Canada
THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP RETURNS TO THE OLD COURSE AT ST ANDREWS FOR THE 150TH EDITION
Rory McIlroy is installed as the favorite to win the final major of 2022 and the last
top field golf may see for the foreseeable future, according to TheLines.com
After top-10 finishes in the first three majors of 2022, Rory McIlroy has
claimed favorite status heading into the 150th U.S. Open, being played at the
birthplace of golf, the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland, according to TheLines,
which tracks odds in the U.S. regulated sports betting market.
A consensus of the nation’s largest legal online sportsbooks — including DraftKings,
FanDuel, and BetMGM — places McIlroy at +1000 to win the Open Championship
outright, meaning bettors would win $1,000 for every $100 wagered. Xander
Schauffele, who won last week at the Scottish Open and who is looking for that
elusive first major, is next on the favorites list at a consensus +1400. World No. 1-
ranked player Scottie Scheffler is part of a trio at +1600 to open the week along with
Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth. U.S. Open champion Matthew Fitzpatrick is next at
+1800 with PGA Champion Justin Thomas at +2000.
McIlroy, the 33-year-old Northern Irishman, is looking for his fifth career major title
and his first since 2014. His game is in strong form, with top-10 finishes in each major
this year and a win at the RBC Canadian Open last month.
This is the 29th time the Open has been contested at the Old Course. Past winners at
this course in the field this week includes John Daly, Zach Johnson, Louis Oosthuizen
and, of course, Tiger Woods, who won here in 2000 and 2005.
Woods skipped last month’s U.S. Open to give his body a chance to recuperate ahead
of the Open Championship. The aging superstar is 17 months removed from a car
accident that caused multiple leg injuries. He is listed at a consensus +6500 to open
the week.
The Old Course features wide fairways, a number of large double-greens and 14 par-4s
on the 7,305-yard out-and-back track. Firm conditions should lead to the course
playing much shorter than the listed yardage in calm conditions. But weather is the
great equalizer and winds and rains are possible later in the week.
“This is one of the strongest fields we’ve seen with 50 of the top 51 players set to tee
it up this week,” said Brett Collson, lead analyst at TheLines.com. “With a strong
field and a course that could be carved up by longer players if the weather stays
down, bettors will keep a sharp eye on how the forecast develops over the week.”
This may be the last top field professional golf will see for sometime. Players on the
LIV Golf, the Saudi Arabian-backed breakaway tour that has dominated headlines this
year can no longer accrue Official World Golf Ranking points outside of the major
tournaments. That makes it fair to consider that this might be the last major
championship that includes such a deep list of the best golfers in the world.
Consensus odds for the 10 favorites ahead of this year’s British Open, as of Monday,
June 11:
● Rory McIlroy (+1000)
● Xander Schauffele (+1400)
● Jon Rahm (+1600)
● Scottie Scheffler (+1600)
● Jordan Spieth (+1600)
● Matthew Fitzpatrick (+1800)
● Justin Thomas (+2000)
● Shane Lowry (+2200)
● Cameron Smith (+2600)
● Patrick Cantlay (+2200)
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Canada
IAGR announces Toronto as host city for 2025 conference
Hot on the heels of its most attended conference in history, the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) is excited to announce that its 2025 conference will take place in Toronto, Canada, from October 20 to 23, 2025.
The event will be held in partnership with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) at the Westin Harbour Castle, offering stunning waterfront views and a premier, downtown Toronto location.
‘Fresh off the success of our Rome conference, we’re thrilled to continue the momentum with next year’s event in Toronto,’ said Ben Haden, IAGR President.
‘The IAGR 2025 conference promises to be another unparalleled opportunity for our global community to come together, collaborate and shape the future of gaming regulation. We’re looking forward to working with AGCO to bring it all together.’
AGCO CEO and Registrar Dr. Karin Schnarr, added, ‘We’re excited to welcome IAGR and its members to Toronto. This partnership provides a great opportunity to share Ontario’s innovative regulatory practices and foster meaningful discussions that drive positive change in the industry.’
Stay tuned for registration details early next year.
Bombee Global Entertainment Ltd
ESE Entertainment Completes Acquisition of Gaming Production Company, Bombee Americas
ESE Entertainment Inc., a gaming company that provides a range of services to leading video game developers and publishers, has announced that it has acquired Bombee Global Entertainment Ltd. (Bombee Americas), the North American arm of Bombee Event Production AB, (Bombee), a global production company specialized in live production, special effects, broadcast, and event management for the gaming sector.
Bombee has successfully collaborated with ESE to bring its premier event production services and world class customer service to North America and beyond. The North American arm of Bombee, Bombee Americas, will continue to grow and scale in this new organizational structure under ESE, while maintaining its entire team and global support.
