ThrillTech has launched ThrillArena, a tournament platform that uses opt-in side bets to create player-funded prize pools across casino, live casino and sports. The company says the model removes the usual need for operators to finance tournament prizes from marketing budgets.
The product combines SlotsArena, LiveArena and SportsArena in a single automated proposition. Benjamin Bradtke, ThrillTech’s co-founder, described it as a shift from an operator-funded promotional cost to a player-funded engagement and revenue opportunity.
According to the launch coverage, ThrillArena uses a proprietary dynamic points engine intended to keep contests competitive for late entrants as well as casual players and VIPs. Operators can offer daily and weekly payouts, alongside monthly seasons, while Battle Mode provides limited player-versus-player challenges in which participants earn points and climb rankings.
ThrillArena is the company’s second side-bet product after ThrillPots, its jackpot engine. On ThrillPots, players opt in by adding a small extra stake to each spin, while operators set both the stake and the margin they retain. NEXT.io reported that UK operators commonly set return-to-player rates of about 70% on that side bet, compared with roughly 95% for a standard slot.
ThrillTech expects tournament side bets to generate similarly incremental income, with operators able to configure a percentage hold from each contest. It is also promoting the product as an alternative to large network prizes, which can be funded by an operator but won by a player elsewhere, while retaining player funds on an operator’s own site.
The launch comes as the UK’s online gambling sector faces a tougher cost and promotions environment. The government’s remote-gambling tax package raised Remote Gaming Duty from 21% to 40% from April 2026, and is set to introduce a 25% remote-betting rate from April 1, 2027, up from 15%. The package is expected to raise more than £1 billion annually.
Separately, Gambling Commission rules that took effect Jan. 19 ban promotions requiring customers to engage in two or more forms of gambling, such as betting and slots, and cap bonus wagering requirements at 10 times. ThrillTech characterises its side bets as optional games rather than bonuses, a distinction it says matters where promotional offers are restricted.
ThrillTech is regulated as a game supplier through its certified random number generator and holds roughly 10 to 12 licences and certifications, including in the UK, Sweden, Ontario and Greece. The company is focusing its growth on Europe and Latin America after launching with its first Belgian operator in 2026, and expects to go live in the Netherlands soon.
