Dear Santa

What is Dear Santa?

The release leans on a mechanic BGaming has run before rather than a new core engine. The Duel feature triggers when a VS symbol lands on the game’s 5×5 grid along with a win. At that point the symbol expands as a whole-reel Wild, and an animated showdown plays out, with the winner showing a multiplier of up to ×100.

That familiarity is the point. BGaming explained that the game has been inspired by the success of other games featuring the Duel mechanic. In other words, the studio is iterating on a framework it already trusts and attaching its most recognizable characters to it.

The commercial profile stays within conventional bounds. The game serves up a maximum win of ×5,000, with a 97% RTP and medium-high volatility. A layered Buy Bonus menu sits on top of the base engine, offering variations of the Free Spins round rather than a separate headline mechanic.

About Dear Santa

As the U.S. warms to the idea of online sports betting, the NCAA has taken steps to protect its athletes. Deputy General Counsel of the NCAA, Naima Stevenson Starks sat down with Calvinayre.com’s Becky Liggero Fontana to explain her organisation’s stance towards betting involving student athletes and maintaining the integrity of those competitions. 

Stevenson Starks shared those concerns that the NCAA has towards online sports betting in the U.S.:

“The two [concerns] are the integrity of athletic competition, and how that could potentially be impacted by a proliferation of legalized sports wagering. And then the second is really the health and well-being of student athletes.“

About Dear Santa

Younger patrons are increasingly familiar with crypto, but the lack of regulatory adoption in the regulated space can push bettors to offshore or unlicensed platforms, most of which do accept it. At the ICE Barcelona conference in 2025, a panel of international sports betting CEOs lamented the fact that they were barred from adopting crypto, while their black-market competitors were not.

A report released in June by payment provider Paysafe said the percentage of online sports bettors who dabble in crypto is 64%, more than double the US average of 30%. Crypto deposits are only legal in two states, Wyoming and Colorado, but crypto withdrawals are not legal anywhere – 85% of respondents said they would welcome withdrawals as an option, Paysafe said.

“When permitted, crypto would become a top-three payment option for funding deposits (after digital wallets and debit cards), and a top-two payment preference in New York and Illinois,” the report said.