Connect with us

Canada

$310,000 Rocket League Major Headlines DreamHack’s First Stop in San Diego

Published

2 years ago

on

 

DreamHack San Diego, a three-day gaming lifestyle festival, has announced its expanded slate of programming for the weekend of April 7-9, 2023, at the San Diego Convention Center. The festival’s first-ever stop in San Diego will feature tentpole esports tournaments across the most popular titles, an exclusive screening of The Super Mario Bros. Movie with celebrity guests, an assortment of casual and competitive LAN experiences with nearly $1 million in total prizing, the launch of a brand new charity initiative in partnership with the Autism Society San Diego, and much more.

Rocket League Championship Series Winter Major

The top 16 internationally ranked Rocket League squads will descend upon San Diego for the most exciting major of the season: the Rocket League Championship Series Winter Major. The $310,000 tournament will take place at the RLCS Stage at DreamHack San Diego. DreamHack attendees can secure their spot with an RLCS Seating add on.

Top Brawl Stars, Clash of Clans teams face off in largest-ever Snapdragon Pro Series powered by Samsung Galaxy North American competition

The Snapdragon Pro Series powered by Samsung Galaxy will feature top mobile esports competitors from North America as they compete for $100,000 in total prizing. Fans can watch the live Brawl Stars and Clash of Clans finals at the festival or visit the Snapdragon Pro Series booth to learn more about how to go from competing on their couch to becoming a global champion.

DreamHack San Diego is just one of many Snapdragon Pro Series competitions around the world.

Drop in on a $250,000 Fortnite Tournament open to all BYOC ticket-holders

Fortnite will return to DreamHack’s casual and competitive lineup with the DreamHack Open Featuring Fortnite, a Zero Build competition kicking off at DreamHack San Diego. Available to all BYOC ticket holders, the competition provides an opportunity for attendees of all skill levels to test their mettle and clash for $250,000 in prize money.

DreamHack Magic

DreamHack San Diego hosts Round 2 of the United States Magic: The Gathering Regional Championship. The country’s best players will compete for their share of the $130,000 prize pool and a chance to qualify for The Gathering Pro Tour and the Magic World Championship.

DreamHack Magic also offers competitive and casual formats for players of all types, including:

  • An open $10,000 Phyrexia: All Will Be One sealed tournament
  • An open $10,000 standard tournament
  • Hourly drop-in tournaments
  • Open play Commander
  • Four and eight-person events throughout each day

Between sets, attendees can visit the Magic Artist Alley, chat with MTG influencers, and teach new players about the classic card game through MagiKids.

Cosplay at DreamHack San Diego

A cornerstone of gaming community and culture, DreamHack San Diego will be a hub for local and national cosplayers. Some of the biggest names in cosplay will tour the festival floor, participate in the $3,000 Cosplay Championships, and walk through their creative process during onsite panels.

DreamHack San Diego will feature dozens of popular cosplayers and content creators, including:

  • LoveBunny
  • Andrew McLean
  • DinoGraveyard
  • IvySprings
  • & many more to be announced soon

Explore DreamHack’s Expansive Artist Alley and Marketplace

Creatives from around the country will host pop-up shops with gaming and culture-inspired prints, pins, comics, and more at the festival’s Artist Alley. Several artists will be debuting DreamHack-exclusive merchandise only available in San Diego.

The Artist Alley will host over 20 artists, including:

  • BizBazClub
  • Moonshine Charms
  • CuteSewLuna
  • N2Apparel
  • & many more!

Exclusive The Super Mario Bros. Movie Screening

Watch one of the biggest video game movie releases of the year on one of DreamHack San Diego’s biggest stages. This will be one of the movie’s largest exclusive showings in the U.S., taking place at the Main Stage for all attendees.

Dream Big by DreamHack and Autism Society San Diego

DreamHack San Diego and Autism Society San Diego are teaming up to launch Dream Big, an initiative to raise autism awareness and funds for the non-profit during Autism Acceptance Month.  Attendees can use promo code DREAMBIG when purchasing a DreamHack ticket for a 20% discount, with 50% donated directly to Autism Society San Diego.

