Canada

NBA 2K LEAGUE’S FIRST-EVER “WINTER CLA$H” TIPS OFF FRIDAY

Published

5 years ago

December 1, 2020

– Online Tournament Featuring NBA 2K League and NBA G League Ignite Players, Social Media Influencers and Fan-Organized Teams will be Livestreamed on Twitch and YouTube –

– Fan Bracket Registration Begins This Week at NBA2KLeague.com –

NEW YORK – The NBA 2K League announced today the league’s first-ever “NBA 2K League Winter Cla$h,” a three-part online tournament beginning Friday, Dec. 4 featuring NBA G League Ignite players, social media influencers and fan-organized teams, competing alongside and against NBA 2K League players for a share of a $35,000 prize pool. The NBA 2K League Winter Cla$h will be livestreamed on the NBA 2K League’s Twitch and YouTube channels. Registration for the fan bracket begins this week at NBA2KLeague.com^*.

“Coming off our most-watched season to date, we’re excited to continue our positive momentum by engaging with NBA G League Ignite players, fans and influencers through offseason events like the NBA 2K League Winter Cla$h,” said NBA 2K League Managing Director Brendan Donohue. “This unique event will bring together some of the most recognizable personalities from the NBA 2K League, the 2K community and beyond to showcase their skills in a variety of game modes on NBA 2K21.”

European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

In the three tournament stages, teams comprised of influencers, NBA G League Ignite players and NBA 2K League players will accumulate points for two designated captain duos consisting of Artreyo “Dimez” Boyd (Mavs Gaming), Dayvon “G O O F Y 7 5 7” Curry (Blazer5 Gaming) and two influencers to be announced in the coming days. On Wednesday, Dec. 2, “BFW Live Presented by Bud Light” on the NBA 2K League’s Twitch channel will feature a special NBA 2K League Winter Cla$h episode, where each captain duo will draft three NBA 2K League players and three additional influencers or NBA G League Ignite players who will earn points for the duo for the duration of the tournament. At the conclusion of the tournament, the influencer captain belonging to the captain duo whose drafted players have earned the most points will receive $7,000, with the runner-up influencer captain receiving $5,000.

The first stage tips off Friday, Dec. 4 with a 5-on-5 NBA 2K21 Pro-Am match. Teams will include a captain duo, influencers and NBA G League Ignite players.

The second stage will begin on Monday, Dec. 7 – Tuesday, Dec. 8 and will feature eight fan-organized teams in each of two distinct console brackets, competing against each other in 2-on-2 competition on NBA 2K21’s MyPark game mode. The winning and runner-up teams from each fan bracket will advance to eight-team main brackets played on their respective consoles on Friday, Dec. 11, where they’ll compete against teams made up of NBA G League Ignite players, NBA 2K League players and influencers.

The third and final stage will take place Friday, Dec. 18 and will be a 5-on-5 NBA 2K21 Pro-Am match. Each team will feature a captain duo and three NBA 2K League players.

All games in each stage of the NBA 2K League Winter Cla$h will be played in a best-of-three format.

Below please find a current list of NBA 2K League Winter Cla$h participants. A full list of participants and the complete game schedule will be announced in the coming days.

AnnoyingTV – Influencer and content creator with over 519K subscribers on YouTube and 8K subscribers on Twitch
Alexander “Steez” Bernstein (76ers GC) –The former financial advisor helped lead 76ers GC to the 2019 NBA 2K League Finals
Artreyo “Dimez” Boyd (Mavs Gaming) –The No. 1 overall pick in the inaugural NBA 2K League Draft averaged 15.6 ppg and 3.4 apg at shooting guard during the 2020 season
DeMar “Deedz” Butler (Heat Check Gaming) – The former U.S. Navy member was selected by Jazz Gaming in the inaugural NBA 2K League Draft
Dayvon “G O O F Y 7 5 7” Curry (Blazer5 Gaming) – The 2018 NBA 2K League Champion with Knicks Gaming averaged a double-double (11.7 ppg, 12.7 rpg) with Grizz Gaming during the 2020 season
Cody Demps (NBA G League Ignite) – Appeared in 40 games for the Stockton Kings during the 2019-20 NBA G League season and averaged 14.4 ppg along with 5.4 rpg
Dominus – Influencer and NBA 2K content creator with 272K subscribers on YouTube
Brendan “Reizey” Hill (Magic Gaming) – The point guard was named 2019 NBA 2K League Rookie of the Year
IpodKingCarter – Influencer and NBA 2K content creator with 646K subscribers on YouTube; also streams on Facebook Gaming
ItsPikaaa – Influencer with 293K followers on TikTok
Jonathan Kuminga (NBA G League Ignite) – Ranked the No. 4 high-school player in the 2020 ESPN 100 and the top player in New Jersey in the Class of 2020
William “Strainer” Morales (Cavs Legion GC) – Shooting guard who averaged 21.7 ppg and 4.1 apg during the 2020 season
Sten “SAV” Valge-Saar (Lakers Gaming) – The Canada native was named a finalist for 2020 NBA 2K League Rookie of the Year Delivered by Panera Bread after averaging 32.9 ppg and 8.7 apg
Justin “Sherm” Sherman (Hornets Venom GT) – Point guard who averaged 22.6 ppg and 5.3 apg with Mavs Gaming during the 2020 season
StaxMontana– Influencer and NBA 2K content creator with 36K subscribers on YouTube
TyTheGuy – Hip hop recording artist, influencer and content creator with 494K YouTube subscribers

The NBA 2K League Winter Cla$h has a total prize pool of $35,000. Below please find the prizing breakdown:

$16,000 available in the tournament’s second stage in the main brackets ($5,000, $2,000 and $500 awarded to 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd/4^th place, respectively on each console)
$12,000 available to the influencer captains based on points accumulated throughout the three stages ($7,000 and $5,000 awarded to the winning and runner-up influencer captains, respectively)
$5,000 awarded to the winning team of the 5v5 Pro-Am influencer game
$1,000 awarded to the winners of each fan bracket in the tournament’s second stage

For more information, fans can follow the NBA 2K League on Twitter (NBA2KLeague), Instagram (nba2kleague), Facebook (NBA 2K League), Twitch (NBA2KLeague) and YouTube (NBA 2K League) and visit NBA2KLeague.com.

