Socios.com currently has over 1.2 million users and has partnerships with more than 90 major sporting organisations, including major European and South American football clubs, NBA franchises, MMA organisations, Formula 1 teams, cricket teams, and esports organisations. 

The platform offers fan tokens, collectible digital assets, in the form of NFTs minted on the Chiliz blockchain, giving holders special access to perks, rewards, merchandise, and experiences. Fan Tokens are purchased using the Chiliz ($CHZ) digital currency, which can be purchased on the Socios.com app or several cryptocurrency exchanges, including Coinbase and Binance. 

Checkout.com will now be providing a solution for Socios.com’s complex and rapidly growing global infrastructure.  

Béatrice Collet, head of operational business development and global payments at Socios.com, explained: “Fan tokens are an exciting way for sports teams to transform the way they interact with their fans. This has become increasingly important over the past 18 months with people unable to attend sports events and needing new ways to stay connected to their teams. Tokens are viewed as a source of new revenue for clubs — we generated almost $200 million for our partner clubs in 2021 alone.”

Max Rothman, head of digital assets & currencies at Checkout.com, added: “We have a complete suite of payment methods that lower the barrier to entry for millions of sports fans looking to acquire fan tokens. Checkout.com’s substantial domain expertise in cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, supports the payments needs for companies operating in this space. We can ensure Socios.com maximises acceptance rates, enabling fans to join the Chiliz ecosystem and feel closer to the teams they love.”

Renowned content provider, Betsoft Gaming, once again shows its provenance as the market leader for true cinematic iGaming slots with stunning release Return to Paris. Following the smash hit A Night In Paris, the Thief with an eye for an antique is back – and so is the Cop, looking to hunt him down! Loaded with frequent wins, Multipliers, explosive Wilds and an engaging Free Spins round, this five reel 20 payline slot is the cartoon crime caper of the year.

Welcome to Paris by night: the romantically lit boulevards and shimmering Eiffel Tower are the backdrop to the museum, full of priceless artwork – including the Mona Lisa – and the crown jewels. On duty is the Cop, ready to protect Paris’ artefacts from the light-fingered Thief. Each piece of stolen artwork has its own Multiplier – the more you recover of each symbol, the higher the Multiplier! It’s a race against time as the Thief must put his loot in the unique bar-counter under the grid and build up the Multipliers before the Cop catches up with him.

Studded with fabulous graphics, Return to Paris showcases Betsoft’s trademark cinematic skills. Jewels and statues are the high value symbols and a Monet-inspired painting is the WILD. The Thief steals a nearby symbol and stashes it in his collection whilst taking its place on the reels. Each theft increases the on-screen MULTIPLIER COUNTER by one and a random symbol will replace the stolen one as the Thief moves on. Spin the reels to find the Cop. With a screech of tyres and a wailing siren, he will chase the Thief around the grid to put him behind bars and return the stolen goodies. The player gets a win PLUS the built-up Multiplier. The Multiplier is then reset to 1 and the chase starts all over again.

The big draw is the Mona Lisa and this fulsome lady is clearly loving her starring role as the SCATTER. Appearing only on reels 2, 3 and 4, when THREE Mona Lisas appear, the FREE SPINS round is triggered. You’ve seen the Mona Lisa but we bet you have never seen a FREE SPINS round like this!

The open-ended round starts with the Cop and the Thief in opposite corners of the grid. Each spin moves them vertically or horizontally in a random direction. The Thief continues to steal everything in his path, adding constantly to the Multiplier as the Cop chases him down.

Until they meet on adjacent squares, Free Spins will keep triggering – with up to 1,000 FREE SPINS to be had!

The trusty law enforcement officer will return all the stolen art at the end of Free Spins and the player will receive a Five of a Kind equivalent payout PLUS any built up Multipliers from the symbols. The Multiplier is then reset to 1 and the chase is back on!

The Cop is no pushover however: not content with just chasing the Thief and returning his ill-gotten gains, when they both appear adjacently on the reels – horizontally or vertically – things get hot. A bundle of dynamite rolls on to the screen and BOOM! All symbols become Wilds in the WILD EXPLOSION feature bringing even more big win chances your way.