Celebrity guests are also getting involved, including:

  • Anjali Bhimani
  • Brent Noll
  • Eric Bauza
  • Jessica Dicicco
  • Jon Allen
  • & many more, with additional guests to be announced soon

Guests can get involved at the festival or at home through social media campaigns, fundraising, and on-site events.

DreamHack Fighters

The San Diego fighting game community will have opportunities to connect and compete in 11 titles. Some of the DreamHack San Diego fighting game activities include:

  • Brawlhalla Esports – DreamHack San Diego is the year’s first tournament stop for Brawlhalla’s 2023 esports program, with $70,000 in prizing across singles and doubles circuits.
  • DreamHack Fighters – DreamHack will host 14 tournaments – including singles and doubles play – across popular fighting game titles. Each tournament game requires a $1 fee to play, with cash prize pools across each competition. Participating titles include:
    • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
    • Super Smash Bros. Melee
    • Guilty Gear Strive
    • Street Fighter V
    • Tekken 7
    • & more

$40,000 BYOC LAN Tournaments & Freeplay

Competition takes place on and off the stage at DreamHack San Diego, including 10 bring your own controller (BYOC) tournaments across eight titles. Festival goers can compete against fellow festival attendees in Overwatch 2, VALORANT, Rocket League, and more, with nearly $40,000 up for grabs throughout the weekend.

Casual players can either grab a BYOC LAN spot or take part in the largest-ever Freeplay experience at a DreamHack event. Jump on a PC to go head-to-head with other attendees or enjoy couch co-op in the all-new console Freeplay area, which includes over 50 systems to play on.

Dethrone the King of the Hill

Throughout the weekend, DreamHack attendees are invited to climb the Pyramid and dethrone the King of the Hill in Fortnite. Play against attendees and surprise stars head-to-head for a chance to sit atop one of DreamHack San Diego’s biggest stages.

DreamHack’s Largest Arcade Cabinet Library

DreamHack San Diego brings the largest arcade of any DreamHack festival to date, with 50 cabinets and something for everyone to enjoy. Attendees can mull through a library of arcade favorites, including both retro classics like Pac-Man and Galaga, as well as modern mainstays like Dance Dance Revolution – all free to play with general admission.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Advertisement

BCLC

Surrey Resident Wins Record-Breaking $80-Million Lotto Max Jackpot

Published

2 days ago

on

May 16, 2025

By

surrey-resident-wins-record-breaking-$80-million-lotto-max-jackpot

Justin Simporios is normally a sound sleeper who “can fall asleep anywhere” – but he had a very sleepless night, after learning he won an $80-million Lotto Max jackpot from the May 9, 2025 draw. This is the largest lottery jackpot ever won in B.C. and is also the largest jackpot ever won by a single individual in Canada.  

“It was 10:30 p.m.,” recalled Simporios of the moment he realized he won. “I saw that someone won $80 million in Surrey. I was joking and told my wife ‘we’re millionaires!’ and she told me to stop making that joke. After, I manually checked each number before scanning [using the BCLC Lotto! I cried and shouted, ‘we’re millionaires!’” 

The Surrey resident woke up his wife to share the news. “She was in complete disbelief and a bit mad at me because our daughter wasn’t feeling well.” Simporios’ wife luckily agreed this was a good reason to wake her.  

While still in disbelief about his win, Simporios is ultimately most excited to share his windfall with his family. “I want to help my family and my wife’s family. I’ll pay off my sister’s medical school debt and help my mom retire early – just giving my family a head start in life.”  

Giving back to the community in Surrey and B.C. is also a key priority for Simporios. “I’ve struggled before and needed help. Even if I can give an ounce of happiness, I want to help where we can. This feels like a dream.”  

As an avid LA Lakers fan, Simporios mentioned he would like to see LeBron James play before James retires. He also plans to visit his family in the Philippines for a family reunion. “My wife and kid have never visited!”   

On how it feels to win a record-breaking jackpot?   

“The biggest change will be having more time with my wife and family. We want to live with a purpose – to help the community around us.”  

Simporios purchased the winning ticket at the Walmart Supercentre in Central City on King George Boulevard in Surrey. 

