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ASA Bans BetUK’s Radio Ad Featuring Former Footballer Adebayo Akinfenwa

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LeoVegas-owned sportsbook BetUK has been told by the UK’s Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) not to repeat an advertisement again which featured former footballer Adebayo Akinfenwa, due to its appeal to under-18s.

The radio ad for the operator in September 2023 saw Akinfenwa state he was a brand ambassador for the company. He promoted BetUK’s responsible gambling tools including deposit limits, reality checks and timeouts.

The ASA investigated the ad on the grounds of a complaint which said Akinfenwa may appeal to under-18s, and the body has subsequently ordered BetUK not to repeat the ad.

The ASA acknowledged BetUK’s argument that during his playing career, 41-year-old Akinfenwa never played in the Premier League – and so his appeal to under-18s was “low-risk.”

However, the ASA, referring to the B/CAP guidance, said that Akinfenwa was “likely” to have appeal to under-18s due to his social and media profiles.

“The B/CAP guidance classed footballers at lower league and non-league clubs as ‘low risk,’ but also stated footballers from outside the topflight could be of ‘moderate risk’ on the basis of their social and other media profiles,” the ASA said in its ruling.

Akinfenwa initially rose to fame through the FIFA series of video games, where he was highlighted by YouTuber-turned-boxer KSI for his in-game strength attribute.

“While we acknowledged BetUK’s view that Mr Akinfenwa’s clothing range, BeastModeOn, had broad appeal and was not targeted at children, we considered the manner in which he was portrayed in the media and by which he had marketed himself would have led some football fans to view him as a cult hero in the game,” the UK’s advertising watchdog said.

“We therefore considered that his media profile, alongside our view that he was unusually well known for a former lower league footballer, would have placed him in the ‘moderate risk’ category of the guidance.”

BetUK also argued that only eight percent of Akinfenwa’s followers on Instagram were under-18s and that the radio ad was played during a show which was likely to have an adult audience.

The operator added that 13% of his Snapchat followers were under 18.

The ASA, however, noted in its ruling that Akinfenwa therefore “had at least 157,000 followers who were under 18 years.”

The watchdog added that the true number was likely higher due to the unavailability of follower data for Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok.

“Although his career as a lower league footballer and his media profile in isolation would have placed him in the ‘moderate risk’ category, we considered that because he had such large numbers of social media followers who were under 18 years due to his career and profile, Mr Akinfenwa would be placed in the ‘high risk’ category and was likely to be of strong appeal to under-18s,” the ASA concluded.

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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Spinomenal marks the start of the holiday season with Majestic Santa

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Leading iGaming content provider Spinomenal has unwrapped its new title Majestic Santa, signalling the start of the festive season.

Spinomenal’s festive-inspired treat is a 5×3 slot that is bursting with Christmas imagery including red stockings, gingerbread men, and glistening golden bells. The reels are beautifully presented within a golden frame amongst snow-covered rooftops, softly glowing windows, candles, and lanterns. A festive, homely soundtrack wraps players snugly into the action as they look to win.

Unwrapping three Christmas wreaths will take players into the Free Spins game. Before the round begins, players spin the Wheel of Fortune to determine both the number of free spins (between 10 and 40) and the symbol that will double during the feature.

Majestic Santa’s bonus feature is triggered when three luxurious gold ribboned presents appear on screen. Players are given three spins to start, and the goal is to complete the metre by collecting Scattered winning symbols.

One segment of the metre is completed with five present symbols and players can win extra spins when they find a +1 symbol. Once the spins end there will be the final payout calculated by the final filled metre cell.

Majestic Santa also includes Stacked Wilds, where Wild symbols can land during spins to elevate the chances of a festive win. In the base game, only Double Symbols can be triggered — transforming all symbols into their double form for even greater payout potential.

Spinomenal CO-CEO, Omer Henya commented: “Majestic Santa is an ode to the magic of the holiday season. Its warming visuals and festive soundtrack perfectly complement the excitement of Stacked Wilds and Double Symbols, delivering unmistakable Christmas cheer and plenty of chances to win.”

