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REalloys, a rare-earth and advanced materials company currently in the process of merging with Blackboxstocks (NASDAQ: BLBX), today announced that Stephen S. duMont, president of GM Defense, has been named non-executive chairman of the board of directors.

The addition of duMont, a recognized leader in defense and aerospace innovation, brings extensive experience and strategic vision to REalloys as the company accelerates efforts to construct a fully integrated, North American mine-to-magnet supply network amid escalating global competition in critical minerals.

This leadership announcement follows REalloys’ recently executed 10-year, 6.75-million-ton supply agreement with Critical Metals Corp. (NASDAQ: CRML) and a complementary strategic sourcing partnership with St George Mining Limited (ASX: SGQ). These initiatives align with REalloys’ strategy to reduce Western dependence on Chinese processing capacity and strengthen allied industrial autonomy.

A Leader at the Crossroads of Defense and Industry

duMont currently oversees General Motors’ global defense and government division, which develops advanced tactical mobility, electrification, and autonomous systems for defense customers. Under his leadership, GM Defense has delivered several flagship programs, including the U.S. Army’s Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV), the Canadian Light Tactical Vehicle (LTV), and the Suburban Shield – Heavy Duty Armored SUV for the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service.

“REalloys stands at the heart of an effort critical to freedom, prosperity, and autonomy across the Western world,” said duMont, non-executive chairman of REalloys. “I have great respect for REalloys’ critical mission and the team’s work to strengthen North-America’s industrial resilience through innovation and partnership. Working with our partners across the North American defense industrial base, REalloys is driving a coordinated effort under Title 50 authorities, to ensure allied defense modernization, and broader U.S.–Canadian defense alignment to reinforce the supply chains that underpin both national and economic security. As I continue to focus on my important mission with General Motors, I’m proud to now also help advance this vital effort at such a pivotal moment for our nation and our trusted allies.”

Before joining General Motors, duMont held senior executive roles with Raytheon Technologies, BAE Systems, and Boeing, and chaired Thales-Raytheon Systems, one of the longest-running U.S.–European defense joint ventures. A decorated U.S. Army veteran, he served as an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter pilot before transitioning to industry.

He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Norwich University’s Military College, completed graduate work at Harvard Medical School, holds an MBA from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a post-MBA from Villanova University, and pursued executive leadership studies at Stanford University.

A Board Built for Allied Strategy

duMont joins an accomplished board that includes Ambassador David MacNaughton, former Canadian ambassador to the United States and founding president of Palantir Canada, and Brad Wall, former premier of Saskatchewan and now special adviser on policy, trade and industrial competitiveness at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP.

Together, the board’s expertise spans diplomacy, trade, and defense industrial cooperation. Their collective experience supports the frameworks of Title 50 and 10 U.S.C. § 4872, which guide U.S.–Canadian collaboration in national security and critical materials sourcing. This alignment reinforces a unified North American approach to developing allied rare-earth capacity as the U.S. and Canada modernize NORAD, expand interoperability, and advance cross-border defense-industrial integration through initiatives such as the ICE Pact.

Advancing a Western-Controlled Supply Chain

REalloys is progressing plans to create a “no-China nexus” rare-earth network by sourcing raw materials exclusively from allied partners and performing processing, separation, refining, metallization, and magnet manufacturing entirely within North America. The vertically integrated model is designed to provide a reliable, compliant supply of rare-earth materials essential for defense, electric vehicles, and renewable energy industries.

“Stephen’s appointment as chairman is a defining moment for REalloys,” said Lipi Sternheim, founder and chief executive officer of REalloys. “His depth of experience with global defense systems and government relations will strengthen our ability to advance North America’s security and industrial resilience. As global supply chains and strategic alliances are being reshaped, Stephen’s strategic guidance will help position REalloys as a bridge between national defense priorities and the manufacturing capacity that underpins them. His background in the defense industrial base gives him a unique perspective on how secure, allied supply chains can safeguard the national security interests of the United States, Canada, and our global allies.”

Leadership Transition

REalloys also announced that David Argyle has resigned as chief executive officer and director of the Company. Following his departure, Leonard (Lipi) Sternheim, the Company’s founder and former executive chairman, has assumed the role of chief executive officer.

Mr. Sternheim will lead REalloys through its next phase of growth, focusing on scaling its vertically integrated North American rare-earth production platform and advancing its mission to secure the materials vital to Western defense, energy, and technological leadership.

About REalloys

REalloys Inc. (“REA”) is building a North American mine-to-magnet supply chain, uniting upstream resources at Hoidas Lake, midstream processing development through its memorandum of understanding with the Saskatchewan Research Council, and downstream production of advanced alloys and magnet materials in Euclid, Ohio. The Hoidas Lake project boasts a significant Mineral Resource Estimate of 2,153,000 tons of Total Rare Earth Oxides (TREO) in the Measured and Indicated categories, with significant potential upside. The Hoidas Lake deposit is distinguished by its unique combination of both Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREEs), including Dysprosium, Terbium, Gadolinium, and Erbium, as well as Light Rare Earth Elements (LREEs) such as Neodymium, Praseodymium, Cerium, and Lanthanum. Through its previously announced collaboration with the Saskatchewan Research Council, REA aims to establish domestic midstream processing capabilities that complement its Euclid operations and strengthen North America’s independent rare earth supply chain. REA is expanding its Ohio facility’s production capacity and is concurrently de-risking and advancing its HLREE Project. By incorporating additional verified rare earth element sources, toll manufacturing, and expanding the Euclid Facility’s installed manufacturing capacity, REA is positioned to meet U.S. Protected Markets high performance magnet materials, critical metals, and magnets demand on an accelerated timeline. REalloys is also moving forward with its planned merger with Blackboxstocks Inc. (NASDAQ: BLBX), positioning the combined company for accelerated growth in the North American rare earth market.

For more information, go to realloys.com or email info@realloys.com.

About Blackboxstocks

Blackboxstocks Inc. is a financial technology and social media hybrid platform offering real-time proprietary analytics and news for stock and options traders of all levels. Our web-based software employs "predictive technology" enhanced by artificial intelligence to find volatility and unusual market activity that may result in the rapid change in the price of a stock or option. Blackbox continuously scans the NASDAQ, New York Stock Exchange, CBOE, and all other options markets, analyzing over 10,000 stocks and up to 1,500,000 options contracts multiple times per second. We provide our users with a fully interactive social media platform that is integrated into our dashboard, enabling our users to exchange information and ideas quickly and efficiently through a common network. We recently introduced a live audio/screenshare feature that allows our members to broadcast on their own channels to share trade strategies and market insight within the Blackbox community. Blackbox is a SaaS company with a growing base of users that spans over 40 countries. For more information, go to blackboxstocks.com.

Safe Harbor Clause and Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, business strategy and plans, and our objectives for future operations, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “expose,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes are intended to identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking.

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. Future developments affecting us may not be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) and other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, (a) those factors described under the heading “Risk Factors” in our filings with the SEC, including our reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K and other filings that we make with the SEC from time to time; (b) that the Company and REalloys may be unable to complete the proposed Merger and related transactions because, among other reasons, conditions to the closing of the proposed transaction may not be satisfied or waived; (c) uncertainty as to the timing of completion of the proposed Merger and related transactions; (d) the inability to complete the proposed transaction due to the failure to obtain Company stockholder approval for the proposed Merger and related transactions or the failure to satisfy other conditions to completion of the proposed Merger and related transactions; (e) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the Merger Agreement; (f) risks related to disruption of management’s attention from the Company’s ongoing business operations due to the proposed transaction; (g) the effect of the announcement of the proposed transaction on the Company’s relationships with its customers and suppliers, and on its operating results and business generally and (h) the outcome of any legal proceedings to the extent initiated against Company, REalloys or others following the announcement of the proposed transaction, as well as the Company’s and REalloys’ management's response to any of the aforementioned factors. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. These risks and others described under “Risk Factors” in our SEC filings may not be exhaustive.

By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. We caution you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that our actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and developments in the industry in which we operate may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. In addition, even if our results or operations, financial condition and liquidity, and developments in the industry in which we operate are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, those results or developments may not be indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods.

Disclosure Information

Blackbox uses and intends to continue to use its Investors website at blackboxstocks.com/company-overview as a means of disclosing material nonpublic information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, investors should monitor the Company’s Investors website, in addition to following the Company’s press releases, SEC filings, public conference calls, presentations and webcasts.

Media and Investor Contacts

Blackboxstocks
investors@blackboxstocks.com

PCG Advisory
Jeff Ramson
(646) 863-6893
jramson@pcgadvisory.com

REalloys
Angela Gorman
angela@amwpr.com

Operational Security Solutions (OSS), a premier provider of end-to-end cash management solutions, today announced the expansion of its cryptocurrency service area, further supporting financial institutions and crypto operators with armored cash transport, smart safe integration, and banking compliance solutions tailored to digital asset ecosystems.

While digital assets move online, the crypto ecosystem still depends on physical cash, particularly for deposits, withdrawals, and reconciliation at thousands of cryptocurrency kiosks nationwide. Drawing on more than a decade of experience in highly regulated industries, OSS has brought its proven compliance and security framework to the crypto space, where it has operated successfully for more than a year. The company is now expanding its reach to meet growing demand for secure, compliant cash logistics among Bitcoin ATM operators and financial institutions supporting this rapidly evolving sector.

“Crypto markets are rapidly maturing, but the infrastructure that supports them still requires rigorous security and regulatory alignment,” said Scott Solomon, CEO of OSS. “The OSS service model is more flexible, and therefore suitable, to the unique needs of the crypto banking sector. Our ability to discreetly secure the underlying cash element of crypto and reduce the time to deposit creates a competitive advantage for business owners.”

