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Football for Friendship eWorld Championship to be held for the second time in F4F World multiuser simulator
The Football for Friendship eWorld Championship (eF4F) will be taking place for the second time at the end of May. After sports fans from over 100 countries took part last year, 211 countries and regions will be represented this time round.
The important events in Gazprom’s International Children’s Social Programme Football for Friendship (F4F) will be taking place in a digital format this year too because of the pandemic. Following established tradition, a few highlights are being organised to take place in Istanbul, the host city for the final of the UEFA Champions League, from 28th to 30th May.
The 2021 Football for Friendship eWorld Championship (eF4F) will take place on the multiplayer simulator Football for Friendship World (F4F World), which was specially developed for F4F. International team matches can be organised on this platform in real time. The individual users, each of whom is a player on the team, come from different countries. The team consists of a goalkeeper, a defender, two midfield players and two attackers. There is also a trainer and some substitutes. A game runs for 2 halves of 3.5 minutes.
Since 19th April, football academies all over the world have been invited to nominate girls and boys aged 12 to 14 as players. The draw that will put the kids into International Teams of Friendship will be in the middle of May. The Football for Friendship eWorld Championship (eF4F) will take place from 27th to 29th May.
The winners of the 2020 Football for Friendship eWorld Championship were the team “Granular salamander”, whose players came from Bosnia Herzegovina, Kazakhstan, Latvia, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, and Turkey. In the course of the final events in the 8th season of “Football for Friendship”, a new GUINESS WORLD RECORDSTM title was set for the most users in a football video hangout. This year too F4F is aiming once more to set what would be a third GUINESS WORLD RECORDSTM title.
Since December 2020, F4F World has been available to anyone interested, outside of the eF4F tournament as well, free of charge in 27 different languages. An exciting match, in which the Nine Values of Football for Friendship: friendship, equality, fairness, health, peace, devotion, victory, traditions, and honour, are emphasised, awaits F4F World players. The particular features of F4F World include an original, hand-drawn design, a unique profile modification function, the option of playing in various divisions and leagues, of founding one’s own club or of inviting randomly selected players from around the world to take part in the match. In addition, participants can design their own player as they wish. For example, the players’ hairstyles show the colours of their respective national flags. The 2021 version will also offer some new features like training sessions. The F4F World game is available on MS Windows, Apple MacOS and iOS and was developed by the company DataArt.
Andrey Trusov, DataArt: “It was very interesting and motivating to have the opportunity to contribute to the development of F4F. For me, it was a new experience that there is such a competition for children – one that also promotes values like friendship, fairness, and peace. My colleagues and I engaged very intensively with the whole F4F concept in order to be able to give it form and expression in virtual reality.”
About the programme:
The International Children’s Social Programme Football for Friendship has been run by Gazprom since 2013. Over the previous eight seasons, the programme has brought together over 15,000 participants from 211 countries and regions and over 6,000,000 supporters.
Young Players and Young Journalists are the participants in the programme – boys and girls aged 12 including children with disabilities. Young Players represent different countries and cultures united in the mixed teams of the Football for Friendship World Championship. They show that nationality, gender, and physical abilities aren’t a barrier to becoming a team. Young Journalists cover the events of the programme in the International Children’s Press Center. All participants become Young Ambassadors of the programme and continue to share their Football for Friendship experience and promote universal human values: friendship, equality, fairness, health, peace, devotion, victory, traditions, and honour.
In 2020, Football for Friendship was held online. A special digital platform connected over 10,000 players of all ages. It has become the home for international children’s competitions and a playground where anyone can train, join in the international mixed teams and play their favourite game in the Football for Friendship format without leaving the comfort of their home.
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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.
Black Label
Pragmatic Play signs Latam Agreement with Black Label
Pragmatic Play, a leading content provider to the iGaming industry, has strengthened its reach in the regulated Latin American market through a multi-product deal with platform provider Black Label.
The partnership will see Pragmatic Play’s premium portfolio, including Slots, Live Casino, and Virtual Sports, integrated into the Black Label platform, enabling regulated operators across LatAm to seamlessly access the supplier’s content.
