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More than 74% of Women of All Ages Play Mobile Games Daily, 67% See it as a Vital Source of Relaxation, Stress Relief & Mental Stimulation

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BARCELONA, March 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Mobile gaming is soaring in popularity as the ‘go-to’ for women of all ages, 18 years – 65 years +, for relaxation, stress relief and mental stimulation, according to a new global research report commissioned by GameHouse.

 

In celebration of Women’s History Month and the launch of its ‘Me time-Game time’ women’s campaign, GameHouse commissioned Pollfish to survey over 800 US and UK consumers aged 18 years+ through 65 years+ about their interests, passions, how they spend their ‘me time’ and how mobile gaming factors in to this.

The results show that 74% of women are today playing mobile games once – several times per day; with more than 67% of those surveyed quoting mobile gaming as a vital part of their downtime or ‘me time’.  When asked specifically how they like to spend their ‘me time’, across the board, respondents of all ages said they choose mobile gaming as a key means to relax and relieve stress, with a vast 73% majority of 35-44-year-old women playing mobile games during their ‘me time’

Mobile gaming is recognised for providing novelty, mental stimulation and variety that keeps life interesting, engaging and fun, and that these fresh and immersive experiences provide an instant escape from the hustle and bustle and pressures of daily life, enabling players to take a break and a moment for themselves.

Here, in particular mobile games that provide a deep narrative that players can fully immerse themselves in, with strong relatable characters and storyline, provide welcome engagement and instantaneous distraction. Further, that strategy games provide new challenges and mental stimulation for all ages.

Simonetta Lulli Gómez, CEO, GameHouse, said, “As a company we are on a mission to design around female gaming preferences and to encourage women to take their ‘me time’ and enjoy it! GameHouse has an unrivalled heritage of the past 25 years in creating the type of games that women engage with the most.”

She continued, “We believe that our casual mobile and PC gaming experiences, with strong relatable characters and story narrative provide the perfect escape from day-to-day commitments, an opportunity to unwind and recharge your batteries.” 

For all respondents aged 18 years+, gaming ranked the sixth most popular way to relax and unwind. Amongst this, a considerable 33% of 35-44 year-olds surveyed said they favour playing games, with 25% of 45-54 year-olds and 20% of 55-64-year olds enjoying playing games in their ‘me time’.

Further, 60% of all women aged 18 years+, said they see gaming as fun, with over half valuing it as a means to ‘relieve stress’ and 39% as a means to ‘take a moment for myself’. Additionally, two thirds of women aged 18 years+ said they feel ‘relaxed’, ‘stimulated’, ‘engaged’ or ‘focused’ when on their mobile, proving that mobile provides balance and the perfect escape from day-to-day commitments for all ages. 

In terms of preferred mobile game genres, Bubble Shooters, Puzzle, Word, Board and Collapse games ranked the highest, with 48%, 35%, 35% and 32%, respectively, playing these genres currently or over the past three months. Overall, women value the problem solving, challenge, growing and strategic thinking aspects of gaming the most. Of those surveyed, mobile remains the most popular gaming platform for women, with 42% playing games on Android and 54% on iPhone.  

When asked how else they like to spend their time on mobile, respondents confirmed they like to focus on social media (76%), streaming entertainment like video and music, researching, browsing and shopping (66%) and communicating with friends and family (60%). 

Mobile Gaming and ‘Me time’ 

Globally, almost three quarters of women are playing games in 2023. Female gamers in fact represent 48% of the global mobile gaming market; with 21% of adult mobile gamers being women aged 36 years+. 

Yet women continue to feel guilty about taking ‘me time’ with 34% of respondents saying they sometimes feel guilty about taking their ‘me time’; and 15% saying they frequently or always feeling guilty taking ‘me time’, compared to just 7% of men.  

Respondents stated that often they must limit ‘me time’ to a few times per week, either just before bedtime or first thing in the morning, when they are ‘free of chores’ or ”when the husband is at work’ and ‘kids are at school’. Worse still, some don’t take it all. 60% of 35–44-year-olds said they don’t get enough or any ‘me time’.

