Leading Web3 gaming protocol, Elympics, with grant support from TON Foundation, has launched GameCamp Arena 2024 to offer budding Web3 game developers a way to tap into a massive potential audience of 900m+ monthly active users on Telegram, the world’s fastest-growing social messaging platform, through competitive games.

The six-week online GameCamp and competition opens on 29 July 2024 and runs until 8 September 2024 and will see entrants build up to 40 competitive Web3 games that are integrated with Telegram and TON blockchain, using the Elympics SDK. Over the course of the event, Elympics along with TON, will deliver online workshops and AMA sessions focused on game technology and design. The three winning games will be chosen by the GameCamp jury and will share a $15,000 grant pool with additional sponsored categories.

With Telegram set to become a major gaming hub, GameCamp Arena will be an ideal opportunity for developers to start building competitive games with Elympics quickly and easily with minimal costs and enable them to capitalise on the potential for mass adoption of Web3 via competitive games.

The GameCamp is open to game developers proficient in Unity, game designers and graphic artists. Participants can enter on their own or as part of a team of up to six people. Teams will be provided with prep materials to help create new and engaging games for the Telegram community using the Elympics SDK over the six-week camp.

Tom Kopera, COO of Elympics said: “We can already see the potential for new exciting and engaging compete-to-earn games to bring new players, developers, and fans into the Web3 gaming world via familiar channels. The social distribution power of the TON community is second to none and tapping into this audience via our Elympics SDK, which allows for Telegram integration by default, offers powerful opportunities for game developers.

“We want to make building Web3 games as easy and accessible as possible and so our GameCamp is designed to support developers in making great games using our range of tools, templates, and expert guidance to help secure mass adoption of Web3 through gaming.”

International Game Technology PLC announced that Renato Ascoli, IGT CEO Global Lottery, will be inducted into the Lottery Industry Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2024. Ascoli will be honored later this year at an event hosted by the Public Gaming Research Institute (PGRI) in conjunction with the World Lottery Summit in Paris.

“With nearly 20 years of experience serving in high-level positions in the lottery and gaming industries, Renato Ascoli is an accomplished senior executive whose leadership has been paramount in driving new business and innovation. Renato has a keen ability to identify and realize business growth opportunities, and his contributions will benefit the lottery industry for years to come. IGT congratulates Renato on his well-deserved induction into this year’s Lottery Industry Hall of Fame,” Vince Sadusky, CEO of IGT, said.

“I am incredibly honored to be inducted into the Lottery Industry Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024. Working in the lottery industry with many great leaders and innovators has been an absolute privilege. The future of the lottery industry is bright, and I look forward to helping our customers propel the modernization of lottery worldwide while continuing to generate funds for philanthropic causes,” said Ascoli.

In his current role, Ascoli is responsible for global lottery and iLottery sales and operations, product and sales development, and technology and support for IGT’s 90-plus lottery customers worldwide. Since the merger of GTECH and IGT in 2015, Ascoli has successfully led both the Global Lottery and Global Gaming business units for the Company. Some of the key achievements within his tenure have been launching sports betting with the Rhode Island Lottery, partnering with the Mississippi Lottery to initiate operations, deploying lottery terminals in Walmart retail stores, and rolling out IGT’s proprietary Cash Pop draw game, which is now live in over 15 jurisdictions.

Ascoli previously served as General Manager of GTECH S.p.A. (formerly known as Lottomatica Group S.p.A. and Lottomatica S.p.A.) and President of GTECH Products and Services, where he was responsible for overseeing the design, development, and delivery of state-of-the-art platforms, products, and services. Renato had also served as Head of Italian Operations in which he was responsible for the strategic direction and operations of the Company’s Italian businesses.

During his tenure leading Lottomatica, one of the largest lotteries in the world, Ascoli sustained the launch of the Gratta e Vinci (Scratch & Win) instant ticket brand in Italy. Additionally, he was instrumental in gaining the exclusive Lotto concession in Italy with a consortium led by IGT, Lottoitalia S.r.l. The Italian Lotto, and its associated games 10eLotto and MillionDAY, which are among the most popular and successful games in Italy.

The Lottery Industry Hall of Fame was founded by PGRI in 2005 as a means of honoring those who have done the most to make the lottery industry the great success that it is today. Membership is reserved for lottery professionals who have promoted excellence and integrity throughout their careers. Each year, former inductees nominate and vote on the final recipients.

International Game Technology announced that it earned a top score in the 2024 Disability Equality Index and was named a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion” for the second consecutive year in the US and the first time in the UK. In 2024, IGT received a score of 100 and was one of 542 corporations that utilised the Disability Equality Index to benchmark their disability inclusion efforts.

Now in its 10th year, the Disability Equality Index is the world’s most comprehensive benchmarking tool for Fortune 1000 scope companies to measure disability workplace inclusion inside their organisation and to assess performance across industry sectors. In assessing IGT, the Disability Equality Index measured culture and leadership; enterprise-wide access; employment practices including benefits, recruitment, employment, education, retention, advancement and accommodations; community engagement; supplier diversity; and responsible procurement (non-weighted).

“Earning the ‘Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion’ distinction by the Disability Equality Index reflects IGT’s commitment to creating a fair and inclusive culture where our global employees feel welcomed and can succeed in their careers. IGT strives to advance its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts for all employees, and values important benchmarking programs such as the Disability Equality Index that help us track progress, celebrate achievements and identify growth opportunities,” said Dorothy Costa, IGT Senior Vice President, People & Transformation.

“On the 10th anniversary of the Disability Equality Index, we’re extremely proud of the 542 national and international companies that are taking a proactive role in leading progress towards disability inclusion, setting a benchmark for others to follow. Their dedication to fostering inclusive workplaces not only attracts top talent but also drives innovation and creates sustainable performance in today’s global market. Together, we are creating a future where everyone can contribute and thrive,” said Jill Houghton, President and CEO of Disability:IN.

Since IGT’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion was established in 2018, the Company has implemented a range of programmes, policy and systems changes and leading practices that have promoted all dimensions of diversity to make it a more attractive and inclusive employer for people with disabilities. These actions include:

• Implementing more inclusive and equitable hiring processes.
• Offering benefits to accommodate visible and invisible disabilities.
• Committing to work with and provide reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities.
• Establishing and supporting SuperAbilities at IGT, an employee-led and executive-sponsored employee impact group.
• Facilitating mandatory and elective employee training courses that help support IGT’s diversity, equity, inclusion, sustainability and anti-harassment commitments.