Industry News
Stevin ‘Hedake’ Smith to Promote Gambling Harm Awareness Through EPIC
Stevin ‘Hedake’ Smith was at the center of one of the most high-profile examples of gambling-related harm in basketball history, which makes him the perfect latest addition to EPIC Global Solutions’ team as they continue to educate the current generation of professional and collegiate athletes on how to avoid the repeat of a similar scenario.
The former point guard made his name as a star player at Arizona State University in the early 1990s, setting college records for three-point attempts and being a two-time All-Pac-10 selection. However, his involvement in point-shaving – which was the subject of a 2021 Netflix documentary – led to a one-year prison sentence and impacted an NBA career with hometown team, Dallas Mavericks.
The source of his gambling harm – being approached by a gambler to change the final score of a game without changing who wins – is an issue that remains very pertinent to student-athletes 30 years on, in spite of the significant changes to sports wagering legislation.
This ensures that his planned involvement in EPIC’s range of education sessions to teams connected to partners such as the NCAA, MLB, and MLSPA will be an important lesson for the athletes, coaches, and staff in attendance when he travels to address them in his new role as US sports advisor for the company.
“I’m passionate about wanting to tell my story and get out there to prevent this from happening again,” he explained.
“I’ve been able to tell my story to players previously and I’m able to have a relationship with all of them in the audience because of the way I deliver my message and coming from one big fraternity in sport. Knowing that EPIC has a global reach is something that really stood out to me about this opportunity and I’m passionate about getting out there and speaking about my experience.”
Though already a renowned name in sporting circles, Smith’s profile is set to rise again in the months ahead with the release of eponymous autobiography, ‘Hedake’, which will coincide with his work with EPIC.
“We’re proud to welcome Hedake to our team and can’t wait to see the impact he’ll have on audiences,” added Teresa Fiore, EPIC’s VP of partnerships.
“In being approached to shave points on game, Hedake has experienced a type of gambling-related harm which is different to many of our other team members. His story represents an area of increasing concern within sports, which adds to the range of our education designed to benefit our valued partners and the key people in their organisations.”
Industry News
Double win for Kaizen Gaming at the SBC Awards Latinoamérica 2024
Kaizen Gaming, one of the biggest GameTech companies in the world, had an impressive double-win at the SBC Awards Latinoamérica 2024 on the 31st October in Miami, Florida. Awarded ‘Brazilian Market Entrant of the Year’, and ‘Marketing Campaign of the Year’, the two wins follow an impressive year of growth and exposure for Kaizen Gaming, as well as its premium brand Betano, across Latin America and globally.
Betano is rapidly growing its user base and presence in Brazil, serving as the main and title sponsor of Brasileirão Betano and Copa Betano do Brasil. As a founding member of the ANJL and IBJR regulatory bodies, Betano is recognised for its dedication to upholding the highest standards of responsible gaming and integrity. Furthermore, the Betano brand has launched multiple CSR initiatives across the country in partnership with sponsored team, Clube Atlético Mineiro. It also recently launched the “Juntos em Campo” long-term program in cooperation with CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) to promote initiatives focused on gender equality.
Awarded for the results and creativity of its innovative “Football in America” marketing campaign, Betano successfully introduced Latin America to its “Confia” brand platform by leveraging on its CONMEBOL Copa America™️ 2024 sponsorship. The campaign chimed with the spirit of fans across the continent by celebrating Latin America’s rich football heritage, playfully responding to Kylian Mbappe’s 2022 comments questioning the region’s football quality.
Vangelis Skarkalis, Kaizen Gaming Senior Commercial Director LATAM, said: “Latin America is one of the world’s most dynamic and exciting regions for i-gaming. Being recognised as a leading player in this important market with two wins at the prestigious SBC Awards Latinoamérica is a great honour – especially on the heels of our recent double-win as ‘Operator of the Year’ at both the EGR Operator Awards and SBC Awards. Achieving this success requires an exceptional team of dedicated, ambitious professionals. This award honours everyone’s hard work and commitment to always going above and beyond in delivering the best experiences for our customers not only in Latin America, but worldwide too.”
