

eSports
Inter Miami keeper Luis Robles invests in promising esports business
MLS goalkeeper Luis Robles has joined the growing band of sports stars to make an investment in esports.
The Inter Miami stopper has followed in the footsteps of Michael Jordan, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Odell Beckham Jr, who have all backed projects in pro gaming in recent years.
Robles, who is part of the Inter Miami squad owned by David Beckham, is among the investors in Luckbox – a fully licensing betting company that allows esports fans to make wagers on their favourite professional games.
And Robles’s timing appears to be perfect. Luckbox has reported record figures in the first half of 2020 and is now preparing to go public on the TSX Venture Exchange.
Robles, 36, has a degree in finance from the University of Portland and is a keen investor. He has seen first-hand the boom in popularity of esports among his team mates.
Robles said: “On the road, I’ll be watching Netflix, while my room-mate is watching Twitch.
“My team-mates, they’re watching in the same way they watch an opponent for a football match. They like to see tactics and strategies, what people are using and what works so that they can use those things in their own game.
“That to me was mind-blowing. And yet, it’s what people are doing and it shows the importance of esports in our culture right now.”
With the MLS among the many traditional sports on hold during the COVID-19 lockdown, pro players have taken to online FIFA matches as a way of keeping alive competition between teams and rivalry between fans.
Robles said: “With what’s going on in the world right now, a lot of the way we’ve been able to maintain a connection with our fanbase, is through FIFA – using FIFA as an avenue through which players can still compete, while entertaining and engaging fans. To some degree, it’s been successful.
“I think everyone wants us to be back on the field and playing, because that’s how they know us but it’s still a creative way of staying engaged with fans.
“From what I’ve seen, not only is a great way to continue to engage our fanbase but it’s great for the players – to keep the camaraderie and the banter going, the spirit in the locker room.
“It is different but times are very different right now and you have to find other avenues in which to do things.”
The big question, of course, is who is Inter Miami’s best FIFA player?
Robles said: “It depends on who you ask. If you ask Rodolfo Pizzaro, he’s going to say it’s him. Same if you ask Julian Carranza or Lee Nguyen.
“These are all guys who are heavily into it. They have their stations in their house. They’re very competitive, they put a lot of pride into their game.
“You have Lewis Morgan, from Scotland, who also seems to be really good. I think if you ask those four different players, you’d get four different answers but I can confidently say that I am not the best FIFA player and I would probably be competing for the worst FIFA player.
“But I love investing, I love diversifying my portfolio and looking at different decks and wishing I could get involved and Luckbox has given me a great opportunity to do that.”
Luckbox’s CEO Quentin Martin said: “It’s well documented that esports is super-hot right now and many famous names from the world of sports and entertainment have recognised this by backing a host of projects.
“We’ve been live in 100 countries for just over a year now, so we’re still a very young company. To have the support of someone as highly respected as Luis is clearly a massive boost for our company.
“For sports fans, betting on outcomes is often an extra way to enjoy the match experience. Safe, legal and legitimate betting is increasingly important to esports and, over the coming years, it will be the dominant driver of revenue for the industry.”
eSports
GRID Launches GRID Insights: Real-Time AI Context for Esports Tournaments

GRID, an in-game data infrastructure platform trusted by the leading game publishers and sportsbooks, has unveiled GRID Insights — a new AI-driven product delivering real-time, predictive context to live esports broadcasts and betting experiences.
GRID Insights transforms raw gameplay data into dynamic, predictive insights in milliseconds — surfacing real-time narratives like player streaks, weapon stats and record chases, all tailored to the stream’s brand and audience.
“With GRID Insights, we’re building the storytelling engine of live esports, powered entirely by official data. We use official in-game data and real-time pipelines to generate predictions, contextual stats, and behavioral patterns that previously required an analyst team. Now it’s automated and scalable, enabling our partners to create more immersive, informative, and engaging experiences that today’s digital-native audiences expect,” said Moritz Maurer, CEO of GRID.
Thanks to GRID’s deep partnerships with top game publishers and tournament organisers, Insights is built on structured, official data, enhanced by large language models (LLMs) and available via plug-and-play SDKs or APIs. The product supports major esports titles including CS2, Dota 2, League of Legends and VALORANT, with full customisation across branding and output formats.
GRID Insights made its live debut during the Champion of Champions Tour Season 3 (CS2), with broader adoption already underway. Among early adopters is the European Pro League (EPL), now integrating GRID Insights into its tournament broadcasts.
