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DreamHack San Diego Sets Record As Largest-Ever U.S. Festival With More Than 41,000 Attendees
DreamHack San Diego, a three-day gaming lifestyle festival, has concluded with more than 41,000 total attendees, setting the record for the largest-ever U.S. DreamHack festival. On April 7-9 at the San Diego Convention Center, the first-ever DreamHack San Diego featured a variety of experiences for the gaming community, including esports tournaments across the most popular titles, an assortment of LAN competitions totaling nearly $1 million in prizing, musical performances, retro arcade, and much more.
“We are immensely proud of the success of DreamHack San Diego, breaking the record as the most attended U.S. festival in DreamHack history,” said Shahin Zarrabi, VP of Strategy & Growth for DreamHack. “Across three days, the festival showcased the best of gaming, esports, music, and pop culture under one roof – bringing together the global gaming community. Thank you to all our festival goers for their enthusiastic participation across both professional and amateur competitions, and congratulations to our winners.”
Special guests throughout the weekend included voice actors and actresses from the God of War, Overwatch, and Assassin’s Creed franchises, popular gaming influencers FaZe Sway and Jake Lucky, and many more.
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Dream Big by DreamHack and Autism Society San Diego
In celebration of Autism Acceptance month, DreamHack San Diego partnered with Autism Society San Diego to introduce its “Dream Big” initiative to raise funding and awareness for autism. As part of Dream Big, DreamHack donated $25,000 to the organization and raised additional proceeds for the non-profit to ticket sales. Dozens of celebrities attended DreamHack San Diego in support of Dream Big, including voices from the God of War, Overwatch, and Assassin’s Creed franchises, and famous cosplayers and content creators.
DreamHack gives back to local San Diego community
DreamHack launched multiple initiatives to support San Diego during its first visit to the city including contributing $1 million worth of tickets to students at schools through the area and providing discounts for U.S. military members.
Set It Off, City of Sound rocked centerstage on Saturday night
Los Angeles-based rock band Set It Off headlined the Main Stage on Saturday. The band, which has 528 million plays on its top 10 Spotify tracks, was joined by opening acts City of Sound and Scene Queen.
COMPETITION RESULTS
Rocket League Championship Series Winter Major
- $310,000 Prize Pool
- WINNER: Karmine Corp
The top 16 internationally ranked Rocket League squads battled it out in San Diego for the most exciting major of the season, with online viewership peaking at over 270,000. Karmine Corp edged out FaZe Clan to secure the victory and took home the lion’s share of the $310,000 prize pool.
Snapdragon Pro Series Powered by Samsung Galaxy Mobile Challenge Finals: North America
- $100,000 Prize Pool ($50,000 per title)
- BRAWL STARS WINNER: STMN Esports
- CLASH OF CLANS WINNER: Lotus Gaming
The Snapdragon Pro Series powered by Samsung Galaxy featured top North American mobile esports competitors as they battled for $100,000 in total prizing. Lotus Gaming took home the Snapdragon Pro Series Clash Of Clans championship title, while STMN Esports lifted the Brawl Stars trophy. Tribe Gaming and STMN Esports additionally secured spots at the highly anticipated $200,000 Mobile Masters competition at DreamHack Japan (May 13-14).
DreamHack Open Ft. Fortnite
- $250,000 Prize Pool
- WINNER: Kwanti & Threats
Kwanti & Threats claimed the top spot and their share of the $250,000 prize pool at the DreamHack Open Ft. Fortnite, which kicked off this weekend. The three-part Zero Build competition continues at DreamHack Dallas (June 2-4) and DreamHack Summer in Sweden (June 16-19), with the top 10 duos from each festival qualifying for the $2 million Gamers8 Featuring Fortnite event from July 6-9 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
DreamHack Fighters
- $100,000 Prize Pool
- WINNERS: All details are available on the website.
DreamHack San Diego featured a number of professional and amateur fighting game tournaments throughout the weekend, including Brawlhalla, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Street Fighter V, Tekken 7, and many more. More than 11,000 viewers tuned into the official DreamHack Fighters broadcast on the final day of competition, which featured some of the event’s top competitors.
BYOC LAN Tournaments & Freeplay
- $40,000 Prize Pool
BYOC LAN is the core of any DreamHack festival. DreamHack San Diego featured 10 BYOC tournaments across eight titles, including Overwatch 2, VALORANT, Rocket League, and more.
DreamHack Magic
- $130,000 Prize Pool
- WINNER: Joshua Willis
DreamHack San Diego hosted Round 2 of the United States Magic: The Gathering Regional Championship. The country’s best Magic: The Gathering players competed for their chance to qualify for The Gathering Pro Tour and the Magic World Championship.
Cosplay Championships
- $3,000 Prize Pool
DreamHack San Diego offered a hub for local and national cosplayers. Competitors toured the festival floor, participated in the Cosplay Championships, and walked the audience through their creative process.
Novice
- 1st — Ashleythegraham
- 2nd — X_PROT_492
- 3rd — Kat.Cos.11
Artisan
- 1st — VivSai
- 2nd — Maike Huster
- 3rd — Chaosplay Karma
Expert
- 1st — Sinister Propz
- 2nd — Divine Creations
- 3rd — Nylo Ren
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.
Andrew Cochrane Chief Business Officer of GiG
GiG increases Ontario market presence, powering the launch of Casino Time
Gaming Innovation Group Inc. (GiG), has announced the launch of Casino Time, powered by its award winning iGaming platform and pioneering real-time rules engine LogicX, with revolutionary sportsbook, SportX soon to follow, to further extend its footprint in the regulated Canadian province of Ontario.
The launch of Casino Time carries extra significance, marking only the second time that on-demand, regulated online Bingo has been made available in Ontario. The new Bingo product vertical, launched alongside a strong Casino offering, will be boosted by GiG’s new sportsbook, SportX, as part of a planned release later this year.
GiG has focused its solutions on driving exponential growth in revenue for operators with its highly scalable iGaming platform, offering localised third party content and leading suppliers for the Ontarian market. GiGs peerless gamification layer creates an optimised and immersive casino experience tailored to regional preferences, swelling client retention and player engagement.
Canadian owned and operated, Casino Time is a joint venture amongst leading retail operators in Ontario’s Charitable Gaming sector, delivering Bingo, Slots and Live Dealer Casino Games. Promising a personalised service and community experience, Casino Time is continuing its long-standing partnership with local charities, introducing its joint fundraising model into the iGaming space for the first time.
Now coming towards the end of its second year of licensed operations, Ontario has emerged as one of the largest iGaming markets in North America, second only to New Jersey according to data supplied by Vixio. The first and as yet only Canadian province to launch a regulated market, Ontario boasts more than 1.6 million active player accounts spread over 40 plus operators, generating €1.3 billion in Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) in its first year of trading, with this data supplied by iGaming Ontario.
Andrew Cochrane, Chief Business Officer of GiG, said: “GiG continues to set the pace with a strong cadence of brand launches in 2024, and I’m pleased that when operators are seeking platform solutions in regulated markets, GiG is leading the pack. Our partnership with Casino Time, will help deliver something new and exciting to the Ontarian market, and further helps to demonstrate the flexibility of our solutions, adapting to match the regional aspirations of our partners to deliver growth.”
D’Arcy Stuart, CEO of Casino Time, said: “We are thrilled to partner with GiG as the core technology provider of our iGaming platform. Their powerful suite of player engagement tools, as well as diverse content and regulatory integrations, underpin our ability to serve and delight our player community. Our hybrid online and offline customer network, as well as unique bingo offerings, will drive exciting opportunities as the platform and the marketplace continues to grow.”
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