Industry News
SOFTSWISS Wins SBC Latinoamérica Award for Help Brazil Initiative
SOFTSWISS has won the Socially Responsible Initiative of the Year nomination at the SBC Awards Latinoamérica 2024 for its impactful ‘Help Brazil’ initiative. This recognition underscores the company’s support for Brazilian communities affected by severe flooding earlier this year and its dedication to implementing meaningful social responsibility projects.
The SBC Awards Latinoamérica celebrates excellence in the Latin American gaming industry, gathering leading experts to acknowledge the achievements of operators, platform providers, affiliates, and suppliers across various sectors. SOFTSWISS’ ‘Help Brazil’ initiative distinguished itself among the top entries, with judges marking its focus on community sustainability and industry engagement.
Launched in May 2024, ‘Help Brazil’ provided immediate relief by delivering food, clothing, and clean water to flood-affected areas in Rio Grande do Sul in coordination with Movimento União BR. Further committed to sustainable recovery, SOFTSWISS partnered with PWTech, funding water purification installations in affected schools to guarantee long-term access to clean water.
Ivan Montik, Founder of SOFTSWISS, noted: “This prestigious award affirms our commitment to making a real difference. As we expand our business in Latin America, we build lasting relationships with people and partners in this region and see ourselves as part of the local communities. When action was needed, we could not remain on the sidelines. We are grateful that the Latin American industry recognised and supported our initiative and immensely thankful to everyone who joined us in this effort, both locally and internationally.”
Rubens Barrichello, Non-Executive Director in Latin America, who helped raise awareness for the initiative, added: “I am incredibly proud of SOFTSWISS’ commitment to a sustained and compassionate approach. This recognition underscores our dedication to supporting communities in Brazil, where we focus on making a meaningful impact. Together, with such comprehensive projects, we are demonstrating how our industry can step up when it matters most.”
Continuing its commitment to local communities, this September, SOFTSWISS and its employees provided financial aid and essential supplies to flood-affected regions in Poland, where the company operates two offices. The aid campaigns in Poland and Brazil reflect SOFTSWISS’ commitment to being a responsible partner for local communities and its broader focus on ESG principles through long-term health, environmental, and social initiatives, including World Environment Day, Pink October, and Movember.
SOFTSWISS welcomes its partners and clients to visit stand 2145 at the SiGMA Europe Summit to explore future collaboration opportunities.
About SOFTSWISS
SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience in developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS holds a number of gaming licences and provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Online Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 23,500 casino games, the Affilka Affiliate Platform, the Sportsbook software and the Jackpot Aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS revolutionised the industry by introducing the world’s first Bitcoin-optimised online casino solution. The expert team, based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia, counts over 2,000 employees.
Industry News
Cliff Ehrlich Joins Rush Street Gaming as COO
Rush Street Gaming announced that casino and hospitality veteran Cliff Ehrlich has joined the company as chief operating officer.
Ehrlich assumes the role of Rush Street COO from Bill Keena, a longtime company and industry leader, who plans to retire later this year.
“I’ve admired Rush Street’s strong leadership and steady expansion over the past two decades. I’m thrilled to join this dynamic organization and look forward to contributing to the company’s ongoing success,” said Ehrlich.
Ehrlich’s career began in marketing at the Catskills’ Pines Resort Hotel in the 80s and transitioned in the 90s to casino development and operations. In 1996, he became co-owner of the Monticello Raceway and helped recruit the Oneida Indian Nation to build a casino on the property. Following an initial public offering, Ehrlich led Monticello Casino & Raceway as president, chief operating officer and general manager until 2013.
After consulting with Mohegan Sun regarding Upstate New York development opportunities, in 2015, Ehrlich joined The Downs Racetrack & Casino in Albuquerque, serving as general manager and chief operating officer. He later ran two casinos for The Navajo Nation — Northern Edge and Flowing Water. Since 2022, Ehrlich has been Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise’s chief operating officer, with oversight of four casinos, a resort destination hotel, travel plaza and food & beverage manufacturing.
“Cliff’s ground-up casino development experience, deep operations background and team leadership ensure that all five Rivers Casino properties remain in great hands. He will continue the strong forward momentum established by Bill Keena, for whom we wish the very best in retirement,” said Tim Drehkoff, CEO of Rush Street Gaming.
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