Canada
Esports Publisher GGRecon & SCCG Management Announce Partnership
Esports And Gaming Publisher Plans to Expand Partnerships Into the USA
GGRecon, an esports and gaming publisher, has announced that they are expanding partnerships into the US with help from SCCG Management. The media company is planning on focusing on US partnerships and commercial opportunities, which SCCG specialises in. SCCG management will be assisting by managing GGRecon’s partnership operations, finding new and exciting clients, and assisting with commercial strategy.
GGRecon was founded in December 2019, and since its inception has had a heavy focus on esports. They cover titles such as VALORANT, CS:GO, Call of Duty, Overwatch, and many others.
As we continue to grow, serving our customers with the content that they clearly love, we felt now was a good time to expand more of our offering into the US,” says Chris Young, Managing Director at GGRecon.
As a result of ensuring they have high-quality content and a solid editorial strategy, GGRecon has seen their Page Views increase from 47k a month from when they started, to over 2.5 million a month in August 2021. In the last month alone, GGRecon’s Facebook Page has achieved nearly 251,000 reactions on their content, which is more than established brands such as GamesRadar+, GameByte, Eurogamer, and the official pages of Xbox, PlayStation UK, SEGA, and Epic Games. As it stands, their portfolio of social Pages equates to over 1.2m followers.
SCCG Management is a consultancy that specialises in esports, among other disciplines. The company consults with, and invests in, gaming clients worldwide in various casino development, internet gaming (iGaming) and gaming technology endeavours. Founder, Stephen A. Crystal, has spent over 20 years directly involved in all aspects of the casino and iGaming technology industry, including as an attorney representing public and private gaming companies, as a president and CEO of numerous casino holding and public gaming companies, and as an investor and advisor on over $4 billion dollars of project finance, mergers and acquisitions in the casino gaming space.
Chris Young, Managing Director at GGRecon, said: “We are thrilled to be working with SCCG management. As a well-respected and established company with someone like Stephen at the helm, we know that GGRecon’s future is in good hands. As we continue to grow, serving our customers with the content that they clearly love, we felt now was a good time to expand more of our offering into the US.
“The US is a market that we are keen to explore, as well as being able to show what GGRecon can do. Our audience is loyal and smart, which is a killer combination. We hope to be able to provide them with partnerships that are authentic as well as exciting.”
Founder of SCCG Management, Stephen A. Crystal, said: “It’s been a pleasure working with Chris over the last couple of years, and watching their business grow in the UK. As we expected, the content resonates well within the US market, which represents the majority of the GGRecon traffic. We look forward to helping GGRecon extend its presence in the US.”
British Columbia Lottery Corporation
SCCG Management Signs Contract with British Columbia Lottery Corporation
SCCG Management has signed a contract with the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), the B.C. Crown corporation which conducts and manages commercial gambling in the province, including lotteries, casinos, and online gaming. This partnership aims to undertake a comprehensive assessment and strategic enhancement of BCLC’s diverse operations.
The work between SCCG and BCLC will involve a thorough review of technological infrastructures, strategic market positioning, and the integration of various gaming modalities. SCCG’s extensive expertise will be pivotal in harmonizing BCLC’s online and physical gaming experiences.
Stephen Crystal, Founder and CEO of SCCG Management, said: “Our collaboration with BCLC represents a remarkable opportunity to push the boundaries of innovation within the gaming industry. We are committed to deploying our resources and expertise to enhance BCLC’s operational efficiencies and customer engagement strategies. It’s an honor to partner with an organization that has a robust impact on the community through its support of public initiatives.”
AGCO
AGCO Requires Ontario Gaming Operators to Stop Offering WBA Bets Due to Integrity Concerns
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has mandated all Ontario-registered sportsbook operators to halt offering and accepting wagers on World Boxing Association (WBA) events immediately. This measure is being taken to protect the Ontario betting public following concerns that WBA-sanctioned boxing matches are not adequately being safeguarded against match-fixing and insider betting.
Since December 2023, the AGCO has been conducting a comprehensive review of suspicious wagering activity on a WBA-sanctioned title fight between Yoenis Tellez and Livan Navarro that was held in Orlando, Florida. Suspicious betting patterns on the bout lasting over 5.5 rounds were reported to the AGCO by two registered independent integrity monitors and detected in Ontario by a registered igaming operator. Media reports also alleged that Tellez’s Manager placed $110,000 on the match lasting longer than 5.5 rounds at a Florida casino. The bout ended with Tellez knocking out Navarro in the 10th round.
