Canada
PLAYMAKER ACQUIRES VIDEO-FIRST MEDIA PLATFORM CRACKS, YOUTUBE’S LARGEST SPANISH-LANGUAGE SPORTS NEWS CHANNEL
Playmaker Capital Inc., the digital sports media company that delivers authentic content experiences through its portfolio of sports media and technology brands, announced today the acquisition of Mexico-based video-first sports platform, Cracks. Cracks is a soccer-centric collection of digital media assets that has a total audience across all channels in excess of 12.6 million subscribers worldwide, including the most followed Spanish-language sports news channels on YouTube (Cracks Global Edition, Cracks Mexico, Cracks Colombia, and Cracks Argentina).
Cracks Global, its flagship YouTube channel, has nearly 5.5 million subscribers and has attracted more than 2.7 billion lifetime views on YouTube. Based on January 7, 2022 data, Cracks Global generates an average of 502,000 views per video, which ranks 15th amongst the top-50 sports channels by subscribers on YouTube globally. Across the entire Cracks YouTube portfolio, including Cracks Global, Cracks Mexico, Cracks Colombia, and Cracks Argentina, there are over 7 million active subscribers.
Cracks, originally founded by Guadalajara-native Manuel Bravo, one of the most prominent YouTuber’s in Mexico and Latin America, also significantly increases Playmaker’s social media following across other key social channels. Cracks reaches 2.9 million followers on Facebook, 1.1 million followers on Instagram, 203,000 followers on Twitter, 818,000 followers on TikTok, and 46,000 followers on Twitch.
The acquisition of Cracks establishes video production and monetization as a new centre of excellence for Playmaker, complementing its existing robust in-house editorial expertise across its multiple web properties, social media channels, mobile apps, and fan pages. The acquisition will also provide additional opportunities for enhanced partnerships, including the creation of on-premise original content created during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar featuring Manuel Bravo as lead talent.
“Cracks’ story is one of passion, persistence and professionalism, led by “Manu” since the company’s inception. We are thrilled that he chose Playmaker to take Cracks to the next level,” commented Federico Grinberg, EVP of Playmaker and CEO of Futbol Sites, a Playmaker brand. “Cracks will give us access to a completely new revenue stream: original video creation and monetization through syndication on third-party platforms, mainly YouTube and Facebook. This acquisition will enrich our commercial offering by bringing an original product and adding the talented Cracks staff to our team, providing Playmaker the opportunity to offer much more powerful branded content solutions to our advertisers.”
“Cracks started as an amateur project that maintained a continuous upward growth trajectory despite its limitations,” commented Bravo. “Since the platform was created, our team’s job transitioned from creating high-quality and entertaining content to becoming leaders and a point of reference in the industry. Now that Playmaker is acquiring Cracks, we will not only continue to be leaders in our field but can also aspire to make a leap in quality across the board. Ultimately, we are confident our audience will benefit, as we continue to build the best possible version of Cracks.”
In line with one of Playmaker’s goals to be the definitive digital sports media destination for the Latin American and US Hispanic markets, Playmaker has now acquired four Latin American-based organizations since November, 2021, including Varsky Sports (Argentina), Grupo SuperPoker (Brazil), Futmarketing (Brazil), and Cracks (Mexico). These businesses will be operated by the Futbol Sites leadership team. Playmaker’s aspiration to be the premier source of sports content in Latin America and the U.S. Hispanic market mirrors its efforts in North America. In 2021, Playmaker acquired Yardbarker (USA) and The Nation Network (Canada).
TRANSACTION DETAILS
Pursuant to the terms of an asset purchase agreement, Playmaker acquired 100% of the digital assets, marks, and copyright of Cracks for aggregate consideration of up to US$1.7 million. The purchase price consideration consisted of (i) a cash payment of US$0.4 million on closing, and (ii) cash payments of up to a maximum of US$1.3 million payable to the seller upon Cracks achieving certain milestones and performance related targets over the 12-months following closing.
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Canada
CasinoCanada announces partnership with Slota Casino
CasinoCanada.com has entered into a partnership with Slota Casino aimed at increasing the platform’s visibility and directing traffic from non-regulated Canadian markets.
As part of the collaboration, CasinoCanada will prepare and publish informational materials describing Slota Casino’s features and game offerings.
The partnership includes ongoing content development, efforts to increase platform visibility and user acquisition activities across CasinoCanada’s media channels.
