Canada

Global Esports Powerhouses Including CS:GO, Halo, Rocket League, and More Rally at DreamHack Dallas

Published

12 months ago

May 5, 2023

DreamHack Dallas, a three-day gaming lifestyle festival, has announced its diverse slate of esports programming for the weekend of June 2-4, 2023, at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. In its return to Dallas, the festival will feature seven marquee esports tournaments with $933,000 in total prizing, including world-class competitions for women and collegiate competitors.

DreamHack Dallas is one of several DreamHack festivals across multiple countries this year. Tickets start at $35 for a single day and $99 for three-day access, with more information available at dreamhack.com/dallas/tickets/.

Top 16 CS:GO Squads Clash at IEM Dallas 2023
Sixteen of the world’s top teams will face off at DreamHack in one of the most prestigious North American Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) tournaments of the year: Intel® Extreme Masters (IEM) Dallas. All DreamHack Dallas ticket holders have access to the tournament, which features a $250,000 prize pool and a win in the race to complete Intel® Grand Slam V. The winner of IEM Dallas will automatically qualify for the Group Stage of IEM Cologne 2023, a $1 million event taking place on July 25-August 6.

Halo Championship Series Brings $125K Invitational to Dallas
DreamHack Dallas will play host to one of two Halo Championship Series Global Invitationals this season. Sixteen teams representing North America, Europe, Mexico, and Oceania will compete for the lion’s share of the $125,000 prize pool.

Rocket Clash Highlights Top Women Rocket League Competitors
North America and Europe’s top all-women Rocket League trios will compete for the $20,000 Rocket Clash prize purse. Online qualifiers and group stages will narrow down squads to two representatives from each region to face off live at the festival on June 3. Sign-ups for regional qualifiers are open now.

World’s Top All-Women CS:GO Teams Meet at ESL Impact Dallas Finals
Eight of the world’s best all-women squads will clash at the ESL Impact Dallas Finals, a three-day, $123,000 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament. This event will crown the winner of League Season 3 of ESL Impact, a part of parent company ESL FACEIT Group’s #GGFORALL initiative. Following the belief that “it’s not GG [Good Game] until it’s GG for all,” #GGFORALL aims to tackle discrimination, foster diversity and inclusion, promote mental wellbeing, and progress environmental sustainability in esports.

Collegiate Rocket League World Championship unites top scholastic squads
Collegiate Rocket League is bringing its World Championship to DreamHack Dallas, where 16 of the best teams from North America and Europe will compete for their share of the $75,000 prize pool. The group stage will take place June 2-3, with the eight remaining teams battling through a single-elimination bracket on June 4.
DreamHack Dallas, a three-day gaming lifestyle festival, has announced its diverse slate of esports programming for the weekend of June 2-4, 2023, at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. In its return to Dallas, the festival will feature seven marquee esports tournaments with $933,000 in total prizing, including world-class competitions for women and collegiate competitors.

BYOC ticket-holders gear up to compete in $250,000 Fortnite tournament
DreamHack Open Featuring Fortnite, a Zero Build Duos competition that debuted at DreamHack San Diego, is bringing its second installation to Dallas. Available to all BYOC ticket holders, the three-day competition provides an opportunity for attendees of all skill levels to test their mettle and clash for $250,000 in prize money. The top 10 duos will also qualify for Gamers8 Featuring Fortnite, a $2 million event taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 28-31.

Challenge Texas’ Best at DreamHack Fighters
Fighting game competitors are invited to a full slate of tournaments across seven popular titles at DreamHack Dallas. Available to all guests, tournaments include both singles and doubles play with $90,000 in total prizing. Participating titles include:

Brawlhalla
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Guilty Gear Strive
Tekken 7
King of Fighters XV
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3

Explore a slate of gaming lifestyle programming and activities
In addition to competitive experiences, DreamHack Dallas offers something for every type of gamers, including:

Cosplay: DreamHack Dallas will be a hub for cosplay, featuring a $3,000 competition.
BYOC LAN: BYOC ticket holders can grab their PC or console and participate in a number of top titles during the BYOC LAN, one of DreamHack’s tentpole experiences.
Freeplay: DreamHack’s Freeplay area gives attendees a chance to play 12 titles – including Counter-Strike 2.
Arcade: Explore DreamHack’s largest arcade yet, with a variety of cabinets for guests of all kinds – all free to play. Attendees will have the chance to participate in a range of competitions and giveaways hosted at the Arcade throughout the festival.
Artist Alley and Marketplace: Creatives from around the country will host pop-up shops with gaming-themed shirts, posters, pins, and more.
Creator Hub: Content creators have multiple ways to connect with fans at DreamHack Dallas, including broadcasting live from the Stream Studio, networking at the Creator Lounge, or hosting fan meet & greets.

