veloce-breaks-half-a-million-monthly-views

Veloce breaks half a million monthly views

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Veloce, the UK-based next-gen sports ecosystem, has recorded over half a billion views across its YouTube channels in one month for the first time. The landmark continues the growth of the Veloce’s fanbase that can watch and support their favourite gamers and drivers as they compete around the world within one ecosystem.

  • In four years, monthly viewers have grown from 27,000 to 500m
  • In the last year alone, monthly viewing has grown 150% from 200m to 500m
  • Veloce’s new TikTok channel alone has 140m monthly views
  • 35m subscribers across Veloce channels on YouTube

Rupert Svendsen-Cook, CEO of Veloce Group, said: “To hit half a billion monthly views in under four years is special. With other channels like TikTok we are going over 640 million a month. That just shows you the appeal Veloce has but also the growth of Esports and other future focussed sports.

“We are talking about a huge, young audience, engaging with sports, both physical and digital, in a new and different way. We think it is the future of how fans will consume sports in the future, around the world. We are going to keep building that ecosystem for our fans and giving them the great content they want.”

Veloce, based in a studio in West London, have grown from their founding in 2018 as an Esports team with three employees to one of the fastest-growing modern media and sports rights holders in the UK with over 40 employees and teams competing at the cutting edge of the future of sports.

Veloce Group’s teams compete in future focussed sports, both physical and digital, championing sustainability and gender diversity. In motorsports, Veloce compete in Extreme-E – attracting partners like E.ON – and won the W Series last season with Jamie Chadwick.

In Esports, Veloce operates over 10 teams, both under the Veloce umbrella itself and across partner and joint venture operations, including Mercedes F1, McLaren, Quadrant (with F1 driver Lando Norris) and Yas Heat. Further, Veloce has over 60+ gamers competing across titles such as Official F1 Game, Forza, GT Sport, DiRT Rally and Project Cars.

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NRM add experienced Product Support Manager to growing team

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Jonathon Haynes has celebrated his tenth year in the industry by assuming the newly created post of Product Support Manager at NRM. 28-year-old Jonathon started his industry career at RLMS Sales before moving to Bell-Fruit Games and on to his most recent role as Gaming Sales Division, Field Sales Manager at Inspired. In his new NRM role Jonathon reports to Ian Weatherill, the company’s Director of Technology.

Confirming the new appointment Ian Weatherill said: “Jonathon joins NRM at an important and exciting time for the business as we consolidate and continue to grow our market-share in a post-lockdown world.

“He brings with him a really impressive depth of hands-on experience gained first as a Workshop Engineer at RLMS, followed by four years providing after sales care to customers at Bell-Fruit Games a role which also involved training engineers employed by customers. His most recent position with Inspired involved the installation, networking and maintenance of gaming products across FEC, AGC and Bingo sectors.

“Both his experience and his customer-focussed approach fit perfectly with our purpose which is to deliver gaming technology and software solutions right across the gaming and leisure retail space.”

Andrew Ludlow, NRM Managing Director, added: “On behalf of the NRM team I would like to extend a warm welcome to Jonathon as he embarks on the next stage in his already successful career.

“I think businesses like and appreciate having access to people who have practical experience of the industry and who understand the operational pressures and challenges they face. Jonathon has amassed a huge amount of experience and I am certain that he will enhance NRM’s ‘no nonsense’ reputation in the market and help our customers to get the very best from their NRM products and maximise their income in the process.”

Jonathon Haynes represents the third new team member to join NRM since June alongside Java Developer Kirsty Nicholson and Web Developer Hassan Nije.

tundra-esports-announces-virgil-van-dijk-as-ambassador-and-shareholder

Tundra Esports Announces Virgil Van Dijk as Ambassador and Shareholder

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Tundra Esports has announced Virgil van Dijk as its new Ambassador and Shareholder.

One of the best football players in the world, Virgil will be helping to elevate and grow the overall Tundra brand whilst providing support and mentorship to the organisation’s professional esports players.

In a league of his own on the field, Virgil will be diversifying his portfolio as Ambassador and Shareholder of Tundra Esports through supporting and developing the organisation’s overarching business goals including fostering the best esports talent worldwide and holding a strong focus on performance and sportsmanship.

