Latest News

Pro tennis returns as TNM partners with Genius Sports Group to launch Grand Slam Tennis Tours MatchPlay 120

Published

6 years ago

May 26, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes

In a first of its kind partnership, Genius Sports Group and Topnotch Management (TNM) today announced the launch of the Grand Slam Tennis Tours MatchPlay 120 series, a brand new tournament featuring players ranked inside the ATP and WTA top 300.

Beginning May 26^th 2020, this Series will provide fans, players, media publishers and sportsbook operators with over 120 live tennis matches across a six-week period. Showcasing players drawn from the Top 100 world rankings highlighting many household tennis names such as 2020 Australian Open quarterfinalist Tennys Sandgren, 4-time ATP Tour title-winner Stevie Johnson, WTA Tour title-winner Lauren Davis and others, the series will spotlight players from the Grand Slams and other major ATP and WTA events.

Genius Sports Group will deliver a host of live betting markets on the new MatchPlay 120 series as well as fast, high-quality video streams to sportsbook operators through its GeniusLive technology. Powered by AI, the GeniusLive automated camera and production system will capture the action courtside, eliminating any need for camera crews.

The series is being run by leading tennis agency, Topnotch Management, which manages numerous ATP and WTA athletes, as well as events on the ATP Challenger Tour. TNM will operate multiple court locations around the US and work closely with Genius Sports Group and Grand Slam Tennis Tours to deliver interactive Match Centers for fans, combining live streams, daily schedules and orders of play, scores, leaderboard information, and more.

“This is an ambitious solution to the current situation and it’s a project that counts as a win on multiple fronts”, explains TNM Event Director, Kyle Ross. “All groups involved here have demonstrated exceptional agility and we’re really proud, first of all, to provide job opportunities for professional players at a time when there’s been a lot of attention on the challenges they face. Additionally, the series brings tennis fans around the world a reliable schedule of tennis matches between high-level players, and partnering with Genius Sports provides a great opportunity for us to engage the sportsbook audience and ultimately power the launch of the series.”

Mark Locke, CEO of Genius Sports Group, commented: “The launch of the MatchPlay 120 series is exciting news for the world of tennis and sports fans everywhere. Over a six-week period, GeniusLive, our unique streaming technology, will broadcast over 200 hours of premium tennis for our media partners and sportsbook customers. Given the current environment, it is uplifting to see the use of new technologies come to the fore that enable tennis fans everywhere to watch their favourite sport live again.”

The Grand Slam Tennis Tours MatchPlay 120 series stands out in its commitment to delivering six weeks of programming, the high quality of the player field it will feature, and the full best-of-three set match format. Importantly, the event also promises to engage with players in the crucial 100-300 ranking zone, who have received a lot of recent attention with regards to plans for a Player Relief Fund.

Significant considerations have been made regarding covid-19, and beyond not having any fans and minimal on-site footprints, the event will adhere to local guidance and apply significant safety protocols with regards to matchplay.

iGaming

PokerStars sets $50m+ guaranteed Anniversary Series for May 10–June 3

Published

3 hours ago

April 27, 2026

Wladimir P.

pokerstars-sets-$50m+-guaranteed-anniversary-series-for-may-10–june-3

Online festival spans 461 tournaments and includes three Main Events on May 24 plus a $500,000 GTD Sunday Storm PKO final on May 10.

PokerStars will run an online Anniversary Series with more than $50m in guarantees from May 10 to June 3, 2026, the operator said on April 27. The schedule includes 461 tournaments and is positioned to mark PokerStars’ 25th anniversary, alongside the 15-year milestone for Sunday Storm.

The festival’s buy-ins range from $5.50 to $15,000, with qualifiers starting at $0.55, according to the company. PokerStars said it will also distribute more than $650,000 in Anniversary Series Lucky Dip tickets during the series.

PokerStars is headlining the series with three Main Events on May 24:

a $109 tournament with a $1.5m guarantee,
a $1,050 Main Event with a $2.5m guarantee,
and a $5,200 Main Event with a $2m guarantee.

Weekly Sunday events include Sunday Million, Sunday High Rollers, and Mystery Bounty specials, with Second Chance Main Events (PKO) scheduled for May 31.

The operator is also running a Sunday Storm 15th anniversary Progressive Knockout tournament with a $500,000 guarantee for an $11 buy-in. Phase 1 events are underway, with Phase 2 set for May 10.

“We’re proud to celebrate 25 years of PokerStars bringing big money poker tournaments safely to players around the world,” said Steve Clarricoats, Associate Director of Online Scheduling. “Putting $50 million up in guarantees shows our focus remains on bringing the best of PokerStars to more players in a variety of tournaments.”

More relevant data as follows:

PokerStars: https://www.pokerstars.com/ Official operator site for tournament schedule and eligibility by market.
PokerStars Blog: https://www.pokerstars.com/poker/news/ Company’s news hub where the full Anniversary Series details and formats are typically published.
PokerStars Power Path: https://www.pokerstars.com/poker/promotions/power-path/ Source for information on the $0.50+ qualification routes referenced in the announcement.

