Canada
GAME PLAY NETWORK EXPANDS LEADERSHIP TEAM WITH FOUR INDUSTRY INNOVATORS
Game Play Network, Inc. – which offers iGaming to 40% more of the population than any other provider – announced four additions to its leadership team: Aaron Fischer, CFO and Chief Strategy Officer; Sam Kiki, Chief Commercial Officer; Bryan Lindsey, SVP of Gaming Operations; and Tod Lower, Chief Operating Officer. This seasoned team of gambling industry veterans will help take GPN’s first-of-its-kind iGaming platform into its next stage of growth and accelerate the company’s footprint as it opens up unrivaled access to iGaming beyond the 22 states in which it operates today.
“We’re committed to investing in great talent to continue our long history of pioneering the iGaming marketplace,” said David Marshall, co-founder, and CEO of Game Play Network. “The additional expertise Aaron, Sam, Bryan, and Tod add to our team is second to none. Bryan has a long history of building and running entertainment and gambling venues. And the reunion of the Aaron and Sam duo, who together took MGM Resorts to the leading edge of digital wagering with BetMGM, will undoubtedly be a rocket booster to the company.”
Added Russell Fine, President and Chief Technology Officer, “Tod is a proven change management leader, with a track record of driving operational excellence and high growth on both the top and bottom lines.”
“I am excited to join a leading innovator in the gaming industry,” shared Aaron Fischer. “We are accelerating the strategic execution and implementation of our iGaming B2B business model, which expands the TAM and profitability for our strategic partners, while building substantial enterprise value for GPN stakeholders.”
Aaron Fischer joins Game Play Network as its Chief Financial Officer and Chief Strategy Officer. He will be responsible for GPN’s corporate strategy, business development, investor relations and capital markets strategies. Before joining GPN, Aaron served as the Chief Strategy Officer for MGM Resorts International, where he led corporate strategy across the brand’s global portfolio, including online sports betting and iGaming. Previously, he spent twelve years at CLSA as the Head of Consumer and Gaming Research. Aaron also worked for five years at Goldman Sachs as an equity research analyst specializing in luxury goods. He started his career as an accountant at Arthur Andersen in Australia.
As the company’s new Chief Commercial Officer, Sam Kiki will be instrumental in driving the B2B growth engine and further commercializing the company’s unique platform. In his new role, Sam will oversee all B2B partnerships with online gaming companies, game developers, technology providers and social game companies. He will also co-direct capital market activities with Aaron Fischer. Sam currently sits on the Board of SuperDraft, Inc., Caesars Entertainments’ daily fantasy platform. Previously, he was the Head of Strategy at Caesars Entertainment where he orchestrated the brand’s online sportsbook and iGaming strategy, which led to the $4B acquisition of William Hill as well as the strategic investment into SuperDraft. Sam also co-led many other social gaming, live dealer and business development projects at Caesars including its unified wallet project. He was also instrumental in Caesars PR and media presence in the online wagering industry and assisted in separate transactions with ESPN and the NFL, deepening both partnerships in the process. Before Caesars, Sam advised a U.S.-based private equity firm and was responsible for due diligence on interactive investments for one of its publicly listed vehicles. He also held an operational role at MGM focusing on interactive gaming, sports betting, corporate strategy and investor relations. Sam graduated with a B.A. in neuroscience from Amherst.
Bryan Lindsey joins GPN as its Senior Vice President of Gaming Operations. With more than 25 years of experience building successful companies both domestically and internationally, Bryan will leverage his expertise in gaming operations, integrated resort strategy and casino marketing. With his depth of knowledge in brick and mortar gaming operations, he will lead GPN”s expansion into retail deployments nationwide. He began his career in food & beverage operations, joining Robert Earl running many of his international-themed restaurant brands. Bryan then joined Las Vegas-based billionaire brothers Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta at the Gordon Biersch Brewing Company, which grew to become the largest brewery restaurant group in the U.S. He continued his successful run with the Fertitta brothers, making his way to Station Casinos in the early stages and was instrumental in their explosive local and national growth. Station Casinos / Red Rock Resorts, the publicly traded casino empire that dominates the Las Vegas locals market, is where he cut his teeth in gaming and resort operations. Bryan was President and General Manager of Red Rock Resort before he joined Wynn
Resorts as a Senior Level Consultant. He worked closely with CEO Matt Maddox and President & CFO Craig Billings on operations, gaming strategy, loyalty programs, marketing and data science.
As GPN’s new Chief Operating Officer, Tod Lower is responsible for its day-to-day business operations, such as supporting strategic initiatives and accelerating revenue growth and profitability. He brings over twenty years of operational experience across complex, competitive business environments. Early in his career, Tod served as a Vice President at Bank of America with responsibility for creating innovative analyses of business strategies, models and performance metrics. This led to Tod becoming the Chief Operating Officer of GC Aesthetics, an emerging company in the global medical industry, where he was responsible for building the operations of the company which led to its growth and success. Most recently, Tod spent seven years leading the LVNV Group, a highly specialized boutique firm focused on the strategic transformation of global organizations seeking demonstrative change and transformative results. While there, he worked with MGM Resorts to implement development, collaboration and cultural changes to increase synergies across a number of departments. As the company’s COO, Tod will leverage his extensive experience in the global gaming, entertainment, hospitality and banking industries.
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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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