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European Gaming Q1 2024 Meetup: Exploring Innovation, Marketing, and the iGaming Industry Hubs
HIPTHER’s staple Quarterly Meetups for the Gaming industry have officially returned for 2024! The European Gaming Q1 Meetup 2024 took place on February 28 online, featuring an incredible lineup of speakers, including Ilya Machavariani, CEO and Senior Partner at 4H Agency, Krysta Muscat and Kevin Perks, International Recruiters at Van Kaizen, Jekaterina Dubnicka, Marketing & Communications Manager at Slotsjudge, Eberhard Dürrschmid, CEO at Golden Whale Productions, and John Chyriwsky, Head of Marketing at Fincore Ltd. HIPTHER’s Co-founder and Host-Extraordinaire, Zoltan Tuendik, moderated the panel discussions.
The Meetup sessions explored the gaming and technology industry, focusing on various topics such as the importance of innovation and transformation in the sector, strategies to combat offshore gambling, the emergence of Malta and the Isle of Man as iGaming industry hubs, potential future hubs for the gambling industry, marketing strategies in the gaming industry, and innovation in the gaming with a particular emphasis on personalization.
Gaming and TECH: Future Journey and Fight Against Offshore Gambling
The meeting kicked off highlighting the importance and intersection of gaming and technology industries, which will be explored at the upcoming MARE BALTICUM and Prague Gaming & TECH Summits by HIPTHER. Our first guest, Ilya Machavariani, CEO and Senior Partner at 4H Agency delved further into technology and the latest strategies in the global fight against offshore gambling.
Ilya discussed strategies to combat offshore gambling, proposing a separation into active and passive instruments. He suggested that governments should legalize all verticals of the industry and ensure operators obtain licenses. Ilya also emphasized the importance of transparent and sensible regulations and the role of technology in identifying and preventing access to offshore gambling sites. He highlighted the challenges of regulating and blocking websites from a governmental perspective and the need for international cooperation.
The discussion ended with a focus on improved consumer protection measures and the importance of educating consumers about potential risks associated with illegal gambling activities.
Gaming Industry Hubs: Malta, Isle of Man and Beyond
For the 2nd Session of the European Gaming Q1 Meetup, we welcomed Krysta Muscat and Kevin Perks, International Recruiters at Van Kaizen, to discuss iGaming hubs and hotspots of the Gaming Industry. Kevin introduced their global headhunting company that primarily serves the gaming sector, recruiting for approximately 140 businesses. The discussion revolved around the factors contributing to Malta and the Isle of Man emerging as hubs for the iGaming industry, with Krysta highlighting Malta’s modernized infrastructure and highly regulated environment, and Kevin pointing out the supportive government and dedicated government agency in the Isle of Man, along with its tax breaks. Both islands were found to have a skilled workforce and a multilingual population. Kevin also discussed the benefits of living on the Isle of Man, emphasizing the slower pace of life, the island’s 40% open space, and its status as one of the safest places in Europe. The discussion ended on the topic of the government’s efforts to promote the island and attract businesses, with a focus on recruitment strategies for gaming companies in competitive markets.
The session concluded with a discussion on potential future hubs for the iGaming industry, with Krysta and Kevin emphasizing on the US, Canada, Spain, Portugal, the UK, and Bulgaria, highlighting the significant interest and potential opportunities in these regions.
Marketing, Communication, and Community building in iGaming
In this first Marketing-focused session, Zoltan hosted our special guest Jekaterina Dubnicka – Marketing & Communications Manager at Slotsjudge. The conversation focused on marketing strategies in the gaming industry, with Jekaterina explaining the shift towards more interactive and immersive content by leveraging social media and video interviews, and focusing on SEO tools to gain insights into audience interests. She also provided insight into the role of community in the gaming experience, the importance of navigating strict regulatory environments while maintaining compliance and a strong brand voice, the importance of innovation in content creation and delivery, and emerging trends in the gaming industry.
Innovation and Personalization in Gaming Industry
The last panel discussion focused on innovation in the gaming industry, with a particular emphasis on personalization. Eberhard Dürrschmid, CEO at Golden Whale, and John Chyriwsky, Head of Marketing at Fincore Ltd joined us to discuss innovation in iGaming and Sports Betting. John highlighted the potential for improvement in the area of personalization and user experience, suggesting that platforms should “step up” to respond better to user needs. Eberhard pointed out the industry’s flexibility and the importance of meeting customer expectations, while John emphasized the need to enhance customer experience, suggesting the use of real-time data to create personalized experiences. He cited examples of successful companies that prioritize customer experience, such as Amazon and Uber. Eberhard also discussed the potential of AI and machine learning in the industry. The conversation concluded with a group exercise where participants shared their hopes for technology implementation in the gaming industry by the end of 2024.
