Press Releases
CHIPS has a ball for its 500th presentation with Strictly’s Anton Du Beke
The UK gaming industry took centre stage recently as CHIPS presented the 500th powered wheelchair thanks to donations made by a wide range of organisations from across the sector including Beacon Bingo, Cashino, Clarion Gaming, NRM and The Rank Group.
In a presentation at London’s Reform Club, Strictly Come Dancing star Anton du Beke took time out of a busy schedule to present the 500th powered wheelchair to 10-year old Abbi Bennett who lives with Ulrich’s Muscular Dystrophy which affects her lower limbs and severely limits her mobility. Abbi, who travelled to London from her home in Bournville, Birmingham is the latest recipient to benefit from CHIPS’ fundraising which totals over £2m, a figure that has allowed it to purchase the bespoke powered wheelchairs that the NHS cannot provide and that the parents cannot afford.
Linda Lindsay, Co-founder of CHIPS, with Anton Du Beke and 10-year-old Abbi Bennett, the 500th recipient
Talking at the presentation Anton said: “These wheelchairs are life-changing and it’s been an honour to be part of this wonderful achievement with CHIPS! I really love working with smaller charities such as CHIPS where you see the impact of their work, even though they’re small charities they make a massive difference. To be part of today has been incredible, I’ve met Abbi – who’s a little beauty – and that wheelchair has made such a difference to her life already. It’s wonderful to see how she’s completely independent not waiting for someone to push her or carry her, she’s just off on her own path! That sense of giving a fuller life to a child is so important and the freedom and independence it brings, is just unbelievable.”
Commenting on the 500th presentation, CHIPS’ co-founder Linda Lindsay, said: “We’re delighted to have achieved this incredible milestone and in doing so provide Abbi with the gift of freedom which so many of us take for granted. This wheelchair, which cost £7,000, will provide her with the freedom to move around easily and safely and includes a state-of-the-art hi/lo facility allowing her to talk to her friends and family face-to-face rather than always on a lower level. We could not have reached this milestone figure without the amazing generosity of the UK industry. We are very grateful and sincerely hope that this will continue, so that we can help more wonderful and deserving youngsters like Abbi.
Anton Du Beke and his latest dancing partner, 10-year-old Abbi Bennet, at the CHIPS Charity 500th presentation
“I’ve attended virtually every one of the 500 CHIPS wheelchair presentations and have seen how the chairs quite literally change lives, not just the children’s but the whole family as well as carers, teachers and friends. To reach 500 is incredibly exciting and we’re very humbled to have had Anton mark this momentous occasion and help Abbi onto the next stage of her adventure.”
CHIPS sets the highest fundraising standards with 100% of monies raised going towards the provision of powered wheelchairs for children throughout the United Kingdom. Linda explained: “Every chair we provide brings great joy not only to the individual child who is able to interact and socialise with friends but also to the family unit. The sad fact is that the demand for specialised chairs that the NHS can’t provide, far exceeds what CHIPS can supply. However, today marks a huge achievement for the charity and with more companies pledging their support to us each year, we hope to reach the next 500 even sooner and continue to bring freedom to youngsters throughout the UK.”
SOFTSWISS has successfully wrapped up its participation in SiGMA Europe 2024. This final major event of the year highlighted the achievements and progress of the iGaming industry over the past months. With a dynamic presence and the award-winning concept ‘Grab Success in iGaming’, SOFTSWISS made a lasting impact over the three action-packed days of the conference.
The SOFTSWISS booth became a nexus for clients, partners, and industry professionals, sparking new connections and fueling discussions on the latest trends. Among the highlights was the unveiling of the iGaming Trends Report 2025, offering a forward-looking analysis of the industry’s trajectory. Positioned as the ‘mother of all conferences’, SiGMA Europe proved the ideal stage for the report’s launch, with all 27,000 attendees able to grant complimentary access to this vital resource.
“iGaming is growing at a rapid pace, and for many, the main challenge is to keep up with this growth. SOFTSWISS takes a much broader view in this regard: it is important for us to understand where iGaming is heading and anticipate trends in order to strengthen our leadership positions,” said Vitali Matsukevich, COO at SOFTSWISS.
Before the expo officially opened, SOFTSWISS was honoured as the Best Platform Provider at the SiGMA Europe Awards 2024. This accolade is a testament to the company’s commitment to delivering robust, innovative technology solutions that empower iGaming operators worldwide.
One of the event’s most highly anticipated discussions, “How to Choose a Secure and Safe Crypto Casino,” featured Vitali Matsukevich among its expert panellists. The session drew a full house, reflecting the high interest in the future of crypto casinos amidst the evolving global economic and political landscape.
During the discussion, Matsukevich shared his deep knowledge and insights on leveraging blockchain technology to ensure smarter, safer choices for consumers in the crypto casino space. His expertise underscored SOFTSWISS’ position at the forefront of innovation in this fast-growing market segment.
SiGMA Europe 2024 provided a platform not only to showcase SOFTSWISS’ accomplishments but also to reaffirm its role as an industry leader. Already preparing for the next major event, ICE Barcelona 2025 in January, SOFTSWISS will once again present its cutting-edge tools and insights to operators worldwide.
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.