The post PokerStars sets $50m+ guaranteed Anniversary Series for May 10–June 3 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Conferences

Alea shortlisted for two SBC Awards Europe categories

Published

3 hours ago

April 27, 2026

Wladimir P.

alea-shortlisted-for-two-sbc-awards-europe-categories

The supplier is nominated for Game Aggregator of the Year and Employer of the Year ahead of SBC Summit Malta on April 29.

Alea has been named a finalist in two categories at the upcoming SBC Awards Europe: Game Aggregator of the Year and Employer of the Year. The company announced the nominations on April 28 from Barcelona.

Founder Alexandre Tomic said the double shortlisting reflects a link between product delivery and company culture. “If people don’t care about what they’re building, it shows immediately. In the product, in the details, everywhere. Reliability can’t be bolted on later, it’s a consequence of that care.”

“We’ve spent years building a team that takes ownership and holds a certain standard. Seeing both nominations together just tells me we’re doing something right.” Tomic added.

The news comes ahead of SBC Summit Malta, where Alea said Tomic and COO Ramon Glieneke will take part in conference sessions on April 29. Tomic is scheduled to appear on “Casino vs Sports: Can Gamification Truly Cross Over?” while Glieneke is due to join “The COO Horizon: Challenges and Opportunities in 2026/27.”

Alea said its wider team will be onsite throughout the summit at Booth D22.

More relevand data as follows:

SBC Awards: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-awards/ Primary source for the awards programme, categories and shortlisted companies.
SBC Summit Malta: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-summit-malta/ Event page for agenda context and verification of sessions and timing.
Alea: https://alea.com/ Company website for background on the supplier and its product offering.

The post Alea shortlisted for two SBC Awards Europe categories appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Latest News

POKERSTARS CELEBRATES 25 YEARS WITH OVER $50M GUARANTEED ANNIVERSARY SERIES

Published

3 hours ago

April 27, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

pokerstars-celebrates-25-years-with-over-$50m-guaranteed-anniversary-series

Bumper $6m guaranteed Main Events headline month-long online festival; as PokerStars turns 25 and Sunday Storm reaches 15 year milestone

PokerStars is marking 25 years at the heart of the game with an Anniversary Series guaranteeing over $50 million. Running from May 10 to June 3, the series celebrates a quarter century of leading the online poker revolution and kicks off with Phase 2 of the Sunday Storm as part of its 15th anniversary.

The Anniversary Series has been built with buy-in levels aimed at all players, with qualifiers starting at $0.55 and buy-ins moving all the way up to a high-rolling $15,000. A 461-tournament schedule will provide the big fields, big moments, and big prizepools that have defined PokerStars.

Players will also get the chance to take their share of over $650,000 of Anniversary Series Lucky Dip tickets that are going to be given away. In addition, Anniversary Series leaderboards will run from May 10 to June 3, featuring $100,000 in cash prizes across weekly Low, Medium, and High tiers, alongside the overall Player of the Series Leaderboard.

$50M SERIES, BUILT FOR EVERY PLAYER

The Anniversary Series delivers a full spectrum of buy-ins, from $5.50 to $15,000, as well as must-play flagship events that are expected to attract big fields:

Three-tiered Main Events on May 24:
- $109 Main Event: $1.5M GTD
- $1,050 Main Event: $2.5M GTD
- $5,200 Main Event: $2M GTD
Weekly Sunday highlights, including:
- Sunday Million
- Sunday High Rollers
- Mystery Bounty specials
Second Chance Main Events (PKO) on May 31, giving players another shot at major prizes

The full tournament schedule, which includes various formats and structures, can be seen at: pokerstars.ro/poker/learn/news/anniversary-series/

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF POKERSTARS

The Anniversary Series is more than a tournament festival, it’s a celebration of PokerStars’ legacy as a global leader in poker. Over the past 25 years, PokerStars has dealt more hands, hosted more tournaments, and created more life-changing moments than any other poker site.

“We’re proud to celebrate 25 years of PokerStars bringing big money poker tournaments safely to players around the world,” said Steve Clarricoats, Associate Director of Online Scheduling. “Putting $50 million up in guarantees shows our focus remains on bringing the best of PokerStars to more players in a variety of tournaments.”

SUNDAY STORM ANNIVERSARY

PokerStars is also celebrating the 15^th anniversary of the Sunday Storm with a Progressive Knockout tournament with a $500,000 guarantee for just a $11 buy-in. Phase 1’s are underway with Phase 2, the final stage, taking place on May 10.

QUALIFY FOR LESS THAN A DOLLAR

True to PokerStars’ commitment to accessibility, players can qualify for the biggest events from as little as $0.50 via Power Path and $0.55 via satellites.

In addition, PokerStars will also introduce a revamped Power Path Pass on April 27, including a new $530 Bronze Pass offering 25% added value throughout the summer. The upgraded edition will be redeemable as an online ticket bundle for the Anniversary Series events, giving players the opportunity to unlock $530 worth of Anniversary Series tickets, plus 25% extra. More Bronze Passes with 25% added value will be redeemable soon.

For more details head to the PokerStars website, or visit the PokerStars blog.

The post POKERSTARS CELEBRATES 25 YEARS WITH OVER $50M GUARANTEED ANNIVERSARY SERIES appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.