Aristocrat Leisure has announced the acquisition of Gaming Analytics ‘for an undisclosed sum’.
Gaming Analytics is a US-based AI-powered tools provider with products for real-time player analytics, slot optimization and marketing automation. The group describes its product as ‘the industry’s first self-learning, artificial intelligence platform’.
In a Tuesday release, Aristocrat indicated that the acquisition ‘will help enhance Aristocrat’s capabilities for platform operations, particularly by providing operators with real-time data collection, analytics, and personalized player engagement across land-based operations’.
The group currently has over 30 employees across the US, Spain, India and Canada; these have transitioned to Aristocrat as part of the acquisition.
Gaming Analytics founder and CEO Kiran Brahmandam has assumed the new role of Managing Director, Gaming Analytics within Aristocrat.
Korean foreigner-only casino operator Paradise Co saw record-high annual revenue and operating profit in 2025, with strong results out of Paradise City in Incheon.
In results released on Tuesday, Paradise revealed revenue of nearly KRW1.15 trillion ($789.66 million), up by 7.3 percent yearly, and operating profit of KRW156.36 billion ($107.37 million), a rise of 14.9 percent year-on-year.
In consolidated results, casino sales during the period totaled KRW115.12 billion ($79.05 million), up 2.52 percent yearly. The segment contributed 10 percent of overall sales in 2025, down slightly from a 10.5 percent contribution in 2024.
The group’s integrated resort segment contributed some KRW597.49 billion ($410.27 million) in sales during the year, up by 10.8 percent yearly. The IR segment contributed some 52 percent of the group’s overall sales in FY25, up from 50.3 percent in the previous year.
Meanwhile, the hotel segment contributed KRW419.41 billion ($287.99 million) in sales, up by 4.14 percent yearly and making up 36.5 percent of sales.
Net profit for the group rose by an impressive 30.14 percent yearly in FY25, to KRW144.06 ($98.92 million).
Paradise City leads the charge
Paradise’s joint venture with SegaSammy for its Paradise City operation saw record-high quarterly revenue in 4Q25, up by 20.9 percent yearly to KRW156.11 billion ($100.33 million). This was also 2.5 percent higher than 2Q25, which is the typical peak season for the property.
Casino sales rose by 24.8 percent yearly during the quarter, topping KRW124.35 billion ($85.39 million), a sequential increase of 6.3 percent.
The group notes that mass drop continued to see strong growth, rising by 34.9 percent yearly in 4Q25, with a 1.4 percentage point rise in the hold rate.
EBITDA at the property was up a significant 94.7 percent yearly, to KRW25.29 billion ($17.37 million), however the figure was a sequential fall of 18.8 percent. An increase in taxes due to larger casino revenue, labor costs and marketing expenses weighed slightly on the result.
Other casinos
The group’s Walkerhill Casino saw a drop of 8.2 percent in sales for the quarter, totaling KRW76.9 billion ($52.8 million), while its Busan Casino saw KRW20.3 billion ($13.94 million) – up by 29.6 percent yearly.
The group’s Seoul, Busan and Jeju casinos saw sales fall by 1.4 percent yearly, to KRW102.71 billion ($70.53 million), despite a 7.9 percent increase in casino drop, due to a decrease in the hold rate.
For the properties, an operating loss of KRW1.89 billion ($1.3 million) was recorded during the quarter, reversing a KRW14.86 billion ($10.2 million) gain in 4Q24.
Paradise Co. operates four foreigner-only casinos in South Korea: Walkerhill in Seoul, Paradise City in Incheon, Busan Casino, and Jeju Grand.
For the quarter, Japanese VIP play contributed the most to drop, at KRW723 billion ($496.45 million), a 1.68 percent yearly increase but a 4.74 percent sequential fall. Chinese VIP drop, totaling KRW302 billion ($207.37 million), was up slightly year-on-year but down slightly compared to the previous quarter.
Other VIP play drop was up by 13.4 percent sequentially and 15.77 percent yearly, while mass drop was up by 1.14 percent sequentially and 24.5 percent yearly.
Total drop was up 9.08 percent yearly to KRW1.81 trillion ($1.24 billion), rising by just 0.2 percent from the previous quarter.
GR8 Tech has been named Best Platform Provider 2026 at the SiGMA Eurasia Awards for its stable, fast-to-integrate platform that scales casino and sportsbook operations across markets.
The award honors GR8 Tech’s Platform for Champions approach: a full-stack platform designed for high performance, rapid market entry, flexible configuration, and consistent performance under peak loads. At the core is a recently launched Crypto Turnkey solution, featuring a comprehensive sportsbook and casino combination with native multi-wallet support.