So far in 2025, B.C. lottery players have redeemed more than $101 million from Lotto Max. Lotto Max is a nationwide lottery game drawn on Tuesdays and Fridays after 7:30 p.m. (PST).  

Players can purchase tickets at lottery retailers or at PlayNow.com. Winning numbers and group release forms can be found online at www.bclc.com. Players can check their lottery tickets anytime, anywhere on iOS and Android devices. Learn more about the BCLC Lotto! 

BCLC offers socially responsible gambling entertainment while generating income to benefit all British Columbians. Players can visit PlayNow.com to learn how to set time and money limits. 

The post Surrey Resident Wins Record-Breaking $80-Million Lotto Max Jackpot appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

Continue Reading

AGCO

AGCO calls on media platforms to step up the fight against unregulated online gambling sites

Published

3 days ago

on

May 16, 2025

By

agco-calls-on-media-platforms-to-step-up-the-fight-against-unregulated-online-gambling-sites

 

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has contacted more than a dozen traditional and digital media platforms, calling on them to stop promoting unregulated online gambling and sports betting sites like Bodog to Ontario residents.

Operated by Il Nido Inc., Bodog is an offshore operator actively targeting Ontarians by advertising on popular traditional and digital media platforms. Despite blocking players in Quebec and Nova Scotia from accessing their unregulated gambling and sports betting sites, Bodog continues to allow Ontarians to access these sites while advertising heavily on traditional and digital media platforms targeting Ontarians.

Under the Gaming Control Act, 1992, Bodog and other online gambling sites are required to register with the AGCO and sign an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario in order to operate in Ontario. Ontario’s regulated igaming framework requires operators to meet comprehensive requirements related to game integrity, player protection, anti-money laundering and information privacy. Bodog’s efforts to direct Ontarians to unregulated gambling undermine player protection and other safeguards which exist in the regulated market, as well as fair market principles.

By airing ads for Bodog and other unregulated operators, legitimate media platforms are providing a veneer of legitimacy to unregulated and high-risk sites and creating confusion for Ontarians. The AGCO is therefore calling on these platforms to take a stand against the promotion of unregulated online gambling sites and remove the ads. By doing so, broadcasters and digital media companies will help reduce the risks these sites pose to Ontarians and support the long-term sustainability of Ontario’s regulated igaming market – all key objectives of the AGCO.

The AGCO will continue to work with its partners – both in Ontario and internationally – to combat these unregulated sites and protect the public.

“The AGCO is committed to protecting Ontario players and ensuring they have the safest experience by playing on regulated igaming sites. By refusing to carry advertising from unregulated and high-risk operators like Bodog, media organizations can exemplify social responsibility and play an important role in protecting Ontarians and supporting Ontario’s regulated market.”  – Dr. Karin Schnarr, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar, AGCO.

The post AGCO calls on media platforms to step up the fight against unregulated online gambling sites appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

Continue Reading

Caesars Entertainment

OLG Selects Caesars Entertainment as the Service Provider for Windsor Casino

Published

5 days ago

on

May 13, 2025

By

olg-selects-caesars-entertainment-as-the-service-provider-for-windsor-casino

 

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation has selected Caesars Entertainment as the Service Provider in the Windsor Casino procurement process. This is the final procurement process in the OLG’s land-based gaming modernization initiative.

Tom Reeg, CEO of Caesars Entertainment, said: “We are thrilled to be selected as the service provider for the Windsor Casino by the OLG. Caesars has a long history of managing Windsor and looks forward to continuing to deliver exceptional guest service and experiences at the property.”

Caesars and its predecessor companies have partnered with the OLG to operate Caesars Windsor (fka. Casino Windsor) since the opening of the temporary facility in 1994. Caesars will assume responsibility for gaming and non-gaming operations of the Windsor casino on behalf of the OLG under a 20-year operating agreement, which is expected to begin in 2026.

OLG requires an 18-month restriction on any organizational changes consistent with other gaming bundle modernizations in Ontario. Unionized employees will continue to be governed by the terms of their collective agreement.

The post OLG Selects Caesars Entertainment as the Service Provider for Windsor Casino appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

Continue Reading

Trending