Canada

FORMER BOXING WORLD CHAMPIONS SUGAR RAY LEONARD AND SUGAR SHANE MOSLEY AND SPORTS AGENT RAY LEONARD JR. TO FORM KO KINGS SIMWIN SPORTS OWNERSHIP GROUP

Published

3 years ago

March 20, 2023

SimWin Sports, the world’s first virtual sports league that provides daily fantasy players and esports fans with the ability to watch, predict, collect, play, and earn, today announced the latest addition to its impressive lineup of celebrity ownership groups. Famed athletes and entrepreneurs “Sugar” Ray Leonard, Ray Leonard Jr., and “Sugar” Shane Mosely have joined forces to form the KO Kings team ownership group in the SimWin Sports Football league to deliver sports to the metaverse.

“Our new ownership group’s outstanding professional accolades in boxing and the sports and entertainment industries and their commitment to our vision speak volumes about SimWin’s long-term vision in the metaverse,” commented SimWin Founder and CEO David J. Ortiz. “We are thrilled to welcome Sugar Ray, Ray Jr., Sugar Shane, and of course, the KO Kings to SimWin. We look forward to seeing the KO Kings’ debut and the remainder of star-studded teams.”

With prestigious sports roots, the trio aims to represent a diverse fanbase that reflects each owner’s background. Sugar Ray, Leonard Jr., and Sugar Shane are aligned with SimWin’s goal of furthering minority ownership in sports. The virtual sports league proudly emboldens the growth and advancement of minority-owned businesses as part of its mission. Two-thirds of SimWin’s football team owners are minority businesspeople, including Magic Johnson (LA Magic), LaMelo Ball (Charlotte Rare), Jerry Rice (Mississippi GOATs), Marshall Faulk (San Diego Battleships), Dr. Jen Welter (Hollywood Valkryie), Susanne de Passe (Beverly Hills Revenger) and more.

Sugar Ray Leonard is a retired American professional boxer widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers ever. Leonard won several world titles in different weight classes and had legendary fights against Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns, Marvin Hagler, and Wilfred Benitez. After retiring from boxing, Leonard became a successful businessman, forming a long-term partnership with Skechers, boasting philanthropic efforts, and thriving as a boxing analyst for HBO Sports. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1997 and has received numerous other honors for his achievements in the sport of boxing.

Ray Leonard Jr. is a former two-sport Division I collegiate athlete and former sports agent for some of the biggest names in sports. Known to light up a room when he walks in, Ray is a top motivational keynote speaker, radio host, actor, and award-winning business executive. Leonard recently started Ovationz, a two-sided marketplace that connects talent with event organizers, party planners, and meeting hosts to create outstanding virtual events.

Sugar Shane Mosley is a retired American professional boxer with world titles in three different weight classes. Shane turned professional in 1993 and quickly established himself as a formidable fighter, winning his first world title in 1997. He went on to have legendary fights against Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather Jr., and Manny Pacquiao. Mosley retired from boxing in 2020 with a record of 49 wins, ten losses, and one draw, and he is considered one of the greatest boxers of his era.

“The KO Kings are excited to bring that knockout punch and boxing discipline to Sim Win Sports,” said Leonard Jr. “The Leonard Sports and Entertainment team are putting the rest of the virtual sports world on notice that we’ve come to knock out the competition.”

Canada

St8 expands Octoplay aggregation deal to Ontario and the UK

Published

13 hours ago

July 2, 2026

Wladimir P.

st8-expands-octoplay-aggregation-deal-to-ontario-and-the-uk

St8 has extended its content partnership with Octoplay into Ontario and the UK, expanding distribution of Octoplay’s casino games in two regulated markets. The companies announced the move on 2 July, 2026.

Under the expanded agreement, St8 will make Octoplay’s full portfolio available to operators in both jurisdictions through St8’s single API integration.

David Fall, Business Development Manager at St8, said:

“Expanding our partnership with Octoplay into Ontario and the UK is another important milestone as we continue to strengthen our aggregation platform with premium content from leading suppliers.

“Octoplay has built an excellent reputation for developing engaging, high-performing games, and we’re delighted to extend this collaboration into two highly strategic regulated markets. This agreement enables our operator partners to access even more quality content through a single integration while supporting their growth in competitive jurisdictions.”

Ralitsa Georgieva, CEO at Octoplay added:

“We’re pleased to expand our partnership with St8 into Ontario and the UK, making our full portfolio available to even more operators through its aggregation platform. St8 has established itself as a trusted technology partner for regulated markets, and we look forward to building on our successful collaboration together.”

