eSports
Virginia Teens Turn Esports Skills into College Scholarships
![](https://gamingamericas.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/7-1.jpg)
Two Virginia teens have turned their passion for esports into college scholarships. Ayden Price and Landon Stewart, high school students at Virginia Virtual Academy, an online public-school program, have each been awarded $4,000 esports scholarships from Robert Morris University to enroll at the university and continue their gaming careers.
Esports, the world of competitive, organized video gaming has grown into a worldwide phenomenon. The sport engages more than 530 million fans and offers endless opportunities and benefits for its participants, including skill building, career exploration, and college scholarships.
Robert Morris University was among the first higher education institutions to offer esports scholarships. Now, ESPN reports that more than 125 colleges are offering varsity esports and awarding more than $15 million in scholarships annually.
Upon acceptance of an RMU Esports scholarships, the student agrees to compete for RMU Esports every semester and keep their grades above the NCAA standard limit of 2.0. Ayden and Landon were offered scholarships for their technical abilities, as well as their mentality and potential.
āStudents earn scholarships by showing poise, maturity, and coachability. Building a culture is important and we do that with every single recruit that walks through the front door at RMU Esports,ā CJ Bakaj, head coach of RMU Esports, said.
For Ayden and Landon, their careers in esports began with Stride Inc.ās (NYSE: LRN) esports program, Stride Esports. With courses, camps, and tournaments in Minecraft Design, Scratch Coding, Esports Skills Coaching, Fortnite, Rocket League, Fall Guys, and more, Stride Esports introduces young gamers of all ability levels to a variety of games and skill-building opportunities.
Along with creating education and career-advancing opportunities, participating in esports can help young people boost confidence, develop collaboration and teamwork skills, improve problem solving skills, and foster lifelong friendships.
āWith Stride Esports, weāre excited to be on the forefront of turning esports into opportunities for students. We are taking games that our students are playing and creating a competitive opportunity for them to learn necessary life skills, like teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving. Our students are flourishing,ā said Karen Ghidotti, SVP of Customer Experience at Stride.
Compliance Updates
PandaScore secures their first US betting license, by entering Colorado
![](https://gamingamericas.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/PandaScore-secures-their-first-US-betting-license-by-entering-Colorado_20240723_130839_0000.png)
After a meticulous and measured research process in consultation with the needs of its clients, PandaScore has acquired a license to operate in the US state of Colorado.
Through the license, PandaScore has signalled its intentions in the US market: forging a supplier-led path to esports betting success in the US. Existing PandaScore clients can now enter the Colorado market, scale up their esports offering and build their future audience in the stateās esports-friendly regulatory framework.
Future clients can also be confident that working with PandaScore supports their growth strategy in the lucrative US market. The stateās esports-friendly regulatory framework serves as a solid foundation to cultivate an esports audience and take advantage of PandaScoreās innovative, revenue-driving products such as BetBuilder, player props and microbetting.
PandaScore selected Colorado as its first point of entry into US licensing thanks to the stateās large catalogue of esports titles and competitions that are eligible for regular betting, and the wide range of markets that can be offered. Additionally, the stateās flexible and innovation-friendly licensing regime makes it a strong market for PandaScore and its clients.
Securing the license also serves as proof of concept for the French esports supplier, PandaScore Legal Counsel Alexis Brunet noted that āsecuring the Colorado license is a strong signal of our intentions in the US and are serious about its potential. Esports in the United States is a fast-evolving regulatory environment, but itās only going in one direction: expansion. We intend to provide our best-in-class products and services to our customers no matter where they are, and service one of the largest markets in the world.ā
For PandaScore CEO Flavien Guillocheau, entry into Colorado in the US market was the natural next step in the companyās client-first, service-oriented approach: āFor esports to succeed in the US, suppliers must lead from the front. Suppliers need to address the uncertainty around regulation which has held back operator investment and thus growth of the vertical.
