Latest News
ESL Impact Season 5 invited teams revealed
Another exciting year for the all-women Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) teams and fans from around the world is about to begin. Announced at the end of last year, the ESL Impact 2024 Program, will feature two online league seasons, live Global Finals, and monthly Cash Cups on FACEIT. With the ESL Impact Season 5 ahead, we are thrilled to unveil more details of the upcoming tournament and elevate the competition to the highest.
ESL Impact was launched at the beginning of 2022 as one of the initiatives of ESL FACEIT Group’s (EFG) #GGFORALL. The program combines new and existing initiatives to tackle discrimination, promote mental well-being, and progress environmental sustainability in esports.
Commencing on March 6, 28 top all-women CS2 teams from EU, NA, and SA will battle it out to secure one of eight spots at this season’s Global Finals, a chance to win the lion’s share of the $150,000 prize pool and the coveted title. The ESL Impact Season 5 Global Finals will take place in front of a live audience at DreamHack Dallas on May 31 – June 2, 2024.
The following teams qualified for ESL Impact Season 5 based on their performance in previous tournaments:
Europe:
- 1WIN Gang
- ex 9Pandas Fearless9
- BIG EQUIPA
- GamerLegion Prism
- NAVI Javelins
- Nigma Galaxy
- Ninjas in Pyjamas
North America:
- FlyQuest Red
- Shimmer
- Team Karma
- Tsunami Sirens
South America
- Divina
- Fluxo Demons
- FURIA
- Atrix Esports
With 13 spots still up for grabs, teams from several regions can participate in the Open Qualifiers:
- Open Qualifier #1: February 12-14
- Open Qualifier #2: February 16-18
- Wildcard Qualifier: March 9th – 11th
For more information about ESL Impact Season 5, requalification, and Open Qualifiers, please visit the official website.
You can download imagery here.
Please let me know if you would like any more information.
All the best,
Tom
Contributors Program
Gamblers Connect names Gali Hartuv as seventh 2026 Contributors Program voice
The Playa strategic advisor will publish on VIP operations, segmentation and retention, starting with an anonymous VIP Operations Survey 2026.
Gamblers Connect has confirmed Gali Hartuv, Strategic Advisor at The Playa, as the seventh voice to join its 2026 Contributors Program.
The independent B2B iGaming media platform said the programme will reveal one senior industry voice per month throughout 2026, with contributors publishing under the Gamblers Connect Contributor Editorial Code.
Gamblers Connect said Hartuv has more than 15 years’ experience in VIP management, including designing and optimising VIP programmes across more than 50 operator brands, and training “hundreds of professionals” now working in VIP roles across the industry.
Hartuv will publish across four areas: building VIP programmes that drive long-term value; AI-powered VIP identification and player segmentation; hyper-personalisation and retention strategy; and scaling VIP operations across different markets and cultures. His first contribution is a VIP Operations Survey 2026, an anonymous survey intended to benchmark how VIP teams work across iGaming operators, including portfolio sizing, tools, qualification thresholds, workflow standards and where time is spent during the week.
Partnerships and Operations Lead, Luka Dimitrijevic, said: “VIP management is where a great deal of an operator’s value is won or lost, and very few people can speak to it with Gali’s depth. He has spent his career turning high value player relationships into a discipline rather than guesswork, and he is refreshingly candid about what works and what does not. Through the Contributors Program he will share practical insight on VIP strategy, retention, and the smart use of AI, with content grounded in real results rather than recycled best practices.”
The post Gamblers Connect names Gali Hartuv as seventh 2026 Contributors Program voice appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Alberta
St8 extends TonyBet partnership to Alberta after securing supplier registration
St8 has extended its partnership with TonyBet into Alberta, expanding their Canada footprint following an earlier launch in Ontario this year.
Under the expanded agreement, TonyBet will use St8’s game aggregation platform through a single API integration. St8 said this provides access to its wider catalogue of casino content for players in Alberta.
St8 said the Alberta rollout follows its newly acquired registration to operate in the province as an iGaming Services Supplier, allowing it to provide aggregation services to licensed operators in the market. The company said its platform connects partners to more than 200 game providers via a single API.
David Fall, Business Development Manager at St8, said:
“Entering Alberta’s regulated market is a strong step for St8 that represents our continued efforts to bring our offerings to as many territories as possible, delivering top-tier results for partnerships at the local, national and international stage. We share this commitment with TonyBet, a company that we are very fortunate to be working with so collaboratively and closely as we continue to grow our presence across North America.”
Kiryl Liudvikevich, Head of Product at TonyBet, said:
“We’re proud that our work with St8 has enabled us to continue expanding across Canada. Through St8’s aggregation platform, we can seamlessly access games from the industry’s leading providers via a single integration, helping us scale efficiently while maintaining a strong focus on the player experience. St8 has cemented itself as our go-to partner for expansion into regulated markets, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration as we grow into new jurisdictions.”
The post St8 extends TonyBet partnership to Alberta after securing supplier registration appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Alberta
St8 continues partnership with TonyBet with an expansion into Alberta
The post St8 continues partnership with TonyBet with an expansion into Alberta appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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