Canada
MediaCentral Begins Beta Launch of ECentralSports.com Capitalizing on the Global eSports Phenomenon
Media Central Corporation Inc. announces the beta-launch of its newest platform, ECentralSports.com (“ECentralSports”). ECentralSports will be a dynamic digital destination for eGaming and eSports (“Gaming”) fans in search of the latest in news, information and culture. Leveraging NOW Magazine (“NOW”) and Georgia Straight (“the Straight”), the Company’s central publications, ECentralSports will enter the market with access to 6.5 million of the most coveted consumers and the support of award-winning editors, writers and directors.
ECentralSports will tap into a global market with extensive reach. In its fall 2019 global games market report, Newzoo estimated the current Gaming market to be US$148.8 billion. They also reported that eSports alone reached 454M viewers worldwide in 2019 with growth projected to 645M by 2022.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused Gaming to experience exponential growth. People are at home with no live-action sports to engage with and are increasingly turning to Gaming for entertainment. An April 2020 article in AdWeek stated: “gaming has exploded like never before [and has] become the new social currency and a cultural force.” According to the same article, the telecoms giant Verizon released information demonstrating U.S. video game usage during peak hours has increased by 75 per cent since the global lock-down first went into effect, and that Gaming as an industry is larger than the NFL, NBA, MLB and the NHL combined.
The explosive industry has already garnered the attention of top brands, with Louis Vuitton, Nike, Coca-Cola and BMW all sponsoring eSports tournaments. The financial community has also taken notice of the global Gaming phenomenon. In April 2019, Deloitte released a report on eSports financing that indicated US$4.5B was invested in the industry in 2018 alone. High profile investments have also targeted the disruptive industry such as the recently announced investment into FaZe Clan, a leading eSports organization, by the iconic entertainment entrepreneur Jimmy Iovine (Chairman of Interscope-Geffen-A&M; co-founder of Beats Electronics).
“We are absolutely thrilled to announce the beta-launch of our Gaming publication, ECentralSports.com. The audience psychographics of eSports and gaming enthusiasts directly aligns with our existing audience of 6.5 million market and cultural pace setters,” said Brian Kalish, CEO of MediaCentral. “ECentralSports will acquire and scale traffic by leveraging readership from our current high-performing titles, opening up immediate opportunities to monetize the new channel through an integrated editorial, display advertising, affiliate marketing and omnichannel sponsored content strategy, designed to benefit our advertising partners.”
MediaCentral has already begun testing Esports content on both NOW and the Straight with positive traction. The data shows a 37 per cent increase of users’ session length on eSports content, a 10.5 per cent improved click-through on newsletters containing eSports content and 8.5 per cent above average pageviews for eSports content. This illustrates the existence of a fanbase who will readily covert to ECentralSports.com once launched. The integration of content between NOW and the Straight will continue when ECentralSports.com is live, providing further opportunity for organic audience growth.
ECentralSports is the second original digital platform from MediaCentral, following the 2019 fall launch of Canncentral.com, a digital cannabis lifestyle publication. This marks the continuation of the company’s planned strategy to produce and acquire existing high-quality publications across North America to consolidate, digitize and monetize an audience of over 100 million of North America’s most influential readers. MediaCentral will provide these coveted readers with access to on-trend, relevant and authentic news and content across all its titles.
ECentralSports is slated to go live in May 2020.
About Media Central Corporation Inc.
Media Central Corporation Inc. (CSE: FLYY, FSE: 3AT) is an alternative media company situated to acquire and develop high-quality publishing assets starting with the recent acquisition of Vancouver Free Press Corp., the purchase of NOW Communications Inc. and the launch of digital cannabis platform CannCentral.com. MediaCentral is consolidating and digitally monetizing the over 100 million coveted and premium consumers of the approximately 100 alternative urban publications across North America, creating the most powerful audience of influencers.
SOURCE Media Central Corporation Inc.
Canada
AGCO Fines Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto $350,000 for Serious Regulatory Violations Linked to Impromptu After-Party on Gaming Floor
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has issued monetary penalties totaling $350,000 against Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto for multiple violations of provincial gaming standards. The penalties follow an impromptu after-party that was permitted to take place in the pre-dawn hours directly on the casinoâs gaming floor.
On September 27, 2024, an electronic dance music event attended by thousands of people was hosted in the theatre adjacent to the casino at Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto. The event was marked by widespread intoxication, disorderly behavior, and numerous criminal and medical incidents – both inside and outside the venue – including alleged assaults, drug overdoses, and acts of public indecency. Although paid duty officers were present, additional police and emergency services were required to manage the situation.
