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Victoria Police and ESIC collaborate in fight against match-fixing

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A new agreement will provide police with real-time information alerts from across the world to target suspicious betting activity and deter betting-related match-fixing in esports.

The Letter of Arrangement was signed between Victoria Police and esports integrity body the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) in February this year.

It will allow Victoria Police’s Sporting Integrity Intelligence Unit (SIIU) to receive real-time betting alerts from ESIC on esports events should any matches exhibit suspicious betting activity, ensuring detectives can commence an investigation as soon as possible where required.

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ESIC is a not-for-profit organisation whose members include government bodies, national esports federations and tournament operators from around the world.

The organisation was established in 2015 with the specific aim of disrupting, preventing and prosecuting all forms of cheating in esports, including match manipulation and doping.

Victoria Police’s SIIU conducted the first Australian law enforcement investigation into match-fixing in esports in 2019.

Five men were charged with a range of offences including engaging in conduct that corrupts or would corrupt a betting outcome and using corrupt conduct information for betting purposes.

The offences are subject to maximum penalties of 10 years’ imprisonment.

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Victoria Police treats match-fixing in esports as seriously as it does traditional sport.

The 2013 amendment to the Victorian Crimes Act introduced four criminal offences directly related to corrupting the betting outcome of an event. These offences do not specify the type of sporting event, but instead refer to the corruption of a betting outcome. As such, any corruption of the betting outcome of an esports event is covered by the legislation.

Anyone with information about illegal activity is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report to www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

Quotes attributable to Assistant Commissioner Chris Gilbert – Intelligence and Covert Support Command:

“Sports gambling and esports are global industries and the international aspect can make match-fixing investigations extremely complex.

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“This Letter of Arrangement will see ESIC sharing real-time suspicious betting alerts – particularly from offshore wagering operators – with our detectives, allowing for investigations into suspected match-fixing to commence almost immediately.

“Unfortunately, given the demographic of esports, players can be potentially more vulnerable targets than players involved in traditional sports.

“They are often young adults who could be more susceptible to corrupt approaches by criminal entities due to minimal prizemoney and a lack of focus on integrity and education by game developers.

“Victoria Police will continue to target the infiltration of esports by any potential offenders – including by organised crime syndicates.

“Alongside this agreement with ESIC, we’ve developed strong relationships with a number of esports stakeholders and wagering operators, and we’ll continue to work together to target any suspicious activity.

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“It’s important that people understand these are significant criminal offences with substantial penalties and we will take any reports of suspicious activity seriously.”

Quotes attributable to Stephen Hanna, Director of Global Strategy at the Esports Integrity Commission:

“Collaboration between law enforcement agencies and the Esports Integrity Commission is essential to ensuring a fair and safe environment for esports competitors and fans. We commend Victoria Police’s proactive and engaged approach to working with ESIC to prevent and deter match-fixing in esports.

“Esports is a global industry that requires a global response to maintain integrity. By working together with law enforcement agencies, like Victoria Police, we can better identify and investigate suspicious betting activity and protect the integrity of esports competitions.

“This Letter of Arrangement signifies the Esports Integrity Commission and Victoria Police’s alignment on the importance of disrupting, preventing, and prosecuting match-fixing in esports. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with Victoria Police and other law enforcement agencies around the world to safeguard the future of esports.”

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Australia

WATERHOUSE VC SECURES OPTION IN MAINCARD, THE “SHOPIFY OF ONLINE BETTING”

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Waterhouse VC, an investment fund specialising in the technology layer of the global gambling industry, has secured an option in Maincard, a “Shopify of Online Betting” platform targeting the launch of fully customisable licensed online betting sites in under 30 minutes.

Maincard targets the $1 trillion iGaming market by replacing months of development work, cumbersome licensing and complex integrations with a subscription-style workflow. Crypto-native founders, influencers and digital communities can spin up branded betting sites, monetise their audiences and retain full upside ownership from day one.

“iGaming still suffers from high startup costs and significant technical and regulatory friction,” said Tom Waterhouse, Chief Investment Officer of Waterhouse VC. “We’re seeing strong potential in platforms that can streamline development, similar to how Shopify revolutionised e-commerce. The sector is ripe for innovation that allows new entrants to focus on player acquisition and retention rather than backend development.”

