Canada
Rivalry Announces $14 Million Investment to Accelerate Growth
Rivalry Corp. (the “Company” or “Rivalry”) (TSXV: RVLY) (OTCQX: RVLCF) (FSE: 9VK), the leading sportsbook and iGaming operator for Millennials and Gen Z, today announced a non-brokered private placement offering of convertible debentures (“Convertible Debentures“), and the closing of the first tranche of such offering for aggregate gross proceeds of $14,000,000. The investment comprising this initial closing came from an existing institutional shareholder. All dollar figures are quoted in Canadian dollars.
Under the Offering, each Convertible Debenture will consist of $1,000 principal amount of 10% senior secured convertible debentures of the Company, maturing on November 14, 2027 (the “Maturity Date“). The outstanding principal under the Convertible Debentures will be convertible at the option of the holder, at any time prior to the close of business on the last business day immediately preceding the Maturity Date, into subordinate voting shares in the capital of the Company (“Subordinate Voting Shares“) at the conversion price of $1.40 per Subordinate Voting Share (the “Conversion Price“).
“We are very pleased to receive the support of a long-standing institutional shareholder of Rivalry with this investment,” said Steven Salz, Co-founder and CEO, Rivalry. “Rivalry’s unique product mix and position in the marketplace has brought the business to the inflection point it’s reached today. We’re deeply confident in the underlying trends the business is showing and maintain our expectation to achieve profitability in H1 2024.”
“Strengthening our balance sheet positions the company to maximize the opportunity in front of us. The capital will enable Rivalry to accelerate the development and release of new products, expand marketing efforts, and extend into new geographies and verticals, setting us on a path where we can pursue growth and profitability at the same time,” Salz added.
Terms of the Offering
The Convertible Debentures will bear interest from the date of issue at 10.0% per annum, and will be payable in cash quarterly in arrears on March 30, June 30 September 30 and December 30 of each year (each, an “Interest Payment Date”) commencing December 31, 2025 and will consist of interest accrued from and including the date of issue to the initial Interest Payment Date. Additional tranches of the non-brokered private placement offering may close for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $27,500,000 (inclusive of the initial closing) (the “Offering“).
The Convertible Debentures will be senior secured obligations of the Company, subject to certain exceptions, and will be secured by all of the assets and property of the Company, subject to certain permitted encumbrances, pursuant to a general security agreement, and guaranteed by the Company’s wholly-owned material subsidiaries, and such guarantee shall be secured by a security agreement executed by such subsidiaries granting a first priority security interest on all of their present and after acquired personal property.
The net proceeds received by the Company are expected to be used to fund general working capital and corporate purposes.
The Convertible Debentures shall be offered and sold (i) to investors in Canada on a private placement basis; (ii) to institutional accredited investors in the United States pursuant to available private placement exemptions; (iii) to investors residing in jurisdictions outside of Canada and the United States, in each case in accordance with all applicable laws; provided that no prospectus, registration statement or similar document is required to be filed in such foreign jurisdiction.
All securities issued in connection with the Offering will be subject to a hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance in accordance with applicable securities legislation.
The securities issuable in connection with the Offering have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act“) or any U.S. state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an available exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of the securities referenced in this press release, in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.
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
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 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.”
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