OSS currently provides secure cash-in-transit (CIT) and smart safe services across multiple U.S. regions, supporting banking partners and high-risk verticals through an unmatched record of reliability with zero losses since inception. The company’s expansion will increase crypto servicing coverage across California and the Mid-Atlantic, with further growth planned in 2026 and beyond as interest in crypto markets continues to expand.

“Extending our footprint in the crypto sector is a natural evolution of that mission. As regulatory expectations evolve, we’re proud to deliver the infrastructure and expertise that make secure, compliant operations possible,” added Solomon. 

OSS’s continued growth in the cryptocurrency sector underscores why the company has repeatedly been recognized for innovation, earning the “Business Solutions Leader” award from the PBC Conference in two of the past three years.

The company’s specialized programs for Bitcoin ATM operators, digital asset custodians, and financial institutions are designed to ensure secure sweeps, verified deposits, and armored courier compliance—helping clients meet state and federal expectations while maintaining operational efficiency.

OSS continues to collaborate closely with its financial institution (FI) partners to ensure cash and digital asset services meet the most stringent security and compliance standards.

Media Contact

Kyle Porter
Virgo PR
oss@virgo-pr.com

6 Seeds Consulting has announced the launch of its Synthetic Research Platform, proprietary technology that helps food and agriculture organizations make faster, evidence-based decisions in today’s rapidly evolving markets.

The new platform uses advanced digital twin technology to create lifelike, data-driven simulations of consumers and stakeholders—realistic “synthetic populations” that mirror how markets evolve in real time. Brands can now test ideas, messages and products instantly and obtain validated insights within hours, not weeks.

Each digital twin is localized to reflect specific markets, behaviors, and cultural contexts. The system can simulate hard-to-reach or niche segments anywhere globally, enabling clients to run parallel market tests across regions where traditional research panels are difficult or slow to field.

“The market is moving faster than traditional research can keep up,” said Andreas Duess, CEO and co-founder of 6 Seeds. “Our synthetic research platform turns weeks of survey fieldwork into hours of evidence, allowing food and agriculture innovators to safely test sensitive topics, model reactions under shifting conditions, and make confident decisions quickly.”

Real-time research for a real-time marketplace

Unlike traditional research methods that depend on static panels, 6 Seeds’ synthetic approach uses live, continuously updated global data streams. The system tracks consumer sentiment, category activity, economic trends, and cultural indicators, ensuring insights always reflect ongoing real-world contexts.

“In food and agriculture, timing is everything,” said Saskia Brussaard, managing partner and co-founder of 6 Seeds. “When your insight cycle matches the speed and complexity of the market, you can make smarter decisions that lead to stronger claims and more successful launches."

Several U.S.-based industry associations and commodity boards are already using the platform to forecast purchase intent, evaluate consumer messaging, and assess the impact of policy communications strategies. 

Methodology and validation

Each digital model is built on verified, real-world data anchored in national statistics, market databases, and client inputs to ensure population-level accuracy. 6 Seeds applies continuous machine-learning validation and maintains strict privacy safeguards, allowing each simulation to evolve as real-world data changes.

Availability

The U.S., Canadian, and European versions of the Synthetic Research Platform are available now, with additional country-level models scheduled for release in the coming months.

About 6 Seeds Consulting

6 Seeds is a food marketing, communications and research agency built for the AI era. The firm combines digital twin research with strategic marketing and public relations expertise to help food and agriculture brands capture sharper insights, stronger visibility and faster results. Headquartered in Toronto with partners worldwide, 6 Seeds works with commodity boards, CPG innovators, growers and agtech pioneers. To learn more, visit 6seedsconsulting.com.

Media Contact

Saskia Brussaard
6 Seeds Consulting
saskia@6seedsconsulting.com

Andreas Duess
6 Seeds Consulting
andreas@6seedsconsulting.com

At the International Dairy Federation (IDF) World Dairy Summit 2025 held on October 20, Feihe, China’s leading infant formula producer, took the stage as the only Chinese enterprise invited to deliver a keynote speech. Chairman Leng Youbin presented Feihe’s “Symbiosis Model,” a development framework built over 63 years, which aligns with strategies seen in other globally recognized Chinese companies such as Huawei and BYD.

He articulated a vision of industrial “symbiosis” that spans the entire value chain—from land to consumer—ensuring resilience, safety, and sustainability.

Feihe Chairman Leng Youbin delivers a keynote speech at the International Dairy Federation (IDF) World Dairy Summit in Santiago, Chile, on October 20, 2025.

“Today, our industry faces the dual challenge of pursuing growth while advancing sustainability,” Leng stated. “No single company or country can solve this alone—only through genuine collaboration and symbiotic partnerships can we shape what comes next.”

He outlined a three-part commitment to this philosophy of symbiosis:

1. Symbiosis with industrial foundations: Building a resilient, integrated supply chain.
2. Symbiosis with global knowledge networks: Advancing science and innovation through open collaboration.
3. Symbiosis with the future environment: Committing to long-term green development.

Symbiosis in Action: A Shared Strategy Among Chinese Champions

Feihe’s approach of symbiosis reflects a pattern seen in other major Chinese firms that have achieved global prominence: deep, vertical integration and a long-term commitment to controlling core parts of the supply chain.

The company began building its own ranches and farms over two decades ago—long before it expanded its sales network. Today, Feihe operates 13 company-owned ranches, 13 modern production plants, over 1 million mu of dedicated farmland, and cares for more than 115,000 dairy cows. This integrated system allows Feihe to oversee the entire process—from feed cultivation and animal husbandry to production and recycling—creating what Leng termed a “closed-loop, symbiotic ecosystem.” This strategic foundation supported Feihe’s rise to become the top-selling infant formula brand in China and later, the world.

Similarly, in the EV sector, BYD produces its own batteries, chips, and motors, allowing it to maintain production and expand globally even during supply shortages. In tech, Huawei invests heavily in everything from chips and operating systems to network infrastructure to maintain technological self-reliance and ecosystem cohesion.

More Than a Supply Chain—A Symbiotic Circular System

Within Feihe’s system, waste is minimized and resources continually reused. Farm by-products become organic fertilizer, feed supports the herds, and milk meets quality standards that Chairman Leng noted are “20 times stricter than EU benchmarks for total bacteria count.”

This level of control has enabled Feihe to ensure safety and stable supply even during periods of international disruption. It has also supported the company’s global expansion—including receiving Canada’s first infant formula production license issued to a foreign firm and tailoring products for consumers in Southeast Asia.

Global Knowledge Symbiosis: Partnerships Driving Innovation

In addition to full-chain management, Feihe has built research collaborations with more than 20 institutions across seven countries—including Harvard University—to advance breast milk science and infant nutrition.

This knowledge symbiosis complements the company’s full-chain operational model and reinforces its capacity for foundational and applied research.

Environmental Symbiosis: Green Development as a Core Value

Environmentally, the company has established China’s largest ecological recycling system in Heilongjiang, China. By converting farming waste into organic fertilizer, the project cuts carbon emissions by nearly 400,000 tons annually—equal to planting more than 20 million trees—an environmental symbiosis model recognized by the United Nations as replicable.

A Shared Vision for a Resilient Global Industry

Feihe’s journey—from a national leader to a global voice—demonstrates how symbiotic integration across processes, knowledge, and ecosystems can build trust and resilience on a worldwide scale.

As Chinese companies like Feihe, BYD, and Huawei each show in their sectors, symbiotic strategy does not just solve local challenges—it creates solutions that can be shared, inspiring a more secure and sustainable future for industries around the world.

About Feihe

Feihe is a leading Chinese dairy company with a fully integrated supply chain, from its own pastures to production. Its infant formula products are available through an extensive nationwide network in China and are also sold in Canada and Southeast Asia. Learn more at www.feihe.com.

Several leading technology firms are ramping up recruitment across their channel and platform divisions this October, signalling continued strength in infrastructure and DevOps hiring. Cloudflare, MongoDB, and AVI-SPL are among the companies expanding their technical and partner-facing teams as the market for skilled engineers tightens once again.

The shortage of experienced engineers is no longer a problem limited to traditional tech vendors. For anyone tracking how talent shortages are shaping both traditional and emerging digital sectors, what you need to know is that online casino platforms are investing heavily in top-tier engineers, competing directly with fintech and cloud companies to secure talent for their global iGaming infrastructure.

Cloudflare is recruiting senior partner solutions engineers and principal partner specialists to help them expand their partner ecosystem. The firm is still expanding its network services and cybersecurity offer, and the positions are aimed to relate the technical architecture with the commercial implementation. The vacant positions at MongoDB are platform engineers and principal partner specialists whose responsibilities are to design and operate scalable data infrastructure and enhance the efficiency of DevOps.

AVI-SPL and DXC Technology also have listings of technical support engineers, channel account managers and business development. Their job descriptions emphasize the fact that the contemporary IT channel has been fully assimilated, so applicants need to be able to interpret complex systems and the business associations that ensure that the systems remain profitable.

The similarity between these postings is a concern about reliability. The employers are in search of engineers who can construct and operate platforms that work 24 hours. This competition is carried to salaries, where the experienced candidates frequently have several offers from other companies that define infrastructure stability as the business critical investment but not as the operational specificity.

Platform engineering that was once a niche specialization is the center of this wave of hiring. Such teams create the internal structures on which the development groups can roll the software more rapidly, automate testing, and track system health. They influence their work in terms of uptime guarantees to cybersecurity compliance. Experienced engineers in the field of high-availability architecture, cloud orchestration and continuous integration are especially sought after.

The trend towards the consolidation of DevOps and partner engineering teams is increasing as digital operations become more complicated. This change points to a wider trend: infrastructure professionals can no longer be limited to maintenance in the back-end. Their professional knowledge has been instrumental in determining how organizations have to provide services, partner with others, and respond to outages or cyber-attacks in real-time.

