

Canada
Riot Games Reveals Multi-City Tour across North America for 2022 League of Legends World Championship
Riot Games announced that its premier esports event, the League of Legends World Championship, returns to North America for the first time since 2016 with a continental tour.
The Worlds 2022 event will feature:
- Play-Ins in Mexico City, Mexico;
- Groups and Quarterfinals in New York City;
- Semifinals in Toronto, Canada;
- Finals in San Francisco, California.
This will be the first time Riot Games has hosted a multinational North American Worlds, making first-time stops in both Mexico and Canada.
The announcement was made at a press conference at Chase Center prior to the Golden State Warriors vs. Toronto Raptors NBA game featuring teams from the semifinal city (Toronto) and final city (San Francisco). Participants outlined Riot’s plan to “canvas North America,” with the final two stops being Scotiabank Arena, home of the Toronto Raptors, and Chase Center, home of the six-time NBA Champion Golden State Warriors.
The Worlds 2022 venue lineup also includes Play-Ins from LoL Esports’ Liga Latinoamerica (LLA) competition arena before contesting both Groups and the Quarterfinals at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.
“The momentum behind League of Legends Esports has only continued to grow since the last time we hosted Worlds in the U.S. in 2016. We’re thrilled to bring the full scale of our global sport back to North America, and, COVID permitting, welcome fans into the stands across three countries and four different cities,” said Naz Aletaha, Global Head of LoL Esports.
“Worlds is the showcase of the greatest of our sport, and we look forward to celebrating that with our fans in North America and across the world.”
Chase Center, also home of the Golden Guardians, a team in LoL Esports’ North American league (LCS), opened its doors in 2019. It is an award-winning sports and entertainment arena that boasts a seating capacity of 18,064. In addition to Warriors’ home games, the venue also hosts a variety of concerts, conventions, and other large-scale events.
Chase Center will be the 10th unique arena to host a Worlds Final. The most recent Worlds Finals venues and locations include the Laugardalshöll Sport Center in Reykjavík, Iceland (2021); SAIC Motor Pudong Arena in China (2020); AccorHotels Arena in Paris, France (2019); Incheon Munhak Stadium in Incheon, South Korea (2018); Beijing National Stadium in Beijing, China (2017); and the Staples Center in Los Angeles (2016).
Scotiabank Arena, also home to the Toronto Maple Leafs, opened its doors in 1999 and is often ranked the #1 Canadian arena. The venue has been recognized with more than 50 industry awards highlighting the venue’s security, accessibility, fan service, environmental commitment, food and beverage, marketing, design, partnerships, live entertainment, sales and box office service.
Sunday’s announcement prior to the Warriors vs. Raptors game featured Riot’s senior most esports executives alongside top casters and LoL Esports players:
- John Needham, President, Esports at Riot Games
- Naz Aletaha, Global Head of LoL Esports
- Chris Greeley, Head of Esports, North America and Oceania Pacific
- Martin Blaquier, Head of Esports, Latin America
- Eric “Licorice” Ritchie, top laner for Golden Guardians, LCS
- Choi “huhi” Jae-hyun, support for 100 Thieves, LCS
- Isaac “Azael” Cummings-Bentley, commentator and analyst
- Sam “Kobe” Hartman-Kenzler, commentator and analyst
Worlds is the pinnacle of LoL Esports competition in which the top teams from 12 diverse regions compete for the world champion title. Held at the end of the regular season in a different host region each year, 24 teams from Riot’s 12 professional leagues participate in the month-long tournament to crown one team as the best in the world. The 2020 World Championship shattered previous viewership records with more than 45.95 million peak concurrent viewers worldwide and an average minute audience (AMA) of more than 23.04 million.
In November 2021, the 2021 Worlds Final came down to Worlds defending champions and heavy favorites DWG KIA from Riot Games’ South Korean league, LCK, facing EDward Gaming, the top-seeded team from Riot’s China league, LPL. EDG raised the Summoner’s Cup trophy and earned Mercedes-Benz championship rings after a thrilling best-of-five series. Worlds 2021 set new viewership records for esports that surpassed Worlds 2020’s numbers, with a report detailing official numbers to be released in December.
Canada
Northern Super League Partners with Stats Perform