The post St8 expands Octoplay aggregation deal to Ontario and the UK appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Canada

St8 extends Octoplay partnership into Ontario and the UK

Published

13 hours ago

July 2, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

st8-extends-octoplay-partnership-into-ontario-and-the-uk

Casino games aggregator and full-service technology provider St8 has expanded its partnership with Octoplay into Ontario and the UK, further strengthening its premium content offering across two of the industry’s most important regulated markets.

Through the extended agreement, St8 will make Octoplay’s full portfolio of casino games available to operators in both jurisdictions, providing partners with seamless access to the supplier’s high-quality content through its single API integration.

The expansion builds on the successful relationship between the two companies and reflects St8’s continued commitment to providing operators with access to leading game providers across regulated markets. By broadening the availability of Octoplay’s portfolio, St8 further enhances the depth and diversity of content available to its operator network.

Octoplay has quickly established itself as one of the industry’s most innovative and fastest growing game studios, recognised for delivering engaging titles that combine premium gameplay with strong player appeal which are now available across 17 jurisdictions. The supplier’s focus on quality and performance aligns closely with St8’s mission to simplify content aggregation while helping operators deliver exceptional gaming experiences.

The latest agreement reinforces St8’s strategy of expanding its premium content portfolio while helping operators simplify integration, accelerate market entry and deliver engaging gaming experiences across multiple regulated jurisdictions.

David Fall, Business Development Manager at St8, said: “Expanding our partnership with Octoplay into Ontario and the UK is another important milestone as we continue to strengthen our aggregation platform with premium content from leading suppliers.

Ralitsa Georgieva, CEO at Octoplay added: “We’re pleased to expand our partnership with St8 into Ontario and the UK, making our full portfolio available to even more operators through its aggregation platform. St8 has established itself as a trusted technology partner for regulated markets, and we look forward to building on our successful collaboration together.”

The post St8 extends Octoplay partnership into Ontario and the UK appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

AGCO

AGCO Fines Great Canadian Entertainment $120,000 for Using Unauthorised Gaming System Software at Four Casinos

Published

16 hours ago

July 2, 2026

Wladimir P.

agco-fines-great-canadian-entertainment-$120,000-for-using-unauthorised-gaming-system-software-at-four-casinos

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has ordered monetary penalties totalling $120,000 against Great Canadian Entertainment (GCE) for using unauthorided gaming system software at multiple Ontario casino sites, a serious compliance failure that bypassed requirements designed to protect the integrity of casino gaming.

Gaming equipment and systems are central to casino operations. They process payments and wagers, support slot-game play and help maintain controls that protect the integrity, safety and security of the gaming environment. When these systems are used or operated without required testing, monitoring and approval, it weakens safeguards designed to detect and prevent unlawful conduct, including money laundering, and can undermine public confidence in Ontario’s regulated casino sector.

The AGCO reviewed 40 instances in which revoked or unapproved bill validator software had been installed across four casino sites between February 20 and March 15, 2025. Bill validators are components within gaming machines that accept and process cash and help support anti-money laundering controls.

The AGCO’s Standards for Gaming require gaming equipment and software to be tested and approved before being deployed in casinos. Bill validators verify the authenticity and value of cash inserted into electronic gaming machines and are an important safeguard. That is why these systems must undergo rigorous testing and approval to confirm they operate as intended, perform critical functions reliably and are authorised before being introduced into a live casino environment.

Casino operators are responsible for ensuring that changes to gaming systems are properly reviewed, tested and authorised before implementation. Using unapproved software in a live casino environment is a serious compliance failure.

A casino operator served with an Order of Monetary Penalty has the right to appeal the Registrar’s action within 15 days to the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT), an adjudicative body that is part of Tribunals Ontario and independent of the AGCO.

“The AGCO requires casino operators to protect the integrity of their gaming systems by making sure they are independently tested, approved and operating as intended. When unauthorised software is used in a live casino environment, it bypasses critical safeguards that are meant to uphold the integrity of gaming and the public’s confidence in the system. The AGCO will continue to hold all casino operators accountable for meeting Ontario’s high standards of gaming system integrity,” said Dr. Karin Schnarr, Registrar and Chief Executive Officer at AGCO.

The post AGCO Fines Great Canadian Entertainment $120,000 for Using Unauthorised Gaming System Software at Four Casinos appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.