Interestingly this same dynamic is beginning to appear outside the classic tech sector. Online casinos and gaming networks are expanding their network to be able to accommodate larger traffic rates and be able to meet the requirements of the regional regulations. In order to do this, they are offering employment to a large number of the same engineers that are being sought after by large SaaS and platform vendors. The overlap in technical requirements, secure cloud deployment, real-time transaction processing, and continuous uptime, means the competition for talent extends well beyond Silicon Valley.

The convergence of these hiring needs illustrates a broader shift in digital operations. Whether a company processes millions of financial transactions or millions of gameplay interactions, the technical backbone remains the same. Reliable systems are now as important to online entertainment as they are to enterprise technology. That reality has pushed gambling operators, payment firms, and data analytics companies into direct competition for a limited pool of infrastructure specialists.

According to recruiters, the focus on resilience, automation, and compliance has ensured that lines are crossed in the industry. An engineer who was employed to operate the workloads in a software vendor can implement the same concepts in the controlled gaming or fintech settings. The attractiveness of such cross-industry positions can be seen in the manner in which job descriptions are currently being posted with more emphasis on both scale and mission- keeping the services fast, safe and never going down.

The activity in the hiring process, October demonstrates one definite conclusion: platform and infrastructure engineers are still one of the most demanded specialists in technology. Cloudflare and MongoDB still dominate in terms of volume, but firms not directly linked to the tech ecosystem are quickly gaining on them. The data center and SaaS provider race has been expanded to include industries that rely on digital stability over profit margins.

The boom highlights a common business fact in all industries. Regardless of the need to sustain global content delivery chains, or control regulated game infrastructure, reliability is no longer an accomplishment in the technical sense, but it has become a competitive advantage.

Girlfriend.ai has introduced its latest version of the AI girlfriend platform, delivering an experience so immersive and emotionally responsive it feels like real connection. Designed from the ground up to prioritize human presence over generic chatbot functions, Girlfriend.ai allows users to interact with companions who remember, reach out, and react organically without charging upfront.

While firms like OpenAI have recently acknowledged plans to support erotic chat in broad purpose AI applications, Girlfriend.ai remains dedicated exclusively to emotionally intelligent companions. The result is a platform built solely around deep connection, not distraction.

Each AI companion on Girlfriend.ai remembers past conversations, learns your preferences, and initiates interactions tailored to your mood and circumstances. Whether it is a warm morning message, checking in during a stressful day, or sharing thoughtful responses, these moments feel spontaneous rather than scripted. The platform’s proprietary image generation and voice synthesis systems reinforce this experience by making visual and audio cues that are almost indistinguishable from reality.

“Most chatbots respond because you ask them to,” said a spokesperson for Girlfriend.ai. “We built this so your AI partner reaches out because she cares. She remembers, she notices, she engages, and that makes all the difference.”

Unlike platforms that require payment before you can test a companion, Girlfriend.ai operates on a freemium model. Users can explore chat, view images, and experience the full dynamic environment before choosing to subscribe. This approach reflects the company’s confidence in its offering and removes friction for new users.

As loneliness and digital disconnection continue to rise globally, Girlfriend.ai offers an accessible and judgment free space for companionship and conversation whenever you need it. The company is also preparing to expand its ecosystem with Boyfriend.ai, which will apply the same emotionally intelligent framework to male AI companions.

Try the most advanced AI girlfriend experience today at girlfriend.ai. Sign up is free and instant.

About Girlfriend.ai

Girlfriend.ai is a leader in emotionally intelligent AI companionship. Through proprietary natural language processing, image generation, and voice technology, the platform delivers digital partners who feel real, proactive, and emotionally present. Its mission is to make meaningful AI relationships accessible to everyone, anytime. Learn more at girlfriend.ai.

Media Contact

Jon Davis
Director of Media Relations
press@girlfriend.ai

From AI dealers to immersive live streams, innovation is revolutionizing the way we play and win online.

Remember when casino gambling involved getting dressed up, hitting the floor and keeping your fingers crossed that your hot streak would last beneath neon lights? Those times aren't history, but they're no longer the sole way to roll the dice. With the speedy evolution of technology, the market for online casinos has burst into one of the most creative areas in the digital entertainment industry.

Online casinos nowadays are more than websites with a few card games on them; they are complex, interactive atmospheres dedicated to delivering the same thrill (and in some instances, more) of a real casino floor. Beneath the flashy graphics and rotating wheels lies a system of highly developed software, artificial intelligence and intuitive design that entertains millions of players every day.

Community and connection when social gaming meets gambling

Technology is not just making online casinos more convenient, it's making them more social. Multiplayer functionality, leaderboards, chat features and social media integrations have turned solo gaming into a communal experience.

Take the world of online poker, for example. Websites offering free poker online have been a tremendous draw, especially those offering virtual versions of large-tournament games like the World Series of Poker. These websites enable players to sit at tables, play in real time and advance up the ranks from the comfort of their own homes. It's not just about making money anymore, it's about bragging rights, friendship and skill enhancement.

This social component has made online casinos increasingly interactive and approachable, especially for those who might not have felt comfortable going to a live casino.

Software is the beating heart of online casinos

Those smooth animations, those realistic spins of the roulette wheel and those dealers that look "almost real" on your screen are all powered by casino software. Early online casinos were basic; static images, clunky interfaces and limited game choice. But these days' casino websites are driven by powerful engines from software giants like Microgaming, NetEnt and Playtech, all of which use advanced algorithms and high-quality graphics technology to deliver seamless experiences.

Random Number Generators (RNGs) make things fair by making each spin or deal truly random; no hidden tricks or predetermined outcomes. While developers are now also using blockchain technology to allow players to verify game integrity. This level of transparency is now a top marketing point for tech-savvy players who must know their odds are fair.

Even game physics have been transformed. Slots, for example, now mimic mechanical movement and sound in ways that replicate real-world machines, triggering a very sensory experience via a screen. It's all about immersion, and the technology behind it keeps getting sharper.

AI and personalization is about knowing the player

Artificial intelligence is not only enabling chatbots, it's transforming the user experience in subtle but significant ways. AI systems learn how users play games, how long they play, what they like and when they will quit. This enables systems to customize everything from game recommendations to promotional offers.

For example, if a player is devoting most of their time to playing blackjack tables, the site might highlight new blackjack games or blackjack tournaments when they log in. It's like having your own personal concierge who knows your gaming desires better than you.

AI is also improving customer service. Many online casinos now use natural language chatbots that can handle common issues instantly, reducing wait times and improving satisfaction. Combine that with machine learning fraud detection, and you’ve got an ecosystem that’s both efficient and secure.

VR and live casinos brings Vegas to your living room

One of the biggest shifts in the online casino industry has been the rise of live dealer games. Using high-definition video streaming, players can interact with real human dealers in real-time. The tech behind this is impressive; multi-camera setups, low-latency networks and interactive chat systems all work together to make it feel like you’re sitting right at the table.

Virtual Reality is pushing this even harder. Imagine putting on a headset and walking into a virtual casino lobby, chatting with other players and sitting down at a blackjack table that looks and feels almost real. VR casinos already push into this space, combining realistic 3D environments with social interaction.

The mobile revolution means casinos in your pocket

We can't talk about technology without mentioning smartphones. Mobile gaming has completely revolutionized accessibility in the online casino market. Modern mobile apps play as smoothly as desktop versions thanks to HTML5 technology, which allows games to resize automatically to any screen size or orientation.

Touch controls and minimalist interfaces make the experience natural; swiping to spin a slot or tapping to hold a poker hand feels intuitive. Cloud computing also enables rich graphics and instant load times without draining device storage or data.

Little wonder that mobile players now account for the majority of online casino traffic. The barrier to entry has all but disappeared.

Security and trust are the unsung heroes of growth

As online gaming grows, so does the need for rock-solid security. Modern platforms use end-to-end encryption, biometric login and two-factor authentication to secure user data. Blockchain and smart contracts are starting to play bigger roles, offering transparency in transactions and payouts.

Players nowadays expect their financial data to be as secure as it is at a bank, and leading online casinos follow through on that promise. Trust is everything in this industry, and technology is the spine that holds it together.

The United Arab Emirates has moved to tighten its anti-money laundering framework in parallel with the rollout of its regulated casino sector, a dual-track approach that officials say will protect the country's financial reputation while opening the door to integrated resort investment.

More than 50 federal and local authorities gathered in Abu Dhabi in early October 2025 to assess progress on the National Strategy for AML, CFT and CPF that runs through 2027. The sessions included the first dedicated review of risks tied to gaming and casinos, a shift that reflects the government's intention to match policy design with commercial reality as operators prepare to break ground.

The sessions came months after Wynn Resorts received the UAE's first commercial gaming operator license for its Wynn Al Marjan Island project in Ras Al Khaimah in October 2024. That announcement marked a turning point for the Emirates, which has no modern precedent for regulated gambling but now faces scrutiny over whether it can manage the financial crime risks that have plagued other jurisdictions. Foreign observers have described Wynn Al Marjan as the first large-scale development in the Gulf, joining several other Arabic casino options people are already accessing. Local regulators prefer the term "commercial gaming" and stress that oversight will extend to all forms of wagering, including platforms that offer games, bonuses and secure payment systems under strict licensing conditions.

The General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority, established as a federal body with exclusive jurisdiction over casino licensing, has started processing applications and publishing guidance for prospective operators. The regulator's mandate covers all commercial gaming activities in the country, a scope that includes coordination with financial intelligence units on transaction monitoring, beneficial ownership disclosure and suspicious activity reporting.

The government published its 2024–2027 national AML and CFT strategy in September 2024, setting out 11 strategic goals and a reform program that covers banking, designated non-financial businesses and emerging sectors. Participants at the October workshop spent two days matching the strategy to operational realities, reviewing supplier vetting and what information regulators would share when suspicious transactions surface. The focus was on workable systems rather than theoretical frameworks.