“GRID Insights is a game-changer for how fans engage with the action. At EPL, we’re always looking for new ways to elevate the viewer experience—and with GRID Insights, the instant, story-driven context keeps fans both informed and immersed. Whether you’re a dedicated follower or a casual viewer, it makes every moment more exciting,” said Oleksii Krasnikov, CEO of EPL.
The post GRID Launches GRID Insights: Real-Time AI Context for Esports Tournaments appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Ana Carolina Luna Maçães
Esportes Gaming Brasil unveils Ana Carolina Luna Maçães as Compliance Manager to reinforce regulatory commitment
Esportes Gaming Brasil, the owner of Onabet and Esportes da Sorte, has unveiled Ana Carolina Luna Maçães as its new Compliance Manager. The hire reinforces the company’s commitment to transparency, integrity, and good governance in Brazil’s evolving betting market.
Esportes Gaming Brasil’s new Head of Compliance, Ana Carolina Luna Maçães, commented: “Esportes Gaming Brasil has set a high standard in Brazil’s betting market with its total commitment to integrity, governance, and responsible gaming. It’s a privilege to join this exceptional team as Compliance Manager. My role is to reinforce our culture of compliance, navigating us through complex regulatory frameworks across multiple jurisdictions with as little friction as possible. Our mission is to deliver secure, transparent, and competitive services for our partners and clients.”
A seasoned legal and compliance professional who has spent time at NSX Brasil, Maçães joins with expertise in financial crime prevention, responsible gambling, and corporate ethics. She has earned a CPC-A certification from LEC (Legal, Ethics & Compliance), and she significantly strengthens the group’s in-house compliance work.
Esportes Gaming Brasil CEO Darwin Filho, added: “It’s more than just complying with and supporting regulations. Esportes Gaming Brasil has been actively leading the process of maturing the betting sector in the country. Our commitment to governance has been an essential part of our business model since the beginning. The arrival of Ana Carolina represents a strategic reinforcement, further strengthening the culture of compliance that has always guided the company.”
Esportes Gaming Brasil is proud to be one of the Brazilian-licensed operators under the SPA/MF framework and is renowned for impactful responsible gambling measures, including self-exclusion tools, behaviour monitoring, and an addiction support network.
With deep relationships to national sport and culture through major football sponsorships and experiential collaborations, and a growing digital presence via Onabet, the group is committed to shaping a safe, sustainable, and responsible future for Brazil’s gaming sector.
The post Esportes Gaming Brasil unveils Ana Carolina Luna Maçães as Compliance Manager to reinforce regulatory commitment appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
eSports
Gamercraft Fully Adopts ESIC Integrity Codes and Joins Commission to Elevate Global Esports Standards
The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) announced that Gamercraft has joined ESIC as a Platform Tournament Organiser Member, formally embedding ESIC’s Integrity Codes into its Terms & Conditions and Terms of Use.
As part of its membership, Gamercraft will:
• Integrate ESIC’s Anti-Corruption, Anti-Cheating and Player Conduct Codes directly into every user agreement.
• Work hand-in-hand with ESIC to manage integrity-related complaints and appeals, including reviews of platform bans, to ensure transparent and independent resolution.
As an esports tournaments platform, Gamercraft delivers skill-based competitive experiences powered by proprietary tournament formats and performance-driven systems. With its integration into ESIC, Gamercraft solidifies its commitment to competitive integrity by adopting the ESIC Integrity Programme across all its operations.
Gamercraft joins a growing list of distinguished international tournament organisers and stakeholders who rely on ESIC’s Integrity Programme to form the foundation for competitive integrity within their operations.
Stephen Hanna, CEO of ESIC, said: “We are pleased to welcome Gamercraft, Inc. into ESIC membership. As a tournament organiser operating in the fast-evolving space of platform-based esports competition, their adoption of the ESIC Integrity Program is a meaningful step toward upholding fairness and ethical conduct across online tournaments. We look forward to supporting Gamercraft as they continue to scale their efforts with integrity at the core.”
JJ Garcia-Rovira, CEO of Gamercraft, said: “At Gamercraft, integrity forms the foundation of fair competition. Joining ESIC formalizes our commitment to maintaining the highest standards across our tournament ecosystem. As we pioneer new formats in skill-based competition and esports, this partnership ensures our community can compete with complete confidence in the fairness and transparency of our platform. We’re excited to work alongside ESIC in elevating integrity standards throughout the competitive gaming ecosystem.”
The post Gamercraft Fully Adopts ESIC Integrity Codes and Joins Commission to Elevate Global Esports Standards appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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