Canada

USA Basketball Set to Hold Trials for USA National Gaming Team

Published

6 years ago

November 6, 2020

Thirty of the top basketball 2K gamers have accepted invitations to the first trials for a USA Basketball E-National Team, set to be held virtually Nov. 7-8, 2020. The trials will be used to select a national team that will represent the United States at the FIBA Esports Open II in the North and Central American Conference on Dec. 19-20. The seven-member, mixed-gender USA squad will tip-off virtually against gaming teams from Canada, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras and Puerto Rico for the right to be crowned conference champions.

“USA Basketball is excited to take this first step in becoming a part of the gaming community and the FIBA Esports Open,” said Jim Tooley, USA Basketball CEO. “The gaming world has seen rapid growth, evidenced by the large number of gamers and fans involved, and the timing and opportunities makes sense for USA Basketball to add an e-national team to compete in future international FIBA competitions. Just as USA Basketball does with its five-on-five and 3×3 national teams, we look forward to selecting high-character and gold medal competitive national teams for this and future FIBA esport competitions.”

In order to be eligible to compete, gamers must be a U.S. citizen who is at least 16 and have a minimum My Career Character rating of 95.

The 30 gamers who have accepted invitations include 23 men and seven women from across the country.

The invitees include ABPureblood20 (Amber Sammons/HeartCrushers); ALittleLady87 (Wendi Fleming/BallHerAlert); Arooks (Aaron Rookwood/Bucks Gaming); BearDaBeast (Michael Key/T-Wolves Gaming); CB13 (Charles Bostwick/Warriors Gaming Squad); Chiquitae126 (Chiquita Evans/BallHerAlert); Crush (Rafel Davis/Kings Guard Gaming); Dayfri (Ryan Conger/Wizards District Gaming); Dimez (Artreyo Boyd/Mavs Gaming); DjLayyy (Alaina Haney/HeartCrushers); FEAST (Mihad Feratovic/T-Wolves Gaming); G O O F Y 7 5 7 (Dayvon Curry/Grizz Gaming); Gradient (Samuel Salyers/Warriors Gaming Squad); HazelChildress4 (Hazel Childress/BallHerAlert); Hotshot (Juan Gonzalez/Heat Check Gaming); icygrl (Brianna Novin/BallHerAlert); iKilledZiah (Ziah Minor/HeartCrushers); JBM (John Mascone/Wizards District Gaming); Kenny Got Work (Kenneth Hailey/Raptors Uprising GC); Legit 973 (Jake Knapp/Raptors Uprising GC); Mama Im Dat Man (Nidal Nasser/Kings Guard Gaming); OneWildWalnut (Dayne Downey/Blazer5 Gaming); OriginalMalik (Malik Hobson/Knicks Gaming); Radiant (Ethan White/76ers GC); Ramo (Ramo Radoncic/Pistons GT); Regg (Reginald Nash Jr./Bucks Gaming); Ria (Spencer Wyman/Jazz Gaming); Sick One (Gerald Knapp/Raptors Uprising GC); Timelycook513 (Eric Donald/Raptors Uprising GC); and Zae (Zaeya Ishak/Hornets Venom GT).

Team selections will be made by the USA Basketball E-National Team Selection Panelists, featuring NBA 2K League community ambassador Graham Borden; Wizards District Gaming team manager Patrick Crossan; Utah Jazz Gaming coach Jelani Mitchell; Aerial Powers, a 2015 World University Games gold medalist and a forward with the WNBA Washington Mystics; and USA Basketball Youth & Sport Development assistant director Andrea Travelstead.

While this will be USA Basketball’s first foray into esports, the tournament will mark the second edition of the FIBA Esports Open, the first of which took place in June and included five conferences featuring 114 gamers from 17 national federations. The FIBA Esports Open II field has been expanded to 38 national teams in seven regional conference.

Each national team will consist of up to seven players, five on the court and two reserves. Games will be played remotely on NBA 2K21 using the Pro-AM mode and allowing for customization of gamer avatars and uniforms.

The North & Central Americas Conference games will stream live on FIBA’s YouTube, Twitch and Facebook channels.

The USA Basketball E-National Team trials will feature the 30 gamers split into six different teams for the first trials session, which will feature round-robin play. As is the case with all USA Basketball team trials, the USA Basketball E-National Team Selection Panelists will have the ability to make changes to teams in order to allow players to compete with and against a variety of other players in order to allow the panelists to select a competitive team to represent USA Basketball at the FIBA Esports Open.

Africa, Middle East and Southeast Asia conferences will be played Nov. 14-15, the Europe Conference is scheduled for Dec. 12-13 and the South America Conference will be held Dec. 19-20.