46% percent of those surveyed aged 18 years+ said they feel they don’t get enough or any ‘me time’, with just 32% saying they get an average amount. Within this, 60% of 35–44-year-olds said they don’t get enough or any ‘me time’. The research shows that kids play a bigger role in when women get their me time. 

Emmi Kuusikko, Head of Product Strategy, Insights and Growth, GameHouse, said, “Our research shows that women seek ‘me time’ but feel guilty about taking it and that women find mobile gaming to provide the perfect escape, a means to unwind and have fun.  

She continued, “GameHouse’s ‘Me time – Game time’ campaign celebrates female gamers across the world and encourages women to claim their me time – we all need it!” 

GameHouse® is strategically positioned with its puzzle, narrative and storytelling games to connect with female casual gamers that currently make up over 60% of the total players of the top 1,000 games on the Apple App Store.

GameHouse mobile games are available for download on the Apple App store here and on Google Play here and its PC games here. Please see http://mobile.gamehouse.com/ GameHouse for further information. 

Notes to Editors 

Me-time-Game time Assets

To link to the ‘Me time – Game time’ live action video: please see hereFor download options for the ‘Me Time-Game Time’ live action video and research please see press kit. Password: MeTim3! 

About GameHouse 
GameHouse®, a subsidiary of RealNetworks, develops and publishes immersive games that center around storytelling for iOS, Android, and PC. GameHouse® is well known for having built and created stories with unique characters and artwork that are played and loved by millions every month, like Emily’s adventures in Delicious® World or Delicious® Bed & Breakfast. GameHouse® has released over 5,000 games and apps that have been used by over 250 million players in over 215 countries, making it one of the top mobile games studios targeted to female audiences in the world. 

Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXpt-fGB8dE
Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2038618/GameHouse_Logo.jpg

 

 

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Cboe Clear U.S. Receives SEC Approval to Expand Clearing Capabilities

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SEC registration enables Cboe Clear U.S. to clear binary securities options alongside futures, positioning it to support innovation across the market

CHICAGO, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (Cboe: CBOE), a leading global markets operator and pioneer in equity and index derivatives, today announced that Cboe Clear U.S., LLC (CCUS) has received temporary registration from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to operate as a Covered Clearing Agency.

The registration expands CCUS’s clearing capabilities beyond its existing authorities as a Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)-registered Derivatives Clearing Organization (DCO) to clear securities products in addition to futures and swaps products. Together with recent enhancements to its regulatory framework and product scope, the milestone positions CCUS to support innovation and emerging opportunities across a broad range of assets and markets.

CCUS will initially use its SEC registration to clear Cboe’s binary securities options tied to specified corporate key performance indicators (KPIs), which are planned to list on Cboe Options Exchange and be available on Robinhood in the fourth-quarter 2026. CCUS also recently received CFTC approval to clear margined futures broadly and continues to clear digital asset derivatives under its DCO designation.

“Clearing plays a critical role in bringing innovation to market,” said Dale Michaels, Head of Cboe Clear U.S. “These expanded capabilities position Cboe Clear U.S. to become an innovation lane to support new products and meet evolving customer needs, while maintaining the rigorous risk management standards that are fundamental to our business.”

These efforts complement Cboe’s longstanding partnership with The Options Clearing Corporation (OCC)® and Cboe’s continued commitment to supporting the established clearing infrastructure for traditional equity options.

The development builds on the growth of Cboe’s established European clearing business, where Cboe Clear Europe has become the leading pan-European equities central counterparty, while expanding into new services such as securities financing transaction clearing. Together, these advances demonstrate Cboe’s ability to extend its clearing capabilities across markets and asset classes.

To support its own future growth, CCUS has strengthened its infrastructure over the past year, including electing in June to become a Subpart C DCO. In doing so, CCUS is voluntarily adopting the enhanced standards the CFTC applies to systemically important DCOs for financial resources, risk management and operational resilience, aligning with those applied to leading global clearing organizations.

About Cboe Global Markets

Cboe Global Markets (Cboe: CBOE) is a leading global markets operator with a long history of innovation in equity and index derivatives. Since launching the world’s first listed options exchange in 1973, Cboe has pioneered landmark products, including the introduction of S&P 500® index options and the creation of the VIX® Index, the world’s leading gauge of market volatility, reshaping how investors manage risk and access opportunity. Today, Cboe operates derivatives, equities, and FX markets, providing trading, clearing, and investment solutions for customers worldwide. To learn more, visit www.cboe.com.