The announcement of Virgil as Tundra’s new Ambassador and Shareholder was revealed in the competitive gaming anthem, OUTPLAYED, which has been released yesterday. The track is the first official grime gaming song, and was created by Tundra’s ambassador British Grime artist P Money. Created to celebrate gaming and for anyone who plays games or watches competitive gaming, OUTPLAYED is purposefully PG-rated for all gamers of any age. The track weaves in iconic gaming references throughout and has a frenetic energy mixed with electronic sounds to mirror the playful, fast-paced nature of competitive gaming.

P Money said: “Occasionally the path of music and gaming has crossed over, but I can see a world where the two go hand in hand across major esports events and artists expanding their discography to embrace game themed music in the future.”

Virgil van Dijk said: “I am extremely excited to be joining Tundra Esports. Tundra Esports is one of the fastest growing esports organisations in the world and they are moving in a very exciting direction. It was great to be able to collaborate with P Money and the idea behind OUTPLAYED further emphasised why I wanted to be involved to help grow the team. They have built up a tremendous reputation when it comes to player well-being within a winning culture which is something that really resonates with me. I’m excited for the future.”

P Money said: “OUTPLAYED is a gaming anthem for everyone to enjoy. Grime and gaming pair perfectly – they have the same energy and hype, its two completely separate worlds merging. It’s been fantastic to be able to combine my two passions and to introduce my music fan base to what I’ve been doing in gaming. I want to show how both can go hand in hand and bring out others who’ve been interested but never quite had the confidence to do it.”

Maxim Demin, Owner and Co-Founder of Tundra Esports, said: “This is a major moment for Tundra. Having someone like Virgil, who is highly revered both on and off the pitch, join our team is incredible. His insight will be invaluable for our players but also how we evolve as an organisation. We have so much we can learn from sports. Announcing his involvement through OUTPLAYED was a stroke of genius from P Money. It’s been great to have his support and creativity to do something different that not only helps us stand out but is also something for the community. Hopefully, the community finds it as catchy as we do.”

ibas-unveils-new-plans-to-become-the-first-gambling-ombudsman

IBAS Unveils New Plans to Become the First Gambling Ombudsman

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The Independent Betting Adjudication Service (IBAS) has unveiled plans to become the new Gambling Ombudsman.

IBAS believes the long-awaited UK Government White Paper will call for the creation of a new Ombudsman, once released. IBAS claims it is the perfect candidate for the role, aiming to protect consumers from gambling harm while raising industry standards across the board.

The body already offers an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) service – as opposed to the Gambling Commission, which is the official route for resolving issues.

Per its bid to become the UK’s first Gambling Ombudsman, IBAS has outlined its aims and goals should it assume the position.

IBAS has called for its Ombudsman governance framework setting to be produced outside its remit; new and compulsory funding from the industry to ensure impartiality remains central to all gambling disputes; and a Fair Play Code – outlining the criteria for deciding complaints, including fairness terms & conditions for harmful gambling complaints.

“IBAS’s experience, expertise and commitment to independent decisions are unparalleled – having resolved over 85,000 gambling disputes. I welcome the creation of a new Ombudsman, but for this to work it needs to be run by an organisation that understands the sector and has a track record of helping and protecting consumers. An Ombudsman with additional resources, built on the foundations of IBAS is best placed to hit the ground running, protecting consumers, and raising industry standards through fair, consistent decision making and constructive dispute avoidance feedback,” Richard Hayler, Managing Director of IBAS, said.

“It’s an exciting time for the gambling industry. There is a real opportunity to enhance the service offered to gambling customers through a new Ombudsman. IBAS has been committed to providing an accessible, fair, and independent service to all gambling consumers. Our plan for a Gambling Ombudsman would make sure consumers are protected and avoid the backlog of complaints. On top of this, this plan provides a solution that works for Government, the Regulator, and the industry,” Andrew Fraser, Chairman of IBAS, said.

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Red Bull Home Ground is back: settling the season’s biggest VALORANT rivalries as eight elite teams go head-to-head in Manchester LAN!

