Asia
Esports Players League Aims for Accelerated Growth with Esports During the Lockdown, Enters into a Strategic Partnership with Paytm First Games

Esports Players League (ESPL), the new global esports tournament network and platform has entered into a strategic partnership with Paytm First Games, India’s leading gaming destination.
Paytm First Games is India’s fastest growing gaming destination and sees more than half a million daily active gamers on the platform, spending anywhere between 30 to 45 minutes per session. It has witnessed 200 percent growth in the last month, with over 75,000 new users joining the platform every day. Paytm First Games is the digital gaming platform of Gamepind Entertainment Private Limited, which is a joint venture between AGTech Holdings Limited and One97 Communications Limited, which is the parent company of India’s largest digital payments & financial services platform Paytm (valued at $17 billion).
With its strong position, Paytm First Games will introduce ESPL’s unique, mobile and online focussed tournaments to gaming enthusiasts in India. It will oversee the rollout of ESPL’s amateur esports platform in India and execute tournaments, acquire users, secure local sponsorship and partnership deals, and create local media content. ESPL will support Paytm First Games’ efforts by delivering the complete tech solution, global sponsorships, media deals, and winning esports strategy. The first ESPL season is scheduled from May to November 2020.
ESPL’s tournaments platform is largely online focussed and is expected to gain traction in the current global COVID-19 pandemic situation that has forced more than 1 billion people to stay at home due to the various movement restrictions imposed by governments.
“India has over 300 million gamers and will roll out 5G connectivity in 2020, making the country a key market for ESPL’s rapidly expanding network of amateur esports tournaments that create a bedroom-to-champion pathway for online gamers,” said ESPL CEO Michael Broda. “We can’t think of a better-positioned partner than Paytm for our expansion into the highly-desirable Indian mobile gaming market.”
Sudhanshu Gupta, COO – Paytm First Games said, “As malls, movie theatres and popular hangout options shut down temporarily in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, online gaming is picking up as a popular option for stay at home entertainment. E-sporting is fast expanding its gamer base in India. Our partnership with ESPL focuses on grass-root amateur leagues and the mobile esports space. This partnership will help us to launch the unique esports tournaments in India that will further expand the online gaming landscape in India.”
ESPL is a global esports tournament platform provider focused on creating mobile and online ecosystems for amateur esports leagues globally. Through ESPL’s national franchise model, up-and-coming esports talents can easily participate in global competitions. By facilitating grassroots participation in what is a rapidly expanding market, ESPL has direct access and exposure to a large, valuable and often overlooked segment of the esports industry.
Phase one of ESPL’s global roll-out has yielded franchise partnership agreements in Southeast Asia and Latin America. ESPL also entered its first media partnership with eGG Network, the largest esports TV network in Southeast Asia and Australia that reaches approximately 100 million TV viewers. ESPL will announce additional key international partnerships soon.
ESPL is co-founded by former eSports.com CEO Michael Broda, Kin Wai Lau, founder of iCandy Interactive Limited (ASX: ICI), and Datuk Azrin Bin Mohd Noor of behavioral data and technology firm Sedania Innovator Berhad. eSports.com is a leading global esports media company, and iCandy Interactive is a mobile game developer that serves a community of 350 million gamers.
Asia
Faster Guest Entry at Korea’s INSPIRE Entertainment Resort’s Casino, Powered by Regula’s Technology

