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Leicester Riders announce Ygam as Charity of the Year in groundbreaking British Basketball partnership
- Leicester Riders announce partnership with Ygam, a charity with a mission to prevent children and young people from experiencing gaming and gambling harms.
- Ygam has been appointed Leicester Riders ‘Charity of the Year’ for the forthcoming 24/25 season, alongside the Riders Foundation.
- This is the first partnership of its kind for any team in the history of professional British basketball.
- The partnership will involve key home games dedicated to Ygam and the charity’s work, with awareness raising and fundraising events throughout the season, alongside delivering Ygam’s City & Guilds Assured CPD training to all coaches and staff associated with the club.
Leicester Riders, the UK’s oldest professional basketball club, have announced a new partnership with Ygam, a charity with a mission to prevent children and young people from experiencing gaming and gambling harms.
This collaboration, a first for any team in British basketball, signifies a major stride in the Riders’ commitment to the digital safeguarding of all children and young people associated with the Club.
Through its Foundation’s Academy and partnerships with Charnwood College and Loughborough University, the Riders organisation’s commitment to young people extends beyond the basketball court. Collaborating with Ygam further enhances the organisation’s capacity to safeguard and equip young people with essential skills and knowledge to thrive in later life.
Ygam has been appointed Leicester Riders ‘Charity of the Year’ for the forthcoming 24/25 season, alongside the Riders Foundation.
The latest report from the Gambling Commission revealed that 40% of 11- to 17-year-olds have had some experience of gambling over the last 12 months. 1 in 4 have spent their own money on gambling in the past 12 months and 35% of young people have encountered gambling advertisements at sports events. Research from the Bristol Hub for Gambling Harms revealed that basketball has one of the highest gambling participation rates for young people aged 18-24 in the UK, compared to other popular betting sports like football, horse racing, and MMA.
A recent Mumsnet survey, commissioned by Ygam, revealed that children spend an average of 16.9 hours a week playing video games: more than half the amount of time they spend in school each week. Boys aged 11 to 17 are gaming the most with an average of almost a day a week (23.4 hours) spent playing video games.
Basketball is a growing sport at grass roots level in the UK, with nearly 1.25 million children and young people playing the sport at least once a week, and over 1200 licensed coaches nationwide. Popularity of professional basketball in the UK has also seen immense growth over recent years, where viewership of live and on-demand games across YouTube and Sky Sports has jumped from 1.4 million to over 20 million since the 2022/23 season.
This partnership aims to build greater awareness and educate more children and young people about the potential risks associated with gaming and gambling, both within a sporting context and beyond.
Simon Winfield, Interim CEO of Leicester Riders, said: “We’re excited to be working with Ygam. We have a deep admiration for their efforts in promoting gaming and gambling awareness among the youth of today.
“The Riders organisation takes seriously its responsibility to the young people who have entrusted us with their futures, both at Charnwood College and Loughborough University. A large part of that responsibility is ensuring that they are well set up for life beyond the Riders. Through Ygam’s education on the potential risks and dangers associated with gaming and gambling, we are fulfilling our commitment to ensuring their well-being and long-term success.
“We’re also excited at the prospect of helping to educate thousands of young people across Leicestershire, who we work closely with through the Leicester Riders Foundation. Through this partnership, we uphold the Club’s dedication to its local community, ensuring that we leave a lasting, positive influence on the lives of generations to come.”
Sacha Kent, Programme Lead for Education, Sports, and Youth at Ygam, said: “We are honoured to partner with Leicester Riders for the upcoming season and extend our reach within the sport of basketball. With gaming and gambling so heavily intertwined with professional sports, it is vital that we are doing all we can to safeguard all young people who participate in the sport they love.
“Leicester Riders do fantastic work in surrounding communities, including one of the country’s largest Basketball Apprentice schemes at Charnwood College, and a partnership with Loughborough University. The club’s community programmes also reach nearly 20,000 young people from across the city and wider county, and we are excited to use sport as a vehicle to make a real difference in the lives of young people, helping them navigate the digital world safely and responsibly.”
The partnership will involve key home games dedicated to Ygam and the charity’s work, with awareness raising and fundraising events throughout the season, alongside delivering Ygam’s City & Guilds Assured CPD training to all coaches and staff associated with the club.
More details about the partnership and the initiatives planned for the upcoming season will be announced soon.
