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
NCPG Announces 2025 Board of Directors Election Results and Board Leadership

The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) has announced the newly elected members of its Board of Directors, as well as the slate of officers who will lead the organization for the upcoming year.
Following the annual election in June, NCPG members voted to elect the following individuals to serve on the Board of Directors from 2025 to 2028:
• Diana Goode – Affiliates Seat
• Wiley Harwell – Affiliates Seat
• Lori Manson – Affiliates Seat
• Glenn Yamagata – Affiliates Seat
• Jamie McKelvey – Organizations Seat
• Amanda Quintana – Organizations Seat
• Brian Ward – Individuals Seat
Glenn Yamagata and Jamie McKelvey will serve a two-year term from 2025 to 2027.
In addition, the Board has elected the following officers to lead NCPG for the 2025–26 term:
• President: Derek Longmeier, Executive Director, Problem Gambling Network of Ohio
• Vice President: Christina Gray, Executive Director, Indiana Council on Problem Gambling
• Secretary: Wiley Harwell, Executive Director, Oklahoma Council on Problem Gambling and Gaming
• Treasurer: Amanda Quintana, Player Health Manager, Colorado Lottery
The Board’s esteemed leadership and expertise are instrumental in fostering NCPG membership, shaping policies, implementing strategies, and attaining organizational objectives. By leveraging their subject matter knowledge, skills, and experience, Board members are dedicated to serving all NCPG stakeholders through the development of comprehensive policies and programs for all those affected by problem gambling.
Industry News
SharpLink Gaming Announces $425,000,000 Private Placement to Initiate Ethereum Treasury Strategy

SharpLink Gaming Inc. announced that it has entered into securities purchase agreements for a private investment in public equity (PIPE) for the purchase and sale of 69,100,313 shares of common stock (or common stock equivalents in lieu thereof) at a price of $6.15 per share ($6.72 per share for certain members of the Company’s management team), for expected aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $425,000,000, before deducting placement agent fees and other offering expenses.
Consensys Software Inc. acted as the lead investor, and the offering included participation by prominent crypto venture capital firms and infrastructure providers such as ParaFi Capital, Electric Capital, Pantera Capital, Arrington Capital, Galaxy Digital, Ondo, White Star Capital, GSR, Hivemind Capital, Hypersphere, Primitive Ventures, and Republic Digital among others including Rob Phythian, SharpLink’s CEO, and Robert DeLucia, SharpLink’s CFO.
The closing of the offering is expected to occur on or about May 29, 2025, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. The Company intends to use the funds to acquire the native cryptocurrency of the Ethereum blockchain commonly referred to as “ETH” pending identification of working capital needs and other general corporate purposes. ETH will serve as the Company’s primary treasury reserve asset.
A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners is acting as the sole placement agent in connection with the offering.
“This is a significant milestone in SharpLink’s journey and marks an expansion beyond our core business. On closing, we look forward to working with Consensys and welcoming Joseph to the Board,” said Rob Phythian, Founder and CEO of SharpLink.
“On close, Consensys looks forward to partnering with SharpLink to explore and develop an Ethereum Treasury Strategy and to work with them in their core business as a strategic advisor. This is an exciting time for the Ethereum community, and I am delighted to work with Rob and the team to bring the Ethereum opportunity to public markets,” said Joseph Lubin, Founder and CEO of Consensys and Co-Founder of Ethereum.
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.”
-
Latest News4 days ago
FINAL NINE PLAYERS SET FOR THE 2025 WORLD SERIES OF POKER® MAIN EVENT® FINAL TABLE
-
Canada3 days ago
Rivalry Reports Q1 2025 Results Highlighting Strengthened Unit Economics, Operating Leverage, and Strategic Progress
-
Latest News3 days ago
Churchill Downs Incorporated Announces Definitive Agreements to Acquire a Majority of Casino Salem Project in New Hampshire
-
Canada3 days ago
AGCO Updates Responsible Gambling Training Standards for Gaming and Lottery
-
Latest News3 days ago
Esportes Gaming Brasil announces Rita Cunha as Chief Growth Officer
-
Latest News4 days ago
Black Bear and Fond Du Luth Casinos Select QCI Enterprise Platform
-
Latest News4 days ago
Goldex Casino by N1 Partners: a new brand tailored for top GEOs
-
Latest News3 days ago
GeoLocs Partners with Green Brick Labs to support their brand Maverick Games