Canada
Dire Wolves signs MSI as Hardware & Display Partner to power performance across all rosters
The partnership between the world’s most trusted gaming brand and the most successful esports organisation in Oceania will equip all Dire Wolves’ rosters with cutting-edge hardware and support to further empower the ANZ Esports scene.
Dire Wolves, the most successful esports team in Oceania, is pleased to reveal a partnership with world leading gaming technology brand MSI. The partnership will span all nine of Dire Wolves’ powerhouse rosters, and see MSI represented in major leagues across the region including the League of Legends Circuit Oceania (LCO). MSI will empower Dire Wolves’ players and streamers with its industry leading hardware to power their competitive performance and content creation, including displays, gaming chairs, components and more.
Dire Wolves, historically known as the best League of Legends team in Oceania, has expanded in recent years to a multi-disciplinary organisation. In February, Dire Wolves acquired legendary organisation AVANT Gaming, uniting their teams under the Dire Wolves brand and creating the ultimate Oceanic esports team. In addition to its League of Legends roster, Dire Wolves now has top performing teams in VALORANT, CS:GO, FIFA, NBA 2K, Overwatch, Rocket League, and Apex Legends. MSI will be showcased across all rosters, as well as the Dire Wolves Stream Team which is famously home to leading content creators across the ANZ region.
The partnership represents MSI’s continued commitment to supporting esports and gaming communities around the world. A mainstay in the global ecosystem for over 35 years, MSI has supported esports and gaming events, teams, and competitions of all levels including grassroots collegiate programmes through to some of the world’s largest and most prestigious leagues, tournaments and teams. The partnership with Dire Wolves will further expand the brand’s presence in Oceanic esports, which continues to thrive with the 2021 launch of the LCO, and the newly opened Spark Esports Hub in New Zealand’s iconic sport stadium, Eden Park.
Jeremy Tate, Marketing Manager ANZ, MSI shared, “It’s long been our mission at MSI to deliver the ultimate in-game advantage for esports competition, and today we take another exciting step down that path in partnership with the Dire Wolves – who share a common passion for winning and pushing the envelope of performance. In turn, MSI is thrilled today to announce our support of the Dire Wolves esports team.
The partnership offers incredible collaboration between the talented ranks at Dire Wolves paired with our award winning gaming hardware at MSI, and sets the stage to raise the bar and elevate esports to new levels within the region. The team will game and compete utilising cutting edge hardware and gaming technology from MSI, helping to unlock the very best from players when it matters most in competition and practice. This significant shared core attitude is instrumental, and allows us to innovate, outplay and drive our goals further together in esports.”
Jason Spiller, Owner, Dire Wolves, said “MSI has an incredible legacy in the esports and gaming space in every corner of the world, and we’re absolutely thrilled to have their expertise and hardware onboard across the entire wolf pack. Our teams have a jam-packed competitive calendar for the rest of the year and beyond, and knowing we have the very best hardware and support gives us the confidence to perform at the highest level, and hopefully bring home more trophies!
2021 has already been a landmark year for Oceanic esports with the launch of the LCO and the new Eden Park facility acting as a central hub for the community, and having the support of global leaders like MSI shows that the world is taking note.”
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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.
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