“Awards are nice, but what matters most is what they reflect,” said Sergey Ghazaryan, Chief Revenue Officer at GR8 Tech. “For us, it means operators can push into new markets with confidence and can trust the foundation when the pressure hits. This win tells us the Platform for Champions is doing its job in the real world, and we’ll keep launching the next advantages operators need to win locally and globally.”
The Best Platform Provider 2026 accolade follows a recent recognition as the Best Software Supplier of the Year from the European iGaming Awards, highlighting GR8 Tech’s mastery as a top-tier iGaming provider.
GR8 Tech. Platform for Champions
GR8 Tech is an award-winning provider, delivering high-performance sportsbook and iGaming solutions that empower operators to lead and win in competitive markets. GR8 Tech’s comprehensive portfolio includes the Crypto Turnkey and Hyper Turnkey solutions, ULTIM8 Sportsbook, Infinite Casino Aggregation, and a proprietary affiliate management platform, Aff.Tech.
With a geo-specific approach to solutions, a focus on practical innovations, and an operator-first mindset, GR8 Tech helps its clients quickly and efficiently achieve measurable results in their target markets. Trusted by top operators worldwide, GR8 Tech has over 100 successful cases and earned multiple recognitions, including the title of Platform Provider of the Year by SBC Awards 2025.
Ebaka Games is ending its exclusivity with menace.com and is open to new partnerships. Now, its first integration deal is with Hub88.
The agreement means Hub88 customers will be among the first to experience Ebaka’s fresh approach and original game mechanics.
Through integration via the Hub88 API, partner operators will be able to quickly access Ebaka’s portfolio of instant games. The titles stand out for their dynamic gameplay, distinctive design, unique Ebaka modes, high volatility and generous multipliers. The provider focuses on delivering strong player engagement and instant entertainment value.
Ebaka Games CEO Vitalii Zalievskyi commented: “It is time to bring Ebaka Games’ genuinely thrilling content to players around the world, and partnering with Hub88 is an important step as we scale our operations. We couldn’t be more excited that operators can now easily integrate our content, and we look forward to building a strong, long-term partnership with Hub88 as we expand globally.”
The integration with Hub88 is just the first step in Ebaka Games’ broader partnership strategy, and the provider will soon be available through major operators and well-known aggregators across the industry.
Blask, an AI‑powered market intelligence ecosystem for the iGaming industry, has been honored with the Best AI Solution 2026 award at the SiGMA Eurasia Awards in Dubai.
The award recognizes Blask’s application of artificial intelligence to solve one of iGaming’s long-standing challenges: the lack of reliable, timely and comparable market data across regulated and offshore markets. Instead of relying on delayed reports and surveys, Blask delivers AI-generated market intelligence updated hourly.
The platform combines computer vision, natural language processing and predictive modeling to automatically discover iGaming brands worldwide, estimate market size and revenue potential, and track competitive dynamics in near real time.
Its proprietary metrics, including the Blask Index, BAP, APS and CEB, are used by operators, affiliates, game providers, regulators and investors to support strategic and operational decisions.
Max Tesla, co-founder and CEO of Blask
“This award is a strong validation of the approach we’ve taken from day one,” said Max Tesla, co-founder and CEO of Blask. “We didn’t want to build another analytics dashboard. We wanted to build AI infrastructure that shows what’s really happening in the market, especially in places where data simply doesn’t exist.”
The SiGMA Eurasia win marks Blask’s fifth major industry award. Previous recognitions include Best Tech at the iGB Affiliate Awards 2025, Rising Star in Casino Innovation at the SBC Awards, Startup of the Year at the Starlet Awards, and SiGMA Asia Startup Pitch 2024.
Continent 8 Technologies, a leading provider of advanced managed IT solutions for the iGaming and online sports betting sector, has officially launched operations in Alberta, Canada, following the province’s rollout of its competitive iGaming regulatory framework.
The publication of detailed hosting and security requirements by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) marks a significant milestone in Continent 8’s long-standing commitment to serving the North American market.
With proven operations in Ontario – where the company successfully launched its Public Cloud solution in Toronto in direct response to the province’s opening of its iGaming market in 2022 – Continent 8 brings to Alberta the same depth of regulatory understanding, technical capability, and customer-driven innovation that has established it as a trusted partner across Canada.
Alberta’s iGaming framework sets out detailed hosting and data governance obligations for operators and suppliers. For example, all data centres used by licensees must receive AGLC approval, covering data residency, cross-border transfers, and encryption key controls.
