Canada

SeventySix Capital Raises Second Sports Focused Venture Capital Fund

Published

4 years ago

September 29, 2021

Investors include pro team owners, athletes, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

The sports industry leading venture capital company, SeventySix Capital, announced the initial closing of its second fund to invest in passionate entrepreneurs who are launching game-changing sports betting, esports and sports tech companies.

SeventySix Capital, led by Wayne Kimmel, Jon Powell and Chad Stender, has reshaped the sports venture capital industry. To date in 2021, SeventySix Capital has sold three portfolio companies: VSiN, the sports betting media network led by Brian Musburger, Bill Adee and Brent Musburger (sold to DraftKings – Nasdaq: DKNG), Vigtory, a next generation sportsbook led by Sam Rattner and Scott Butera (sold to FuboTV – NYSE: FUBO), and Team Whistle, a sports and entertainment media company led by John West and Michael Cohen (sold to ELEVEN SPORTS).

“This next fund is an important milestone as we continue building SeventySix Capital as the go-to investment company in the sports industry,” said Wayne Kimmel, SeventySix Capital Managing Partner. “We have proven that we have access to the deals and entrepreneurs seeking to transform the sports world and that we are able to help them build their businesses with our capital investment as well as our sports relationships, knowledge and expertise.”

SeventySix Capital added two additional professional sports team owners as investors and strategic partners in the new fund: Robert Nutting, Owner and Chairman of the board of the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball and AMBSE Ventures, a subsidiary of AMB Sports + Entertainment, a portfolio company of Arthur M. Blank, Owner and Chairman of the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League and Atlanta United FC of Major League Soccer. d

SeventySix Capital expanded its roster of athlete investors with the additions of Emmanuel Sanders, Super Bowl Champion and 2X Pro Bowl NFL Wide Receiver of the Buffalo Bills, Alejandro Bedoya, Captain of the Philadelphia Union, former U.S. National team player and SeventySix Capital Athlete Venture Group Co-Chair, and James Develin, 3X Super Bowl Champion and former Pro Bowl Running Back for the New England Patriots. Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame Running Back and SeventySix Capital Athlete Venture Group Chair and DeMarco Murray, former NFL All-Pro Running Back and Coach at the University of Oklahoma are return investors along with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority and multiple family offices.

“I’m excited to officially join the already dynamic team at SeventySix Capital that I have gotten to know well over the last several years through my marketing agent, Dave Maryles (Partner at Rubicon Talent),” said Emmanuel Sanders. “Given my personal passion for esports, it’s great working with Nerd Street, their esports portfolio company. We share similar values and interests in entrepreneurship, the sports business, and overall the drive to work hard to achieve lofty goals.”

SeventySix Capital’s current portfolio companies are leaders in their respective industries: C360, Diamond Kinetics, Fortē, Maestro, Nerd Street, Play by Play, ShotTracker, Swish Analytics, and U.S. Integrity.

This new fund will invest in startup companies that are disrupting and innovating the sports industry through the use of analytics, data and technology. SeventySix Capital aims to capitalize on the growing legal sports betting industry in the United States. The American Gaming Association (AGA) confirmed that U.S. commercial gaming revenue for the first seven months of 2021 nearly matched the entirety of 2020 and is 17.4 percent ahead of the same period in 2019, with 26 states (and Washington D.C.) having launched regulated sports betting. DraftKings (NASDAQ: DKNG) believes the US online sports betting market could eventually be worth $22 billion, assuming 100 percent legalization. The fund will also make investments in companies seeking to transform the fast-growing esports and Gaming industry. Gaming analytics and market research firm Newzoo stated that close to one-third of the global population games and the U.S. Video Game industry in 2020 was larger than Music and Movies combined, according to The NPD Group.

SeventySix Capital Venture Partner and Advisory members include Tim Cabral, former CFO of the $46+ billion market cap company, Veeva Systems, Dan Mason, former CEO of CBS Radio and a National Radio Hall of Fame member, and Michael Schreiber, CEO of Playfly Sports, Co-Founder of SeventySix Capital Sports Advisory and a former executive at NBCUniversal, Comcast and Altice USA.

Steven M. Cohen from Morgan Lewis acted as SeventySix Capital’s fund formation legal counsel and Adam Berger from Duane Morris is the fund’s gaming counsel.

