eSports

TalentX Gaming (TXG) Names Amber Howard As Head of Talent Division

Published

5 years ago

June 25, 2020

George Miller

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Pioneer in esports and gaming talent management joins TalentX Gaming, a joint venture of ReKTGlobal and TalentX

Former Abrams Artists Agency talent agent Amber Howard has been named Head of Talent at TalentX Gaming (TXG), a talent management company specifically built for gaming and esports athletes and streamers. TXG is the brainchild of esports leader ReKTGlobal, the owner and operator of Team Rogue and Call of Duty League’s London Royal Ravens, and creator management phenom TalentX Entertainment, best known for its “creator-first” mentality and meteoric and unprecedented success with TikTok’s top creators. As leader of TalentX Gaming’s Talent division, Howard will serve as a driving force in attracting and growing a diverse, A-list roster of esports athletes and gaming influencers, creators and streamers, helping to develop talent and take their careers to new heights.

“TXG’s commitment to always put its creators first really struck a chord with me and made it an easy decision to join the company. Gamers have been underrepresented for too long even though the talent and esports industries are booming. We have an amazing opportunity to bring more visibility, monetization and growth to this community of creators,” Howard said. “My recruiting strategy has always been to keep it open and diverse, and to look for and work with creators and brands that break the mold. I envision a deep and balanced roster of creators who represent the diversity of the entire gaming community in gender, accessibility, and culture.”

Howard brings a stellar roster of diverse talent to TXG including Harris Heller of Alpha Gaming, P2istheName, and female powerhouses like Latina gamer Natalie “ZombiUnicorn” Casanova, pro ballerina turned gamer Mari “AtomicMari” Takahashi, and Soleil “Ewok” Wheeler, the inspiring 14-year-old deaf Fortnite pro gamer who Howard signed on as the first female gamer to join FaZe Clan.

Howard is also bringing GAMEMASTER, the ultimate gaming reality competition set to air on Prime Video and Twitch, to TXG. Created by an Emmy, Telly, Global Media and Addy award-winning production team, the show pits 12 amateur gamers, handpicked from thousands of applicants, against each other. The gamers live together in one house to compete for $100,000, a gaming contract and the title of the next gaming super star. The nine-episode Amazon Prime Video Series will stream in the U.S., UK, Austria, Germany and Japan.

At Abrams, Howard led the charge in expanding the agency’s focus on esports and gaming by creating its own dedicated department for talent. Prior to joining Abrams, Howard worked in the esports and gaming department at Warner Brother’s digital gaming arm, Machinima, where she brought the industry into more traditional verticals

of content branding and entertainment by overseeing talent development and engagement, while launching a variety of new gaming opportunities.

Howard is known for developing A-list client rosters and spearheading a slew of talent and brand partnership opportunities for branded content and digital-traditional crossover. Some of her most notable deals include traditional crossover projects like FOX’s Kicking & Screaming and casting for Machinima’s property Transformers: Combiner Wars, and brand deals with Apple, Epic Games, Paramount and HyperX’s Heroes ambassador program.

“We founded TalentX with a ‘Creator First’ philosophy, and as such, we work hard to ensure that each division is helmed by leaders with a long record of success in their respective fields,” said TalentX Co-Founder and CEO of TXG Jason Wilhelm. “We’re excited to have Amber on board to help take our creators – and TalentX Gaming – to

the next level.”

