eSports
Winning With Online Sports Betting, I-Gaming, and E-Sports: CEOs of GAN, FansUnite, DraftKings, and fuboTV Embracing Interactive Millennial Mega-Trends
Wall Street Reporter, the trusted name in financial news since 1843, has published reports on the latest comments and insights from leaders at: GAN Limited (NASDAQ: GAN), FansUnite (OTC: FUNFF) (CSE: FANS), DraftKings Inc. (NASDAQ: DKNG) and fuboTV (NYSE: FUBO).
Multiple trends are converging, creating massive opportunities for the new paradigm of wagering. As millions of millennial consumers embrace online sports betting, esports, and I-Gaming – governments are increasingly eager to legalize, and drive desperately needed tax revenues. Online sports betting is emerging as the dominant growth theme of the decade, with billions of dollars in revenues generated worldwide from video games, streaming to online casinos and sports betting. Wall Street Reporter highlights the latest comments from industry thought leaders:
FansUnite (OTC: FUNFF) (CSE: FANS) âPositioned for Exponential Revenue Growth in iGaming, E-Sports, Online Sports Bettingâ
In a recent presentation at Wall Street Reporterâs NEXT SUPER STOCK livestream, FansUnite (OTC: FUNFF) (CSE: FANS) CEO Scott Burton explained how the companyâs latest distribution deal with an online casino games aggregator, sets the stage for exponential revenue growth opportunities. In the next 12 months, FUNFF plans to expand its current line from three games to twelve – while adding multiple aggregators for each game – reaching millions of new online casino customers worldwide. With each game generating as much as $500,000 in revenue per month for FUNFF – per online casino – and the potential to be in hundreds of online casinos – these numbers can quickly add up.
December 16 – FUNFF gains first-mover advantage into the U.S. esports betting market, as itâs long-term partner GameCo joins US Bookmaking and Sky Ute Casino to establish the first dedicated esports sportsbook in the United States. FUNFF wholly-owned subsidiary Askott Entertainment will supply its iGaming platform, Chameleon, as part of a fully integrated esports betting solution. Through GameCo’s partnership with Sky Ute Casino and US Bookmaking, FansUnite will be the first iGaming solutions provider to receive significant exposure in the U.S. esports betting market.
December 7 – FUNFF receives Malta Gaming Service License and Critical Gaming Supply, and will now be able to offer a full spectrum of online gambling services in Europe, covering Casino, Fixed Odds Betting, Pool Betting and Controlled Skilled Games. With MGA approval received, FansUnite will be joining other highly respected gambling companies such as PokerStars, Betfair and Unibet in operating their business within MGA regulations.Â
DraftKings Inc. (NASDAQ: DKNG), CEO Jason Robins: âHuge Pent-up Demand for Sports Betting”
â…As sports have started to return, we saw revenue improve sequentially each month in the quarter, with June revenue increasing 20% year-over-year on a pro forma basis. This strong overall results and improvement are due to our product innovation, our entry into new jurisdiction, and pent-up demand for sports betting as Live Sports like Golf, European Soccer, NASCAR and UFC started to return. In the first two weeks of MLBs return, we saw three times the handle compared to the first two weeks of the 2019 MLB season. In the first week of the NHLâs return, our handle is more than twice the handle of first week of 2019 NHL playoff…â
â…We significantly expanded our eSports offering and have seen exponential growth in this category. We added popular Madden simulated games and began to include streaming sports within our app, which has become a very popular feature. In fact, since the return of the NHL, the NBA, and Major League Baseball, users have continued to engage with eSports, which gives us confidence in that productâs futureâŠ.We believe eSports is going to be a huge category – it’s when not if…we believe ultimately eSports betting will be if not the biggest, certainly one of the biggest categories of sports betting over the long-term.â
GAN Limited (NASDAQ: GAN) CEO Dermot Smurfit: âOn Path To $100 Million Revenue with Online Sports Betting and Casinosâ
â..While both the consumer attention and client demand remains focused on sports betting, the real core of the U.S. internet gambling profit opportunity lies inherently within the online casino, which is only unlocked by the mass market appeal of sports betting being a technical and operational capability, we will shortly possessâŠâ
âWhen you combine online casino gaming with internet poker, and of course, internet sports betting, New Jersey generated in excess of $132 million of gross operating revenue in that single state in the single month of October. This amount would have seemed implausible just two years ago. New Jersey is now on a path where internet gambling revenues could be on a monthly run rate to exceed pre-COVID retail gaming revenues by the end of 2022. Iâll state this again, because it is incredibly important for everyone to understand the magnitude of the structural shift in the retail casino industry. New Jerseyâs internet gambling market is on a growth path to exceed pre-COVID monthly retail casino gaming revenues within 18 months, possibly less. This all points to bright line a truth that COVID combined with the advent of internet sports betting and the associated strong cross-sell of sports gamblers into online casino gaming has manifestly altered expected future growth opportunities in this industry for decades to come…Our continuing mission is to bring retail casinos online with our technology platform focused principally on delivering all forms of internet gambling content, including casino gaming and sports betting.â
