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NODWIN Gaming Acquires AFK Gaming
NODWIN Gaming, a leader in new-age youth entertainment, gaming, and esports and a material subsidiary of Nazara Technologies Limited (BSE: NAZARA), today announced the acquisition of AFK Gaming Pvt. Ltd., a leading gaming and esports media company subject to closing formalities. With this, AFK Gaming will become a fully owned subsidiary of NODWIN Gaming.
This acquisition strengthens NODWIN Gaming’s esports related content production & distribution, and marketing & PR services capabilities. These capabilities will enhance NODWIN Gaming’s offerings to brands and publishers, making it a strong one-stop-shop for all esports & gaming related marketing activities and thereby increasing the share of wallet of marketing budgets for NODWIN Gaming.
The acquisition of 93% of the share capital of AFK Gaming will be a combination of cash and stock swap of NODWIN Gaming shares for a total consideration of INR 7.6 Crores. NODWIN already owned the balance 7% of AFK previously. As part of this transaction, the founders will become shareholders of NODWIN Gaming and be integrated into different verticals in the NODWIN Gaming ecosystem. In 2017, NODWIN Gaming led AFK Gaming’s first round of investment as a strategic investor, helping the founders turn their hobby into a business. This acquisition completes the lifecycle of NODWIN’s strategic investment into the company, making AFK a 100% subsidiary on close.
Founded in 2012 by Nishant Patel, Rakesh Ramchandran and Siddharth Nayyar, AFK Gaming has been at the forefront of the Indian gaming and esports media industry for over a decade. Apart from providing the latest updates from the industry through its website and its specially curated gaming business newsletter Pixel P&L, its agency vertical, Max Level, offers bespoke marketing services to teams, tournament organizers, game publishers and brands looking to connect with gaming and esports audiences. This includes campaign management, IP building, content production, video editing, consultancy, social media marketing, influencer programs and public relations & communications as well. Its clientele includes brands like ASUS ROG, CyberPowerPC India, KRAFTON, Saudi Esports Federation, ESL Faceit Group, The Esports World Cup, Jio Games, TVS and more. Max Level has worked closely with NODWIN Gaming for a majority of its IPs and white-labelsolutions.
Nishant will join the founders’ office to work on strategic initiatives across the NODWIN Group, while building out Pixel P&L as a media product within the company. Rakesh will be a part of the larger NODWIN team, focusing on augmenting the company’s ability to build tech led products and Siddharth will continue to head Max Level, focusing on high quality, cost efficient, marketing and PR services.
This acquisition further bolsters NODWIN Gaming’s services portfolio in the gaming and esports ecosystem.
Akshat Rathee, Co-Founder of NODWIN Gaming, commented: “I have known Nishant, Sid and Rakesh since the inception of AFK Gaming. We all started out at the same time, while the esports industry in India was just beginning to pick up. We have built respect for each other over time by butting heads, competing, collaborating and supporting each other when there was little hope. I have learnt to admire their ability to persevere, pivot and be true to the fan. This focus is to be treasured. Once you have that respect and understanding of our strengths and weaknesses, working together is a natural causality. As we come together as one group, I welcome them as shareholders of NODWIN Gaming and as leaders in our group. I look forward to the many missions we will pick up and go on together.”
Nishant Patel, Rakesh Ramchandran and Siddharth Nayyar, Co-Founders of AFK Gaming, stated: “Joining the NODWIN group feels like a homecoming for us. When esports was barely a coined term, Akshat and us agreed to work to grow the market rather than compete in an industry that had yet to prove itself. This led to a long and trust-imbued relationship where Akshat watched over us as a friend, investor, mentor and board member. Now that the industry has matured a bit, our existing synergies with NODWIN allow us to hit the ground running and we’re confident in our ability to unlock the next level of growth for the group!”
The acquisition comes at a time when NODWIN Gaming continues to grow in India and emerging markets worldwide. This deal complements NODWIN Gaming’s recent strategic moves, including the acquisition of Trinity Gaming India, Comic Con in India, German esports and gaming marketing agency Freaks 4U Gaming, West Asia and Turkey-focused marketing agency Publishme, Singapore-based live events firm Branded, and Turkish esports and gaming company Ninja Global.
The post NODWIN Gaming Acquires AFK Gaming appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Soft2Bet’s Quickcasino Wins at EGR Europe Awards 2025
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
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
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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
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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