Canada

IKONIC Releases NFT Esports Platform

Published

2 years ago

August 24, 2022

(ACN Newswire) – Announcing the launch of IKONIC, the World’s First Dedicated NFT Platform for Esports and Gaming Collectibles. The IKONIC platform will be a full-service NFT marketplace that will serve pro-players, gamers, teams, and content creators within the gaming industry; a dedicated marketplace where they can create unique and rare digital items for their fans.

IKONIC platform allows esports players and gamers to create NFTs with their gameplay.

The IKONIC team realized that some of the most amazing moments in gaming were vanishing just as fast as they were created, and until now, there has not been a way for a player or a fan to own and benefit from fantastic gameplays. IKONIC’s ambition is to fuel each gamer’s creativity by giving them the ability to turn their passion into profit.

Through today’s blockchain technology, we can turn esports moments into digital collectibles that will last for eternity. We have so much more than that on the roadmap, because we aim to empower the creator economy, which will open new revenue streams for gamers and esports players. We will merge the cryptoverse and esports, and for the first time, players and fans will – OWN THE MOMENT.

There are thousands of esports events every week all around the globe. Still, players cannot get the recognition they deserve. Some of them make better plays than top esports players, but they cannot reach their audience because of the system that is in place. Each player has some fantastic moments, and with IKONIC they can immortalize those moments and earn from their gameplays.

We do not forget pro-players; they are our heroes; we cheer for them; we live through them. Ikonic will make it possible for top players to connect with their fans. A place where fans can collect the best gameplay moments.

Players will be able to create unique NFTs of their gameplay with a few clicks, and with a click or two more, they will be listed and ready to trade on IKONIC’s marketplace. But IKONIC will be much more than that. When we progress into advanced development, the existing marketplace infrastructure and its community will become the foundation for a broader marketplace for game-linked digital assets.

The $IKONIC Token will be the key to unlocking rewards for players and fans. Through the $IKONIC Token users will get discounts and have access to specific bonuses within the platform.

Soon gamers will have a chance to see our video editing software for advanced NFT creation. The revolutionary NFT Transaction & Performance Analytics will allow every user to analyze data much more effectively — and efficiently. This year, we will also reveal our Indie Game Launchpad for NFT Games.

Led by industry experts IKONIC will be the prime NFT marketplace for the esports and gaming world.

Sebastian Ionut Diaconu, CEO of IKONIC, says, “The IKONIC platform allows users to immortalize their outstanding gameplay into video NFTs, the next-gen type of memorabilia for esports. Partnerships and collaborations with the biggest names in esports and rising stars to create IKONIC NFT collections, that will be the foundation for an active ecosystem for the fans, creators, and collectors, with extensive benefits for all participants. In addition to the NFT Marketplace, the Indie Game Launchpad allows game developers and the community to come closer together, get access to exclusive content and in-game items.”

“Esports players’ status as athletes has been disputed for a long time. Creating a legacy through memorable moments captured and stored on Blockchain, earning royalties from these NFTs, and sharing their exceptional capabilities with the world, give them the opportunity to make themselves a legendary or even an IKONIC athlete in the esports world.”

Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO)

Soft2Bet strengthens integrity monitoring with IBIA membership in Ontario

Published

12 hours ago

May 6, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

soft2bet-strengthens-integrity-monitoring-with-ibia-membership-in-ontario

Soft2Bet, a leading casino and sportsbook platform provider, has joined the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) and activated its membership in Ontario, Canada, following its licensing in the Canadian province.

Soft2bet obtained its Certificate of Registration from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) at the end of March, where the company’s Ontario-focused brand Tooniebet.com will now feed into IBIA’s world-leading sports betting integrity monitoring platform before worldwide implementation in the coming months.

IBIA includes over 50 of the world’s leading sports betting and gaming companies, who operate over 125 sports betting brands. Soft2Bet’s decision to join the association further strengthens its own internal betting integrity protocols and IBIA’s position as the world’s leading sports betting integrity monitoring body.

David Yatom Hay, General Counsel at Soft2Bet, commented: “Soft2Bet is delighted to be joining the IBIA as we strengthen our own betting integrity monitoring processes and play our part in furthering the IBIA’s long-standing work on this key issue. Ontario is a world class iGaming jurisdiction; it will be the first market where we will implement our IBIA membership and we look forward to deploying the monitoring infrastructure worldwide in all the other markets in which we operate.”

Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “Soft2Bet is a very welcome addition to IBIA, further strengthening our position in the Ontario market. The operator’s decision to join IBIA demonstrates its desire to utilise the best integrity protection available for its sportsbook product. The association is delighted to be able to integrate Tooniebet within our integrity monitoring system and looks forward to working closely with Soft2Bet to maintain the high integrity of its sportsbook.”