Cboe Media Contacts

 

Cboe Analyst Contact

 

Angela Tu

+1-646-856-8734

atu@cboe.com

Tim Cave

+44 (0) 7593-506-719

tcave@cboe.com

Kenneth Hill, CFA

+1-312-786-7559

khill@cboe.com

CBOE-C
CBOE-OE

Cboe®, Cboe Global Markets®, and VIX ® are registered trademarks or service marks of Cboe Exchange, Inc and S&P 500® is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners. 

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. You can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as “may,” “might,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential” or “continue,” and the negative of these terms and other comparable terminology. All statements that reflect our expectations, assumptions or projections about the future other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements, which are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us, may include projections of our future financial performance based on our growth strategies and anticipated trends in our business. These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.

We operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all risks and uncertainties, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.

Some factors that could cause actual results to differ include: the loss of our right to exclusively list and trade certain index options and futures products; economic, political and market conditions; compliance with legal and regulatory obligations; price and new products and services competition and consolidation in our industry; decreases in trading or clearing volumes, market data fees or a shift in the mix of products traded on our exchanges; legislative or regulatory changes or changes in tax regimes; our ability to protect our systems and communication networks from security vulnerabilities and breaches; our ability to attract and retain skilled management and other personnel; increasing competition by foreign and domestic entities; our business and operational dependence on and exposure to risk from third parties; factors that impact the quality and integrity of our and other applicable indices; our ability to manage our global operations, growth, and strategic acquisitions, wind downs, divestitures, or alliances effectively; increases in the cost of the products and services we use; our ability to operate our business without violating the intellectual property rights of others and the costs associated with protecting our intellectual property rights; our ability to minimize the risks, including our credit, liquidity, market, investment, counterparty, and default risks, associated with operating our  clearinghouses; our ability to accommodate trading and clearing volume and transaction traffic, including significant increases, without failure or degradation of performance of our systems; misconduct by those who use our markets or our products or for whom we clear transactions; challenges to our use of open source software code; our ability to meet our compliance obligations, including managing our business interests and our regulatory responsibilities; the loss of key customers or a significant reduction in trading or clearing volumes by key customers; damage to our reputation; the ability of our compliance and risk management methods to effectively monitor and manage our risks; restrictions imposed by our debt obligations and our ability to make payments on or refinance our debt obligations; our ability to maintain an investment grade credit rating; impairment of our goodwill, long-lived assets, investments or intangible assets; the accuracy of our estimates and expectations; and litigation risks and other liabilities. More detailed information about factors that may affect our actual results to differ may be found in our filings with the SEC, including in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 and other filings made from time to time with the SEC.

We do not undertake, and we expressly disclaim, any duty to update any forward-looking statement whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.

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SOURCE Cboe Global Markets, Inc.

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Hears Everything, Uploads Nothing: VoxNexus Launches Android’s First Low-Power On-Device Always-On Voice Artificial Intelligence (AI)

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VoxNexus’ new on-device ambient listening solution runs for 12 hours on 2.49% of a phone’s battery and never sends audio to the cloud

MADRID, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — VoxNexus (www.VoxNexus.ai) released VoxEdge, an on-device voice stack that brings speech recognition, translation and speech synthesis to affordable Android devices, entirely offline. VoxEdge supports speech recognition in 36 languages, translation in 103 languages, and speech synthesis in 45 languages—all running with no connection, no data bundle, and no cloud token bills.

AI should work for everyone, not just for speakers of a handful of mainstream languages. Yet across much of Africa, voice AI has been held back by scarce training data and the lack of targeted fine-tuning. Everyday speech also includes code-switching and dialect variation, while cloud-based inference costs can make deployment at scale expensive. 

VoxNexus’s solutions run entirely on device, and every query is free once the model is installed on the device. Its speech recognition model has as few as 65 million parameters and achieves a lower word error rate than open-source models nearly ten times its size.

