Canada
Digital Entertainment Winners: CEO’s of Rush Street Interactive, ESE Entertainment, Electronic Arts, and FansUnite Pursue Multi-Billion Dollar Market Opportunities in E-Sports, I-Gaming and Sports Betting
Wall Street Reporter, the trusted name in financial news since 1843, has published reports on the latest comments and insights from leaders at: Electronic Arts, Inc. (NASDAQ: EA), ESE Entertainment (TSX.V: ESE) (OTC: ENTEF), Rush Street Interactive (NYSE: RSI) and FansUnite (OTC: FUNFF) (CSE: FANS).
ESE Entertainment CEO Konrad Wasiela: “10X Increase in Revenue Run Rate in 10 Months is Just The Start”
ESE Entertainment (TSX.V: ESE) (OTC: ENTEF) CEO Konrad Wasiela, a featured presenter at Wall Street Reporter’s NEXT SUPER STOCK investors livestream shared that revenues have increased to $20 million+ run rate – which is a ten-fold increase in 10 months. Konrad says this is just the beginning as his goal is building ESE into a billion dollar global e-sports enterprise. Wasiela shared that “ESE now has a growing e-sports M&A pipeline with over $100 million annual revenues” and expected to close a significant number of these potential transactions in the coming months. ENTEF just closed the acquisition of e-sports company Auto Simulation Limited T/A Digital Motorsports, an Ireland-based provider of advanced simulation racing (“sim racing”) infrastructure, technology, and support. Sim racing is one of the hottest growth categories in the multi-billion dollar global e-sports market.
In his interview with Wall Street Reporter, ESE CEO Konrad Wasiela, says the company is now ready to scale – expanding its global footprint, with new partnerships with global brands like Porsche, and Kia driving revenue growth with aggressive focus on top line sales and margin expansion, and M&A opportunities. ESE is now rapidly expanding, with multiple revenue streams including, e-sports infrastructure software powering global tournaments, exclusive digital media distribution, broadcast rights, and owning world-class leagues and teams, including its K1CK global E-Sports franchise.
Electronic Arts, Inc. CEO Andrew Wilson: “Key Growth Drivers: Building on Leadership in Sports; Growing Blockbuster Franchises; Expanding Live Services & Mobile”
“…Looking at our first quarter of fiscal 2022, we delivered very strong results. Even as the world took steps towards opening back up, we deepened engagement and connections for players in and around our games. And we see this trend going well into the future. Our talented teams are delivering experiences that hundreds of millions of players want to play, and our new launches, leading games and life services all performed very well during the quarter. Execution against our long-term strategy continues to power growth in our business. Revenue, net bookings and EPS were all above our guidance for Q1. We are raising our full year net revenue, net bookings and EPS guidance today, and we are also forecasting our biggest second quarter ever.”
“…Our long-term strategy is focused on 4 key opportunities: the continued creation of great games and content with a focus on mobile, tools for the community to drive deeper engagement with our content, the aggregation and distribution of content and services to more platforms, business models and geographies, and harnessing the power of the social ecosystems in and around our games. As part of this, in FY ’22, we continue to execute against 3 key growth drivers: building on our leadership in sports; growing our blockbuster franchises; and expanding live services across our portfolio, including mobile…”
“…Underpinning these growth drivers are the fact that games, and particularly our portfolio experiences at Electronic Arts, are creating social connection for more and more people around the world. More than 0.5 billion players are coming together through the social networks formed in and around our games, and we see this continuing to grow. With some of the most talented teams in the industry, a deep pipeline of innovative experience in established and new IP, new content partnerships and more ways to connect and experience play, we are positioning our business for continued growth and leadership this year and beyond..”
FansUnite “Positioned for Exponental Revenue Growth in iGaming, E-Sports, Online Sports Betting”
In his latest presentation at Wall Street Reporter’s NEXT SUPER STOCK livestream, FansUnite CEO Scott Burton shared the global i-gaming company’s latest progress and milestones in the multi-billion dollar i-gaming, and sports betting market. FUNFF was recently granted a UK gaming license, enabling the Company to serve as a Business-to-Business technology provider and Business-to-Consumer operator in the $20 billion+ UK online gambling market, which is one of the world’s largest online betting markets. FUNFF is also positioned to play a foundational role in Canadian sports betting as that market opens.
