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Citizen Science Effort Launched for Gaming Community to Donate Computer Processing Power to Find Treatments for COVID-19 Virus

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BALANCED Media|Technology (BALANCED) and Complexity Gaming (Complexity), one of North America’s most elite and longest standing esports organizations, have partnered to announce #WeAreHEWMEN, a new citizen science/crowdsourcing effort to encourage the video game community to donate spare computer processing power to find treatments to fight the COVID-19 virus.  BALANCED, a crowdsourced healthcare artificial intelligence company bringing purpose to play, has launched the HEWMEN® Cell application, a free secure download that creates a virtual network to process drug discovery data for COVID-19.  Leading esports team and sponsor, Complexity, is urging the gaming community to support the effort by downloading the HEWMEN cell application.

BALANCED’s HEWMEN technology creates a distributed network that processes data-driven problems such as drug discovery and medical research.  The HEWMEN Cell application, which uses small amounts of volunteer computers’ unused processing capacity, has integrated BOINC, an open-source software platform used for volunteer resources developed by the University of California, Berkeley. It allows for the virtualizing of servers and applications inside a voluntary grid network and has been widely used with no security issues on millions of PCs. The HEWMEN Cell app was used by BALANCED and computational biologist John Wise, Ph.D., of Southern Methodist University’s Drug Discovery Lab, for finding co-medications to enhance the effect of chemotherapy in the treatment of recurrent, resistant breast and prostate cancers.

BALANCED, with John Wise, will harness the power of gamers to have the HEWMEN Cell app process information from more than 200,000 FDA-approved existing medications/compounds against models of the protein and enzymatic functions of COVID-19 to see which candidates prove most effective at reducing the virus’ pathology. Using these compounds, between 1.5-3 million virtual experiments will be run, simulating attempts to dock compounds to specific locations on the virus. By identifying the compounds with the highest probability of success, the effort will dramatically reduce development cycle time and get new treatments to market faster.

“If there’s one universal truth about gamers, it’s that they’re always looking for their next challenge,” said Robert M. Atkins, BALANCED CEO. “COVID-19 is the biggest threat to humanity and there’s no community in the world more engaged online than gamers. This makes them the perfect group to empower to help put an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. When they hear the call to help, they will answer. It’s the moment they’ve been training for since they booted up their first video game.”

The HEWMEN Cell app can also combine human intelligence with the system’s machine learning by injecting scientific datasets into videogames.  As players interact with the games, they add human intuition and insight into the process as they act upon scientific datasets to solve complex problems or help a computer vision algorithm learn to “read” a certain type of image.

In an industry first, BALANCED recently put a medical research project on Twitch Interactive in partnership with Complexity for World of Warcraft‘s “Race to World First.” The livestream event invited viewers to become participants by playing BALANCED’s The Omega Cluster within Twitch streams while watching Complexity-Limit, the top World of Warcraft guild in the United States, become the first North American guild to win the “Race to World First.” During the 10-day tournament, participants logged over 900 hours – or 23 40-hour work weeks – playing The Omega Cluster, virtually processing medical compounds for cancer medicines through their gameplay.

“As with ‘Race to World First,’ we’re proud to partner with BALANCED to showcase the power of gaming and esports within our greater global community,” said Jason Lake, Founder and CEO, Complexity Gaming. “We’re grateful to continue working with BALANCED not only to create an engaging new experience but also to be a part of something meaningful as we strive to find a solution to this global pandemic.”

Other BALANCED efforts include the use of its technologies in an award-winning project by Chief Technical Officer Corey Clark, Ph.D., for the Barbara Bush Foundation’s Adult Literacy XPRIZE (2019) and the creation of an Eye in the Sky: Defender game for the Retina Foundation of the Southwest to improve the automation of interpreting Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) scans used in the diagnosis and treatment of Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

 

About BALANCED Media Technology
BALANCED Media|Technology is a crowdsourced healthcare artificial intelligence company bringing purpose to play.  BALANCED is focused on changing the way researchers, pharmaceutical and medical device companies leverage machine learning (ML) to advance the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. By crowdsourcing artificial intelligence through online communities and gaming via its HEWMEN platform, BALANCED hopes to aid researchers in investigating new treatments by creating AI-enabled technologies that reduce research time and cost and increase research effectiveness. BALANCED, a 2019 Tech Titan winner that has been recognized as an industry innovator by multiple groups including the Dallas Business Journal and Dallas Innovates, is also creating the 8 CELL video game that aids in medical/health education and research. The McKinney, Texas based company is headed by founders in data science, computing, video game development and the medical/healthcare industries.

About Complexity Gaming
Complexity Gaming is one of North America’s longest standing and most successful esports organizations, now owned by Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys and investor John Goff. The esports organization is led by Founder and CEO Jason Lake, considered by many to be one of the founding fathers of esports in North America. Complexity Gaming has won more than 140 championships in nearly 30 game titles over it’s more than 15-year history. Staunchly committed to passion, professionalism, and a player-first mentality, Complexity Gaming has been continuously recognized as a global leader in modern esports.