Canada

St8 launches in Ontario through partnership with Tonybet

Published

4 days ago

February 20, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

st8-launches-in-ontario-through-partnership-with-tonybet

Casino games aggregator and full-service technology provider, St8 has officially gone live in Ontario’s regulated market through a new partnership with international brand Tonybet.

Through the partnership, Tonybet gains access to St8’s casino games aggregation platform, offering a wide range of premium titles from leading providers through a single API, alongside bonusing and promotional tools, compliance and licensing solutions, advanced reporting and data capabilities.

Built as a single scalable platform, St8’s products are designed to help operators launch and grow across regulated markets with fast, flexible technology solutions while maintaining full compliance.

The agreement marks a further step in St8’s global growth strategy as the company continues to expand its presence across regulated jurisdictions.

Vladimir Negine, CEO at St8, said: “Going live in Ontario is an important milestone for St8 and reflects our continued commitment to growth in regulated markets. Since receiving our Ontario licence, we have focused on building strong local partnerships and delivering a platform that combines scalability, speed and compliance.

“As a respected international brand, Tonybet shares our commitment to building reliable solutions for regulated markets, and we look forward to working closely together as we continue to expand our presence in regulated jurisdictions worldwide.”

Kiryl Liudvikevich, Head of Product at Tonybet, added: “As we expand our presence in Ontario, it is important for us to work with technology partners that support continued growth while meeting the highest regulatory standards.

“St8’s platform gives us the flexibility to integrate a wide range of content and tools through a single connection, helping us scale smoothly while maintaining a strong focus on player experience.”

St8 continues to lead the way as a partner of choice for regulated markets. In addition to its Ontario licence, the company holds licences in key regulated jurisdictions like the United Kingdom, Sweden and Romania, among others.

The post St8 launches in Ontario through partnership with Tonybet appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Canada

Rivalry Corp. Announces Significant Reduction in Operations and Evaluation of Strategic Alternatives

Published

7 days ago

February 17, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

rivalry-corp.-announces-significant-reduction-in-operations-and-evaluation-of-strategic-alternatives

Rivalry Corp. announced that its Board of Directors has approved a significant reduction in operating activity as the Company evaluates strategic alternatives in respect of its assets and operations.

The Company is engaged in discussions with third parties regarding potential transactions. However, in light of recent performance volatility, the Board has determined to materially reduce the scale of operations while assessing whether a strategic transaction or other alternative can be advanced.

Effective immediately, the Company is implementing substantial cost reductions, including a significant workforce reduction and reduced operating expenditures. The Company has paused player activity on its platform and is facilitating player withdrawals in the ordinary course.

The Company is assessing a range of potential alternatives, which may include asset-level transactions, corporate transactions, restructuring initiatives or other strategic outcomes.

Given the Company’s reduced operating scale and the ongoing evaluation process, there can be no assurance that any strategic alternative will be completed or that operations will continue in their current form.

The post Rivalry Corp. Announces Significant Reduction in Operations and Evaluation of Strategic Alternatives appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Alex Malchenko

Evoplay Strengthens Canadian Presence with BetMGM Partnership

Published

2 weeks ago

February 13, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

evoplay-strengthens-canadian-presence-with-betmgm-partnership

Evoplay is celebrating another milestone in its regulated-market journey with a new launch in Ontario, teaming up with BetMGM to bring its games to one of Canada’s most dynamic and competitive jurisdictions.

The rollout introduces 18 Evoplay titles to BetMGM Casino in Ontario, carefully selected to deliver long-term engagement and appeal to a wide range of player preferences. The first wave includes proven performers such as:

• Hot Triple Sevens

• Hot Volcano

• Gold of Sirens Bonus Buy

• Inner Fire Bonus Buy.

These are games that have already demonstrated strong results across multiple regulated markets.

This launch marks another confident step in Evoplay’s Canadian expansion, reinforcing the company’s commitment to aligning its content with local market requirements, player expectations, and regulatory standards.

Alex Malchenko, Head of Sales at Evoplay, said: Ontario continues to set a high standard for regulated online casinos, making it a market where the right partnerships truly matter. Collaborating with BetMGM allows us to expand our reach with a portfolio that has already performed strongly across multiple areas and territories.

Oliver Bartlett, VP of Gaming at BetMGM, said: “Partnering with Evoplay adds a strong selection of proven, high-performing titles to our growing portfolio in Ontario.”

The post Evoplay Strengthens Canadian Presence with BetMGM Partnership appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.