Canada
ESPORTS AWARDS TO BE HOSTED AT RESORTS WORLD LAS VEGAS ON DECEMBER 13

The Esports Awards, the most prestigious night in the esports calendar, is excited to kick off its 2022 campaign by announcing its new home at Resorts World Las Vegas. After three incredible years in London and a move to the United States in 2019 to Arlington, Texas, the Esports Awards is levelling up with a new location, a new date and a fresh look for 2022.
The Esports Awards will take place on Tuesday, December 13 with a lavish ceremony at the Resorts World Theatre, a 5,000-capacity world-class entertainment venue. The awards will also be opening their doors to general admission with tickets available now starting from $50 plus fees from esportsawards.com/tickets/.
After an incredible turnout in 2021, which even included an appearance from golf legend Bryson DeChambeau, the Esports Awards Open in partnership with Golf + Gaming Club (GGC) will return for 2022, providing attendees with the perfect opportunity to show off their golf skills. From December 11 – 13, the Esports Awards will also be holding several other events including its Lifetime Achievement Ceremony and Leadership Summit which gives brands, organisations and industry thought-leaders the opportunity to debate and network.
For 2022, the Esports Awards will be making some adjustments to the groupings of its award categories with the new groups being: Entertainment, Industry, Creative, Pro, On-air Talent and Collegiate. Entertainment has taken over the community awards encompassing the original selection of awards with the addition of “Esports Content Series of the Year,” “Esports Game of the Year” and a new award titled, “Esports Content Group of the Year.”
Elsewhere, Esports Apparel of the Year has moved to the Creative Awards group and will be voted on by the creative panel, and Esports Analyst of the Year has been renamed Esports Desk Analyst of the Year.
The Esports Awards is pleased to welcome back Secretlab and Verizon as sponsors for the 2022 campaign. Verizon is returning for its third year and will once again be sponsoring the “Esports Mobile Player of the Year” and “Esports Mobile Game of the Year” awards. Using their 5G Ultra-Wideband technology, Verizon and Esports Awards work together to bring gamers next-level experiences. Presenting the “Esports Team of the Year” award, Secretlab will also be bringing some really exciting activations to the awards.
The Esports Awards 2022 campaign starts now, with nominations now open. Key dates include:
- May 19: Nominations open
- June 30: Finalists for the Entertainment Categories
- July 28: Finalists for the Industry Categories
- August 25: Finalists for the Creative & Collegiate Categories
- September 29: Lifetime Achievement in Esports Class of 2022 reveal
- October 27: Finalists for Pro & On-air Categories
- TBC: Go Home Show
- December 13: Esports Awards 2022
Michael Ashford, the CEO of Esports Awards, commented: “We could not be more excited to start building a legacy with Resorts World Las Vegas. We recognize the awards are a deserved end of year celebration and want to build something that caters to delivering a best-in-class experience. Resorts World Las Vegas as a venue has been very forward-thinking in attracting top-tier events and to see the support for esports is hugely encouraging. A huge shout out to Destination Esports, Resorts World Las Vegas and Hilton Hotels for making it happen.”
“We’re thrilled to welcome the Esports Awards to Las Vegas,” said Lisa Motley, Senior Director Of Sports And Special Events For The Las Vegas Convention And Visitors Authority. “Attendees will enjoy the many “Only Vegas” experiences that make Las Vegas the greatest arena on earth, from world class entertainment to unrivaled dining, sports and attractions.”
Last year’s Esports Awards saw a return to a live ceremony after 735 days at the Esports Awards Stadium in Arlington Texas. A milestone and star-studded event, the awards hosted some of the biggest faces from esports and beyond with the likes of Riot Games, 100 Thieves and Discord all picking up awards. The 2021 Esports Awards campaign also saw over 20 million total viewership, 1 million hours watched and 10 million votes cast.
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Canada
absolutebet Secures AGCO Registration as an Internet Gaming Operator in Ontario