fuboTV (NYSE: FUBO) CEO David Gandler: âAt Intersection of Sports Streaming and Wageringâ
â…From an execution standpoint, Q3 was by far the strongest quarter in the company’s history. Our results have exceeded previously raised guidance with solid growth across every KPI we track. Revenues were up 47% to $61 million. That’s well ahead of the guidance range we provided of $52 million to $55 million. …Paid subscribers at quarter end totaled 455,000, and that’s 58% above the 288,000 last year. Net additions came in at 167,000. That’s up almost 100% year-over-yearâŠFUBO sits firmly at the intersection of 3 megatrends: The first is the secular decline of traditional television viewership; the second is the shift of TV ad dollars to connected devices; and the third is online sports wagering, a market we absolutely intend to enter. Our growth opportunities are numerous, and there are great many reasons for us to be optimistic given the optionality in the business…â
âWe’re super excited about wagering. I would say that we’ve already started executing on our strategy. And at the appropriate time, we’ll provide more details. But the way we think about wagering is we look at it from a 3-bucket perspective: we have an acquisitions advantage, we have an engagement advantage and we have a monetization advantage. For acquisitions, you should think of it that we’re starting with 500,000 paying subscribers. And what you’ve heard from our ability to sell attachments this quarter, we think that we’re going to be able to also sell in a lot of wagering opportunities. Number two was on the engagement front. We have over 50,000 sporting events on the platform, and we’re getting people to watch over 120 hours per month. So there are going to be ample opportunities for us to really sort of drive that forwardâŠâ fuboTV (NYSE: FUBO) Q3 2020 Earnings Highlights: https://bit.ly/2HcPk0I
eSports
Gen.G Acquires League of Legends Data Analytics Platform YOUR.GG
Global esports organization Gen.G announced their acquisition of YOUR.GG, a data analysis and networking platform for League of Legends players. This partnership comes as a new method for Gen.G to enhance the Gen.G Global Academy experience for students in the program. Gen.G is the first global esports academy equipped with such advanced analytical tools to help expand their offering to players looking to improve their game to a professional level.
âOver the last few years, weâve been hard at work pioneering what is now the worldâs largest esports academy. With over 10,000 students having gone through our curriculum, we see the clear need to develop better tools that gamers, coaches, and parents need to create the best gamers possible. YOUR.GGâs best-in-class data, technology and analytics combined with millions of hours of our professional and academy student coaching will be able to unlock the next generations of esports tools that can help realize the true potential of every student and pro in our program,â Arnold Hur, CEO of Gen.G, said.
This acquisition underscores the importance of data and analytics in developing and refining esports talent, a core principle at Gen.G. YOUR.GG will power both its pro team players and its academy students with data-driven tools and reports to foster growth and provide better insight into scouting for new talent.
âWe plan to pioneer a shift in how talent is developed and measured in esports. By developing a tool that will bring a level of analysis and precision to esports that mirrors the most sophisticated training environments in traditional sports. We want to take a holistic approach to measure not just the data within the game, but how a student responds to coaching and feedback,â Min Chang Cha, Founder of YOUR.GG and current VP of Technology at Gen.G, said.
eSports
Motorsport Games Launches RaceControl.gg and Announces Partnership with Coach Dave Academy
Motorsport Games Inc., a racing game developer and esports ecosystem provider, announced the launch of RaceControl.gg, a new dedicated platform designed to enhance player engagement with the latest news, updates, tips, and tricks its most recent game, Le Mans Ultimate. As part of this exciting initiative, Motorsport Games has partnered with Coach Dave Academy (Speed Capital Ltd) to manage the content and development of RaceControl.gg.
Under this partnership, Coach Dave Academy (CDA), renowned for their expertise in creating car setups in racing simulations, will curate and manage the content on RaceControl.gg, ensuring fans and players have access to the most relevant and useful information. CDA will further contribute to the Le Mans Ultimate gaming experience by providing new and optimized car setups directly in the game in a future update – allowing players to enhance their performance on the track.
