Canada
Esports Entertainment Group Signs Agreement to Acquire Helix eSports and ggCircuit in Deal Valued at $43 Million
- Company raises FY22 revenue guidance to $42 million (Esports Entertainment is currently in FY21)
- Creates the most diversified, US-listed esports entertainment asset in the industry
- Accelerates path to a global esports entertainment leader
- Adds two million unique gamers to platform
- Adds over 1000 connected locations
- Adds state-of-the-art analytics platform
- Helix eSports owns two of the five largest esports entertainment centers in the US
- Adds safe and regulated player-vs-player wagering opportunities with Helix’s LANduel platform, which is in a pilot program with the New Jersey Department of Gaming Enforcement
- ggCircuit provides best-in-class enterprise software solutions to the esports industry
Esports Entertainment Group, Inc., an online esports tournament and gaming company, entered into an agreement to acquire ggCircuit LLC (“ggCircuit”) and Helix eSports LLC (“Helix”) in a deal valued at approximately $43 million.
“With the acquisition of Helix and ggCircuit, we have created the most diversified, US-listed esports entertainment asset in the entire ecosystem,” stated Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group. “These acquisitions significantly strengthen our Three Pillar Strategy, adding state-of-the-art esports entertainment centers, an esports-focused vertical enterprise software business, a best-in-class esports analytics platform, and a player-vs-player skill-based wagering platform to our diversified asset base. Together with what we’ve already built and further near-term acquisition opportunities, Esports Entertainment Group is well on its way to becoming a global industry leader.”
ggCircuit is a B2B software company that provides cloud-based management for LAN centers, a tournament platform, and integrated wallet/point-of-sale solutions for enterprise customers. ggCircuit has over 1,000 connected locations and has worked with enterprises such as GameStop, Dell, Best Buy and Lenovo as well as universities such as Ohio State, Syracuse and North Carolina. Their ggLeap product has over 60 million hours of usage by over two million unique gamers on tens of thousands of public gaming screens inside centers worldwide.
Zack Johnson, founder of ggCircuit, commented, “We are excited to join forces with Esports Entertainment Group! With our combined state-of-the-art platform and resources, I am confident that we will rapidly scale growth in the quarters ahead.”
“Esports are already a billion-dollar opportunity and expanding at a CAGR of 24%,” added Murphy Vandervelde, founder of Helix. “With growing mass market appeal and a wealth of untapped opportunities, I am eager for Helix to become part of Esports Entertainment Group, where we can capitalize on the significant macro trends that will help catapult us to global leadership in this dynamic industry.”
Helix eSports owns five esports centers, including two of the five largest centers in the US, where they deliver world-class customer service, esports programming and gaming infrastructure. Helix offers a variety of experiences including casual play, competitive tournaments, STEM programming, high school leagues, large groups and esports bootcamps all with the goal of leveling the playing field in esports and providing equitable access to technology. Their centers have become the destination for social and competitive gamers alike with monthly tournaments and unique experiences.
Helix also owns Genji Analytics (“Genji”), an esports-proven, publisher-trusted analytics provider. Using sophisticated computer vision, natural language processing, and machine learning tools, Genji delivers cutting-edge broadcast optimization and talent scouting analytics. Genji works with leading esports publishers and sports leagues, such as FIFA and the NBA 2K League, to power activities like combines, drafts and data-driven business decisions. Genji has also launched products into Helix eSports Centers that create customized tournament experiences, leveraging both idle computing capacity and unique proprietary data sources. Revenue streams include platform sales to publishers and leagues with plans to expand to all competitive players looking to enhance their gameplay through analysis, fair competition, and roster optimization.
“Some of the best publishers and leagues already rely on Genji as the trusted analytics provider,” commented William Collis, founder of Genji. “I am thrilled with the opportunity to work together with the Esports Entertainment Group team to build on our extensive successes as we seek to become the dominant player in the global market.”
The acquisition also includes LANduel, Helix’s proprietary player-vs-player wagering platform, built in Unity, that allows for skill-based wagering on third-party video games. LANduel’s consumer facing application enforces strict four-factor authentication to ensure fair play and ID verification. LANduel also holds close relationships with several major game publishers to ensure events and wagering follow community guidelines. LANduel is currently working alongside the New Jersey Department of Gaming Enforcement on a pilot program. Once the model is proven at the Helix eSports locations, LANduel can easily be scaled to other centers throughout the US across the ggCircuit network, and eventually into the homes of gamers through ggCircuit’s proprietary at home product suite.
The Company plans to provide an update to its fiscal year 2021 guidance (currently in FY 21) of $13 million after closing this transaction. Fiscal year 2022, ending June 30, 2022, has been raised from $25 million to $42 million.
Canada
Northern Super League Partners with Stats Perform

Stats Perform, the global leader in sports AI, data and technology, has announced an official data partnership with the Northern Super League (NSL). The partnership will allow world-leading Opta data to be collected live from every NSL league game for the next three years.