“Under-resource languages aren’t small languages. Hundreds of millions of people speak them. Until now, AI models just haven’t learned them yet,” said Charles Shi, CEO of VoxNexus.

VoxNexus also launched VoxSense, an on-device ambient listening solution that uses only 162 mAh for 12 hours of continuous listening, around 2.5% of a 6,500 mAh phone battery. By keeping all processing on device, VoxSense makes always-on listening practical without draining the battery and without sending any audio to the cloud. Developers and device makers can easily integrate it through a license and a simple SDK. Developers can request a free trial here: www.VoxNexus.ai.

VoxSense and VoxEdge were unveiled at the MediaTek Dimensity 9600 launch in Madrid on October 19.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VoxNexus AI. 

About VoxNexus:
VoxNexus builds AI that hears and speaks — for everyone, everywhere, all the time. Its audio intelligence runs entirely on-device, delivering low latency, built-in privacy, and zero token cost across any device with a chip. VoxNexus is headquartered in Singapore. Website: www.VoxNexus.ai. Contact: public@voxnexus.ai  

VoxNexus demonstrates live on-device speech recognition at the MediaTek Dimensity 9600 launch in Madrid on Oct. 19, 2026. Spanish and English conversations were transcribed in real time on the phone, with no cloud connection. (Photo: VoxNexus) 

Speaks Your Language, No Internet Needed: VoxNexus Brings On-Device Voice Artificial Intelligence (AI) in 100+ Languages to Affordable Android Devices

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SOURCE VoxNexus AI

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team.blue extends €1.1 billion of its Term Loan B to 2032 in the largest software Euro term loan issuance in the last 12 months

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GHENT, Belgium, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — team.blue, a leading pan-European provider of digital solutions for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) backed by Hg, CPP Investments and Sofina, today announces the successful pricing of an amendment and maturity extension for €1.1 billion of its existing €1.35 billion Term Loan B. The transaction priced on 22 October 2026, with the refinanced tranche extended from September 2029 to July 2032, reinforcing the Company’s prudent capital structure approach.

Strong demand from a broad group of institutional investors enabled team.blue to upsize the transaction twice in-market, taking the final deal size to €1.1 billion from a minimum initial launch size of €500 million, despite recent credit market volatility. Pro forma for the transaction, c.90% of team.blue’s term debt now matures in 2032.

The transaction comes at a time of significant momentum for team.blue, with continued double-digit revenue growth and strong cash generation supporting its deleveraging trajectory. Its products help Europe’s SMBs get online, get customers, get paid and stay compliant, and AI-enabled products are increasingly driving new customer growth. team.blue continues to innovate across its portfolio, from smarter tools within its brands to secure European cloud hosting built for customers’ growing AI workloads. Its category-leading SaaS brands are also integrating with leading AI assistants, bringing team.blue’s products to customers wherever they work.

Transaction highlights

The largest software Euro term loan issuance in the last 12 months€1.1 billion Term Loan B, borrowed by team.blue Finco S.à r.l., maturing July 2032Priced at E + 425bps with a 0% floor and an OID of 98.5Upsized twice from an initial €500 million, reflecting a heavily oversubscribed order bookCorporate and facility ratings of B3 (Moody’s) and B (S&P), both with stable outlooksBofA acted as Global Coordinator and Left Lead Physical Bookrunner, alongside Barclays. ABN AMRO, BNP Paribas, Citi, ING and J.P. Morgan acted as Bookrunners

Jonathan Thackray, Chief Financial Officer of team.blue, said:
“We set out to extend €500 million of our Term Loan B, and the depth of support from our institutional investor base allowed us to go much further. This reflects confidence in team.blue’s highly recurring, cash-generative model and our position as a leading digital partner for Europe’s SMBs. It gives us the flexibility to keep innovating and investing in the digital and AI-enabled tools our customers rely on.”

About team.blue
team.blue is the pan-European digital partner for small and medium businesses, serving more than 3.5 million customers in 24 countries. From web hosting, domains, email and cloud and AI infrastructure to e-commerce, engagement, payments and compliance tools, team.blue helps SMBs get online, get customers, get paid and stay compliant. Supported by more than 4,000 employees, team.blue’s vision is to make online business success simpler, with artificial intelligence at every step. 

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