Stephen Hood, CEO of Motorsport Games, commented on the launch and partnership: âWe are excited to unveil RaceControl.gg as a brand-new destination for Le Mans Ultimate lovers, in collaboration with Coach Dave Academy. This platform is not just a news site; itâs a comprehensive resource that will grow, with time, to include live schedules and account functionalities to boost game engagement even when players are not logged into the app. Our partnership with Coach Dave Academy ensures that the site will be managed by the best in the business, enhancing the game experience with top-tier content and cutting-edge racing setups.â
Dave Perel, Founder of Coach Dave Academy, said: âWe are thrilled to announce our collaboration with Motorsport Games on RaceControl.gg and our contribution of setups for Le Mans Ultimate. This partnership marks a significant milestone for us, underscoring our broad expertise in the sim racing domain. Weâve built our reputation on delivering first-class setups and tutorials. Weâre excited to bring this proven formula to the Le Mans Ultimate player base, enhancing their gaming experience with the same dedication and quality that have been key to our success. Together with Motorsport Games, we are committed to enhancing the user experience, providing both novices and seasoned players with the tools they need to succeed on the track.â
The launch of RaceControl.gg and partnership with CDA marks a significant step forward in Motorsport Gamesâ strategy to expand the accessibility and visibility of Le Mans Ultimate and its RaceControl service beyond the traditional game environment. This initiative is designed and expected to create a more connected and engaged community around the game, providing a dynamic platform that evolves with the needs of its users.
eSports
CECC Texas âMay Madnessâ Scores Record Growth Again in its Fourth Year
Winthrop University, Ball State University, St. Clair College, and Illinois State University Crowned as Commissionerâs Cup Champions at the largest scholastic esports festival globally
McDonaldâs of North Texas, State Farm, Apple Music, Red Bull, U.S. Army 5th Brigade, Smoothie King, along with other world-class partners lend valuable support for event
Collegiate Sports Management Group (CSMG) concluded its fourth Collegiate Esports Commissionerâs Cup (CECC) today crowning four new champions during the largest scholastic esports festival globally and celebrating another year of record growth. CECC Texas presented by McDonaldâs welcomed more than 800 student-athletes representing 84 teams (up from 64 in 2023), including a record-breaking 19 conference champions, at Esports Stadium Arlington on May 2-5, along with thousands of fans. In total, 453 teams from 255 schools participated during the 2023-24 CECC season.
Champions included Winthrop University for Super Smash Bros.âą Ultimate through Generation Esports, Ball State University for Rocket League, St. Clair College for VALORANT, and Illinois State University for Overwatch 2Âź
âBy elevating scholastic esports, we empower students, schools and conferences while fueling industry growth. This is a testament to the increasing interest from brands, media entities, publishers making this the ultimate destination for the scholastic esports and the gaming community.â said Michael Schreck, CEO for CSMG. âCECC isnât just a competition; weâre providing structure, recognition and endless opportunities to shape the future of esports.â
Arlington Mayor Jim Ross joined Schreck on stage during the event along with Arminda and Anthony Grissett, Owner/Operators of McDonaldâs of North Texas, to announce CECC will return to Esports Stadium Arlington in 2025, marking it the third straight year Texas will host this event.
CSMG also announced during CECC Texas it has joined forces with Capcom to launch the College Street FighterTM Tour during its 2024-25 academic year with the finalists competing at CECC Texas in 2025 throughout its May Madness event. Wim Stocks will serve as the Commissioner of the College Street Fighter Tour and bring his 20 years of experience in college esports to create a dynamic and engaging format of competitive gaming.
CECC Texas offered something for everyone including the Texas High and Middle School Esports Championships, the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC) championship finals across League of Legends, Overwatch, Rocket League, and VALORANT, open tournaments for Street Fighter 6, Teamfight Tactics and HALO Infinite 2v2, the Smoothie King Super Smash Bros.âą Ultimate Open, through Generation Esports with a prize pool up to $5,000, gaming-themed onsite activations, and various industry panels.
McDonaldâs of North Texas returned for the second year in a row as the presenting sponsor with various promotions and giveaways through the McDonaldâs App as well as awarding a free custom @McDonalds PC built by @Oasis PCâs.