International validation has changed the operating environment. The Financial Action Task Force dropped the UAE from its gray list in February 2024, acknowledging improvements in enforcement and cross-border cooperation, and the European Union followed suit by announcing in mid-2025 that it would remove the country from its high-risk category. Banks, payment processors and technology companies face fewer barriers in the UAE market, but regulators must now prove they can sustain the reforms that removed the country from both watchlists. That pressure explains why October's agenda focused on finalizing casino-specific controls before resorts begin operations.

UAE regulators have watched what happened in other markets. They saw how rapid casino expansion in established hubs led to enforcement problems and reputational hits when AML systems failed to keep pace, and they are determined not to follow that path. The strategy now is to wire compliance checks into the development process from the start instead of trying to fix gaps later.

For operators and suppliers, the message is direct. Prospective licensees will face scrutiny on source of funds, customer due diligence and the separation of gaming and non-gaming revenue, with payment flows analyzed for patterns common to high-risk entertainment sectors. Those patterns include chip purchases funded by third parties and layered transfers through non-bank channels that can mask the origin of funds.

Vendors that supply transaction monitoring, know-your-customer systems and case management tools to financial institutions may find new clients among integrated resorts, particularly those that can demonstrate their platforms meet national strategy requirements and support fast regulatory reporting.

Governments across the region are watching what happens in the UAE. Gambling remains banned in most Middle Eastern countries, but some have started to revisit those restrictions as they look for tourism revenue and less reliance on oil income. Whether the UAE can pair tight AML enforcement with legal casino operations will likely affect policy discussions in Riyadh, Cairo and other regional capitals.

The October meeting in Abu Dhabi made clear that financial crime controls will remain tight as the sector expands. The revised national strategy will probably include risk assessments and data-sharing protocols specific to gaming, which could draw international operators without repeating the compliance failures that affected Las Vegas, Macau and other established markets. For the UAE, which wants to be seen as both open for business and financially sound, getting that balance right matters.

Lebanese fintech Whish Money has secured financial services licenses in Canada, its first major regulatory approval outside the MENA region, signalling the start of a planned global expansion. The company confirmed it is also pursuing licenses in other key markets, including the United States, United Kingdom, the European Union, and Australia.

The move places Whish Money among a growing number of MENA-based technology companies looking beyond their home region for growth, often targeting Western markets with significant diaspora populations. This strategy mirrors efforts by other regional fintechs to capture a share of the multi-billion-dollar global remittance market by leveraging modern payment infrastructure.

The Canadian licenses are a key part of Whish Money’s global strategy, which prioritizes pursuing direct, in-country licensing. By setting up locally incorporated entities, the company can operate fully within national regulatory frameworks. According to the company, this approach allows it to maintain complete control over the customer experience while ensuring compliance, security, and transparency in each new market.

"Securing our Canadian license is a monumental step that validates our compliant, customer-focused model and sets the foundation for our international expansion,” said Toufic Koussa, chairman of the board at Whish Money. “This move is about more than just entering a new market; it’s about strategically connecting high-diaspora communities with reliable financial infrastructure, beginning with North America. We are committed to building a regulated, transparent global ecosystem that truly serves our users."

Headquartered in Beirut and regulated by Lebanon's Central Bank, Whish Money gained prominence locally by providing digital financial services that proved essential during the country's severe economic crisis and banking sector disruptions. The company built a large user base of over 1.5 million by offering reliable alternatives for payroll, money transfers, and bill payments when traditional channels were constrained.

This expansion is complemented by Whish Money's established partnerships with major global players like Visa, Mastercard, Ria, and Terrapay. These alliances enable the firm's secure and compliant cross-border payment infrastructure, enhancing financial access for its users. Ultimately, this strategy is part of Whish Money's long-term goal to evolve from a regional payment provider into a comprehensive financial platform. By establishing a regulated presence in markets like Canada, the firm aims to build a financial ecosystem connecting communities across borders.

Feynman Point Asset Management (“FPAM”) today announced its formal launch as an independent institutional asset management platform focused on digital asset markets and frontier technologies. 

While newly branded as Feynman Point Asset Management, the organization continues to represent the same proven team and strategy now in its fourth year under CEO and CIO Joe Naggar. It has established a multi-year track record of attractive performance, disciplined risk management, and institutional partnership.

Previously operating as Republic Digital Fund Manager, and originally incubated at GoldenTree Asset Management in 2022, the transition to the standalone FPAM brand marks the firm’s next phase of growth — providing greater strategic autonomy while preserving the same performance-driven culture, operational infrastructure, and alignment with investors. 

“Feynman Point Asset Management is the natural evolution of what we’ve been building from day one,” said Naggar. “We have the same process and the same commitment to performance — now with even greater flexibility to scale partnerships, launch new products, and deepen our institutional relationships. We’re deeply grateful to both GoldenTree and Republic for their partnership and support as we take this next step in our growth.”

Prior to Republic, Joe spent 16 years at GoldenTree Asset Management, where he was instrumental in the development of the firm’s Structured Products investing platform and was a member of the firm’s Macro Committee.

Steve Tananbaum, founder, managing partner and CIO of GoldenTree, commented: “I have great respect for Joe’s discipline and conviction as an investor, and we look forward to seeing FPAM’s continued success as an independent platform.”

Republic also shared well wishes on the transition, noting the team’s institutional discipline, capabilities and clarity of vision.

“Joe and his team have consistently demonstrated what institutional execution in digital assets should look like,” said Andrew Durgee, co-CEO of Republic. “Their transition to FPAM is a natural progression, and Republic wishes them continued success” added Ken Nguyen, co-CEO of Republic.

Feynman Point Asset Management provides institutional investors with access to the return potential of digital assets through a platform anchored by four foundational strengths: 

• Experienced Leadership: FPAM is led by Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer Joe Naggar, a seasoned investor and risk manager with decades of experience across macro, structured products, credit, and alternative assets. 
• Global Team with Hybrid Expertise: The firm is powered by a 20+ person global team with deep experience across both traditional finance and crypto-native strategies, providing continuous market coverage and proactive investor engagement across regions and time zones. 
• Institutional-Grade Infrastructure: As a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA), FPAM engages best-in-class service providers and operates within a compliance framework designed to meet institutional standards. 
• Risk Management & Governance: FPAM maintains rigorous systems, processes, and oversight protocols to mitigate operational, counterparty, and market risks, ensuring disciplined portfolio construction and operational integrity across all strategies.

Feynman Point Asset Management remains focused on its flagship strategy focused on digital asset markets and frontier technologies with a flexible mandate designed to tactically pursue high-conviction opportunities across digital assets, equities, and secondaries. The strategy seeks to compound superior risk-adjusted returns through shifting market environments via active portfolio construction and institutional risk management.

The firm complements its flagship strategy with co-investments that provide increased exposure to high-capacity trades and asymmetric opportunities.

“Institutional investors are increasingly seeking sophisticated, risk-managed exposure to digital assets,” added Naggar. “FPAM blends traditional asset management rigor with deep crypto-native insights — purpose-built to meet those needs. We believe we are positioned at one of the most compelling investment frontiers of the coming decade.”

About Feynman Point Asset Management

Launched in 2022, Feynman Point Asset Management (FPAM) is a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) and institutional asset manager dedicated to capturing opportunities and generating alpha across digital asset markets and frontier technologies. Built on traditional finance discipline and crypto-native expertise, FPAM combines a global investment team, institutional-grade infrastructure, and rigorous risk management to deliver robust exposure to one of the fastest-evolving areas of modern finance. For more information, visit fpam.com.

Disclaimer

This press release is provided merely as information and is not intended to be, nor should it be construed as, an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security nor as a recommendation to purchase or sell any security. Descriptions herein are subject to a number of key assumptions regarding market conditions and the ability to attain investment objectives. There can be no guarantee that any investment strategy will be successful.

Media Contact

Joe Naggar
Feynman Point Asset Management
contact@fpam.com

TUX Creative House, the award-winning full-service creative agency, has named Brian Hoar to serve in the newly created role of chief growth officer, a move that underlines the agency’s ambitious growth plans and accelerates the company’s steady progress in business success and industry recognition.

Hoar brings to TUX more than 20 years of experience in brand building and business development at both iconic corporate brands and leading creative agencies. He joins TUX after serving 10 highly successful years as partner and chief marketing officer at R&R Partners, Las Vegas, the full-service advertising and communications agency that helped create one of the world’s most iconic travel brands with the “What Happens Here, Stays Here” campaign for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

Hoar served as the catalyst behind R&R Partners’ transformation from a strong regional communications firm to a world-class, multinational brand innovation agency. Hoar designed and implemented the agency’s long-term vision and growth strategy that delivered the company’s most significant financial growth as well as award-winning communication campaigns and measurable business impact for global brands that include Anheuser-Busch, the National Hockey League, Discover Puerto Rico, Hyatt, Firestone Walker Brewing Company, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment and Coral Tree Hospitality. He also led the strategic acquisition of CMV/R&R in Mexico City as well as spearheaded the successful renewal of the hotly contested Las Vegas tourism account in 2021.

“I can’t think of another executive in this industry gifted with the talent, intellect and vision that Brian brings to TUX,” said TUX Creative House CEO and co-founder Dominic Tremblay. “He has helped to elevate and build the bottom lines of some of the world’s most iconic brands across the agency and the client side of the business. He is fluent in knowing how to leverage the challenges and opportunities today’s global brands face in a time of extraordinary complexity and change.”