International guests arriving at South Korea’s largest foreigner-only casino, INSPIRE Entertainment Resort, now enjoy a significantly faster and more seamless check-in experience. Customer onboarding times have noticeably improved following the integration of Regula’s advanced identity verification technology. Regula Document Reader SDK, the most comprehensive ID verification solution in the world, integrates with the resort’s anti-money laundering (AML) procedures, boosting operational efficiency and compliance.
Seeking to enhance operational efficiency and meet evolving AML requirements, INSPIRE Entertainment Resort sought a faster and more accurate solution. The resort, which features a high-volume casino catering exclusively to foreign guests, needed a system capable of recognizing passports from around the globe with minimal friction.
Following vendor evaluations, INSPIRE selected Regula Document Reader SDK for its superior document reading speed, intuitive interface, and unmatched global ID coverage. Regula’s solution is powered by the company’s proprietary ID template database—the world’s largest—covering 15,000+ document templates across 254 countries and territories.
Deployed across six entrance stations, Regula Document Reader SDK enables real-time extraction and validation of critical ID data, such as name, date of birth, nationality, and passport number. This data is then passed directly to INSPIRE’s AML system, which in turn performs automated screening against external compliance and watchlist databases.
Since deploying Regula Document Reader SDK, INSPIRE Entertainment Resort casino has experienced:
- Faster document processing and guest entry.
- Significant reduction in manual rescans and staff workload.
- Consistently smooth onboarding, even during peak entry hours.
“As the team responsible for passport scanning at the casino, we’re very satisfied with the improvements Regula has brought. The speed of document processing has noticeably increased, and guest entry has become much smoother. It’s a reliable solution that has elevated the efficiency of our daily operations,” says Dr. Ilnam Lee, IT Director at INSPIRE Entertainment Resort.
“In industries like hospitality, every second counts. We’re happy to support INSPIRE Entertainment Resort in creating a faster and more secure guest onboarding experience while meeting strict AML requirements. Our focus is to make accurate identity verification seamless, even in complex international scenarios, and this project is a great example of that in action,” says Ihar Kliashchou, Chief Technology Officer at Regula.
The post Faster Guest Entry at Korea’s INSPIRE Entertainment Resort’s Casino, Powered by Regula’s Technology appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Asia
Philippine Senate to Launch Inquiry into Online Gaming industry

The Philippine Senate’s committee on games and amusement is going to launch an inquiry to discuss a series of bills and proposals put forward to address concerns over the growth of online gambling, with the outcome likely to determine whether the industry should be subject to tighter regulations or possibly a total ban.
The inquiry, scheduled to take place from Thursday 14 August, follows the initial filing by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian in early July of a bill seeking to tighten rules around online gaming and specifically around the ease of utilizing e-wallets for cash transactions on online sites. That bill prompted others to push for a total ban, with Philippine President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr since revealing he would consider such a ban pending the outcome of discussions with various industry stakeholders.
“On Thursday we will tackle the bills on online gambling in the Senate committee on games and amusements. I made a commitment to prioritize these bills because the problem is escalating. It’s already a crisis. So, we really need to take action to solve this problem,” Senator Erwin Tulfo, one of the leading proponents of a total ban, said.
“Our problem is, we were not ready. There is no regulation, and it is why people are gambling recklessly. There is no control of up to how much to gamble. Come what may. Entire salaries are being gambled. Anything is being placed as a bet. Even children are gambling now.”
Tulfo revealed that the Senate committee will discuss four bills, three resolutions and a privilege speech addressing the social impact of the online gambling industry – also known as remote gaming or eGames. As reported by PAGCOR, the eGames sector generated GGR of US$2 billion in the first six months of 2025 alone.
Industry stakeholders, including licensed operators, have in recent weeks rallied to opposed a total ban while promising to support the implementation of some restrictions. On Friday, a group of 19 licensed online gaming operators announced the formation of the PlaySafe Alliance of the Philippines – a unified industry association they say is committed to responsible gaming, regulatory compliance, consumer protection and combatting illegal gambling.
The post Philippine Senate to Launch Inquiry into Online Gaming industry appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Asia
MelBet Announces New Partnership with СPL 2024 Champion Saint Lucia Kings

MelBet has announced a new partnership with the СPL 2024 Champion Saint Lucia Kings.
As a Principal Partner, MelBet, the iGaming company, will support the Kings on their journey to defend their title during the upcoming season.
Both the platform and the team share the same belief: perseverance and tenacity make champions. Anyone who is inspired by the desire to win, who believes in themselves and never gives up, deserves a reward, and loyal MelBet fans know this better than anyone. As part of the partnership, MelBet will become an integral part of the St. Lucia Kings team, supporting players and fans on their way to victory.
“We’re excited to enter the season with MelBet as our Principal Partner. Their reputation for turning every moment into an unforgettable experience is a perfect match for our team. We’re confident that this partnership will bring us the luck and success we need as we aim for another great season,” said Satish Menon, CEO of Saint Lucia Kings.
“We are absolutely delighted to welcome MelBet as our principal partner for the upcoming CPL Season 13. This partnership marks an exciting new chapter for the Saint Lucia Kings, and we are confident that MelBet’s passion for sports and commitment to excellence align perfectly with our own ambitions. We look forward to a successful season both on and off the field,” said Saurabh Arora, Chief Commercial Officer of Saint Lucia Kings.
The post MelBet Announces New Partnership with СPL 2024 Champion Saint Lucia Kings appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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