Coming up Next:
Watch the recording of the European Gaming Q1 Meetup on HIPTHER TV, and keep an eye out for our next European Gaming Quarterly Meetups!

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The Battle for VCT Pacific 2026 Begins in Bangkok as Ten Teams Clash at VCT Ascension Pacific 2025
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Velocity Gaming Represents South Asia at VCT Ascension Pacific 2025 — Set to Take on APAC’s Finest for a Place in the VCT Pacific League 2026
National, October 14, 2025: The road to the next VALORANT Champions Tour season reaches its decisive stage as VCT Ascension Pacific 2025 kicks off today in Bangkok. From October 14 to 26, ten elite teams from across the Asia-Pacific region will converge at the Imperial Samrong Convention Hall to fight for two coveted berths in the VCT Pacific League 2026 and a share of the USD 100,000 prize pool.
The tournament marks the culmination of a year-long regional circuit, bringing together emerging contenders and established names, including Velocity Gaming, who will step onto the international stage to take on the Pacific’s top contenders, aiming to secure the region’s first-ever spot in the VCT Pacific League. Over the next twelve days, the stage in Bangkok will determine which teams rise to the international league in 2026.
Qualified Teams – Ten teams from across APAC have earned their place at Ascension Pacific 2025:
South Asia:
- Velocity Gaming
VCT Pacific:
- BOOM Esports
- Nongshim RedForce
Southeast Asia:
- Motiv Esports
- NAOS
- FULL SENSE
- Team NKT
Japan:
- RIDDLE ORDER
Korea:
- SLT Seongnam
Oceania:
- E-KING
Velocity Gaming has qualified for VCT Ascension Pacific 2025 after beating S8UL 3-1 in the Grand Final of the OMEN VALORANT Challengers South Asia 2025 Ascension Qualifiers.
Tournament Format
The competition begins with a Group Stage featuring two groups of five teams each, seeded based on regional performance. Both VCT Pacific representatives will be placed in separate groups. Teams will face off in a single round-robin, best-of-three format within their groups.
The top six teams will advance to the Playoffs, a modified double elimination bracket where the top two seeds from each group start in the upper bracket, and the third seeds begin in the lower bracket.
All playoff matches will be best-of-three, except the upper and lower bracket finals, which will be best-of-five qualification matches, determining the two teams that will ascend to VCT Pacific 2026.
Schedule – The full tournament unfolds over 12 days of competition:
- Group Stage: October 14 – 21
- Playoffs: October 22 – 26
- Upper Bracket Final: October 25
- Lower Bracket Final: October 26
Matches begin daily at 14:00 GMT+7 / 15:00 GMT+8 / 16:00 GMT+9.
Schedules are subject to change. For the latest updates, visit valorantesports.com.
Tickets
- Fans can experience the thrill of Ascension Pacific 2025 live as the tournament reaches its climax from October 24 to 26 at the Imperial Samrong Convention Hall in Bangkok.
- Come cheer for your region’s best as they battle for a spot in the VCT Pacific League 2026.
Venue Address:
- 999 Sukhumvit Rd, Samrong Nuea, Mueang Samut Prakan District,
- Samut Prakan 10270, Thailand
Tickets:
- Early bird tickets went on sale on September 20, followed by general sales on September 23.
- Tickets are available now via Ticketmelon — simply search for “VALORANT Ascension Pacific 2025” to secure your spot.
The post The Battle for VCT Pacific 2026 Begins in Bangkok as Ten Teams Clash at VCT Ascension Pacific 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Airoclip Raises $2.75M Seed Round Led by T-Accelerate Capital and Co-led by Centre Court Capital and BITKRAFT Ventures
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Airoclip, an AI-powered gaming studio focused on building adaptive gaming experiences for global audiences, has raised $2.75 million in a seed funding round led by T-Accelerate Capital (TAC), co-led by Centre Court Capital and global gaming investor BITKRAFT Ventures.
Founded in 2024 by IIM Calcutta alumni Naga Rohith Anisetty and Pruthvi Sai Y, Airoclip is pioneering a new era of mobile puzzle games by integrating adaptive story progression, innovative monetisation models, and scalable live operations. The company focuses on AI-driven personalisation and dynamic content generation to deliver superior gaming experiences to the world from India.
