eSports

Exclusive Spanish Market Q&A w/ João Carvalho, Sales Manager at PandaScore

Published

3 years ago

February 21, 2023

Reading Time: 3 minutes

How has PandaScore served the Spanish market thus far?

Spain is a hotbed of activity when it comes to esports, with countless players, teams and tournaments held across the biggest esports titles taking place across the country. But when it comes to betting on esports, the market is still very much in its infancy. That’s not to say there isn’t a significant opportunity for operators to explore, because there is. Not only is esports hugely popular, but so too is betting on traditional sports. The challenge has been to bring the two together, and that’s exactly why PandaScore delivers its esports betting solutions to operators in the market.

Our odds, markets and betting products are second to none and are used by some of the largest operators in the world to capitalise on the esports wagering opportunity. We sit at the cutting edge of esports and betting and have delivered many innovations to the esports market. Today, we cover 308 unique markets across all major esports titles from League of Legends and Valorant to CS:GO, Call of Duty, Dota2 and more. Our markets include Player Props as well as Winner 2-way, Winner 3-way, Maps handicap, Total maps over/under, Correct score, First map/Match result, Most kills 2-way and Most kills 3-way.

We’ve also been hard at work on creating esports dedicated micro markets and will be going big on this throughout the year. We will also continue to push our powerful esports Bet Builder tool, allowing players to curate their own bet slips for next-level engagement.

What are the company goals for Spain over the next 12 months?

Ultimately, we want to help operators unlock the full potential that esports betting has to offer, while also playing our part in educating esports fans that they can wager on players, teams and tournaments with operators that are fair, transparent and reputable. To do this, we will continue to enhance our suite of solutions over the next 12 months and, as mentioned above, will be rolling out new markets on new games – most importantly Valorant, expand out BetBuilder tool, and introduce esports Microbetting. We will also be driving awareness of our recently re-vamped Widgets product which allows Spanish operators to seamlessly integrate our Odds solution into their environment and customise the front end to meet their individual branding and player experience goals. State-of-the-art solutions such as these make it easy for operators to expand into the esports betting space, and this in turn will enable us to engage more operators in Spain throughout the year.

What does the Spanish market need to ramp up its esports betting activity?

Spain is no different to other nascent esports betting markets with tremendous untapped potential. All it takes to fully open the doors is a little education among operators and players, and one or two tier-one brands rolling out esportsbooks for the first time. This is something we have seen in the UK market where we have recently joined forces with William Hill to power its first proper move into esports wagering. Once the big boys are on board, it’s not long before everyone else looks to follow. But this provides a huge opportunity for smaller brands to seize the first mover advantage and push ahead with rolling out an esportsbook now – especially in Spain where there is a strong appetite for this among players but where the competition remains limited (for now). Those that do will be able to build large and loyal player bases before the power players enter the market.

What does PandaScore specifically bring to the Spanish market that will promote esports betting growth?

Esports fans have high expectations from the entertainment options they engage with. This includes intuitive user interfaces optimised for mobile, fast-paced action, a quality product and an experience that provides a sense of community. Our products and solutions have been designed to provide all of these things and more so that operators can deliver esports betting experiences that not only meet but exceed player expectations in Spain and beyond.

What’s more, the team behind PandaScore are first and foremost fans of esports and are incredibly passionate about bringing esports betting to the widest possible audience. We plan to be on the ground at major esports and betting events throughout the year, including FIJIMA, Madrid. This is a key part of our strategy to drive awareness of the world of esports, the potential of esports betting and how all stakeholders can maximise the huge potential of bringing the two together in the Spanish market and others around the world.

Brazilian Carnival

Esportes da Sorte transforms Carnival 2026 into a nationwide immersive experience

Published

1 week ago

February 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

esportes-da-sorte-transforms-carnival-2026-into-a-nationwide-immersive-experience

Leading Brazilian iGaming company Esportes da Sorte has transformed Carnival 2026 into a nationwide immersive experience, activating urban art installations, hydration stations and large‑scale attractions across nine cities in Brazil. As part of its expanded cultural engagement strategy, the brand is serving as an official sponsor in key Carnival locations and delivering experiential initiatives designed for revelers in the streets and major public spaces.

Esportes da Sorte’s nationwide platform builds on its history of investing in popular culture and public events, moving beyond traditional branding to create meaningful on‑site activations that enhance the urban environment and respond to the unique character of each city’s Carnival celebrations.

In Rio de Janeiro, the company’s efforts focus on the street Carnival experience with hydration points, cool zones and shaded areas in high‑traffic celebration routes. São Paulo’s megabloc circuits feature water trucks, hydration stations and on‑site urban support.

In Recife Antigo, one of Carnival’s cultural centers, Esportes da Sorte installed a standout Ferris wheel at Marco Zero, offering panoramic views of the festivities and historic landscape. Urban transformations like video mapping on iconic buildings and aerial installations along Rua Marquês de Olinda further blend public space with the Carnival experience.

Other cities such as Olinda and Salvador also feature tailored activations, including sensory design, refreshment tunnels and themed artistic displays that align with local traditions and festival dynamics.

