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Riot Games promotes John Needham to President, Esports

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After growing LoL Esports into the world’s largest esport, Needham steps up to unify, introduce, and evolve Riot Games’ esports titles globally 

Riot Games announced the promotion of esports and gaming executive John Needham to the role of President, Esports. In this elevated position within Riot Games, Needham will lead the organization under which all of Riot’s esports titles and operations will now be unified.

After two-plus years as Riot’s Global Head of Esports following his previous roles as Managing Director of Europe and Head of the League of Legends European Championship (LEC), Needham will helm the world’s most successful and sustainable collection of esports.

“As we head into 2022, we’re placing our biggest bets yet on esports to deliver the most connected, immersive experiences for the millions of players worldwide who love our games,” said Nicolo Laurent, CEO of Riot Games. “John Needham’s leadership and vision for our esports business has helped us grow our fandom exponentially over the past few years. It’s why I’m excited to formalize a major division at Riot Games, with John reporting directly into me, to support and drive our big, bold swings that make it even better to be a player.”

The promotion elevates Needham to be one of the senior most executives within Riot Games, now reporting into Laurent along with Riot’s four other presidents: Shauna Spenley, President, Entertainment; Scott Gelb, President, Games; Ryan Crosby, President, Publishing; and Dylan Jadeja, President, Enterprise.

Within Needham’s governance will be 11-year old industry pioneer League of Legends Esports (LoL Esports), the rising FPS esport VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT), Wild Rift Esports (which concludes its first global tournament on Sunday), and multiple other games under a new Organized Play umbrella at Riot Games (Teamfight Tactics, aka TFT; Legends of Runeterra, aka LoR; and future games).

“Riot Games has led the explosive growth of esports over the past decade, and I’m proud to be part of the team charged with establishing our portfolio as a foundation for the future of sports,” said Needham. “Esports embodies Riot’s mission to inspire the most meaningful and lasting player experiences.

“By further professionalizing our sports, innovating and focusing on sustainability and competitive integrity, and making esports at Riot Games inclusive to all, we will thrive together with new and existing fans. We also will create additional value for our partners and plan to set the highest player-driven standards for competitive gaming well into the next decade.”

The new Riot Games esports structure being established by Needham has been informed by a combination of traditional sports leagues and governing bodies as well as Riot’s company-wide goal to innovate around and ultimately define the future of gaming. Needham plans to bring a new strategic and operational focus across the multiple sports and leagues, extend Riot’s esports’ impact into complementary entertainment and gaming categories, and create and shape viewing and content platforms for the future growth of its esports audience.

To that end, Needham recently green-lit a multi-million initiative known as Project Stryker, an innovative initiative to increase capacity of Riot’s esports content and events with a centralized broadcast model anchored by Remote Broadcast Centers (RBCs) strategically located around the world. Three years in the making, these RBCs will increase capacity for Riot Esports content and events while lowering operating costs, ensuring top-tier quality and consistency across all esports productions, and built for scale as the volume of Riot’s live esports broadcasts continues to grow. The first center will come online in Dublin, Ireland, in early 2022.

To also help him achieve Riot Games esports’ mission to bring joy to billions of fans around the world, Needham recently promoted several key executives to new positions and has begun a search for a new Global Head of Organized Play:

  • Whalen Rozelle to Head of Global Esports Operations*;
  • Naz Aletaha to Global Head of LoL Esports;
  • Leo Faria to Global Head of Wild Rift Esports.

*Rozelle will maintain his role overseeing the VALORANT Champions Tour until a replacement is identified and hired

Riot Games’ esports, with 2021 Worlds behind it and the inaugural VALORANT Champions set to kick off in Berlin in December, has seen growing audience demand as well as the need to establish an umbrella structure for brands eager to tap into this rapidly growing global sports category. To date, Riot’s global esports partner roster includes Mastercard, Verizon, Mercedes-Benz, Bose, Unilever, Red Bull, Spotify, Bose, Louis Vuitton, YouTube, Twitch, Cisco, Amazon, Coca-Cola, and State Farm. Red Bull, Verizon and SecretLab are among the first global partners to support multiple titles or events within Riot’s esports portfolio, an opportunity that will be more readily available in the years ahead.

