Canada

HAWKS TALON GC EDUCATES GAMERS AT FIRST-EVER VIRTUAL Q&A

Published

6 years ago

May 21, 2020

Hawks Talon Head Coach Wesley Acuff Joined by Northside Hospital Orthopedic Institute Sports Medicine and PlayVS in Afternoon Panel

Earlier this afternoon, Hawks Talon Gaming Club, the official NBA 2K League affiliate of the Atlanta Hawks, hosted a gaming and esports virtual Q&A focused on esports, the video game industry and how gamers, regardless of age, can maintain a healthy lifestyle during these difficult times. Nearly 100 people were in attendance to hear this special panel moderated by the Atlanta Hawks digital reporter Annie Finberg.

As part of the discussion, Hawks Talon GC Team Manager and Head Coach Wesley Acuff answered questions about the team’s performance highlighting their current three-game winning streak. In addition, he provided insight into his role as a professional esports coach in the Atlanta market.

“Sharing our platform with the team at Northside Hospital Orthopedic Institute Sports Medicine and an industry leader in inclusivity, teamwork and sportsmanship like PlayVS made this event worthwhile,” said Acuff. “As more and more youth spend time playing video games during this unprecedented time, we are grateful that they took a break to learn how they can improve themselves as they train to become the future esports professionals.”

Joining Acuff were experts from the Northside Hospital Orthopedic Institute Sports Medicine including Orthopedic Surgeon & Chief Dr. Vonda Wright, Senior Sports Physical Therapist Dr. Matt Lopez and Registered Dietician Lauren Cicinelli. These experts answered a handful of questions about maintaining a healthy lifestyle as an e-athlete as well as provided beneficial tips for those who play video games.

“We are so proud to support Hawks Talon and all gamers as they learn more about education and comprehensive care,” said Dr. Wright, “Through this partnership, we are thankful to influence the lives of these young athletes.”

Rounding out the group was Clint Kennedy, director of education, at PlayVS, an esports competition platform dedicated to inclusivity, teamwork and sportsmanship. Kennedy touched on a few topics ranging from the video game industry to how parents can ensure their kids are being good stewards while playing video games online.

“We partnered with the Georgia High School Association to help young people foster a healthy, positive relationship with gaming, so we’re honored to be part of the conversation to educate students and parents,” said Clint Kennedy. “Thank you so much to Hawks Talon and the Northside Hospital Sports Medicine Network for inviting me to share the stage on behalf of PlayVS.”

Hawks Talon (3-1) will continue its regular season competition as part of six weeks of remote gameplay. The club’s next match takes place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 21 against the undefeated Raptors Uprising GC (5-0), the official affiliate of the Toronto Raptors.

Canada

St8 expands Octoplay aggregation deal to Ontario and the UK

Published

2 days ago

July 2, 2026

Wladimir P.

st8-expands-octoplay-aggregation-deal-to-ontario-and-the-uk

St8 has extended its content partnership with Octoplay into Ontario and the UK, expanding distribution of Octoplay’s casino games in two regulated markets. The companies announced the move on 2 July, 2026.

Under the expanded agreement, St8 will make Octoplay’s full portfolio available to operators in both jurisdictions through St8’s single API integration.

David Fall, Business Development Manager at St8, said:

“Expanding our partnership with Octoplay into Ontario and the UK is another important milestone as we continue to strengthen our aggregation platform with premium content from leading suppliers.

“Octoplay has built an excellent reputation for developing engaging, high-performing games, and we’re delighted to extend this collaboration into two highly strategic regulated markets. This agreement enables our operator partners to access even more quality content through a single integration while supporting their growth in competitive jurisdictions.”

Ralitsa Georgieva, CEO at Octoplay added:

“We’re pleased to expand our partnership with St8 into Ontario and the UK, making our full portfolio available to even more operators through its aggregation platform. St8 has established itself as a trusted technology partner for regulated markets, and we look forward to building on our successful collaboration together.”

