Canada
XSET and Drai’s Announce Groundbreaking Partnership in Las Vegas
XSET, the world’s fastest growing and most diverse esports and gaming lifestyle brand, and Drai’s, the world’s biggest hip hop club, announced they have entered into a first-of-its-kind partnership that intersects hip hop and gaming into the Las Vegas club scene.
The first club “Residency” in history for a gaming team.
The partnership will see XSET integrating gaming into both Drai’s Beachclub and Nightclub venues. The sprawling 30,000 sq. ft. beach club will feature XSET-themed gaming cabanas, complete with custom XSET gaming consoles and design. VIP guests at the nightclub will also have the ability to enjoy gaming in Drai’s lush VIP sections, while listening to the hottest new music, or with the backdrop of one of Drai’s resident performers like XSET’s own Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi of Rae Sremmurd live on stage.
“It’s an honor to partner with an incredible brand like Drai’s,” said XSET Chief Business Development Officer Clinton Sparks. “They are the number one hip hop club in the world — and understand not only the space but also how to produce unforgettable events and experiences. The fact they have the vision and innovative spirit to bring this to the culture and community makes XSET extremely excited to call them partners.”
“We couldn’t be more excited to collaborate with XSET, which is quickly emerging as a leader in the esports and gaming space, to bring unprecedented activations to Drai’s,” said Dustin Drai, Vice President of Marketing and Entertainment for Drai’s Las Vegas. “This partnership is a colossal step in furthering the evolution of the gaming and nightlife communities, and we look forward to creating unmatched experiences with XSET.”
Wil Eddins, Chief Merchandising and Licensing Officer at XSET who first connected with Drai’s added, “This is just one in many game changing activations we have planned that will disrupt what it means to be a gaming org. From fashion to music to nightlife, XSET will always be vanguard.”
XSET CEO Greg Selkoe summed it up by saying “Drai’s is a world leading nightlife brand and XSET is a world leading gaming brand – two wildly creative groups joining forces only makes sense.”
Details of the partnership include:
XSET decorated and themed gaming cabanas, with gaming consoles, screens and state-of-the-art sound systems
XSET VIP cabanas with an immersive gaming look and feel including gaming consoles and large LED screens, as well as the opportunity to hang with XSET talent
Gaming tournaments inside the Drai’s venue often hosted by XSET talent and artists
Drai’s x XSET limited edition merchandise and accessory collaborations sold on premises and online
XSET, their friends, and select artist parties inside Drai’s
Fan fly-always and VIP entrance for XSET contest winners
Private gaming lounge for Drai’s talent to hang before and after shows
In conjunction with the launch of this partnership, XSET will also be introducing their new content house in Las Vegas where Drai’s resident artists will have exclusive access to create listening events, album release parties, and shoot content, as well as unwind and game with the XSET squad.
By combining hip-hop, gaming, and lifestyle, this pioneering partnership will cement Drai’s and XSET as leaders not only in Las Vegas, but in global nightlife and gaming trends. Together they will usher in the rapidly growing gaming and esports culture into a brand new vertical.
This first-of-its-kind experience is sure to attract excitement from gaming, music and nightlife fans around the globe – and is SET to change the game!
The Future is SET.
Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO)
Soft2Bet strengthens integrity monitoring with IBIA membership in Ontario
Soft2Bet, a leading casino and sportsbook platform provider, has joined the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) and activated its membership in Ontario, Canada, following its licensing in the Canadian province.
Soft2bet obtained its Certificate of Registration from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) at the end of March, where the company’s Ontario-focused brand Tooniebet.com will now feed into IBIA’s world-leading sports betting integrity monitoring platform before worldwide implementation in the coming months.
IBIA includes over 50 of the world’s leading sports betting and gaming companies, who operate over 125 sports betting brands. Soft2Bet’s decision to join the association further strengthens its own internal betting integrity protocols and IBIA’s position as the world’s leading sports betting integrity monitoring body.
David Yatom Hay, General Counsel at Soft2Bet, commented: “Soft2Bet is delighted to be joining the IBIA as we strengthen our own betting integrity monitoring processes and play our part in furthering the IBIA’s long-standing work on this key issue. Ontario is a world class iGaming jurisdiction; it will be the first market where we will implement our IBIA membership and we look forward to deploying the monitoring infrastructure worldwide in all the other markets in which we operate.”
Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “Soft2Bet is a very welcome addition to IBIA, further strengthening our position in the Ontario market. The operator’s decision to join IBIA demonstrates its desire to utilise the best integrity protection available for its sportsbook product. The association is delighted to be able to integrate Tooniebet within our integrity monitoring system and looks forward to working closely with Soft2Bet to maintain the high integrity of its sportsbook.”
IBIA is a not-for-profit body that has no competing conflicts with the delivery of commercial services to other sectors and is run by operators and for operators to protect regulated sports betting markets from match-fixing. IBIA’s global monitoring network is a highly effective anti-corruption tool, detecting and reporting suspicious activity in regulated betting markets.
Through the IBIA monitoring network it is possible to track transactional activities linked to individual customer accounts. IBIA members generate more than $300bn in annual betting turnover (handle), accounting for approximately 50% of the global commercial regulated land-based and online sports betting sector, and in excess of 50% for online alone.