In the midst of this high-risk environment, casino management approved an unscheduled request by the performing artist to host an after-party on the active gaming floor. The artist and more than 400 guests were permitted onto the gaming floor where the artist was allowed to perform amidst operational table games and gaming machines – without any prior risk assessment or planning.
As a result, security personnel were unable to effectively control the casino floor, including witness reports that an attendee was seen climbing onto slot machines. Failure to maintain appropriate control compromises the security, safety, and integrity of the casino floor. Following the conclusion of the event, the operator failed to promptly report these incidents to the AGCO as required.
Based on the findings of its review, the AGCOâs Registrar has issued an Order of Monetary Penalty (OMP) totaling $350,000 against Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto. These penalties address critical failures in their operations, incident reporting, employee training, and the management of disturbances.
A gaming operator served with an OMP has 15 days to appeal the Registrarâs decision to the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT), an adjudicative tribunal that is part of Tribunals Ontario and independent of the AGCO.
âCasino operators have a fundamental duty to control their gaming environment. Great Canadian Casino Resort Torontoâs lapses in this incident compromised the safety of patrons and the security and integrity of the gaming floor,â Dr. Karin Schnarr, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar of AGCO, said.
International Game Technology PLC announced that its subsidiary, IGT Canada Solutions ULC (hereinafter âIGTâ), signed an eight-year agreement with Atlantic Lottery to supply its IntelligenEVO video lottery central system technology across Atlantic Canada. The agreement includes the option for multiple extensions and positions the Atlantic Lottery to become the first World Lottery Association (WLA)-affiliated lottery operator to deploy IGTâs next-generation central management system in a game-to-system (G2S) distributed market.
âBy leveraging IGTâs IntelligenEVO technology, Atlantic Lottery will power its video lottery network with the industryâs best-in-class central system and position itself to maximize future contributions to good causes. As an organization that prioritizes system security and exceptional player experiences, Atlantic Lottery believes that IGTâs IntelliegnEVO solution will help generate high player satisfaction and optimal network performance,â said Michael MacKinnon, Atlantic Lottery VP, Product.
âAs a long-time supplier to Atlantic Lottery, IGT looks forward to helping the Lottery achieve its growth and player engagement goals with our leading-edge IntelligenEVO video lottery central system. IGTâs IntelligenEVO is a scalable technology for the WLA market that is backed by decades of experience and operator feedback, and maximizes the benefits of real-time data, cloud-based technologies and in-depth analytics,â said David Flinn, IGT SVP Canada, EMEA and LATAM, Gaming Sales.
With peak system security, network availability and responsible gaming functionalities, IntelligenEVO is a reliable, scalable solution that can meet the needs of today and in the future. The solution will accelerate time-to-market and enables the Atlantic Lottery to benefit from the systemâs suite of player-focused functionality. The technologyâs G2S and open API design optimizes data collection and delivery and will enable Atlantic Lottery to customize their program for evolving player needs.
NetGaming, a fast-growing online casino content supplier, is proud to announce its launch in Ontario with Rush Street Interactive, Inc., a leading online casino and sports betting company in the United States, Canada and Latin America. This strategic collaboration marks a significant milestone for NetGaming as it continues to expand its footprint across regulated North American markets.
As part of the launch, Ontario players on BetRivers can now enjoy a diverse portfolio of NetGaming titles, known for their high-quality graphics, immersive gameplay, and unique themes. Standout games such as Zeus’s Thunderbolt, Bison Gold, and Fireball Inferno are among the first to go live, with additional titles set to follow soon.
This partnership is just the beginning. NetGaming plans to extend its collaboration with Rush Street Interactive into Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Mexico over the coming months.
Pallavi Deshmukh, CEO of NetGaming, commented: âWe are thrilled to go live with Rush Street Interactive, a powerhouse operator with a strong presence and loyal player base. This launch marks a significant milestone in our
North American expansion strategy and underscores our commitment to delivering exceptional gaming experiences tailored to local player preferences across the region.â
Richard Schwartz, CEO of Rush Street Interactive, commented: âWe are pleased to partner with NetGaming to bring innovative, premium games to our players in Ontario. This collaboration aligns with our strategy to offer world-class
entertainment through engaging, action-packed online casino games. We look forward to expanding this partnership into additional regulated markets in the months ahead.â
This strategic partnership highlights both companies’ dedication to providing high- quality, innovative, and responsible entertainment to players in regulated markets.
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