Asia
NODWIN Gaming celebrates Chess at DreamHack, India’s largest digital festival
NODWIN Gaming, ChessBase India and comedian Samay Raina will be joining forces to further elevate the DreamHack experience for fans; a total prize pool of Rs.20 lakh on offer for the winners of this grand chess celebration
The Gaming X Chess fusion event will host a nail-biting death match on Nov 5 between two of India’s young grand masters Gukesh D and Arjun Erigaisi; for the first time ever, Comedians over the Board (COTB) will also go live at DreamHack
For fans awaiting NODWIN Gaming’s upcoming DreamHack event scheduled from November 4-6, there is an epic announcement as the party just got bigger! The much-anticipated three-day gaming event has in store a surprise for the audience with the celebration of all things ‘Chess’! In addition to an over-the-edge excitement of all the gaming fun at the event, the inclusion of chess in the largest digital festival is set to generate a palpable buzz.
In partnership with comedian Samay Raina and ChessBase India, NODWIN Gaming, the Gaming and esports arm of Nazara Technologies, has planned a chess celebration which includes an open tournament, a death-match between two leading grandmasters – Gukesh D and Arjun Erigaisi, Comedians over the Board (COTB), free chess workshops, along with some fun activities like Hand-and-brain, a Simul exhibition and meet-and-greet with other chess stars. A total prize pool of Rs.10 lakh has been announced for the winners of the DreamHack Rapid and Blitz chess tournaments that are open to all.
“By bringing a much respected and one of the oldest sports like chess to the DreamHack, we’re giving fans the experience of a lifetime! The super success of our Chess Super League showed us how loved the game is in India and how passionate this community is, which is why we wanted to celebrate chess at DreamHack. “Chess is also played over the internet just like gaming and also features the fabled over-the-board competition, exactly like a LAN event. The synergies and similarities are extremely evident and we believe that these 2 communities will love what they have to offer to each other,” said Gautam Virk, COO and Co-founder, NODWIN Gaming.
“The vision of ChessBase India has always been to make chess the most popular sport in the country. Nodwin has been a wonderful partner in this odyssey of popularizing chess. I am very happy that chess is going to be a part of an iconic event like the Dreamhack. Extremely thrilled and so looking forward,” said Sagar Shah, Co-founder and CEO, ChessBase India.
A deathmatch between two of India’s finest chess players — the 16-year-old India no. 2 and world no. 18 Gukesh D and the 19-year-old India no.3 and world no. 19 Arjun Erigaisi is scheduled on November 5. The winner of this match will take home Rs.3 lakh and the runner-up, Rs.2 lakh.
“I am excited and eagerly looking forward to battling it out with Arjun Erigaisi, my fierce rival on the board and close buddy off it. I am looking forward to a great match,” said Gukesh D, Chess Grandmaster.
Arjun Erigaisi, Chess GM added, “I was closely following the first edition of the deathmatch between Anish and Vidit, it was so thrilling and intense. Now I’m super delighted to be playing the second edition of deathmatch, that too against a very strong opponent like Gukesh. Also, as far as I can recall this is going to be my first 1 on 1 OTB that too in my backyard at Hyderabad. So all in all extremely excited.”
That’s not all. There’s more! Comedians on the Board (COTB), one of the most popular events in the world of chess that has always been hosted online by Samay Raina, will, for the first time, go live at DreamHack. Eight of the strongest chess-playing stand-up comedians including Tanmay Bhat, Samay Raina, Biswa Kalyan, Joel D’souza, Anirban Dasgupta, Vaibhav Sethia, Manik Mahna and Sumit Sourav will face off against each other to win the Rs.5 lakh prize and to become the ultimate COTB champion on November 4.
On the workshop front, there is a fun and exciting line up which includes – How to stream chess in an effective way by Samay Raina, how to make chess exciting in terms of teaching and commentating by Sagar Shah and What is needed to pursue a career as an arbiter by one of India’s finest chess arbiters IA Vivek Sohani.
DreamHack will go live from November 4-6 at Hall 1 and 3, Hitex Exhibition Center, Hitec City, Hyderabad
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Asia
The UAE Lottery joins SAGIP outreach with Philippine Consulate and Infinite Communities
The UAE Lottery, operated by The Game LLC (a Momentum Group company), participated in the SAGIP community outreach initiative on 28 June, 2026 at the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai, alongside the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai and Northern Emirates and Infinite Communities.
SAGIP—“Rescue” in Filipino—was positioned by organisers as an immediate support programme for Filipino community members navigating difficult circumstances. The session combined career coaching, counselling and wellness assessments, alongside distribution of essential grocery packs.
The programme also drew voluntary support from local Filipino businesses, HR practitioners, medical and healthcare professionals, psychologists and community volunteers, according to the organisers.
Consul Aleah Marie Gica said: “The Filipino community in the UAE has always demonstrated resilience and unity during difficult times. Community outreach programs such as SAGIP reflect the strength of collaboration between institutions and community organisations working together to support those most in need.”
Elena C. Cruz, Founder and CEO of Infinite Communities, said: “Through our Good Neighbour initiative and our collaboration with The UAE Lottery and the Philippine Consulate, we hope to create a safe and supportive environment where individuals feel seen, supported, and empowered to move forward with dignity and confidence.”
