Canada
Sports betting: Saul Alvarez v Dmitry Bivol preview
Pound for pound boxing superstar Saul Alvarez returns to the ring on Saturday 7th May when taking on Dmitry Bivol at the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas. This is another step up in weight for the famous fighting Mexican who continues to defy logic as he aims to take the WBA light heavyweight world title. This is a fighter that won his first title at welterweight and has been a success in every weight category he has entered since. But has he bitten off more than he can chew at the third-highest division? Fight fans can’t wait to find out.
If Canelo is to add another world championship belt to his already sizeable haul, he must defeat a naturally bigger and stronger opponent who is used to trading blows with light heavyweights. Bivol knows he enters as the underdog to win this contest, but the current keeper of the WBA belt is confident he has the physical attributes to silence his doubters. Is Bivol the man to finally halt the Canelo express train?
The top sportsbooks certainly don’t think so, and traders in Las Vegas have Alvarez priced as the most likely winner of this bout. Followers of professional boxing can make their predictions at VIP sports betting sites, and there are more options available than you may think. You can keep it simple and pick the fight result – Alvarez, Bivol or the draw. There are also specials, such as the method of victory, total rounds, number of knockdowns, the bout to be won in an odd or even number of rounds or a fighter to be knocked down but go on to win.
Where does the smart money go? You’ll find out in this big fight preview, and we have enlisted the help of former professional boxer and current fight-game betting writer Frankie Monkhouse who makes his predictions. Let’s get ready to rumble.
Alvarez is creating a legacy
Canelo will duck between the ropes at the sold-out Las Vegas arena on fight night with a stunning professional record detailing 57 wins against one defeat and two draws. The only loss on his card was inflicted by the self-proclaimed “Best Ever” Floyd Mayweather, who collected a convincing points victory in Sin City. That was back in 2013, and much has changed for the beaten man since. Alvarez hasn’t lost a bout since, despite ranking among the most active fighter at championship level in the world. He is a gladiator that simply loves to compete, test himself against top-level opponents and win world titles.
Saul isn’t happy simply keeping busy and winning fights. He is determined to create a lasting legacy that will take many years to better, if possible. Since losing to Mayweather, the hit-list of Canelo includes Miguel Cotto, Amir Khan, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, Gennady Goloivkin, Callum Smith and Billy Joe Saunders. Both Smith and Saunders were unbeaten world champions before running into the Mexican, and he dispatched both in the kind of fashion that left followers suggesting neither will return to the top level of the sport, such was the savage beating they received.,
We last saw Alvarez in action against Caleb Plant in a bout he was expected to win, and one, he got the desired result without too much fuss. There was no lack of needle between Alvarez and Plant, but when the bell went, there was only ever going to be one winner. Canelo dominated the fight before finishing it in round 11. Caleb was dropped to the canvas twice before referee Russell Mora stepped in to save him from any further punishment.
Bivol is unbeaten
All the talk and hype pre-fight focuses on Canelo and his strengths, but what about Bivol. Who is the champion, and what does he bring to the table? The Californian-based fighter brings a perfect 19-fight record, with 11 of those wins coming inside the distance to create a 58% KO average.
He scored a stunning 12-round points decision over Craig Richards in Manchester, England, on the undercard of Derek Chisora v Joe Parker and followed that with another win on the scorecards in Russia last time out, beating Umar Salamov. He is a hard-hitting fighter, but each of his last six wins have come on points, and he’ll aim to take Canelo into the later rounds in Vegas.
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Canada
IAGR announces Toronto as host city for 2025 conference
Hot on the heels of its most attended conference in history, the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) is excited to announce that its 2025 conference will take place in Toronto, Canada, from October 20 to 23, 2025.
The event will be held in partnership with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) at the Westin Harbour Castle, offering stunning waterfront views and a premier, downtown Toronto location.
‘Fresh off the success of our Rome conference, we’re thrilled to continue the momentum with next year’s event in Toronto,’ said Ben Haden, IAGR President.
‘The IAGR 2025 conference promises to be another unparalleled opportunity for our global community to come together, collaborate and shape the future of gaming regulation. We’re looking forward to working with AGCO to bring it all together.’
AGCO CEO and Registrar Dr. Karin Schnarr, added, ‘We’re excited to welcome IAGR and its members to Toronto. This partnership provides a great opportunity to share Ontario’s innovative regulatory practices and foster meaningful discussions that drive positive change in the industry.’
Stay tuned for registration details early next year.
Bombee Global Entertainment Ltd
ESE Entertainment Completes Acquisition of Gaming Production Company, Bombee Americas
ESE Entertainment Inc., a gaming company that provides a range of services to leading video game developers and publishers, has announced that it has acquired Bombee Global Entertainment Ltd. (Bombee Americas), the North American arm of Bombee Event Production AB, (Bombee), a global production company specialized in live production, special effects, broadcast, and event management for the gaming sector.
