Canada
Playmaker Commences Trading on TSXV; Jake Cassaday announced as Chief Operating Officer to bolster growth initiatives
Playmaker Capital Inc., the Toronto-based, newly-listed digital ecosystem for sports fans, is pleased to announced that trading in its common shares on the TSX Venture Exchange (the “TSXV”) will commence today at 9:30 a.m. under the ticker symbol “PMKR”. Playmaker is also pleased to announce the appointment of Jake Cassaday as Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Cassaday was previously a Partner at Relay Ventures, a prominent North American venture capital fund and lead investor behind Playmaker.
Playmaker has a mission to aggregate an ecosystem of engaged sports fans that will be monetized with sports betting companies, blue chip advertisers, leagues and teams. Playmaker’s vision is to apply an intentional and thoughtful approach to becoming a strategic aggregator of sports fans, the true lifeblood of the sports betting industry.
As previously announced, in April 2021, Playmaker completed its first acquisition, Futbol Sites, a leading digital sports media group connecting brands and sports betting operators to millions of fans in Latin America and the U.S. Playmaker anticipates making further acquisitions focused on brands with high-quality assets and solid management teams with a demonstrable track record for sustained growth and profitability.
Playmaker is led by an experienced management team that is well positioned to achieve the goals set out for the organization. In executive officers, Jordan Gnat (Chief Executive Officer), Jake Cassaday (Chief Operating Officer), Mike Cooke (Chief Financial Officer) and Federico Grinberg (Executive Vice President), Playmaker has decades of transaction and industry experience in both the digital media and sports betting sectors. The board of directors is led by Chair Maryann Turcke, currently serving on the board of directors of the Royal Bank of Canada, and previously Chief Operating Officer of the National Football League (NFL) and President of Bell Media.
“Today marks the next step in Playmaker’s journey to become a global player in digital sports media. We will leverage our experienced management team and exceptional board of directors to bring great value to our shareholders,” commented Jordan Gnat, Chief Executive Officer of Playmaker. “These are exciting times in the early life of Playmaker. Our mission is to build an ecosystem of assets that will provide sports fans and our clients with outsized value. We are beginning from an already-profitable position, and now we welcome Jake Cassaday as Chief Operating Officer.”
“To be joining Playmaker, fresh on the heels of a go-public, and ready to scale through both organic and acquisitive growth, is hugely exciting for me,” added Jake Cassaday. “Playmaker connects my passions for sports, technology, and media, and allows me to leverage my experience to support the Playmaker growth engine and build a lasting company in the sports media arena.”
Before joining Playmaker, Mr. Cassaday enjoyed a six-year tenure at Relay Ventures where he served on the board of directors of several high-growth companies, and as an advisor to startup accelerators, including Techstars and the Future of Sport Lab. Mr. Cassaday has been heavily involved with Playmaker since its inception, helping to build out its strategy, raise capital, and carry out initial acquisitions. He holds an MBA from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management and a BA from McGill University.
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Stats Perform, the global leader in sports AI, data and technology, has announced an official data partnership with the Northern Super League (NSL). The partnership will allow world-leading Opta data to be collected live from every NSL league game for the next three years.
Beginning this month, the Northern Super League (NSL) establishes a new era in Canadian sport as the country’s first professional domestic women’s soccer league — an ambitious and transformative initiative co-founded by former Canadian international and Olympic medallist Diana Matheson. Its inaugural season kicks off on April 16 and will feature six teams who have assembled multinational player rosters with extensive club and international experience, including 100-cap Canadian internationals Desiree Scott and Quinn.
Once the action begins, detailed data from every on-ball event, including advanced AI-powered Opta Analytics metrics such as Expected Goals (xG) and Expected Assists (xA), will be captured and distributed via feeds and Stats Perform products, including OptaAI Studio. This will enable various broadcasters, publishers and rights holders to generate stories and insights throughout the NSL season and provide them straight to the league’s fans in real time.
As part of the agreement, the NSL’s League Office and every NSL club will also have access to Opta Search, part of OptaAI Studio. This will allow their content creators to leverage all Opta data collected during the NSL season in the creation of data-led stories on the stand-out performers, and will help them generate key talking points for publication on official league and club platforms. Opta Search will also empower the NSL’s media team to create a range of data visualizations, including player shot maps and touch maps, to visually illustrate the impact of different players’ on-field performances.
Christina Litz, NSL President, said: “We are thrilled to have Stats Perform on board as our official data partner. When we talk about detailed performance data in soccer, Opta is the gold standard, so we are delighted to have it powering each of our official digital channels. As the season progresses, we want to put the spotlight on all the on-field heroes who emerge and having access to world-class data will help us tell their stories and inspire a new generation of Canadian soccer fans.”