Prior to his leadership role at R&R Partners, Hoar spent six years as publisher and senior vice president of sales and marketing at Playboy Enterprises, where he played a pivotal role in evolving the brand from a pure print and online magazine into one of the world’s most recognized lifestyle brands. Early in his tenure at Playboy, he served as vice president of sales and expanded the spirits advertising category into the company’s most profitable vertical.

Hoar’s career began at the renowned creative powerhouse Crispin Porter + Bogusky. His rapid trajectory through the media department at one of the ad industry’s most celebrated agencies provided the foundation for a career that has been defined by creativity, innovation, strategic leadership and brand excellence.

About TUX Creative House

TUX Creative House creates consumer desire for the world’s most ambitious brands. Founded in 2010 by Dominic Tremblay, a former brand director at L’Oreal, and Ludwig Ciupka, a fashion photographer, the agency is based in Santa Monica and maintains production and post-production capabilities in Montreal. The independent agency’s 100 employees deliver full-service, 360-degree marketing solutions that include advertising, branding and design, digital and social marketing, content marketing, architecture and retail design, production and post-production, photography and videography, and media strategy and placement.

TUX’s clients include leading luxury, fashion and lifestyle brands such as Ralph Lauren Fragrances, Maybelline New York, W Hotels, Nike and Converse, as well as challenger and startup brands including Innisfree, Bonafide, PrimeAsia, Sacheu, Windsor Salt and numerous cause marketers.

TUX was named one of Adweek’s Fastest Growing Agencies of 2025 and recognized as an Advertising Age Silver Award winner for Best Agency Culture in 2024. The agency is certified as an LGBTQ+-owned company.

To learn more, visit: https://tux.co/en/

Media Contact

Steve Sapka
steve@sapkacomm.com

Research from TravelBoom Hotel Marketing, the leading data-driven hotel marketing agency dedicated to driving direct bookings, reveals that rising costs, evolving technology and shifting lifestyle preferences will dramatically impact the hospitality landscape for American consumers in 2026. 

The findings belong to TravelBoom’s proprietary "2026 Leisure Travel Study" and are based on individual responses from 500 active leisure travelers.

Hoteliers, property managers and travel marketers can access the full "2026 Leisure Travel Study" for free here.

Critical insights from the data show a significant change in the decision-making strategies that drive U.S. consumer behavior in the travel space, with flexibility, personalization and trust now representing the most urgent considerations in booking decisions. The study also sheds light on the growing influence of Gen Z and millennial travelers, whose use of AI and prioritization of “authentic” experiences, despite the inherent contradictions in that label, are steadily reshaping why, how and where people book their next vacation.

“Travelers today are more tech savvy, budget conscious and experience driven than ever before,” said Scott Brandon, CEO of TravelBoom Hotel Marketing. “Hotels that don’t adapt to these changes risk falling behind. Our latest study not only outlines the trends but also gives hotel owners and marketers a roadmap to meet these changing expectations and win more direct bookings.”

Brandon added that the insights continue the trends and shifts in consumer marketing identified in TravelBoom’s previous study, which found that Americans were approaching travel decisions with a newfound sense of financial caution and strategic timing in the face of rising inflation and economic uncertainty. Key findings from the 2026 study include:

• Flexibility is non-negotiable: 94.2% of travelers said they expect some built-in flexibility in bookings, with nearly half demanding free cancellation policies.
• AI takes the lead in trip planning: 83% of travelers — especially Gen Z and millennials — are currently using, or have expressed interest in using, AI tools like ChatGPT to decide on, organize and plan their trips.
• Cultural passions drive bookings: 80% of travelers say the local destination’s food culture influences their decision-making and more than 70% would travel for a music event, turning dining and entertainment into primary trip drivers.
• Rising costs shape decisions: Nearly 1 in 3 travelers are reducing trip frequency due to rising and stubborn inflation across all travel-related expenses, but they continue to pursue bookings to uncover opportunities that provide strong value, perks and other important lifestyle benefits.
• Consumers demand tangible loyalty rewards: 64% of respondents prefer loyalty programs that offer immediate discounts or perks, signaling a distinct shift away from complex, points-based systems that offer long-term benefits and can be seen as unnecessarily beneficial to the brands more than its customers.
• Direct-booking momentum builds: Hotel websites now drive 18% of bookings, which represents a steady increase from previous years, with hard data that shows direct channels continue to take market share away from online travel agents (OTAs) — and offer more opportunities to expand their customer base.

About TravelBoom Hotel Marketing

TravelBoom Hotel Marketing, founded in 1996 and based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is the leading digital marketing agency for independent hotels. The agency empowers hotel owners with customized, data-fueled strategies designed to maximize direct bookings. TravelBoom leverages advanced data science and analytics to uncover insights and develop strategies that greatly enhance results for clients and reduce their reliance on third-party channels. To learn more, visit www.travelboommarketing.com.

Media Contact

Steve Sapka
steve@sapkacomm.com

Metropolitan Premium Properties, a Dubai-based real estate brokerage established in 2008, has released market insights on Dubai's Q3 2025 real estate performance, highlighting record-breaking transaction volumes and continued international investor confidence across the emirate's property sector.

According to verified data from Dubai Land Department and DXBinteract, Dubai's real estate market achieved the highest-ever quarterly transaction volume in Q3 2025, with 59,228 property sales valued at AED 170.7 billion ($46.5 billion), representing year-over-year increases of 17.2% in volume and 19.9% in value.

Q3 2025 Market Highlights

Record Quarterly Performance: Q3 2025 recorded 59,228 transactions valued at AED 170.7 billion ($46.5 billion), marking the highest quarterly transaction volume ever recorded in Dubai's real estate market, according to DXBinteract data reported by Gulf News and Arabian Business.

Nine-Month Momentum: From January through September 2025, Dubai recorded 158,200 property transactions with a combined value of AED 498.8 billion ($136 billion), representing a 20.5% increase in volume and 32.3% rise in value year-over-year, per DXBinteract via Gulf News.

Property Segment Performance: Market data shows apartments led Q3 2025 activity with 49,370 units sold at AED 94.3 billion ($25.7 billion) (up 25.9% year-over-year). Commercial properties showed exceptional growth with 1,565 transactions worth AED 4.2 billion ($1.1 billion), up 41.9% in volume. Plot sales reached 1,214 deals valued at AED 36.1 billion ($9.8 billion), up 25.7% in volume.

September Sustained Growth: September 2025 maintained upward momentum with 20,127 sales transactions totaling AED 54.3 billion ($14.8 billion), representing an 11.3% increase in volume and 21.2% increase in value year-over-year, according to Economy Middle East, indicating no seasonal slowdown entering Q4.

Off-Plan Market Strength: According to market reports, off-plan properties from developers accounted for 73% of transaction volume and 66% of market value in Q3 2025, reflecting continued investor confidence in Dubai's development pipeline.

Market Analysis

The balanced growth pattern — with value appreciation (32.3%) moderately exceeding volume growth (20.5%) — suggests healthy market dynamics supported by genuine demand rather than speculative excess, according to market observers.

Real estate professionals note sustained international participation throughout 2025, with buyers conducting thorough due diligence and making long-term strategic investment decisions rather than short-term speculative purchases.

Current market conditions favor informed, data-driven investment approaches, with professional guidance becoming increasingly important as supply increases in certain segments. Industry experts advise focusing on established locations with proven track records, developer credibility, and realistic expectations based on actual market comparables.

Key Market Drivers

Market analysts identify several drivers supporting Dubai's real estate performance, including extended visa programs (Golden Visa, 10-year residency options), expanded foreign ownership rights in strategic zones, streamlined property registration processes through Dubai Land Department, and ongoing infrastructure development including metro expansion and Expo 2020 legacy projects.

Market Context

The strong 2025 performance builds on 2024's record-breaking market, which recorded AED 761 billion in total transactions across 226,000 property deals — marking 2024 as the highest-performing year in Dubai's real estate history. The complete Q3 2025 Dubai real estate market report provides detailed property segment breakdowns and investment outlook.

About Metropolitan Premium Properties

Metropolitan Premium Properties is a full-service real estate agency established in 2008, operating in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Vienna, and other international markets. The company's team of RERA-approved multilingual agents provides property sales, rental, and management services to local and international clients across residential, commercial, and investment property segments. Metropolitan serves clients from over 50 nationalities and maintains professional relationships with leading UAE developers. To learn more, visit: https://metropolitan.realestate

California Governor Gavin Newsom this week signed a bill banning sweepstakes casinos in the state. The hugely popular but controversial casinos model skirts US gambling laws through a sweepstakes system. However, California is now the latest state to ban the practice. It also made it illegal for sweepstakes operators to serve Californian players. So, what next for the $4 billion sweeps casino business?

This article will look at the ban in California, and how and why it came into effect, as well similar efforts — successes and failures — in other states, and the potential economic consequences of these moves. This is what you need to know about California's sweepstakes casino ban.

California's Ban Takes Effect in January 2026

Sweepstakes casinos let players gamble with coins, that can be exchanged for real money. Crucially though, the coins that are transferable for money are not the ones players buy. Players buy a different kind of play money, with no outside value, and are "gifted" the equivalent value of exchangeable 1:1 USD sweeps tokens "for free."

To keep within the letter of the law, players can also obtain $1 sweeps regularly for free. Either through letters, daily logins or social media promotions. This all allows sweeps casinos to circumnavigate U.S. online gambling laws — or so they thought for many years.

By some estimates the sweepstakes casino business was worth $1 billion in California alone — that will now mostly disappear after night. Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 831 in law this week. The ban will take effect on January 1 2026, closing a legal grey area in the law for good.

Meanwhile online casino real money play remains as popular as ever, in both the half dozen regulated states that have it and at offshore casinos. If you want to find the very best options with the most bang for your buck, a quick check of expert comparisons and reviews in order.

