

Canada
Leading Esports Platform Challengermode Announces US Launch
Leading Swedish esports platform Challengermode, the home of competitive gaming, has today announced that it will be launching into the North American market. With a focus on building out existing and new partnerships, driving customer acquisition and expanding its international team, this move will help deliver against its mission to make esports accessible to everyone.
The Challengermode platform serves as an esports ecosystem for key actors, including game developers, tournament organizers, content creators and brands. It provides a place where millions of esports fans and casual gamers can compete at any level of skill. For organizers it offers an automated and scalable tournament and league infrastructure, and flexible monetization tools.
For years, Challengermode has been the home for various national, collegiate and corporate esports leagues throughout Europe, as well as a wide variety of official competitions for game publishers like Riot Games, EA Games and PUBG Corp (KRAFTON, Inc.) – with millions of competitions played on the platform yearly. Among its suite of fully automated game titles is the popular mobile game Gods of Boom that integrated with Challengermode’s platform in order to provide its community with accessible esports tournaments.
CEO at Challengermode Robel Efrem said: “We’re incredibly excited to announce our official expansion into the US. Thanks to our established industry partners we are well positioned to bring grassroots esports the focus it deserves, giving players an all important place to compete and level up their skills – while simultaneously acting as a gateway for other stakeholders to participate in the esports economy. Beyond creating a space for players and organizers, our presence in the US is also targeting further integration with game developers looking to build out the esports aspects of their games, allowing new esports titles to hit the ground running.”
Challengermode has been rapidly adopted by thousands of tournament organizers that use its infrastructure to scale up their esports competitions – even ahead of the official US launch.
The esports infrastructure is made available through Challengermode Spaces, with which any gaming community, tournament organizer or game developer gets access to their own all-in-one esports arena. Spaces makes it possible and accessible to grow, engage and monetize an esports or game community.
Philip Hubner, Chief Business Development Officer at Challengermode: “North America is home to over 57 million esports viewers but, despite the scene’s exponential growth in the last decade, the vast majority of this audience has never had a chance to participate in esports in any capacity – this is especially true on consoles. The industry is still extremely top heavy, and built too much around sponsorship, broadcasting licenses and advertising revenue, rather than consumer revenue and participation. Challengermode is looking to turn the current industry model on its head – creating value for all esports stakeholders from the bottom up as well as the top down. Game Developers to us are a key part of what will drive this change, and so we’re excited to work more closely with developers across the Americas – and around the world.”
With recent funding from eWTP Innovation Fund, the global investment arm of the Alibaba Group, GP Bullhound, Telia Ventures and Swedish soccer player Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Challengermode has cemented its position as the fastest-growing grassroots esports platform. The company has hosted millions of competitions with millions of players in Europe alone, and has partnered with some of the globe’s biggest names in esports, including FIFA, renowned esports team Fnatic and digital gaming festival DreamHack. The platform already supports some of the most popular esports titles in the world, including League of Legends, DotA 2, FIFA and PUBG with more being added all the time.
Alex Malchenko Head of Sales at Evoplay
Evoplay strengthens Ontario presence in partnership with Caesars Entertainment

Evoplay, the award-winning game development studio, has partnered with Caesars Entertainment to expand its footprint in the Canadian market, following its initial entry earlier this year. The partnership integrates 20 of the studio’s top-performing titles onto Caesars Palace Online Casino, Horseshoe Online Casino and Caesars Sportsbook & Casino in Ontario, including fan-favourites such as Hot Triple Sevens, Triple Chili, and The Greatest Catch Bonus Buy.
Having announced its official entrance into Ontario in March, the collaboration with Caesars marks a significant step in Evoplay’s local strategy. Further standout releases, such as Inner Fire Bonus Buy and Hot Volcano, also launched as part of the initial package, with additional player favourites, including Fruit Nova and Ice Mania.
The collaboration underlines Evoplay’s commitment to working with leading operators to deliver high-quality content tailored to regional audiences.
Alex Malchenko, Head of Sales at Evoplay, said: “Launching with Caesars in Ontario marks a key milestone in our North American strategy.
“It reflects both the strength of our portfolio and our commitment to providing innovative, high-performing content to operators of the highest caliber.”
Ricardo Cornejo Rivas, Vice President of Online Gaming at Caesars Digital, said: “Evoplay brings a fresh and dynamic approach to online gaming, which we’re excited to offer to our players in Ontario. This portfolio of standout titles adds to our growing content library and furthering our ongoing goal of delivering top-tier entertainment experiences to our players.”
The post Evoplay strengthens Ontario presence in partnership with Caesars Entertainment appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Canada
iGaming Ontario Appoints Joseph Hillier as its New President and CEO

The iGaming Ontario Board of Directors has announced Joseph Hillier as the organization’s new President and Chief Executive Officer, effective September 8, 2025. Joseph’s depth in the Ontario igaming market combined with successful public and private sector careers make him the ideal President and CEO at this critical point in iGaming Ontario’s growth.
Joseph was most recently Chief Strategy Officer and Corporate Secretary at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), where he delivered significant strategic and regulatory initiatives across the province’s alcohol, cannabis, gaming, and horse racing sectors. Prior to the AGCO, he served as Chief of Staff to Ontario Attorney General Hon. Doug Downey and led the development, launch and implementation of Canada’s first private sector-driven igaming market and the creation of iGaming Ontario. Joseph also spent more than a decade working in the financial and legal services sectors.
The Board expressed its sincere thanks to David Smith for serving as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer since Martha Otton’s retirement.
The post iGaming Ontario Appoints Joseph Hillier as its New President and CEO appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Blanka Homor Sales Director at Playson
Playson strengthens Ontario foothold with Casino Time integration

Partnership accelerates supplier’s continued expansion across North America
Playson, the accomplished digital entertainment supplier, has bolstered its presence in Canada after securing a new partnership with Casino Time, one of Ontario’s fastest growing regulated operators.
Casino Time will benefit from Playson’s comprehensive Hold and Win portfolio, which consistently features among the supplier’s top-performing titles released to market.
Coin Strike: Hold and Win, Thunder Coins: Hold and Win, and Diamonds Power: Hold and Win are among the releases now available to the Casino Time player base, courtesy of a seamless integration via Light & Wonder’s aggregation platform.
Renowned for its retail presence across Ontario, Casino Time has successfully bridged the gap between physical and digital gaming since entering the province’s regulated iGaming market in 2024. Its online offering is set to reach new heights with the addition of Playson’s titles, which offer immersive gameplay and captivating visuals that are proven to increase player retention and satisfaction.
The latest agreement coincides with a significant period of growth in North America for Playson, underlining its long-term vision of expanding its market share in regulated territories with key operators.
Blanka Homor, Sales Director at Playson, said: “Ontario is a market of major significance for us in North America and so it is great to join ties with such a household name.
“Casino Time’s online expansion continues to soar and we are confident our Hold and Win collection will resonate with local players, offering them alternative ways of engaging in captivating slot experiences.”
Jeffrey Holmes, Chief Operating Officer at Casino Time, said: “Partnering with Playson is an exciting step in our mission to deliver the very best in online casino entertainment. Their Hold and Win titles are a proven hit in multiple markets, and we are certain these will add a unique dynamic to our slot library.
“This collaboration strengthens our ability to bridge the gap between retail and digital gaming, while giving our players fresh, immersive experiences.”
The post Playson strengthens Ontario foothold with Casino Time integration appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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