FUNFF has developed a one of a kind i-gaming platform, with a sports and esports focus geared for the next generation of online bettors and casino players. The platform includes products for pre-match betting, in-play betting, daily fantasy, content and a certified RNG to produce casino style chance games. Scott Burton shared that the RNG games are expected to be a major source of revenue, thanks to a distribution deal with a major online casino games aggregator which can license the games to thousands of online casinos – setting the stage for exponential revenue growth opportunities.
FUNFF recently appointed i-Gaming industry veteran Mike Lee, as VP of gaming to lead the development and growth of FUNFF casino operations, launching new i-Gaming products and expanding global distribution. Mike Lee was the CEO of Genesis Gaming, a prominent gaming provider, where he oversaw the company’s global business operations, leading the development of Genesis Gaming’s game delivery platform and overseeing an extensive portfolio of more than 100 gaming titles. Burton also shared that FUNFF, with a recently closed C$24.7 capital raise, is well positioned to take advantage of potential M&A opportunities in the online gaming industry in the coming months.
Rush Street Interactive Richard Schwartz, CEO: “Momentum Building for Sports Betting and Online Casino Games”
“…Revenue was $122.8 million during the quarter, representing a year-over-year increase of 89%. Not only did we grow casino revenue sequentially during the period, but also sportsbook revenues despite a lighter sports calendar. With this continued success and growth in our business, we are once again raising our guidance. We now expect our 2021 full-year guidance to be between $455 million and $495 million implying 72% year-over-year top-line growth at the midpoint.”
“We have continued to make significant progress in our market access initiative… We have been selected by the Connecticut Lottery to be a sports betting partner, making RSI one of only three sportsbook operators who will be authorized to operate in the state…New York has recently accepted bids… We formally submitted our bid as part of the process. We are excited about the opportunity to offer our online sportsbook in the state of New York…We have no shortage of near-term opportunities and expected state launches coming over the next couple of quarters. And our business development team is hard at work to continue the strong momentum to secure partnerships in many new jurisdictions.”
“We also continue to be very encouraged by the legislative momentum for online sports betting and the addition of online casinos in many states which already have approved sports betting. It has become very clear we are looking at the numbers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan that online casino is a greater generator of cash revenue, and many state legislators are recognizing this opportunity.”
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Canada
IAGR announces Toronto as host city for 2025 conference
Hot on the heels of its most attended conference in history, the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) is excited to announce that its 2025 conference will take place in Toronto, Canada, from October 20 to 23, 2025.
The event will be held in partnership with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) at the Westin Harbour Castle, offering stunning waterfront views and a premier, downtown Toronto location.
‘Fresh off the success of our Rome conference, we’re thrilled to continue the momentum with next year’s event in Toronto,’ said Ben Haden, IAGR President.
‘The IAGR 2025 conference promises to be another unparalleled opportunity for our global community to come together, collaborate and shape the future of gaming regulation. We’re looking forward to working with AGCO to bring it all together.’
AGCO CEO and Registrar Dr. Karin Schnarr, added, ‘We’re excited to welcome IAGR and its members to Toronto. This partnership provides a great opportunity to share Ontario’s innovative regulatory practices and foster meaningful discussions that drive positive change in the industry.’
Stay tuned for registration details early next year.
Bombee Global Entertainment Ltd
ESE Entertainment Completes Acquisition of Gaming Production Company, Bombee Americas
ESE Entertainment Inc., a gaming company that provides a range of services to leading video game developers and publishers, has announced that it has acquired Bombee Global Entertainment Ltd. (Bombee Americas), the North American arm of Bombee Event Production AB, (Bombee), a global production company specialized in live production, special effects, broadcast, and event management for the gaming sector.
Bombee has successfully collaborated with ESE to bring its premier event production services and world class customer service to North America and beyond. The North American arm of Bombee, Bombee Americas, will continue to grow and scale in this new organizational structure under ESE, while maintaining its entire team and global support.
Konrad Wasiela, CEO of ESE, said: “Today marks the next stage of ESE—a 2.0 version of our company. With the acquisition of Bombee Americas, we are not only solidifying our presence in North America but also paving the way for growth and innovation in the gaming industry. This is a major step, positioning us to deliver even greater value to our partners and elevate the gaming experience for our clients globally. We’re thrilled about the opportunities ahead and the exceptional talent joining our team.”