Internet Gaming Operator by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).
This significant milestone authorizes absolutebet to offer regulated iGaming services in Ontario’s legal market under the oversight of AGCO and iGaming Ontario (iGO).
The registration marks a key step in absolutebet’s mission to bring a trusted, responsible, and innovative online casino experience to Ontario players. absolutebet is committed to operating with integrity and transparency, meeting all provincial standards for player protection, responsible gambling, anti-money laundering, and game integrity.
“Securing AGCO registration is more than a milestone—it’s the start of absolutebet’s journey in one of the most exciting regulated markets in the world,” said Chen Truman, Founder of absolutebet. “We are building a brand that will grow with the Ontario community and set the stage for future expansion.”
On the regulatory milestone, Krisztina Kalla, Legal & Regulatory Compliance Advisor of absolutebet, commented: “I’m incredibly proud to see all the hard work behind this license pay off. Securing AGCO registration has taken months of preparation and close collaboration with regulators and partners. I am very happy to see the result of that work, and even more excited as we move into the launch phase and open up the absolutebet community to Ontario players in a fun and responsible way.”
Ontario is recognized as one of the most competitive and fast-growing regulated iGaming markets in North America. With AGCO registration secured, absolutebet will move forward with the final stages of its iGO onboarding process in preparation for launch.
The post absolutebet Secures AGCO Registration as an Internet Gaming Operator in Ontario appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Alex Malchenko Head of Sales at Evoplay
Evoplay strengthens Ontario presence in partnership with Caesars Entertainment

Evoplay, the award-winning game development studio, has partnered with Caesars Entertainment to expand its footprint in the Canadian market, following its initial entry earlier this year. The partnership integrates 20 of the studio’s top-performing titles onto Caesars Palace Online Casino, Horseshoe Online Casino and Caesars Sportsbook & Casino in Ontario, including fan-favourites such as Hot Triple Sevens, Triple Chili, and The Greatest Catch Bonus Buy.
Having announced its official entrance into Ontario in March, the collaboration with Caesars marks a significant step in Evoplay’s local strategy. Further standout releases, such as Inner Fire Bonus Buy and Hot Volcano, also launched as part of the initial package, with additional player favourites, including Fruit Nova and Ice Mania.
The collaboration underlines Evoplay’s commitment to working with leading operators to deliver high-quality content tailored to regional audiences.
Alex Malchenko, Head of Sales at Evoplay, said: “Launching with Caesars in Ontario marks a key milestone in our North American strategy.
“It reflects both the strength of our portfolio and our commitment to providing innovative, high-performing content to operators of the highest caliber.”
Ricardo Cornejo Rivas, Vice President of Online Gaming at Caesars Digital, said: “Evoplay brings a fresh and dynamic approach to online gaming, which we’re excited to offer to our players in Ontario. This portfolio of standout titles adds to our growing content library and furthering our ongoing goal of delivering top-tier entertainment experiences to our players.”
The post Evoplay strengthens Ontario presence in partnership with Caesars Entertainment appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Canada
iGaming Ontario Appoints Joseph Hillier as its New President and CEO

The iGaming Ontario Board of Directors has announced Joseph Hillier as the organization’s new President and Chief Executive Officer, effective September 8, 2025. Joseph’s depth in the Ontario igaming market combined with successful public and private sector careers make him the ideal President and CEO at this critical point in iGaming Ontario’s growth.
Joseph was most recently Chief Strategy Officer and Corporate Secretary at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), where he delivered significant strategic and regulatory initiatives across the province’s alcohol, cannabis, gaming, and horse racing sectors. Prior to the AGCO, he served as Chief of Staff to Ontario Attorney General Hon. Doug Downey and led the development, launch and implementation of Canada’s first private sector-driven igaming market and the creation of iGaming Ontario. Joseph also spent more than a decade working in the financial and legal services sectors.
The Board expressed its sincere thanks to David Smith for serving as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer since Martha Otton’s retirement.
The post iGaming Ontario Appoints Joseph Hillier as its New President and CEO appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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