Suzan Kazzi, Associate Director of CSR at Momentum – The UAE Lottery, added: “At a time when many members of the Filipino community are facing various challenges, we aim to provide not only immediate relief through grocery pack distribution, but also pathways toward resilience and renewed opportunities. Through our HR specialists who volunteered their time and expertise, the career coaching sessions were designed to help beneficiaries navigate uncertainty, regain confidence, and reconnect with employment opportunities through practical advice and guidance.”
The post The UAE Lottery joins SAGIP outreach with Philippine Consulate and Infinite Communities appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
appointments
OS Studios names Ishaan Arya country manager to lead India expansion
OS Studios has appointed Ishaan Arya as Country Manager for India, tasking him with leading the agency’s expansion across newly established hubs in Bengaluru, New Delhi, and Mumbai. The appointment was announced on 25 June, 2026 in Bengaluru.
OS Studios, a Project Worldwide agency, said it recently entered the Indian market and will deploy its ‘Fan Z’ approach for brands looking to engage with gaming, esports and live events audiences in South Asia. The company said the expansion will leverage the infrastructure and production capabilities of sister agency George P. Johnson (GPJ) India.
“The future of gaming will be shaped by the communities that care about it most, and few markets embody that more than India,” said John Higgins, CEO of OS Studios. “To build something meaningful, you have to be part of the culture, not looking in from the outside. Ishaan understands that better than anyone. He’s exactly the kind of leader we want building the future of OS Studios in India.”
In the role, Arya will oversee operations, drive strategic brand partnerships, and scale local capabilities, according to the company. “Brands are investing heavily in Indian gaming, but true fan experience is too often an afterthought,” said Rasheed Sait, Chief Growth Officer for India and South Asia at Project Worldwide. “Alongside GPJ India’s experiential footprint, OS Studios will set a new standard for fan engagement in the region.”
Arya previously co-founded The Esports Club and most recently served as Vice President of Partnerships at Nodwin Gaming, where he led Comic Con India. “A massive gap remains between brand intent and authentic community engagement in India,” said Arya. “I’m thrilled to leverage Project Worldwide and GPJ India’s operational strength to build culture-defining experiences for brands and fans alike.”
The post OS Studios names Ishaan Arya country manager to lead India expansion appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Asia
PhilWeb Secures ₱2.02 Billion Strategic Investment from Lance Y. Gokongwei to Accelerate AI-Driven Technology Expansion
PhilWeb Corporation, a Philippine Stock Exchange-listed technology company serving licensed digital entertainment and gaming platforms, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement for a ₱2.02 billion strategic equity investment by prominent business leader Lance Y. Gokongwei.
The investment marks a significant milestone in PhilWeb’s transformation into an AI-enabled technology infrastructure company serving the regulated digital entertainment sector. Beyond the capital infusion, PhilWeb expects to benefit from Mr. Gokongwei’s strategic perspective, institutional experience and extensive business network as the Company strengthens its long-term technology roadmap and growth strategy.
Strategic Capital Infusion for AI and Technology Expansion
Under the definitive agreement, Mr. Gokongwei will invest an aggregate amount of ₱2,026,978,840.00 in PhilWeb. The strategic placement will be facilitated through a proposed increase in the Company’s Authorised Capital Stock from ₱2.6 billion to ₱3.6 billion, subject to the required corporate, stockholder and regulatory approvals.
The proceeds are intended to strengthen PhilWeb’s balance sheet and support the integration of advanced data and AI capabilities across its core technology roadmap:
• Enhanced Risk Management and Compliance Systems: Developing intelligent platform tools to support real-time risk scoring, transaction monitoring, suspicious activity detection and responsible gaming controls.
• Data Analytics and Platform Intelligence: Building secure data models designed to interpret user behaviour, optimise player lifecycle management and improve platform operating efficiency.
• Intelligent Recommendation and Retention Tools: Investing in automated recommendation engines to help licensed operators improve content discovery, platform performance and user engagement.
• Operational Automation: Enhancing internal and partner-facing systems through automation tools to optimise compliance workflows, reporting and high-throughput platform monitoring.
Strengthening PhilWeb’s Technology Moat
The transaction reflects growing investor interest in scalable technology infrastructure serving regulated digital entertainment ecosystems. PhilWeb has established a strong market footprint across the Philippine digital gaming and entertainment ecosystem, working with leading licensed operators, integrated resorts and platform partners including Hann Casino, Okada Manila, Newport World Resorts, NUSTAR Resort and Casino, FBM Philippines and PT Gaming. The integration of next-generation AI tools is expected to further strengthen PhilWeb’s domestic B2B infrastructure layer, enabling the Company to deliver greater operational efficiency, stronger compliance support and more scalable platform capabilities to its ecosystem partners while evaluating potential regional growth opportunities over time as market and regulatory conditions permit.
Management Perspective
“We are profoundly honored to welcome Lance Y. Gokongwei as a strategic anchor investor in PhilWeb. His investment represents a strong endorsement of our technology platform and long-term vision. Data intelligence and automated compliance tools are becoming essential layers of modern digital infrastructure. With Lance’s strategic investment and business network, PhilWeb is well-positioned to expand our AI technology roadmap, serve our established ecosystem of leading partners more efficiently, and evaluate long-term growth opportunities,” said Edgar Brian K. Ng, President of PhilWeb Corporation.
The post PhilWeb Secures ₱2.02 Billion Strategic Investment from Lance Y. Gokongwei to Accelerate AI-Driven Technology Expansion appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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