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Continent 8 introduces managed CockroachDB service for iGaming

Continent 8 Technologies, a leading powerhouse of managed IT solutions for the iGaming industry, has announced the launch of its fully managed CockroachDB service.

The offering expands Continent 8’s portfolio across AWS Outposts, hybrid cloud, and Kubernetes environments, including AWS EKS – enabling operators and suppliers to deploy distributed, highly resilient data infrastructure.

As the iGaming industry enters a new phase driven by rapid scalability, real-time player engagement, and complex regulatory demands, operators must navigate high-throughput workloads across multiple jurisdictions while overcoming the limitations of legacy monolithic databases in increasingly distributed environments.

CockroachDB’s cloud-agnostic and PostgreSQL-compatible distributed architecture directly addresses these challenges by enabling strongly consistent transactions across regions and hybrid deployments. This allows operators to operate across markets while maintaining strict control over where data resides and how it is managed.

Combined with Continent 8’s global footprint – spanning more than 100 locations across the globe in regulated jurisdictions – the service provides a foundation for deploying infrastructure closer to players without compromising compliance or performance.

Continent 8’s global footprint

“Continent 8 has always focused on delivering infrastructure that meets the unique demands of the iGaming industry – where performance, compliance, and uptime are non-negotiable,” said David Brace, Chief Alliance & Partnership Officer, AWS, at Continent 8 Technologies. “As our customers grow across regulated markets, the database becomes a critical component. Our managed CockroachDB service provides the consistency, resilience, and deployment flexibility required to support that growth.”

As operators scale into new markets and adopt hybrid deployment models spanning on-premises, cloud, and edge environments, the need for integrated, multi-region infrastructure continues to grow. By incorporating CockroachDB into its portfolio of hosting, cloud, connectivity, and cybersecurity solutions, Continent 8 delivers a unified platform designed to simplify operations while supporting massive scale in regulated environments.

“Partnerships like this are critical as operators move toward more integrated, ecosystem-driven infrastructure models,” shared Allen Terleto, VP Global Partners and Ecosystem at Cockroach Labs. “By combining Continent 8’s managed services and AWS expertise with CockroachDB’s distributed SQL capabilities, we’re enabling customers to build and operate modern applications across hybrid environments with greater flexibility and control. It also strengthens the broader ISV ecosystem supporting iGaming, making it easier to bring new services to market on a data platform that can scale with the evolving demands of the industry.”

JCM Global upgrades FireKeepers Casino Hotel poker room with DSS CLEAR installation

JCM Global (JCM) is elevating the arrival experience for poker enthusiasts at FireKeepers Casino Hotel in Battle Creek, Michigan, where its cutting-edge DSS CLEAR display delivers a striking first impression and sets the tone for a premium, immersive poker environment.

Poker News named the FireKeepers poker room one of the best poker rooms in the U.S., and the new CLEAR wall display outside of the poker room ups the ante on fun.

The CLEAR installation raises the stakes and acts as a window, wall, and advertisement between the poker room and the casino floor, allowing players to see the action on both sides of the visual divider. The expansive CLEAR wall stretches an impressive 16.5 feet wide by 9 feet high and has a pixel pitch of 8mm for crystal clear visibility that captivates guests from every angle.
 
The content on the CLEAR wall at FireKeepers is as engaging as the technology itself, ranging from the classic dogs playing poker scene to current poker promotions, including daily tournament action, the $1,000,000 Guaranteed MSPT (Mid-States Poker Tour) tournaments, and casino promotions and branding.

The installation is the latest milestone in a long-standing technology relationship between JCM and FireKeepers. Currently, JCM’s iVIZION bill validator, GEN5 thermal printer, ICB Intelligent Cash Box system, and FUZION system are exclusively deployed across the casino floor, reinforcing FireKeepers’ commitment to innovation and guest experience.
 
