Canada
ESPORTS AWARDS TO BE HOSTED AT RESORTS WORLD LAS VEGAS ON DECEMBER 13
The Esports Awards, the most prestigious night in the esports calendar, is excited to kick off its 2022 campaign by announcing its new home at Resorts World Las Vegas. After three incredible years in London and a move to the United States in 2019 to Arlington, Texas, the Esports Awards is levelling up with a new location, a new date and a fresh look for 2022.
The Esports Awards will take place on Tuesday, December 13 with a lavish ceremony at the Resorts World Theatre, a 5,000-capacity world-class entertainment venue. The awards will also be opening their doors to general admission with tickets available now starting from $50 plus fees from esportsawards.com/tickets/.
After an incredible turnout in 2021, which even included an appearance from golf legend Bryson DeChambeau, the Esports Awards Open in partnership with Golf + Gaming Club (GGC) will return for 2022, providing attendees with the perfect opportunity to show off their golf skills. From December 11 – 13, the Esports Awards will also be holding several other events including its Lifetime Achievement Ceremony and Leadership Summit which gives brands, organisations and industry thought-leaders the opportunity to debate and network.
For 2022, the Esports Awards will be making some adjustments to the groupings of its award categories with the new groups being: Entertainment, Industry, Creative, Pro, On-air Talent and Collegiate. Entertainment has taken over the community awards encompassing the original selection of awards with the addition of “Esports Content Series of the Year,” “Esports Game of the Year” and a new award titled, “Esports Content Group of the Year.”
Elsewhere, Esports Apparel of the Year has moved to the Creative Awards group and will be voted on by the creative panel, and Esports Analyst of the Year has been renamed Esports Desk Analyst of the Year.
The Esports Awards is pleased to welcome back Secretlab and Verizon as sponsors for the 2022 campaign. Verizon is returning for its third year and will once again be sponsoring the “Esports Mobile Player of the Year” and “Esports Mobile Game of the Year” awards. Using their 5G Ultra-Wideband technology, Verizon and Esports Awards work together to bring gamers next-level experiences. Presenting the “Esports Team of the Year” award, Secretlab will also be bringing some really exciting activations to the awards.
The Esports Awards 2022 campaign starts now, with nominations now open. Key dates include:
- May 19: Nominations open
- June 30: Finalists for the Entertainment Categories
- July 28: Finalists for the Industry Categories
- August 25: Finalists for the Creative & Collegiate Categories
- September 29: Lifetime Achievement in Esports Class of 2022 reveal
- October 27: Finalists for Pro & On-air Categories
- TBC: Go Home Show
- December 13: Esports Awards 2022
Michael Ashford, the CEO of Esports Awards, commented: “We could not be more excited to start building a legacy with Resorts World Las Vegas. We recognize the awards are a deserved end of year celebration and want to build something that caters to delivering a best-in-class experience. Resorts World Las Vegas as a venue has been very forward-thinking in attracting top-tier events and to see the support for esports is hugely encouraging. A huge shout out to Destination Esports, Resorts World Las Vegas and Hilton Hotels for making it happen.”
“We’re thrilled to welcome the Esports Awards to Las Vegas,” said Lisa Motley, Senior Director Of Sports And Special Events For The Las Vegas Convention And Visitors Authority. “Attendees will enjoy the many “Only Vegas” experiences that make Las Vegas the greatest arena on earth, from world class entertainment to unrivaled dining, sports and attractions.”
Last year’s Esports Awards saw a return to a live ceremony after 735 days at the Esports Awards Stadium in Arlington Texas. A milestone and star-studded event, the awards hosted some of the biggest faces from esports and beyond with the likes of Riot Games, 100 Thieves and Discord all picking up awards. The 2021 Esports Awards campaign also saw over 20 million total viewership, 1 million hours watched and 10 million votes cast.
Canada
Relax Gaming joins forces with PointsBet to strengthen footprint in Ontario
Relax Gaming, the iGaming aggregator and supplier of unique content, has significantly enhanced its presence in the Ontario market through an agreement with leading Canadian operator, PointsBet.
This partnership reinforces Relax Gaming’s aim to become a standout provider across North America, having already gained early success in Ontario. Relax became one of the first suppliers to deliver content to the region’s players in March 2022, debuting with over 120 games across multiple operators.