 

Biography

John Needham serves as the President, Esports at Riot Games, overseeing League of Legends Esports, VALORANT Champions Tour and Wild Rift Esports global international events and driving the overall vision for esports at Riot Games worldwide. John is responsible for shaping and defining an accessible, modern sports entertainment property for a multi-generational fanbase, while creating a strong sustainable business ecosystem that attracts top-tier sponsors and investors.

Under his leadership, the sport of League of Legends has experienced rapid maturation with continued investment in infrastructure and broadcast capabilities needed for long-term growth, digital products, and measurement standards (e.g. AMA). LoL Esports’ two major international events — The World Championship and Mid-Season Invitational — have hit record viewership and seen incredible growth in fan engagement and value, with some of the most recognizable global brands signing partnerships.

Needham joined Riot in 2017 as the Managing Director of Europe and North America. During his time in that position, he led the rebranding of the League of Legends European Championship (LEC), which included the move to a long-term partnership model with 10 teams and an influx of new partnerships including Kia, Logitech, Red Bull, and Foot Locker.

Needham is an accomplished senior-level executive with a demonstrated history of results. He has developed high-performing teams, departments, and studios through his ability to communicate, motivate, and align teams from across different regions and cultures.

Prior to Riot, John served as Partner, Microsoft where he worked on Hololens experiences, 3DCreation, Microsoft Casual Games, and Age of Empires. He previously served as Microsoft’s Studio Head of Lionhead where he transitioned Lionhead from a traditional console developer to a games-as-a-service studio. In that role, he also launched Fable Anniversary, Warface, and Quantum Break. John also has held leadership positions at Cryptic Studios, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Telemundo, Gazillion Entertainment, and Sony Online Entertainment.

 

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Gaming Corps launches with PowerPlay in Ontario ahead of Alberta iGaming debut

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Deal puts the Swedish supplier live in Ontario and lines up a day-one rollout with PowerPlay when Alberta’s regulated market opens in July.

Gaming Corps has gone live with Canadian online sportsbook and casino operator PowerPlay in Ontario, expanding its distribution in Canada through an operator registered with iGaming Ontario and regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

The agreement also positions Gaming Corps to launch with PowerPlay in Alberta “from day one” when the province opens its newly regulated online gaming market in July, according to the companies. The partnership further extends Gaming Corps’ content across all PowerPlay.com markets.

PowerPlay’s rollout includes several Gaming Corps titles from its 3 Pigs franchise, including 3 Pigs of Olympus and 4 Gym Pigs: Porky Power. Football-themed releases Penalty Champion: Goals to Glory, Goals to Glory Football Fever and Goals to Glory Instant Blitz are also part of the initial content drop.

Graham Greensmith, Chief Commercial Officer at Gaming Corps, said “Canada is becoming an increasingly important market for Gaming Corps, and this launch puts us in a strong position at exactly the right time. Ontario has already shown what a well-structured regulated market can deliver, and Alberta now represents a significant next step.

“PowerPlay has a clear local brand presence and operates across both sportsbook and casino in a way that fits closely with where we see the market heading. This is a launch that gives us an immediate foothold in Ontario, a clear path into Alberta, and a strong foundation for further growth across wider PowerPlay.com markets.”

Lauren Holder, Head of Casino at PowerPlay said: “PowerPlay has grown by focusing on what Canadian players value: choice, trust and an entertainment experience that feels grounded in this market. Gaming Corps fits well within that approach. Its games bring a distinctive tone and pace to our casino, while also giving us content that can work around key sporting moments and new regulated market opportunities. As we continue to develop our casino proposition, we look forward to working with Gaming Corps and bringing its content to players across all PowerPlay.com markets.”