As was the case for the inaugural FIBA Esports Open, this entire series will be produced from the FIBA Esports Studio in Riga, Latvia, with 54 hours of live content being streamed on FIBA’s Facebook, Twitch and YouTube channels. Each game will be available online with live commentary in English, as well as a daily show featuring up to 12 games.

BetMGM

Incentive Studios launches four real-money games with BetMGM in Ontario

Published

2 hours ago

June 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

incentive-studios-launches-four-real-money-games-with-betmgm-in-ontario

Incentive Games, via its real-money gaming division Incentive Studios, has partnered with BetMGM to launch four real-money titles in Ontario. The companies said BetMGM is first to market with the titles in the province.

The games now live on BetMGM in Ontario are Velocity, Mega Flight, Kicker and Squid Game Red Light Green Light Cashout. The supplier described the content as crash and arcade-style games.

Ahmed Baker, Chief Commercial Officer at Incentive Games, said, “We’re incredibly proud to be partnering with BetMGM and to see four of our real-money titles go live in Ontario. From the outset, it’s been clear that we share a strong focus on delivering engaging, high-quality player experiences, making this a natural collaboration for both teams. This launch marks an exciting milestone for Incentive Studios as we continue our expansion across regulated markets, and we look forward to growing our relationship with the BetMGM team.”

Rob Passerino, Director of Gaming, BetMGM said, “BetMGM is focused on delivering the best online casino experience possible. As crash and arcade-style games continue to see significant growth, Incentive Studios’ portfolio strengthens our ability to meet evolving player demand, especially in key markets like Ontario.”

Incentive Games said the Ontario rollout builds on its recent licensing in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Ontario as it expands across regulated North American markets.

The post Incentive Studios launches four real-money games with BetMGM in Ontario appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Canada

Tonybet launches World Cup Card Collection campaign with $150k up for grabs for Canadian customers

Published

2 hours ago

June 15, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

tonybet-launches-world-cup-card-collection-campaign-with-$150k-up-for-grabs-for-canadian-customers

Tonybet has launched its World Cup Card Collection campaign for Canadian customers in time for the start of the 2026 World Cup, with a $150,000 CAD prize fund on offer.

Tonybet’s Canadian playerbase (excluding Ontario) will have the chance to collect a wide range of card packs through the tournament by successfully completing a number of sportsbook and casino-related quests on a weekly basis.

There are 51 cards in total to collect, including 48 standard digital cards – one for each participating World Cup nation – and three unique physical cards available in gold, silver and bronze.

Each card collected possesses a coin value which can be used in exchange for a variety of bonus rewards to be used across the Tonybet platform. Meanwhile, winners of the three unique physical cards will also claim cash prizes of $100,000 CAD for gold, $35,000 CAD for silver and $15,000 CAD for bronze, as well as receiving the one-of-a-kind, handcrafted cards.

Tonybet Head of Product Kiryl Liudvikevich said: “With Canada co-hosting the 2026 World Cup, it’s set to be a huge period for Canadian sport – and our World Cup Card Collection campaign will ensure our Canadian customers have even more reason to stay engaged through the tournament over the coming weeks.

“By completing quests, collecting card packs, unlocking collection bonuses, and chasing three one-of-a-kind physical cards available throughout the World Cup, there’s a share of $150,000 up for grabs. And with new rewards, tier completion bonuses, and exclusive collectibles on offer, every card pack could bring our players one step closer to a summer to remember.”

The post Tonybet launches World Cup Card Collection campaign with $150k up for grabs for Canadian customers appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Ahmed Baker Chief Commercial Officer at Incentive Games

INCENTIVE GAMES GOES LIVE WITH BETMGM IN ONTARIO

Published

3 hours ago

June 15, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

incentive-games-goes-live-with-betmgm-in-ontario

B2B games provider Incentive Games, through its real-money gaming division Incentive Studios, has partnered with BetMGM, a leading iGaming and sports betting operator, to launch four real-money titles in Ontario. BetMGM will be first to market with these titles in the province.

The partnership has seen four of Incentive Studios’ titles, Velocity, Mega Flight, Kicker and Squid Game Red Light Green Light Cashout, go live on the BetMGM platform, bringing the studio’s portfolio of crash and arcade experiences to players across the province.

As one of North America’s leading betting and gaming operators, BetMGM has built a strong reputation for delivering premium player experiences across regulated markets. Ontario remains a key market within its growth strategy, with a continued focus on high-quality content, innovation and responsible gambling.

The launch further strengthens Incentive Games’ position in North America and marks another important milestone in the company’s continued expansion across regulated gaming markets, building on its recent securing of licences in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Ontario.

The post INCENTIVE GAMES GOES LIVE WITH BETMGM IN ONTARIO appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.