Asia
AESF Seals MoU with South Korea’s Game Ratings and Administration Committee (GRAC)
The Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Games Ratings and Administration Committee of South Korea (GRAC) which will further bolster the preparations for esports at the AESF Game Title Selection Pool Program for future Esports events.
This MoU which comes into effect on 29th of July 2021 will remain valid for the next three years.
Known by many to be the birthplace of esports, the Korean esports scene is highly regarded to be at the forefront of the industry and the official organization tied to the Korean government and affiliated with the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) is responsible for providing approval of games for local use while playing a significant role in shaping the gaming industry and esports culture in Korea.
In 2017, GRAC signed an agreement with the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC), making it the newest and only rating authority in Asia to participate in the global rating system for digital games and mobile apps.
This puts GRAC on-par with the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) in North America, PEGI in Europe, ClassInd in Brazil, USK in Germany and the Classification Board in Australia in utilising the streamlined IARC system to ensure that today’s digital consumers have consistent access to established and trusted age ratings across game devices.
Along with the GRAC, early this year the AESF has formed an internal Task Force to oversee game selection called the ‘Game Title Selection Pool Program.’ Composed of industry experts and professionals, the Task Force is formed to ensure fairness, accessibility, legitimacy of contents and transparency in selection of esports titles played at all AESF-sanctioned tournaments in the future.
By working closely with industry experts and relevant stakeholders, this Task Force aims to uphold the integrity and maintain the high professional standards of esports.
Through this agreement, the GRAC, represented by Chairperson, Mr. Lee Jae Hong, will share its knowledge and expertise and act primarily as reference for the matters pertaining to game contents evaluation of all applied titles for the ‘AESF Game Title Selection Pool Program’ in the future. The evaluation process will be mainly related to the suitability of content for esports in accordance with established criteria for game contents assessment.
With the aim of creating a transparent and fair outcome, the games selection process for future AESF and Olympic competitions will also adhere to the highest standards introduced and implemented by the AESF and Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).
Commenting on the momentous occasion, GRAC Chairperson, Mr Lee Jae Hong said “We are very excited to be part of this initiative which plays a huge role in ensuring the integrity of esports at future competitions. Alongside our counterparts at the AESF, I look forward to a fruitful collaboration which will, in the long term, pave the road for esports in being recognized on-par with other traditional sports on the biggest sporting stage.”
“We will cooperate with AESF to create a healthy esports culture and invigorate this scene for many years to come. We will also try to enhance our national status and extend the collaboration fields in game related ecosystems by promoting the international standardization of game rating classification,” he added.
AESF Director General, Mr. Sebastian Lau echoed the sentiment, saying “This partnership with GRAC is in-line with our focus in ensuring the highest standard for all continental and regional esports tournaments under the administration of the AESF. Not only does it show transparency in the esports titles selection, but it also hopefully sets a benchmark which all future tournaments follow.”
Esports have experienced a massive growth in Asia through official participation in various regional sporting events, most notably as a demonstration game at the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, and at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. In 2019, at the Southeast Games in Manila, esports was included as a full-fledged medal sport. The momentum continues as Esports will feature as an official medal sport at the 2021 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Thailand and the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China PR.
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DigiPlus Interactive Corp. (DigiPlus) has won seven honours – including five coveted gold awards – at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards. This milestone places DigiPlus among the most awarded companies in the region this year, spotlighting its strategic growth and transformative impact across digital entertainment, social development and investor relations.
The Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards are the only business awards Programme that recognises innovation across all 29 markets in the region. Widely regarded as the world’s premier business awards, the Stevie Awards represent a prestigious recognition of business excellence.
DigiPlus bagged five Gold Stevies for ‘Innovative Achievement in Growth’, ‘Innovation in Investor Relations’, ‘Excellence in Social Impact Companies’, ‘Innovation in Annual Reports’ and ‘Innovation in Corporate Websites’. The company also clinched Silver and Bronze Stevies for ‘Achievement in Product Innovation’ and ‘Innovation in Brand Renovation’ respectively.
At the core of these wins is DigiPlus’ commitment to innovation and digital transformation. From redefining the player experience through localised and immersive content, to launching a refreshed brand identity that resonates with a more connected and tech-savvy user base, DigiPlus has embraced a future-forward mindset. The company’s calculated investments in big data, cutting-edge technologies and stakeholder engagement have not only fueled business growth, but also opened inclusive pathways to digital participation through its social development arm, BingoPlus Foundation.