 

The post Gaming Corps launches with PowerPlay in Ontario ahead of Alberta iGaming debut appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Gaming Corps goes live with PowerPlay in Ontario ahead of Alberta market opening

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Gaming Corps – a publicly-listed game development company based in Sweden, has gone live with Canadian online sportsbook and casino operator PowerPlay.

The agreement brings Gaming Corps into Ontario through one of Canada’s established online betting and casino brands, while also positioning the studio to go live with PowerPlay from day one in Alberta when the province opens its newly regulated online gaming market in July.

The partnership also extends Gaming Corps’ content across all PowerPlay.com markets, creating a broader route to players through an operator with a distinctly Canadian identity.

PowerPlay, which launched in 2018, combines sports betting across more than 40 categories with a casino offering more than 1,200 games, alongside a 24/7 live casino experience. The operator is registered with iGaming Ontario and regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

At launch, PowerPlay will introduce players to several of Gaming Corps’ most recognisable content strands, led by the 3 Pigs franchise, including the popular 3 Pigs of Olympus and latest instalment, 4 Gym Pigs: Porky Power.

The roll-out also lands as international football prepares to dominate the summer calendar, with Penalty Champion: Goals to Glory, Goals to Glory Football Fever and Goals to Glory Instant Blitz bringing three distinct football-led releases to PowerPlay’s casino catalogue.

Adding a different tempo to the launch is Banknote Blitz, a fast-paced instant win inspired slot where shifting Win Frames, prize collection mechanics and multipliers can unlock full banknote rewards and wins of up to 5,000x.

Graham Greensmith, Chief Commercial Officer at Gaming Corps, said “Canada is becoming an increasingly important market for Gaming Corps, and this launch puts us in a strong position at exactly the right time. Ontario has already shown what a well-structured regulated market can deliver, and Alberta now represents a significant next step.

“PowerPlay has a clear local brand presence and operates across both sportsbook and casino in a way that fits closely with where we see the market heading. This is a launch that gives us an immediate foothold in Ontario, a clear path into Alberta, and a strong foundation for further growth across wider PowerPlay.com markets.”

Lauren Holder, Head of Casino at PowerPlay said: “PowerPlay has grown by focusing on what Canadian players value: choice, trust and an entertainment experience that feels grounded in this market. Gaming Corps fits well within that approach. Its games bring a distinctive tone and pace to our casino, while also giving us content that can work around key sporting moments and new regulated market opportunities. As we continue to develop our casino proposition, we look forward to working with Gaming Corps and bringing its content to players across all PowerPlay.com markets.”

The post Gaming Corps goes live with PowerPlay in Ontario ahead of Alberta market opening appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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N1 Partners x RAZE Case: ROI+ in Canada within 3 Days

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Gambling traffic in Tier-1 markets rarely forgives mistakes. Especially when it comes to Facebook, where CPM costs are high, auction volatility is significant, and testing is expensive.

This was exactly the challenge the RAZE team faced when entering the Canadian market together with N1 Partners in spring 2026. The goal of the campaign was not just volume — the team needed to find a setup capable of maintaining FTD quality, preserving ROI, and scaling in one of the most expensive iGaming GEOs on the market.

In this case study, N1 Partners and RAZE will explain:

  • why only 2 out of 10 tested slots remained profitable;
  • how the acquisition strategy for Tier-1 Facebook was built;
  • how the N1 Partners funnel influenced conversion rates;
  • and what helped maintain ROI during scaling.

Initial Data

GEO: Canada

Vertical: Gambling (iGaming)

Traffic type: Facebook (PWA) 

Campaign period: April, 20 – May, 8 

Goal: FTD + ROI

Volume (FTD): ~300 deposits

N1 Partners brands: N1 Bet, RollXO, Slot Lounge, Slot Mafia, Lucky Hunter, Retro Bet и Goldex Casino

N1 Partners comment: At the start, we decided not to limit ourselves to a single brand and tested seven brands simultaneously to identify combinations with the highest conversion rates and profitability for the RAZE team’s approach. This allowed us to collect a larger data sample and thoroughly analyse traffic behaviour across our brands.

