SOFTSWISS, a leading technology provider for iGaming, has further solidified its presence in the European market by securing certification for its Jackpot Aggregator in Bulgaria. 

The iGaming market in Bulgaria is experiencing significant growth, attracting new businesses despite stringent domestic regulations. The market is projected to generate 168.70 million euro in revenue by 2028, with an annual growth rate of 5.42%. The number of users is expected to reach 377.3 thousand by the same year, further highlighting the sector’s momentum.

In line with this growth, SOFTSWISS announces that its Jackpot Aggregator has received certification from Gaming Laboratories International (GLI), ensuring it meets all technical requirements for use in the Bulgarian market. With the new certification of the SOFTSWISS Jackpot Aggregator, Bulgarian-licensed operators can integrate this advanced engagement tool into their casino offerings.

In May, SOFTSWISS successfully entered the Bulgarian market through a partnership with Topwin.bg, which implemented the SOFTSWISS Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator, and the Sportsbook.

“We are seeing a strong surge in interest in our jackpot mechanic, fueled by the growing demand for engagement tools in the market. That’s why we are committed to further developing the Jackpot Aggregator, enhancing its features, and expanding into new markets. Certification for the Bulgarian market is a clear testament to our ambition and drive for expansion. We are actively working on obtaining certifications in other jurisdictions,” comments Angelina Stasiuk, Head of Business Line at SOFTSWISS Jackpot Aggregator.

SOFTSWISS has several international and national licences and certifications, including a South African licence acquired through the purchase of a majority stake in Turfsport. The company recently announced its plans to become the first certified software provider in Brazil.

About SOFTSWISS

SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience in developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS holds a number of gaming licences and provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Online Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 23,500 casino games, the Affilka Affiliate Platform, the Sportsbook software and the Jackpot Aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS revolutionised the industry by introducing the world’s first Bitcoin-optimised online casino solution. The expert team, based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia, counts over 2,000 employees.

Twitch Lays Out Rules & Regulations of Prohibited Gambling Content Policy 

Twitch, the popular live-streaming service for content, including music, sports, entertainment, and gaming, has officially implemented the terms and conditions of its gambling content policy. Twitch announced a new Gambling Policy Update on 20 September 2022, but it only came into effect on 18 October 2022.

According to the updated rules on the prohibition of gambling content, Twitch does not allow users to share affiliate codes, or links, to slots, dice games, or roulette sites. More specifically, Twitch live streamers are proscribed from performing the following:

• No referral codes to slot sites are permitted in chats
• Twitch users may not verbally direct chats to dice game sites
• Live streamers may not include banners with links to online roulette games

According to the rules and regulations of the Prohibited Gambling Content Policy, several sites are now banned from streaming on Twitch. These include Roobet, Rollbit, Stake, and Duelbits. In addition, they may not be included as links in chat conversations either. 

In determining the permissibility of the site, Twitch contemplates multiple factors, notably the presence of safety and security measures (age verification, waiting periods, deposit limits, et al.).

Further, Twitch assesses the presence of VPNs as it pertains to the evasion of geo-blocking technology. Other factors that come into play include licensing and regulation of online gambling sites. Jurisdictions such as the US and Europe are notable for their robust customer protection policies. As such, these operators are more likely to enjoy protections from Twitch.

Significant Drop in the Slots Meta on Twitch

Reports from Big Win Board indicate that the slots meta has seen a drop in streaming activity from all prominent stake/crypto streamers. According to the report, the slots meta fell to #48 at the time of publication. That’s a significant drop from its heydays before the crackdown on crypto casinos and gambling content.

Fake streamers typically resort to view botting to accumulate views. Unfortunately, streamers have consistently exaggerated the numbers to create higher figures. Although streamers keep using view botting, the number should now be closer in reality.

Many targeted fake streamers used similar strategies to drive traffic from DLive to Twitch. To encourage viewers to view their streams, they offered giveaways. These actions could be considered a violation of Twitch’s updated terms and conditions.

The Twitch Ban Is Not A Blanket Ban on Gambling

While the Twitch ban on gambling  reads as a blanket ban on gambling, this is certainly not the case. Twitch maintains that gambling is permitted on the live streaming service, but the rules are sacrosanct. 

Live streamers who ignore the rules, or try to obviate them, may now face punitive measures. The new Prohibited Gambling Content Policy has left many Twitch users bemused, yet gambling is permitted, provided it follows several guidelines.

Twitch has not clarified the regulations pertaining to its updated gambling policy. However, the rules provide a general framework for gauging the permissibility of crypto casinos and casinos in general. According to those in the know, unregulated operators are front and center as targets of the new Twitch ban on gambling.

These operators are considered unsafe. However, since Amazon owns Twitch and the companies are based in the United States, it is safe to say that gambling websites licensed and regulated in the United States are safe to promote.

Twitch streamers are encouraged to validate whether the operator is licensed before actively promoting content online. Those who flout the rules risk a permanent ban on Twitch. Unfortunately, many such instances have already taken place, with scores of streamers potentially facing the same fate. As a case in point, when the ban went into effect on 18 October 2022, the majority of Stake streamers vanished from the platform.

While a small number tried to remain active – by flouting the regulations – they primarily view botting channels and spam. Once they were reported, they were immediately removed – a testament to Twitch’s determination to make good on its promise.

Many such examples abound, notably TrainwrecksTV – a prominent streamer on Twitch – who shifted from his typical gambling stream to Overwatch 2. Indeed, TrainwrecksTV’s meta fell out of the top 25 for the first time in many years as the streamer talked about doing podcasts or building his streaming platform.

Social casino enters the RMG market and launches on the company’s new Vault platform featuring Brain with Benefits technology 

High 5 Games, the world’s largest independent casino games provider, has been granted a B2C licence Type 1 by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), marking High 5 Casino’s approval to enter the real money gaming market.

The new online casino will launch on H5G’s proprietary iGaming platform, Vault, which is embedded with innovations that the company envisions will define the future of online and mobile gaming.

Vault incorporates the New York developer’s Brain with Benefits technology that monitors players in real time and at all stages of the customer lifecycle, and is set to revolutionise the whole user journey with a truly personalised experience.

The Brain, named Oracle, sits in the cloud and the machine learns player behaviour. Oracle is present and monitors:

• Promotions and bonus management system
• CRM and data segmentation
• Content management
• Player account management

The Benefits, personalised events, are then triggered automatically by Oracle’s Brain, both seamlessly and in real time, across the platform and games. These can range from small surprise game features to fully adaptive content libraries and user journeys.

This technology is based on Google’s artificial intelligence and machine learning frameworks. The technology from Google, a long-term iGaming partner of H5G, has been successfully used across High 5 Casino in the social casino world, as well as the company’s range of tentpole games, and will soon be rolled out across platform level and all games.

Vault platform is developed from H5G’s social casino, which is enjoyed by millions of players worldwide. Soon available for real money play, High 5 Casino will feature High 5 Games’ full portfolio of games, as well as a range of titles from leading third-party providers.

The Vault platform will also be made available to operators and platform providers, with the company exhibiting its technology at ICE London 2020 at Booth N1-421.

Anthony Singer, CEO of High 5 Games, said: “We’re really excited to be launching High 5 Casino into the real money gaming market. Vault with our Brain with Benefits technology is set to bring forth the next generation of online and mobile.

“Oracle the brain will be present at ICE London 2020, head to our booth to learn more about how this new technology will cleverly bring a new unprecedented gaming experience.”

High 5 Games will be demonstrating its full portfolio of products and services at Booth N1-421, between 4-6 February at ICE London 2020, London ExCeL.