Octoplay and Flutter Entertainment Launch Third Bespoke Game Collaboration

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The Skillhub Online Games Federation (SOGF) with the support of the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports is aiming to bring the prestigious International Esports Championships to India for the first time, marking a major milestone for the country’s burgeoning esports industry. In a strategic move to position India as a global leader in online competitive and skill-based gaming, SOGF is working closely with the International Esports Federation (IESF) to organise world-class tournaments on Indian soil.

In a pivotal meeting last week, representatives from the SOGF and the IESF General Secretary, Boban Totovski, jointly called upon the Hon’ble Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, to discuss their milestone partnership aimed at shaping the future of India’s esports ecosystem. 

In the meeting, the Hon’ble Sports Minister expressed strong support for SOGF and IESF’s initiative to introduce world-class esports programmes in India, emphasising the significance of developing the ecosystem and providing Indian athletes with international opportunities. He also endorsed SOGF’s efforts to regulate the esports and skill-based gaming ecosystem, reinforcing the government’s commitment to fostering a fair and competitive environment for the industry’s growth.

Shankar Aggarwal, President of SOGF said, “We are extremely thankful to the government and IESF for turning things around in such a short period of time. India’s potential in esports is immense, and this collaboration has the power to transform the esports landscape in the country. Not only will it broaden the reach of esports in India, but it will also pave the way for top-tier international competitions to be hosted in the country. With the support of the government and international bodies like IESF, we aim to foster a fair and thriving ecosystem. Our commitment is to nurture talent, regulate the industry, and ensure that Indian athletes have every opportunity to excel on the global stage.”

SOGF comprises Olympians, former high-ranking officials including former CJI and SC Judges, civil servants, and industry veterans, ensuring robust governance; it is further strengthened by its 29 associate state bodies, reflecting nationwide support for such initiatives. It is dedicated to ensuring fair competition, fostering transparency, and nurturing talent to represent India globally thereby emphasising fairness, collaboration, and sustainable long-term growth for India’s online gaming industry. 

To champion online games including esports and to revolutionise the way gaming and esports are perceived in India, the SOG Federation has also joined hands with the International Mind Sports Association (IMSA), an umbrella organisation for global governing bodies of mind and skill-based sports, and the Global Esports Federation (GEF).

Boban Totovski, General Secretary, IESF said, “Supporting the growth and development of Esports communities around the world has always been one of the  IESF’s key missions. We’re glad to see that SOGF shares the same values and is dedicated to working toward the same vision in India. We are very excited that our new pro-series, which we are organising, will kick off here, and we believe SOGF is a great partner for the project while unlocking opportunities for athletes, development and esports enthusiasts.”

Furthermore, the partnership between SOGF and IESF, supported by the Government of India, marks a positive step toward becoming a global leader in the space, especially with the much-anticipated Olympic Esports Games now in the mix. This collaboration aligns with India’s growing focus on international esports and the opportunities ahead for its athletes.

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ComeOn Group announced the relocation of its sportsbook, tech and risk management hub in Graz, Austria, to a new and central office space. The new office marks yet another milestone in ComeOn’s investment to accelerate its proprietary sportsbook platform and deliver a differentiated product proposition to its sportsbook players.

ComeOn’s proprietary sportsbook platform and in-house trading team is a key part of its strategy to grow the sportsbook business according to the company’s growth strategy. The office in Austria marks the central gravity of the platform development and opens up room for the teams to grow further as ComeOn levels up its investment into their sportsbook part of the business.

Juergen Reutter, Chief Executive Officer at ComeOn Group, said: “We are very excited about our new sportsbook engineering and trading hub in Graz. Sportsbook is a key driver of our growth plans ahead and we are well on track with the strategic goal we have set to double our sportsbook business in the next three years. By investing in technology and our proprietary sportsbook platform we are not only providing our customers with top-notch entertainment experiences but also ensuring that our employees have the tools and environment they need to innovate and excel. Our new office is not just a place to work; it’s a hub for collaboration and growth, allowing us to better serve our customers.”

The new office opened its doors officially at the beginning of October and ComeOn Group remains dedicated to providing creative and modern office spaces across all their locations for its employees to keep on innovating to deliver the most exciting entertainment experiences for their customers.

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Roulette has been around for centuries, but if you thought that we’d seen every possible type of gameplay then it’s time to think again. Innovative game providers have been working hard to diversify the genre, as we can see by looking at some of the latest releases.

Premium MoneyBack Roulette Adds a Twist to the La Partage Rule

We can see this version by Cayetano listed on the Paddy Power site. It’s one of the many ways to play casino roulette at Paddy’s that add new rules to the classic format. This game sits alongside the likes of Lightning Roulette, Mega Roulette, K-Pop Roulette Live and many more titles. So, what makes it different from other classic and emerging ways of playing?

With a range of French-style bets, this version also includes a money-back rule that some players may recognise as a variation on the la partage and en prison rules used in French roulette versions that are explained here by Masters Traditional Games. In this case, you get a 50% chance to win back your full stake if the ball lands in the zero pocket. When this outcome occurs, you get to gamble on the colour of a coin before it’s spun, with the result revealing if you get your cash back or not.

Sticky Bandits Adds a Multiplier

The addition of randomly applied multipliers has been one of the most noteworthy changes in the roulette game since live dealer versions were introduced. This changes the payout structure on those games that offer a multiplier, giving the chance for much bigger wins than the 35:1 payout for a straight-up bet that was traditionally the top win. However, the interesting recreation of the Wild West atmosphere in Sticky Bandits Roulette Live by Playtech leads us a step further by introducing a bonus game.

In this game, three bandit numbers are randomly chosen on each spin. These numbers trigger the bonus game if the ball lands on either of them. A lucky number is also added which gives a multiplier if it becomes the winning number. Players can also choose the bandit bet option to automatically qualify for the bonus game.

20p Boost Roulette Introduce Variable Odds

Created by Inspired, this is an RNG version of roulette rather than a live dealer game. However, it also adds some new ideas to the basic roulette gameplay. In this case, the odds meter at the side of the screen slides between 29/1, 50/1 and 100/1 and eventually settles on one of these options before each spin.

This means there’s a chance of a bigger win than the standard amount although only part of the paytable is affected by the odds. For example, a straight-up bet can give 29/1, 50/1 or 100/1 while even money bets are unaffected. Bets covering two, three or four numbers are split into the appropriate single number bet to apply the single-number odds.

These changes show how roulette is becoming more interesting as different rules are added. There seems to be no limit to the changes that can be introduced. As long as players enjoy betting in the spinning wheel, we should see more new types of gameplay added.