The main challenge remained traffic quality. In Tier-1 GEOs, generating deposits alone is not enough — it is crucial to understand how traffic performs over time and how players behave after making their first deposit.

Additionally, RAZE had limited historical data on running N1 offers in Canada, which created uncertainty regarding which approach, slot, and “creative + funnel” combination would deliver the best projected ROI.

Why Canada?

Canada was chosen as one of the most stable Tier-1 GEOs for the gambling vertical due to its highly solvent audience, large Facebook traffic volume, and consistent demand within the niche.

Another factor was the state of the Facebook auction. During the campaign period, competition in Canada was lower than in several other English-speaking GEOs, allowing for more comfortable CPMs and faster scaling of successful setups.

However, along with volume came the primary Tier-1 challenge — the high cost of mistakes. As a result, the team deliberately avoided a single-offer strategy and opted for broad testing instead.

RAZE Strategy

Facebook PWA is the core traffic source and key media-buying specialization for the RAZE team.

To begin, the team requested a list of top-performing slots for Canada from N1 Partners and analyzed them using spy tools: which approaches were already active in the auction, what mechanics competitors were using, and which creatives were generating the highest CTR.

N1 Partners comment: Along with a list of top-performing slots, the RAZE team received recommendations regarding Canadian audience specifics, target metrics, and minimum data thresholds required to evaluate traffic quality from N1 Partners. This enabled RAZE to build tests based on advertiser-focused metrics rather than operating blindly.

A custom funnel featuring N1 Partners bonuses was also created.

At the same time, three optimisation models were launched:

  • Auto Bid
  • Min CPA Cap (when triggered, budgets were aggressively scaled up to ~$10,000+ for optimal delivery)
  • Max Bid

The primary goal was to quickly determine which model provided the best buying control and allowed Facebook’s algorithm to learn most effectively under expensive Tier-1 traffic conditions.

N1 Partners’ involvement extended beyond simply providing offers and slots.

N1 Partners comment: In addition to recommendations regarding top slots and audience specifics, it was important for us to evaluate how partner traffic interacted with different brands. Therefore, from the very beginning, we established profitability benchmarks and KPIs that became our key reference points after the first tests.

One of the main characteristics of Tier-1 Facebook traffic was its inconsistency even within high-quality traffic segments. Because of this, campaigns could not be evaluated too early — the algorithm needed sufficient time to accumulate data.

This later became one of the key factors behind the campaign’s success.

RAZE Strategy Analysis

At launch, the RAZE team tested 10 slots from N1 Partners. The slots were analyzed through spy tools to determine which creatives were running and which approaches were currently trending.

After evaluating the feasibility of each approach, the team selected 2 slots and developed custom creatives based on identified patterns.

However, initial tests revealed that most hypotheses were not economically viable.

Only two slots from the N1 Bet brand remained profitable:

  • Gates of Olympus 1000
  • Coin Volcano

 

Examples of Coin Volcano creatives that were used

Approaches That Worked and Why

The Coin Volcano funnel delivered the best results in terms of the traffic-to-FTD conversion path.

N1 Partners comment: From the N1 product side, this performance was further supported by the funnel structure itself: users were sequentially presented with a welcome bonus, available payment methods, and the most popular games for their region.

On the N1 Partners side, the team evaluated not only the final number of deposits but also the efficiency of the entire funnel. Average campaign performance reached 39.83% for Click-to-Registration (Click2Reg) and 37.99% for Registration-to-Deposit (Reg2Dep). This made it possible to identify specific buyer–creative–product combinations with strong potential for further scaling.

As a result, users understood the offer faster and the overall setup became more cohesive. This is especially important in Tier-1 GEOs, where the cost of mistakes at every stage is significantly higher.