The post St8 expands Octoplay aggregation deal to Ontario and the UK appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Canada

St8 extends Octoplay partnership into Ontario and the UK

Published

2 days ago

July 2, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

st8-extends-octoplay-partnership-into-ontario-and-the-uk

Casino games aggregator and full-service technology provider St8 has expanded its partnership with Octoplay into Ontario and the UK, further strengthening its premium content offering across two of the industry’s most important regulated markets.

Through the extended agreement, St8 will make Octoplay’s full portfolio of casino games available to operators in both jurisdictions, providing partners with seamless access to the supplier’s high-quality content through its single API integration.

The expansion builds on the successful relationship between the two companies and reflects St8’s continued commitment to providing operators with access to leading game providers across regulated markets. By broadening the availability of Octoplay’s portfolio, St8 further enhances the depth and diversity of content available to its operator network.

Octoplay has quickly established itself as one of the industry’s most innovative and fastest growing game studios, recognised for delivering engaging titles that combine premium gameplay with strong player appeal which are now available across 17 jurisdictions. The supplier’s focus on quality and performance aligns closely with St8’s mission to simplify content aggregation while helping operators deliver exceptional gaming experiences.

The latest agreement reinforces St8’s strategy of expanding its premium content portfolio while helping operators simplify integration, accelerate market entry and deliver engaging gaming experiences across multiple regulated jurisdictions.

David Fall, Business Development Manager at St8, said: “Expanding our partnership with Octoplay into Ontario and the UK is another important milestone as we continue to strengthen our aggregation platform with premium content from leading suppliers.

Ralitsa Georgieva, CEO at Octoplay added: “We’re pleased to expand our partnership with St8 into Ontario and the UK, making our full portfolio available to even more operators through its aggregation platform. St8 has established itself as a trusted technology partner for regulated markets, and we look forward to building on our successful collaboration together.”

The post St8 extends Octoplay partnership into Ontario and the UK appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

AGCO

AGCO Fines Great Canadian Entertainment $120,000 for Using Unauthorised Gaming System Software at Four Casinos

Published

2 days ago

July 2, 2026

Wladimir P.

agco-fines-great-canadian-entertainment-$120,000-for-using-unauthorised-gaming-system-software-at-four-casinos

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has ordered monetary penalties totalling $120,000 against Great Canadian Entertainment (GCE) for using unauthorided gaming system software at multiple Ontario casino sites, a serious compliance failure that bypassed requirements designed to protect the integrity of casino gaming.

Gaming equipment and systems are central to casino operations. They process payments and wagers, support slot-game play and help maintain controls that protect the integrity, safety and security of the gaming environment. When these systems are used or operated without required testing, monitoring and approval, it weakens safeguards designed to detect and prevent unlawful conduct, including money laundering, and can undermine public confidence in Ontario’s regulated casino sector.

The AGCO reviewed 40 instances in which revoked or unapproved bill validator software had been installed across four casino sites between February 20 and March 15, 2025. Bill validators are components within gaming machines that accept and process cash and help support anti-money laundering controls.

The AGCO’s Standards for Gaming require gaming equipment and software to be tested and approved before being deployed in casinos. Bill validators verify the authenticity and value of cash inserted into electronic gaming machines and are an important safeguard. That is why these systems must undergo rigorous testing and approval to confirm they operate as intended, perform critical functions reliably and are authorised before being introduced into a live casino environment.

Casino operators are responsible for ensuring that changes to gaming systems are properly reviewed, tested and authorised before implementation. Using unapproved software in a live casino environment is a serious compliance failure.

A casino operator served with an Order of Monetary Penalty has the right to appeal the Registrar’s action within 15 days to the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT), an adjudicative body that is part of Tribunals Ontario and independent of the AGCO.

“The AGCO requires casino operators to protect the integrity of their gaming systems by making sure they are independently tested, approved and operating as intended. When unauthorised software is used in a live casino environment, it bypasses critical safeguards that are meant to uphold the integrity of gaming and the public’s confidence in the system. The AGCO will continue to hold all casino operators accountable for meeting Ontario’s high standards of gaming system integrity,” said Dr. Karin Schnarr, Registrar and Chief Executive Officer at AGCO.

The post AGCO Fines Great Canadian Entertainment $120,000 for Using Unauthorised Gaming System Software at Four Casinos appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.