Canada
Web3 Fantasy Sports Platform Gambit’s Private Alpha Launch Sees 23,000 Registered Players in First Two Weeks Following US$1.5M Pre-Seed Funding Round
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Pioneering a more accessible fan-centric gaming environment for the web3 fantasy sports ecosystem
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NBA Finals excitement brings in players from across the world, with especially high engagement in Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and India
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Powered by crypto venture studio SuperLayer, backed by innovators across web3, sports, and technology such as Joe Montana and Marc Andreessen
Gambit, a tokenized fantasy sports platform that allows players to build, trade, play, and earn through their favorite sports, has enjoyed a successful Private Alpha Launch throughout the NBA Playoffs and is capitalizing on the excitement of the NBA Finals this week as the Warriors and Celtics tie going into Game 3.
Gambit has seen significant and sustained user growth over the course of the NBA Playoffs with over 26,000 registered players invited to test the Alpha product from a waitlist of over 130,000. Engagement has been highest in Southeast Asia and India, accounting for over 60% of players.
Communities are at the cornerstone of web3 ecosystems and Gambit has already seen mass appeal on a global level, with players across Asia accounting for the majority of its current users. This is in line with the growing internationalization effort driven by the NBA, which has seen significant popularity in markets across Southeast Asia such as the Philippines and Indonesia. Compounded with strong adoption of play-and-earn and free-to-play (FTP) gaming across the region, Gambit has experienced impressive global engagement figures through the NBA Finals, with a more winnable and fan-friendly product.
Once the NBA season comes to a close in mid-June, Gambit will be gearing up for its next milestone — a public allowlist Beta launch — focusing on bringing a new sport and over 100,000 users onto its platform. Soccer will be making its debut on the platform this year, starting with the “Big Five” European leagues. While the Beta waitlist for the soccer season will begin with current players, new members will be given many opportunities to experience the Beta product for themselves. Gambit will also be working to release its platform to a wider audience during its full public launch later this year.
Commenting on the growth seen to date, Riaz Lalani, Founder of Gambit, said: “Today’s fantasy sports ecosystem has largely forgotten about the fans — games are more about crunching numbers than the fun and enjoyment that comes with being a sports fan. At Gambit, we want to put the power back in fans’ hands, enabling them to own the fantasy sports journey from start to finish. We’re taking the play-and-earn dynamic one step further, empowering our users to play-to-own. We’re excited to offer an ecosystem that every sports enthusiast deserves and has a collective stake in.”
Rather than simply address the shortcomings of existing fantasy platforms, Gambit is forging a new path by prioritizing accessibility, ownership, and fun over the transactional nature of traditional web2 fantasy sports. The community ethos of web3 ensures greater persistence and retention among users through the $GMBT token, which encourages alignment across customers, builders, and stakeholders. However, Gambit does tackle the critical pain point of equal odds and equal outcomes in today’s fantasy sports market. With existing platforms heavily skewed towards experts, Gambit ensures that casual fans have the opportunity to win alongside hardcore players, making the gameplay equally enjoyable and accessible for everyone involved.
To support Gambit in its next phase of growth as it transitions out of its Alpha Launch, the project has received US$1.5 million in pre-seed funding from SuperLayer, a venture studio born out of and made exclusively for web3. Incubated through SuperLayer, Gambit also benefits from unparalleled access to the resources and expertise of the $RLY Network, which supports multiple layer-one protocols including Ethereum and Solana, providing liquidity across tokens.
Mahesh Vellanki, Managing Partner of SuperLayer, said: “Over the past year, NFTs have radically transformed the world of sports — from the gamification of the digital sports collectible market to the rising popularity of NFTs across basketball to Formula 1, it’s clear that franchises, teams, leagues, and fans alike have all come to recognize the value that crypto brings. Gambit is taking this one step further by leveraging fungible athlete tokens in a way that provides a next-gen product experience for players, while simultaneously solving tangible problems faced by traditional fantasy sports operators. We’re thrilled to be supporting Gambit as they demonstrate the true utility that crypto can bring to traditional consumer applications.
Led by a team with a proven track record across the worlds of crypto and venture capital, projects within the SuperLayer ecosystem benefit from access to a best-in-class network of founders and a multi-disciplinary bench of successful backers. These include Andreessen Horowitz managing partner Marc Andreessen, Animoca Brands co-founder Yat Siu, former NFL quarterback Joe Montana, Japanese professional football player Keisuke Honda, early-stage blockchain investor Jehan Chu, and many more. SuperLayer is also a partner of the RLY network, an open, decentralized network, that supports an ecosystem of consumer crypto applications with the goal of bringing the next 100 million users into crypto.
GeoLocs by mkodo, proven and trusted provider of geolocation services built exclusively for the iGaming industry, is excited to announce its partnership with casino operator, Casino Time. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in delivering secure and seamless online gaming experiences to Casino Time players in Ontario.
With the legalisation of iGaming in Ontario 2 years ago, regulatory compliance and player safety are top priorities for operators across North America. GeoLocs state-of-the-art geolocation compliance technology, coupled with its dedication to data protection (as seen by the recent ISO certification), provide Casino Time with guaranteed compliance while prioritising player privacy.
Through GeoLocs’ intuitive and easy-to-implement SDK and the highly self-serviceable GeoLocs platform, Casino Time provides its players with a seamless user experience, requiring no additional downloads, resulting in uninterrupted access to their favourite games while maintaining compliance with Ontario’s iGaming regulations.