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Red Bull Home Ground, the one-of-a-kind pro VALORANT Invitational is set to return for its third iteration, bringing together some of the world’s most elite teams to battle it out for victory in a unique ‘Home and Away’ format, from December 9th-11th. As an official part of the VCT Off-Season Tournaments fans & players alike can expect VALORANT action at its highest level.
 
The tournament will bring eight teams from across the globe to battle it out, including a star-studded international lineup of the best VALORANT teams, and two qualifier spots for teams to earn a once-in-a-lifetime chance to test their mettle on the global stage. The event will take place in a venue steeped in recent live event history as Red Bull Home Ground comes to the heartbeat of the Manchester music scene, ‘Victoria Warehouse’. It will feature a futuristic neon underground aesthetic, a live audience to create a truly immersive atmosphere, and brought to life for digital audiences across the globe and in several languages on Twitch and YouTube.
 
Red Bull Home Ground pioneers a pulse-racing Home and Away structure that puts an exciting curveball on the traditional VALORANT format. In the best-of-five matches, both teams pick a “home ground” to play on for the opening two maps. Rewarding tactical awareness, map knowledge and wider map usage, if a team wins both opening “home” and “away” matches, they automatically win the tie, while a stalemate will default the tie to the traditional best of format.
 
For the first time, teams from North America are set to make their debut as they join the Home-and-Away fray to pit themselves against EMEA’s best teams. With the promise of truly exciting trans-Atlantic matchups, Red Bull Home Ground will see EMEA vs NA rivalries reignited again after September’s VALORANT Champions 2022 in Istanbul. Already lining up to be one of the most exciting global showdowns in esports this year, the Manchester competition will provide EMEA and NA teams one last opportunity in 2022 to settle their scores.
 
Going into its third edition, Red Bull Home Ground is the premier pro Red Bull event for VALORANT and, alongside Red Bull Campus Clutch – an open global VALORANT tournament for students –  encapsulates the brand´s continued commitment to support the VALORANT community and uplift its competitive ecosystem, from a grassroots level with an array of local initiatives to the very highest echelons of esports.
 
Looking toward the event, Red Bull Player and last year’s Red Bull Home Ground MVP, Mehmet Yağız “cNed”, said: “Being on Red Bull Home Ground was fun for our team. Last year, I gave it my all to earn the title of tournament MVP, and this year, my team and I are prepared to top that effort. Wait for it! ”
 
Red Bull Home Ground has teamed up with industry leaders to produce an unforgettable experience for players & fans alike. AGON by AOC, a global leader in gaming monitors, is the Official Monitor Partner for the event, bringing exceptional visual clarity and ultra-high refresh rates to competitors. AMD joins as Technology Provider, ensuring the high-performance computing that will push the boundaries of the tournament.
 
Red Bull Home Ground will be broadcast from Victoria Warehouse in Manchester and live on twitch and YouTube. The event will also be broadcast by a variety of co-streamers in multiple languages, with details to be revealed soon.
 
Check out redbull.com/homeground for more information.

zitro-further-expands-its-footrpint-in-france-with-vikings-casinos

ZITRO FURTHER EXPANDS ITS FOOTRPINT IN FRANCE WITH VIKINGS CASINOS

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Zitro has further enhanced its footprint in France with its latest partnership agreement with Groupe Vikings. This new partnership will allow the incorporation of great slot titles such as Wheel of Legends and 88 Link Multiplier at two of this important group’s casinos: Fréjus and Bussang.

Nadège Teyssedre, Zitro’s Regional Director for EMEA commented: “We are confident that Wheel of Legends and 88 Link Multiplier, along with their stunning graphics, innovative math models and exciting game mechanics will be an outstanding addition to Vikings Casinos”.

Christian Huby, General Director of Groupe Vikings, also shared his thoughts on the matter. He highlighted the importance of offering engaging and immersive content to players. “We are delighted to have partnered with such a strong casino supplier as Zitro and are looking forward to seeing how our audience will respond to this new content, which has proven to perform strongly in many markets. We are positive this is the start of a long-term collaboration.”