In addition to physical structures, the initiative includes a robust communications strategy, sensory activations, public well‑being supports and content campaigns that amplify the carnival‑street experience across digital and traditional media.

According to Germana Casal, Production Coordinator at the Esportes Gaming Brasil Group, the goal is to “be present in a meaningful way at the country’s biggest popular celebration,” respecting each city’s identity and delivering initiatives that improve the Carnival experience for participants.

Esportes da Sorte’s Carnival 2026 project builds on the brand’s presence at more than 100 Carnival parties and street blocos in 2025, reinforcing its leadership role in Brazil’s largest cultural event and deepening its connection with urban celebration culture nationwide.

The post Esportes da Sorte transforms Carnival 2026 into a nationwide immersive experience appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

chess esports

Team Vitality announces E.Leclerc as new Main Partner

Published

1 week ago

February 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

team-vitality-announces-e.leclerc-as-new-main-partner

Team Vitality, one of France’s leading esports organizations, has announced a strategic new partnership with French retail giant E.Leclerc, naming the supermarket chain as the club’s Main Partner for 2026.

Under the agreement, E.Leclerc’s logo will feature prominently on Team Vitality’s international team jerseys, including rosters for League of Legends (LEC and LFL), Valorant (VCT EMEA), Rocket League, Rising Bees and Chess.

Shared Values and Fan Initiatives

The partnership aims to promote accessibility, wellness, and nutrition within the esports community, while bringing gaming culture into E.Leclerc retail spaces through immersive experiences, tournaments and activations designed to engage fans across France.

Team Vitality’s holistic wellbeing program, KARE, which supports performance, nutrition and mental health, aligns closely with E.Leclerc’s focus on responsible lifestyle initiatives. Together, they plan to champion inclusivity, provide unique gaming opportunities, and celebrate esports culture in both digital and physical environments.

With a global audience exceeding 10 million followers, Team Vitality’s influence in competitive gaming makes this partnership a landmark moment for both brands. E.Leclerc’s commitment to youth engagement and cultural connection positions the retailer as a significant non‑endemic supporter of the growing esports ecosystem.

Nicolas Maurer, CEO and Co‑Founder of Team Vitality, described the alliance as a historic milestone that will broaden esports’ reach across everyday life in France and reinforce its cultural legitimacy.

The post Team Vitality announces E.Leclerc as new Main Partner appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AI chatbot esports

G2 Esports and Theta Labs Launch AI Agent Sami

Published

1 week ago

February 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

g2-esports-and-theta-labs-launch-ai-agent-sami

G2 Esports has partnered with Theta Labs to launch “Sami,” a next-generation AI agent designed to enhance fan engagement across multiple competitive esports titles.

The AI-powered assistant will provide G2’s global fanbase with instant access to match schedules, player stats, team rosters, tournament standings, and real-time competitive updates. Sami supports major titles including League of Legends, Counter-Strike 2, VALORANT, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, and Call of Duty.

Accessible via the official G2 website and Discord starting February 17, Sami is built to deliver accurate, always-on responses to fan queries in natural language. From tournament updates to player performance metrics and G2-specific trivia, the AI agent reflects the organization’s unique brand voice and competitive culture.

AI-Powered Fan Engagement at Scale

Sami is trained and deployed using Theta EdgeCloud’s hybrid cloud-edge infrastructure, which integrates over 30,000 distributed edge nodes with cloud services from Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services. The system delivers approximately 80 PetaFLOPS of GPU compute power, enabling real-time processing and analysis at significantly reduced costs compared to traditional centralized cloud platforms.

The AI infrastructure dynamically assigns workloads to high-performance GPUs, including NVIDIA A100 and H100 cloud GPUs, as well as RTX 3090 and 4090 desktop GPUs, optimizing performance and cost efficiency. This decentralized architecture allows G2 to scale fan engagement globally while maintaining low latency and high reliability.

Strengthening Esports AI Innovation

Theta Labs has rapidly expanded its presence in the esports industry, powering AI-driven fan experiences for organizations such as Cloud9, FlyQuest, Evil Geniuses, NRG, Gen.G, Dignitas, 100 Thieves, Method, and Team Heretics.

According to Mitch Liu, CEO of Theta Labs, esports fans increasingly demand instant access to team data and competitive updates. AI agents like Sami enable organizations to provide 24/7 automated engagement while maintaining a unique community personality.

Sabrina Ratih, COO of G2 Esports, emphasized that Sami is more than a standard chatbot. Built to reflect G2’s playful and competitive tone, the AI assistant combines advanced machine learning with brand-driven communication to deliver both entertainment and functionality.

The Future of AI in Esports

The launch of Sami positions G2 Esports at the forefront of AI-driven fan engagement in competitive gaming. By leveraging decentralized GPU infrastructure and blockchain-powered cloud computing, the partnership with Theta Labs signals a broader industry shift toward scalable, cost-efficient AI solutions for esports organizations.

As AI integration becomes a competitive differentiator in esports, solutions like Sami are expected to redefine how teams interact with their global communities in real time.

The post G2 Esports and Theta Labs Launch AI Agent Sami appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.