PointsBet pride themselves as one of Canada’s leading operators offering unmatched speed, ease of use, and a comprehensive array of pre-game and in-play sports betting options. This is complemented by a top-tier online casino which will now be boosted with the integration of Relax’s portfolio of slots and live dealer options.
With its authentic Canadian approach, PointsBet prioritises technology that minimises external dependencies to maintain control over its platform and has a commitment to responsible gambling best practices, ensuring a safe and secure environment for all players.
Martin Stålros, CEO at Relax Gaming, said: “Since we launched in Ontario we have enjoyed tremendous success, with our content hitting the sweet spot for the broad range of players in the Canadian province. This partnership with PointsBet will strengthen our presence in the market as the region’s leading operator integrates our rich content portfolio which will engage its player base.”
Scott Vanderwel, Chief Executive Officer at PointsBet, added: “Relax Gaming has established a strong reputation across North America and in Ontario in particular. The impressive range of content that will be integrated into our platform will increase engagement within our online platform and we are delighted to be able to provide more immersive experiences to our audiences.”
Established as one of the industry’s leading B2B suppliers, Relax Gaming was awarded GGA’s Product Launch of the Year in February 2023 for Dream Drop Jackpots. Money Train 3 names the 2023 CasinoBeats Game Developer Awards amongst its 6 Slot of the Year titles, while the brand also won the award for Skill Games Supplier at the 2023 EGR B2B Awards along with the Innovation in Mobile award at the 2023 SBC Awards.
Relax Gaming provides more than 4,000 online casino games, from its high-performing proprietary slots to a significant, varied library of content from hand-picked third-party studios via its partnership programmes.
Canada
Jackpot Digital Receives Approval from the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority
Jackpot Digital, a leading manufacturer of electronic multiplayer dealerless poker tables, has announced that it has received approval from the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) to act as a registered supplier of gaming supplies and services to regulated casinos in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.
The approval follows the Company’s news release dated February 6, 2024, announcing the signing of a licensing agreement with the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) to install the Company’s Jackpot Blitz dealerless poker ETGs into SIGA casinos.
SIGA operates seven casinos and Playnow.com in Saskatchewan. At the outset, SIGA proposes to install Jackpot Blitz machines at its Dakota Dunes and Gold Horse Casino properties, located in Saskatoon and Lloydminster, respectively.
Jackpot CEO Jake Kalpakian said: “We are excited to receive approval as a gaming equipment supplier in Saskatchewan. This represents the first major jurisdictional, non-tribal license received by Jackpot during our continuing expansion into the land-based casino market. We have many more license applications underway in the US and other Canadian provinces, which will dramatically impact our ability to accelerate the rollout of Jackpot Blitz across North America.”
Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation
Play Alberta, CSEC Extend Partnership
Teams under the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC) banner have expanded their long-term partnership with Play Alberta, the province’s premier iGaming destination. As part of the agreement, the Flames will feature AGLC’s responsible gambling program, GameSense, on their home helmets and a Play Alberta insignia displayed on their home jerseys. The Stampeders, Wranglers, and Roughnecks will integrate the Play Alberta logo onto their uniforms.
“There’s significant importance now to showcase meaningful responsible gambling efforts in the iGaming industry. I’m proud of our initiatives to provide GameSense with such a visible platform. GameSense promotes healthy gambling habits online and in person and including AGLC’s responsible gambling platform over the course of this partnership is a huge accomplishment,” Kandice Machado, Chief Executive Officer at AGLC.
The agreement makes Play Alberta the exclusive sports betting and online gaming partner of the Flames, Wranglers, Stampeders, and Roughnecks. Through the partnership, Play Alberta and CSEC will develop unique partnerships and in-arena giveaways during the season.
“Through GameSense, our partnership with Play Alberta equips our fans with the knowledge required if they wish to participate in gaming while they support their home team. We are both proud and excited to extend our relationship with Play Alberta that makes cheering for our teams that much more fun while also generating revenue to support the quality of life for Albertans,” said CSEC President and CEO Robert Hayes.
Alberta is the first jurisdiction in North America to partner with professional sports franchises and integrate PlayAlberta.ca and social responsibility branding onto uniforms. It upholds AGLC’s commitment to responsible play, raising awareness of GameSense and Self-Exclusion, resources that give bettors the tools they need to make healthy gambling choices.
In addition, proceeds generated through the website go toward the province’s General Revenue Fund. In 2023–24, $235 million was generated for programs and services that Albertans rely on every day through Play Alberta, an increase of more than $42 million from the previous year.
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