Jeffrey Holmes, COO at Casino Time said: “Casino Time’s mission is to create the best possible gaming experience for its users and partnering with GeoLocs for our geolocation verification service means that we can provide our players with an online casino experience like no other. An experience that is secure and seamless, whilst also remaining compliant with regulations set out by the province of Ontario. The support provided by the team at GeoLocs has been incredible and their knowledge of geolocation and the Ontario market is second to none. With GeoLocs, we can ensure that our operations meet regulatory requirements while delivering a frictionless experience for our players.”
Stuart Godfree, Managing Director at mkodo, said: “We are excited to partner with Casino Time to support their expansion into the Ontario iGaming market. GeoLocs is designed to prioritise data protection and regulatory compliance while delivering a seamless experience for both operators and players. With GeoLocs technology, Casino Time can operate with confidence, knowing that they are meeting regulatory standards and providing their players with a safe and secure gaming environment.”
The partnership between GeoLocs and Casino Time demonstrates a shared commitment to excellence, compliance, and player experience in the iGaming industry. By leveraging GeoLocs’ advanced geolocation technology, Casino Time aims to enhance its position as a leading provider of online gaming experiences in Ontario.
Canada
Great Canadian Entertainment and Petroglyph Development Group Announce Historic Transaction of Casino Nanaimo
Great Canadian Entertainment, Canada’s leading gaming and hospitality company, announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its landmark Vancouver Island property, Casino Nanaimo, to Petroglyph Development Group Ltd (Petroglyph) in a historic transaction for both parties. Petroglyph is a wholly owned corporation of the Snuneymuxw First Nation dedicated to realizing the economic potential of the Nation.
Great Canadian’s Board of Directors unanimously approved the transaction, which remains subject to customary closing conditions as well as customary approvals by the regulatory authorities. Under the terms of the definitive agreement, the Company will provide transition services to Petroglyph for up to two years post-closing.
“We are very pleased to have executed this agreement. As the operator of Casino Nanaimo since its inception in 1986, we believe that under Petroglyph’s steady management, this transaction will provide Casino Nanaimo, its guests and team members with an exciting new chapter. We look forward to the closing and then working with the Petroglyph team during the transition period to ensure an outstanding outcome for all parties,” said Matt Anfinson, Chief Executive Officer of the Company.
“We celebrate our partnership with Great Canadian and our entry into B.C.’s casino industry. We are committed to bringing Snuneymuxw’s local expertise to an established tradition of outstanding guest service and meaningful community contributions. Honouring the decades of work by past Snuneymuxw Chiefs and Councils, we look forward to closing the definitive agreement and realizing our collective vision with the Great Canadian team. This collaboration promises to bring significant benefits and substantial economic growth to our Nation and the local community,” said Snuneymuxw Chief Mike Wyse.
Erralyn Joseph, President of Petroglyph Development Group (PDG), said: “The Snuneymuxw group of companies are profoundly honoured to support Snuneymuxw economic growth in significant and meaningful ways. In addition to our pending acquisition of the business, we are honoured to announce the return of the associated land once closing is completed, a part of the Snuneymuxw xwsol’lexwel village. On behalf of the Board of Directors, we are pleased to share this news and remain committed to advancing the region’s economic growth in support of all its residents.”
Ian Simpson, Chief Executive Officer of PDG, said: “Acquiring this significant asset will unlock unprecedented economic potential for Snuneymuxw and PDG, paving the way for transformative growth in Snuneymuxw’s economy and the profits that PDG returns to our Nation.”
McMillan is serving as legal counsel to Great Canadian. McCarthy Tétrault is acting as legal counsel and KPMG Corporate Finance Inc. is acting as financial advisor to Petroglyph.
Canada
Canada set to host the next BLAST R6 Major with world’s best Rainbow Six esports players to compete in Montreal in November
World’s best Rainbow Six Siege esports teams from 9 regions will compete in Montreal, Canada. $750,000 in total prize pool up for grabs at final Major of 2024.
Today, Ubisoft and BLAST have released details for the final BLAST Rainbow Six Major of Season 2024, which is due to take place in Montreal, Canada from 7 to 17 of November.
Rainbow Six Esports is back in Canada for the first time since 2023, with Montreal’s Verdun Auditorium set to welcome 20 of the world’s best teams over two weeks in November. The BLAST R6 Major Montreal will feature a three-phase format with the final weekend playing out in front of a live audience with thousands of fans expected to pack out the Verdun Arena.
Tickets are available here: eventim.ca
Dates & location:
- Phase 1: 7 – 8 November – not open to public
- Phase 2: 10 – 13 November – not open to public
- Phase 3: 15 – 17 November – open to the public at the Verdun Auditorium, Montreal
Venue: Verdun Auditorium
Address: 4110 Bd LaSalle, Verdun, QC H4G 2A5, Canada
With Stage 2 of the Regional Leagues is set to get underway from September, teams across the nine different regions of BLAST R6 will be looking to become one of the 20 teams to qualify for the Montreal Major. These teams will compete for the lion’s share of the USD $750,000 prize pool, as well as points to qualify for the Six Invitational 2025.
Montreal and Rainbow Six have a long history together since the teams behind the development of Rainbow Six Siege are based in Ubisoft offices in Montreal. The city had previously hosted international Rainbow Six Esports tournaments such as the 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2023 editions of Rainbow Six’s SIX Invitational where Brazilian team w7m had been crowned World Champions.
Additional details on the venue, ticketing, and more are available via Eventim here: eventim.ca
For more information about BLAST R6, please visit rainbow6.com and follow us on social media.
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