Press Releases
Norway’s Espen Jorstad Makes Poker History as the First-Ever World Series of Poker Main Event Champion on the Las Vegas Strip
After 9 days of intense Main Event play, Norway’s Espen Jorstad solidified his place in poker history as the first-ever World Series of Poker (WSOP®) Champion to be crowned on the Las Vegas Strip. Defeating 8,662 players from around the world, Jorstad took home $10,000,000 in earnings and was presented with the newly designed Main Event bracelet by Senior Vice President and General Manager of Paris Las Vegas and Bally’s, the future Horseshoe, Jason Gregorec.
On Saturday afternoon, Jorstad outlasted Adrian Attenborough and Michael Duek at the Final Table. 23-year-old Duek took home third place, with a total of $4,000,000 in earnings. Attenborough called Jorstad in the intense heads-up, setting Jorstad up for a dramatic victory once he revealed his winning hand – a full house. Espen’s win cements the international dominance in poker’s World Championship – marking the fourth consecutive win by an international player. Following his life-changing win, Jorstad immediately called his mom.
“It was a very emotional call,” said Jorstad. “She could barely speak. She is my biggest fan, so to be able to share that moment with her was very special.”
“This year’s historic WSOP was special for the poker community,” said World Series of Poker Senior Vice President and Executive Director, Ty Stewart. “Against all odds, poker made its way back in a big way and for the first time to the Las Vegas Strip. To see Espen persevere through 8,662 Main Event entrants – the second most in WSOP history, was incredible. We’re looking forward to raising Espen’s banner and coming back bigger than ever in the new Horseshoe Las Vegas next summer.”
The newly designed Main Event bracelet is custom created from 500 grams of 10 karat white and yellow gold, featuring 55 and a half karats or 2,767 various precious stones including rubies, and black and white diamonds.
The 53rd annual WSOP continues at Bally’s and Paris Las Vegas through Wednesday, July 20.
eSports
CAPCOM’S STREET FIGHTERTM 6 GOING TO COLLEGE THIS FALL
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Press Releases
Genome and Chilli Partners join forces to revolutionize iGaming affiliate payouts
Leading the charge in the convergence of financial technology and iGaming, Genome, a cutting-edge electronic money institution, is thrilled to announce its strategic partnership with Chilli Partners, a prominent iGaming affiliate program specializing in casino games.
The collaboration marks a pivotal moment in the iGaming industry, bringing together Genome’s expertise in online financial services and Chilli Partners’ prowess in affiliate marketing. The partnership is set to redefine the landscape of affiliate payouts, offering an array of benefits to both affiliates and the iGaming community at large.
“We are excited to embark on this journey with Chilli Partners. By combining our financial expertise with their influential position in the iGaming affiliate space, we aim to set new standards for efficiency and innovation in affiliate payouts,” – noted Genome’s CEO Daumantas Barauskas.
For one, the partnership offers efficient payouts. Affiliates can now enjoy expedited and secure payouts through Genome’s state-of-the-art financial infrastructure, enhancing their overall experience and satisfaction.
It also provides global reach for Chilli Partners, as it can extend its reach to affiliates worldwide with Genome’s international payment capabilities. This allows Chilli Partners to foster a more diverse and expansive network.
The partnership streamlines financial workflows, ensuring seamless transactions and reducing administrative overhead for Chilli Partners, allowing them to focus on delivering top-notch affiliate services.
Genome is all about innovation in payments and online financial services. This approach brings new possibilities for payment options, providing flexibility and convenience for affiliates participating in the Chilli Partners program.
Lastly, the collaboration prioritizes compliance and risk management, assuring affiliates of secure and compliant transactions in accordance with industry regulations.
“This partnership aligns perfectly with our commitment to providing the best possible experience for our affiliates. Genome’s advanced financial services will play a crucial role in elevating our affiliate program to new heights”, – added Clayton Zammit Cesare, Head of Affiliates at Chilli Partners.
As the iGaming industry continues to evolve, Genome and Chilli Partners stand united in their dedication to driving positive change, innovation, and reliability. The partnership is poised to create a ripple effect, positively impacting the entire iGaming ecosystem.
About Genome
Genome is a leading EMI that provides innovative financial services, including batch payouts, SWIFT, and SEPA transfers. With a focus on efficiency and compliance, Genome empowers businesses across various industries, including iGaming, to streamline financial operations and enhance user experiences.
For more information, please visit https://genome.eu/
About Chilli Partners
Chilli Partners is a prominent iGaming affiliate program specializing in casino games. With a commitment to excellence, Chilli Partners connects affiliates with top-tier iGaming brands, offering a lucrative partnership that includes competitive commission structures and tailored support.