Pragmatic Play titles, including multi-award-winning slots such as Gates of Olympus and Sugar Rush, as well as popular crash games like High Flyer and Spaceman, are now available to Black Label’s partners in the region.
Black Label, a 360‑degree online gaming experience, serves as an end‑to‑end integration platform for launching or scaling online casinos.
Built with a deep understanding of Latin American players and offered in Spanish, it provides locally aligned solutions for one of the fastest‑growing regulated markets in the industry.
Victor Arias, VP of Latin America at ARRISE, a global iGaming software and services leader and a key partner to Pragmatic Play, said:
“Latin America remains one of the most dynamic and fast-growing regions in the industry, and partnering with Black Label allows Pragmatic Play to further boost its reach across the market.
“Combining Pragmatic Play’s award‑winning content with Black Label’s locally aligned platform to support operators and players across the region is another positive step, and one that further cements Pragmatic Play’s status in Latin America.”
Roberto González, general manager at Black Label, added: “Pragmatic Play is a globally respected supplier, and integrating its multi–product portfolio is a major milestone for Black Label.
“Our platform is built specifically for the needs of Latin American operators, and adding Pragmatic Play’s high‑performing content further strengthens the value we deliver to our partners.
The post Pragmatic Play signs Latam Agreement with Black Label appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Advanced Compliance Technology
Advanced Compliance Technology partners with the Soccer Federation of Rio Grande do Norte
ACT has been selected to collaborate in building integrity programs of Brazil’s football leagues through its independent, real-time Sports Integrity monitoring technology and specialized education programs to strengthen Brazilian Sports Integrity.
Advanced Compliance Technology (ACT), a leader in compliance, sports integrity and risk solutions for the global regulated betting and gaming industry, has entered a partnership with the Soccer Federation of North Rio Grande, a regional member of the national Brazilian Soccer Confederation (CBF).
The agreement signifies an important step forward in Brazilian football’s vision for the future as it adapts to the needs of the country’s new sports betting regulations, with an equal focus on safeguarding the integrity of competitions and protecting the athletes.
Under the agreement, ACT will conduct a comprehensive analysis of the current status of the leagues’ needs operating within Brazil’s emerging regulated market.
ACT will also deliver educational programs tailored to the Brazilian sports markets, drawing on its expert sports leadership team, who share decades of experience and who have identified some of the largest match-fixing incidents in the United States.
The ACT team will combine their knowledge of sports betting, insider trading, and specialized analytics to address the growing need for sports integrity monitoring across Brazilian leagues. This will include the application of advanced technology through ACT’s proprietary online monitoring platform, the only real-time technology of its kind that is independent from betting operators and trading services.
Susan Bala, Co-Founder and Director at Advanced Compliance Technology, and former Delegate for the U.S. Commerce Department in Central and South America said:
“We are entering a new chapter in global sports with the introduction of legalised sports betting in Brazil. The country has an incredible and proud history in soccer, producing many of the game’s greatest athletes.
ACT is very pleased to collaborate with the leadership of the Soccer Federation of Rio Grande do Norte league in their mission to build a strong future through education and application of the most advanced technology solutions to safeguard the sport.”

Felipe Silva, Acting President of the Soccer Federation of Rio Grande do Norte, and José Silva, Vice President of the Brazilian Soccer Confederation, said:
“We are extremely pleased to be working with ACT on this initiative. We recognise the importance of educating our athletes and protecting the sport we love. It is our mission through this work to contribute to the future success of Brazilian football.
About Advanced Compliance Technology (ACT)
Advanced Compliance Technology is a leading provider of regulatory technology solutions for compliance and integrity monitoring in the global betting and gaming sector.
ACT’s all-in-one platform delivers the most advanced technology tools to help leagues, operators and regulators meet their complex compliance requirements with an independent expert service and real-time performance.
The company’s technology combines advanced geolocation intelligence, identity verification, advanced anti-fraud mechanisms, sports integrity and behavioural analytics to prevent circumvention, strengthen market integrity and support player protection.
The post Advanced Compliance Technology partners with the Soccer Federation of Rio Grande do Norte appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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