About this app
About Big Bite
The mayor of the Chicago suburb Burr Ridge says he will return a $2,000 donation from a local restaurateur and social media chef accused of moonlighting as an enforcer for an illegal gambling ring.
In response to a query from local news outlet Patch, Republican Mayor Gary Grasso confirmed the existence of the donations from the Capri restaurant and the Are We Live nightclub, two Burr Ridge businesses owned by Filippo “Gigi” Rovito.
Rovito, whom NBC Chicago previously reported has alleged ties to the Chicago Outfit, is facing federal charges of operating an illegal gambling business and conspiracy to collect extensions of credit by extortionate means.
What is Big Bite?
The experience led the tech-savvy Dane to create Spilfri.nu, a blocking and support service for people experiencing gambling problems. The service is free for users, while supporters can pay a monthly fee to help monitor their progress. The service also extends to schools and educational institutions that want to ensure their students are not tempted by gambling when they are supposed to be studying.
The work he’s done through Spilfri.nu has also exposed him to a wider problem within the índustry.
“Our work is not driven by opposition to the gambling industry or to legal, licensed operators. Quite the contrary.”
About Big Bite
“Speed of iteration is probably the biggest difference,” he says. “Traditionally, every significant change can create another development cycle involving several different teams. With Game in a Box, the creator can iterate much closer to real time.”
Crucially, Curwen sees those efficiencies as a means to an end rather than the primary objective.
“That’s where I think Game in a Box becomes really interesting,” Curwen says. “The ambition isn’t to use technology to make average games faster. It’s to give talented creators the freedom to try more ideas and hopefully produce better games.”