“FireKeepers has been an outstanding partner to JCM Global, and we’re proud to support their continued growth by adding our transformative digital signage to their technology road map,” said Dave Kubajak, JCM SVP – Sales, Marketing & Operations. “We work closely with each customer to understand their needs and their goals, so that we can provide industry-leading solutions that help achieve them, and our collaboration with FireKeepers is a great example of that philosophy in action.”

Daily Asia Gaming eBrief: Premium guests carry Macau’s recovery

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Good morning. The penthouse is full; the lobby is half-empty. Macau’s post-pandemic recovery may look healthy on paper, but a gaming scholar says the real momentum is increasingly concentrated at the top end of the market, where VIP and premium players are outpacing the broader mass segment. The takeaway for operators: fewer guests can still mean bigger business if the spending power is there. In India, authorities are now warning VPN providers as users continue accessing prediction markets despite a sweeping new gaming law. The Philippines, meanwhile, saw licensed casino GGR slip 9.64 percent in 1Q26 as Entertainment City weakened.

What you need to know

On the radar


AGB Intelligence

MGM secures seven 5-Star Awards from the Forbes Travel Guide 2025, Asia Gaming News, Asia gaming recovery

The premium tier is rewriting Asia’s gaming playbook

The post-pandemic rebound is hiding a structural shift that Asia’s IR operators can no longer ignore, Zhonglu Zeng, President of the Asia-Pacific Association for Gambling Studies, said at G2E Asia + Asian IR Expo 2026. Premium segments are driving growth in Macau, Singapore, and Cambodia, while mass market spending stagnates. The path forward, he said, lies in bespoke service, cultural interpretation of resort assets, and tapping into the silver economy and the rise of wellness.

Industry Updates


Corporate Spotlight

How Crypto Adoption in Asia is Changing iGaming Payments

Yevhen Krazhan, CSO for GR8 Tech

Yevhen Krazhan, CSO at GR8 Tech, explores how surging crypto adoption across Asia is revolutionizing iGaming payments, stating: “When I look at what’s changing fastest in Asia, it’s payment behavior,” as wallets, stablecoins, and seamless cross-border transfers become deeply ingrained in player habits. The winning operators will be those that offer fast, reliable, and local deposits and withdrawals. To make sense of it, Yevhen breaks Asia into two crypto realities.


INTELLIGENCEASEAN | AWARDSCAREERS | EVENTS

IBIA and aPAL join forces to help shape Chile’s online betting framework

The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) and the Chilean Association of Online Betting Platforms (aPAL) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to support the development of effective, sustainable online betting regulation in Chile.

The agreement combines IBIA’s international expertise in betting integrity with aPAL’s local industry knowledge at a key moment for the Chilean market, as discussions continue regarding the future regulatory framework for online betting and gaming.

IBIA launches Mission 2030 to protect sports and regulated betting markets

As part of this collaboration, IBIA and aPAL will cooperate in sharing information related to regulatory, political and social developments affecting the sector, while also exchanging international experiences and best practices from established regulated markets.

Both associations will work together to promote regulatory approaches and industry standards that contribute to a viable and efficient model for Chile, balancing consumer protection, market sustainability and sports integrity.

Carlos Baeza, lawyer and representative of the Chilean Association of Online Betting Platforms, said: “Chile is at a crucial moment in the discussion on how to regulate an activity that already exists and requires a clear and modern framework. In this context, our partnership with IBIA provides valuable information, comparative evidence, and technical expertise that will be key to enriching the debate across multiple dimensions, from betting integrity and operational traceability to user protection and, of course, supervisory standards.”

Khalid Ali, CEO, IBIA
Khalid Ali, CEO, IBIA

As more countries move towards regulating online betting, there is growing recognition that it is essential to design the regulatory framework correctly from the outset,” shared Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA. “Effective regulation should protect consumers, support integrity measures and create a sustainable market environment. We are pleased to collaborate with aPAL to share international expertise and contribute to the ongoing discussions in Chile.”