      

PWA and landing page design featuring the advertiser’s bonus offer

N1 Partners comment: One of the key success factors was a properly structured funnel. The landing page focused exclusively on essential information and guided users through a clear post-registration flow: a welcome bonus as the primary hook, payment methods, top regional games, and continued interaction with the product.

Additionally, the N1 Partners team continuously monitored page loading speed and technical landing page performance to minimise traffic losses before registration.

Creatives and Approaches

During testing, the team experimented with several approaches:

  • video creatives
  • reaction-style scenarios
  • offline casino aesthetics
  • classic static ads

However, nearly all complex approaches underperformed compared to simple static creatives.

The best-performing setups were the most straightforward combinations: slot + bonus + winnings + clear CTA.

Static creatives offered lower installation costs, enabling faster offer changes, slot rotation, and testing of new angles without rebuilding production assets from scratch. As a result, most of the budget was ultimately shifted toward static creatives.

Scaling and Optimization

Initially, the team tested three acquisition models simultaneously: Auto Bid, Min CPA Cap, and Max Bid. The primary focus was not only deposit cost but also FTD quality, which meant decisions were made only after collecting sufficient data.

Working Approaches

    • Min CPA Cap + aggressive scaling.
      Once a stable CPA was achieved, budgets were increased aggressively, reaching approximately $10K in some cases. This allowed the team to capture volume while maintaining ROI.
  • GEO segmentation.
    English-speaking provinces with lower CPMs delivered the strongest performance.
  • Time-based optimisation.
    Most conversions occurred during evenings and weekends, so budgets were allocated more aggressively during those periods.
  • Delayed campaign evaluation.
    Traffic quality improved after 30-40 deposits, so campaigns were not shut down prematurely. N1 Partners analytics played a major role here.
    The product team analysed performance by individual buyers and setups, allowing them to assess traffic quality more deeply than standard CPA or initial deposit metrics and provide timely recommendations regarding scaling or stopping campaigns.
N1 Partners comment: Across numerous tests, we observed that campaigns generating 40+ FDs were significantly more likely to deliver stable profitability. Prematurely stopping campaigns with limited volume often resulted in shutting down potentially strong setups before the algorithm had fully learned.

At the same time, aggressive scaling only worked for proven setups. Increasing budgets too early caused CPM and CPA to rise faster than the volume of quality deposits.

N1 Partners comment: Before launch, we established the following profitability benchmarks:

  • Week 1 → >30% DepSum/Payout
  • Week 2 → >45%
  • Week 3 → >50–55%
  • Week 4 → >65–70%

Average deposit count: from 2.2.

Players with only one deposit: no more than 70%.

This enabled us, as the advertiser, to receive traffic of the required quality while allowing the partner to maintain profitability during scaling.

Where Profit Was Lost

  • Only 2 out of 10 tested slots remained profitable, meaning part of the budget was spent on ineffective tests.
  • Video and reaction-based approaches lost to simple static creatives featuring slots and bonuses.
  • Premature scaling of weak ad sets increased CPM and CPA without improving FTD quality.
  • Some campaigns were stopped before Facebook had enough time to complete its learning phase.

Campaign Results

Over 18 days, the team achieved:

  • FTD Volume: ~300 deposits
  • Traffic: 2,659 installs
  • CTR: 0.9–1%
  • CPC: $2.5–4
  • CPA: $140–156
  • Best Optimization Model: Min CPA Cap + aggressive budget scaling

Positive ROI was achieved as early as the third day of traffic acquisition.

After the first 30 deposits, the team stabilized at approximately 30 daily FTDs and, on some days, reached up to 50 deposits despite account bans and market turbulence.


Ad Account #1


Ad Account #2

Day 1 of Ad Campaign

Day 3 of Ad Campaign

One of the key success factors from the N1 Partners side was the continuous feedback exchange between the media-buying and product teams.