Beginning this month, the Northern Super League (NSL) establishes a new era in Canadian sport as the country’s first professional domestic women’s soccer league — an ambitious and transformative initiative co-founded by former Canadian international and Olympic medallist Diana Matheson. Its inaugural season kicks off on April 16 and will feature six teams who have assembled multinational player rosters with extensive club and international experience, including 100-cap Canadian internationals Desiree Scott and Quinn.
Once the action begins, detailed data from every on-ball event, including advanced AI-powered Opta Analytics metrics such as Expected Goals (xG) and Expected Assists (xA), will be captured and distributed via feeds and Stats Perform products, including OptaAI Studio. This will enable various broadcasters, publishers and rights holders to generate stories and insights throughout the NSL season and provide them straight to the league’s fans in real time.
As part of the agreement, the NSL’s League Office and every NSL club will also have access to Opta Search, part of OptaAI Studio. This will allow their content creators to leverage all Opta data collected during the NSL season in the creation of data-led stories on the stand-out performers, and will help them generate key talking points for publication on official league and club platforms. Opta Search will also empower the NSL’s media team to create a range of data visualizations, including player shot maps and touch maps, to visually illustrate the impact of different players’ on-field performances.
Christina Litz, NSL President, said: “We are thrilled to have Stats Perform on board as our official data partner. When we talk about detailed performance data in soccer, Opta is the gold standard, so we are delighted to have it powering each of our official digital channels. As the season progresses, we want to put the spotlight on all the on-field heroes who emerge and having access to world-class data will help us tell their stories and inspire a new generation of Canadian soccer fans.”
Steve Xeller, Chief Revenue Officer at Stats Perform, said: “Stats Perform has been a huge supporter of expansion leagues around the world, so we are very pleased to be partnering with NSL in the lead-up to their first domestic campaign. Seeing a fully professional women’s soccer league launch in Canada is an incredibly exciting development for the sport in North America and we see considerable potential in working proactively with the League’s Head Office to help the competition grow, using the power of AI and data-led storytelling to build fan communities across the continent.”
The post Northern Super League Partners with Stats Perform appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Africa
INCENTIVE GAMES SIGNS EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTION DEAL FOR NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE, SOUTH AFRICA AND UK WITH LIGHT & WONDER
Leading B2B games provider, Incentive Games, today announced its new agreement with premium gaming company and content provider Light & Wonder, Inc.
Through this agreement, Incentive Games will distribute its premium pay-to-play games – including new arcade-style titles – to key global regulated markets including the USA, Canada, South Africa, UK, and within Europe via Light & Wonder’s extensive operator network. Additionally, Incentive Games’ popular free-to-play content will be made available to a wider audience through Light & Wonder’s content marketplace.
The agreement brings together two industry leaders in iGaming and the strengths of both companies to deliver exceptional player experiences and elevate customer engagement.
Ahmed Baker, Chief Commercial Officer at Incentive Games said, “This agreement is a landmark moment in our company’s history. Previously, we’ve worked directly with major operators such as bet365, FanDuel, and Sky Bet. Now, we can distribute our games via Light & Wonder, an exceptional aggregator that we trust will handle our games with care.”
Steve Mayes, Senior Director of Partners at Light & Wonder, said: “We are excited to work with Incentive Games, a leader in gamification solutions. We look forward to leveraging their innovative platform and bringing their customisable crash and fast game content to all major regulated markets.”
The post INCENTIVE GAMES SIGNS EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTION DEAL FOR NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE, SOUTH AFRICA AND UK WITH LIGHT & WONDER appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Aaron LaBerge
PENN Entertainment Launches Stand-alone iCasino App, theScore Casino, in Ontario

PENN Entertainment announced that it has launched theScore Casino, a new stand-alone iCasino app in Ontario. The dedicated online casino experience leverages the popular theScore brand, which has been a mainstay in the Ontario market for decades. Now available on Android, iOS, and desktop, customers can login using their existing theScore Bet credentials, allowing for a seamless experience across online gaming platforms.
theScore Casino operates on the same cutting-edge proprietary technology platform as PENN’s online Hollywood Casino, which launched as a standalone product in the US in December. The product was recently ranked by Eilers & Krejcik as the #2 overall iCasino product in the US.
theScore Casino, also available within theScore Bet app, offers a variety of online slots, table games, and live dealer content, including original titles from PENN Game Studios, the company’s in-house game development studio. theScore Casino also includes bespoke live dealer tables and exclusive games such as Blue Jays Blackjack, an original title leveraging theScore Bet’s partnership with the Toronto Blue Jays.
“We’re excited to introduce our dedicated iCasino product in Ontario under the well-known and trusted theScore brand. We’ve built a strong online gaming foothold in the Ontario market and are primed to deliver an even better casino experience with our proven stand-alone app. Our customer-friendly platform features more than 1200 games, dozens of original titles and intuitive game play that distinguishes our product and positions us for even greater success,” said Aaron LaBerge, Chief Technology Officer and Head of Interactive at PENN Entertainment.
The post PENN Entertainment Launches Stand-alone iCasino App, theScore Casino, in Ontario appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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