“This momentous victory at the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards affirms DigiPlus’ emergence as a true powerhouse of innovation and progress, reshaping industry boundaries and redefining digital consumer engagement on a global scale. Through consistent growth and business performance, DigiPlus reaffirms its unwavering commitment to creating long-term value,” said DigiPlus Chairman Eusebio Tanco.
Winning entries in the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards undergo a rigorous, multi-layered evaluation by an esteemed panel of judges composed of business and industry leaders across the region.
“The 12th Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards received an impressive array of outstanding entries. This year’s winners have clearly shown their dedication to innovation, and we commend their resilience and imaginative efforts,” said Maggie Miller, President of the Stevie Awards.
The post DigiPlus Bags 7 Wins at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Grand Korea Leisure (GKL), a quasi-public firm operating Seven Luck casinos for foreign nationals in Korea, has entered into a partnership with autonomous robot specialist Robotis to introduce artificial intelligence (AI)-powered self-driving robots customised for casino operations.
Under the agreement, the two companies plan to establish joint business models and service systems using autonomous robots and deploy the self-driving robots for transporting gaming chips and cards across three Seven Luck casino facilities.
They will also participate in a large-scale convergence robot demonstration project by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
The latest achievement came as part of GKL’s efforts to digitize casino operations.
The two firms began a six-month pilot Programme in September 2024 at Seven Luck Casino at Seoul Dragon City hotel to collect autonomous driving data and jointly develop software tailored to casino environments.
“GKL is accelerating its transition to smart casinos in line with the government’s drive to realize the so-called ‘digital platform government’. By adopting AI-powered self-driving robots, we aim to provide a new and differentiated customer experience,” GKL CEO Yoon Doo-hyun said.
The digital platform government initiative — pushed by the Yoon Suk Yeol administration — aims to resolve diverse social problems and add value using the latest digital technologies.
In August 2023, GKL developed a mobile service platform, the SevenLuck+, for foreign tourists’ easier access to the casino.
The service is the first of its kind developed by a Korean firm. Those who use the app do not have to bring traditional membership cards. It also provides push notifications for new events and promotions for the casino.
The service is powered by a blockchain-based decentralized identity technology, offering various services, such as e-wallet and entry authentication.
The post Grand Korea Leisure Partners with Robotis appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The Karnataka government has announced that it will introduce a new law to regulate online betting and gaming.
Home Minister G Parameshwara said a committee of senior officials and industry representatives has been constituted and it has been given a month’s time to submit a draft of the proposed bill.
“I chaired a meeting regarding online betting and gambling yesterday along with the IT Minister. Representatives from the industry were called. There is nothing to regulate them so far. They have agreed to the introduction of a licence system and a regulation as per law,” he said.
The state government held a high-level meeting to discuss a legal framework for regulating online gaming.
IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge said that the intent of the legislation is to curb online gambling, betting and games of chance, and protect consumers from fraud while supporting innovation and the sustainable growth of the skill-based gaming industry.
Karnataka is set to introduce a legal framework to ban gambling while permitting skill-based games following a model similar to that of Chhattisgarh.
Kharge said he held a detailed meeting with the state home minister, senior government officials, members of online gaming federations, and industry experts to discuss the proposed framework.
“The legitimate online skill-based gaming industry in India is a sunrise sector worth USD 4 billion, contributing Rs 12,000 crore in taxes and creating over 1.5 lakh jobs. Karnataka alone accounts for 25 percent of the market and contributes Rs 1350 crore annually in taxes, making it a key hub,” he said.
The minister also raised concerns over the growing underground market of offshore gambling and illegal betting.
“Alongside the legitimate sector, there is a parallel underground market that is expanding rapidly, posing risks such as predatory money collection practices, dubious shell companies, financial fraud, data breaches, and cybercrimes,” he said.
Kharge also held discussions with representatives of the E-Gaming Federation (EGF), the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) and the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS) regarding their collaborative “Code of Ethics” for the industry.
The post Karnataka Govt to Introduce New Law to Regulate Online Betting and Gaming appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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