The post Spinomenal marks the start of the holiday season with Majestic Santa appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Million Games Launches Rudolph’s Gone Rogue – A Frenzied Christmas Slot of Wild Wins

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Million Games is bringing festive mayhem to the iGaming world with the launch of Rudolph’s Gone Rogue, a fast-paced Christmas slot where Santa’s most famous reindeer takes centre stage in a runaway holiday adventure.

In this 5×3, 20-payline slot, Rudolph bolts into the night sky, dragging the rest of the herd with him and leaving a trail of chaos in his wake. Gifts, sleigh parts, and enchanted carrots scatter across the snowy reels, while the gameplay erupts with Wild Multipliers, Free Spins, and random Wild drops. With an RTP of 96.37% and a maximum win of 2,500x the bet, Rudolph’s Gone Rogue delivers a festive mix of charm, speed, and rewarding volatility.

Features that Drive the Frenzy

 

  • Rogue Reindeer Free Spins: Triggered by 3 Rudolph Bonus symbols, the reels light up under aurora skies as reindeer charge across the screen, dropping extra Wilds and activating Wild Multipliers.

  • Snowflake Wilds: Substitutes for all regular symbols to complete wins.

  • Wild Multipliers: Multipliers of 2x, 5x, 10x, or 20x add explosive payout potential.

  • Extra Wilds: During Free Spins, Rudolph and the herd scatter 1 or 2 extra Wilds on the same reel, creating chaotic, high-energy gameplay.

“Rudolph’s Gone Rogue is all about capturing the wild side of Christmas,” said Thomas Nimstad, CEO of Million Games. “It’s playful, fast, and packed with features that keep players on edge with every spin. We wanted to create a holiday slot that feels unpredictable and fun while still delivering strong replay value for operators.”

With its bold design, electrifying Free Spins, and chaotic mechanics, Rudolph’s Gone Rogue offers a unique seasonal addition to operator lobbies, built to capture attention and drive engagement throughout the holidays.

Rudolph’s Gone Rogue is now available across all Million Games partner platforms.

The post Million Games Launches Rudolph’s Gone Rogue – A Frenzied Christmas Slot of Wild Wins appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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ThrillTech makes three additions to senior team to accelerate ‘explosive’ growth

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ThrillTech makes three additions to senior team to accelerate ‘explosive’ growth

– VP of Growth, Global Sales Director and Head of Technical Compliance recruited

– Additions bring experience from Evolution, Pragmatic Play and Kiron

– Jackpot provider aiming to build on momentum after breakout year 

ThrillTech, the global leader in side-bet jackpot technology for iGaming operators and game studios, has strengthened its senior team as it looks to build on a period of “explosive” growth.

Xavier Besseau has been appointed VP of Growth, making the switch from Kiron Interactive. Xavier has more than a decade of experience in iGaming, with previous roles at Sportradar, TrueLayer and Gaming Innovation Group.

Nemanja Grujicic has also joined the commercial team as ThrillTech’s Global Sales Director. Grujicic was most recently head of account management at slots provider Popiplay and was previously in a similar role at Pragmatic Play.

Also joining the ThrillTech team is Rocio Mata, who arrives as the new Head of Technical Compliance. Mata spent more than 10 years with Evolution, most recently as Senior Technical Compliance.

Collectively, the new arrivals bring deep expertise across commercial strategy, compliance and growth acceleration – all core pillars of ThrillTech’s next phase.

Founded in 2023, ThrillTech has enjoyed a successful 2025 and now employs 15 people, working remotely and in offices in Cyprus and Malta.

ThrillTech helps amplify player experiences while boosting GGR for partners with its unique ThrillPots and ThrillDrops products and is now licensed and certified in 10 jurisdictions.

Benjamin Bradtke, co-founder at ThrillTech, said: “A huge indicator that a company is doing well is its ability to attract and retain the brightest minds in the industry, and I am so pleased to say that the three new hires we’ve welcomed across Q4 are an incredible asset to ThrillTech.

“This has been a genuine breakout year for us. We’ve seen explosive growth across our product lines, expanded into new jurisdictions and secured partnerships with operators who are embracing a more creative approach to jackpots and player engagement.

“Bringing Xavier, Nemanja and Rocio into the business now is very deliberate – they’re here to help us accelerate that momentum through the final stretch of 2025 and propel us into an even stronger 2026.”

The post ThrillTech makes three additions to senior team to accelerate ‘explosive’ growth appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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