Airoclip, with its flagship puzzle games Tap Hexa and Hexa Dreams, has rapidly gained strong traction among players in the USA and Europe. With a stellar 4.8/5 rating on the Play Store and more than 300,000 installs, the studio is just beginning its journey to craft premium puzzle experiences for global audiences.
“We’re not just building games, we’re crafting experiences that evolve with every player. We’re thrilled to partner with investors who share that vision and will help us bring it to life,” said Rohith, co-founder and CEO of Airoclip.
This capital infusion will accelerate the development of Airoclip’s proprietary game personalization technology and strengthen its teams across game development, data, design, and marketing.
“We combine strong game design principles with innovative content formats that generative AI now enables. This approach will significantly enhance player engagement and unlock new revenue streams. By creating personalized, culturally relevant content, we can scale
efficiently across global markets with experiences that truly resonate with players everywhere,” added Pruthvi, co-founder.
Investors see Airoclip’s approach as a blueprint for how Indian founders can merge creative depth with analytical precision to build global gaming experiences.
“We’re excited to partner with Airoclip on their growth journey. Their sharp blend of analytical depth and creative ambition reflects the evolution of India’s gaming ecosystem and underscores the confidence of a new generation of studios ready to compete on the global stage,” said Carol Wong, Founding General Partner at T-Accelerate Capital.
Backed by increasing digital adoption and rising global playtime and revenue, the casual gaming segment is seeing sustained investor interest and global momentum.
“Airoclip represents the new wave of ambitious gaming studios emerging from India with global potential and vision. Their focus on quick prototyping along with their past experience in scaling games globally positions them to create enduring mobile gaming franchises from India in the future,” said Anuj Tandon, Partner – India & UAE at BITKRAFT
The post Airoclip Raises $2.75M Seed Round Led by T-Accelerate Capital and Co-led by Centre Court Capital and BITKRAFT Ventures appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Genting Casino Launches the £20k Spin Leaderboard Challenge with VIP finale at Resorts World Birmingham
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Premium online casino brand Genting Casino has announced the launch of its headline £20k Spin Leaderboard Challenge, an exciting promotion offering players the chance to spin for £20,000 grand prize in a roulette showdown at Resorts World Birmingham in December.
Live now until 17 November 2025, this exclusive multi-channel promotion gives eligible UK online casino customers the opportunity to get free spins on deposit, compete in a leaderboard by playing selected games, and secure a place in a live-filmed casino tournament, culminating in a single spin worth £20,000.
Players can opt in by making a deposit of £10 or more at Genting Casino using the bonus code WIN20K, which grants 150 free spins on Big Bass Splash, 10 leaderboard points and a shot at climbing the top 50.
The top five players on the leaderboard will be invited to Resorts World Birmingham for a VIP experience including an overnight stay on the 13th December, up to £150 travel reimbursement and entry into a high-stakes live roulette tournament. The overall tournament winner will claim the Grand Prize Spin which could be worth £20,000.
Those finishing between 6th and 50th place on the leaderboard will receive 100 free spins on Fishin’ Frenzy The Big Catch 2.
Mike Vella from Genting Casino said: “We’re thrilled to offer our unique £20k spin promotion to online customers again, culminating in our unique live finale. The campaign brings players from screen to casino floor in a spectacular fashion and is part of our commitment to capitalise on the exclusive journey we can offer our online customers thanks to our partners at Resorts World Birmingham.”
Leaderboard points are earned playing Online Slot Games and selected Live Tables. Double points are available on specific games on certain weeks with eligible titles including Genting Live Roulette from Manchester, Lucky Lady’s Charm Deluxe and Fishin Frenzy The Big Splash.
The final five players will participate in a filmed, bracket-style live roulette tournament at Resorts World Birmingham, with one last spin deciding who walks away with the life-changing top prize.
Winners will be contacted on 19 November 2025, and the live tournament date will be on 13 December 2025.
This is another example of Genting Casino offering customers a chance to play their favourite online games in order to climb the leaderboard to win prizes from cash following on from previous promotions which offered winners experiences including trips to see some of the world’s most prestigious sporting events.
Genting Casino offer a premium online experience with over 7,000 casino games ranging from the classic casino table games including live roulette, blackjack and a catalogue of online slots and instant win games from leading studios and providers, including favourites like Starburst, Fishin’ Frenzy and Book of Dead, all within a safe and secure gaming environment.
The post Genting Casino Launches the £20k Spin Leaderboard Challenge with VIP finale at Resorts World Birmingham appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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