Midnite — the UK sportsbook and casino — brought Sheffield United supporters closer to the club with a triple rollout of fan-first experiences. Across matchday travel, street art and a pop-up salon, Midnite delivered practical support, community investment and memorable moments for Blades fans.

The Midnite Express: luxury free coach travel to St Mary’s

Midnite relaunched The Midnite Express, providing free coach travel for 100+ Sheffield United fans to the Championship away game at Southampton. The 410-mile round trip included:

• Club legends on board: Michael Brown, Paddy Kenny and Rob Kozluk.
• On-coach entertainment: quizzes, Q&As and giveaways.
• Easy joining process for selected fans and a full away-day experience.

The trip ended in a 1–0 result for Southampton, but fans returned with memories of a well-organised, fan-focused day out.

“We loved creating The Midnite Express… We know how difficult it can be travelling to and from midweek away games with the high costs and time it takes, so we were always going to help out those lucky Sheffield United supporters by giving them an unforgettable away day experience.” — Andrew Mook, Head of Brand Marketing, Midnite

Painting the town red (and white): Chris Wilder mural & community support

Midnite unveiled a 50-square-metre mural celebrating club legend and manager Chris Wilder on The Railway pub opposite Bramall Lane. Key details:

• The mural recognises Wilder’s playing and managerial legacy, including his role in returning the club to the Premier League in 2019.
• Midnite donated £1,000 to The Railway to support a revamped outdoor area, improving the matchday atmosphere for Blades supporters.

The public artwork reinforces local identity while giving fans a new visual landmark close to the stadium.

New year, fresh trim: The Blades Salon pop-up

To kick off 2026, Midnite partnered with TaylorTaylor barbershop in Sheffield city centre to create The Blades Salon, a pop-up offering free haircuts for fans. Highlights:

• Sheffield United players Callum O’Hare and Michael Cooper joined the event and even tried the clippers, bringing fans up close to the squad.
• The activation was timed to lift spirits after a tough 2025 and reward supporters during a positive turn in form.

Why it matters

Midnite’s three activations combined practical value (free travel), cultural recognition (mural) and fan reward (pop-up salon). The campaign strengthened ties between the brand and Sheffield United’s community, improved the matchday experience, and created shareable moments that matter to modern football fans.

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GG.BET has announced the launch of a dedicated €20,000 betting tournament to coincide with Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Krakow 2026, one of the most anticipated Counter-Strike 2 events of the year. Running from January 22 to February 9, the promotion rewards GG.BET customers for placing winning bets on CS2 matches, with the top 100 participants sharing the total prize pool.

Betting meets competition during IEM Krakow

IEM Krakow 2026 will take place from January 28 to February 8, marking a historic moment for the Intel Extreme Masters series. For the first time, the iconic IEM playoffs will move away from Katowice and be hosted in Krakow, adding an extra layer of excitement to an already legendary esports tournament.

As the world’s best CS2 teams battle on the main stage, GG.BET is offering fans an opportunity to compete off the server through its Legendary Krakow Tournament, designed to reward consistency and smart betting throughout the event.

How the GG.BET tournament works

Participation in the tournament is simple and open to eligible customers:

1. Log in or register at GG.BET (21+ only).
2. Navigate to the Competition section, select “Legendary Krakow Tournament”, and click Join.

All winning bets placed on IEM Krakow 2026 and other CS2 tournaments at odds of 1.50 or higher count toward the leaderboard. Each successful bet earns points equal to the stake amount — for example, a €100 winning bet earns 100 points.

€20,000 prize pool and leaderboard rewards

The tournament features a €20,000 total prize pool, distributed among the top 100 players on the leaderboard. The highest-ranked participants can earn cash prizes of up to €2,000, making every winning wager an opportunity to climb the standings.

The more points accumulated during the tournament period, the greater the chance of securing a top-100 finish and a share of the prize money.

Multiple betting options, including Bet Builder

GG.BET customers can earn points using a wide range of betting formats, including:

• Single bets
• Accumulators
• System bets

Players can also take advantage of Bet Builder, which allows the creation of custom bets by combining multiple markets from a single CS2 match. Available options include map winner, individual player kills, total rounds played, and other popular CS2 markets, often with boosted combined odds.