With high frequency hit rates in the base game and super high frequency hit rates of 82.97% in the Free Spins round PLUS 1056x your stake to be had, it’s not surprising that everyone will Return To Paris this autumn!

Anna Mackney, Head of Account Management, Betsoft Gaming, said: ‘Betsoft Gaming has surpassed even its own legendary cinematographic skills with Return to Paris. The incredible attention to detail makes this release fresh with every replay. The atmospheric soundtrack, with its Parisian street music, sirens, explosions and humorous mutterings, reinforces the theme fantastically well. This release sets a new bar in iGaming content and we anticipate a very positive response.’

Scheduled for release 28^th October 2021, Return to Paris will join Betsoft’s constantly growing and award-winning portfolio of desktop and mobile video slots.

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.

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.

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. 

The partnership between the team and Entain’s PartyCasino and partypoker brands launched at the start of this year’s F1 season with the Monaco Grand Prix in May. The company will now be running international TV adverts until the end of the season in late December, and is promising customers “special access to the McLaren F1 team” through the two gaming brands. 

“We want Party to be a destination for customers around the world who enjoy games and sharing experiences around the sports and activities they love,” said Paris Anatolitis, Managing Director of Party Brands and Commercial Director of Entain. “This is about creating recreational content which encourages people to take a look and explore new ways of enjoying themselves with our brands.”

A range of new offers are also being launched to coincide with the new campaign, including Super Fan competitions, videos giving fans a look behind the scenes at McLaren Racing, and an exclusive free-to-play McLaren F1 game. 

Further exclusive content and experiences are also planned for 2022.

Dive deeper into the world of @McLarenF1 with Entain and even more exclusive content this #F1 season.

To mark the next stage in our partnership, we’re unveiling new and exciting experiences to our customers that are exclusive to our brands.

Readhttps://t.co/211KBf9e4j pic.twitter.com/lDa0OfBk32

— Entain (@EntainGroup) October 28, 2021

Pragmatic Play, a leading content provider to the iGaming industry, is back with another instalment to its iconic John Hunter series in latest release, John Hunter and the Quest for Bermuda Riches.

As the title suggests, the 7×7 slot title invites players to hunt for hidden treasure in the pink-sand beaches and deep waters that encompass the territory of Bermuda.

Thanks to the Tumble feature, symbols that have been part of a win will disappear, and the symbols above will tumble down and take their place. The game will then play with this new collection of symbols as a new game with no cost to the player. This process may be repeated until there is no win.

Regular golden Wild symbols will occasionally turn into Cursed Wilds. Cursed Wilds are upgraded with an x2 multiplier, or extra wilds will be randomly placed on the grid.

Money symbols with random cash values will land on the grid in the base game, and if players land a Collect symbol at the same time, all the values are collected. The only catch is that there are four different Collect symbols, each with its own unique requirements and rewards.

Landing three or more Scatter symbols can trigger wins worth up to 100x the player’s stake and will unleash the Free Spins feature, along with 12 free spins. Players willing to buy this feature can, but it will cost them 100x their total stake each time they want to access it.

The Quest for Bermuda Riches is the latest instalment in the wildly successful John Hunter series, following his adventures in The Mayan Gods, The Book of Tut, The Tomb of the Scarab Queen, Aztec Treasure and Da Vinci’s Treasure.

The new release arrives in the wake of recent hits Cash Bonanza, Mystic Chief, and Piggy Bank Bills, which reside amongst a collection of over 200 HTML5 titles in Pragmatic Play’s award-winning games portfolio.

Yossi Barzely, Chief Business Development Officer at Pragmatic Play, said: “The John Hunter series has become a staple of our portfolio, and we’re thrilled to inject new life into it with the launch of John Hunter and the Quest for Bermuda Riches.

“We’re always looking for new ways to entertain our customers with exciting content, and the John Hunter series presents us with the perfect opportunity to continue an epic narrative with equally thrilling mechanics.”

Pragmatic Play currently produces up to five new slot titles a month, while also delivering Live Casino and Bingo games as part of its multi-product portfolio, available through one single API.

– a new multiplayer tournament engine.