Patrice Scatamacchia, CEO and Thierry Bugelli, Sales Director of CAPS International, added:“We are proud to collaborate with Zitro once again, and to continue our commitment to offer customers high quality content. We are convinced that these game titles, will undoubtedly be as successful in Groupe Vikings casinos as they have proven to be worldwide”.

Nadège Teyssedre, concluded that she is very excited to team up with Groupe Vikings and for the support and trust placed in the company. “It is a great opportunity to introduce our games in the casinos of this leading group, and we appreciate the involvement of their team who, together with Zitro, have made the installation process a success.”

final-call-for-entries-for-the-world’s-most-valuable-literary-sports-writing-prize

Final Call for Entries for the World’s Most Valuable Literary Sports-Writing Prize

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Authors and publishers are being urged to enter their sports book into the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2022. Entries for the world’s most valuable literary sports-writing prize, will close on 19th August 2022.

The first William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award took place in 1989, earning it the title of the longest-established competition in the industry, and since launching, has attracted thousands of authors and publishers including Nick Hornby, Marcus Trescothick and Brian Moore, as well as last year’s winner Michael Holding and three-time winner Duncan Hamilton.

Now in its 34th year, the award is dedicated to rewarding excellence in sports writing and providing authors and publishers a platform to showcase and promote their book.

Following a rigorous judging process from a panel of journalists, authors, sportspeople and industry leaders, the longlist will be announced in September 2022, and the judges will select the shortlist late October 2022. The overall winner will be declared on 1st December 2022 at an official award ceremony at BAFTA, London.

The Award has a £30,000 cash prize for the winner and the shortlisted authors will each receive £3,000 and a leather-bound copy of their book.

Book review panelist and renowned sports broadcaster, Matt Williams said: “It’s an enormous privilege to be involved in the selection process for this prestigious award. I’m a passionate advocate for excellent sport writing and I can tell you the standard this year is the highest ever. I’m also delighted by the variety of voices who are entering this year.

“With less than three weeks left to enter, we urge any author or publisher who has launched their sports book between 2nd September 2021 and 1st September 2022 to consider entering this year’s William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award and be in with the chance of being crowned our 2022 winner and receive the recognition they deserve.”

bojoko-launches-sports-betting-in-the-uk

Bojoko launches sports betting in the UK

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Leading online gambling affiliate expands its presence in the UK market by allowing players to browse and choose the best online sports betting sites

Bojoko, the award-winning online gambling affiliate, has strengthened its position in the UK market following the launch of Bojoko Sports Betting.

Bojoko Sports Betting has been developed with the same approach that has seen the affiliate dominate the UK online casino market since making its debut back in 2017.

The site is packed full of informative pages about sports betting in the UK, with content written by online gambling specialists with a passion for sports.

Visitors can also browse and choose UK-licensed online sportsbooks, with each listed on the site having passed Bojoko’s strict criteria for providing the best player experience.

Bojoko has also employed a team of independent sportsbook testers who have put each site through its paces, giving a rating and providing feedback on key factors such as odds and bonuses.

Bojoko members, of which there are more than 30,000 in the UK, can also rate and review each sportsbook based on the experience they receive.

This “double layer” means that Bojoko users and members can get a clear idea of what each sportsbook brand has to offer before they sign up and bet.

In particular, the withdrawal time of each online sportsbook is put to the test with a badge available for those that meet the threshold set by Bojoko.

Operators can also reach out to the Bojoko team to apply for a badge if they believe their payouts are fast enough to meet or beat the threshold set.

Bojoko also offers a selection of powerful tools that allow visitors to filter the online sportsbooks listed based on key criteria making it easier to choose the sites that meet their needs.

Jussi Viljanen, Head of Sports at Bojoko, said: “Having established Bojoko as a leading online casino affiliate brand in the UK market, it made sense to expand into the sports wagering vertical to allow bettors to browse and choose from the best online sports betting sites.

“Our innovative double-layer approach helps to highlight the sportsbooks that go above and beyond to deliver a top player experience while at the same time allowing our visitors and members to identify those brands quickly and easily.