The province also mandates fully functional disaster recovery infrastructure and immutable, encrypted backups, with strict requirements for quarterly testing and offsite storage – areas where Continent 8’s experience provides immediate value.
In addition to hosting requirements, Alberta introduces some of the most comprehensive security requirements in the country, including mandatory MFA, SOC 2 and ISO 27001 compliance, annual penetration testing and extensive log retention requirements.
Michael Tobin, CEO at Continent 8
“Our heritage means we understand the rigorous regulatory expectations, and the operational challenges operators and suppliers face when entering new markets,” said Michael Tobin, CEO and Founder of Continent 8 Technologies. “Alberta’s standards are comprehensive, particularly around disaster recovery, backups, and security. We have built our solutions so customers can meet these requirements confidently from day one. We are excited to support customers as Alberta opens its market and continues Canada’s growth story.”
Continent 8’s network now spans every major regulated province or state in North America, supported by facilities across more than 100 locations globally. Customers benefit from end-to-end services including managed hosting, cloud, connectivity, and cybersecurity, all engineered for regulated industries.
Ahead of the Year of the Horse, Sands China and Las Vegas Sands senior executives united in Macao to demonstrate the Sands Cares commitment through their participation in the annual community Spring Celebrations.
Chinese New Year is one of the most cherished festivals across Chinese communities worldwide. Each year, as Sands China joins global visitors in celebrating the season, it is the company’s tradition to turn festive blessings into meaningful actions – bringing care, warmth, and goodwill into the community.
The initiative underscores Sands’ long-standing commitment to corporate social responsibility across its operating regions, not only translating festive joy into community support, but also reflecting its deep respect for Chinese culture.
During an activity on February 3, Patrick Dumont, president and chief operating officer of Las Vegas Sands, together with the senior management team, joined with 300 participants, including Sands China team members from across 20 departments and Sands Cares Ambassadors.
Guided by the shared spirit of Sands Cares, participants prepared Lunar New Year gift packs and handwritten festive spring couplets. Together, they packaged more than 20,000 staple foods and essential items, assembling 2,000 Lunar New Year gift packs, each filled with care and well wishes for the community.
Sands China’s commitment to the community also extends to supporting local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Dumont and senior management paid a visit to Rua das Estalagens, offering early New Year greetings to enterprises participating in Sands China’s Entrepreneurship Recruitment Programme for Rua das Estalagens, engaging directly with business owners and wishing them continued success in the year ahead.
To further support the growth of local social service organisations, all items within the gift packs packaged on Feb. 3, including cooking oil, rice, healthy noodles, cleaning supplies, and handwritten spring couplets, were sourced from the local NGO Fuhong Society of Macau. The gift packs were delivered by Sands Cares Ambassadors to elderly users of the Peng On Tung service and individuals in need, ensuring that every gesture of “Sands Cares” truly reaches both hands and hearts.
Dumont and members of the senior management team also took part in local New Year customs by learning to write traditional spring couplets, gaining first-hand appreciation of the cultural significance and auspicious meanings associated with the Chinese character Fu (福).
Dumont and team expressed pride in Sands China’s role as a dedicated employer and responsible corporate citizen. They also commended Sands China’s volunteer team for its long-term dedication and enthusiasm, encouraging more team members to take part in volunteer programmes and help extend further care to the Macao community.
The Sands Cares Ambassador volunteer team was established as Macao’s first corporate volunteer team within the industry. To date, more than 4,000 team members have participated, contributing over 360,000 cumulative volunteer hours. In the past year alone, the team organised an average of up to four community care activities per week, building strong, long-term partnerships through consistent and heartfelt service.
Through thoughtful action, practical support, and genuine engagement, Sands China continues to live out the Sands Cares spirit, strengthening its partnership with Macao and working hand in hand with the community to build a more caring, inclusive society.
The Sands Cares Spring Celebration with the Community and other community initiatives are part of the Sands Cares global corporate citizenship programme. Over the years, the programme has introduced numerous initiatives to give back to society, actively collaborating with local charities and social service organisations to build a better, more harmonious, and inclusive Macao.
Global match-fixing activity showed signs of stabilization in 2025, with suspicious sports match numbers falling 1 percent year-on-year, according to Sportradar Group.
The data was published in Integrity in Action 2025: Global Analysis & Trends, the company’s annual integrity report, which reviewed trends in monitoring, enforcement, and education efforts worldwide.
In 2025, Sportradar, a global sports technology company, monitored more than 1 million sporting events across 70 sports and identified 1,116 suspicious matches, down from the previous year. The company said more than 99.5 percent of events were ‘monitored free from suspicion’, which it attributed to coordinated integrity measures across the sports betting ecosystem.
