Canada
Evolution Championship Series (Evo) 2023 Presented by Chipotle Announces Eight Game Lineup Featuring Street Fighter 6, TEKKEN 7 and Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3

Evolution Championship Series (known as Evo), the largest and longest-running fighting game tournament, announced tonight it will return to Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino for the second-consecutive year with an exciting slate of both new and returning fighting games as well as select finals to once again be held at Michelob ULTRA Arena. Street Fighter 6 will be making its Evo debut this year after its launch this summer.
The eight fighting games that will be featured at Evo on August 4-6, 2023 are:
- Street Fighter 6 – PS4 (Capcom)
- Guilty Gear -Strive- PS4 (Arc System Works)
- Mortal Kombat 11: Ultimate – PS4 (Warner Bros. Games)
- TEKKEN 7 – PS4 (BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment)
- THE KING OF FIGHTERS XV – PS4 (SNK)
- MELTY BLOOD: TYPE LUMINA – PS4 (Lasengle)
- DRAGON BALL FighterZ – PS4 (BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment)
- Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 – PS4 (Capcom)
“We are excited to once again feature an incredible lineup of fighting games at Evo 2023 and are thrilled to be including our first Evo Throwback tournament with Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3,” said Rick Thiher, General Manager of Evo. “This year we’re establishing $25,000 minimum prize pools for each tournament in our lineup, and continuing our efforts to improve the Evo event experience for players and fans.”
This year’s featured Evo tournament titles represent the diverse fighting gaming community. The freshly launched Street Fighter 6 will be part of the Evo lineup and TEKKEN 7 will make its seventh appearance at Evo. For the second-straight year, Guilty Gear -Strive-, will be featured in the slate of games along with THE KING OF FIGHTERS XV.
Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate returns for the third time and DRAGON BALL FighterZ will once again feature unique true-to-the-anime gameplay and team vs. team matches. Following the success of the debut of MELTY BLOOD: TYPE LUMINA at Evo last year, the game will be back this summer.
For the first time ever at Evo, all tournaments in 2023 will now feature a $25,000 minimum prize pool. The Evo Showcase will return to Mandalay Bay on Friday, Aug 4, with exciting panels, music showcases, featured exhibitions and community highlights to display the extraordinary history of competitive fighting games. The Indie Fighting Game Gallery is also returning with more games being shown and on-site museums, including the Arcade Stick Museum, will be expanding this year.
In 2022, Evo returned to its first in-person event since 2019 in front of nearly 18,000 in attendance, with over 3.7 million people viewing the streams, and the average person watching the event online for about 82 minutes. The event welcomed more than 7,000 competitors from 63 countries, and for the first time, the world’s most storied fighting game championship had a free-play arcade with over 120 machines and it will be even larger in 2023.
During the Evo announcement show tonight it was revealed that Chipotle will be the presenting partner for Evo 2023. The brand’s presence will feature a Community Lounge, mini pick-up brackets, giveaways and chances to win free Chipotle. This partnership will bring an elevated experience for competitors and spectators alike.
Registration is open now and fans can purchase tickets at evo.gg. Hotel rooms will be available at Mandalay Bay and for those who want to watch, tournaments will be streamed live for the entirety of the event.
Evo Japan will return to Tokyo on March 31-April 2, 2023 at the Tokyo Big Sight as the venue will host the historic fighting game tournaments.
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Canada
absolutebet Secures AGCO Registration as an Internet Gaming Operator in Ontario

Internet Gaming Operator by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).
This significant milestone authorizes absolutebet to offer regulated iGaming services in Ontario’s legal market under the oversight of AGCO and iGaming Ontario (iGO).
The registration marks a key step in absolutebet’s mission to bring a trusted, responsible, and innovative online casino experience to Ontario players. absolutebet is committed to operating with integrity and transparency, meeting all provincial standards for player protection, responsible gambling, anti-money laundering, and game integrity.
“Securing AGCO registration is more than a milestone—it’s the start of absolutebet’s journey in one of the most exciting regulated markets in the world,” said Chen Truman, Founder of absolutebet. “We are building a brand that will grow with the Ontario community and set the stage for future expansion.”
On the regulatory milestone, Krisztina Kalla, Legal & Regulatory Compliance Advisor of absolutebet, commented: “I’m incredibly proud to see all the hard work behind this license pay off. Securing AGCO registration has taken months of preparation and close collaboration with regulators and partners. I am very happy to see the result of that work, and even more excited as we move into the launch phase and open up the absolutebet community to Ontario players in a fun and responsible way.”
Ontario is recognized as one of the most competitive and fast-growing regulated iGaming markets in North America. With AGCO registration secured, absolutebet will move forward with the final stages of its iGO onboarding process in preparation for launch.
The post absolutebet Secures AGCO Registration as an Internet Gaming Operator in Ontario appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Alex Malchenko Head of Sales at Evoplay
Evoplay strengthens Ontario presence in partnership with Caesars Entertainment

Evoplay, the award-winning game development studio, has partnered with Caesars Entertainment to expand its footprint in the Canadian market, following its initial entry earlier this year. The partnership integrates 20 of the studio’s top-performing titles onto Caesars Palace Online Casino, Horseshoe Online Casino and Caesars Sportsbook & Casino in Ontario, including fan-favourites such as Hot Triple Sevens, Triple Chili, and The Greatest Catch Bonus Buy.
Having announced its official entrance into Ontario in March, the collaboration with Caesars marks a significant step in Evoplay’s local strategy. Further standout releases, such as Inner Fire Bonus Buy and Hot Volcano, also launched as part of the initial package, with additional player favourites, including Fruit Nova and Ice Mania.
The collaboration underlines Evoplay’s commitment to working with leading operators to deliver high-quality content tailored to regional audiences.
Alex Malchenko, Head of Sales at Evoplay, said: “Launching with Caesars in Ontario marks a key milestone in our North American strategy.
“It reflects both the strength of our portfolio and our commitment to providing innovative, high-performing content to operators of the highest caliber.”
Ricardo Cornejo Rivas, Vice President of Online Gaming at Caesars Digital, said: “Evoplay brings a fresh and dynamic approach to online gaming, which we’re excited to offer to our players in Ontario. This portfolio of standout titles adds to our growing content library and furthering our ongoing goal of delivering top-tier entertainment experiences to our players.”
The post Evoplay strengthens Ontario presence in partnership with Caesars Entertainment appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Canada
iGaming Ontario Appoints Joseph Hillier as its New President and CEO

The iGaming Ontario Board of Directors has announced Joseph Hillier as the organization’s new President and Chief Executive Officer, effective September 8, 2025. Joseph’s depth in the Ontario igaming market combined with successful public and private sector careers make him the ideal President and CEO at this critical point in iGaming Ontario’s growth.
Joseph was most recently Chief Strategy Officer and Corporate Secretary at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), where he delivered significant strategic and regulatory initiatives across the province’s alcohol, cannabis, gaming, and horse racing sectors. Prior to the AGCO, he served as Chief of Staff to Ontario Attorney General Hon. Doug Downey and led the development, launch and implementation of Canada’s first private sector-driven igaming market and the creation of iGaming Ontario. Joseph also spent more than a decade working in the financial and legal services sectors.
The Board expressed its sincere thanks to David Smith for serving as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer since Martha Otton’s retirement.
The post iGaming Ontario Appoints Joseph Hillier as its New President and CEO appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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