North Star Network has acquired Um Dois Esportes, a sports coverage and analysis site created from the merger of Gazeta Do Povo and Tribuna do Paraná in 2020.

Julien Josset, co-founder of North Star Network, said: “Thank you to the team at GRPCOM for their faith in us to take the brand forward. Um Dois Esportes is an established and renowned site in Paraná State, and we’re excited about the challenge of developing this asset.

“We’re happy to maintain the collaboration with the existing editorial team, and look forward to working with them, bringing our unique NSN approach, to take UDE forward.”

NSN’s signing of Um Dois Esportes is the media house’s fourth acquisition of 2024, following the recent deals to purchase UK-based SportsMole and MrFixitsTips, as well as Chilean site AlAireLibre, which was announced in March.

The latest addition to the North Star media portfolio joins existing assets including Top Mercato, Afrik-Foot, and Vringe. The Paris-based company already oversees a significant Brazilian operation, delivering over 6 million sessions per month, from the likes of Trivela, Premier League Brasil and Lakers Brasil.

NSN will retain Curitiba-based journalists from the Um Dois Esportes legacy team to maintain the asset’s unique tone and popular coverage of the Paraná sports scene across site and social.

Rafael Mello, Director of GRPCOM, said: “We were surprised by the interest, and initially had no intention of selling Um Dois, but as the conversations evolved, we realised this was a serious group with good intentions. We were very happy to see our project being valued by a large international group and going global, demonstrating the quality of the content we produced.

“We’re also proud that North Star inherited our journalists, who are truly responsible for the success of the product we offer readers every day.”

Hollywood Casino at Greektown unveiled its new ESPN BET branded sportsbook and restaurant on the upper floor of the 100,000-square-foot Downtown Detroit casino. This sportsbook is the first ESPN BET branded retail location to open across PENN Entertainment’s (PENN) portfolio of properties.

The ESPN BET sportsbook and restaurant offers guests approximately 4500 square-feet of betting and dining space, with high-tech wagering kiosks, big-screen TVs, a 30’ video wall for the ultimate sports viewing experience and elevated bar food and drink. The restaurant is one of the many premium dining options available throughout Hollywood Casino at Greektown.

“This is an exciting week to debut PENN’s first physical ESPN BET sportsbook as the city of Detroit hosts the NFL Draft and its festivities. Bringing ESPN BET to Hollywood Greektown combines PENN’s premier sports media and sports betting offerings to create an amazing atmosphere for fans to watch and bet on sports. To celebrate the opening, we’re thrilled to host ESPN talent and programming at our property throughout the week,” John Drake, General Manager of Hollywood Casino at Greektown, said.

“We’re thrilled to open the first ESPN BET retail location in Detroit and become part of a community of deeply passionate sports fans. We want fans to come embrace a first-class betting experience and we’re excited to showcase the ESPN BET brand in a contemporary space,” Mike Morrison, Vice President of ESPN BET and ESPN Fantasy, said.

GAT Expo, one of the flagship events of the Latin American gaming industry, celebrated its 25th anniversary from April 9 to 11 at the Las Américas Convention Center in Cartagena de Indias.

Numerous companies from the international gambling industry gathered in the port city of Cartagena on the Caribbean coast of Colombia to showcase their latest products at the expo. Also present at the exhibition was Spintec. The company showcased its latest and best products at the expo.

“GAT Gaming week in Cartagena celebrated its 25th installment this year, and we are very happy to report that we have once again taken part in this successful show at the Cartagena de Indias Convention Center,” the Company said.

“We teamed up with our distributor Spincol S.A. and gathered our partners and distributors from across Latin America to showcase our latest and best products. The Spintec Karma roulettes with a circular topper are still an absolute hit in the region, so its presence at the show was a must.

“However, this year, we proudly introduced Carisma, our latest breakthrough product. Its elegant and sleek design commands attention at every showing; our GAT stand was no exception. Charisma is the most player-centric product in our lineup and the combination of its design, technical performance and versatility placed it center stage. Additionally, it is super versatile, offering a combination of different classic and proprietary games, among which our new Galactic Spin is a proper star. This super fun game features a combination of fantastic payout multipliers, jackpots and free spin surprises, keeping our guests entertained for hours.

“While our guests were pampered with signature cocktails, aptly named Galactic Vodka and Charismatic Ron, our team unanimously agreed that the impressions from the show were positive.”

Simon Pintar, Spintec’s Sales Manager for Latin America, said: “Just as expected, GAT Cartagena did not disappoint. The turnout was exceptional, and our guests really liked the products and games we introduced. I am confident that our position in the region will only strengthen with the enhanced offering that we have presented this year.”