In May, digital-driven entertainment phenom TalentX Entertainment expanded into the gaming world when it partnered with esports leader ReKTGlobal to launch a new joint venture – TalentX Gaming. TXG combines the “creator first” talent development and social media monetization prowess of TalentX – a company that took the influencer management industry by storm by growing a roster of the top one percent of TikTokkers in just six months, including members of the company’s recently created Sway House, which racked up 1 million followers on their group TikTok account in the first month – with ReKTGlobal’s position as a global esports leader that bridges the gap between the multi-billion-dollar esports industry and the worlds of music, entertainment and traditional sports. The ReKTGlobal ownership team includes musical artists Steve Aoki, Imagine Dragons and Nicky Romero, pro athletes Rudy Gobert, Landon Collins and Taylor Fritz, and lead investor Nick Gross. As owner and operator of the championshipwinning esports powerhouse Team Rogue and the London Royal Ravens Call of Duty franchise, ReKTGlobal is a groundbreaker in esports, content creation and marketing.

eSports

BETBY REDEFINES CHESS BETTING WITH EXPANDED MARKET OFFERING AHEAD OF ESPORTS WORLD CUP DEBUT

Published

4 hours ago

July 2, 2025

George Miller

betby-redefines-chess-betting-with-expanded-market-offering-ahead-of-esports-world-cup-debut

Reading Time: 2 minutes

BETBY, the innovative sportsbook supplier, is redefining how chess is experienced in the betting world, launching an innovative suite of markets designed to deepen engagement and bring fresh energy to one of the world’s oldest strategy games.

Marking a new chapter for chess within the iGaming space, BETBY’s upgraded betting content portfolio goes far beyond traditional markets like outright winner or total moves. Bettors can now engage with detailed, event-specific outcomes including the first move made, the first piece captured, number of checks, castlings, and whether a game will feature a pawn promotion, an en passant, or end in stalemate. Several markets also focus on the timing of critical moments, such as whether a checkmate will occur before a certain move, offering more dynamic, real-time decision-making for players.

This launch follows six months of dedicated product development across BETBY’s chess vertical and reflects the company’s long-term vision for the game as a core part of its sportsbook strategy. With chess now officially included in the Esports World Cup, the timing marks a natural convergence of two verticals where BETBY continues to strengthen its position: esports and traditional chess.

European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

As part of this expansion, BETBY is also introducing another exclusive: live betting on the Top Chess Engine Championship (TCEC), a prestigious AI-based tournament. While the event follows a defined schedule, it opens up a new betting experience through intense matchups between powerful engines, enriching the overall chess offering.

Currently, BETBY offers pre-match coverage for around 20 chess tournaments per month, totaling approximately 400 matches. The addition of these expanded markets marks a strategic leap forward in delivering a modern, high-engagement chess product to sportsbook partners and players.

“Chess has always been a passion of ours, and today we’re proud to announce the launch of a truly comprehensive chess offering,” said Kirill Nekrasov, Head of Sportsbook Product at BETBY. “By expanding our market depth and introducing innovative tournaments, including both traditional and AI-driven formats, we’re giving our partners and players a completely new way to engage with the game. Our vision is ambitious: we want chess and betting to become synonymous, to the point where no modern sportsbook feels complete without chess markets. We’ve already done this with Betby.Games and esports, now it’s time to do the same with chess.”

BETBY’s long-term global brand ambassador, five-time world chess champion Magnus Carlsen, will represent Team Liquid at the Esports World Cup. His participation in the tournament, which begins on July 7th, reinforces chess’s growing presence in global esports and its potential as a premium betting vertical.

The post BETBY REDEFINES CHESS BETTING WITH EXPANDED MARKET OFFERING AHEAD OF ESPORTS WORLD CUP DEBUT appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Esportes da Sorte

Esportes da Sorte celebrates Brazilian culture with Parintins and São João Sponsorships

Published

5 days ago

June 27, 2025

GamingAmericas.com

esportes-da-sorte-celebrates-brazilian-culture-with-parintins-and-sao-joao-sponsorships

Esportes Gaming Brasil, the owner of Onabet and Esportes da Sorte, is making its debut at the 58th Parintins Folklore Festival with an interactive project that blends cultural promotion, economic development, and social responsibility.

The brand becomes the first regulated betting operator to offer institutional support to the event, which welcomes around 120,000 visitors and generates BRL 184 million in local economic activity, according to the Amazonas State Government.