IBIA works with betting operators, regulators, sports organisations and policymakers across multiple jurisdictions worldwide to promote betting integrity and responsible market development. Through its Global Monitoring and Alert Platform (Global MAP) the association helps strengthen integrity and confidence in regulated sports betting markets. IBIA’s Global MAP monitors more than 1.5 million matches across over 80 sports offered by its members, generating more than US$300 billion in annual sports betting turnover for those operators.

The agreement with aPAL reflects a shared commitment to supporting thoughtful and effective regulation in Chile through collaboration, expertise and evidence-based policy making.

Philippine gaming firm DFNN’s 1Q26 revenue falls 48.6% on e-wallet delinking

Philippine-listed gaming and technology firm DFNN Inc. reported a sharp decline in first-quarter 2026 revenue, posting PHP53.6 million ($870,575) for the three months ended March 31st, down 48.6 percent from PHP104.4 million ($1.7 million) in the same period last year, according to the company’s filing.

The PHP50.7 million ($823,157) decline in top-line revenue was primarily driven by a steep fall in commission income from its licensed gaming operations. Commission income dropped 68.4 percent to PHP17.3 million ($280,936) during the quarter from PHP54.8 million ($889,899) a year earlier. DFNN attributed the decline to the delinking of its online gaming platform from e-wallet providers.

Net loss for the period widened to PHP155 million ($2.5 million), compared with a PHP99.8 million ($1.6 million) loss in the first quarter of 2025. EBITDA loss also widened to PHP95.2 million from PHP56.6 million a year earlier.

Service fee income, generated from software development and maintenance, declined 22.5 percent to PHP28.2 million ($457,941), while revenue from the company’s LottoMatik contract with the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office fell 30.9 percent to PHP5.7 million ($92,562).

Despite the revenue contraction, DFNN said it continued expanding its InPlay.ph ecosystem with new sub-brands, additional gaming content, and payment integrations. The group also broadened its land-based gaming network and enhanced its InstaWin terminals during the quarter.

Malaysia warns influencers over online gambling promotions

Malaysia’s consumer groups and legal experts are warning that social media influencers who promote online gambling platforms could face criminal liability, amid growing concerns that gambling-related content is increasingly reaching younger audiences online.

Datuk Indrani Thuraisingham, vice-president of the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations, said influencers risk becoming “active accomplices” to illegal gambling syndicates by leveraging their online followings to promote betting platforms. “Influencers hold immense social capital; using that capital to monetise addiction is an ethical failure and a legal ticking time bomb,” Indrani said, warning that some content creators may not fully understand the potential legal consequences of accepting sponsorships linked to gambling promotions.

She added that gambling-related material was no longer limited to obscure online spaces, but was increasingly appearing in mainstream social media feeds disguised as entertainment, gaming content or “easy money” opportunities. According to Indrani, the trend was particularly concerning for younger users and those with limited financial literacy, with repeated exposure potentially normalising gambling behaviour among minors and vulnerable individuals.

Malaysia maintains strict controls on gambling activity, with enforcement historically governed under the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953 and Betting Act 1953. However, legal observers say those laws were drafted decades before the emergence of social media and online gambling platforms. Indrani noted that authorities have increasingly relied on provisions under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 to address online gambling-related content and digital promotions. She also welcomed ongoing efforts to introduce more comprehensive legislation specifically targeting online gambling and related cyber-enabled activities.

The consumer advocate called on social media companies to take a more proactive approach toward removing gambling-related content, rather than relying primarily on user complaints and reactive enforcement. Lawyer Joshua Kong said updated legislation would provide authorities with stronger tools to tackle online gambling advertising and promotional activity.

“If we use 1953 laws to police 2026 crimes, criminals may end up getting away with their crimes,” Kong said, arguing that regulators and courts were currently forced to apply outdated legislation to modern digital gambling operations. Meanwhile, Teo Nie Ching recently warned that promoting online gambling platforms could already constitute an offence under existing Malaysian laws.

In a recent Facebook video addressing online gambling promotions, Teo cited provisions under the Common Gaming Houses Act that prohibit not only gambling activities themselves, but also the promotion or solicitation of gambling. “If you publicise or promote a gambling place or in any way encourage people to gamble, then you could have committed an offense,” she said.

