Canada
Playmaker Taps Taz Patel, Kristine Bill for C-Suite Positions to Accelerate Growth in 2023
Playmaker, a leading social media sports and entertainment content platform, announced two C-Suite appointments, bringing nearly three decades of experience across sports media, strategic marketing and business development to its team. Taz Patel joins the company to assume the role of Chief Business Officer, and Kristine Bill has been promoted to Chief Operations Officer. The position of Chief Business Officer is a role new to Playmaker, while Bill is succeeding former COO Rob Elder.
“The appointments of both Taz and Kristine clearly articulate the strategic vision and aggressive growth goals we have set for ourselves in 2023,” said Brandon Harris, CEO of Playmaker. “In the coming months, Playmaker is keenly focused on expanding our roster of creative talent, bringing to life more public-facing events and developing and redefining strategic brand partnerships, all while continuing to publish the first-rate sports and entertainment content Playmaker has become so well known for. Taz and Kristine will be instrumental in leaning into the momentum Playmaker created in 2022, and springboarding our brand to new levels of creativity, influence and notoriety.”
Patel’s responsibilities as Chief Business Officer include scaling the brand’s revenue, expanding platform integrations and securing strategic partnerships to further enhance the company’s progression. Patel is a renowned early-stage startup operator with multiple exits over the past decade and previously founded Captiv8, a leading venture backed AI Influencer Marketing platform. His most notable exits included BlueLithium and Interclick, both acquired by Yahoo!, where Patel contributed to meaningful revenue growth via agency and brand partnerships.
“The early-stage companies that successfully scale talent, resources and profit have many of the characteristics Playmaker currently exhibits, most notably a lean operation, correctly leveraging technology and partnerships to maximize its output,” said Patel. “The sports industry is currently in a renaissance period, moving from its traditional state to the true intersection of entertainment, media and technology. I’m looking forward to utilizing my experience to broaden Playmaker’s sphere of influence and industry market share.”
Bill has been with Playmaker since July 2022, where she most recently served as Senior Vice President of Marketing & Events. In this new position, she will be tasked with leading all initiatives related to marketing, public relations, social media, creator content and e-commerce. Prior to joining Playmaker, she held roles with STN Digital, Blast Motion Inc. and GMR Marketing.
“The needs of today’s sports fans are rapidly changing and, as a company, Playmaker is constantly seeking to identify the next great experience, digitally or in-person,” said Bill. “This year we’ll be expanding Playmaker’s influencer program and developing engaging newsletters focused on specific areas within sports, entertainment and culture, as well as expanding our brand footprint with sponsorships and creative content activations at key tentpole sporting events. I’m excited to work with our world-class team of creatives and partners to provide our engaged audience with the exceptional experiences they demand.”
Playmaker experienced exponential growth throughout 2022 despite a series of market challenges brought on throughout the year. The rising platform saw a 300% jump in year-over-year revenue anchored by significant growth across its 30 social media channels, reaching more than 20 million followers and gaining new strategic partnerships with companies such as Pepsi, PointsBet and No House Advantage. Playmaker supported its financial growth by investing in people — specifically operational, marketing and financial employees — as well as new popular and emerging content creators such as Adam Garfield, Cam Smith and Nyrie Iskandarian. This expansion of talent brought Playmaker’s headcount from 12 to 60 in 2022, a 400% increase. In December 2022, Playmaker was named one of the Best Employers in Sports by notable sports business outlet Front Office Sports.
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Global entertainment brand SkillOnNet is deepening its existing partnership with Stockholm-based game studio Thunderkick to launch the developer’s unique, engaging slot titles in Ontario.
The Canadian province is one of the most exciting regulated markets in North America, and the Ontario players will now gain access to Thunderkick’s full portfolio of highly acclaimed games via SkillOnNet-powered online casino brands such as PlayOJO, SlotsMagic, and SpinGenie.