*Fan participation in the NBA 2K League Winter Cla$h subject to Official Rules. Not all fans who sign up will get to participate.

Canada

absolutebet Secures AGCO Registration as an Internet Gaming Operator in Ontario

Published

4 days ago

September 5, 2025

GamingAmericas.com

absolutebet-secures-agco-registration-as-an-internet-gaming-operator-in-ontario

Internet Gaming Operator by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).

This significant milestone authorizes absolutebet to offer regulated iGaming services in Ontario’s legal market under the oversight of AGCO and iGaming Ontario (iGO).

The registration marks a key step in absolutebet’s mission to bring a trusted, responsible, and innovative online casino experience to Ontario players. absolutebet is committed to operating with integrity and transparency, meeting all provincial standards for player protection, responsible gambling, anti-money laundering, and game integrity.

“Securing AGCO registration is more than a milestone—it’s the start of absolutebet’s journey in one of the most exciting regulated markets in the world,” said Chen Truman, Founder of absolutebet. “We are building a brand that will grow with the Ontario community and set the stage for future expansion.”

On the regulatory milestone, Krisztina Kalla, Legal & Regulatory Compliance Advisor of absolutebet, commented: “I’m incredibly proud to see all the hard work behind this license pay off. Securing AGCO registration has taken months of preparation and close collaboration with regulators and partners. I am very happy to see the result of that work, and even more excited as we move into the launch phase and open up the absolutebet community to Ontario players in a fun and responsible way.”

Ontario is recognized as one of the most competitive and fast-growing regulated iGaming markets in North America. With AGCO registration secured, absolutebet will move forward with the final stages of its iGO onboarding process in preparation for launch.

The post absolutebet Secures AGCO Registration as an Internet Gaming Operator in Ontario appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

Alex Malchenko Head of Sales at Evoplay

Evoplay strengthens Ontario presence in partnership with Caesars Entertainment

Published

7 days ago

September 3, 2025

GamingAmericas.com

evoplay-strengthens-ontario-presence-in-partnership-with-caesars-entertainment

Evoplay, the award-winning game development studio, has partnered with Caesars Entertainment to expand its footprint in the Canadian market, following its initial entry earlier this year. The partnership integrates 20 of the studio’s top-performing titles onto Caesars Palace Online Casino, Horseshoe Online Casino and Caesars Sportsbook & Casino in Ontario, including fan-favourites such as Hot Triple Sevens, Triple Chili, and The Greatest Catch Bonus Buy.

Having announced its official entrance into Ontario in March, the collaboration with Caesars marks a significant step in Evoplay’s local strategy. Further standout releases, such as Inner Fire Bonus Buy and Hot Volcano, also launched as part of the initial package, with additional player favourites, including Fruit Nova and Ice Mania.

The collaboration underlines Evoplay’s commitment to working with leading operators to deliver high-quality content tailored to regional audiences.

Alex Malchenko, Head of Sales at Evoplay, said: “Launching with Caesars in Ontario marks a key milestone in our North American strategy.

“It reflects both the strength of our portfolio and our commitment to providing innovative, high-performing content to operators of the highest caliber.”

Ricardo Cornejo Rivas, Vice President of Online Gaming at Caesars Digital, said: “Evoplay brings a fresh and dynamic approach to online gaming, which we’re excited to offer to our players in Ontario. This portfolio of standout titles adds to our growing content library and furthering our ongoing goal of delivering top-tier entertainment experiences to our players.”

The post Evoplay strengthens Ontario presence in partnership with Caesars Entertainment appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

Canada

iGaming Ontario Appoints Joseph Hillier as its New President and CEO

Published

1 week ago

September 2, 2025

GamingAmericas.com

igaming-ontario-appoints-joseph-hillier-as-its-new-president-and-ceo

The iGaming Ontario Board of Directors has announced Joseph Hillier as the organization’s new President and Chief Executive Officer, effective September 8, 2025. Joseph’s depth in the Ontario igaming market combined with successful public and private sector careers make him the ideal President and CEO at this critical point in iGaming Ontario’s growth.

Joseph was most recently Chief Strategy Officer and Corporate Secretary at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), where he delivered significant strategic and regulatory initiatives across the province’s alcohol, cannabis, gaming, and horse racing sectors. Prior to the AGCO, he served as Chief of Staff to Ontario Attorney General Hon. Doug Downey and led the development, launch and implementation of Canada’s first private sector-driven igaming market and the creation of iGaming Ontario. Joseph also spent more than a decade working in the financial and legal services sectors.

The Board expressed its sincere thanks to David Smith for serving as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer since Martha Otton’s retirement.

The post iGaming Ontario Appoints Joseph Hillier as its New President and CEO appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.