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Vanta Announces $2.5MM Oversubscribed Seed Round to Create a Safer, More Development Focused Scholastic Esports Environment

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Vanta, the premiere K-12 esports organization in the US, raised over $2.5 million in an oversubscribed funding round, bringing their total amount raised to over $3.3 million. The funds will be used to expand access to Vanta’s free K-12 leagues in the US, further develop their COPPA compliant esports platform, and expand their esports coaching offerings.

Led by Scout Ventures, the seed round saw participation from J Ventures, Veteran Ventures Capital, and Trajectory Capital, with additional contributions from Blue Ventures, GTM Fund, Paul Lasiuk, the Hart Family, the Rifkin Family, and several angels.

Vanta launched in 2020 with four co-founders; Patrick Cronin, James Roche, Zack Fabi, and Ed Lallier. The founders set out to eliminate the rampant cyberbullying problem in gaming. They identified this issue as a symptom of larger systemic issues in the gaming space. Since then, Vanta has evolved its offerings to providing scholastic esports teams with the infrastructure and tools they need to start, grow, and develop their programs into successful and transformational experiences for K-12 esports student-athletes. Vanta’s business took off in 2022 after launching free-to-compete leagues, securing several deals with state and national associations, including becoming the official esports sponsor of the University Interscholastic League of Texas (UIL), as well as partnerships with the Georgia Association of Private and Parochial Schools (GAPPS), Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and the Association of Middle Level Educators (AMLE), among others.

Vanta continues to set itself apart from other organizations in the way it has built its business, products, and customer base through its principles-first, mission based approach.

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“We see gaming and esports as one of the main digital battlegrounds for youth mental health, cyberbullying, and behavior normalization in kids. As an industry and as a society, we have reached an important crossroads; either esports will become the largest contributor to these problems if current industry practices continue, or we can get the esports train back on track and turn it into one of the most important and powerful tools for positive social-emotional development in kids,” says Patrick Cronin, CEO and co-founder of Vanta, “The reality is, venture backed companies have made a bad name for themselves in this space, and we are here to show schools that it’s not the source of your funding that matters, but rather, the presence of a greater purpose beyond profit.”

Vanta offers one of the safest platforms in the market that allows schools to compete in free leagues and access coaching services from their scores of professionally trained esports coaches.

Coaching services offered include team-based coaching and a new private coaching offering for one-on-one sessions.

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Canada

Playson signs agreement with Light & Wonder in global distribution deal

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The award-winning game studio will deliver titles to players in the UK, Canada and Latin America

Playson, the accomplished digital entertainment supplier, has forged a major global content deal with Light & Wonder to significantly enhance the reach of its extensive games portfolio.

This landmark agreement will enable Light & Wonder’s expansive operator network across the UK, Canada, and Latin America to gain access to Playson’s engaging offering.

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UK-based operator Dazzletag Entertainment Ltd was the first to go live with the studio’s creative releases last month, with SUPERCHARGED CLOVERS: HOLD AND WIN and 3 POTS RICHES: HOLD AND WIN launched across its online casino brands.

Light & Wonder’s content marketplace is utilised by some of the biggest operator brands from across the globe, providing them with access to more than 3,500 games from a host of third-party studios to allow them to build personalised, mobile-ready player experiences and stay ahead of regulatory changes.

The partnership signifies the strength of Playson’s reputation as a respected and highly sought-after provider to operators globally, as the rising demand for its games looks set to take the studio to new heights for 2025.

Blanka Homor, Sales Director at Playson, said: “Our deal with Light & Wonder is a major milestone in our strategic roadmap, as we embark on the next chapter of our global growth. This agreement expands our reach and allows us to deliver our appealing titles to new operators and players.

“The launch of our titles across Dazzletag’s two brands is a great start, and we are confident this relationship will further elevate our presence in the ever-evolving online casino space.”

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Steve Mayes, Senior Director of Partnerships at Light & Wonder, said: “We are delighted to be working with such a highly respected digital entertainment provider and deliver their portfolio to our network. This strengthens our commitment to offering operators the best game releases available.

“We look forward to other successful launches in 2025, as we continue to support our operators with diverse content.”