Brawlhalla
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Guilty Gear Strive
Tekken 7
King of Fighters XV
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3

Explore a slate of gaming lifestyle programming and activities
In addition to competitive experiences, DreamHack Dallas offers something for every type of gamers, including:

Cosplay: DreamHack Dallas will be a hub for cosplay, featuring a $3,000 competition.
BYOC LAN: BYOC ticket holders can grab their PC or console and participate in a number of top titles during the BYOC LAN, one of DreamHack’s tentpole experiences.
Freeplay: DreamHack’s Freeplay area gives attendees a chance to play 12 titles – including Counter-Strike 2.
Arcade: Explore DreamHack’s largest arcade yet, with a variety of cabinets for guests of all kinds – all free to play. Attendees will have the chance to participate in a range of competitions and giveaways hosted at the Arcade throughout the festival.
Artist Alley and Marketplace: Creatives from around the country will host pop-up shops with gaming-themed shirts, posters, pins, and more.
Creator Hub: Content creators have multiple ways to connect with fans at DreamHack Dallas, including broadcasting live from the Stream Studio, networking at the Creator Lounge, or hosting fan meet & greets.

AGCO

AGCO Requires Ontario Gaming Operators to Stop Offering WBA Bets Due to Integrity Concerns

Published

5 days ago

April 22, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

agco-requires-ontario-gaming-operators-to-stop-offering-wba-bets-due-to-integrity-concerns

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has mandated all Ontario-registered sportsbook operators to halt offering and accepting wagers on World Boxing Association (WBA) events immediately. This measure is being taken to protect the Ontario betting public following concerns that WBA-sanctioned boxing matches are not adequately being safeguarded against match-fixing and insider betting.

Since December 2023, the AGCO has been conducting a comprehensive review of suspicious wagering activity on a WBA-sanctioned title fight between Yoenis Tellez and Livan Navarro that was held in Orlando, Florida. Suspicious betting patterns on the bout lasting over 5.5 rounds were reported to the AGCO by two registered independent integrity monitors and detected in Ontario by a registered igaming operator. Media reports also alleged that Tellez’s Manager placed $110,000 on the match lasting longer than 5.5 rounds at a Florida casino. The bout ended with Tellez knocking out Navarro in the 10th round.

Following an intensive review that included outreach to the WBA, Ontario-registered gaming operators, independent integrity monitors, and regulators in other jurisdictions, the AGCO has concluded that bets related to WBA events do not currently meet the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming.

The AGCO requires all Ontario-registered gaming operators to ensure the sport betting products they offer are on events that are effectively supervised by a sport governing body. At a minimum, the sport governing body must have and enforce codes of conduct that prohibit betting by insiders.

Registered gaming operators were unable to demonstrate to the AGCO that the WBA prohibits betting from insiders, which could include an athlete’s coaches, managers, handlers, athletic trainers, medical professionals, or others with access to non-public information. Further, registered gaming operators were unable to demonstrate that the WBA took any action to investigate or enforce the allegations of potential match-fixing and insider wagering.

The AGCO has indicated to registered operators that in order for WBA betting products to be reinstated in Ontario, operators must demonstrate that the WBA effectively supervises its events, thus bringing them into compliance with the Registrar’s Standards. In December 2022, the AGCO required gaming operators to stop offering bets on UFC events for similar issues related to insider betting safeguards. Within a month, UFC amended its policies and implemented new protocols that allowed the AGCO to reinstate betting on UFC events in the province.

