Australia
Exclusive Q & A with Marc Edwards, CEO of ORDER
Q. Congratulations on joining ORDER as the new CEO! What are your early reactions to the job?
A. It is an exciting time to join the organisation. I had been working for ORDER in a consultancy capacity for 6 months prior to joining as CEO, so the transition has been relatively seamless. My early impressions are full of opportunity and growth. The industry is forging ahead and receiving a lot of attention from mainstream media and non-endemic brands looking to be involved in the space, and with ORDER being a first mover in esports and now 4 years later is well established, we are looking forward to this next stage of our evolution.
Q. Do you find heading an Esports team much different than leading an organization in traditional sports or motor sports, where you had spent most of your career?
A. There are a lot of similarities with the support structure of esports and traditional sports, especially when it comes to fostering a culture of high performance and professionalism. And now as we look ahead, player welfare and grass roots programs are firmly on the agenda to ensure we are both looking after our professional players, but also playing a role as a leader in the industry to provide pathways for the next generation of talent. If we look at the commercial side of the industry there are certainly some parallels to draw with sponsorship, brand activations and fan engagement and how these are delivered to offer the best value to brands. The real difference in this area of the business is the ability to innovate and execute on new ideas without the constraint of governing or league bodies. Further, we also see the customer facing area of our business as a far more creative than traditional sports – more along the lines of a music label. Essentially our talent, who are professional gamers and content creators, are at the core and the support crew we build around them to bring this to life are creatives, e.g. content managers, creative directors, digital marketers and brand builders.
Q. For the outside world, Australia, where ORDER is based, is known for its outdoor sports. How is esports catching up in the country? How does its popularity compare with that of traditional sports?
A. Traditional sports are fed by generations of participation and ultimately viewership. Right now the esports industry in Australia is no more than 5 years old, yet despite the lack of history and level of unfamiliarity the fan base has more than doubled in the past 2 years alone. With the majority of esports fans being in the 18 to 34 age bracket and skewing male, there has been a natural migration of fans from traditional sport into esports, which is a sign of how Australia’s deep passion for sport is changing. Esports provides this generation an alternative outlet for entertainment and it’s being supported big time. While the current audience base skews male there is a ground swell of engagement coming from the female audience and is being driven by women gamers increasingly turning professional.
Q. ORDER has recently raised a $5.3 million funding? What are the immediate plans to drive the growth?
A. We will solidify our position in Oceania esports while continuing to look at opportunities in other esports titles. The real growth for ORDER though will be in content creation and production and building an audience around our brand. To do that we are looking for content creators across multiple platforms and gaming influencers who will become part of the ORDER crew and benefit from our administrative support and enabled to continue to grow their current activities. Also, in a first for an esports organisation the region, earlier this year ORDER took residency at our new facility in Collingwood Melbourne, which will feature the Alienware esports high performance room, Logitech streaming room, production studio and administrative offices.
Q. Could you talk about the new diversification initiatives that are in pipeline?
A. Outside of what I have mentioned above, ORDER will continue to evolve our gaming production capabilities, with a bespoke offering across events and licensed content. We are also looking towards collaborations with creatives and artists across music, fashion, and art. We see gaming as aligning strongly with the future of pop culture and these pursuits have paved the way for gaming to move from a subculture to pop culture in its own right.
Q. It appears that the lock down forced by the Covid 19 pandemic has turned out to be a turning point for esports in general. How did it affect the growth of ORDER?
A. For ORDER, and most esports organisations, the events of the last year or so have put greater emphasis on the need for online event capability, content production and building a mass audience. While much of this growth is still in it’s infancy, the realignment of strategy in the early stage of 2020 provided us a long enough runway to start executing and importantly secure significant funding to accelerate our growth ambitions.
Powered by WPeMatico
The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has fined the Werribee RSL $30,000 for failing to prevent 2 self-excluded customers from gambling.
VGCCC CEO Suzy Neilan said: “This is the first time the VGCCC has taken disciplinary action against a club or hotel for self-exclusion breaches.
“Self-exclusion programs empower people to manage their gambling by registering to be temporarily or permanently blocked from entering gambling areas of clubs, pubs and casinos.
“By failing to respect a person’s decision to self-exclude, a venue may put customers who have decided to take a break from gambling, or quit altogether, at risk of experiencing gambling harm.”
In January 2024, the VGCCC received an anonymous tip-off that a self-excluded person entered the Werribee RSL gaming room and used the poker machines. The venue self-reported a second breach in May 2024, after realising a different customer had gambled at the venue on at least 4 occasions between February and May 2024.