The new platform was created to offer peer-to-peer promotional games that extend player experiences, allowing players to compete head-to-head on their own time, and builds off RSI’s success with its popular bingo games. 

RSI’s initial execution of RushArena is RushRace which offers the following:

• Permits players to join at any time in the tournament window 
• Tournaments are designed so players can choose from a wide number of game selections
• Players can switch games during the tournament to try their luck at a different title
• Players can start with different balances and win based on a wide range of different outcomes  
• Players can adjust wager amounts based on desired strategy 
• Leader boards and player positions are updated in real time and can be viewed while competing 
• Tournament entries may be awarded by a wide range of methods, including purchases from RSI’s proprietary bonus store using bonus store points

“Enhancing the player experience remains our top business strategy,” said Richard Schwartz, CEO of RSI. “We listen to our customers, and by owning, building and innovating the framework, we can tailor our games to deliver what our casino players, or insights obtained from them, have told us they want.  We use these ground-breaking game mechanics to create new experiences, which is consistent with our goal to increase retention, loyalty, and business KPIs.”

The engine used to create RushArena and its RushRaces will also soon be employed to create peer-to-peer competition events, which will allow BetRivers.com, PlaySugarHouse.com, and RushBet patrons to challenge each other in fun and rewarding battles.

Under the agreement, Brookfield Business Partners will pay $5.85 billion in cash, and a further performance-based earn-out of up to $225M. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2022, subject to applicable regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

Scientific Games Lottery currently has long-term partnerships with around 130 government and non-government run lotteries in more than 50 countries. The business provides turn-key solutions covering the entire lottery ecosystem, including instant and terminal-generated games, sports betting, lottery systems and retail technology, and the iLottery market. The company says it powers around 60% of all instant product retail sales globally. 

Regarding the news, Barry Cottle, President and CEO of Scientific Games, said: “This transaction is transformative in accelerating the delivery of our stated strategy to optimize our portfolio, aggressively de-lever our balance sheet and position us to invest in future growth. We conducted a thorough review of paths to divest the Lottery business and we are confident that this transaction maximizes value and certainty while minimizing complexity and execution risk, and positions both Scientific Games and SG Lottery for continued success along their unique growth trajectories.

“The significant near-term proceeds from this transaction as well as our previously announced sale of Sports Betting will transform our balance sheet and provide the financial flexibility to invest organically and inorganically to accelerate our strategies. This marks a major milestone and puts us on a clear path to achieve our vision to become the leading cross-platform global game company and unlock our full value for shareholders.”

David Nowak, Managing Partner, Brookfield Business Partners, added: “The Scientific Games Lottery team has built a leading business, which has innovated its industry, at the convergence of games, technology and services, across retail and digital channels for its global customers. With our capabilities and global reach, we look forward to supporting management in the continued growth of the business.”

Just last month, Endeavor Group Holdings, the NYSE-listed global sports and entertainment company, agreed to acquire content, platform, and service provider OpenBet from Scientific Games Corporation for US$1.2 billion.

Taking place from November 2021 to March 2022, and operated by GGTech Entertainment, players from the EMEA region will fight it out for a share of a €43,000 prize pool.

Based on the new Gizmos and Gadgets Set, the competition will allow players to earn points and qualify for the EMEA Finals through Ranked matches in-game or Golden Spatula Cups. Furthermore, local tournaments will be hosted, culminating in the TFT Rising Legends Superbrawl, a regional nation-based event. Throughout the whole circuit, 32 players will be advancing to the regional Finals.

• Golden Spatula Cups: three Cups will be hosted in December, January, and March. Players will be able to qualify through Ranked play or by participating in the corresponding Open Qualifiers
• Rising Legends Superbrawl: an 8-region tournament consisting of 2 players representing each region, fighting for two slots in the EMEA Finals
• Rising Legends EMEA Finals: the best players in the EMEA region will meet in this event, where players will fight for one for the four spots at the TFT World Championship

All the TFT action will be covered in English on the official Twitch channel: twitch.tv/teamfighttactics

More information on the tournament, broadcast, and how to participate will be published on the official tournament website: risinglegends.gg