For more information, please visit https://chillipartners.com/
Latest News
Rivalry Announces 2023 Annual Letter to Shareholders and Filing of 2023 Annual Financial Statements
Rivalry Corp. (the “Company” or “Rivalry”) (TSXV: RVLY) (OTCQX: RVLCF) (FSE: 9VK), the leading sportsbook and iGaming operator for Gen Z, is pleased to announce its 2023 annual letter to shareholders and the filing of its financial results for the three (3) and 12-month period ended December 31, 2023. All dollar figures are quoted in Canadian dollars.
2023 Annual Letter to Shareholders
To our Shareholders,
This time last year I spoke about Rivalry’s evolution from a market leader in esports to a diversified Company setting the standard for Gen Z betting entertainment broadly.
Today, we have a business with revenue distribution across casino, sports, and esports betting, growing market share in new geographies, with increased velocity in core regions, and the strongest customer KPIs in Rivalry’s history.
In 2023, Rivalry recorded $423.2 million in betting handle1, up 82% from the previous year. Similarly, gross gaming revenue2 and net revenue both saw 34% and 66% respective increases, while the introduction of higher margin products released in H2 such as Same Game Combos and Quick Combos are continuing to improve overall sportsbook hold and guide Rivalry closer to profitability.
Our deepened product suite now includes fantasy, additional sports coverage, and new proprietary casino games. All of which are uniquely driving growth among a targeted customer segment and widening our opportunity set in 2024 and beyond – from a 60% increase in traditional sports betting to a burgeoning B2B game vertical. The potential for how far our brand can go is just beginning to unfold.
The year ahead is rife with new, innovative product releases arriving in Q2 and continuing throughout 2024. We are doubling down on core growth opportunities in sports that resonate with our audience, such as basketball and soccer. Further, we are building on a successful casino segment which already represents 50% of our business, enhancing variety, depth, and accessibility, as well as developing new original games which blur the lines between betting and entertainment. We are in the process of additional geographic expansion, and pursuing new licenses to broaden our total addressable market, positioning Rivalry to own the Gen Z gambling opportunity globally.
While Rivalry’s operations have expanded into new high-growth verticals, our north star has remained the same: to define the future of online gambling for a generation born on the internet.
Online gambling in 2024 is radically different than it was just six years ago when Rivalry launched. In that time we’ve seen gaming and internet culture reshape how consumers engage with technology. That shift is broadening the definition of gambling, where product design is influenced by video games, or it exists fully embedded within social apps like Telegram, where content creators are the new affiliates, and much more.
Over the same period, the rise of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology has introduced a new level of speed, access, and security to web-based consumer experiences. Industry estimates now put crypto wagers at up to one quarter of global betting handle3, with 30% year-over-year growth in 20244, and showing no signs of slowing down.
The development of this ecosystem has commercially unlocked online gambling unlike anything since its first transition from land to online many years ago. It has brought in a new global audience, and enriched the customer experience from end-to-end.
Alongside the growth of this technology has emerged new methods of gambling, taking wallet share from more traditional forms at an accelerated rate. The shift in consumer behavior and the signal from our users is clear – interactive, volatile, and crypto-infused product experiences will set the precedent for how the next generation gambles online.
Rivalry, with a brand steeped in internet culture and living at the intersection of this digital economic renaissance, is well-positioned to access this growth opportunity. There is high overlap between Gen Z, gamers, gamblers, and a fast-growing audience of over 420 million crypto users worldwide5 organically aligned with our audience and brand. And we believe that more than half of this audience globally is already wagering with crypto.
It will be Rivalry’s ability to understand, implement, and adapt to this shift more rapidly than our peers that we expect to create first-mover advantages for us. It is for that reason that our vision is now bolder than ever for what’s possible in the online gambling category.
Soon, we will reveal plans for a crypto-enabled product set to enhance alignment between Rivalry and its users, increase network effects, and generally deliver a consumer experience that lives on the internet of 2024.
To that effect, the success of our first-party games and their ability to acquire and engage a captive audience of Gen Z bettors online has validated our original game development strategy amongst industry peers. This has unlocked a new commercial opportunity for Rivalry to license its IP, opening up another line of revenue for the business that has great potential for global scale.
The year ahead is poised to be one of our most ground-breaking, with a myriad of innovative product releases across all of Rivalry’s verticals, adding more dimension to our business, operations, and addressable audience, and building on our competitive moat as the market leader in Gen Z betting entertainment.
We look forward to sharing more details about these upcoming initiatives, the opportunities they will unlock for our Company, and delivering on our promise to create long-term shareholder value and reach profitability. Thank you all for your continued support.
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