Europe again recorded the highest number of suspicious matches, although cases declined by 66 year-on-year. South America reported 64 fewer cases. Asia, Africa, and North and Central America, meanwhile, saw modest increases.
Soccer (football) remained the most affected sport, with 618 suspicious matches detected in 2025, followed by basketball with 233 cases. Tennis, table tennis, and cricket recorded 78, 65, and 59 cases, respectively. The report indicated that match manipulation is becoming more dispersed across different sports, rather than concentrated in a single discipline.
The company also reported an expansion of its Universal Fraud Detection System, which uses artificial intelligence to analyze betting data. Sportradar said AI-based detections increased 56 percent year-on-year.
Enforcement and prevention activity also increased. Sportradar supported 125 sporting sanctions across seven sports and six continents in 2025, bringing the cumulative total to more than 1,000. Its education programs reached over 34,000 participants, up 25 percent from the previous year.
Andreas Krannich, Executive Vice President of Integrity Services, said the “relative stabilization of suspicious match numbers” was encouraging but stressed the need for continued vigilance.
During the year, Sportradar provided integrity services for events including the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Women’s EURO. The company said it plans to support partners at major tournaments in 2026, including the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, the FIFA World Cup, and the Olympic Winter Games.
Macau’s government collected MOP8.23 billion ($1.03 billion) in gaming tax revenue in January 2026, a year-on-year increase of 14.5 percent, according to data from the Financial Services Bureau.
Including capital income, the Macau SAR government recorded total public fiscal revenue of MOP9.63 billion ($1.20 billion) in January. Gaming-related taxes accounted for approximately 85 percent of the total, underscoring the sector’s continued dominance in public finances. During the same period, total government expenditure stood at MOP4.67 billion ($581 million).
As of the end of January, the public fiscal surplus reached MOP4.96 billion ($618 million), a year-on-year increase of nearly 29 percent. The improved balance reflects both rising gaming-related income and controlled public spending, according to official data.
The government has set a gaming tax revenue target of MOP92.53 billion ($11.52 billion) for 2026. Based on January’s performance, the execution rate stood at approximately 8.9 percent.
The rise in gaming tax revenue was supported by strong casino performance during the month. Macau’s gross gaming revenue (GGR) reached MOP22.63 billion ($2.82 billion) in January, the highest January total since 2019 and a 24 percent year-on-year increase.
Gaming taxes remain the primary source of government income in Macau, funding public services, infrastructure projects, and social welfare programs.
Konami Gaming‘s Solstice 49C has secured the industry’s No. 1 Top‑Indexing Cabinet – Portrait Upright ranking, as reported by independent data from Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, LLC and Fantini Research.
Weeks following its market launch, Solstice 49C reaches the top spot, achieving average performance figures more than double the surrounding zone and total property based on data across multiple casino locations.
Solstice 49C is a distinctive piece of engineering, featuring innovative lighting elements that extend from the topper to below the button deck and interact with gameplay in a brilliant spectrum of color.
“Top performance in this report by EILERS-FANTINI demonstrates to the market that Konami’s Solstice 49C is the global gaming industry’s newest ‘must-have’ cabinet machine. Its advanced graphics, audio, processing power, and overall appeal combine to deliver a premier entertainment experience for casino players and operators,” said Jay Bertsch, SVP & CCO at Konami Gaming.
Voted No. 1 “Best New Core Cabinet” by casino slot directors, Solstice 49C features a 49-inch float mounted display in a charming c-curve, with immersive audio hardware directly above and below. Its expansive digital button deck supports optimal long-term engagement, comfort, and clarity to serve diverse player demographics.
“Solstice 49C’s launch success is driven by its popular debut game series, including Red Fortune Rail, Dragon Firecracker, and the world’s first-ever slot games based on BOMBERMAN,” said Tom Jingoli, President & COO at Konami Gaming. “This significant milestone would not be possible without our valued team members and casino partners, working side-by-side to achieve results. As Solstice 49C expands across the U.S. and abroad, Konami brings that same level of attention and commitment to every casino destination we are privileged to serve.”
In addition to chart-topping performance in the EILERS-FANTINI U.S. & Canada Cabinet Performance Report, Solstice 49C slots based on Konami Digital Entertainment’s iconic BOMBERMAN are ranked among the industry’s Top 25 Indexing NEW Games – Core (Video Reel), according to the latest EILERS-FANTINI U.S. & Canada Game Performance Report.