A timely promotion for CS2 esports fans

With IEM Krakow 2026 set to redefine the Intel Extreme Masters legacy and showcase elite Counter-Strike 2 competition, GG.BET’s €20,000 tournament offers fans an additional way to engage with the action. By combining esports knowledge with strategic betting, participants can turn every winning pick into leaderboard points and real cash rewards.

Further details about the tournament and participation rules are available directly on the GG.BET platform.

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PokerStars New Year Series 2026 delivers blockbuster prize pool and multiple champions

PokerStars’ New Year Series 2026 finished with a bang — awarding $22,966,447 across 316 tournaments and attracting 699,937 total entries. The 20-day online poker festival exceeded its $18 million guarantee and produced standout winners, massive fields, and headline-grabbing scores. At the top of the leaderboard, Bulgaria’s Ognyan “cocojamb0” Dimov turned a $109 Sunday Million entry into a series-high payout of $138,495.

Fast facts: New Year Series 2026

• Total prize pool: $22,966,447
• Total entries: 699,937
• Events: 316 (low to high buy-ins)
• Biggest single score: $138,495 — Ognyan “cocojamb0” Dimov (Sunday Million $109)
• Country leaderboard winner: Brazil (80 event wins)

Standout winners and headline results

The series mixed affordable, mass-field action with high-stakes drama. Key results included:

• Gabriel “gtavares10” Tavares (Brazil) captured the $5,200 Main Event and $122,131 after outlasting a 106-entry high-stakes field — the series’ second-largest payday.
• Patrick “JaegsPL” Lauber (UK) won the $1,050 PKO Main Event for a total of $113,307 (including $63,492 in bounties).
• ‘nickiou7kos’ (Greece) topped the $109 Mystery Bounty Main Event for $58,237 (including $497 in bounties).
• Ognyan “cocojamb0” Dimov (Bulgaria) reinforced his reputation as a crusher with multiple titles and the biggest cash of the series after his $109 Sunday Million triumph.
• Triple champions in the series included players under the aliases KAgoulAKboul (Cambodia), King153246 (Albania), Leonard “Grozzorg” Maue, Pavel “silentm0de” Plesuv, and Sintoras.
• Low buy-in grinders shone too: Brazil’s “miioon” dominated two massive fields, winning both a $5.50 PKO and an $11 PKO for a combined $9,470.

Country performance and leaderboard insights

Brazil dominated the New Year Series, leading the country leaderboard with 80 wins, followed by the United Kingdom (38) and Canada (16). The results reflect a continued strength from Brazilian grinders across both micro and mid-stakes events, while European pros and seasoned high-roller specialists also made deep runs and collected headline paydays.

Notable pros who won titles

The series featured wins from established pros and past major-event champions:

• Fintan “easywithaces” Hand — $530 Bounty Builder High Roller.
• Felipe “lipe piv” Boianovsky — 2023 SCOOP Main Event winner (collected a New Year Series title).
• Narcis “Narcisus90” Nedelcu — won the $530 Copacobana Mystery Bounty.
• Adrian “Amadi_017” Mateos — captured the $1K 7-Max PKO for $20,481 (including bounties), his first title in the series.

Why this New Year Series mattered

The 2026 edition showcased the breadth of modern online poker: huge guarantees, accessible low-stakes offerings that reward volume grinders, and high-stakes events that attract pros and build big narratives. The combination of PKO, Mystery Bounty, and traditional freezeout formats means players of all bankrolls found events that fit their strategy — and the results show a healthy ecosystem of recreational and professional participation.

What’s next: SCOOP returns

PokerStars is keeping momentum heading into the Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP), returning March 1–25, 2026. SCOOP’s multi-tiered schedule and high-stakes events have made it a marquee series for players aiming for major titles and career-defining scores. After the standout performances in the New Year Series, many players will see SCOOP as the next opportunity to chase huge guarantees and prestige.

Bottom line: The PokerStars New Year Series 2026 over-delivered on excitement and prize money. With nearly 700K entries and almost $23 million paid out, the series set a strong tone for 2026 — spotlighting rising stars, veteran champions, and a clear resurgence of Brazil as an online poker powerhouse.

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