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“Waterhouse VC’s deep domain knowledge and network will accelerate our go-to-market,” said Valerii Makovetskii, Founder and CEO of Maincard. “We’ve developed strong technical foundations with our crypto-friendly payments gateway already powering third-party casinos. The next step is to make launching a betting site as easy as launching an online storefront.”

The investment aligns with Waterhouse VC’s approach of identifying promising B2B technology companies serving the wagering industry and negotiating options to acquire stakes in these businesses.

Maincard platform vision:

  •     Launch in <30 minutes — drag-and-drop, no code required
  •     End-to-end compliance — licensing, KYC/AML, fraud, payments, customer support and marketing handled by Maincard
  •     15,000+ casino games & 1,000+ sportsbook markets out of the box

Maincard is currently raising USD $3M to scale its sales team and launch multiple brands from the waiting list by the end of Q3 2025.

The post WATERHOUSE VC SECURES OPTION IN MAINCARD, THE “SHOPIFY OF ONLINE BETTING” appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Martin Pakula Named Chair of Crown Melbourne

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Crown Resorts has announced that The Hon. Martin Pakula will join the Board of Crown Melbourne, effective May 1, 2025, and will succeed Mr. Ian Silk, as Chair, from July 1, 2025.

As Chair, Mr. Silk has successfully led Crown Melbourne through a period of unprecedented remediation and transformation during the past two and a half years. Mr. Silk’s strong leadership through the organisation’s operational and cultural transformation, saw Crown Melbourne regain its licence from the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission. To ensure a seamless transition Mr Silk will remain in his role until 1 July 2025.

As incoming Chair, Mr. Pakula brings a wealth of experience to the position, having previously served as Attorney-General, and Minister for Tourism, Sport, and Major Events in the Victorian government. He currently serves as Chair of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation.

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Crown Resorts CEO, Mr. David Tsai, said: “Martin’s appointment comes at an exciting time as Crown continues to focus on innovation and growth. I look forward to Crown benefiting from Martin’s extensive industry and leadership experience. I would like to express my sincere thanks to Ian for his exceptional leadership and the pivotal role he played in overseeing Crown Melbourne’s extensive transformation.”

Mr. Silk said: “It has been an honour to serve as Chair. I am extremely proud of what we have achieved over the past two and a half years, and I want to thank everyone at Crown Melbourne for their dedication and hard work. I’m confident Crown Melbourne will continue to thrive with Martin’s leadership.”

Mr. Pakula said: “I am delighted to accept the role of Chair at Crown Melbourne and to play a role in its exciting future. Crown is an iconic business that is a critical part of Victoria’s economy, tourism and entertainment industry.”

The post Martin Pakula Named Chair of Crown Melbourne appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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TheLotter Australia: Exciting Changes to the US Mega Millions

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Big changes have arrived at the US Mega Millions lottery! From April 8, 2025, better jackpot odds, higher minimum prizes, an improved, built-in multiplier, and a modified Mega Number pool are available – making the game better than ever. To make these great changes possible, ticket prices increased from US$2 to US$5.

The revamped version of this lottery will feature a built-in Multiplier – 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, or even 10x. The Multiplier will boost non-jackpot winnings based on the number drawn before the draw at no extra cost! As a result, the second-prize winnings could reach an incredible US$10 million. If the Multiplier concept sounds familiar, it’s because, before these changes, players had to pay extra to opt in for the Megaplier; however, the new Multiplier boosts winnings automatically! Moreover, the adaptation to the Mega Numbers pool will streamline the Mega Ball matrix and help form winning matches by reducing the amount of the total number from 25 to 24.

At TheLotter Australia, customers can purchase entries to US MegaLuck, where their selections are matched with an official lottery ticket in the corresponding US Mega Millions draw from licenced US Mega Millions retailers. Since US MegaLuck mirrors the original draw, the changes in April 2025 will apply to it as well.

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“It’s exciting to see Mega Millions evolving with major changes that make this popular draw even more appealing to both new and seasoned players. I’m thrilled that customers in Australia can enjoy the revamped game seamlessly through TheLotter Australia’s website and app. And when they win, the customers receive their full prize amount, before taxes are deducted,” said Piers Morgan, Director at TheLotter Australia.

Australians passionate about American lotteries can also join the US MegaLuck draw easily and securely at TheLotter Australia. When a customer wins, TheLotter Australia notifies them promptly. Small prizes are deposited directly into the customers’ accounts, while TheLotter Australia assists with claiming larger prizes.

The post TheLotter Australia: Exciting Changes to the US Mega Millions appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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