âMcDonaldâs of North Texas was thrilled to once again sponsor CECC and to see first-hand the incredible experience this tournament brings to the teams and fans nationwide,â said David Floyd, Owner-Operator with McDonaldâs of North Texas. âAs local business owners, itâs an honor that our community could serve as the center of the esports world this weekend. We were also delighted to add a delivery service this year, which was a great success. This feature allowed fans to order food and continue in their CECC experience.â
The ESPORTSU Collegiate Awards took center stage throughout the weekend recognizing leaders who are driving the ecosystem forward, including:
- Commissioner of the Year – J.J. Myers (NACE)
- Community Ambassador – Yugina Yun (Gen.G)
- Club of the Year – Indiana University
- Club President of the Year – TJ Stephens (University of Georgia)
- Club Impact Award – Arizona State University
- Rising Star Award – Greyson Harding (Michigan State University)
- Coach of the Year – Ethan Stone (Indiana University)
- Director of the Year – Chris Bilski (Michigan State University)
- Program Impact – Michigan State University
- Ally of the Year – Christopher Turner (Southern University)
- Program of the Year – St Clair College
- CECC School of the Year – Winthrop University
The ESPORTSU Awards Committee Members included Kyler Tandal (ESPORTSU), ToniAnn Convertino (ESPORTSU), Nikita Bair (Syracuse University),Joey Gawrysiak (Syracuse University), Aaron Colaiacomo (Fisher College), Adam Antor (Ferris State), and Chase Neukam (St Cloud State University).
Finally, the Aurora Series, dedicated to supporting all who identify with a marginalized gender, made its debut at CECC Texas with the University of Houston Scarlet defeating the University of North Texas in a thrilling VALORANT match 13-11 on the main stage.
âThe power of esports was on full display this weekend as many colleges are continuing to push this as the ânew sportâ on campuses across the nation,â said Angela Bernhard Thomas, Chief Esports Officer for CSMG. âThe students arrived in all their team gear, the fans came out to cheer, and the brands integrated into the competition. Weâre excited to continue to shape the future of the ecosystem.â
Super Smash Brothers Ultimate through Generation Esports – Winthrop University
2nd seeded Winthrop University battled back after losing the first game to beat defending champion and 5th seeded Fisher College (Northeast), 3-1. Winthrop never backed down throughout the tournament, especially in the Grand Finals with Carlos âSonixâ Perez on the Fisher squad, who is considered a top 10 player globally in Super Smash. Bharat “Lima” Chintipall, a sophomore majoring in computer science from Dallas, TX, was named MVP for the tournament.
Winthrop advanced to the finals beating the 6th seeded University of Texas-Arlington 2-0, while Fisher College (Northeast) denied its fellow students and number one seeded Fisher College (East) 2-1 in best-of-3 series.
Rocket League – Ball State University
In one of the most epic Grand Finals in Rocket League, the top seeded Ball State University needed overtime in the final game of the best-of-7 series to beat the three seeded Boise State University, 4-3. No team won a game by more than one goal throughout the match. Arlin “Oath” Burns, a graduate student majoring in clinical mental health counseling from Westfield, IN, was named MVP for the tournament.
In the semi-finals in the best-of-7 series, Ball State bounced the 5th seeded University of Akron 4-0, while Boise State knocked out the 7th seeded Fisher College, 4-2.
VALORANT – St. Clair College
The 5th seeded St. Clair College completed the sweep in a best-of-3 series to defeat 3rd seeded Blinn College, 2-0. The Saints from Windsor, Canada, become the first non-U.S. college to win a CECC championship. Tanner âgeezaâ McGhee, a freshman majoring in business from Camarillo, CA, was named MVP for the tournament.
In the semi-finals in the best-of-3 series, St. Clair edged out the 8th seeded Winthrop University, 2-1, while Blinn College held off the 2nd seeded Fisher College (White), 2-1.
Overwatch 2 – Illinois State University
The 6th seeded Illinois State University captured their second CECC trophy in three years after taking down the 5th seeded Northwood University, 3-0, in a best-of-5 series. The Redbirds captured their first title at CECC Atlanta in 2022. Denis âLethalâ Tari, a sophomore majoring in business administration from Dubai, took home MVP honors for the tournament.
In the semi-finals in the best-of-5 series, Northwood upset the top seed Winthrop University, 3-1, while Illinois State advanced by sweeping the 2nd seeded Fisher College Esports, 3-0.