Thunderkick is known for its independent, boundary-pushing slot games like Pink Elephants, Esqueleto Explosivo, and Beat the Beast and has established a strong reputation for creativity and originality in the iGaming space. The deal allows the studio to further expand its global footprint while giving Ontario players the chance to enjoy a fresh wave of premium content.
Ontario’s regulated online gaming market, which officially opened in 2022, has quickly become a key market for the iGaming industry, and SkillOnNet was among the first brands to secure licensing in the province. The expansion reinforces SkillOnNet’s commitment to delivering top-tier entertainment in regulated markets globally.
Jani Kontturi at SkillOnNet said: “Thunderkick has been a key partner of ours in other markets, and we’re delighted to bring their outstanding content to Ontario. This region is fast becoming a vital part of our operations, and we’re confident players here will respond just as positively to Thunderkick’s games as they have elsewhere.”
Mariam Dodosh, Account Manager at Thunderkick said: “We’re thrilled to expand our relationship with SkillOnNet and enter the Ontario market together. Our games have a track record of strong performance, and we’re excited to see them go live in one of the most dynamic new regions in iGaming.”
The post Thunderkick’s portfolio makes Ontario debut through SkillOnNet brands appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Maverick Games has launched sports betting operations in Ontario, through a partnership with Delasport.
Maverick Games will offer Ontarian players a premium sports betting experience, built on Delasport’s superior technology and known for its unique innovative features that players love including personalization, recommendations, gamification, quick bets, player engagement features, and more.
Maverick Games is the second brand to launch on Delasport’s technology in Ontario, with another full turnkey brand set to go live soon. Delasport also recently unveiled its innovative sports betting jackpot network game, SuperPot. The company will showcase this unique product at the Canadian Gaming Summit next month and begin rolling it out to Ontarian operators shortly thereafter.
“We are proud to see Maverick Games live and thriving with our one of a kind sportsbook solution at its core. They have been a fantastic partner from the start, and this launch further demonstrates how fast and efficient our technology is when paired with a clear vision and strong collaboration,” said Rosaire Galea Cavallaro, VP of Business Development at Delasport.
“Maverick Games’s sports vertical is a major step forward for us and launching it with Delasport has been the right move from day one. The platform’s performance and flexibility allow us to deliver the kind of user experience we believe Ontario players deserve. We’re excited to now bring that vision to life,” CEO Matt Rathbun said.
The post Maverick Games Launches Sports Betting Operations in Ontario appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Tsleil-Waututh Nation (TWN) announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to acquire the casino business and related real property interests at Hastings Racecourse & Casino (Hastings) in the City of Vancouver from Great Canadian Gaming Corporation (Great Canadian Entertainment).
“We are thrilled to take another important step towards economic self-determination for our Nation in our traditional territory, and we are eager to work with the senior management team at Great Canadian Entertainment to finalize due diligence and execute a definitive agreement, as well as working with the City of Vancouver to ensure the best long-term use of this important asset within the City. We believe that this opportunity is historic for us in many ways, and we look forward to entering the gaming industry in due course,” said Jen Thomas, Chief of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation.
“We are excited about working with TWN on their potential acquisition of the casino operations and related real property interests at Hastings Racecourse & Casino. Recognizing that Hastings is part of the TWN’s traditional territory, we can think of no better entity to inherit this asset, and we look forward to supporting them in the transition after the anticipated close of the sale,” Matt Anfinson, Chief Executive Officer of Great Canadian Entertainment.
The agreement is subject to further due diligence, finalization of financial terms and the execution of a definitive purchase and sale agreement. Once a definitive agreement has been executed by the parties, it is anticipated that the transaction will be subject to customary closing conditions as well as customary approvals by gaming regulatory and other authorities, including certain approvals by the City of Vancouver given its ownership of the real property. It is expected that Great Canadian Entertainment will provide transition services to TWN for a period of time following the anticipated closing.
The post Tsleil-Waututh Nation Signs MoU to Acquire Casino Business at Hastings Racecourse & Casino appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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