IBIA is a not-for-profit body that has no competing conflicts with the delivery of commercial services to other sectors and is run by operators and for operators to protect regulated sports betting markets from match-fixing. IBIA’s global monitoring network is a highly effective anti-corruption tool, detecting and reporting suspicious activity in regulated betting markets.

Through the IBIA monitoring network it is possible to track transactional activities linked to individual customer accounts. IBIA members generate more than $300bn in annual betting turnover (handle), accounting for approximately 50% of the global commercial regulated land-based and online sports betting sector, and in excess of 50% for online alone.

IBIA recently released a report on the Availability of Sports Betting Products which highlighted Ontario as a leading regulated gambling jurisdiction, with an expected onshore channelisation for sports betting of 92% in 2024 forecast to rise to 97% in2028. IBIA currently represents over 60% of the private sports betting operators licensed in the province. All online sportsbetting operators licensed in Ontario are required to be part of a betting integrity monitoring body.

IBIA’s Q1 2024 report detailed 56 alerts during the quarter. IBIA alerts contributed to the investigations and subsequent successful sanctioning of 21 clubs, players and officials in 2023, an increase on the 15 sanctioned in 2022.

British Columbia Lottery Corporation

SCCG Management Signs Contract with British Columbia Lottery Corporation

Published

1 week ago

April 29, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

sccg-management-signs-contract-with-british-columbia-lottery-corporation

SCCG Management has signed a contract with the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), the B.C. Crown corporation which conducts and manages commercial gambling in the province, including lotteries, casinos, and online gaming. This partnership aims to undertake a comprehensive assessment and strategic enhancement of BCLC’s diverse operations.

The work between SCCG and BCLC will involve a thorough review of technological infrastructures, strategic market positioning, and the integration of various gaming modalities. SCCG’s extensive expertise will be pivotal in harmonizing BCLC’s online and physical gaming experiences.

Stephen Crystal, Founder and CEO of SCCG Management, said: “Our collaboration with BCLC represents a remarkable opportunity to push the boundaries of innovation within the gaming industry. We are committed to deploying our resources and expertise to enhance BCLC’s operational efficiencies and customer engagement strategies. It’s an honor to partner with an organization that has a robust impact on the community through its support of public initiatives.”

AGCO

AGCO Requires Ontario Gaming Operators to Stop Offering WBA Bets Due to Integrity Concerns

Published

2 weeks ago

April 22, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

agco-requires-ontario-gaming-operators-to-stop-offering-wba-bets-due-to-integrity-concerns

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has mandated all Ontario-registered sportsbook operators to halt offering and accepting wagers on World Boxing Association (WBA) events immediately. This measure is being taken to protect the Ontario betting public following concerns that WBA-sanctioned boxing matches are not adequately being safeguarded against match-fixing and insider betting.

Since December 2023, the AGCO has been conducting a comprehensive review of suspicious wagering activity on a WBA-sanctioned title fight between Yoenis Tellez and Livan Navarro that was held in Orlando, Florida. Suspicious betting patterns on the bout lasting over 5.5 rounds were reported to the AGCO by two registered independent integrity monitors and detected in Ontario by a registered igaming operator. Media reports also alleged that Tellez’s Manager placed $110,000 on the match lasting longer than 5.5 rounds at a Florida casino. The bout ended with Tellez knocking out Navarro in the 10th round.

Following an intensive review that included outreach to the WBA, Ontario-registered gaming operators, independent integrity monitors, and regulators in other jurisdictions, the AGCO has concluded that bets related to WBA events do not currently meet the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming.

The AGCO requires all Ontario-registered gaming operators to ensure the sport betting products they offer are on events that are effectively supervised by a sport governing body. At a minimum, the sport governing body must have and enforce codes of conduct that prohibit betting by insiders.

Registered gaming operators were unable to demonstrate to the AGCO that the WBA prohibits betting from insiders, which could include an athlete’s coaches, managers, handlers, athletic trainers, medical professionals, or others with access to non-public information. Further, registered gaming operators were unable to demonstrate that the WBA took any action to investigate or enforce the allegations of potential match-fixing and insider wagering.

The AGCO has indicated to registered operators that in order for WBA betting products to be reinstated in Ontario, operators must demonstrate that the WBA effectively supervises its events, thus bringing them into compliance with the Registrar’s Standards. In December 2022, the AGCO required gaming operators to stop offering bets on UFC events for similar issues related to insider betting safeguards. Within a month, UFC amended its policies and implemented new protocols that allowed the AGCO to reinstate betting on UFC events in the province.

“Ontarians who wish to bet on sporting events need to be confident that those events are fairly run, and that clear integrity safeguards are in place and enforced by an effective sport governing body. Knowing the popularity of boxing in Ontario, we look forward to reinstating betting on WBA events once appropriate safeguards against possible match-fixing and insider betting have been confirmed,” Dr. Karin Schnarr, Registrar and CEO of AGCO, said.