Canada
ESPORTS AWARDS UNVEILS PRO, ON-AIR AND COLLEGIATE FINALISTS
The Esports Awards, the most prestigious night in the esports calendar, is excited to reveal the finalists for this year’s Pro and On-Air and Collegiate awards. As some of the most highly anticipated categories, this year’s finalists include the likes of Trevor “Quickshot” Henry, G2 Esports and Heo “ShowMaker” Su.
This year’s Esports Awards will officially be returning to a physical event taking place on November 20th at the Esports Stadium Arlington. The Esports Stadium will provide the perfect backdrop for an evening of celebration and prestige which will be attended by some of the biggest brands, organisations and personalities from esports and beyond.
The finalists for the Pro, On-Air and Collegiate were announced as part of Esports Awards 6th Spotlight Show of the year which was hosted by Thom ‘F.’ Badinger with guest hosts Parker ‘Interro’ Mackay and Jess ‘JessGOAT’ Bolden. The show played host to the Creative Corner segment where George Nowack interviewed Rich Lock, Jess and Parker went head to head in the ultimate quiz challenge and FaZe Crowder was interviewed by Fdot.
The full list of Pro, On-Air & Collegiate finalists are:
Esports Coach of the Year in partnership with Expedia
- James “Crowder” Crowder
- James “Mac” MacCormack
- Bok “Reapered” Han-gyu
- Andrii “B1ad3” Gorodenskyi
- Dyjair “Mity” Soares
- Kim “kkOma” Jeong-gyun
- Arthur “TchubZ” Martins
- Emiliano “Sizz” Benny
- Andrey “Engh” Sholokhov
- Byung-chul “Moon” Moon
- Mark “MarkyB” Bryceland
Esports Controller Player of the Year in partnership with SCUF
- Chris “Simp” Lehr
- Justin “jstn.” Morales
- Eric “Snip3down” Wrona
- Tyler “aBeZy” Pharris
- Joseph “Mang0” Marquez
- Evan “M0nkey M00n” Rogez
- Jack “JBM” Mascone
- Dominique “SonicFox” McLean
- Gavin “Tweek” Dempsey
- Victor “Fairy Peak!” Locquet
Esports Controller Rookie of the Year in partnership with SCUF
- Jamie “Insight” Craven
- Evan “M0nkey M00n” Rogez
- Raúl “DmentZa” Palazuelos
- Eli “Standy” Bentz
- Paco “HyDra” Rusiewiez
- Marc “MaRc_By_8.” Domingo
- Andres “dreaz” Jordan
Esports Mobile Player of the Year presented by Verizon
- Zhu “paraboy” Bocheng
- Mohamed “Mohamed Light” Tarek
- Gabriel “Syaz” Vasconcelos
- Mustafa “SkYRiiKZz” Ibrahim
- Karl Gabriel “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno
- Jash “Learn” Shah
- Piyapon “TheCruz” Boonchuay
- Brian “Tectonic” Michel
- Lucas “LucasXGamer” Vinícius Batista Rocha
- Cauan “Cauan7” da Silva
Esports Organisation of the Year
- LOUD
- 100 Thieves
- G2 Esports
- Team Liquid
- FaZe Clan
- NRG
- TSM FTX
- Fnatic
- Cloud9
- T1
- Envy
- OverActive Media
Esports PC Player of the Year
- Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev
- Luccas “Paluh” Vinicius Molina
- Tyson “TenZ” Ngo
- Heo “ShowMaker” Su
- Wang “Ame” Chunyu
- Kim “Doinb” Tae-sang
- Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov
- Ayaz “nAts” Akhmetshin
- Jae-Won “LIP” Lee
Esports PC Rookie of the Year
- Kyle “Danny” Sakamaki
- Javier “Elyoya” Prades Batalla
- Tyson “TenZ” Ngo
- Ayaz “nAts” Akhmetshin
- Adam “Adam” Maanane
- Valeriy “B1T” Vakhovskiy
- Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov
- Se-hyun “Pelican” Oh
- Robin “Robinsongz” Sung
Esports Team of the Year in association with Secretlab
- Atlanta FaZe (CDL)
- The General NRG (Rocket League)
- Natus Vincere (NAVI) (CS:GO)
- Ninjas in Pyjamas (Rainbow 6)
- DWG KIA (League of Legends)
- PSG.LGD (Dota 2)
- MAD Lions (LoL)
- Gambit Esports (VALORANT)
- Shanghai Dragons (Overwatch)
- Sentinels (VALORANT)
Esports Analyst of the Year
- Anthony “NAMELESS” Wheeler
- Emily Rand
- Jacob “Pimp” Winneche
- Jess ‘JessGOAT’ Bolden
- Marc Robert “Caedrel” Lamont
- Kyle “melonzz” Freedman
- Jonathan “Reinforce” Larsson
- Sean “sgares” Gares
- Jason “moses” O’Toole
Esports Colour Caster of the Year
- Chad “SPUNJ” Burchill
- Mohan “launders” Govindasamy
- Michael “KiXSTAr” Stockley
- Josh “Sideshow” Wilkinson
- Thomas “Chance” Ashworth
- Andrew “Vedius” Day
- Sam “Kobe” Hartman-Kenzler
- John “Johnnyboi_i” MacDonald
- Stephen “Sajam” Lyon
Esports Host of the Year Presented by Arlington.Org
- Eefje ‘sjokz’ Depoortere
- Alex “Goldenboy” Mendez
- Soe Gschwind
- James “Dash” Patterson
- Jorien “Sheever” van der Heijden
- Ana Paula ‘Ana Xisdê’ Cardoso
- Loviel “Velly” Cardwell
- Tres “stunna” Saranthus
- Brody “Liefx” Moore
- Ghassan “MiloshTheMedic” Finge
- Caleb “WavePunk” Simmons
- Chris “Puckett” Puckett
Esports Play by Play Caster of the Year
- Parker “Interro” Mackay
- Alex “Machine” Richardson
- Miles Ross
- Trevor “Quickshot” Henry
- Clayton “CaptainFlowers” Raines
- Mitch “Uber” Leslie
- Callum “Shogun” Keir
- Owen “ODPixel” Davies
- Lauren “Pansy” Scott
