identified during the audit. LPT took into account the audit recommendations and allocated more human resources to money laundering prevention functions.

 

Source: Gambling Supervisory Authority under the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania

The post The Lithuanian Gaming Control Authority (LPT) has completed its inspection: Olympic Casino has been fined almost 8.4 million euros appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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iQOO partners with India’s leading gamers Mortal, Payal and Scout; will co-create products for nation’s mobile gaming community

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In a significant step forward for the mobile gaming industry, 8Bit Creatives and iQOO are taking their collaboration to the next level by co-creating cutting-edge mobile gaming products. This strategic move will see some of India’s most influential gaming creators—Naman Mathur (Mortal), Payal Dhare (PayalGaming), and Tanmay Singh (Scout)—play an active role in shaping the next generation of gaming devices.
From providing real-time feedback on upcoming products to influencing core gaming innovations, this partnership goes beyond traditional brand associations. By integrating gaming creators into the product development process, 8Bit Creatives and iQOO are ensuring that mobile gaming technology is built for gamers, by gamers.
Animesh Agarwal, Co-founder and CEO of 8Bit Creatives, commented, “At 8Bit Creatives, we believe in building collaborations that go beyond endorsements, creating meaningful partnerships that drive real impact. By working with iQOO on product innovation and community engagement, we are ensuring that gaming creators play an active role in shaping the technology that fuels their passion. This partnership is a testament to how brands and gaming talent can come together to elevate the mobile gaming ecosystem in India.”
This collaboration marks another milestone in 8Bit Creatives’ commitment to gaming and esports. Last December, the agency secured India’s largest naming rights sponsorship deal in gaming history with iQOO, further strengthening its leadership position.
Additionally, 8Bit Creatives acquired naming rights for three out of five teams, reinforcing its pivotal role in the country’s esports ecosystem.
With nearly 90% of Indian gamers choosing mobile as their primary platform, the demand for high-performance gaming devices is at an all-time high. By bringing gaming creators into the product development process, 8Bit Creatives and iQOO are paving the way for a more immersive and community-driven gaming experience.
As gaming continues to shape the future of digital entertainment, 8Bit Creatives remains committed to driving innovative collaborations that empower creators and elevate the gaming industry.

The post iQOO partners with India’s leading gamers Mortal, Payal and Scout; will co-create products for nation’s mobile gaming community appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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