Gambling in the USA
Skillz Partners with the American Red Cross to Help Alleviate Blood Shortages Due to Coronavirus
Skillz, the leading mobile games platform that connects players around the world in fair, fun, and meaningful competition, today announced a new fundraising initiative with the American Red Cross. Through proceeds from mobile esports tournaments, Skillz will help the American Red Cross ensure hospital shelves are stocked with lifesaving blood for patients in need during the coronavirus emergency.
“Due to the coronavirus outbreak, blood drives continue to be cancelled at an alarming rate — about 8,000 so far — but we continue to urge blood drive hosts to maintain scheduled blood drives whenever possible,” said Jennifer Adrio, Executive Officer for the Northern California Coastal Region at the American Red Cross. “Proceeds from Skillz will help the Red Cross continue to deliver its lifesaving mission nationwide due to this public health emergency.”
Skillz is transforming the way modern charities and nonprofits engage with donors, enabling anyone with a mobile device to donate to great causes by playing games. The company previously partnered with the American Red Cross to support the families and communities affected by the 2019 California wildfires, raising over $41,000 in one tournament.
“During this pandemic, it’s important that we do our part by rallying the Skillz community to aid our healthcare systems and the professionals on the front lines,” said Andrew Paradise, CEO and founder of Skillz. “Our partnership with the American Red Cross will help make sure they have the tools and funds to serve communities in need during this crisis.”
Skillz players will be able to contribute by entering Skillz mobile tournaments Saturday March 28 through Sunday, March 29. 100% of tournament proceeds will go towards ensuring continued delivery of the vital American Red Cross mission nationwide.
Skillz will additionally encourage its 30 million registered players to pledge and donate at their nearest American Red Cross Blood Donation Center.
Players can find a game and participate at games.skillz.com. After logging in, look for the “Red Cross COVID19 G4G” event.*
The Red Cross supplies nearly 40% of the nation’s blood supply. Blood donation is essential to ensuring community health, and shortages could impact patients who need surgery, victims of car accidents, cancer patients and other emergencies. Donating blood is still a safe process, and people should not hesitate to give blood in order to help patients. For more information on the Red Cross or how to donate blood, please visit redcrossblood.org.
Skillz is harnessing the power of its platform to support a range of important causes, and has worked with a range of organizations including the American Cancer Society and The World Wildlife Fund, in addition to the American Red Cross. Last year, Skillz hosted the largest charity tournament in mobile esports history by partnering with Susan G. Komen, and raising more than $120,000 from more than 25,000 participating mobile game competitors in just 10 days of tournaments.
*New events may take up to one hour to show up after installing the game.
About Skillz Inc.
Skillz is the leading mobile games platform that connects players around the world in fair, fun and meaningful competition. The Skillz marketplace helps developers build multi-million dollar franchises by enabling social competition in their games. Leveraging its patented technology, Skillz hosts billions of casual esports tournaments for 30 million mobile players worldwide and distributes over $60 million in prizes each month. The company is headquartered in San Francisco and backed by leading venture capitalists, media companies, and professional sports leagues and franchises. Skillz has earned recognition as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, CNBC’s Disruptor 50, Forbes’ Next Billion-Dollar Startups, and the #1 fastest-growing company in America on the Inc. 5000.
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
SOURCE Skillz
Gambling in the USA
Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – January 27-February 2
Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news again! Here, we are going through the weekly highlights of the American gambling industry which include the latest news and new partnerships. Read on and get updated.
Latest News
The Michigan Gaming Control Board has issued a cease-and-desist letter to Duranbah Limited N.V., the operator of MyBookie.ag, based in Curaçao. The site offers a variety of casino-style games, such as slots, poker and live-dealer games like blackjack, roulette and craps. It also allows users to place bets on sporting events and horse races. MyBookie.ag offers numerous payment methods for deposits and the funding of players’ accounts, including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, PayPal, various cryptocurrencies and MoneyGram. However, withdrawals can only be made via Bitcoin or bank wire transfer. The MGCB’s investigation revealed that MyBookie.ag’s operation of online casino-style games for paying customers, without a valid Michigan gambling license, breaches several state laws.
Altenar has increased its focus on the North American iGaming market with the appointment of Matthew Ferrara as Sales Manager. Based in Miami, Ferrara has previously spent two years working in Croatia as a live trader on US sports for Superbet before returning to the United States to join micro-betting provider Kero Sports as Business Development Manager, specialising in outbound sales and strategic partnerships. He now strengthens Altenar’s sales team and will focus primarily on the North American market as the sportsbook provider looks to expand its operation.
