Asia

Saudi’s Savvy Games and Esports Delegation Conducts High-level Visit to Shanghai, Beijing and Chengdu

Published

2 years ago

February 28, 2024

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HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, Chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation and Vice Chairman of Savvy Games Group (Savvy), and Brian Ward, CEO of Savvy, have this month led a senior business delegation to China. The delegation was accompanied by senior leaders from VSPO, the leading Chinese esports company, including Dino Ying, co-founder and CEO, and Danny Tang, co-founder, CFO and head of strategy.

Visiting Shanghai, Beijing and Chengdu, the delegation engaged with current and future partners in China’s games and esports industry. The visit further strengthened commercial partnerships between China, the world’s biggest esports market, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as it implements Vision 2030 and becomes a leading global hub for gaming and esports.

In 2023, Savvy, wholly owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, invested $265 million into VSPO, becoming the largest international investor. Savvy’s long-term investment is helping VSPO to continue to deliver on its global strategy and accelerate the growth of mobile esports.

The meetings in the visit also covered preparations for the inaugural Esports World Cup (EWC) which will take place in Riyadh in the summer of 2024.

HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, Vice Chair of Savvy Games Group, said: “We learned so much from this trip. We will work with VSPO to connect global esports markets and build Saudi Arabia into the hub of the global esports and gaming market. Through long-term investment and capital deployment, we will build a sustainable and profitable global esports ecosystem.”

Brian Ward, CEO of Savvy Games Group, said: “China’s position as the largest esports market, with over 400 million fans and significant industry revenue, underlines the valuable role the Chinese market will play in supporting the continued development of Saudi Arabia’s thriving gaming and esports sector. This visit provided a valuable opportunity to strengthen Savvy’s connection with our partners at VSPO, as well as building our insights and network within one of the world’s foremost games and esports markets.”

Dino Ying, Chair of VSPO, said: “Two years ago, I communicated with Savvy for the first time in a Zoom call. At that time, I realized that although we were from two different markets, our ideas on technological innovation, the future of esports, player ecology and professionalization were very consistent. That’s why we were already thinking about how to cooperate, not whether to cooperate. Now we are more confident because we have a shared vision and a friendship, and we plan to make more innovation for the industry together with Savvy in the future.”

Asia

GRA Renews Singapore Pools Licence for Five-year Term

Published

6 days ago

October 22, 2025

Niji Narayan

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The Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) has renewed the licence of Singapore Pools (Private) Limited (Singapore Pools) to conduct betting operations, gaming and lotteries under Section 54 of the Gambling Control Act 2022 (GCA). The tenure for the licence will be five years with effect from 25 October 2025, following GRA’s assessment that Singapore Pools has fulfilled the requirements under Section 54 the GCA.

The post GRA Renews Singapore Pools Licence for Five-year Term appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Arnold Hur

Thirteen Leading Universities Partner with Gen.G for its Practicum Abroad Programme to Prepare Students in Seoul for Esports Careers

Published

6 days ago

October 22, 2025

Niji Narayan

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Global esports and gaming organisation Gen.G announced that it has partnered with thirteen distinguished universities across the US to participate in the Gen.G Practicum Abroad programme, which offers students the opportunity to take part in an intensive, three-week programme to study in the heart of the esports industry in Seoul, South Korea.

The thirteen institutions are: Conestoga College, Augustana University, Buena Vista University, Illinois College, Manchester University, Seton Hall University, Shenandoah University, Syracuse University, St. Thomas University, University of Kansas, Maharishi International University, Randolph-Macon College and University of Hawai’i.

“This is our most ambitious program since the launch of our Gen.G Practicum Abroad program, bringing together some of the best universities in the country to expand their educational programs on campus. The students will be fully immersed in Korea with hands-on experiences to give them a 360-degree view of the esports industry,” said Arnold Hur, CEO of Gen.G.

Gen.G professionals will lead the Gen.G Practicum Abroad programme, which includes custom esports programming, mentorship by industry professionals, special lectures, industry “lunch-and-learns,” and professional networking, all while immersing students in Korean culture and its history in esports. Students will also visit competitive organisations and gaming publisher studios.

The post Thirteen Leading Universities Partner with Gen.G for its Practicum Abroad Programme to Prepare Students in Seoul for Esports Careers appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Asia

PAGCOR Enforces Accreditation for All iGaming Service Providers by 2026

Published

2 weeks ago

October 15, 2025

Niji Narayan

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The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has given gaming affiliates, developers and support service providers until early 2026 to comply with its newly implemented B2B Accreditation Framework, a regulatory system that formalises participation in the iGaming supply chain.

Companies that submit applications by December 31, 2025, will qualify for a three-year initial accreditation, while unaccredited foreign content providers face removal from licensed platforms after March 31, 2026.

The framework, which took effect on October 2, sets mandatory accreditation requirements for all third-party entities providing gaming content, systems or technical support to PAGCOR-licensed operators.

Accreditation covers several categories, including gaming affiliates, game content providers (GCPs) and support service providers (SSPs). Gaming affiliates may act as aggregators that distribute multiple game titles to operators, while GCPs are developers or studios supplying electronic game software or live-streamed content.

Accreditation is valid for two years from the date of PAGCOR Board approval, an increase from the previous one-year term.

Foreign data or content streaming providers that fail to secure accreditation by the March 2026 deadline will have their content deemed “non-compliant and unauthorized.” They may appoint a Philippine-registered company or a PAGCOR-accredited Gaming System Administrator as their exclusive distributor instead of setting up a local office.

PAGCOR has warned that licensed operators using unaccredited service providers may face sanctions.

The post PAGCOR Enforces Accreditation for All iGaming Service Providers by 2026 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.