Bombee has successfully collaborated with ESE to bring its premier event production services and world class customer service to North America and beyond. The North American arm of Bombee, Bombee Americas, will continue to grow and scale in this new organizational structure under ESE, while maintaining its entire team and global support.
Konrad Wasiela, CEO of ESE, said: “Today marks the next stage of ESE—a 2.0 version of our company. With the acquisition of Bombee Americas, we are not only solidifying our presence in North America but also paving the way for growth and innovation in the gaming industry. This is a major step, positioning us to deliver even greater value to our partners and elevate the gaming experience for our clients globally. We’re thrilled about the opportunities ahead and the exceptional talent joining our team.”
Transaction Terms
The Acquisition was completed by way of a share purchase agreement (the SPA) among the Company, Bombee Americas, and the shareholders of Bombee Americas (the Vendors). Pursuant to the SPA, ESE acquired all of the outstanding shares of Bombee Americas in exchange for: (i) $750,000 in cash paid on closing, (ii) $375,000 in cash to be paid six (6) months following closing, subject to customary adjustments based on the working capital of Bombee Americas on closing, (iii) $375,000 in cash to be paid twelve (12) months following closing, and (iv) 30,000,000 common shares of ESE (the Consideration Shares), issued at a deemed issue price of $0.10 per share.
In connection with the Acquisition, the founders of Bombee Americas have signed three-year service agreements and will continue to run the business following the closing, along with the rest of the personnel of Bombee Americas who will remain in place, ensuring a smooth transition of operations. As part of the Acquisition, the Company has acquired the liabilities of Bombee Americas, mainly consisting of customary current obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business for Bombee Americas, which are not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s operations or financial position.
No finder’s fees were paid or payable in conjunction with the Acquisition.
The Acquisition was an arm’s length transaction within the meaning of the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the Exchange) and constituted an “Expedited Acquisition” in accordance with Exchange Policy 5.3 – Acquisitions and Dispositions of Non-Cash Assets. The Acquisition remains subject to the final approval of the Exchange.
Canada
Suspected Digital Fraud Coming from Canada Up Nearly 11% Since H1 2023, Reveals New TransUnion Analysis
In the first half (H1) of 2024, Canada saw a significant increase in suspected Digital Fraud attempts, with nearly 5.74% of all attempted digital transactions where the consumer was located in Canada involving suspected Digital Fraud, revealed a new TransUnion® (NYSE: TRU) analysis. This is nearly an 11% year-over-year (YoY) rate increase from H1 2023, and TransUnion also documented an 11% increase in the volume of suspected Digital Fraud from Canada during this period, despite a less than a one percent (0.7%) YoY increase in the volume of transactions.
According to a recent TransUnion survey,1 more than half (54%) of Canadians said they were recently targeted by email, phone call or text message fraud attempts. Phishing was the most common scheme type (45%), followed by smishing (42%) and vishing (39%).
The increasing use of digital transactions, combined with rising suspected Digital Fraud attempts are also impacting businesses as they potentially face revenue losses and increased operational costs due to fraud. According to a TransUnion business survey for the H2 2024 Update to the State of Omnichannel Fraud report, 200 Canadian business leaders said their companies lost approximately 6% of equivalent revenue – representing $78 billion – over the past year due to fraud. The most prominent causes of fraud loss cited by them were:
- Scam/Authorized fraud (31%): Dishonest scheme intended to trick a person into giving up something of value (e.g., account access, money, information)
- Account takeover (19%): Unauthorized individuals taking over someone’s online account (e.g., bank, social media, email) without their permission
- Synthetic identity fraud (18%): Use of a combination of personal information to fabricate a person or entity to commit a dishonest act for financial or personal gain
TransUnion also found that suspected Digital Fraud attempts – where the consumer was transacting in Canada and targeted businesses globally – increased on average by 10.5% YoY in H1 2024 compared to H1 2023 and impacted all industries.
Top Three Industries Globally with Highest Rate of Suspected Digital Fraud Attempts Coming from Canada in H1 2024
- Gambling (online sports betting, poker, etc.) – 9.6%
- Retail – 9.2%
- Government – 7.7%
Top Three Industries Globally with Highest YoY Increase (H1 2024 vs H1 2023) in the Rate of Suspected Digital Fraud Attempts Coming from Canada
- Logistics – 172.9%
- Gambling – 79.3%
- Video gaming – 67.8%
“Protecting customers and their businesses from fraud is essential to enabling safe and tailored consumer experiences. These findings reveal that despite the good-faith efforts that are being undertaken by companies to identify and prevent fraud to date, fraudsters continue to evolve and it’s vital that fraud prevention methods keep up with the changing times,” said Patrick Boudreau, head of identity management and fraud solutions at TransUnion Canada.
“Businesses that aren’t already doing so should ensure that they are taking advantage of fraud prevention technologies such as identity verification, IP intelligence, device reputation and synthetic identity detection as critical components of their fraud prevention programs,” he added.
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