SUZOHAPP has announced the appointment of Jim Kirner as its new Sales Director for North America. With over 20 years of experience in the gaming industry, Jim brings a wealth of expertise to his role and will be pivotal in driving SUZOHAPP’s sales and product strategies across the region. Throughout his career, Jim has been instrumental in driving transformational changes in the gaming sector, helping companies innovate and enhance the player experience. Prior to joining SUZOHAPP, Jim held key leadership positions at IGT, DiTRONICS, Interblock and Aruze Gaming Global.
Partnerships
The National Football League has announced a partnership with the Responsible Gambling Council to develop and implement a comprehensive responsible gambling training programme specifically designed for university and college student-athletes. The RGC and NFL have identified student athletes as an important audience for targeted responsible gambling and problem gambling prevention initiatives, as previous research has shown their susceptibility to risky gambling behaviour. The programme will launch with a pilot phase at eight universities and colleges across Canada in the upcoming 2025 spring semester. Insights and feedback from this phase will be used to refine and improve the programme before its broader rollout to 30 university and college institutions in the 2025–26 school year.
The PGA TOUR, PENN Entertainment and ESPN are launching a live betting stream on PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+. The ESPN BET branded stream will provide key data, insights and live betting analysis during coverage of six marquee FedExCup events across the 2025 PGA TOUR season. ESPN BET on PGA TOUR LIVE, set to premiere at the WM Phoenix Open on ESPN+ starting Thursday, Feb. 6, is made possible by a new multi-year agreement between the PGA TOUR and PENN Entertainment, the operator of ESPN BET. The deal designates ESPN BET as an Official Betting Operator of the PGA TOUR.
The post Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – January 27-February 2 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Gambling in the USA
Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – January 20-26
Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news again! Here, we are going through the weekly highlights of the American gambling industry which include the latest news and new partnerships. Read on and get updated.
Latest News
Great Canadian Entertainment and Petroglyph Development Group announced that PDG has closed the previously announced acquisitions of Casino Nanaimo and Elements Casino Victoria from Great Canadian, in historic transactions for both parties. PDG is a wholly owned corporation of Snuneymuxw First Nation (the “Nation”) and is dedicated to realizing the economic potential of the Nation. The transactions, originally announced on June 24, 2024, for Casino Nanaimo and September 10, 2024, for Elements Casino Victoria, have received all required approvals from the regulatory authorities.
BetConstruct, a global pioneer in iGaming and sports betting solutions, has announced a significant milestone in the gaming industry. Through its affiliate entity, BetConstruct has become the first iGaming company authorized to facilitate the issuance of both Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Consumer (B2C) licenses. This remarkable achievement was made possible by obtaining a direct license authorization from the Tobique First Nation in Canada. The Tobique First Nation, renowned for its innovative and forward-thinking regulatory approach, has entrusted BetConstruct’s affiliate entity with the authority to oversee applications and facilitate the issuance of licenses from its jurisdiction. This partnership underscores shared values of innovation, transparency and a commitment to responsible gaming practices.
Partnerships
With the global social casino market projected to surpass $11 billion in 2028, MFC Games is seizing the moment with a groundbreaking partnership. Teaming up with TinyRex Games, MFC Games is combining innovation and expertise to redefine the social casino experience. This collaboration will bring TinyRex’s games to MFC Games’ highly innovative and anticipated 2025 multiplayer-first social casino platform, Clash Casino. Clash Casino is poised to set a new standard in iGaming by blending the thrill of competitive multiplayer gameplay with the thrill of reimagined classic casino experiences. Featuring real-time, multiplayer competition and social media, user network-driven mechanics, Clash Casino is designed to captivate a new generation of players and set the stage for the future of social casinos.
Global esports and gaming organisation Gen.G announced that it has established an official partnership with Logitech G, a specialist in advanced gaming gear, who will collaborate with Gen.G across the organisation to develop the optimal gaming environment for its professional players, academy students and fans. Logitech G will provide its latest innovative products like the PRO X SUPERLIGHT 2 DEX wireless gaming mouse and introduce customized solutions tailored to each team. Gen.G’s esports roster includes its highly successful League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) team along with Rocket League and VALORANT.
Hard Rock Bet, Florida’s only legal sportsbook, is bringing jai-alai fans closer to the fronton as the World Jai Alai League (WJAL) opens its 2025 Battle Court Winter season. Through Hard Rock Bet, WJAL fans across the state of Florida will have access to an extensive range of betting options and be able to watch each match live on the app’s streaming hub for a dynamic wagering-viewing experience. Jai-Alai is among the over 20 sports available for Florida players on Hard Rock Bet’s top-rated and easy-to-use mobile app, which offers fast deposits and withdrawals, daily promotions and a free online Loyalty Rewards programme.
The post Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – January 20-26 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Gambling in the USA
Gila River Resorts & Casinos hosts $5.9 million Big Game prop play contest
The post Gila River Resorts & Casinos hosts $5.9 million Big Game prop play contest appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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