“We have taken the same approach to Bojoko Sports Betting as we have with online casino and we believe this will help us quickly emerge as the leading destination for UK bettors looking for information about sports betting as well as quick access to the latest and the best sportsbooks.”

eyas-gaming-extends-its-partnership-with-nuvei

EYAS GAMING EXTENDS ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH NUVEI

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Nuvei Corporation, tomorrow’s payment platform, announced that it is extending its partnership with online gaming business Eyas Gaming, to provide the operator with a full payment solution across all its iGaming brands. Nuvei has also partnered with UK-based direct carrier billing provider Fonix to enable Eyas Gaming players to bill deposits directly to their mobile.

Building on a successful partnership that launched in October 2021, Nuvei is now enabling Eyas Gaming to accept payments via its industry-leading cashier technology across its popular gaming brands including the Merkur Slots and Merkur Casino in the UK.

Players can deposit and request payouts using all the relevant payment methods through the Nuvei cashier, including card payments and alternative payment methods (APMs) such as digital wallets and direct bank transfer. Fonix’s seamless integration with Nuvei has easily enabled Merkur Slots and Merkur Casino to easily switch on the payment method.

Commenting on the announcement, Eyas Gaming Head of Fraud, Risk and Payments Andrejs Cuzans said: “We’re excited to be extending our partnership with Nuvei for all our brands across the Eyas portfolio. Nuvei’s rich global heritage and deep knowledge of the gaming industry, as well as the best-in-class technology and access to all APMs through a single integration, made it an easy decision to engage them as our payments partner.”

Philip Fayer, CEO & Chair of Nuvei commented: “Nuvei continues to demonstrate why we are the market leader for payments in iGaming through our partnerships with many of the most exciting operators in the industry. We’re looking forward to continuing to support Eyas Gaming and its growth into new markets in the coming years.”

Fonix CEO Rob Weisz added: “Fonix is focused on facilitating conversion and expansion for partners through our carrier billing technology. Integrating Fonix’s carrier billing solution means Nuvei can allow Eyas Gaming to turn on carrier billing with the flick of a switch. We’re excited to launch our partnership to offer carrier billing to Eyas Gaming’s players across the UK, with a future vision to make an impact across Germany too.”

The announcement is the latest from Nuvei as it continues to solidify its position as the payment technology partner of choice for fantasy sports, gaming and sports betting brands in regulated markets across the globe.

 

okto-underline-commitment-to-uk-market-with-appointment-of-rob-peche

OKTO underline commitment to UK market with appointment of Rob Peché

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OKTO, the international fintech brand which was named Mobile Payment Solution of the year at December’s SBC Awards, has underlined its commitment to the UK market with the appointment of experienced gaming industry senior executive Rob Peché to the post of UK Country Manager. In this new role Rob will oversee UK commercial activities and drive the digital transformation of the UK gaming, leisure, and entertainment industries.

Rob joins OKTO from Inspired Gaming where he served as Senior Account Manager responsible for international Sportsbook and Lottery operators. He has previously held senior managerial positions with gaming brands including SG Gaming, William Hill and Gala Coral.

Commenting on the appointment Simon Dorsen, CCO at OKTO said: “We are pleased to welcome Rob to the growing OKTO team at an important time for the brand as we look to build on what was a hugely positive and encouraging first year in the UK market working with partners including Regal, Inspired, Bob Rudd and MERKUR UK.

 

“Rob is immersed in the gaming industry having gained 18-years-experience in a variety of senior customer-facing roles and will help grow the brand’s market-leading position across the AGC, Bingo, Casino, LBO, Pub and Bar sectors. Our senior team is made-up of people who are passionate and knowledgeable about gaming and Rob certainly fits that profile.”

Rob Peché added: “The opportunity to join the first company in Europe to transfer digital funds in and out of gaming machines at a large scale and in a secure and compliant way was one that I could not let pass.

“The world-class technology behind the OKTO app, its role in helping to circulate disposable leisure spend from gaming machine winnings to the in-venue purchase of food and drinks as well as its safer gambling credentials are all key features of what is the industry’s foremost and preferred cashless payments app. I am looking forward to building on the platform established by the OKTO team and accelerating the OKTO success story.”