eSports

Esports Integrity Commission named official body for ICE London’s Esports Arena as part of three-year partnership

Published

6 years ago

January 29, 2020

The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has been confirmed as the official sanctioning body for the ICE Esports Arena $250k CS:GO tournament which takes place live on the show floor of ICE London (4-6 February, ExCeL London, UK). This year’s ICE London will be the venue for event organisers, Clarion Gaming, and the ESIC to sign a strategic three-year partnership which will see both organisations collaborating across a broad range of issues and topics impacting the developing relationship between the esports sector and the gambling industry.

Commenting on their presence as sanctioning body for the Esports Arena tournament, which will be broadcast live, ESIC Commissioner Ian Smith said: “We are delighted to be overseeing the officiating and rules and regulations for this important event. Our partnership with Clarion provides wonderful opportunities to raise awareness about the relationship between esports and betting on esports and helping to professionalise officiating in the industry. We look forward to developing this innovation with Clarion over the next three years.”

As part of the sanctioning body’s function, ESIC will be providing player education throughout the tournament on key competitive integrity risk areas including cheating, match fixing and doping. ESIC will also be providing external referee support to oversee tournament administration and ensure ESIC compliance during the operation of the tournament.

ICE London 2020 will also see the ESIC become a Supporting Partner interfacing across Clarion’s portfolio of market leading events and services. The three-year agreement will be signed at the ICE Esports Arena by Clarion Gaming Head of esports William Harding, and Stephen Hanna, Director of Global Strategy and Partnerships at the Esports Integrity Commission.

Heralding the agreement, William Harding stated: “In recent years esports and gambling have become inextricably interwoven. Inherently very different industries, esports has a very protective and authentic user base. A respectful and tailored approach from the gambling sector is required in order to support the fast growth within the sector. ESIC is quickly becoming a leading guiding force for the international esports industry, delivering a comprehensive range of services that significantly prevent foul play. In my opinion tournament organisers which operate in the gambling sector need to hold themselves to a very high standard. Fair gameplay is essential for operators to function commercially within this space. Our stakeholders based throughout the world look to Clarion Gaming to provide a platform for insightful, expert analysis and we are delighted to now be working alongside one of the leading authorities on esports.”

Echoing these sentiments, Stephen Hanna, Director of Global Strategy and Partnerships at the Esports Integrity Commission added: “Clarion Gaming has a reputation for delivering professional and well executed business-to-business events for the gambling industry. ESIC is excited to enter into this partnership which will see us working with Clarion to ensure that esports is authentically represented at their events, in a way that is helpful to both industries. By doing so, ESIC will continue to safeguard the integrity of esports on a global scale.”

Baltics

DATA.BET Now Powers Esports for Entain NCE Across Baltics & Nordics

Published

1 day ago

November 3, 2025

Niji Narayan

data.bet-now-powers-esports-for-entain-nce-across-baltics-&-nordics

Reading Time: 2 minutes

DATA.BET, a leading sportsbook solution supplier, has signed a content deal with Entain NCE, to strengthen the esports betting offer of their brands (Optibet and Klondaika) across the Baltics and Nordics – with Estonia as a key rollout market.

Through the collaboration, Entain and its portfolio of brands will receive DATA.BET’s premium esports coverage. The package includes a comprehensive Odds Feed, Risk Management, Bet Builder and a suite of engagement Widgets – Pitch Tracker (interactive 2D map), Scoreboards (visual representation of player statistics), live Video Streaming, Statistical Widgets (team history and game stats) and a Multi Widget that unites all these tools within one screen. The partnership is designed to help Entain brands and their clients increase profitability in esports by combining precise pricing and risk controls with engagement tools that lift turnover and margin.

With the deal, Entain’s customers get access to DATA.BET’s 30+ disciplines and over 10,000 monthly events, delivered with a down-to-the-second bet delay across leading titles such as Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, Valorant, League of Legends and others. A phased expansion of additional disciplines and features will follow to meet Entain’s demand.

