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Leading Esports Sportsbook and Media Company Rivalry Announces Oversubscribed US$20 Million Funding Round to Fuel Growth

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Toronto-based platform is positioned for the next generation of bettors across all sports

TORONTO, March 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rivalry, an internationally-regulated sports betting and media property, today announced the completion of a US$20 million funding round to scale its operations and country licencing program. Institutional investors from Canada, the United States, the European Union, and a major gaming operator contributed to the raise. The company intends to pursue a potential going public transaction which it expects to complete this year.

Co-founder and CEO Steven Salz says, “At Rivalry we are building the leading sports betting and sports media property for the next generation of bettors globally, which we believe is an uncapped multi-billion dollar opportunity. With the close of this funding round we are able to accelerate our expansion plans through new licences and grey markets under our existing regulatory regime, new product development, and our goal to provide the safest and most engaging sports betting experience in the world. While Rivalry started by focusing on esports betting, an increasing percentage of our business is traditional sports, and shortly a suite of original casino IP. Our ambition has always been to leverage esports as a pathway to the next generation of sports bettors and build a truly novel experience for them top to bottom.”
  
Rivalry owns all of its intellectual property, and utilizes no white labels, which is a rarity in the world of sports betting and casino. This approach offers total control of the user experience, and has enabled Rivalry to inject enhanced gamification, delight, and surprise throughout its product.

As critical to the company as a great betting product is its media strategy. Rivalry’s social and content properties generate more engagement than any other brand in esports betting, and the company is still only in the first inning of its media vertical roadmap. Rivalry has built a betting platform designed to appeal to a new demographic that is now coming into the fold of sports betting. Creating a playful social and content experience that flows through that entire betting experience is key to achieving that. The company believes that betting is entertainment and content, as much as something transactional for a next-gen customer base, and keeps this at the forefront of its growth plans.

“We are more confident than ever in the future of Rivalry. 2020 saw the business grow nearly 10x over the prior year, and early into 2021 we are tracking at over 400% growth on a year over year basis,” noted Salz. “With this new round of funding we believe we will be able to accelerate our growth rate, and when combined with incredible new hires across all key divisions, multiple-country licences being completed in the near-term, and a brand that is growing rapidly amongst our target demographic in all key markets, we are excited for what the future holds at Rivalry.”

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About Rivalry Limited
Rivalry is a leading sports betting and sports media property offering fully regulated online wagering on esports, traditional sports, and casino for the next generation of bettors. The company currently holds an Isle of Man licence, considered one of the premier online gambling jurisdictions. Based in Toronto, Rivalry operates a global team of nearly 60 employees and is growing. The company earned its Isle of Man licence in early 2018, officially launching in August of that year, and is currently completing multiple country licences in parallel. The company also has a variety of originally developed products, including Quest, a gamified on-site betting experience, and shortly a suite of original casino games that offers both B2C and B2B opportunities. Rivalry is wholly-owned and operated by Canadian parent company, PMML Corp., which is privately held and based in Toronto.

Media Contact:

Corey Herscu for Rivalry
416.300.3030
[email protected]

Company Contact:

Steven Salz
[email protected]

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Spielbanken Bayern and Stakelogic Launch brand new Live-Casino Offering

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Spielbanken Bayern and Stakelogic Launch brand new Live-Casino Offering
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Pioneering the next chapter of regulated iGaming in Germany, Spielbanken Bayern and leading live-casino specialist Stakelogic have gone live with brand-new online live casino solutions.

On 28 May 2025, spielbanken-bayern-online.de rolled out a set of Automatic Roulettes. The launch marks the inaugural step in a phased roadmap that will soon see more Roulette and Blackjack.

Bavaria became Germany’s first state to introduce online live-casino games in April 2024. Since beginning 2025, Spielbanken Bayern has worked hand-in-hand with the Bavarian regulator and Stakelogic to craft a best-in-class solution that combines strict compliance with an engaging, secure, and reputable gaming offering.

Stephan van den Oetelaar, CEO at Stakelogic, added: “It is both an honour and a privilege to develop further with Spielbanken Bayern on Germany’s first legal online casino. The timeline was ambitious, but our combined teams delivered. In the coming months, we will continue to optimise and enrich the portfolio with additional premium content.”

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This landmark collaboration cements Spielbanken Bayern’s position as Germany’s online live-casino trail-blazer while underscoring Stakelogic’s reputation for marrying regulatory rigour with next-generation player experiences.