Teo also pointed to recent enforcement actions involving influencers and gambling-related content, adding that cooperation between the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission and police had intensified in efforts to remove such material from online platforms. “Combating online gambling is everyone’s responsibility,” she said, while urging social media companies to strengthen monitoring systems to limit the spread of gambling-related content online.

SOFTSWISS issues Prediction Markets report targeted for iGaming operators

SOFTSWISS has announced the release of a research report on prediction markets, examining how the category has developed and what it means for iGaming operators considering entry. 

The ‘Prediction Markets: From Trading to Betting’ report covers the full arc of prediction markets – from their origins in 15th-century papal election betting to the platforms processing billions in monthly volume today. It maps the competitive field, from Polymarket and Kalshi to the first iGaming-native launches in 2025 and 2026.

It also breaks down regulatory status across North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania, and closes with practical guidance on how to launch prediction markets as an iGaming product.

The report draws on data from Dune, Keyrock, TRM Labs, and Blask, among other sources. It includes demand signal analysis across five markets – the US, UK, Ireland, Australia, and Canada – and profiles the mechanics behind both trading-style and betting-style prediction market models.

Alexander Kamenetskyi, Head of SOFTSWISS Sportsbook
Alexander Kamenetskyi, Head of SOFTSWISS Sportsbook

Alexander Kamenetskyi, Head of Operations at SOFTSWISS Sportsbook, said: “Monthly volume grew from $32m in January 2024 to $12.6bn in January 2026 – a scale shift the industry can no longer afford to dismiss. That is no longer a trend – it is a fully formed product category. And critically, almost none of that volume has flowed through traditional operators.”

The report’s data points to sports as the highest-value event category on both Kalshi and Polymarket. Four of the ten most profitable Polymarket wallets traded predominantly on sports between January and March 2026, generating $22 million in combined profit. For operators already running a sportsbook, that overlap is a direct revenue opportunity. Bernstein projects the global market will reach $1 trillion by 2030, with 370% volume growth forecast by the end of 2026 alone.

Demand signals vary by market: the US and UK have seen the steepest growth trajectories, while Canada and Australia are also expanding. Regulatory treatment differs across all of them, and the report maps each jurisdiction in detail.

The report follows the recent launch of SOFTSWISS Prediction Markets, the tech provider’s own solution. It allows operators to offer event-based wagering on outcomes across politics, economics, sport, entertainment, and other categories. The fixed-odds model is more compatible with existing iGaming licences and operator infrastructure than peer-to-peer trading, and requires no change to the betting mechanics players already know.

The product is available as a standalone iFrame widget or as a direct integration within the SOFTSWISS Sportsbook, with launch timelines of two to three days for existing partners.

EGT returns to G2E Asia with strong presence

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Euro Games Technology (EGT), a global-scale gaming manufacturer with headquarters in Bulgaria, marked its return to G2E Asia with great enthusiasm, as the event once again highlighted the strong business potential of the Asian market.

In a press release, the company said each day was filled with meaningful meetings and valuable new connections, reinforcing the company’s regional presence.

During the exhibition, booth 1701 attracted considerable attention from visitors. EGT’s products, distinguished by their unique design and engaging gameplay, showcased a level of excellence that resonated strongly with attendees.

Progressive Jackpots

EGT’s Asian-themed progressive jackpots reinforced its position as a leading global gaming solutions provider, with special symbols delivering an immersive and dynamic player experience.

The award-winning Zhao Cai Shuang Yu, a multi-level progressive jackpot, stood out among visitors, gaining strong interest thanks to its proven performance, distinctive features, and international appeal. The titles Rising Coins and Prosperity Strike enhance gameplay through special symbols that trigger KEEP & SPIN or FREE SPINS & WHEEL bonuses, while unlocking higher jackpot levels.

EGT

Visitors also responded positively to Bonus Boom and Bonus Craze from Sheng Sheng Bu Xi, as well as Cai Fu Tian Jiang, which drew attention with its four engaging titles and dynamic, twist-filled gameplay.