The post Leicester Riders announce Ygam as Charity of the Year in groundbreaking British Basketball partnership appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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The SOFTSWISS Sportsbook at Five: From MVP to Award-Winning Global B2B Solution
Reading Time: 3 minutes
The SOFTSWISS Sportsbook celebrates its fifth anniversary, marking a major milestone in its journey from MVP to a fully mature, internationally recognised B2B product. Over these five years, the team has achieved standout results, from launching a project in just 14 days to delivering a mobile-first experience that generates over 90% of GGR.
Since its debut in 2020, the SOFTSWISS Sportsbook has expanded its sports and esports catalogue, introduced premium cricket, launched a mobile app, added a customisable betting interface, unique bonuses, and various gamification tools for player engagement and retention. It has also introduced seamless integrations with the SOFTSWISS Game Aggregator and Jackpot Aggregator.
An important milestone was reached ahead of UEFA Euro 2024, when the SOFTSWISS Sportsbook team delivered 22 new projects across 11 casino platforms, including the SOFTSWISS Casino Platform, within a single month. A breakthrough record was also set when the team launched a project in just 14 days from contract signing to the first bet.
The SOFTSWISS Sportsbook is engineered for smooth, platform-agnostic integration, enabling fast rollouts on both proprietary and third-party platforms. Delivering a strong player experience and supporting business growth, the Sportsbook seamlessly integrates into any iGaming operation with flexible launch options to meet diverse needs. Recent updates further enhance its efficiency, including API 2.0 for more scalable integrations and a renewed CMS with deeper content control.
Alexander Kamenetskyi, Head of SOFTSWISS Sportsbook, comments: “Five years ago, we set out to build a modern Sportsbook – flexible, scalable, and ready for the future of betting. Today, we have a stable architecture, powerful engagement tools, a strong risk management layer, and a team that knows how to move fast without compromising quality. The product has matured, and we are ready to push forward with even greater ambition.”
Delivering 2,000+ betting markets across 200+ sports and esports, with all Sportradar official leagues included, the Sportsbook supports 100,000+ monthly live events and a mobile-first experience that generates over 90% of GGR. Clients also highlight its intuitive CMS, robust risk management, and 24/7 technical assistance, reinforcing the Sportsbook’s position as a reliable B2B solution.
Anton Eshtokin, CMO of Boomerang Partners, shares: “The SOFTSWISS Sportsbook is an ideal choice for any iGaming operator looking to diversify its portfolio and strengthen its competitive position in the market. On behalf of our entire team, I’d like to congratulate the SOFTSWISS Sportsbook on reaching this remarkable five-year milestone. As a partner, you’ve consistently demonstrated innovation, professionalism, and a deep understanding of the industry’s evolution. We wish you continued growth, bold ideas, and the drive to keep setting new standards in the iGaming market. May the next five years bring even more success stories and breakthroughs that inspire the entire industry.”
The SOFTSWISS Sportsbook’s achievements have been acknowledged across the industry, earning accolades such as Best Online Sportsbook Provider at SiGMA South Asia Awards 2025, Innovative E-sports Product of the Year at SPiCE South Asia Eventus Awards 2024, Best Sports Betting Provider in the Baltics at BSG Awards 2023, and Rising Star in Sports Betting at SBC Awards Latinoamérica 2022.
In 2025, the sports betting solution entered a new phase, focusing on architectural upgrades to support faster feature delivery. The team plans to release a new API Tester in December and is preparing for the upcoming launch of virtual sports. The Sportsbook platform also covered urgent Brazilian and Bulgarian regulatory requirements. These strategic moves will allow the solution to maintain momentum and scale to meet the growing expectations of operators in diverse markets.
About SOFTSWISS
SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience in developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 36,700 casino games, Affilka Affiliate Platform, the Sportsbook Software and the Jackpot Aggregator. The expert team, based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia, counts over 2,000 employees.
The post The SOFTSWISS Sportsbook at Five: From MVP to Award-Winning Global B2B Solution appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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SkillOnNet redefine los juegos RNG con el lanzamiento de GAIA, la primera ruleta con un crupier generado por IA
Reading Time: 2 minutes
GAIA es la primera ruleta del mundo impulsada por IA y que ya está en uso comercial.
La compañía de entretenimiento global SkillOnNet ha anunciado el lanzamiento de Ruleta GAIA, una nueva experiencia de ruleta revolucionaria impulsada por inteligencia artificial.
El juego – que ya está en vivo en PlayUZU Mexico – con planes de expansión a otros mercados de la red de SkillOnNet en los próximos meses – mezcla la emoción de un juego RNG con el realismo de los juegos en vivo. Es la primera ruleta del mundo impulsada por IA que ya está en uso comercial.