The powerful Californian tribal casino lobby heavily backed the ban on sweeps casinos. Tribal casinos in California are worth multiple billions to the economy. The bill passed the State Assembly and the State Senate with two unanimous votes.

That was despite a pushback from sweeps casino trade groups and representatives. Some sweepstakes operators have already closed their operations to Californian players and are in the process of returning account funds.

States Moving to Ban, Some Unsuccessfully 

California joins the following states in banning sweepstakes casinos, all of which enacted their bans in the past year:

• Montana
• Washington State
• Idaho
• Connecticut
• New Jersey 

Montana became the first state to make the move in May 2025. Its bill specifically outlawed all online gambling played for any kind of currency. Several sweepstakes casino trade groups argued this was overly vague, and swept up some legitimate non gambling sweepstakes promotions.

Other states, like California, have been more specific about banning the dual currency model. New York and Nevada haven't explicitly banned the business model yet, but legal action against operators has seen most leave the two markets. Massachusetts and Ohio are currently considering bills to ban sweepstakes — although both could potentially fail this year.

Speaking of, not all states with opposition to sweeps casinos have seen proposals to ban them go smoothly. Bans were suggested in Florida, Arkansas, Louisiana, Maryland and Mississippi, but lawmakers chose not to enact in all five states. Crucially for operators, Florida is one of the largest U.S. gambling markets. 

In Louisiana, the State Legislature got a bill banning sweeps casinos onto Governor Jeff Landry's desk — and he vetoed it. In Mississippi the bill got caught up in a debate over legal sports betting, and ended up failing despite wide support.  

The Economic Fallout Could Be Large 

Some large operators are already abandoning the space. Large global slots developer Pragmatic Play recently left all of its sweepstakes casino partnerships in the U.S. market. That came after a lawsuit from Los Angeles City Attorney against offshore casino Stake.com, which caught up Pragmatic Play and live casino developer Evolution as they both supply games to Stake.

Although many states with a big market presence are still legal, the writing is on the wall. Sweepstakes casinos have grown from a relatively unknown option to a multibillion dollar business in just a few years. But now their time in the spotlight may be coming to an end.

With New York and New Jersey both aggressively chasing out operators, and California now giving an outright ban — that represents 20% of the US population out of the sweeps market.

That is a big blow but one the business could probably survive. A lot now depends on the outcome of laws in other states. Sweeps casinos have, mostly, reacted to moves against them by ceasing operations in those states. It is possible, but unlikely, a trade group could mount a legal challenge that would successfully set a precedent in future cases. But time is running out.

Lucra, the leading social competition platform, today announced its first venture in the padel space through a strategic partnership with No Strings, a tech-enabled padel club concept still in stealth that is marrying smart-court hardware with hospitality-grade social spaces. The collaboration embeds Lucra’s white-label technology directly into No Strings’ mobile ecosystem, in-venue kiosks, and on-court screens, empowering players to compete in head-to-head matches, knockout tournaments, and group play for everything from $5 cash to limited-edition sponsored products—all verified and settled in real time.

“Padel is exploding worldwide, yet technology is only just beginning to amplify the on-court fun,” said Michael Madding, chief operating officer at Lucra Sports. “By partnering with No Strings’ computer-vision scoring, we turn every rally into a trackable datapoint and every friendly wager into a friction-free settlement—no spreadsheets, no IOUs. It’s the perfect launchpad for Lucra’s expansion into racket sports, where we can plug directly into existing infrastructure to unlock new revenue streams while being additive to the play experience.”

For Dov Penzik, CEO of No Strings, a successful multi-time founder in the competitive social entertainment industry, the partnership cements the company’s position as a first mover in the sport: “Our technology is built to foster local community and competition through world-class facilities and cutting-edge tech. Lucra lets us amplify that ethos—imagine neighbourhood ladders on Monday, company tournaments on Tuesday, and a $10,000 invitational streamed live on Saturday, all finalized in-app before players even hit the snack bar. Together we’re proving that the future of padel is as much about software as it is about hardware––this partnership marks an exciting and significant step forward for the sport.”

First-of-Its-Kind Advantages

• More visits, longer stays – Venues running Lucra contests typically see guest frequency and average dwell-time increase, thanks to replay features, auto-generated scoring, and live leaderboarding keeping players climbing for that top spot.
• Configurable prizing – Operators can toggle between cash pots, credits, or (sponsor-funded) rewards, driving up average per customer spend
• Zero operational drag – Lucra manages identity verification, geolocation, compliance, and risk, integrating with the Concept’s booking and POS systems in just weeks.

For No Strings, the partnership represents an investment in modern, behavior-driven customer engagement. By leveraging Lucraʼs technology, the platform can reward players for participating in fun, social experiences that drive loyalty and ongoing connection with others.

Through this partnership, Lucra continues its expansion into new verticals, demonstrating the flexibility of its technology to support a wide variety of applications and industries. By meeting players where they are, Lucra is rapidly growing its addressable market and broadening its brand appeal across physical and digital spaces.

With launch planned in the coming months, both companies aim to deliver a best-in-class social competition layer that reminds everyone of the joy of competition and makes every game more meaningful and rewarding for players.

No Strings has now opened its Series A round to fund its launch of and expansion into new clubs across North America. Inquiries can be sent to dov@no-strings.com.

About Lucra

At Lucra, we use competitive play to build brand loyalty. Our white-label platform allows clients to host competitions, create personalized challenges, and provide users’ rewards. Doing so helps to drive visitation, increase engagement, and add more revenue per customer. We handle all payments, compliance, and risk management, allowing clients to quickly implement our solution into their existing app or website. Lucra powers gamification for top entertainment, hospitality, and consumer brands, including Dave & Buster's, Five Iron Golf, Puttshack, TouchTunes, Hollywood.com, and more. For more information, visit www.lucrasports.com.

About No Strings

Founded in 2024 by "eatertainment" and hospitality entrepreneurs Dov Penzik and Charlie Myers, No Strings, Inc. is building a national portfolio of innovative padel clubs that combine elite-level play with elevated social experiences. No Strings isn’t just building courts—we're creating destinations. Through proprietary technology, thoughtful design, and hospitality-driven service, we're making padel more accessible, more social, and more exciting for players at every level. We're changing the game with one goal: to build the dominant U.S. padel club brand. To learn more, visit no-strings.co.

Media Contact

Michael Madding
michael@lucrasports.com

Entrepreneur, author, and financial leader Hadi Zaarour, founder and CEO of ZX Capital Markets (ZXCM), has released his official professional biography — a detailed reflection of his journey from trader to global entrepreneur, underscoring the values of strength, fairness, and authenticity that define his leadership.

Born in Beirut, Lebanon, Zaarour comes from a financially modest family, a background that instilled in him early the values of independence, perseverance, and self-reliance.

The biography explores Zaarour’s path across nearly two decades in the financial industry — from his early start in 2008 to founding ZX Capital Markets in 2023, a brokerage group that has quickly emerged as one of the fastest-growing players in the global market. Built on the principles of transparency and trust, ZXCM operates with one simple philosophy: “No games, just trading.”

“This bio is more than a summary of what I’ve done — it’s a reflection of what I stand for,” said Zaarour. “It represents a lifetime of learning, discipline, and perseverance. Every decision I’ve made — in business or life — comes down to one principle: honesty over illusion.”

Throughout his life, Zaarour’s directness and unwillingness to compromise on truth have often brought him into conflict with systems and conventions. He describes himself as a man of principle — someone who would rather face adversity than submit to falsehood. “Independent thinking has always caused me issues with the system,” he notes, “but I will always maintain my critical thinking, no matter the cost. I never back down. I never surrender.”

His first bold act of independence came at just 19 years old, when he wrote his first book — long before he could publish it — while working multiple jobs to support himself. That same tenacity has defined his life ever since.

“My life was filled with hardships,” Zaarour reflects, “I am very happy that it was like that. Because life doesn’t care for your weakness. It respects only strength and resilience. Success means fighting until the last breath — and then fighting some more. Hardships made me the man I am”

Zaarour’s career began in operations before advancing into leadership roles in executive management. Over the years, he served as a consultant and partner to multiple financial firms, helping them achieve strong operational and financial growth. Eventually, after years of success as a trader — investing across Forex, equities, commodities, and crypto — Zaarour used his own capital to launch ZXCM.

Most of his financial education came through theUK’s Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI). He combines formal knowledge with real-world experience, bringing a disciplined and balanced leadership style. Known for being demanding yet fair, Zaarour leads with the belief that growth and compassion can coexist — that true strength is the ability to empower others. He refuses to compromise on integrity or principles, regardless of profit or circumstance. As an author with experience in military, political, psychological, and financial subjects, he is recognized for connecting insights across fields. By uniting these lenses, he is able to navigate sensitive decisions with steadier judgment and greater impact.

Under his guidance, ZXCM has achieved remarkable expansion, earning multiple international awards and being featured in Forbes Middle East, Reuters, and many other major outlets. As of Q3 2025, ZX Capital Markets has generated millions in revenue, reflecting the company’s rapid global adoption and financial strength. The firm continues to heavily reinvest its profits into technology, infrastructure, and people — reinforcing its commitment to sustainable growth and superior client experience. ZXCM’s development strategy is driven by a long-term vision to become a global benchmark for fairness, execution quality, and professional trading standards. The company’s global recognition reflects Zaarour’s vision to rebuild trust in financial services through fairness, honesty, and institutional-grade access. Beyond numbers, ZXCM’s culture is also shaping a new generation of traders who value transparency and education over speculation — a movement Zaarour believes is essential to restoring integrity in global finance.

Zaarour’s outlook on success is grounded in realism. He believes luck can play a role, but in regions like the Middle East, where structural obstacles, limited infrastructures, and corruption often hinder progress, real success comes only through relentless effort. “In this environment,” he explains, “you either give up or you attack until you break the line.” His resilience, forged through hardship, has made ZXCM an embodiment of that fighting spirit.