Casino Guru, the leading online casino database and a champion of informed play in the gambling industry, continues to build upon its responsible gambling partnership with Mindway AI, a prominent RG tech and solutions provider focusing on offering actionable real-time insight into consumer gambling behavior, by launching the revised campaign focused on the Gamalyze self-assessment game, in time for Safer Gambling Week 2024 (SGW24).
The game, a reinvention of the self-test, is a card game that allows players to analyze their own gambling habits through engaging and anonymous play. Thanks to a dedicated widget that welcomes players on the home page, the game is available directly on Casino Guru’s website and is also featured as “Game of the Week.”
To help further improve this year’s reach, Casino Guru has teamed up with several casino partners, including CasinoFriday, Shotz, Roman Casino, giving players the opportunity to explore the game while gaining deeper insights into their own gambling habits.
Casino Guru has reached out to subscribers with additional details about the campaign, aiming to significantly expand its impact and raise awareness among a larger audience.
Previous campaign iterations received 1,800 gameplays each, and Casino Guru is now determined to improve on this milestone.
Šimon Vincze, Casino Guru’s Head of Sustainable & Safer Gambling, shared the following: “I am excited about this year’s upgrade to the campaign and can’t wait to see the results. Together with Niamh from Mindway AI, we were looking for ways to attract more people to play the game and learn more about the risks involved as a natural part of their gambling experience. The upgrades we introduced are promising, and we are confident we can increase the numbers significantly.”
Once the self-test game is completed, Mindway AI provides players with detailed feedback on their gameplay, and analyze certain behavioral markers, such as how players respond to rewards and losses, the frequency of their wins and how risky their gambling behavior is.
Ultimately, the assessment seeks to improve people’s understanding of their own risk-taking behavior, and what they can learn from it. Both companies are dedicated to bringing the concept of safer gambling to the forefront of players’ awareness, and this innovative collaboration allows them to achieve this goal in a creative and enjoyable manner.
To access the widget and test your gambling style, head over to Casino Guru’s home page and click on the widget in the upper right corner of the screen, or check the “Game of the Week,” which will feature Gamalyze throughout SGW24.
Casino Guru and Mindway AI first introduced the campaign several years ago, boosting its reach in a player-centric way in time for SGW24.
Asia
AMD Announces GameOn 2024: Nationwide Counter-Strike 2 Tournament Offers ₹300,000 Prize, Culminates in Hyderabad
AMD, a leader in semiconductor manufacturing, has unveiled the AMD GameOn 2024, an open-for-all esports tournament for Counter-Strike 2 with a total prize pool of INR 300,000. The Main Event of the AMD GameOne 2024 is set to take place at IndiaJoy 2024 Asia’s premier media and entertainment congregation, in the HICC, Novotel, Hyderabad on Nov. 16 and 17.
Commenting on the tournament, Pramit Khanna, Channel Marketing Manager DIY and Gaming, AMD India said, “As one of the leaders in the computing space, we have been supporting India’s esports ecosystem since day 1, and the AMD GameOn 2024 is another such IP for esports enthusiasts. The open-for-all format ensures every gamer has a chance to compete in the pan-India tournament and make it to the LAN in Hyderabad. I wish the best of luck to all participants and can’t wait to welcome the four finalists in Hyderabad.”
The AMD GameOn 2024 began with the open qualifiers, where the registered teams competed for slots to the Closed Qualifiers. The Closed Qualifier, with 8 total teams, has wrapped up, confirming the four finalists for the AMD GameOn 2024 Main Event at IndiaJoy 2024 on Nov. 16 and 17 in Hyderabad. Skyesports is set to be the esports partner for the event.
The four teams are listed below. They will compete in a single-elimination bracket to determine the champions of India. Matches from the AMD GameOn 2024 Main Event will be livestreamed on the Skyesports YouTube channel.
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True Rippers
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Carnival Gaming
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Gods Reign
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Victores Sumus
Besides the esports action at the AMD booth in the IndiaJoy 2024, players will also be able to experience gaming on AMD Advantage systems, which deliver a supreme and optimized performance by combining AMD Ryzen™ CPUs, AMD Radeon™ GPUs, smart technologies, and AMD software. Therefore, AMD’s experiential zone at the IndiaJoy 2024 will be the one-stop immersive place for gamers, combining esports action and providing a hands-on gaming experience.
Shiva Nandy, the Founder and CEO of Skyesports, said, “We are thrilled to be the esports partner for AMD GameOn 2024, working once again with our anchor brand, AMD. With open qualifiers to give every gamer a chance and invited teams to ensure top-notch esports action, this tournament is a delight for all gamers. AMD has been one of the biggest supporters of esports in India over the years, and this tournament aligns with our vision of bringing Counter-Strike 2 into the spotlight ahead of Skyesports’ $1.7 million prize pool roadmap for 2025, where we will host four on-ground events across the country.”
India currently has about 500 million gamers, a number expected to grow to 730 million by 2028, with a 5-year CAGR of 10 percent, making the country the largest market by the number of gamers. Additionally, 65 percent of gamers either watch esports or compete in tournaments, per Niko Partners, with IPs like the AMD GameOn at the forefront of attracting their attention.
SOFTSWISS Wraps Up SiGMA Europe 2024 with Key Achievements
Casino Guru and Mindway AI advance RG self-test game in time for SGW24
Expert comment: Safer Gambling Week 2024
AMD Announces GameOn 2024: Nationwide Counter-Strike 2 Tournament Offers ₹300,000 Prize, Culminates in Hyderabad
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