āWeāve proven we know the market, get a license efficiently and do it in a way that puts operators first. Weāre confident that if our clients are seeking entry into a given market, we can be completely straight with them, show them the viable pathway to success, and create the foundation and access they need to fully harness the potential of esports in one of its biggest consumer markets.ā
eSports
the*gamehers and Thunderpick Extend Partnership into 2025
![the*gamehers and Thunderpick Extend Partnership into 2025](https://gamingamericas.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/thegamehers-and-Thunderpick.png)
Leading esports brand kick off a year of empowering women gamers, exclusive content, and tournaments
the*gamehers, the women-focused community gaming platform, andĀ Thunderpick, the leading online esportsĀ bettingĀ platform and host of Thunderpick World Championship today announced the continuation of their partnership into 2025. The collaboration aims to empower the gaming community, specifically focusing on women andĀ femme-identifying gamers and content creators, through an immersive 12-month campaign.
The campaign will feature a content series highlighting women in gaming through brand features, ambassador Twitch streams, exclusive ambassador content, and a biannual tournament that includes behind-the-scenes footage from the ambassador team. Thunderpick and the*gamehers recently hosted theĀ successful femme-focused CS2 Wildcard TournamentĀ in May of this year inĀ Atlanta. More exciting details will be unveiled as the partnership develops.
“This partnership is the perfect way to promote women’s empowerment in esports and the overall gaming community, and we are excited to have the opportunity to partner with a company that has similar goals for women’s inclusion in gaming,” saidĀ Allie Young, President of the*gamehers.
“Thunderpick is committed to fostering diversity and inclusion within the esports community,” saidĀ Kelly Sanders, Head of Strategy at Thunderpick. “Our extended partnership with the*gamehers underscores our dedication to empowering women gamers and supporting femme-led esports organizations. We believe that in collaboration with the*gamehers we can not only betterĀ highlight the incredible talent of women in gaming but also inspire the next generation of gamers to pursue their passions without boundaries.”
eSports
HAWKS TALON GC HOSTS PANEL, NBA 2K TOURNAMENT AT WADE WALKER PARK FAMILY YMCA ESPORTS SUMMER CAMP
![](https://gamingamericas.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/HAWKS-TALON-GC-HOSTS-PANEL-NBA-2K-TOURNAMENT-AT-WADE-WALKER-PARK-FAMILY-YM_20240711_135452_0000.png)
Hawks Talon GC, the official NBA 2K League affiliate of the Atlanta Hawks, hosted a panel and bracket style tournament on Wednesday at the Wade Walker Park Family YMCA as part of the YMCA of Metro Atlantaās Esports summer camp.
Director of Marketing and Operations, Affiliate Leagues, Wesley Acuff, Hawks Talon GC Head Coach, Ismael āMAELOā Diaz Tolentino, and Hawks Talon GC players Mark David āMDSā Smith, Ludlow āLOWā Samuels and Elijah āUnderratedgoatā Spears spoke to 26 camp participants about their journey to the NBA 2K League, and the uniqueness and innerworkings of the League.
āBeing able to work with the YMCA of Metro Atlanta and help with their Esports camp was extremely rewarding for our group to be a part of,ā said Janice Koon, Vice President of G League, and NBA 2K League Operations for the Atlanta Hawks. āOur Hawks Talon Gaming Club always relish the opportunity to be able to interact with the young kids in our area, and it was a joy for them to talk to and play 2K with the campers this morning.ā
After the panel, the group of campers split up into 13 teams to face off head-to-head in a NBA 2K 2v2, single elimination bracket tournament.
In addition to the tournament, the campers were able to utilize another PlayStation within the Wade Walker Family YMCA Esports lab and jump into a 2K game with the official NBA 2K League settings, while utilizing Hawks Talon GC player avatars. The campers were able to play by the official NBA 2K League rules and game settings to experience the authentic feel of being a professional NBA 2K player.
At the end of the tournament, the first, second, and third place teams received Hawks Talon Gaming Club t-shirts and sweatshirts, while all campers will be gifted an official Hawks Talon Gaming Club jersey with the YMCA patch.
āOur Y Esports summer camps help children build self-confidence, practice sportsmanship and gain news skills, while connecting with other gamers,ā said Lorna Loh, executive director of the Wade Walker Park Family YMCA. āWe greatly appreciate Hawks Talon GCās partnership and commitment to providing our Y kids with an informative, fun panel about the league and interactive opportunities to improve their skills.ā
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