Canada
NBC SPORTS INTRODUCES NBC SPORTS NEXT DIVISION AND A NEWLY COMBINED TEAM TO DRIVE SPORTS TECH INNOVATION
“NBC Sports Next is where sports and technology intersect to allow for the ultimate immersive experience for all of our customers.” – Will McIntosh, Executive Vice President, NBC Sports Next
NBC Sports’ Digital & Consumer Businesses division, part of NBCUniversal Media, LLC, today announced the launch of a newly combined team under the brand NBC Sports Next to unify and streamline its three newly named groups: Youth & Recreational Sports, Golf, and Betting, Gaming & Emerging Media.
“NBC Sports has never shied away from being a leader at the crossroads of sports and technology. We’re proud to bring our top products and teams together under one integrated brand that will serve as a permanent home for opportunities across applications and technologies,” said Will McIntosh, executive vice president, NBC Sports Next. “Wherever sports and technology evolve, our partners and customers can trust that NBC Sports Next will be there.”
The fresh NBC Sports Next brand ties directly to its mission to reach passionate sports fans everywhere, make big events bigger and innovate to make playing sports better, reflecting the division’s ability to scale and harness the powerful platforms of NBCUniversal, as well as achieve accessibility and availability through its apps and digital products.
“We are proud to be a leader in providing the most immersive and engaging sports experiences,” said Jody Vogelaar, chief customer officer, NBC Sports Next. “We were driven to create a name that reflects our ability to go wherever sports and technology evolve. With this brand transformation and unique position within the media industry, NBC Sports Next’s portfolio of mobile and digital applications in the sports and entertainment space provides unparalleled experiences for our partners, advertisers, customers, athletes and fans.”
NBC Sports Next brings together SportsEngine and GolfNow, two leaders in their respective markets, and NBC Sports Enterprises, the high-growth portfolio of gaming, betting and content products, under a united brand to bolster innovation and provide better, more intuitive sports experiences. Through best-in-class features and capabilities, NBC Sports Next’s apps improve how to manage and engage customers’ passions in the areas of youth and recreational sports, golf, and the growing markets of sports betting, gaming and emerging media. Additionally, bringing together the capabilities of these areas provides greater value to partners looking to connect with audiences across the NBC Sports Next portfolio.
Now unified under one subdivision of NBC Sports, NBC Sports Next will have three groups that define how its teams create partnerships and reach target markets:
-
- Youth & Recreational Sports is comprised of technology platforms, such as SportsEngine, GoMotion, TourneyMachine and TeamUnify that enable athletes, parents, coaches and team administrators in the youth and recreational space to manage their organizations, collect payments, share schedules, connect with other families, find programs to participate in, and properly screen and train coaches in an effort to keep kids safe.
- Golf fuses the team behind products and services like GolfNow, TeeOff and GolfPass, which better connects golfers and golf facilities around the world through innovative technology and services that create optimum golfing experiences.
- Betting, Gaming & Emerging Media includes sports betting, prediction and gaming resources for sports and video game connoisseurs. NBC Sports EDGE, (formerly Rotoworld) NBC Sports Predictor and NBC Sports Audio feature sports news, analysis, fantasy sports and premium content to immerse sports fanatics in a whole new way.
Powered by WPeMatico
Canada
IAGR announces Toronto as host city for 2025 conference
Hot on the heels of its most attended conference in history, the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) is excited to announce that its 2025 conference will take place in Toronto, Canada, from October 20 to 23, 2025.
The event will be held in partnership with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) at the Westin Harbour Castle, offering stunning waterfront views and a premier, downtown Toronto location.
‘Fresh off the success of our Rome conference, we’re thrilled to continue the momentum with next year’s event in Toronto,’ said Ben Haden, IAGR President.
‘The IAGR 2025 conference promises to be another unparalleled opportunity for our global community to come together, collaborate and shape the future of gaming regulation. We’re looking forward to working with AGCO to bring it all together.’
AGCO CEO and Registrar Dr. Karin Schnarr, added, ‘We’re excited to welcome IAGR and its members to Toronto. This partnership provides a great opportunity to share Ontario’s innovative regulatory practices and foster meaningful discussions that drive positive change in the industry.’
Stay tuned for registration details early next year.
Bombee Global Entertainment Ltd
ESE Entertainment Completes Acquisition of Gaming Production Company, Bombee Americas
ESE Entertainment Inc., a gaming company that provides a range of services to leading video game developers and publishers, has announced that it has acquired Bombee Global Entertainment Ltd. (Bombee Americas), the North American arm of Bombee Event Production AB, (Bombee), a global production company specialized in live production, special effects, broadcast, and event management for the gaming sector.
Bombee has successfully collaborated with ESE to bring its premier event production services and world class customer service to North America and beyond. The North American arm of Bombee, Bombee Americas, will continue to grow and scale in this new organizational structure under ESE, while maintaining its entire team and global support.
Konrad Wasiela, CEO of ESE, said: “Today marks the next stage of ESE—a 2.0 version of our company. With the acquisition of Bombee Americas, we are not only solidifying our presence in North America but also paving the way for growth and innovation in the gaming industry. This is a major step, positioning us to deliver even greater value to our partners and elevate the gaming experience for our clients globally. We’re thrilled about the opportunities ahead and the exceptional talent joining our team.”
