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.
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Australia
Gaming Compliance Checks Underway Across Regional NSW

Liquor & Gaming NSW (L&GNSW) is conducting a compliance operation across regional NSW throughout March to ensure venues adhere to gaming regulations that promote responsible gambling and reduce harm.
Inspectors will visit clubs and hotels to ensure venues understand and comply with external gambling signage rules and recent changes to requirements for the location of ATMs and cash dispensing facilities.
They will also check that venues have appointed Responsible Gambling Officers, maintained Gambling Incident Registers and adhered to Gaming Plans of Management.
L&GNSW Acting Executive Director of Regulatory Operations Bernadette Beard said the operation is part of an ongoing effort to work with venues to ensure responsible gambling laws are upheld.
“Our compliance operation is well underway, with inspectors visiting venues across regional NSW to ensure they are aware of their obligations,” Ms Beard said.
“A key focus will be on the gaming reforms that took effect on January 1, 2025, which mandate that ATMs and other cash dispensing facilities must be positioned at least five metres from gaming room entrances or exits and kept out of sight from gaming areas and machines,” Jakob Rothwangl said.
Ms Beard said recent inspections in Sydney and other metropolitan areas have identified multiple venues not following the rules, leading to penalties where necessary.
“Since the new cash dispensing rules were introduced, L&GNSW has visited more than 900 clubs and hotels, issuing 53 cautions and three penalty infringement notices to 44 non-compliant venues, with several others under investigation,” Ms Beard said.
“We’re here to assist venues in meeting their responsibilities, but compliance is essential, and enforcement action will be taken where required.”
The post Gaming Compliance Checks Underway Across Regional NSW appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Australia
Crown Resorts Announces Ed Domingo as New CEO of Crown Melbourne

Crown Resorts has announced the appointment of Mr. Ed Domingo as the new CEO of Crown Melbourne, succeeding Mr. Mike Volkert, subject to regulatory approvals.
Mr. Volkert is stepping down from his role as CEO of Crown Melbourne to pursue an opportunity outside of Crown. He served as the CEO for the past two and a half years.
Mr. Domingo brings over 20 years of experience in the hospitality and casino industry. Most recently, he served as the President & COO of Empire City Casino in New York with MGM Resorts International, where he oversaw all day-to-day operations of the resort.
Previously, Mr. Domingo was the Senior Vice President & CFO of Bellagio Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, the premier luxury resort for MGM Resorts International. His extensive leadership experience also includes roles with Caesars Entertainment and Rush Street Gaming, providing him with deep industry knowledge across several gaming jurisdictions.
Mr. Domingo will begin with Crown Melbourne in late April, with Mr. Volkert continuing to serve as CEO until that time, ensuring a smooth transition.
Crown Resorts CEO, David Tsai, said: “Ed has a proven track record in leading integrated resorts, and we are thrilled to welcome him to Crown Melbourne. With his extensive industry experience across various gaming jurisdictions, Ed is well-positioned to lead Crown Melbourne’s next phase of growth and success.
“I would also like to extend my gratitude to Mike for his invaluable contribution over the past two and a half years, including his leadership in our transformation journey.”
Mr. Domingo said: “I am incredibly excited to join Crown Melbourne, which has held an iconic role in Melbourne’s entertainment and tourism landscape for 30 years. I look forward to joining the thousands of amazing team members there and leading Crown Melbourne’s next phase of transformation and growth, bringing innovative venues to life and creating dynamic experiences for our guests, all while operating at industry-leading standards.”
Crown Melbourne Chairman, Ian Silk, said: “I would like to thank Mike for his leadership and dedication to Crown Melbourne over the last two and a half years. Ed is a highly accomplished and experienced executive with proven success at similar organisations, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact of his leadership.”
The post Crown Resorts Announces Ed Domingo as New CEO of Crown Melbourne appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Australia
ACMA Blocks More Illegal Online Gambling Websites

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has requested the Australian internet service providers (ISPs) to block more illegal online gambling sites, after investigations found these services to be operating in breach of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.
The latest sites blocked include Crown slots and Billy billion.
Website blocking is one of a range of enforcement options to protect Australians against illegal online gambling. Since the ACMA made its first blocking request in November 2019, 1178 illegal gambling and affiliate websites have been blocked.
Around 220 illegal services have also pulled out of the Australian market since the ACMA started enforcing new illegal online gambling rules in 2017.
The post ACMA Blocks More Illegal Online Gambling Websites appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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