Transaction Terms
The Acquisition was completed by way of a share purchase agreement (the SPA) among the Company, Bombee Americas, and the shareholders of Bombee Americas (the Vendors). Pursuant to the SPA, ESE acquired all of the outstanding shares of Bombee Americas in exchange for: (i) $750,000 in cash paid on closing, (ii) $375,000 in cash to be paid six (6) months following closing, subject to customary adjustments based on the working capital of Bombee Americas on closing, (iii) $375,000 in cash to be paid twelve (12) months following closing, and (iv) 30,000,000 common shares of ESE (the Consideration Shares), issued at a deemed issue price of $0.10 per share.
In connection with the Acquisition, the founders of Bombee Americas have signed three-year service agreements and will continue to run the business following the closing, along with the rest of the personnel of Bombee Americas who will remain in place, ensuring a smooth transition of operations. As part of the Acquisition, the Company has acquired the liabilities of Bombee Americas, mainly consisting of customary current obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business for Bombee Americas, which are not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s operations or financial position.
No finder’s fees were paid or payable in conjunction with the Acquisition.
The Acquisition was an arm’s length transaction within the meaning of the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the Exchange) and constituted an “Expedited Acquisition” in accordance with Exchange Policy 5.3 – Acquisitions and Dispositions of Non-Cash Assets. The Acquisition remains subject to the final approval of the Exchange.
Canada
Suspected Digital Fraud Coming from Canada Up Nearly 11% Since H1 2023, Reveals New TransUnion Analysis
In the first half (H1) of 2024, Canada saw a significant increase in suspected Digital Fraud attempts, with nearly 5.74% of all attempted digital transactions where the consumer was located in Canada involving suspected Digital Fraud, revealed a new TransUnion® (NYSE: TRU) analysis. This is nearly an 11% year-over-year (YoY) rate increase from H1 2023, and TransUnion also documented an 11% increase in the volume of suspected Digital Fraud from Canada during this period, despite a less than a one percent (0.7%) YoY increase in the volume of transactions.
According to a recent TransUnion survey,1 more than half (54%) of Canadians said they were recently targeted by email, phone call or text message fraud attempts. Phishing was the most common scheme type (45%), followed by smishing (42%) and vishing (39%).
The increasing use of digital transactions, combined with rising suspected Digital Fraud attempts are also impacting businesses as they potentially face revenue losses and increased operational costs due to fraud. According to a TransUnion business survey for the H2 2024 Update to the State of Omnichannel Fraud report, 200 Canadian business leaders said their companies lost approximately 6% of equivalent revenue – representing $78 billion – over the past year due to fraud. The most prominent causes of fraud loss cited by them were:
- Scam/Authorized fraud (31%): Dishonest scheme intended to trick a person into giving up something of value (e.g., account access, money, information)
- Account takeover (19%): Unauthorized individuals taking over someone’s online account (e.g., bank, social media, email) without their permission
- Synthetic identity fraud (18%): Use of a combination of personal information to fabricate a person or entity to commit a dishonest act for financial or personal gain
TransUnion also found that suspected Digital Fraud attempts – where the consumer was transacting in Canada and targeted businesses globally – increased on average by 10.5% YoY in H1 2024 compared to H1 2023 and impacted all industries.
Top Three Industries Globally with Highest Rate of Suspected Digital Fraud Attempts Coming from Canada in H1 2024
- Gambling (online sports betting, poker, etc.) – 9.6%
- Retail – 9.2%
- Government – 7.7%
Top Three Industries Globally with Highest YoY Increase (H1 2024 vs H1 2023) in the Rate of Suspected Digital Fraud Attempts Coming from Canada
- Logistics – 172.9%
- Gambling – 79.3%
- Video gaming – 67.8%
“Protecting customers and their businesses from fraud is essential to enabling safe and tailored consumer experiences. These findings reveal that despite the good-faith efforts that are being undertaken by companies to identify and prevent fraud to date, fraudsters continue to evolve and it’s vital that fraud prevention methods keep up with the changing times,” said Patrick Boudreau, head of identity management and fraud solutions at TransUnion Canada.
“Businesses that aren’t already doing so should ensure that they are taking advantage of fraud prevention technologies such as identity verification, IP intelligence, device reputation and synthetic identity detection as critical components of their fraud prevention programs,” he added.
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