Canada
THE ESPORTS AWARDS UNVEIL FIRST WAVE OF FINALISTS

The Esports Awards, the most prestigious night in the esports calendar, is excited to present the first set of finalists for this year’s event which will be hosted at Resorts World Las Vegas on December 13th. After a huge wave of nominations, League of Legends, Dr Disrespect, and FaZe Clan are among the names who have been shortlisted in the entertainment categories.
The finalists were announced by Daniel ‘dGon’ Gonzales, Jonathan ‘Reinforce’ Larsson and Garrett “Shady” Smith Jr as part of the Esports Awards’ second Spotlight Show of the year. The show took place at the Verizon 5G labs in Los Angeles, California. The ground-breaking facility features technologies such as the “Augmented Live Stream” which allows you to embed digital elements into a live stream in real-time such as becoming a digital avatar with the character’s animation mimicking the user’s facial expression.
The Spotlight Show also played host to an interview with Mark Chang, Head of Gaming & Esports Strategy and Sponsorships at Verizon who discussed Verizon’s support of the mobile esports scene, and 5 Mobile Moments brought to you by Verizon 5G Ultra-Wideband which compiles the most significant moments from the previous month in mobile esports.
The full list of entertainment awards finalists are:
Content Group of the Year
- 100 Thieves
- FaZe Clan
- LOUD
- One True King
- G4TV
- Tribo Gaules
- OfflineTV
- Full Squad Gaming
- Team Summertime
- S8ul Esports
Esports Content Creator of the Year
- HECZ
- SunlessKhan
- Ashley Kang
- ZooMaa
- ImperialHal
- BananaSlamJamma
- Hungrybox
- Launders
- IWDominate
Esports Content Series of the Year
- The Story Of… (theScore esports)
- The Process
- T1 THE LOCKER ROOM
- G2 Voicecomms
- The Eavesdrop Podcast
- Backstory
- Road to The International
- Players
Esports Game of the Year
- League of Legends
- VALORANT
- CS:GO
- Rocket League
- Dota 2
- Free Fire
- Apex Legends
- Rainbow Six Siege
- Fortnite
Esports Mobile Game of the Year Presented by Verizon
- PUBG MOBILE
- League of Legends: Wild Rift
- Free Fire
- Pokémon Unite
- Arena of Valor
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
- Call of Duty: Mobile
- Brawl Stars
Esports Personality of the Year
- s1mple
- Sjokz
- ocelote
- Gaules
- Mortal
- Faker
- Nadeshot
- Goldenboy
- HECZ
- Cherrygumms
- MoistCr1TiKaL
- Nobru
Streamer of the Year
- Ibai
- Gaules
- Valkyrae
- Asmongold
- tarik
- Kameto
- loltyler1
- TimTheTatman
- Dr Disrespect
- QTCinderella
- TheGrefg
- NICKMERCS
After a successful partnership in 2021, the Esports Awards is pleased to welcome back The Truman Factory as an Official Partner for 2022. The Truman Factory will once again be gifting their incredible candy through the campaign and at the main ceremony in December.
“We really excited to unveil the first set of finalists for this year’s awards which is set to be our most prestigious event to date. It’s such an honour to be able to provide a platform for the hardworking individuals, brands and companies in esports to get the recognition that they deserve. We look forward to hosting all our finalists in Las Vegas in December for the ultimate celebration,” said Michael Ashford, CEO, Esports Awards
The Esports Awards 2022 campaign key dates:
- 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: The Go Home Show
- December 13: Esports Awards 2022
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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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