Asia
IESF Announces Speakers for First Day of GEES21 on August 31

The countdown to GEES21 is officially ON! With less than a month to go, IESF is putting the final touches on what promises to be another exciting and productive hybrid live/online event. Set to take place in Busan, South Korea at the Busan Esports Arena on August 31st and September 1st, this year’s Global Esports Executive Summit will once again boast an exciting roster of guest speakers, presenters, and panelists who will be participating from all around the world.
IESF released the list of keynote speakers and panelists for the first day of the production, which covers three (3) of the five (5) core areas titled Fostering Growing Relationships, The Next Level of Esports, and Diversity and Inclusion in Esports.
Agenda 1 : Fostering Growing Relationships
This area will delve into the ways in which the Esports ecosystem and traditional sports industries can find areas of common-ground for crossover, convergence, and co-operation.
Keynote Speaker – Bringing Our Communities Together
– Vlad Marinescu, President, International Esports Federation (IESF)
Panel Discussion – Encouraging Esports and Traditional Sports Crossover
– David Shin, Business Development Manager & Project Manager, Korea e-Sports Association (KeSPA) [Moderator]
– Alex Inglot, Commissioner of ESL Pro League & Player Representative on Board of ATP [Panelist]
– Ravneet Gill, Founder and CEO, New Horizons Alliance [Panelist]
– Sean Zhang, CEO, Talon Esports [Panelist]
– Rodrigo Quesada, Business Development Director, Cedar Group [Panelist]
Agenda 2 : The Next Level of Esports
Under this agenda, the keynote session will deliver on the opportunity to contribute to the local youth industry through local Esports team franchising.
The panel discussion will examine the ways in which the Esports industry has adapted to the global COVID-19 situation, and what long-term effects the pandemic will have on the Esports industry.
Keynote Speaker – Leveraging the Esports Advantage
– Pilsung Lee, Co-founder and CEO, Sandbox Network and Sandbox Gaming
Panel Discussion – How COVID-19 has changed Esports Industry
– Ashley Kang, Founder, Korizon Esports[Moderator]
– Madiha Naz, Team Captain, Galaxy Racer Esports (GXR) [Panelist]
– Minseong Kim, Player Manager, New York Excelsior [Panelist]
– Baro Hyun, Director & Author, Big 4 Consulting Firms [Panelist]
– Peeyush Kumar, Founder & CEO, Crowd Control Esports [Panelist]
Agenda 3 : Diversity and Inclusion in Esports
This area will discuss the importance of global expansion, diversifying brand partnerships, and encouraging participation across all borders, cultures, races, religions, and genders as key factors for success.
Keynote Speaker – Empowering Women in Esports
– Jenn Mac, Director of Global Partnerships, Women in Games International (WIGI)
Panel Discussion – Expanding Market and Brand Partners
– Jenn Mac, Director of Global Partnerships, Women in Games International (WIGI) [Moderator]
– Fernando Pereira, Co-Founder, GIRLGAMER Esports Festival [Panelist]
– Lucy Chow, Ambassador, Women in Games (WIGJ) [Panelist]
– Donovan Auyong, Senior Business Development Manager – Asia, ESL Gaming [Panelist]
– Alwin Wong, Head of Business Development & Partnerships, CAPSL Entertainment [Panelist]
Special Session: The Importance of Esports Associations and Federations
This special session will delve into the important role of Esports associations and federations play in the World Esports family, as they help unify, grow and facilitate programs for communities at all levels.
Speaker
– Ido Brosh, Board Member and Director of Global Programs, International Esports Federation (IESF)
IESF would like to extend our sincere gratitude and appreciation to all of the announced speakers and look forward to welcoming the World Esports Family at GEES21!
About GEES21
GEES21 is set to take place live on August 31st and September 1st at the Busan Esports Arena in Busan, South Korea, and around the world with the hybrid offline/online format. The theme for this year’s summit is “Evolving and Adapting”, and after the success of last year’s event (also hybrid), participants from IESF’s 104 member nations and stakeholders from Esports and Sports are eager to get to work discussing the most pressing Esports issues, and planning for the future of the booming industry.
There are five (5) core areas planned for the two-day event.
– Fostering Growing Relationships
– The Next Level of Esports
– Diversity and Inclusion in Esports
– Integrating Esports into Education
– Understanding the Esports Landscape
Since 2015, GEES has gathered key Esports and sports stakeholders from around the globe to create an environment for discussion, education, and action towards Esports development through conferences, exhibitions, academic lectures, and networking events.
If you would like to participate in GEES21, either live or as an online delegate, you can register for free at gees.iesf.org
GEES21 is supported by Busan Metropolitan City, the Korean Ministry of Sports and Tourism, and the Busan IT Promotion Agency.
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Asia
Macau Government Extends Lottery Concession of Macau Slot Until 5 June 2026