The post Spielbanken Bayern and Stakelogic Launch brand new Live-Casino Offering appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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DoubleDown Interactive Enters into Agreement to Acquire German Social Casino Operator WHOW Games

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DoubleDown Interactive, a leading gaming company delivering exceptional player experiences across multiple genres, announced that it has entered into a Share Purchase and Transfer Agreement with Azerion Tech Holding to acquire WHOW Games GmbH, a social casino developer headquartered in Hamburg, Germany.

The initial consideration for 100% ownership interest in WHOW Games is €55 million (approximately $64.7 million). An additional earn-out payment of up to €10 million, payable to Azerion at €5 million annually, is contingent upon WHOW Games meeting certain performance targets during each of the first and second year following the closing date. The acquisition will be financed through DoubleDown’s cash reserves and is expected to close during the third quarter of 2025.

DoubleDown intends to leverage WHOW Games’ proven expertise in the Europe market and partner-driven business model alongside its own operational strength, marketing capabilities and extensive gaming content to pursue growth opportunities in Europe, particularly in Germany. According to research from Eilers & Krejcik Gaming LLC, the European social casino market grew in 2023 and 2024 as compared to the overall market which has entered a mature stage. WHOW Games offers a versatile portfolio of social casino apps with proprietary brands such as MyJackpot and Lounge777 as well as third-party labeled social casino offerings including Merkur24 through strategic licensing agreements with prominent global brick and mortar casino companies.

In Keuk Kim, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, said: “This acquisition marks a significant step toward increasing our competitiveness in the growing German social casino market. Leveraging our combined operational expertise and enhanced scale, we aim to unlock valuable synergies. We are delighted to welcome the WHOW Games team to DoubleDown and look forward to working collaboratively on initiatives to drive growth across the business.”

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Giovanni Valerio Valeriota, Chief Executive Officer of WHOW Games, said: “We are excited to begin this new chapter as part of the DoubleDown family. Their deep expertise in gaming makes them a natural fit for WHOW Games, and we believe that this partnership will accelerate our growth and innovation. I would like to express our sincere gratitude to Azerion, whose support and strategic guidance during our time together has been instrumental in shaping WHOW Games into the strong and dynamic company it is today.”

The post DoubleDown Interactive Enters into Agreement to Acquire German Social Casino Operator WHOW Games appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Swintt Joins Forces with TOPsport to Capitalize on Lithuanian Market

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Swintt Joins Forces with TOPsport to Capitalize on Lithuanian Market
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Swintt – the award-winning software provider behind recent slot sensations Big Max Pot Hunter and Big Fish – has announced it has formed a new partnership with established Lithuanian betting brand, TOPsport, that will see the studio further raise its profile in the country.

With the new deal now in place, Swintt is already live with 36 Premium releases on the TOPsport platform, with these giving players access to a roster of classically-themed games that combine the design elements of traditional land-based slots with exciting mechanics and bonus features.

Established in 2002, TOPsport is Lithuania’s first and largest gambling operator, boasting a strong bricks-and-mortar presence that includes 50 casino slot saloons spread across 26 towns in addition to its online enterprise. Given the brand’s rich land-based heritage, the SwinttPremium range seems to be ideally suited for its customers, who will enjoy the slots’ familiar look and feel.

Among the Premium options now available at TOPsport.lt, players will be particularly keen to try the acclaimed Extra Win X, which adds an innovative Bonus Wheel to the iconic fruit machine format, and Max The Winner, which features a unique gathering mechanic that sees the titular cartoon squirrel appear on the reels during the bonus feature to collect acorns and award prizes.

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With these just being two of the standout examples from the new collection of Swintt slots that are now available at TOPsport.lt, the brand will be able to further cement its reputation as the country’s leading operator while Swintt continues to reach more players in the Lithuanian market.

David Mann, Chief Executive Officer at Swintt, said: “With TOPsport being Lithuania’s oldest and most-trusted betting brand, we’re delighted to be able to introduce our Premium releases to players on the platform. With all of these games offering themes and features that are inspired by traditional land-based slot machines, we’re sure they’ll prove a popular addition to their line-up.”

Linas Dargenavičius, Chief Commercial Officer at TOPsport, said: “With a diverse library of over 3,000 slot titles, TOPsport offers the most extensive selection of online casino games in Lithuania. The addition of SwinttPremium titles further strengthens our portfolio, bringing in games that resonate with players familiar with classic land-based machines. Their engaging mechanics make them a valuable extension of the experience we aim to provide.”

The post Swintt Joins Forces with TOPsport to Capitalize on Lithuanian Market appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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