Canada
NHL Announces Expanded Calendar, New Brand Identity for Esports Champions
The National Hockey League (NHL) has announced an extensive format change to the programming calendar for its annual esports initiatives played on the EA SPORTS NHL game title. The tournament, now in its sixth season, has been rebranded as the EA SPORTS NHL 23 World Championship. The annual global tournament showcases a new creative vision and an expanded calendar of events that aligns with the NHL season.
Players and fans will have the opportunity to engage with more NHL esports content than ever before under the tournament umbrella – including live Twitch streams, Club tournaments, in-person events, and NHL player content, with an official World Championship making its triumphant return in June coinciding with the 2023 NHL Awards and 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft.
“Expanded programming in NHL markets and participation from all 32 Clubs has always been our ultimate objective as we continue to grow the NHL gaming ecosystem. As we head into the EA SPORTS NHL 23 World Championship season, we are excited to provide more global opportunities for players to compete at the highest level, more consistent social engagement across NHL platforms and the culmination of funnel tournaments at NHL signature events to showcase the skills of our players to our enthusiastic CHEL community,” Chris Golier, NHL Group Vice President of Business Development and Technology Partnerships, said.
Registration for the EA SPORTS NHL 23 World Championship and ancillary events begin on Thursday, December 8. Players and fans can stay up-to-date and follow all the action on the official tournament website, www.nhl.com/NHL23, and on social platforms using the #NHL23WC hashtag.
The Club Championship component of the tournament will add 32 prominent events to the calendar and allow NHL Clubs to expand their gaming presence, engage a younger audience, and crown an EA SPORTS NHL 23 Club Champion. All NHL Clubs will host an esports tournament where the winner will receive prize money and an automatic bid into the EA SPORTS NHL 23 North American Championship knockout round.
EA SPORTS’ new cross-platform matchmaking ability will enable players to square off against opponents on the same console generation, creating larger player pools and shortening queue times to ensure players have more options to face off and spend less time waiting to take the ice. Each ancillary event will produce two winners – one from each respective console generation (one from PlayStation 4 / Xbox One and one from PlayStation 5 / Xbox Series X|S) – who will then continue play in the EA SPORTS NHL 23 World Championship draw. This will give players more chances to play, qualify and win, and fans more touchpoints to the CHEL community.
The new tournament structure will see the NHL also host a new slate of online open tournaments in North America and Europe with finalists having the chance to attend an in-person final event during NHL North American signature events, including the 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend and 2023 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series.
ComeOn Group announced a significant milestone in its sportsbook expansion journey with the addition of sportsbook to their offering in Ontario following the successful acquisition of the required permits. This addition represents a strategic advancement in the Groups sportsbook growth trajectory where they are set to double its sportsbook business in the coming years.
ComeOn Group is one of 51 active operators in Ontario. The Ontario market has experienced robust growth since its launch, reaching C$6.7 billion in revenue in 2023.* By 2029, the market is forecasted to grow by a total of 29%, with 2024 expected to close with a 20% increase.
ComeOn keeps investing in its sportsbook business acceleration that is powered by its proprietary sportsbook platform and in-house risk management and trading team. As a multi product vertical operator, ComeOn is striving to give its customer base a safe and exciting entertainment destination and this approach is now expanded to their Ontario audience.
Juergen Reutter, Chief Executive Officer at ComeOn Group, said: “We are very excited about the opportunities this new milestone opens up for us. As a casino-led operator it represents a key part of our sportsbook strategy to double our business in the coming years. Like in any of our other markets, we are striving for a differentiated sportsbook entertainment experience that is powered by our in-house technology. Our goal is to deliver top-tier entertainment to our players while fostering safe and innovative gaming experiences.”
*Source – H2GC H2 Ontario Data 25.10.2024 (excl. Lottery)
BCLC
INTRALOT Announces New Project with the British Columbia Lottery Corporation for Online Lottery Platform
INTRALOT S.A. has announced the undertaking of a new project between the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), the sole lottery operator for the Government of British Columbia in Canada, and INTRALOT Inc., its US subsidiary, for the provision of an online lottery platform. The project also includes the digitalization of the existing land-based network.
The solution will be based on the Player X platform, part of the Lotos X ecosystem, and adds to the company’s overall partnership with BCLC, which has been extended until 2028.
INTRALOT is a leading player in a changing world of gaming. With significant experience in looking forward and anticipating emerging trends, the company provides future-proof solutions to regulated lottery and gaming operators around the world.
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.
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