IBIA recently released a report on the Availability of Sports Betting Products which highlighted Ontario as a leading regulated gambling jurisdiction, with an expected onshore channelisation for sports betting of 92% in 2024 forecast to rise to 97% in2028. IBIA currently represents over 60% of the private sports betting operators licensed in the province. All online sportsbetting operators licensed in Ontario are required to be part of a betting integrity monitoring body.
IBIA’s Q1 2024 report detailed 56 alerts during the quarter. IBIA alerts contributed to the investigations and subsequent successful sanctioning of 21 clubs, players and officials in 2023, an increase on the 15 sanctioned in 2022.
British Columbia Lottery Corporation
SCCG Management Signs Contract with British Columbia Lottery Corporation
SCCG Management has signed a contract with the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), the B.C. Crown corporation which conducts and manages commercial gambling in the province, including lotteries, casinos, and online gaming. This partnership aims to undertake a comprehensive assessment and strategic enhancement of BCLC’s diverse operations.
The work between SCCG and BCLC will involve a thorough review of technological infrastructures, strategic market positioning, and the integration of various gaming modalities. SCCG’s extensive expertise will be pivotal in harmonizing BCLC’s online and physical gaming experiences.
Stephen Crystal, Founder and CEO of SCCG Management, said: “Our collaboration with BCLC represents a remarkable opportunity to push the boundaries of innovation within the gaming industry. We are committed to deploying our resources and expertise to enhance BCLC’s operational efficiencies and customer engagement strategies. It’s an honor to partner with an organization that has a robust impact on the community through its support of public initiatives.”
AGCO
AGCO Requires Ontario Gaming Operators to Stop Offering WBA Bets Due to Integrity Concerns
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has mandated all Ontario-registered sportsbook operators to halt offering and accepting wagers on World Boxing Association (WBA) events immediately. This measure is being taken to protect the Ontario betting public following concerns that WBA-sanctioned boxing matches are not adequately being safeguarded against match-fixing and insider betting.
Since December 2023, the AGCO has been conducting a comprehensive review of suspicious wagering activity on a WBA-sanctioned title fight between Yoenis Tellez and Livan Navarro that was held in Orlando, Florida. Suspicious betting patterns on the bout lasting over 5.5 rounds were reported to the AGCO by two registered independent integrity monitors and detected in Ontario by a registered igaming operator. Media reports also alleged that Tellez’s Manager placed $110,000 on the match lasting longer than 5.5 rounds at a Florida casino. The bout ended with Tellez knocking out Navarro in the 10th round.
Following an intensive review that included outreach to the WBA, Ontario-registered gaming operators, independent integrity monitors, and regulators in other jurisdictions, the AGCO has concluded that bets related to WBA events do not currently meet the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming.
The AGCO requires all Ontario-registered gaming operators to ensure the sport betting products they offer are on events that are effectively supervised by a sport governing body. At a minimum, the sport governing body must have and enforce codes of conduct that prohibit betting by insiders.
Registered gaming operators were unable to demonstrate to the AGCO that the WBA prohibits betting from insiders, which could include an athlete’s coaches, managers, handlers, athletic trainers, medical professionals, or others with access to non-public information. Further, registered gaming operators were unable to demonstrate that the WBA took any action to investigate or enforce the allegations of potential match-fixing and insider wagering.
The AGCO has indicated to registered operators that in order for WBA betting products to be reinstated in Ontario, operators must demonstrate that the WBA effectively supervises its events, thus bringing them into compliance with the Registrar’s Standards. In December 2022, the AGCO required gaming operators to stop offering bets on UFC events for similar issues related to insider betting safeguards. Within a month, UFC amended its policies and implemented new protocols that allowed the AGCO to reinstate betting on UFC events in the province.
“Ontarians who wish to bet on sporting events need to be confident that those events are fairly run, and that clear integrity safeguards are in place and enforced by an effective sport governing body. Knowing the popularity of boxing in Ontario, we look forward to reinstating betting on WBA events once appropriate safeguards against possible match-fixing and insider betting have been confirmed,” Dr. Karin Schnarr, Registrar and CEO of AGCO, said.
-
Baltics4 weeks ago
Lithuania’s Nese enters iGaming with a record sponsorship deal
-
Latest News1 week ago
The Importance of Data Quality Review Checks in the Gaming Industry
-
Asia2 weeks ago
Onlyplay Enters into Strategic Partnership with Ritchie Rabbit
-
Africa4 weeks ago
BMM Testlabs Continues Its Expansion in Africa with New Licenses in Botswana and Nigeria to Test Land-Based and Digital Products
-
Conferences in Europe4 weeks ago
Altenar becomes General Sponsor of EEGS 2024
-
Compliance Updates4 weeks ago
Booming Games secures Romanian B2B license
-
eSports3 weeks ago
eSports in the CIS region , Q&A w/ Viktor Block, Senior Sales Manager/PandaScore
-
Press Releases3 weeks ago
OpenBet Powers Record-Breaking 100,000+ Peak Bets per Minute at Grand National 2024