Esports

ISLE OF MAN GAMING SECTOR BOOMING

Published

6 years ago

March 25, 2021

The Isle of Man’s gaming sector is booming, with the country reporting a dramatic rise in license applications from global operators.

The British Crown dependency located in the Irish Sea has seen a thirty percent increase in demand this year, with the number of licensees to be supervised by the Gambling Supervision Commission now at 55 and several more in the pipeline. This equates to an increase of 21 in the last 12 months, in comparison to 8 licence approvals in 2019.

As reported last month, even 5Dimes, which has been synonymous with offshore gambling since it was established way back in 1996, announced it had secured an online sports betting and casino license in the Isle of Man – a major part of its push to overhaul its image and compete in the legitimate, regulated arena. The new generation of esports-first betting and tournament platforms like Luckbox and Rivalry.gg have also found success with Isle of Man licenses and bases.

The introduction of a new software supplier license has contributed to a surge in applications, and various service providers have also reported a significant uptick in enquiries from businesses considering relocating to the island. Notably, the Isle of Man is weathering the COVID-19 crisis better than most countries, having completely eliminated the virus from the island, and lifting all control measures – though its borders are still closed to non-essential travel.

Regarding the situation, Steve Brennan, Chief Executive of The Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission, said: “We are exceptionally busy at the minute processing a significant rise in the number of applications for online gambling operators. We continued to work throughout lockdown, and over the last 10 months, we have received or completed a considerable number of applications. By the time we have closed those out and added recent applications, we will have 60 licences to supervise.

Explaining why operators are choosing the Isle of Man, Jade Zorab, Director of Amber Gaming, added: “The Isle of Man has proven to be at the forefront of the more notable eGaming jurisdictions over the years. It has a combination of a stable political and economic environment, low tax and advanced IT infrastructure in addition to a cluster of experienced and reliable professional organisations – all of which has created a compelling proposition for eGaming companies both locally and further afield.

“The Island also offers a flexible licensing regime with a pragmatic and efficient regulator, which is especially valuable during a time where there is so much global uncertainty and regulatory changes in several other jurisdictions which brings the prospect of significant operational challenges. Given the Island’s strong reputation and open and innovative approach in the evolving gaming landscape, the future outlook is positive and it is no surprise that the Isle of Man is experiencing an influx of eGaming ventures, which we are proud to support.”

While Lyle Wraxall, Chief Executive at Digital Isle of Man, commented: “A key strength of the Isle of Man is its commitment to the development and continued success of the eGaming companies domiciled here. Digital Isle of Man supports this by striving to build and maintain solid foundations for our Island businesses to flourish, offering quick fire advice and tackling obstacles to ease business decisions and burdens along the way.

“We have strong heritage and credentials in the eGaming sector and are renowned for our premium regulation which is becoming more and more important to businesses. As businesses licensed elsewhere seek security and continued business growth, the experience and expertise based in the Isle of Man is the logical next step for businesses to mature and grow.

“The Isle of Man has a track record of being a safe and secure place for businesses to grow, and boasts a confident, stable economy, with no market restrictions, ensuring minimal disruption to business progress and opportunities.”

AYO.NEWS says:

Although the Isle of Man has long been attractive to gaming and tech companies, events in competing jurisdictions, along with increased investment on the part of the Manx government, are now making its offering much more compelling.

Malta and Gibraltar, the Isle of Man’s main rivals in terms of gaming, are both facing severe challenges. In Malta, endemic corruption and its risible handling of the COVID-19 crisis are joining other factors like increasingly difficult access to banking, ridiculous living costs, crumbling infrastructure, and unbelievable environmental degradation, to make it unattractive to both companies and workers. In Gibraltar, continued uncertainty regarding Brexit, especially in terms of workers living in Spain, is making recruitment and long-term planning painful. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, regulatory and political uncertainty is diminishing the appeal of Curacao as a licensing jurisdiction.

However, the Isle of Man, which has never been part of the European Union but still, in non-COVID times at least, has unfettered access to a huge talent pool in the United Kingdom and Ireland, has handled the pandemic extremely well, focused on maintaining regulatory, financial, and political integrity and stability, and invested heavily in tech infrastructure and administrative support – exemplified by the Digital Isle of Man agency.

Notably, the Isle of Man has also very much grasped the synergies between iGaming, video games and esports, fintech, and blockchain – especially when it comes to regulation, infrastructure, and recruitment. Indeed, at the end of last year, AYO.NEWS’ very own Simona Pinterova caught up with Chriss Kissack, Head of Esports, at Digital Isle of Man, to find out what makes the island such a great location for esports and gaming businesses.

Esports

LEXUS SUPPORTS ESPORTS AWARDS FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR

Published

5 years ago

October 29, 2021

AYO News Staff

Luxury carmaker Lexus is returning to support the Esports Awards for a third year running

As Official Auto Partner of the awards, the company will be working with the Esports Awards on a number of activations that incorporate their vehicles. Lexus will also sponsor both the Esports Organisation of the Year and Streamer of the Year awards.

Lexus made its esports debut with the Esports Awards in 2019, when it provided several supercars from blockbuster movies, which took centre stage at the Esports Stadium Arlington. Last year, the carmaker collaborated on exclusive content as part of the highly successful virtual ceremony.

