North America

The result of a love affair between Turner and WME | IMG, the ELEAGUE has announced the dates and format for its forthcoming second season. The preliminary rounds of the CS:GO league will start on Wednesday September 7th, with a four week group stage schedule set to begin on Friday October 21st.  ELEAGUE’s Grand Final will be held Saturday December 3rd and will culminate …

Irish finance magnet Dermot Desmond has invested £1.3 million (€1.5 million) in London AIM listed igaming systems provider GAN. Updating the market, GAN governance revealed that Desmond’s IIU Nominees (IIU) had purchased +3 million shares in the firms new share placement. Desmond’s purchase sees IIU take an approximate 5% equity in GAN. GAN governance stated that the funds would be …

New York private equity firm Z Capital has confirmed that it has brought Nevada casino operator Affinity Gaming outright for an all-cash deal of $580 million (£440 million). At present the private equity firm owns 41% equity in Affinity Gaming, with Z Capital seeking to purchase the outstanding stake at a price of $17.35 per share. Updating stakeholders, Z Capital …

It was announced today that the Board of Directors at the World Esports Association (WESA) has unanimously agreed that Ken Hershman will be its Executive Chairman and Commissioner with immediate effect. Hershman, a TV sports veteran who has worked with the likes of HBO and Showtime, takes over the role from Pietro Fringuelli who has occupied the role in an interim …

The NHL has confirmed that it will incorporate Sportradar’s ‘Fraud Detection System’ (FDS), monitoring all its syndicated matches for integrity and suspicious betting activities. The US professional ice hockey league, becomes the latest sporting body to incorporate the FDS monitoring system, as Sportradar a European sport data and analysis specialist expands its services within US sports. The partnership, sees Sportradar …

Daily fantasy sports (DFS) has returned New York, as the state Gaming Commission this week granted five temporary permits. Under the permits, leading US fantasy sports operators FanDuel and DraftKings will be allowed to resume New York operations immediately ahead of the start of the 2016/17 NFL season (September 8) a key period for the DFS industry. “While the commission …

Ask not what esports can offer Las Vegas, ask what they can offer each offer.  With casinos looking for a way to attract a younger tech savvy generation, many are looking to esports as a way to achieve this end. Some casinos have organised tournaments, the Downtown Grand for example has been a key player for some time, but the …

Canadian business news sources have reported that Caesars Entertainment Corporation (CEC) is one of the bidding firms seeking to win the building rights for a casino complex in Toronto. CEC’s bid for a Toronto gaming complex, comes despite the company being embroiled in ongoing creditor disputes relating to subsidiary Caesars Entertainment Operating Company (CEOC) $18 billion debt. Nevertheless, CEC shareholders …

Updating the market, Caesars Entertainment Corporation (CEC) has announced that it has settled one of several bondholder lawsuits filed against debt holding subsidiary Caesars Entertainment Operating Company (CEOC). Filing a Securities and Exchange Commission notice on Wednesday, CEC governance detailed that it had settled with creditor Frederick Barton Danner a 6.5% bondholder in CEOC notes. Danner representatives have confirmed that they …

Sports data and insights provider Sportradar AG is reported to be in the final stages of closing a six-year data-rights contract with the NBA valued at $250 million. Its contract with the NBA will cover an array of data-distribution rights on behalf of the professional league, including match analysis, data reporting, statistics and the development of a streaming product. In …