A diferencia de las ruletas aleatorias tradicionales, Ruleta GAIA incorpora un crupier personalizado para cada jugador. GAIA aprende las preferencias del jugador, adapta su estilo de comunicación y facilita ayuda en tiempo real, de forma que los usuarios reciban información sobre apuestas, flujo del juego y estrategias.
Los jugadores pueden conversar sobre el juego – preguntar sobre los resultados, números previos, sus pérdidas y ganancias, y revisar el historial– y también preguntar sobre temas del día a día como aficiones, deportes, comida, películas, el tiempo y mucho más para que la experiencia sea mucho más entretenida.
Diseñada y desarrollada internamente por SkillOnNet, GAIA se convertirá en tu crupier IA. Utiliza GPT-4.1-mini para el chat, que admite todos los idiomas, de manera que los jugadores de todo el mundo pueden conversar con ella en su lengua nativa.
Para los jugadores que disfrutan del toque personal de un crupier en vivo, GAIA es el siguiente nivel. Y al estar impulsada por tecnología RNG, pueden disfrutar de un ritmo de juego más rápido y más tiradas por sesión que en los juegos en vivo con crupier real.
Para SkillOnNet, GAIA representa un gran avance para el gaming impulsado por IA y para las experiencias de casino personalizadas.
Jani Kontturi, Responsible de Juegos en SkillOnNet, dice “Con la Ruleta GAIA redefinimos las posibilidades del entretenimiento de casino RNG, y nos enorgullecemos de ofrecer a nuestros jugadores algo verdaderamente revolucionario. PlayUZU siempre se ha posicionado como un operador transparente, divertido e innovador – y GAIA encaja a la perfección con esos valores. Este lanzamiento establece un nuevo estándar en lo que los jugadores pueden esperar de la ruleta”.
The post SkillOnNet redefine los juegos RNG con el lanzamiento de GAIA, la primera ruleta con un crupier generado por IA appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Emily Atack joins BOYLE Casino as Brand Ambassador with new hero campaign launching ‘Serious About Play’
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Actress, Comedian, and Presenter Emily Atack, has joined BOYLE Casino as brand ambassador, bringing her signature warmth, humour and energy, as she joins the brand in getting ‘Serious About Play’.
In her role, Inbetweeners and Rivals icon Emily will help showcase the platform’s entertainment-led experiences and connect with players across the UK and Ireland. Her activity kicks off by taking centre stage in a hero creative campaign across TV, digital, out-of-home and social, launching today.
Developed in partnership with Beyond and the Story Club, the creative sees Emily transported to a vibrant virtual world, which she travels through surrounded by the thousands of games BOYLE Casino has on offer, her cheeky commentary providing the soundtrack before the new BOYLE Casino identity – Serious About Play – is revealed.
The new partnership and hero campaign follows BOYLE Sports’ relaunch of the BOYLE Casino platform in September, delivering a massive choice of online casino games available in the UK and Ireland. The upgraded site features faster performance, smarter personalisation and a design built to entertain and delight players. Players now receive tailored top 10 game recommendations, immersive jackpot hubs and dedicated spaces for exclusive BOYLE Casino content.
In an exciting week for the brand, December 2nd sees the JOE Pub Quiz in partnership with BOYLE Casino – live at Islington Assembly Hall in London. Entrants will put their knowledge to the test in rounds inspired by memes, cultural icons and classic British trivia, with opportunities to win spot prizes including tickets to BOYLE Sports’ partners, West Ham United and the London Lions.
Commenting on Emily joining the BOYLE Sports team, Gill Blake-Swift, Director of Brand for BOYLE Sports, said: “Emily is such a natural fit for BOYLE Casino – she’s fun, relatable and brings an energy that really mirrors where we’re taking the brand. Innovation lies at the heart of our casino offering and her personality taps perfectly into that momentum, so bringing Emily on board feels like another major step forward.”
BOYLE Casino’s new ambassador, Emily Atack, added: “I’m chuffed to be joining the BOYLE Casino team and being part of its journey – we’ve already had a lot of fun!”
BOYLE Sports’ commitment to responsible gambling continues to sit at the heart of its casino offering. The revamped platform includes clear, accessible safer gambling tools that allow players to set limits, track activity and stay in control at all times.
The post Emily Atack joins BOYLE Casino as Brand Ambassador with new hero campaign launching ‘Serious About Play’ appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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