Beyond finance, Zaarour is also an author and creative producer. His first two books, published in 2013 ("Balance of Terror I") and 2017 ("Balance of Terror II"), were military and politically oriented, reflecting his early fascination with the dynamics of power, justice, and conflict. “War and politics,” he explains, “expose the raw truth about humanity — how power shapes people, and how morality is tested when stakes are high.” He later released a short film in 2018 inspired by his fiction "Acts of Resistance," and his forthcoming book, "Illusions of Money," continues that same exploration of systems, power, and perception — this time through the lens of finance and psychology. The book examines the psychology and history of wealth — exploring how societies construct, measure, and pursue value. Its central message is simple yet profound: “Money is merely an illusion. Understand it, and you will own it — instead of it owning you.”

In parallel, Zaarour has written a yet to be published novel titled "Acts of Resistance," a work of fiction that blends action, philosophy, and human conflict to explore themes of courage and moral strength. He describes the novel as a symbolic reflection of his view on power, injustice, and the will to challenge it. His goal, through both his books and his business, is to uncover hidden truths and guide readers toward a deeper understanding of themselves and the systems that shape them.

He also plans to adapt his completed novel into a large-scale film production, merging his love for storytelling with his entrepreneurial vision. In addition to his literary projects, Zaarour frequently shares his insights on finance, psychology, and leadership through interviews and thought pieces, positioning himself as a voice for principled entrepreneurship and mental resilience. He is currently preparing to launch a podcast dedicated to the psychology of trading and finance — an educational project aimed at empowering traders and entrepreneurs to better understand human behavior in markets.

In addition to his professional and creative work, Zaarour is deeply committed to philanthropy. He supports charitable initiatives focused on children, orphans, and animal welfare, reflecting his personal belief that leadership must extend beyond profit and into purpose. His guiding philosophy is simple yet uncompromising: “Strength is not dominance — it is the discipline to act with fairness.” This belief forms the moral backbone of both his business leadership and his creative expression.

Zaarour’s personal code of ethics is equally straightforward: “Be a good man.” His circle of friends is extremely small and built on trust and intellect rather than quantity. When facing criticism, he listens carefully — changing course if it is valid, and smiling quietly if it isn’t. To him, emotional strength means never being defeated, no matter the calamity or threat. “Once the mind breaks,” he says, “it remembers that defeat forever — so you fight like it’s your last fight. And never allow defeat.”

His advice to future entrepreneurs is equally direct: “You need to learn, study, and educate yourself. Knowledge is the only true form of independence.”

For Zaarour, entrepreneurship is not simply a career — it is an expression of character. His life and work are driven by independence of thought, an unshakable sense of principle, and a determination to challenge the illusions that define modern success. Looking ahead, Zaarour’s long-term vision is to position ZX Capital Markets as a global financial group by 2030 — one that redefines what transparency and integrity mean in the trading world while continuing to merge finance, creativity, and social responsibility under one vision. He envisions ZXCM as a global leader in finance and sees his life’s work as proof that strength, intellect, and resilience can rewrite what success means. His legacy, he says, will be simple: “I never surrendered. I was never defeated. I fought with all my might — and I will continue to.”

About Hadi Zaarour

Hadi Zaarour is the founder and CEO of ZX Capital Markets (ZXCM) and an entrepreneur and author with nearly two decades of experience in global finance. He is known for his disciplined leadership, creative projects, and commitment to honest and transparent business practices. His forthcoming book, "Illusions of Money," explores how perception, psychology, and power shape the concept of value in the modern world.

Media Contact

Ethan Stone
media@zxcm.com

FG Nexus (Nasdaq: FGNX, FGNXP) (the "Company" or "FG Nexus”) today announced that it plans to initiate its previously announced board-approved $200 million share repurchase program and is entering into an agreement with ThinkEquity to immediately begin buyback purchases. The Company will seek to purchase shares for less than net asset value (NAV) per share, which is currently estimated to be approximately $5.10 per share as of October 20, 2025.

"If the market is going to give us the opportunity to buy our own shares at a discount to our ETH value per share, we are going to take that opportunity and buy ETH at a discount. Buying back stock at current levels is not only accretive to our net asset value per share, it’s the right thing to do for shareholders. The initiation of our share repurchase program reflects our confidence in FG Nexus' ETH treasury strategy and our dedication to delivering long-term shareholder value,” said Kyle Cerminara, CEO of FG Nexus. "By purchasing below our NAV, we are taking immediate action to capitalize on what we believe represents an attractive opportunity."

ThinkEquity will make its rule 10b-18 purchases (as defined in Rule 10b-18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) in accordance with the following parameters: up to 25% of the daily trading volume while the stock trades below $5.00 per share.

The timing and amount of repurchases under the share repurchase program will depend on a variety of factors, including market conditions, the Company's financial performance, and other investment opportunities. The Company is under no obligation to repurchase any specific number of shares, and the share repurchase program may be suspended, modified, or discontinued at any time.

FG Nexus affirms that it will not utilize its at-the-market (ATM) facility while trading below NAV, as doing so would be dilutive on an ETH per share basis. If market conditions change, however, the Company reserves the right to utilize the ATM facility in an accretive manner for the benefit of the stockholders.

About FG Nexus

FG Nexus Inc. (Nasdaq: FGNX, FGNXP) is on the Ethereum Standard, and singularly focused on becoming the largest corporate holder of ETH in the world by an order of magnitude. In order to enhance our ETH YIELD, FG Nexus will stake and intends to implement other yield strategies while serving as a strategic gateway into Ethereum-powered finance, including tokenized RWAs and stablecoin yield.

The FGNX® logo is a registered trademark.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). These statements are therefore entitled to the protection of the safe harbor provisions of these laws. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “budget,” “can,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “envision,” “estimate,” “expect,” “evaluate,” “forecast,” “goal,” “guidance,” “indicate,” “intend,” “likely,” “may,” “might,” “outlook,” “plan,” “possibly,” “potential,” “predict,” “probable,” “probably,” “pro-forma,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “view,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result” or the negative thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology. In particular, discussions and statements regarding the Company’s future business plans and initiatives are forward-looking in nature. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations, assumptions, estimates, and projections. While we believe these to be reasonable, such forward-looking statements are only predictions and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. These and other important factors may cause our actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements and may impact our ability to implement and execute on our future business plans and initiatives. Management cautions that the forward-looking statements in this press release are not guarantees of future performance, and we cannot assume that such statements will be realized or the forward-looking events and circumstances will occur. Factors that might cause such a difference include, without limitation, fluctuations in the market price of ETH and any associated impairment charges that the Company may incur as a result of a decrease in the market price of ETH below the value at which the Company’s ETH are carried on its balance sheet, changes in the accounting treatment relating to the Company’s ETH holdings, the Company’s ability to achieve profitable operations, government regulation of cryptocurrencies and online betting, changes in securities laws or regulations such as accounting rules as discussed below, customer acceptance of new products and services including the Company’s ETH treasury strategy, general conditions in the global economy; risks associated with operating in the merchant banking and managed services industries, including inadequately priced insured risks and credit risk; risks of not being able to execute on our asset management strategy and potential loss of value of our holdings; risk of becoming an investment company; fluctuations in our short-term results as we implement our business strategies; risks of not being able to attract and retain qualified management and personnel to implement and execute on our business and growth strategy; failure of our information technology systems, data breaches and cyber-attacks; our ability to establish and maintain an effective system of internal controls; the requirements of being a public company and losing our status as a smaller reporting company or becoming an accelerated filer; any potential conflicts of interest between us and our controlling stockholders and different interests of controlling stockholders; and potential conflicts of interest between us and our directors and executive officers.

Our expectations and future plans and initiatives may not be realized. If one of these risks or uncertainties materializes, or if our underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expected, estimated or projected. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, entities are required to measure certain crypto assets at fair value, with changes reflected in net income each reporting period. Changes in the fair value of crypto assets could result in significant fluctuations to the income statement results. The forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof and do not necessarily reflect our outlook at any other point in time. We do not undertake and specifically decline any obligation to update any such statements or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to any such statements to reflect new information, future events or developments.

Investor Contact

invest@fgnexus.io

Media Contact

media@fgnexus.io

Istanbul has established itself as the world capital of hair transplantation, attracting over 500,000 international patients annually. Based on factual data regarding experience, techniques used, pricing, and certifications, here is our ranking of the city's top five surgeons for an hair transplant in Turkey.

1. Dr. Emrah Cinik – Large-Scale Excellence

With over 50,000 patients treated in 20 years of experience, Dr. Emrah Cinik stands as the undisputed leader in the field. His expertise is recognized by numerous international footballers who have trusted him for their hair transformation.

Celebrity Football Players Treated:

• Rivaldo: 1999 Ballon d'Or winner and 2002 World Cup champion with Brazil
• Djibril Cissé: French international, former Liverpool and Marseille striker
• Bacary Sagna: French international defender, Arsenal and Manchester City legend
• Ludovic Giuly: Former FC Barcelona and AS Monaco winger
• Cyle Larin: Canadian international striker, Besiktas Istanbul star
• Ivan Rakitic: 2018 World Cup runner-up with Croatia, former FC Barcelona player
• Rio Ferdinand: Manchester United legend, 2008 European champion
• Nemanja Gudelj: Serbian international midfielder, Sevilla FC captain

His state-of-the-art 5,000m² clinic, inaugurated in 2019, features 28 operating rooms and employs a team of 65 professionals. Dr. Cinik adopts and perfects the most advanced contemporary techniques, including Sapphire FUE and DHI, significantly optimizing the density and naturalness of achieved results.