- BrunoClash
Esports Collegiate Program of the Year
- Northwood University
- Boise State University
- Maryville University
- Grand Canyon University
- University of Hawai’i
- Buckeye Gaming Collective – Ohio State University
- Longhorn Gaming – University of Texas at Austin
- Minnesota State University, Mankato
- Illini Esports – University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Winthrop University
Esports Collegiate Ambassador of the Year
- Dr. Chris “Doc” Haskell
- Adam Antor
- Chris Turner
- Ariane Lim
- Ryan Johnson
“I’m really excited to unveil the final set of finalists for this year’s awards which is set to be our biggest and most prestigious event yet. With less than two months to go, the team is hard at work making sure that this year’s ceremony is packed full of celebration, excitement and special surprises,” said Michael Ashford, CEO, Esports Awards
The Esports Awards is delighted to announce Expedia as the Official Travel Companion for this year’s ceremony. Expedia will work closely together with the Esports Awards on creating a number of ‘epic moments’ for attendees, viewers and fans showcasing the globality of the awards.
Other partners for the Esports Awards 2021 include The Koyo Store, Sizzle Creative, Touch of Ginger, SCUF, Arlington CVB, SecretLab, Make-A-Wish, Skullz, and Verizon.
Esports Awards 2021 key campaign dates for the rest of the year are:
- October: The Go-Home Show building up to the main event
- Saturday 20th November: The Esports Awards 2021 Ceremony
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Alberta iGaming Corporation
Alberta iGaming Corporation Partners with Responsible Gambling Council
The Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC) has announced a partnership with the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) that will make RG Check accreditation a mandatory requirement for all internet gaming (iGaming) sites entering Alberta’s regulated market.
This collaboration demonstrates Alberta’s commitment to player protection by ensuring every regulated operator meets the highest evidence-based standards for responsible gambling.
“Alberta is committed to building a safer, regulated iGaming environment where player protection comes first. By requiring RG Check accreditation, we’re ensuring that every iGaming operator in our market has demonstrated their commitment to player safety through independent verification of their responsible gambling programs,” said Dan Keene, Interim AiGC CEO.
RG Check is a Canadian-made, globally trusted, independent responsible gambling accreditation program. Developed by RGC more than a decade ago, RG Check evaluates sites against rigorous, evidence-based standards, covering governance, player safeguards, staff training, and marketing practices. The accreditation provides clear, measurable accountability and has become the gold standard for responsible gambling across multiple jurisdictions.
“This partnership with AiGC demonstrates the power of regulators and responsible gambling experts working together to protect players from day one. Alberta is building on a strong foundation established in Ontario, where RG Check has proven its value in creating safer gambling environments. This proactive approach ensures that player protection isn’t an afterthought; it’s built into the market from the ground up,” said Sarah McCarthy, CEO of RGC.
Alberta’s requirement will ensure that:
• All iGaming sites must achieve RG Check accreditation
• Operators must maintain their accreditation in good standing while operating in Alberta
• RGC will conduct assessments based on internationally recognized responsible gambling standards
• AiGC will work closely with RGC to ensure ongoing compliance and continuous improvement.
Requiring accreditation in Alberta’s market reflects AiGC’s commitment to promoting responsible gambling, and will create a level playing field where protecting players is a competitive advantage, not just a compliance checkbox.
For operators who currently hold RG Check accreditation in another jurisdiction, the transition to Alberta will be streamlined. While a distinct Alberta accreditation is still required, existing accreditations will be recognized to simplify the process and reduce costs. Operators will benefit from an efficient onboarding process that reduces administrative burden while maintaining the same rigorous standards for player protection.
The post Alberta iGaming Corporation Partners with Responsible Gambling Council appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Canada
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
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.
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