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Women in Esports launches women-only tournaments with FACEIT and separate community Discord
The British Esports Association, the not-for-profit organisation set up to promote and support grassroots esports, has partnered with FACEIT, the world’s leading platform for competitive online gaming, as part of its ongoing Women in Esports initiative.
Women in Esports will have its own organiser page on FACEIT and will create women-only tournaments and hubs. The Women in Esports initiative aims to create a welcoming community which encourages more women (including trans and cis women) and femme identifying/femme presenting non-binary players to take part in esports tournaments at any level.
Women-only tournaments are viewed by Women in Esports as a stepping stone to give women more confidence and experience to then aim for further involvement in other tournaments (mixed or otherwise) in the future.
The organiser page will initially focus on Counter Strike:Global Offensive (CS:GO) as the first title for tournaments and hubs, primarily due to the fantastic female community prevalent on FACEIT for this title. The variety of tournaments and hubs will later expand with future pilots for other titles.
The first 5v5 CS:GO tournament, The Lioness League, will open for registrations on Friday November 27th and occur on Saturday December 12th. There will be a max of 32 teams in a single elimination bracket. Participants will be able to join as a premade team or join as a solo player and form a team. The prize will be 3000 FACEIT points: 2000 points for the winning team, and 1000 points for second place. This will be the start of regular monthly tournaments.
Our CS:GO hub will enable players to create teams and scrim against each other. The hubs will be private by application, open to women (including trans and cis women) and femme identifying/femme presenting non-binary players to join.
Women in Esports has also created its own separate community Discord server to further its aim of providing an inclusive community space. The server will be public and open to everyone, with many social channels, announcements, an industry section, along with specific tournament chat. It will be vetted, moderated and constantly updated as per feedback and changes in line with the initiative.
“We’re delighted to partner with Women in Esports, a team that shares our passions and values. FACEIT is committed to developing grassroots opportunities and supporting the community. We want everyone to feel comfortable and confident when taking their first steps into esports and we’re hoping this hub will offer a safe space for women to come together and compete,” said Sue Lavasani, Account Manager at FACEIT.
Alice Leaman, Schools and Colleges Liaison Officer at British Esports, said: “Through Women in Esports we aim to build a community and encourage more women to get involved in the industry. By partnering with FACEIT we can start to develop more regular tournaments and opportunities for all skill levels and the creation of a community Discord will provide a dedicated space for diversity in esports to be celebrated.”
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PokerStars Big Game on Tour returns May 17 with Koon, Deeb and Berkey
Season 3 runs weekly on PokerStars’ YouTube channel through June 14 and includes a $50,000 staked ‘Loose Cannon’ amateur spot.
PokerStars will launch a new run of PokerStars Big Game on Tour episodes on May 17, with Jason Koon, Shaun Deeb and Matt Berkey set to headline the line-up. The series will air on the PokerStars YouTube channel, with weekly episodes through June 14.
The cast for the new instalment also includes MMA fighter Sean O’Malley and high-stakes cash game player Randy ‘3Coin’ Sadler, according to the company. The episodes follow the Big Game format, featuring No Limit Hold’em cash game play.
PokerStars said the season’s ‘Loose Cannon’ will be Canadian operations manager Andy Taylor, who will be staked $50,000 and will keep any profit made at the table. The company described Taylor as running a property maintenance company and, with his wife, a non-for-profit organisation focused on supporting young athletes in Toronto.
A teaser for the new episodes aired during the livestream of the €100,000 High Rollers Invitational at PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo, which featured Koon. PokerStars noted Koon “took home €1,000,000” from the event.
Release schedule: May 17 (Episode 1), May 24 (Episode 2), May 31 (Episode 3), June 7 (Episode 4), and June 14 (Episode 5).
The post PokerStars Big Game on Tour returns May 17 with Koon, Deeb and Berkey appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Latest News
Jason Koon, Shaun Deeb, and Matt Berkey Headline New Instalment of PokerStars Big Game on Tour
Poker’s most thrilling televised cash game, PokerStars Big Game on Tour, will return on May 17 with a brand-new set of episodes featuring a stellar line-up headlined by PokerStars Ambassador and number three in the all-time poker money list Jason Koon, reigning two-time World Series of Poker Player of the Year Shaun Deeb, and American high-stakes poker pro and coach Matt Berkey.
MMA Fighter and poker enthusiast Sean O’Malley, and well-known high stakes cash game player and businessman Randy ‘3Coin’ Sadler complete the line-up, who will take to the felt against the ‘Loose Cannon’ to win big.
As always, each episode will showcase high stakes No Limit Hold’em cash game action in the beloved Big Game format, where one amateur player or ‘Loose Cannon’ is staked $50,000 and gets to keep any profit they make at the table.
Canadian Operations Manager Andy Taylor will shake up the felt as the ‘Loose Cannon’ hoping to beat the pros. Andy runs a property maintenance company as his main job and, alongside his wife, runs a non-for-profit organisation aimed at improving the skillset and mindset of young athletes across Toronto.
The teaser for the new Big Game episodes was aired during the live stream of the €100,000 High Rollers Invitational at PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo, featuring Big Game player Jason Koon. Koon took home €1,000,000 after topping a field of some of the best in the world.
The first Big Game episode will air on PokerStars YouTube channel on May 17, with new episodes airing weekly and culminating on June 14.
- Sunday, May 17 – BGOT Season 3 Episode 1
- Sunday, May 24 – BGOT Season 3 Episode 2
- Sunday, May 31 – BGOT Season 3 Episode 3
- Sunday, June 7 – BGOT Season 3 Episode 4
- Sunday, June 14 – BGOT Season 3 Episode 5
The post Jason Koon, Shaun Deeb, and Matt Berkey Headline New Instalment of PokerStars Big Game on Tour appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Apple
IBJR hails App Store approval as a milestone in the fight against illegal betting in Brazil
The Brazilian Institute for Responsible Gaming (IBJR) considers Apple’s decision to allow the distribution of regulated sports betting and online gaming applications on its Brazilian App Store a key milestone for the consolidation of a transparent and integrity-driven sector.
This measure strengthens regulation by making it easier for users to clearly identify operators that are duly authorized to operate in compliance with national rules.
Following Google’s decision, made less than a year ago, to authorize the distribution of sports betting apps on the Play Store in Brazil, this initiative acts as a powerful cybersecurity filter and helps protect consumers from the risks of the illegal market.
Since only operators licensed by the SPA are allowed to offer services to iOS users, the process of channeling traffic into the regulated environment is further strengthened.
However, for the measure to be fully effective, continuous enforcement is required, as several illegal apps can still be found on major platforms.

Data from Instituto Locomotiva, in partnership with LCA Consultoria, indicate that the illegal environment—much of it controlled by organized crime—moves around R$40 billion per year in Brazil and generates an estimated annual loss of R$10.8 billion in tax revenue.
In this context, actions that help distinguish legal operators from unauthorized ones are essential.
The presence of applications on both the Play Store and Apple Store reinforces the commitment to Responsible Gaming, as they integrate functionalities required by legislation and audited by the platforms.
These include strict age verification to prevent access by minors under 18, clear risk warnings related to gambling, and self-exclusion tools.
The post IBJR hails App Store approval as a milestone in the fight against illegal betting in Brazil appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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