Steve Xeller, Chief Revenue Officer at Stats Perform, said: “Stats Perform has been a huge supporter of expansion leagues around the world, so we are very pleased to be partnering with NSL in the lead-up to their first domestic campaign. Seeing a fully professional women’s soccer league launch in Canada is an incredibly exciting development for the sport in North America and we see considerable potential in working proactively with the League’s Head Office to help the competition grow, using the power of AI and data-led storytelling to build fan communities across the continent.”
The post Northern Super League Partners with Stats Perform appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Africa
INCENTIVE GAMES SIGNS EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTION DEAL FOR NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE, SOUTH AFRICA AND UK WITH LIGHT & WONDER
Leading B2B games provider, Incentive Games, today announced its new agreement with premium gaming company and content provider Light & Wonder, Inc.
Through this agreement, Incentive Games will distribute its premium pay-to-play games – including new arcade-style titles – to key global regulated markets including the USA, Canada, South Africa, UK, and within Europe via Light & Wonder’s extensive operator network. Additionally, Incentive Games’ popular free-to-play content will be made available to a wider audience through Light & Wonder’s content marketplace.
The agreement brings together two industry leaders in iGaming and the strengths of both companies to deliver exceptional player experiences and elevate customer engagement.
Ahmed Baker, Chief Commercial Officer at Incentive Games said, “This agreement is a landmark moment in our company’s history. Previously, we’ve worked directly with major operators such as bet365, FanDuel, and Sky Bet. Now, we can distribute our games via Light & Wonder, an exceptional aggregator that we trust will handle our games with care.”
Steve Mayes, Senior Director of Partners at Light & Wonder, said: “We are excited to work with Incentive Games, a leader in gamification solutions. We look forward to leveraging their innovative platform and bringing their customisable crash and fast game content to all major regulated markets.”
The post INCENTIVE GAMES SIGNS EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTION DEAL FOR NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE, SOUTH AFRICA AND UK WITH LIGHT & WONDER appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
With the Ottawa Senators securing a playoff spot in the NHL, ToonieBet will be there every step of the way, engaging fans with exclusive giveaways, premium entertainment, and a casino experience that mirrors the team’s energy and excitement.
The Ottawa Senators and Tooniebet, an online casino for players across Ontario, announced a partnership that will make Tooniebet the NHL team’s Official Online Casino Partner.
Tooniebet, which launched in 2024 is part of Soft2Bet – one of the world’s fastest growing iGaming turnkey solutions providers with iGaming brands around the world with a portfolio of 19 global licenses, including Ontario.
Additional highlights of the Ottawa Senators and TonnieBet partnership will include:
- In-Arena & Broadcast Branding: Digitally enhanced dashboards for home and away games
- In-rink board signage for home games
- Virtual slot signage for various games
- Digital inventory throughout the Ottawa Senators site on NHL.com
- Direct Fan Engagement: Social contests and promotions hosted on Senators’ digital platforms
- Television Broadcast Branding: Digitally enhanced rink boards for home and away games
- In-arena rink board signage for home games
Martin Ballard, VP Corporate Partnerships, Ottawa Senators stated: “We are thrilled to welcome ToonieBet as an official partner of the Ottawa Senators. Cooperating with a brand that shares our commitment to providing fans with an exceptional and trusted experience is incredibly exciting. Together, we look forward to delivering memorable moments and engaging our passionate fanbase in new and innovative ways.”
Oksana Tsyhankova, Chief Marketing Officer at Soft2Bet, commented: “Partnering Soft2Bet’s ToonieBet brand with the Ottawa Senators is a significant milestone that reinforces our strong brand presence in Ontario. In a short period, we have achieved impressive performance and retention results, with a primary focus on localised, engaging experiences for Canadian players, which makes ToonieBet truly set itself apart.”
By tapping into the Senators’ digital platforms and in-arena presence, ToonieBet will stay close to the action and connect with fans in real, engaging ways while continuing to offer a top-quality online casino experience.
ToonieBet offers a fast, localised online casino experience for players in Ottawa and across Ontario. Through this partnership, fans will have the chance to win Senators merchandise and tickets while ToonieBet grows its presence in a competitive Ontario market. With in-arena branding, regional broadcast coverage, and digital promotions, ToonieBet will be highly visible to the team’s loyal supporters.
The post Soft2Bet’s ToonieBet Partners with the Ottawa Senators as Official Online Casino Partner appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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