Ms Neilan said: “Taking disciplinary action is the last resort. We would prefer venues take their harm minimisation responsibilities seriously by complying with their legal obligations, including through the effective implementation of tools like self-exclusion.
“Venues and their staff are the last line of defence for self-excluded customers, who should be able to trust that their decision to self-exclude will be respected. They must have the appropriate controls in place to prevent self-excluded people from entering gaming rooms.”
The VGCCC acknowledged that Werribee RSL cooperated with the investigations and has since taken steps to strengthen its procedures. These include improved and regular staff training, daily audits of the self-exclusion register and greater use of technology to identify self-excluded customers who attempt to enter the gaming room.
This remedial action was taken into consideration in determining the amount of the fine.
The post VGCCC Fines Werribee RSL for Self-exclusion Failures appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has issued ReadyBet with a remedial direction after the company marketed to customers who had registered with BetStop – the National Self-Exclusion Register (NSER).
An ACMA investigation found ReadyBet sent 273 texts and push notifications from its mobile app to self-excluded individuals.
Separately, the company also failed to promote the NSER in 2342 push notifications despite it being mandatory to promote BetStop in any marketing electronic messages.
The ACMA issued the remedial direction so that ReadyBet takes action to prevent it breaching the rules in the future.
Under the remedial direction, ReadyBet must commission an independent review of its marketing systems, including its use of third-party suppliers.
ReadyBet must also engage a provider to deliver training to its staff to avoid messages being sent to self-excluded individuals.
The ACMA may seek civil penalties if ReadyBet does not comply with the remedial direction.
The post ACMA: ReadyBet Breaches Gambling Self-exclusion Rules appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Unibet Australia has expanded its partnership with the Sydney Roosters, now including sponsorship of the club’s NRLW team.
This milestone marks a significant step in Unibet’s commitment to gender parity in sport and the continued evolution of rugby league.
Building on a successful and long-standing relationship with the Roosters’ men’s team, this new chapter reflects Unibet’s dedication to supporting the growth of women’s sport and aligning with the values of equality, opportunity and community.
“We’re thrilled to extend our partnership with the Sydney Roosters to include the NRLW side. This isn’t just about sponsorship—it’s about recognising the incredible talent, passion, and professionalism of the women’s game and ensuring it receives the same backing and visibility as the men’s,” said General Manager Nathan Reeves
The NRLW has seen exponential growth in recent years, with increasing fan engagement, media coverage and grassroots participation. Unibet’s expanded support aims to help accelerate this momentum and provide the Roosters’ female athletes with the same elite-level resources and recognition.
Chief Operating Officer of the Sydney Roosters, Jarrod Johnstone, said: “Unibet has been a valued partner of our club for years, and their decision to support our NRLW team speaks volumes about their belief in the future of women’s rugby league. This partnership is a powerful statement about parity and progress.”
The Partnership was celebrated at the first game of the season where the Roosters defeated the Warriors 30-6. Unibet staff, friends and family attended the match welcoming the team on the field with a guard of honour.
Nicholas Porta, Unibet’s Head of Marketing, said: “Our staff work so hard in delivering our products it was a great way to give back and introduce new fans to the elite women’s game.”
Marketing Manager Belinda McNulty and the Roosters team have worked in the off season to ensure the partnership extends beyond the logo on playing kit with a launch race day, custom products for the players lounge and bespoke assets across LED and digital to engage fans and celebrate the achievements of the defending premiers.
The post Unibet Expands Partnership with Sydney Roosters to Support NRLW Team appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
-
Africa6 days agoAltenar appoints Brendon Jeacocks as Regional Director in South Africa
-
Aquisitions/Mergers6 days ago
Pavilion Payments Acquires CasinoSoft
-
Africa5 days ago
Shaden Dre Shabalala (Captain of the MSSA Protea Esports Team for MLBB) will lead his brave, and dedicated, team against Madagascar on 23 July 2025 at 19H00)
-
Betpro6 days ago
Kambi Group plc signs Turnkey Sportsbook partnership with Latin American operator RedCap
-
EurAsia5 days ago
Groove Technologies Partners with “Azərlotereya” OJSC to Revolutionise Digital Gaming Experience
-
Australia4 days ago
Unibet Expands Partnership with Sydney Roosters to Support NRLW Team
-
Africa6 days ago
TigonBet Enters Kenya’s Betting Market
-
Compliance Updates5 days ago
MC Games Announces Ombudsman Channel for User Questions