“Ontarians who wish to bet on sporting events need to be confident that those events are fairly run, and that clear integrity safeguards are in place and enforced by an effective sport governing body. Knowing the popularity of boxing in Ontario, we look forward to reinstating betting on WBA events once appropriate safeguards against possible match-fixing and insider betting have been confirmed,” Dr. Karin Schnarr, Registrar and CEO of AGCO, said.

Andrew Cochrane Chief Business Officer of GiG

GiG increases Ontario market presence, powering the launch of Casino Time

Published

1 week ago

April 18, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

gig-increases-ontario-market-presence,-powering-the-launch-of-casino-time

Gaming Innovation Group Inc. (GiG), has announced the launch of Casino Time, powered by its award winning iGaming platform and pioneering real-time rules engine LogicX, with revolutionary sportsbook, SportX soon to follow, to further extend its footprint in the regulated Canadian province of Ontario.

The launch of Casino Time carries extra significance, marking only the second time that on-demand, regulated online Bingo has been made available in Ontario. The new Bingo product vertical, launched alongside a strong Casino offering, will be boosted by GiG’s new sportsbook, SportX, as part of a planned release later this year.

GiG has focused its solutions on driving exponential growth in revenue for operators with its highly scalable iGaming platform, offering localised third party content and leading suppliers for the Ontarian market. GiGs peerless gamification layer creates an optimised and immersive casino experience tailored to regional preferences, swelling client retention and player engagement.

Canadian owned and operated, Casino Time is a joint venture amongst leading retail operators in Ontario’s Charitable Gaming sector, delivering Bingo, Slots and Live Dealer Casino Games. Promising a personalised service and community experience, Casino Time is continuing its long-standing partnership with local charities, introducing its joint fundraising model into the iGaming space for the first time.

Now coming towards the end of its second year of licensed operations, Ontario has emerged as one of the largest iGaming markets in North America, second only to New Jersey according to data supplied by Vixio. The first and as yet only Canadian province to launch a regulated market, Ontario boasts more than 1.6 million active player accounts spread over 40 plus operators, generating €1.3 billion in Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) in its first year of trading, with this data supplied by iGaming Ontario.

Andrew Cochrane, Chief Business Officer of GiG, said: “GiG continues to set the pace with a strong cadence of brand launches in 2024, and I’m pleased that when operators are seeking platform solutions in regulated markets, GiG is leading the pack. Our partnership with Casino Time, will help deliver something new and exciting to the Ontarian market, and further helps to demonstrate the flexibility of our solutions, adapting to match the regional aspirations of our partners to deliver growth.”

D’Arcy Stuart, CEO of Casino Time, said: “We are thrilled to partner with GiG as the core technology provider of our iGaming platform. Their powerful suite of player engagement tools, as well as diverse content and regulatory integrations, underpin our ability to serve and delight our player community. Our hybrid online and offline customer network, as well as unique bingo offerings, will drive exciting opportunities as the platform and the marketplace continues to grow.”

Bragg Gaming Group

Bragg Gaming Announces Resignation of Chief Financial Officer

Published

3 weeks ago

April 9, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

bragg-gaming-announces-resignation-of-chief-financial-officer

Bragg Gaming Group Inc., a global B2B gaming technology and content provider, announced that Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Ronen Kannor, has notified Bragg’s board of directors (Board) that he will resign from his position to pursue other career opportunities, effective June 3, 2024. The Company confirms that the search for a replacement CFO has commenced.

Matevž Mazij, Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board, commented: “We thank Ronen for his dedication and commitment to Bragg over the past four years and for his unwavering service as a pivotal member of the leadership team.

“During his tenure as CFO, the Company has undergone huge positive transformation including being uplisted to the Toronto Stock Exchange, dual listed on the NASDAQ and successfully completing two acquisitions, all while reporting consecutive years of revenue, gross profit and adjusted EBITDA growth. We wish Ronen all the very best in his future endeavors.”

Ronen Kannor commented: “It has been an honor to be part of the Bragg team which has successfully navigated many challenges and continued to deliver consistent growth over the past four years. I thank the Board for their support throughout my time with Bragg, and I am now fully focused on ensuring a smooth handover to my successor.

“Special thanks goes to my finance team, who work tirelessly to deliver the positive change and financial growth that the Company continues to achieve. I wish them and all of my colleagues continued success with Bragg now and in the future.”