Ice Mania

About Ice Mania

These six additions sit on top of the effects that have been running since opening day on Aug. 28, 2025: tornado winds, swirling debris, fog, haptic seats, fire bursts, falling apples, and the flying monkeys version 1.0.

This is the marquee upgrade. In 2025, it was enough for physical monkeys to appear to fly off the screen and over your head. But more than 3.6 million people have already seen that stupid pet trick. The first-gen monkeys were 16-foot helium inflatables steered by drone operators. Their only motion, besides drifting forward, was wing-flapping. They floated more than they performed.

The new monkeys are animatronic. As shown in the video, they’re capable of moving their faces and bodies in menacing ways as they pass overhead during the witch’s attack. They also seem to be hanging from an overhead line, though the Sphere has not officially described the new flight system.

What is Ice Mania?

Betting and iCasino GGR rose to €151.6 million from €146.5 million. Growth in iCasino resulted from an expanded game catalogue and a rapid expansion of live casino offerings. 

Veikkaus’ international B2B subsidiary, Fennica Gaming, continued rapid expansion in H1 2026, with revenue increasing by 80.6% to €10.3 million from €5.7 million in the previous year. 

This growth reflects the launch of eInstants and iCasino products across various markets, including Italy, Canada, parts of Germany, Mexico, the Czech Republic and Iceland. 

What is Ice Mania?

Betting skewed male, with 16% of men gambling on betting compared to 4% of women. Age-wise, overall gambling participation peaked among 45- to 64-year-olds (56%-59%), when excluding lotteries the highest participation was among 35- to 44-year-olds (35%). 

Respondents cited motivations predominantly as seeking large winnings and entertainment, while 42% reported positive feelings about their most recent gambling expenditure. 

Kathryn covers bitesize breaking news with a primary focus on EMEA and US legislation. A proud North Walian, fluent Welsh speaker and lifelong Wrexham FC fan – long before Hollywood came calling.