The Macau government has extended the lottery concession of Macau Slot Co Ltd for one year until 5 June 2026.
The concession renewal was published in the official gazette on Wednesday. Further extensions may be granted, subject to mutual agreement between the Macau government and Macau Slot.
As part of the renewal terms, Macau Slot is required to gradually reduce its number of non-resident employees and actively collaborate with the government to recruit and retain local talent.
Earlier this month, the government held a meeting with Macau Slot representatives to discuss the extension. According to the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ), the city’s industry regulator, Macau Slot committed to cutting 35% of its non-local, non-skilled workforce—equivalent to 26 positions—by the first quarter of 2026. The company also pledged to make further reductions to its foreign labour quota in the future. Currently, non-local staff account for 15% of the total workforce at Macau Slot.
“Over the past year, despite fluctuations in the macroeconomic environment and slower economic recovery in neighbouring regions, the local economy has remained relatively stable under the guidance of the Macau SAR government’s policies,” Macau Slot said in a statement.
“Looking ahead, we are committed to further diversifying our sports betting products to meet customer demand, while upgrading our information technology infrastructure to stay current and deliver more comprehensive sports betting services.”
The post Macau Government Extends Lottery Concession of Macau Slot Until 5 June 2026 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Asia
QTech Games strengthens its elite suite with Bigpot Gaming

Emerging-markets leader expands its all-encompassing library with exciting new slots portfolio
The post QTech Games strengthens its elite suite with Bigpot Gaming appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Asia
Polemos Announces Partnership with Guinevere Capital

Polemos, a Web3 gaming infrastructure platform, has announced a strategic partnership with Guinevere Capital, a prominent esports and gaming investment firm known for its investments and advisory roles in projects such as GiantX, iTero, Perion, Skybox and various other projects across the industry. Guinevere Capital has established a strong reputation for its work across global Web2 gaming titles, including League of Legends, Valorant, Rocket League and many more. This partnership aims to leverage the combined expertise of Polemos.io and Guinevere Capital to enhance and further monetise audiences across publishers, infrastructure players, gaming companies, studios and platforms.
The collaboration will focus on integrating advanced asset management and engagement tools from Polemos.io’s Forge platform with Guinevere Capital’s extensive network and experience in both Web2 and esports ecosystems. This will create new monetisation opportunities and improve player experiences by bridging traditional gaming with blockchain-enabled innovations.
Carl Wilgenbus, CEO of Polemos.io, said: “Partnering with Guinevere Capital marks a significant milestone in our mission to expand access to gaming rewards and unlock new revenue streams for the entire gaming industry. Together, we will empower publishers and studios to better engage their audiences and capitalize on the evolving landscape of gaming and esports.”
“Polemos has built an impressive piece of infrastructure that has plugged a huge gap in the gaming sector. We look forward to working with them to commercialise this,” said Dave Harris, a partner at Guinevere Capital.
Dave’s previous experience includes investing in and operating top teams and leagues in the Riot Games and Activision Blizzard ecosystems.
Guinevere Capital’s strategic involvement will accelerate the adoption of blockchain gaming infrastructure while supporting the growth of esports and gaming communities worldwide. This alliance underscores a shared vision to drive innovation, education and monetisation in the gaming sector by combining Web2’s reach with Web3’s potential.
The post Polemos Announces Partnership with Guinevere Capital appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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