Following an intensive review that included outreach to the WBA, Ontario-registered gaming operators, independent integrity monitors, and regulators in other jurisdictions, the AGCO has concluded that bets related to WBA events do not currently meet the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming.
The AGCO requires all Ontario-registered gaming operators to ensure the sport betting products they offer are on events that are effectively supervised by a sport governing body. At a minimum, the sport governing body must have and enforce codes of conduct that prohibit betting by insiders.
Registered gaming operators were unable to demonstrate to the AGCO that the WBA prohibits betting from insiders, which could include an athlete’s coaches, managers, handlers, athletic trainers, medical professionals, or others with access to non-public information. Further, registered gaming operators were unable to demonstrate that the WBA took any action to investigate or enforce the allegations of potential match-fixing and insider wagering.
The AGCO has indicated to registered operators that in order for WBA betting products to be reinstated in Ontario, operators must demonstrate that the WBA effectively supervises its events, thus bringing them into compliance with the Registrar’s Standards. In December 2022, the AGCO required gaming operators to stop offering bets on UFC events for similar issues related to insider betting safeguards. Within a month, UFC amended its policies and implemented new protocols that allowed the AGCO to reinstate betting on UFC events in the province.
“Ontarians who wish to bet on sporting events need to be confident that those events are fairly run, and that clear integrity safeguards are in place and enforced by an effective sport governing body. Knowing the popularity of boxing in Ontario, we look forward to reinstating betting on WBA events once appropriate safeguards against possible match-fixing and insider betting have been confirmed,” Dr. Karin Schnarr, Registrar and CEO of AGCO, said.
Andrew Cochrane Chief Business Officer of GiG
GiG increases Ontario market presence, powering the launch of Casino Time
Gaming Innovation Group Inc. (GiG), has announced the launch of Casino Time, powered by its award winning iGaming platform and pioneering real-time rules engine LogicX, with revolutionary sportsbook, SportX soon to follow, to further extend its footprint in the regulated Canadian province of Ontario.
The launch of Casino Time carries extra significance, marking only the second time that on-demand, regulated online Bingo has been made available in Ontario. The new Bingo product vertical, launched alongside a strong Casino offering, will be boosted by GiG’s new sportsbook, SportX, as part of a planned release later this year.
GiG has focused its solutions on driving exponential growth in revenue for operators with its highly scalable iGaming platform, offering localised third party content and leading suppliers for the Ontarian market. GiGs peerless gamification layer creates an optimised and immersive casino experience tailored to regional preferences, swelling client retention and player engagement.
Canadian owned and operated, Casino Time is a joint venture amongst leading retail operators in Ontario’s Charitable Gaming sector, delivering Bingo, Slots and Live Dealer Casino Games. Promising a personalised service and community experience, Casino Time is continuing its long-standing partnership with local charities, introducing its joint fundraising model into the iGaming space for the first time.
Now coming towards the end of its second year of licensed operations, Ontario has emerged as one of the largest iGaming markets in North America, second only to New Jersey according to data supplied by Vixio. The first and as yet only Canadian province to launch a regulated market, Ontario boasts more than 1.6 million active player accounts spread over 40 plus operators, generating €1.3 billion in Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) in its first year of trading, with this data supplied by iGaming Ontario.
Andrew Cochrane, Chief Business Officer of GiG, said: “GiG continues to set the pace with a strong cadence of brand launches in 2024, and I’m pleased that when operators are seeking platform solutions in regulated markets, GiG is leading the pack. Our partnership with Casino Time, will help deliver something new and exciting to the Ontarian market, and further helps to demonstrate the flexibility of our solutions, adapting to match the regional aspirations of our partners to deliver growth.”
D’Arcy Stuart, CEO of Casino Time, said: “We are thrilled to partner with GiG as the core technology provider of our iGaming platform. Their powerful suite of player engagement tools, as well as diverse content and regulatory integrations, underpin our ability to serve and delight our player community. Our hybrid online and offline customer network, as well as unique bingo offerings, will drive exciting opportunities as the platform and the marketplace continues to grow.”
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