SOURCE BALANCED Media | Technology

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Soft2Bet’s Brand ToonieBet Named an Official Sports Betting and Casino Partner of the CFL

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ToonieBet, Soft2Bet’s premier sportsbook and online casino brand tailored for Canadian players, has been named both an Official Sports Betting Partner and an Official Online Casino Partner of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

The multiyear partnership also establishes ToonieBet as an Official Partner of the CFL’s championship game, the Grey Cup. Fans from coast to coast to coast annually gather for Canada’s largest single-day sporting event to celebrate an incredible season, and to witness one team earn the right to hoist the iconic trophy. The 112th Grey Cup will be played at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg on Sunday, November 16.

Fans in Ontario aged 19-and-over will be able to responsibly wager on CFL games through ToonieBet with access to in-game betting and futures. The collaboration will also explore exciting branded online casino experiences on the ToonieBet platform to entertain existing fans and engage new ones.

ToonieBet’s partnership with the CFL underscores Soft2Bet’s ongoing commitment to Canadian sports fans and a further investment in the Canadian sporting tradition, as the deal marks Soft2Bet’s second sports partnership in the country within the last three months, following ToonieBet’s designation as the Official Online Casino Partner of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators, which was recently expanded with a full sportsbook offering.

“This partnership is for the fans. Together with ToonieBet, we will unlock exciting avenues of entertainment, delivering new products, responsible gaming options and unique activations, to better serve the future of fandom. In the stadium, at home or online, we’re doubling down on engagement and innovation like never before,” said Tyler Keenan, the CFL’s Chief Revenue Officer.

“Partnering with the CFL will elevate our robust offerings in the Canadian market and allow us to continue building our passionate sports and online gaming community in Ontario. Our team at ToonieBet is deeply committed to building a premium fan experience, while delivering exceptional customer hospitality and ensuring both responsible and safe game play,” said Steve Spindler, ToonieBet’s Canadian Country Manager.

“We are proud to partner with the CFL and its local teams. This partnership goes beyond visibility – it’s about building relevance and establishing a real connection with fans. Aligning with one of Canada’s most trusted leagues allows us to strengthen our bond with Ontarians and deliver a best-in-class sports betting and gaming experience through ToonieBet,” said Martin Collins, Chief Business Development Officer at Soft2Bet.

Additionally, ToonieBet has been designated as an Official Authorized Gaming Operator of the CFL, allowing Soft2Bet to deliver best-in-class gaming experiences with official CFL data and statistics to sports fans and sportsbook users across Ontario through the ToonieBet platform.

ToonieBet will also serve as the presenting partner of CFL Fantasy, and the Game Tracker in Ontario on CFL.ca and LCF.ca, in addition to being the CFL’s odds provider on the league’s digital scoreboard.

The post Soft2Bet’s Brand ToonieBet Named an Official Sports Betting and Casino Partner of the CFL appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa Opens with Legendary Guitar Smash and Star-Studded Celebration

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Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa officially opened its doors with a signature guitar smash, marking the arrival of Canada’s first fully integrated Hard Rock resort, a bold new destination where entertainment, hospitality, and music take center stage.

The $350 million resort brings the brand’s unmistakable energy to Canada’s capital, offering locals and visitors an immersive Hard Rock experience blending iconic music history with world-class entertainment, hospitality, dining, and gaming.

In true Hard Rock fashion, the opening festivities kicked off with the Canadian Tenors’ electrifying rendition of O Canada followed by the brand’s signature Guitar Smash, a modern take on the traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony. Executives, dignitaries, and community leaders took the stage to ceremoniously smash guitars, signaling the official opening of the state-of-the-art entertainment destination.

A special moment included the presentation of a $100,000 donation to Ottawa Food Bank, reinforcing Hard Rock’s commitment to giving back to the communities it serves.

“Bringing Hard Rock to Canada’s capital is an iconic milestone for our brand. We’re proud to expand our global footprint and create a destination where locals and visitors can experience world-class gaming, hospitality, and entertainment all in one place,” said Jim Allen, Chief Executive Officer of Hard Rock International.

“Our government is thrilled that Hard Rock chose Ontario for its first fully integrated hotel and casino venue in Canada. This new entertainment and hospitality destination will draw visitors from near and far to Ottawa, create and sustain hundreds of local jobs, and provide millions of dollars for local infrastructure and community programs,” said Stan Cho, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming.

The post Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa Opens with Legendary Guitar Smash and Star-Studded Celebration appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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MIXI Receives AGCO Approval for PointsBet Acquisition

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PointsBet Holdings Limited announced that MIXI has received written confirmation that AGCO has no concerns with the proposed acquisition by MIXI of the shares in PointsBet Holdings Limited.

PointsBet has also received written confirmation from iGaming Ontario (iGO) in relation to MIXI’s proposed acquisition of shares in PointsBet.

Accordingly, the condition precedent to MIXI’s proposed PointsBet-Board recommended Takeover Bid relating to Ontario approvals in paragraph 4.5 of Schedule 1 of the Bid Implementation Deed dated 16 June 2025 (BID) has been satisfied.

MIXI’s proposed Takeover Bid remains subject to the satisfaction of certain other limited conditions as previously announced, including a 50.1% minimum acceptance of the proposed MIXI Offer (as defined in the BID).

The Northern Territory Racing and Wagering Commission provided its approval on 24 March 2025 for MIXI to acquire PointsBet. PointsBet confirmed that MIXI’s proposed Takeover Bid is no longer subject to any gaming regulatory approvals.

The post MIXI Receives AGCO Approval for PointsBet Acquisition appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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