N1 Partners comment: Simply acquiring players is not enough. For long-term cooperation, traffic profitability must work for both the advertiser and the buying team. Regular feedback and in-depth traffic analysis by buyer and setup enabled us to quickly determine which campaigns truly deserved scaling.

Case Takeaways

The RAZE × N1 Partners case once again proved that in Tier-1 markets, finding a strong creative or a winning slot alone is no longer enough.

Success comes only when several factors work together:

  • strong Facebook media buying;
  • deep traffic quality analytics;
  • an effective product funnel;
  • continuous data exchange between partner and advertiser;
  • scaling only validated setups.
N1 Partners comment: Even before launch, both teams established unified traffic quality criteria and scaling benchmarks. This approach accelerated decision-making, eliminated subjective evaluations, and helped focus on setups that were profitable for both parties.

FAQ: RAZE x N1 Partners Case Study

1. What was the main insight of the campaign?

The main insight was that in Tier-1 GEOs, you cannot rely solely on creatives or bidding. Canadian traffic is expensive, and if your funnel fails to meet user expectations, you start losing money.

We succeeded through a comprehensive approach: we took top-performing slots from the advertiser, validated them using spy tools, filtered out weak hypotheses through testing, built a custom funnel around a specific slot, and only then began scaling.

Ultimately, we realised that the right funnel can be just as important as the creative itself. It directly impacts FTD quality and overall profitability. “— Artem Mayskiy, Team Lead at Media Buying, RAZE.

2. What surprised you during launch?

What surprised us was how traffic quality improved with scale. Initial deposits do not always provide an objective picture: campaigns may appear unstable, CPA fluctuates, and at that point the temptation to stop everything is very strong.

However, traffic quality turned out to be better than expected. After 30-40 deposits, it became clear that the algorithm was finding the right audience much more effectively. That was a very important signal for us.” — Artem Mayskiy, Team Lead at Media Buying, RAZE.

3. What is scalable from this campaign and what is not?

From the advertiser’s perspective, it is crucial to monitor profitability benchmarks and quickly disable underperforming traffic. Before launch, we agreed with our partner on minimum acceptable traffic thresholds and adhered to them.

The percentage of players making only a single deposit (without repeats) could not exceed 70%. By strictly following these metrics during testing, we received traffic of the quality we required as an advertiser, while the partner maintained profitability.” — Alexey Gusarov, Team Lead of Affiliates, N1 Partners.

4. One piece of advice for affiliates and the market.

Don’t stop campaigns too early. Keep driving installs and determine your acceptable deposit and install costs. This allows you to evaluate any funnel objectively and make informed decisions rather than guessing. It’s also important not to spread yourself too thin.

We tested 10 slots, but only 2 remained in active use. Growth started when we stopped distributing budget across numerous hypotheses and focused on setups that had already demonstrated proven audience interest.

It’s better to fully optimise one working funnel than to superficially test ten.” — Artem Mayskiy, Team Lead at Media Buying, RAZE.

It’s important not only to monitor your own metrics as an advertiser but also to understand your partner’s needs.

Everyone talks about win-win relationships between advertisers and media-buying teams, but in practice, this only works when both sides genuinely understand each other’s objectives and make decisions based on overall traffic economics rather than isolated metrics.

This approach is exactly what allowed the team to become profitable by the third day and maintain stable volume in one of the market’s most expensive GEOs.”Alexey Gusarov, Team Lead of Affiliates, N1 Partners.

Subscribe to the RAZE team on Telegram, where they share fresh case studies, campaign results, proven setups, and scaling insights based on real-world experience rather than theory.

Work with N1 Partners and scale gambling traffic alongside a team that helps build long-term profitable setups:

  • 14+ casino and sportsbook brands with strong Reg2Dep performance
  • 10+ Tier-1 GEOs
  • CPA up to €700 and RevShare up to 55% + NNCO for top partners

Be Number One with N1!

The post N1 Partners x RAZE Case: ROI+ in Canada within 3 Days appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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