“This partnership sets a high bar for product excellence. Our role is to power that ambition with an esports layer that’s rich in content and strong on risk, enabling consistent margins and a best-in-class customer experience. We’ve aligned on a clear roadmap to scale, with more Entain brands scheduled to join the rollout next,” said Otto Bonning, Head of Sales at DATA.BET.

“We are thrilled to partner with DATA.BET who are renown for being the leading Esports provider and who share the same passion and commitment for Esports as we do. DATA.BET’s deep understanding of the esports ecosystem and its growing influence among modern audiences makes the collaboration a perfect fit. Together, we aim to elevate esports and deliver the best experience and entertainment to the fans across Baltics and Nordics regions,” said Hendrik Ahuna, Director of Sportsbook at Entain NCE.

The post DATA.BET Now Powers Esports for Entain NCE Across Baltics & Nordics appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

eSports

FURIA Pulls Off the Reverse Sweep to Win Thunderpick World Championship 2025

Published

1 week ago

October 28, 2025

Niji Narayan

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Reading Time: < 1 minute

Thunderpick, the leading esports betting platform delivering fans cutting-edge tools and experiences, announced that FURIA has emerged victorious at the Thunderpick World Championship 2025 — one of the tournament’s most competitive editions yet, featuring four of the world’s top 10 ranked teams. FURIA takes home the $500,000 first-place prize, with KSCERATO earning his first Grand Final MVP.

FURIA’s steady performance and relentless focus were on full display throughout the tournament, culminating in a Finals victory over Natus Vincere. After NAVI went up two maps to zero, FURIA did what many thought was impossible and completed a dominant reverse sweep with a 13:1 on the decisive map.

Natus Vincere finished second place, earning $150,000. The MongolZ, who won the Thunderpick World Championship last year, finished third after defeating Aurora earlier in the day, receiving $70,000 and $50,000, respectively. Venom, 9z, Imperial and OG all placed fifth through eighth, taking home $20,000 each.

“It is a privilege to congratulate FURIA as the Thunderpick World Champions! This tournament was thrilling, featuring exceptional gameplay. The success of our World Championship is thanks to the incredible teams, streamers, partners, staff, and everyone behind the scenes who made it possible, as well as the passionate fans who make this event so special,” said Kelly Sanders, Head of Strategy at Thunderpick.

This year marks the third consecutive Thunderpick World Championship. Last year, The MongolZ stunned HEROIC to claim their third international title of the season, cementing their status on the global CS2 stage. In 2023, FaZe Clan took the crown after defeating Virtus.pro, with Robin “ropz” Kool earning the MVP title. The TWC 2025 Finals are presented in collaboration with Hotspawn, a leading hub for esports news and analysis.

The post FURIA Pulls Off the Reverse Sweep to Win Thunderpick World Championship 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Betting

LEON Esports announces partnership with GamerLegion’s CS2 team

Published

2 weeks ago

October 23, 2025

Zoltan Tundik

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Reading Time: < 1 minute

LEON Esports is excited to announce a new partnership with GamerLegion’s Counter-Strike 2 team — a leading German esports organization ranked among the top 15 teams in the world, renowned for its consistent top-tier performances.

This collaboration marks a new chapter for LEON Esports, as the brand continues to expand its presence in competitive gaming. Over the years, LEON has become an active force in esports — supporting professional teams and hosting its own tournaments across titles like CS2, Dota, Free Fire and Deadlock.

Together with GamerLegion, LEON Esports aims to bring even more action and engagement to fans — with exclusive offers, special markets, social media giveaways, and more challenges made for true esports and betting enthusiasts.

This partnership follows LEON’s successful collaborations with other major esports organizations such as SAW (Portugal), FlyQuest (Australia), and NFA (Brazil) — strengthening its position as one of the key players in the global esports scene.

Get ready for the next level — follow the action on our channels:

LEON Esports Linktree

The post LEON Esports announces partnership with GamerLegion’s CS2 team appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.