Semi-Finals (best-of-5)
Brand Partners and Talent Elevate CECC Texas
CECC Texas grew its partners from 2023 with the support of McDonaldâs of North Texas, State Farm, U.S. Army 5th Brigade, Smoothie King, CTRL, Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau, Apple Music. Zipchair Gaming, Dairy MAX, Dallas Cowboys Game Time presented by Lenovo, Cisco, Red Bull, Oasis PC, Cirkul, Grand Canyon University, and U.S. Army ROTC, who activated throughout the event.
The broadcast team featured a stacked group of professional esports hosting, desk analyst, and casting talent. The event was stage hosted by Elyse âHerculyseâ Herrera and floor hosted by Mathew âSeptilenceâ Corfee II. The desk analysts included Carlos âCarlos Ivanâ Braadt, Miles âKilomilesIRLâ Catenza, Logan âCatinatorâ Brown, Cassandra âChixxaâ Meltsch, and Madison âN3RDYBIRDâ Benge. Shoutcasters included Keegan âClutchKeyâ Ohta and Jesse âTwinsaltyâ Brawders for Overwatch 2, Samuel âSamTalkzâ DeLoach II and Sierra â Zhobiiiâ Fisbee for VALORANT, Oliver âBassâ Bass and Jeffrey âTheDangerTacoâ Skalamera for Rocket League, and Phil âEEâ Visu and Saeed Hassan âSaiâ Shareef for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Creators also streamed their own CECC Texas experiences directly to their audiences on their channels. Well-known Twitch personalities included Hungrybox for Super Smash Bros.âą Ultimate, TenacityTV for Rocket League, QuarterJade for VALORANT, and Flats for Overwatch 2Âź, creating a new engagement platform to build college esports fandom.
The Road to Texas featured official CECC sanctioned tournaments including the CECC Midwest Online Regional, CECC East Regional presented by the US Army and Army ROTC at Helix eSports in Foxborough, Mass. CECC South Regional, CECC West Regional, the Big Esports Conference live championship event at The Ohio State University and Game Arena featuring fourteen Big 10 schools, the Atlantic Coast Esports Conference online Rocket League championship, the Western Cactus League live championship at Grand Canyon University, the Military Services Academy qualifier, the ESPORTSU nâ I All Womens Qualifier, and the very competitive Last Chance Qualifier.
Champions representing participating conferences that receive automatic bids include the: Atlantic Coast Esports Conference, Big Esports Conference, Big Sky Conference, Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference, East Coast Conference, Great Lakes Esports Conference, Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference, Metro Atlantic Athletics Conference, Mid-American Conference, Mid-Atlantic Esports Conference, Midwest Esports Conference, Missouri Valley Conference, Mountain West Conference, National Esports Collegiate Conferences, National Junior College Athletics Association Esports, Peach Belt Conference,,Western Cactus League and Western Esports Conference
Full list of CECC Texas-qualified teams (in order of seeding):
Super Smash Brothers Ultimate (through Generation Esports)
Fisher College (East), Winthrop University, Northwood University, University of California-Riverside, Fisher College (Northeast), University of Texas-Arlington, Lubbock Christian University, Manchester College (Indiana), University of Akron, New Jersey City College, Oakland University, Wichita State University, Quinnipiac University, Sacramento State University, University of Houston, University of Miami-Ohio, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, San Jose State University, Marist College, University of North Texas, Southern New Hampshire University, Illinois State University, Arizona State University, and Michigan Tech University.
Rocket League
Ball State University, Boise State University, Indian River State College, Nichols College, University of Akron, Lubbock Christian University, Maryville University, St. Clair College, Davenport College, Fisher College, Syracuse University, Indiana University, University of Arizona, Old Dominion University, University of Air Force, Northern Arizona University, San Jose State University, Staten Island College, Montevallo University, and Saint Xavier University.
Valorant
Blinn College, Simon Fraser College, Northwood University, Fisher College (White), St. Clair College, Fisher College, San Jose State University, Winthrop University, Texas A&M University, Brewton-Parker College, Converse University, Boise State University, Grand Canyon University, Purdue University, Northeastern University, Utica University, Manhattan College, University of North Texas, University of Air Force, and Saint Xavier University.
OverwatchÂź 2
Wintrhop University, Maryville University, Fisher College, Northwood University, Arizona State University, Illinois State University, University of California-Irvine, Fisher College (Freaks), Converse University, Boise State University, Blinn College, Bryant and Stratton College, University of Miami-Ohio, Southern New Hampshire University, University of Maryland, University of Texas-Arlington, Grand Canyon University, Cleary University, University of Army-West Point, and Salt Lake Community College.
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