This cultural commitment comes on the back of Esportes Gaming Brasil sponsoring 31 São João festivals during June in 27 cities across the Northeast and Southeast regions. This initiative strengthens the brand’s strategy of connecting with the public through the appreciation of Brazilian cultural expressions.

Esportes da Sorte’s focus was creating memorable experiences as each event featured scenography by Pernambucan artist Perron Ramos. Another notable element was the Vila Junina (June Village), a themed area blending traditional elements with interactive experiences. Classic games such as Pescaria da Sorte (Fishing of Fortune), Barraca do Beijo (Kissing Booth), and Argola da Sorte (Ring Toss) bring nostalgia to the festivities.

For the three-day Parintins Folklore Festival starting today, the brand will be energising Parintins with a series of experiences celebrating local culture. These include a panoramic lounge with a special view of the Bumbódromo, the Truck da Sorte — a space combining karaoke and free hydration — as well as a Social Arena installed in the Garantido and Caprichoso neighborhoods, featuring artistic performances, rest areas, free water distribution, and Instagram-worthy spots. Festivalgoers will also be able to get their hands on custom giveaways throughout the festival. All elements of the visual project are inspired by Amazonian art. The graphics feature illustrations by Curumiz, a Parintins-based duo formed by Alziney Pereira and Kemerson Freitas.

Sofia Aldin, CMO of Esportes Gaming Brasil, the group behind the brand commented: “Esportes Gaming Brasil cares passionately about regional values and strengthening Brazilian popular culture. It’s more than simply showcasing our brand, we want to create value for the people who live for events like the Parintins Folklore Festival and the São João festivals. Being part of these events backs our strategy of supporting traditions that drive local economies and celebrate regional identities.”

The post Esportes da Sorte celebrates Brazilian culture with Parintins and São João Sponsorships appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

BETBY

BETBY EXPANDS LATAM FOOTPRINT WITH MOBADOO ESPORTS PARTNERSHIP

Published

6 days ago

June 26, 2025

GamingAmericas.com

betby-expands-latam-footprint-with-mobadoo-esports-partnership

BETBY, a leading sportsbook supplier, has announced a new partnership with prominent LATAM-focused esports provider Mobadoo, in a move that will see its Betby.Games portfolio fully integrated into Mobadoo’s product lineup.

This collaboration enables Mobadoo — which has an established presence and deep market understanding across Latin America — to incorporate BETBY’s proprietary and award-winning esports offering, delivering dynamic and fast-paced betting content to its growing user base. Among Betby.Games’ titles are eSoccer, eBasketball, eFighting, eCricket, eShooter, eHorse Racing, eTennis, and the Brazil-relevant eVaquejada.

As one of the most comprehensive and high-frequency esports betting solutions in the industry, Betby.Games offers access to more than 70 tournaments, over 350 betting markets, and more than 300,000 live matches each month. This collaboration will not only enhance Mobadoo’s offering but also reinforce BETBY’s position as a leading esports supplier in the LATAM region, a key pillar in the supplier’s global expansion strategy.

“Mobadoo has an excellent reputation and strong regional expertise, making them an ideal partner for us. Their commitment to innovation in esports and the rapid growth of this vertical in the region made our partnership only a matter of time,” commented Kirill Nekrasov, BETBY’s Head of Sportsbook Product. “This agreement not only expands the reach of our unique Betby.Games content, but also aligns perfectly with our global strategy of delivering flexible, high-performance esports solutions to next-generation operators. Together, we’re set to further strengthen our leading position in the LATAM region.”

José Aníbal Aguirre, Chief Marketing Officer at Mobadoo, added: “We’re thrilled to integrate Betby.Games into our offering. The depth and quality of their esports content is unmatched, and this partnership gives us a powerful new edge in catering to LATAM’s passionate esports fanbase. With BETBY’s support, we’re confident we can elevate the player experience and unlock new growth opportunities across the region.”

The post BETBY EXPANDS LATAM FOOTPRINT WITH MOBADOO ESPORTS PARTNERSHIP appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.