“It’s an honour to be able to welcome Lexus as a partner for the third year in a row. After supporting us through a successful virtual ceremony last year, it speaks volumes that Lexus has once again committed to going all-in and driving the esports ecosystem forward. Both of our brands focus on prestige and excellence, and I look forward to showcases our joint values as we return to a physical event in November,” said Michael Ashford, Managing Director, Esports Awards.

Esports

REKTGLOBAL BRINGS TOP GAMING TALENT TO INFINITY FESTIVAL 2021

Published

5 years ago

October 29, 2021

AYO News Staff

ReKTGlobal, the digital entertainment and esports organization, has been named one of the official presenters of gaming content at the 2021 Infinity Festival.

On 3 November, superstar gaming creators Ally Battaggia (a.k.a TheGeekEntry) and Gabby Murray will join Stove’s Kitchen and Paul Shaw in a panel exploring the content creator economy. In addition, ReKTGlobal CCO Kevin Knocke will share his unique expertise in a panel on esports.

Battaggia, who has a growing following across social media, took on streaming during lockdown, joining the fan-favorite NoPIxel GTA RP server. Since then, she’s become a mainstay participant, even crafting a NFT/TCG collection from her beloved GTA RP character. With 9.6M social media followers, Murray has built a fanbase as a multi-talented lifestyle and gaming content creator, with a Discord community that is expanding by the day.

Top gaming creator Stove’s Kitchen (whose real name is Steven Cho), part of the Team RAR (Rare and Ridiculous) internet group, has a devout fan following on his YouTube channel, where he posts gaming and challenge videos. Meanwhile, Shaw oversees Special Projects at TalentX Entertainment, a subsidiary of ReKTGlobal. The four will join forces for Making a Living as a Content Creator: Much More Than Gaming — a panel that explores what sets livestream content monetization and strategy apart from pre-produced content.

Also on 3 November, Knocke will take part in an esports panel with Darin Kwilinski, Lead Content Producer at IGN Entertainment, and Amanda Solomon, CEO at Tyrus Talent Management. The panel, Esports or Esports? Does It Matter? will break down misconceptions about esports to separate the hype from actual substance.

Knocke, who has been competitively gaming since he was a kid, has years of involvement with high profile companies and events in the esports business – specifically Blizzard Entertainment, IGN, SiriusXM, Sony, South by Southwest, E3, PAX, and Ubisoft — giving him a broad perspective on the industry. Before joining IGN, Kwilinski, a lifelong gamer, was a senior editor for esports at ESPN, establishing its vision and voice. Solomon is an executive with a well of expertise in the strategic sales and partnerships realm, specializing in esports, gaming, and talent.

Now in its exciting fourth year, the forward-focused Infinity Festival is the place where Hollywood meets Silicon Valley. The multi-day annual event, held in Los Angeles, brings together Hollywood’s finest storytelling talent with the innovative creators of cutting-edge technology. For 2021, Infinity Festival will blend in-person and virtual events for a unique hybrid experience.

The in-person portion will be held in several adjacent Hollywood locations with most events happening at Goya Studios and the Dream Hotel; the online component will be presented through the easy-to-use FNvirtual event platform. The festival will continue its theme of “Story Enabled by Technology” with an entirely new slate of innovative programming, including industry-leading speakers, panel discussions, an exhibition hall, innovation labs, and a fine art gallery, each with an emerging-tech focus.

For tickets and additional information, visit infinityfestival.com.

Esports

TEAM SINGULARITY TO LAUNCH FAN TOKENS VIA BLOCKSPORT

Published

5 years ago

October 29, 2021

AYO News Staff

Danish esports organisation Team Singularity has extended its partnership with Swiss fan engagement platform Blocksport.

The multi-year agreement will see the launch of the $SNG Fan Token, giving holders access to unique opportunities to influence team-related decisions, enter the fast-track at SNG Academy, access exclusive content, train with professional esports athletes and more.

$SNG Fan Tokens are expected to launch in December 2021 with a supply of 3M, and will be priced at €1 each in the initial sale.

Commenting on the news, Atle S. Stehouwer, CEO and Founder of Team Singularity, said: “I am happy that our partnership with Blocksport is officially extended and we can finally announce the next step in our collaboration.”

Vladimir Liulka, CEO and Co-Founder of Blocksport, added: “We are happy to extend our exclusive partnership with Team Singularity and launch $SNG Fan Token for their fans. Singularity has a global and awesome fan community. The Token opens up a new world – an environment in which they have the chance to be very close to their favorites players and team”.

Team Singularity currently fields rosters in CS:GO, Fortnite, Rocket League, League of Legends, FIFA, Apex Legends, Rainbow Six, VALORANT, Free Fire, Teamfight Tactics, Hearthstone, Quake, League of Legends Wild Rift, Call of Duty, Call of Duty Mobile, Call of Duty Warzone, PUBG, PUBG Mobile, DOTA 2, Overwatch, Heroes of the Storm, Battalion 1944, H1Z1, Tekken7, Rogue Company, Brawlhalla, and Clash Royale. In addition to Blocksport, the organisation has commercial partnerships with PWC, Pluck GG, Raven, SCUF, KontrolFreek, Randers FC, Esportal, Challengermode, MYESPORTSCARD, and MYFUTCARD.

Staying with esports and Blocksport.io, just yesterday we reported the platform had partnered with Jordanian sim motorsports organisation Desert Fox Racing.