Bringing More to G2E Asia 2026

EGT further strengthened its presence with a portfolio of top-performing jackpots, including Bell Link, Bell Link Boost, and Gods & Kings Link, all presented alongside their latest multigame configurations. These were complemented by the company’s widely recognised slot cabinets from the General and Supreme Series.

Specially curated for G2E Asia, EGT also showcased its Asian-themed mix Supreme Wang Union, previously highlighted in detail in the company’s newsletter.

On the EGT front, the G RSA roulette center and G R8 SQ roulette emerged as standout attractions, thanks to their elegant design, flexibility, and proven performance, making them clear favourites among players.

G2E Asia proved to be an inspiring experience for EGT, driven by the dedication of its team and the continued support of partners, customers, and friends. With strong momentum behind its portfolio, the company now looks ahead with confidence—firmly focused on the continued success of its products.

GR8 Tech reimagines championship through a new tech-native identity

GR8 Tech has unveiled a redesigned brand identity built to match the speed, ambition, and scale of modern iGaming. More than a visual update, the new system reflects the way modern technology brands think, move, and evolve.

As a tech company, GR8 Tech deliberately chose to speak the language of technology itself—through a coding-inspired visual language, modular design principles, a motion-first approach, and structures that feel more aligned with modern digital products than traditional iGaming branding.

Created for a digital-first world, the identity combines precision, confidence, and high-performance aesthetics with the energy of gaming and entertainment. It’s a minimal, scalable system designed to move consistently across products, platforms, motion, and future subbrands.

“This was never about changing the brand for the sake of change. GR8 Tech already had strong recognition and character,” said Iryna Ilchanka, Creative Lead at GR8 Tech. “Our goal was to sharpen it, to create a system that feels more future-ready and aligned with the level of technology and ambition behind the company.”

Built to Evolve

Inspired by the spirit of champions, GR8 Tech was created for ambitious operators and teams who move the industry forward with confidence, precision, and bold thinking. The redesign strengthens that foundation while giving the brand a more scalable and digitally native visual language.

Iryna Ilchanka

Beyond visual change, the new branding represents GR8 Tech’s vision of the modern championship itself: confident and driven by discipline, technology, and continuous evolution.

Melco named among “Best Companies to Work” at the HR Asia Awards 2026

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Melco Resorts & Entertainment has been recognised as a winner of the HR Asia Best Companies to Work for in Asia – Hong Kong 2026, alongside receiving the HR Asia People Transformation Award.

Melco’s dual win highlights its success in fostering an environment where professional growth and colleague well-being go hand-in-hand.

Lawrence Ho, Chairman and CEO of Melco Resorts & Entertainment
Lawrence Ho

Commenting on the recognition, Mr. Lawrence Ho, Chairman and CEO of Melco Resorts & Entertainment, said, “We are deeply honored to receive these distinctions from HR Asia, in recognition of our commitment to establishing and maintaining a positive work environment and culture for our Colleagues. Our Colleagues are our greatest asset. Being named one of the Best Companies to Work for reflects our commitment to creating a culture of excellence and being an employer of choice. Also, being recognized with the People Transformation Award underscores our belief in the importance of lifelong learning. Through various programs driven by our Whole Person Development philosophy, we remain dedicated to equipping our Colleagues with the tools needed to thrive in our ever-evolving industry.”

Melco’s people-centric strategy continues to focus on holistic Colleague development, ranging from comprehensive internal training programs to scholarships and leadership workshops designed to prepare its workforce for the future of global luxury hospitality.

The HR Asia Awards are among the most respected in the region, utilizing a rigorous evaluation process that includes employee engagement surveys and audits. The HR Asia Best Companies to Work for in Asia honors organizations that demonstrate unwavering commitment to workplace excellence. 

Additionally, the HR Asia People Transformation Award specifically recognizes organizations that place learning at the core of their people strategy, investing heavily in upskilling their workforce to meet the challenges of tomorrow.