Konrad Wasiela, CEO of ESE, said: “Today marks the next stage of ESE—a 2.0 version of our company. With the acquisition of Bombee Americas, we are not only solidifying our presence in North America but also paving the way for growth and innovation in the gaming industry. This is a major step, positioning us to deliver even greater value to our partners and elevate the gaming experience for our clients globally. We’re thrilled about the opportunities ahead and the exceptional talent joining our team.”
Transaction Terms
The Acquisition was completed by way of a share purchase agreement (the SPA) among the Company, Bombee Americas, and the shareholders of Bombee Americas (the Vendors). Pursuant to the SPA, ESE acquired all of the outstanding shares of Bombee Americas in exchange for: (i) $750,000 in cash paid on closing, (ii) $375,000 in cash to be paid six (6) months following closing, subject to customary adjustments based on the working capital of Bombee Americas on closing, (iii) $375,000 in cash to be paid twelve (12) months following closing, and (iv) 30,000,000 common shares of ESE (the Consideration Shares), issued at a deemed issue price of $0.10 per share.
In connection with the Acquisition, the founders of Bombee Americas have signed three-year service agreements and will continue to run the business following the closing, along with the rest of the personnel of Bombee Americas who will remain in place, ensuring a smooth transition of operations. As part of the Acquisition, the Company has acquired the liabilities of Bombee Americas, mainly consisting of customary current obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business for Bombee Americas, which are not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s operations or financial position.
No finder’s fees were paid or payable in conjunction with the Acquisition.
The Acquisition was an arm’s length transaction within the meaning of the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the Exchange) and constituted an “Expedited Acquisition” in accordance with Exchange Policy 5.3 – Acquisitions and Dispositions of Non-Cash Assets. The Acquisition remains subject to the final approval of the Exchange.
Canada
Suspected Digital Fraud Coming from Canada Up Nearly 11% Since H1 2023, Reveals New TransUnion Analysis
In the first half (H1) of 2024, Canada saw a significant increase in suspected Digital Fraud attempts, with nearly 5.74% of all attempted digital transactions where the consumer was located in Canada involving suspected Digital Fraud, revealed a new TransUnion® (NYSE: TRU) analysis. This is nearly an 11% year-over-year (YoY) rate increase from H1 2023, and TransUnion also documented an 11% increase in the volume of suspected Digital Fraud from Canada during this period, despite a less than a one percent (0.7%) YoY increase in the volume of transactions.
According to a recent TransUnion survey,1 more than half (54%) of Canadians said they were recently targeted by email, phone call or text message fraud attempts. Phishing was the most common scheme type (45%), followed by smishing (42%) and vishing (39%).
The increasing use of digital transactions, combined with rising suspected Digital Fraud attempts are also impacting businesses as they potentially face revenue losses and increased operational costs due to fraud. According to a TransUnion business survey for the H2 2024 Update to the State of Omnichannel Fraud report, 200 Canadian business leaders said their companies lost approximately 6% of equivalent revenue – representing $78 billion – over the past year due to fraud. The most prominent causes of fraud loss cited by them were:
- Scam/Authorized fraud (31%): Dishonest scheme intended to trick a person into giving up something of value (e.g., account access, money, information)
- Account takeover (19%): Unauthorized individuals taking over someone’s online account (e.g., bank, social media, email) without their permission
- Synthetic identity fraud (18%): Use of a combination of personal information to fabricate a person or entity to commit a dishonest act for financial or personal gain
TransUnion also found that suspected Digital Fraud attempts – where the consumer was transacting in Canada and targeted businesses globally – increased on average by 10.5% YoY in H1 2024 compared to H1 2023 and impacted all industries.
Top Three Industries Globally with Highest Rate of Suspected Digital Fraud Attempts Coming from Canada in H1 2024
- Gambling (online sports betting, poker, etc.) – 9.6%
- Retail – 9.2%
- Government – 7.7%
Top Three Industries Globally with Highest YoY Increase (H1 2024 vs H1 2023) in the Rate of Suspected Digital Fraud Attempts Coming from Canada
- Logistics – 172.9%
- Gambling – 79.3%
- Video gaming – 67.8%
“Protecting customers and their businesses from fraud is essential to enabling safe and tailored consumer experiences. These findings reveal that despite the good-faith efforts that are being undertaken by companies to identify and prevent fraud to date, fraudsters continue to evolve and it’s vital that fraud prevention methods keep up with the changing times,” said Patrick Boudreau, head of identity management and fraud solutions at TransUnion Canada.
“Businesses that aren’t already doing so should ensure that they are taking advantage of fraud prevention technologies such as identity verification, IP intelligence, device reputation and synthetic identity detection as critical components of their fraud prevention programs,” he added.
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