The post Playson signs agreement with Light & Wonder in global distribution deal appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Canada

NorthStar Gaming Announces $43.4 Million Long-Term Debt Financing

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NorthStar Gaming Holdings Inc. announced that the company has, subject to final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, entered into a credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) in respect of a senior secured first lien term loan facility providing for loans in an aggregate principal amount of up to $43.4 million CAD (being the approximate equivalent of $30,000,000 USD) (the “Credit Facility”) to be made available by Beach Point Capital Management LP (“Beach Point”). Playtech plc (“Playtech”) and certain Playtech subsidiaries have agreed to provide credit support for certain obligations under the Credit Facility. The Credit Facility represents a significant milestone for NorthStar, strengthening its balance sheet and enabling the Company to continue to accelerate its growth initiatives.

“This is a pivotal moment for NorthStar, marking the largest financing in our history. This Credit Facility strengthens our balance sheet and directly supports our ability to scale operations and drive the business towards profitability with a single-minded focus. We are grateful to Beach Point Capital Management for their trust in our strategy and vision. We are also thankful for Playtech’s steadfast partnership which was instrumental in securing this funding, reinforcing their value both strategically and as a technology provider,” said Michael Moskowitz, Chair and CEO of NorthStar.

“Beach Point has deep experience investing across the gaming sector and is excited to partner with NorthStar to support their strategic initiatives. The online gaming sector has been growing rapidly, and this investment reflects our confidence in the Company’s leadership, market potential, and ability to deliver long-term sustainable growth. Likewise, we value the partnership with Playtech, who are contributing their leading technology, global reach, and strategic vision towards NorthStar’s continued success,” said Gabriel Fineberg, Managing Director at Beach Point.

The purpose of the Credit Facility is to support NorthStar’s continued growth by significantly strengthening the Company’s balance sheet. The Company will use the proceeds of loans made pursuant to the Credit Facility: (i) to repay the aggregate $9.5 million CAD principal amount (plus accrued interest) loaned to the Company by Playtech pursuant to unsecured, interest-bearing promissory notes dated April 25, 2024, September 13, 2024 and December 16, 2024; (ii) to fund an interest reserve account in respect of the Credit Facility in an amount equal to $7,000,000 CAD; (iii) for working capital and general corporate purposes; and (iv) to pay transaction costs in connection with the Credit Facility.

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The post NorthStar Gaming Announces $43.4 Million Long-Term Debt Financing appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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Blanka Homor Sales Director at Playson

Playson strengthens Canadian footprint with Titanplay partnership

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Playson, the established digital entertainment supplier, has secured its latest partnership in Canada after launching its games portfolio with rising iGaming operator Titanplay.

After obtaining its Ontario licence and going live in June earlier last year, Titanplay has made impressive strides in a short space of time with its online casino offering resonating with players across the province.

The agreement sees Playson support Titanplay’s ongoing expansion across Ontario with the supplier’s industry-renowned Hold and Win portfolio now available on the operator’s website, integrated via Relax Gaming’s aggregation platform.

Titles including Coin Strike: Hold and Win, Diamonds Power: Hold and Win and Pink Joker: Hold and Win will enable players to enjoy a feature-led, captivating gameplay experience and expand Titanplay’s rapidly expanding portfolio.

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Playson’s latest tie-up underlines its intent of further establishing its brand within Ontario after successfully entering the Canadian province back in 2022. The provider’s industry-renowned portfolio continues to drive long-term value for operators worldwide.

Blanka Homor, Sales Director at Playson, said: “We are proud of the footprint we have established in Ontario with local players truly appreciating the Playson experience. Partnering with an exciting name in the region like Titanplay allows us to accelerate our progress and bring our premium offering to an increased pool of players.

“We look forward to gauging the response from Titanplay enthusiasts and watching this partnership grow from strength to strength.”

Titanplay management commented: “At Titanplay, we pride ourselves with working with industry-renowned names and partnering with Playson seamlessly fits into our plans of becoming a household name in Ontario and across Canada.

“Our portfolio will undoubtedly be elevated by Playson’s Hold and Win collection, offering players a dynamic offering of feature-filled, graphically advanced titles.”

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The post Playson strengthens Canadian footprint with Titanplay partnership appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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