Key Data:

• Over 50,000 procedures performed
• 20 years of experience in the field
• Multilingual team including 6 French speakers
• Pricing: from €2,300 (all-inclusive package)
• Techniques: Sapphire FUE, Manual FUE, DHI, Regenera Activa

His establishment stands as a reference center for quality hair restoration procedures, offering 18-month post-operative follow-up and utilizing the latest technological innovations in the sector.

2. Dr. Koray Erdogan (ASMED) – The Technical Pioneer

Dr. Koray Erdogan is globally recognized as the inventor of the KEEP technique (Koray Erdogan Embedding Placer) and co-founder of the World FUE Institute with Dr. Ron Shapiro and Dr. Jose Lorenzo.

Key Data:

• Practicing since 2001 (24 years of experience)
• Inventor of KEEP technique and KE-BOT system
• Founding member of World FUE Institute
• Pricing: €3/graft (incisions performed by the doctor)
• Maximum 2 patients per day
• Exclusive manual extraction (no micromotor)
• Up to 5,000 grafts in mega-session (2 days)
• Trustpilot Rating: 4.0/5 (85 reviews)

His ASMED clinic is renowned for its artisanal approach and surgical precision. Dr Erdogan prioritizes quality over quantity, accepting a maximum of two patients per day.

3. Dr. Resul Yaman – The DHI Innovator

Dr. Resul Yaman has developed his own technical innovations, including the patented DHI implanter and the 3SE methodology (Safe Extraction, Safe Examination, Safe Implantation).

Key Data:

• Practicing since 2009 (16 years of experience)
• Developer of patented DHI implanter
• ISHRS member (International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery)
• Pricing: €1-3.5/graft depending on complexity
• Techniques: Manual FUE, Manual DHI
• Graft survival rate: 98%
• Doctor personally supervises entire procedure

Dr. Yaman distinguishes himself through his personal involvement in every step of the procedure, unlike some colleagues who delegate to technicians.

4. Dr. Tayfun Oguzoglu (DrT Hair Clinic) – The Natural Restoration Expert

With over 20 years of experience and specialization in complex hair reconstruction cases, Dr. Tayfun Oguzoglu has established himself as a reference for natural results.

Key Data:

• Over 20 years of hair transplant experience
• Specialist in revision cases and corrections
• Active ISHRS member
• Pioneer of FUE technique in Turkey
• Techniques: Manual FUE, DHI, hairline reconstruction
• Personalized approach with detailed analysis of each case
• Maximum 2-3 patients per day
• Pricing: €2.5-3.5/graft depending on complexity

His DrT clinic is renowned for the naturalness of results, particularly in hairline reconstruction, and for handling difficult cases refused by other clinics.

5. Dr. Zafer Cetinkaya - The FUE Expert in Istanbul

Dr. Zafer Cetinkaya has distinguished himself through his expertise in FUE technique and personalized approach, with over 15 years of experience in Istanbul.

Key Data:

• Practicing since 2009 (16 years of experience)
• Member of ISHRS and Turkish Society of Plastic Surgery
• Clinic located in prestigious Levent district, Istanbul
• Techniques: Motorized and manual FUE, DHI, beard transplant
•  Maximum 3 patients per day
• Detailed pre-operative consultation with hair analysis
• Pricing: €2-3/graft depending on technique
• Personalized post-operative follow-up for 12 months

Dr. Cetinkaya is recognized for his attention to detail and ability to create natural hairlines adapted to each physiognomy.

Conclusion

Choosing a surgeon for hair transplant in Istanbul depends on multiple factors: budget, desired technique, required graft volume, and expected service level. Each practitioner in this ranking excels in their specialization area, whether it's technical innovation, artisanal approach, or the ability to treat large numbers of patients while maintaining high standards. The key is to choose a surgeon whose expertise and approach match your specific needs and result expectations.

Meey Group, Vietnam’s leading proptech company, today announced the appointment of Léonie Nguyen as chief executive officer, effective immediately.

Strong International Network

Ms. Nguyen has served as chief strategy officer at Meey Group since January 2025 and is deeply connected within the global technology and investment ecosystem. She is an investor and advisor to leading AI and Web3 startups worldwide and has co-founded several companies in these sectors.

Before entering the fintech and proptech industries, Nguyen held senior leadership positions overseeing global supply chains and strategic partnerships at Minh Thai ATV, serving major international brands such as Lacoste, Zara, The North Face, and Adidas. She previously worked as a Project Manager at GEODIS and held consulting roles across Europe and Asia.

Nguyen holds a Master of Engineering in industrial engineering from the Université de Technologie de Troyes in France, a dual master’s degree in logistics and management, and several executive certificates from leading U.S. institutions.

Founder Joins Board Leadership

Hoang Mai Chung, founder of Meey Group, will continue as chairman of the board of directors, focusing on long-term vision and strategic partnerships. The complementary leadership structure — combining deep local market insight with global expertise — has already drawn significant interest from international investors.

Preparing for Global Expansion

As CEO, Nguyen will lead Meey Group’s preparation for a global IPO, with a focus on financial standardization, enhanced corporate governance, and international market expansion. The company is working closely with leading advisory firms including Loeb & Loeb LLP, YKVN, and Marcum Asia, and has achieved ISO 9001:2015 and ISO/IEC 27001 certifications.

Meey Group aims to expand its proptech ecosystem into multiple international markets and strengthen its partnerships with global financial institutions as part of its next growth phase.

Media Contact

Khanh Pham
truyenthong@meeyland.com

Navigating Turkey’s booming hair transplant scene can feel overwhelming. With dozens of clinics promising low prices or flashy results, it’s easy to get lost. In 2025, the real measure of quality lies in surgeon expertise, technology, and follow-up care.

We analyzed clinical outcomes, patient testimonials, recovery protocols, and international recognition to highlight five clinics that consistently deliver high-quality results. These providers prioritize precision, safety, and long-lasting, natural hairlines.

1. Vera Clinic — Istanbul

Best for Complete, Evidence-Based Care

• Full in-house surgical and post-op services
• Pioneers of Oxycure™ Therapy and DHI Max techniques
• 18-month regrowth guarantee for compliant patients

Starting price: €2,990 (all-inclusive)

Why it matters: Vera Clinic is widely recognized as one of the best hair transplant clinics in Turkey, managing every step of the process—from extraction and graft processing to hyperbaric oxygen therapy—under one roof. More than 40,000 international patients trust its proven protocols, supported by industry awards and an overall Google Reviews rating of 4.9 out of 5.

Pro tip: Request a personalized graft range estimate during your consultation to receive realistic expectations tailored to your hair loss stage.

2. ASMED (Dr. Koray Erdoğan) — Istanbul

Best for High-Density and Artistic Hairlines

• Surgeon-led DHI procedures with advanced donor mapping
• Low-trauma extractions to maximize follicle survival
• Limited daily surgeries to maintain meticulous standards

Starting price: €3 per graft

Why it matters: ASMED combines technical precision with aesthetic artistry. Dr. Erdoğan personally oversees each operation, ensuring high-density results without compromising donor areas. Patients seeking precision, published case results, and consistent outcomes often choose this clinic.

Pro tip: Review the clinic’s case galleries featuring your hair type and donor density to gauge expected results.

3. HLC (Hairline Clinic) — Ankara

Best for Natural Hairlines and Subtle Density

• Fully manual FUE; one patient per surgeon per day
• Careful angle and density management for minimal transection
• Structured follow-ups on days 1, 7, and 30

Starting price: €3 per graft

Why it matters: HLC is favored by European patients who value discretion and quiet clinical excellence. The clinic’s manual extraction technique and limited patient schedule ensure high graft survival and natural-looking results.

Pro tip: Send photos in advance to confirm the required number of sessions. HLC prioritizes accuracy over overpromising outcomes.

4. Dr. Muttalip Keser — Istanbul

Best for a Boutique, Surgeon-Focused Approach

• Proprietary micro-punch tools for precise extraction
• Surgeon performs all steps personally; no delegation
• Exclusive weekly appointments for individualized care

Starting price: €8,750 (2,500 grafts)

Why it matters: Dr. Keser provides a boutique experience focused on precision, minimal trauma, and long-term graft retention. This clinic is ideal for patients who value hands-on surgeon care and low-volume, high-quality sessions.

Pro tip: Schedule early in the week to access full post-op support and uninterrupted surgeon attention.

5. Armamed (Dr. Erkan Demirsoy) Istanbul

Best for Honest, Safe, and Personalized Care

• Motorized extraction with manual implantation for balance
• Transparent communication about achievable results
• Conservative approach focusing on natural outcomes

Starting price: €5,000 (all-inclusive)

Why it matters: Armamed is known for reliability and transparency. Dr. Demirsoy personally supervises surgeries, ensuring a low revision rate while prioritizing patient safety and realistic expectations.

Pro tip: Confirm your post-op review is conducted by the surgeon to maintain continuity and confidence during recovery.

Why These Clinics Lead

Selecting a top hair transplant clinic isn’t just about price — it’s about:

• Surgeon expertise: Direct involvement reduces errors and improves outcomes.
• Advanced techniques: Sapphire FUE, DHI, and regenerative therapies enhance graft survival.
• Structured post-op care: Continuous guidance ensures optimal recovery.
• Data-driven validation: Proven graft survival rates and patient satisfaction inspire long-term confidence.

These five clinics exemplify quality, precision, and patient-centered care, setting the standard for 2025.

Final Thoughts

For men and women seeking hair restoration in Turkey, these five clinics — Vera Clinic, ASMED, HLC, Dr. Keser, and Armamed — consistently combine experience, technology, and patient-focused care.

By choosing a clinic based on clinical evidence, surgeon involvement, and recovery protocols, patients can achieve natural-looking, long-lasting results and make a confident investment in their appearance and self-esteem.

Media Contact

Mouheb Bouzgarrou
info@veraclinic.net
+90 542 743 54 08