Transaction Terms
The Acquisition was completed by way of a share purchase agreement (the SPA) among the Company, Bombee Americas, and the shareholders of Bombee Americas (the Vendors). Pursuant to the SPA, ESE acquired all of the outstanding shares of Bombee Americas in exchange for: (i) $750,000 in cash paid on closing, (ii) $375,000 in cash to be paid six (6) months following closing, subject to customary adjustments based on the working capital of Bombee Americas on closing, (iii) $375,000 in cash to be paid twelve (12) months following closing, and (iv) 30,000,000 common shares of ESE (the Consideration Shares), issued at a deemed issue price of $0.10 per share.
In connection with the Acquisition, the founders of Bombee Americas have signed three-year service agreements and will continue to run the business following the closing, along with the rest of the personnel of Bombee Americas who will remain in place, ensuring a smooth transition of operations. As part of the Acquisition, the Company has acquired the liabilities of Bombee Americas, mainly consisting of customary current obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business for Bombee Americas, which are not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s operations or financial position.
No finder’s fees were paid or payable in conjunction with the Acquisition.
The Acquisition was an arm’s length transaction within the meaning of the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the Exchange) and constituted an “Expedited Acquisition” in accordance with Exchange Policy 5.3 – Acquisitions and Dispositions of Non-Cash Assets. The Acquisition remains subject to the final approval of the Exchange.
Canada
Suspected Digital Fraud Coming from Canada Up Nearly 11% Since H1 2023, Reveals New TransUnion Analysis
In the first half (H1) of 2024, Canada saw a significant increase in suspected Digital Fraud attempts, with nearly 5.74% of all attempted digital transactions where the consumer was located in Canada involving suspected Digital Fraud, revealed a new TransUnion® (NYSE: TRU) analysis. This is nearly an 11% year-over-year (YoY) rate increase from H1 2023, and TransUnion also documented an 11% increase in the volume of suspected Digital Fraud from Canada during this period, despite a less than a one percent (0.7%) YoY increase in the volume of transactions.
According to a recent TransUnion survey,1 more than half (54%) of Canadians said they were recently targeted by email, phone call or text message fraud attempts. Phishing was the most common scheme type (45%), followed by smishing (42%) and vishing (39%).
The increasing use of digital transactions, combined with rising suspected Digital Fraud attempts are also impacting businesses as they potentially face revenue losses and increased operational costs due to fraud. According to a TransUnion business survey for the H2 2024 Update to the State of Omnichannel Fraud report, 200 Canadian business leaders said their companies lost approximately 6% of equivalent revenue – representing $78 billion – over the past year due to fraud. The most prominent causes of fraud loss cited by them were:
- Scam/Authorized fraud (31%): Dishonest scheme intended to trick a person into giving up something of value (e.g., account access, money, information)
- Account takeover (19%): Unauthorized individuals taking over someone’s online account (e.g., bank, social media, email) without their permission
- Synthetic identity fraud (18%): Use of a combination of personal information to fabricate a person or entity to commit a dishonest act for financial or personal gain
TransUnion also found that suspected Digital Fraud attempts – where the consumer was transacting in Canada and targeted businesses globally – increased on average by 10.5% YoY in H1 2024 compared to H1 2023 and impacted all industries.
Top Three Industries Globally with Highest Rate of Suspected Digital Fraud Attempts Coming from Canada in H1 2024
- Gambling (online sports betting, poker, etc.) – 9.6%
- Retail – 9.2%
- Government – 7.7%
Top Three Industries Globally with Highest YoY Increase (H1 2024 vs H1 2023) in the Rate of Suspected Digital Fraud Attempts Coming from Canada
- Logistics – 172.9%
- Gambling – 79.3%
- Video gaming – 67.8%
“Protecting customers and their businesses from fraud is essential to enabling safe and tailored consumer experiences. These findings reveal that despite the good-faith efforts that are being undertaken by companies to identify and prevent fraud to date, fraudsters continue to evolve and it’s vital that fraud prevention methods keep up with the changing times,” said Patrick Boudreau, head of identity management and fraud solutions at TransUnion Canada.
“Businesses that aren’t already doing so should ensure that they are taking advantage of fraud prevention technologies such as identity verification, IP intelligence, device reputation and synthetic identity detection as critical components of their fraud prevention programs,” he added.
-
Felipe Costa Nadalini Account Executive at Optimove5 days ago
Leading Brazilian Lottery Operator Grupo da Sorte Selects Optimove as CRM Marketing Solution to Accelerate Growth through Personalized Journey Orchestration
-
Central Europe5 days ago
ComeOn Group’s Sportsbook hub in Austria relocates to new office space to facilitate further growth
-
Asia5 days ago
Skillhub Online Games Federation forges strategic partnership with IESF to bring International Esports Championships to India
-
Australia4 days ago
ALLIANCE PARTNERS TABCORP AND 1/ST CONTENT COMPLETE DEAL WITH THE JOCKEY CLUB OF TURKIYE TO DELIVER TURKISH RACING TO AUSTRALIA VIA SKY RACING
-
Baltics4 days ago
Genome launches SEPA instant payments, adding another valuable feature for iGaming companies
-
Latest News4 days ago
MGA Games presents Wild Wonderful Fairy, a casino slot featuring Expanding Symbols and a Free Spins Screen
-
CasinCity5 days ago
Announcing the Launch of CasinCity Crypto Casino: Where Every Player is a VIP from the Start
-
Asia4 days ago
GG.BET is inviting BLAST Premier: World Final attendees to the GG.BOOTH to take part in some fun activities