CasinoCanada is an online casino guide focused on the Canadian market, operated by SEOBROTHERS.
Eugene Ravdin, Head of PR at SEOBROTHERS, commented:
“We focus on delivering accurate information about the Slota Casino platform while maintaining consistent content updates and supporting steady traffic growth across our channels.”
Slota Casino was launched in 2024 by GBL Solutions N.V. under a Curacao licence.
Slota Casino is operated by the Slota Partners affiliate program.
The platform provides access to more than 12,000 online casino games from 130 providers, including Play’n GO, Endorphina and Games Global.
A representative of Slota Casino said:
“We’re genuinely excited about teaming up with CasinoCanada. This is a major step forward for us.
The Canadian market has enormous potential, and partnering with a portal as respected as CasinoCanada gives our brand the visibility and credibility it deserves in this region.”
The post CasinoCanada announces partnership with Slota Casino appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Canada
Digicode to showcase Diger Suite at SBC Summit Canada 2026
Digicode will showcase its Diger Suite at SBC Summit Canada, taking place in Toronto from May 19–21, 2026.
At the event, the company will highlight how its product suite addresses evolving technical and partnership demands in Canada’s regulated iGaming market.
As the market moves beyond initial entry and into a phase defined by performance, scalability, and compliance, operators are re-evaluating their technology foundations.
Digicode’s Diger Suite is built to support this shift, offering a modular architecture that enables faster adaptation to regulatory changes, improved system reliability, and more efficient operations.
Aligned with the summit’s 2026 theme, “Partnerships, Performance, and Market Reality,” Digicode will demonstrate how its technology supports sustainable growth.
The Diger Suite equips operators with tools to manage complex integrations, streamline localized payment processing, and ensure compliance with responsible gaming requirements.
Its AI-driven framework automates backend workflows while maintaining strict standards for security and uptime.
“The Canadian market has entered the phase of operational maturity where the focus is no longer on expansion alone but on improving efficiency and long-term profitability,” said Elkhan Shabanov, CEO of Digicode Americas.
Operators are looking for solutions that not only meet regulatory demands but also enable them to scale efficiently and maintain control over their platforms.”
During the summit, Digicode’s team will engage with industry stakeholders on topics including AI adoption in product development, modernization of legacy systems, and the transition away from traditional SaaS and revenue-share models toward full platform ownership.
The company aims to help operators regain control of their technology stack, reduce dependency on third-party vendors, and build scalable, compliant solutions tailored to their business needs.
About Digicode
Digicode is a full-cycle AI-enabled product development company that designs and delivers enterprise digital solutions for organizations in complex, regulated environments.
Digicode supports clients with enterprise systems, integrations, and long-term software development. The company operates internationally and prioritizes projects where ownership and technical responsibility remain with the client.
The post Digicode to showcase Diger Suite at SBC Summit Canada 2026 appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
AGLC
Internet Vikings Expands Canadian Footprint into Alberta
Internet Vikings, a licensed hosting provider for the North American iGaming and online sports betting industry, has announced that its hosting solutions are ready to launch in Alberta, Canada. Internet Vikings’ infrastructure and operational processes already align with the province’s expected requirements, meaning the company can help operators enter the Alberta market faster and with greater confidence.
The expansion comes following the release of updated hosting, infrastructure, and security requirements by the AGLC. As Alberta prepares to open its market, operators and suppliers are facing strict requirements around cybersecurity and disaster recovery.
Internet Vikings’ experience supporting regulated operators across North America positions the company to help businesses comply with these operational and regulatory requirements efficiently from day one.
Requirements include adherence to internationally recognized security standards such as SOC 2 and ISO 27001. In addition, operators are expected to maintain disaster recovery environments, encrypted immutable backups, and perform routine recovery testing to ensure business continuity.
“We are ready to provide the infrastructure and local expertise operators need to launch and scale successfully. We are already working with operators preparing for launch and understand the urgency involved in getting compliant infrastructure deployed quickly,” said Rickard Vikström, CEO and Founder of Internet Vikings.
Internet Vikings first established operations in Ontario in 2022 and is now expanding its Canadian footprint into Alberta with hosting solutions, including VMware cloud hosting, bare metal servers, bare metal GPU servers, disaster recovery, and backup solutions.
The post Internet Vikings Expands Canadian Footprint into Alberta appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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