Stats Perform, the global leader in sports AI, data and technology, has announced an official data partnership with the Northern Super League (NSL). The partnership will allow world-leading Opta data to be collected live from every NSL league game for the next three years.
Beginning this month, the Northern Super League (NSL) establishes a new era in Canadian sport as the country’s first professional domestic women’s soccer league — an ambitious and transformative initiative co-founded by former Canadian international and Olympic medallist Diana Matheson. Its inaugural season kicks off on April 16 and will feature six teams who have assembled multinational player rosters with extensive club and international experience, including 100-cap Canadian internationals Desiree Scott and Quinn.
Once the action begins, detailed data from every on-ball event, including advanced AI-powered Opta Analytics metrics such as Expected Goals (xG) and Expected Assists (xA), will be captured and distributed via feeds and Stats Perform products, including OptaAI Studio. This will enable various broadcasters, publishers and rights holders to generate stories and insights throughout the NSL season and provide them straight to the league’s fans in real time.
As part of the agreement, the NSL’s League Office and every NSL club will also have access to Opta Search, part of OptaAI Studio. This will allow their content creators to leverage all Opta data collected during the NSL season in the creation of data-led stories on the stand-out performers, and will help them generate key talking points for publication on official league and club platforms. Opta Search will also empower the NSL’s media team to create a range of data visualizations, including player shot maps and touch maps, to visually illustrate the impact of different players’ on-field performances.
Christina Litz, NSL President, said: “We are thrilled to have Stats Perform on board as our official data partner. When we talk about detailed performance data in soccer, Opta is the gold standard, so we are delighted to have it powering each of our official digital channels. As the season progresses, we want to put the spotlight on all the on-field heroes who emerge and having access to world-class data will help us tell their stories and inspire a new generation of Canadian soccer fans.”
Steve Xeller, Chief Revenue Officer at Stats Perform, said: “Stats Perform has been a huge supporter of expansion leagues around the world, so we are very pleased to be partnering with NSL in the lead-up to their first domestic campaign. Seeing a fully professional women’s soccer league launch in Canada is an incredibly exciting development for the sport in North America and we see considerable potential in working proactively with the League’s Head Office to help the competition grow, using the power of AI and data-led storytelling to build fan communities across the continent.”
The post Northern Super League Partners with Stats Perform appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Africa
INCENTIVE GAMES SIGNS EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTION DEAL FOR NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE, SOUTH AFRICA AND UK WITH LIGHT & WONDER
Leading B2B games provider, Incentive Games, today announced its new agreement with premium gaming company and content provider Light & Wonder, Inc.
Through this agreement, Incentive Games will distribute its premium pay-to-play games – including new arcade-style titles – to key global regulated markets including the USA, Canada, South Africa, UK, and within Europe via Light & Wonder’s extensive operator network. Additionally, Incentive Games’ popular free-to-play content will be made available to a wider audience through Light & Wonder’s content marketplace.
The agreement brings together two industry leaders in iGaming and the strengths of both companies to deliver exceptional player experiences and elevate customer engagement.
Ahmed Baker, Chief Commercial Officer at Incentive Games said, “This agreement is a landmark moment in our company’s history. Previously, we’ve worked directly with major operators such as bet365, FanDuel, and Sky Bet. Now, we can distribute our games via Light & Wonder, an exceptional aggregator that we trust will handle our games with care.”
Steve Mayes, Senior Director of Partners at Light & Wonder, said: “We are excited to work with Incentive Games, a leader in gamification solutions. We look forward to leveraging their innovative platform and bringing their customisable crash and fast game content to all major regulated markets.”
The post INCENTIVE GAMES SIGNS EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTION DEAL FOR NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE, SOUTH AFRICA AND UK WITH LIGHT & WONDER appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Canada
Soft2Bet’s ToonieBet Partners with the Ottawa Senators as Official Online Casino Partner

With the Ottawa Senators securing a playoff spot in the NHL, ToonieBet will be there every step of the way, engaging fans with exclusive giveaways, premium entertainment, and a casino experience that mirrors the team’s energy and excitement.
The Ottawa Senators and Tooniebet, an online casino for players across Ontario, announced a partnership that will make Tooniebet the NHL team’s Official Online Casino Partner.
Tooniebet, which launched in 2024 is part of Soft2Bet – one of the world’s fastest growing iGaming turnkey solutions providers with iGaming brands around the world with a portfolio of 19 global licenses, including Ontario.
Additional highlights of the Ottawa Senators and TonnieBet partnership will include:
- In-Arena & Broadcast Branding: Digitally enhanced dashboards for home and away games
- In-rink board signage for home games
- Virtual slot signage for various games
- Digital inventory throughout the Ottawa Senators site on NHL.com
- Direct Fan Engagement: Social contests and promotions hosted on Senators’ digital platforms
- Television Broadcast Branding: Digitally enhanced rink boards for home and away games
- In-arena rink board signage for home games
Martin Ballard, VP Corporate Partnerships, Ottawa Senators stated: “We are thrilled to welcome ToonieBet as an official partner of the Ottawa Senators. Cooperating with a brand that shares our commitment to providing fans with an exceptional and trusted experience is incredibly exciting. Together, we look forward to delivering memorable moments and engaging our passionate fanbase in new and innovative ways.”
Oksana Tsyhankova, Chief Marketing Officer at Soft2Bet, commented: “Partnering Soft2Bet’s ToonieBet brand with the Ottawa Senators is a significant milestone that reinforces our strong brand presence in Ontario. In a short period, we have achieved impressive performance and retention results, with a primary focus on localised, engaging experiences for Canadian players, which makes ToonieBet truly set itself apart.”
By tapping into the Senators’ digital platforms and in-arena presence, ToonieBet will stay close to the action and connect with fans in real, engaging ways while continuing to offer a top-quality online casino experience.
ToonieBet offers a fast, localised online casino experience for players in Ottawa and across Ontario. Through this partnership, fans will have the chance to win Senators merchandise and tickets while ToonieBet grows its presence in a competitive Ontario market. With in-arena branding, regional broadcast coverage, and digital promotions, ToonieBet will be highly visible to the team’s loyal supporters.
The post Soft2Bet’s ToonieBet Partners with the Ottawa Senators as Official Online Casino Partner appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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