Canada
GS Esports Announces Intent to Acquire Canadian Esports and Digital Media Startup, Volcanic Media
TGS Esports Inc. is pleased to announce that it has taken the next step in its growth strategy by executing a letter of intent dated October 1, 2020 (the “LOI”) to acquire Volcanic Media Inc. (“Volcanic”), a leader in scholastic and grassroots Canadian esports.
Volcanic was founded in 2018 and is the creator of the National Esports Scholastic League, a first of its kind initiative that works directly with school districts and educators to create various esports initiatives. To date Volcanic has worked with over 1000 high school students in 13 different cities spanning 6 school districts.
Volcanic has been at the forefront of scholastic esports including awarding high school esports scholarships and creating inter-district high school esports leagues, both firsts of their kind in Canada. Volcanic have also started work on indigenous esports efforts, previously working with Binche Keyoh First Nations for pilot esports programs.
Following the closing of the Acquisition (the “Closing”), TGS is also proud to announce that, as part of this new partnership, all high schools looking to utilize Volcanic will be able to do so absolutely free with no fees paid by schools or students. Interested schools can reach out to Shawn Caldera: [email protected].
Acquisition Highlights
The Acquisition is expected to drive over 200,000 new users to TGS through scholastic leagues, tournaments, and in-class programs.
The new users will feed into TGS’ online platform, Pepper Esports, which adds to TGS’ overall strategy of having one central ecosystem that creates an unparalleled esports experience.
The Acquisition has the potential to put TGS at the forefront of High School esports in Canada and offer TGS an all new scholastic division led by Shawn Caldera and JP Perez of Volcanic.
“We have been working with Shawn and his team for some time now and it made perfect sense to bring Volcanic into the fold,” said Spiro Khouri, CEO of TGS. “Thirty percent of all gamers are under the age of 181 and that number is growing. By introducing that demographic to TGS it allows them to interact with us early and stay a part of our ecosystem beyond High School.”
“Volcanic was created to provide high quality esports events in the scholastic space. In this regard, the agreement with TGS will allow us to take Volcanic to the next level and work with students not only in High School but beyond,” said Shawn Caldera, President of Volcanic.
SOURCE TGS Esports Inc
High Roller Technologies and Playtech announced a strategic partnership for Ontario, Canada, that will see Playtech provide its industry-leading technology to power High Roller’s platform and premium brand, ensuring a seamless, high-quality experience for players in the region.
Ben Clemes, Chief Executive Officer at High Roller, said: “Collaborating with Playtech in Ontario is an exciting step for High Roller as we continue to grow and evolve. Playtech’s well-established technology will be instrumental to our mission of providing a world-class entertainment experience for our players.”
Sergey Harutyunyan, Chief Revenue Officer at Playtech, said: “We are delighted to partner with High Roller as they expand into Ontario. Playtech’s technology is designed to support operators in regulated markets, and we look forward to working together to provide High Roller’s players with safe, innovative, and engaging gaming experiences.”
Ontario represents a key market for both companies, featuring a robust regulatory framework and fast-growing player base. Recently, High Roller announced the submission of its Internet Gaming Operator license application for Ontario, and subject to licensing and regulatory approval, High Roller anticipates launching live operations in H2 2025.
Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) is supporting accessibility in the iGaming industry with the launch of Red Panda Tails of Wealth – the first digital slot game designed with built-in accessible features to support players with disabilities.
In the popular digital casino landscape, people with disabilities often face barriers to participation. Instead of waiting for change, OLG is driving it by introducing the industry’s first inclusive gaming experience that provides the same fun and excitement to all players.
“We are excited to launch Red Panda Tails of Wealth on olg.ca, which is the result of a focused effort to put accessibility at the forefront of game design. The game is a proof of concept that shows how removing barriers to play can move us towards a more inclusive future in the gaming industry,” said Dave Pridmore, OLG’s Chief Gaming Officer.
With nearly one-third (28%; StatCan 2022) of Ontarians reporting a disability, the launch of Red Panda Tails of Wealth breaks barriers and provides more equitable access to play for an often-overlooked audience.
While Red Panda Tails of Wealth mirrors the appearance and gameplay of other iCasino slot games in market, it is built with universal design principles to deliver a fun, inclusive and user-friendly experience for all players.
Key accessibility features include:
• Compatibility with assistive technologies like screen readers and keyboard navigation
• A high-contrast colour palette for enhanced visibility
• An accessible heads-up display engineered to integrate seamlessly into future games.
To develop this first-of-its-kind game, OLG collaborated with Pixiu Gaming and Light & Wonder Spark. To ensure the game was accessible and inclusive OLG partnered with Fable – a Toronto-based company that connects organizations with people with disabilities for digital accessibility insights.
The insights from people with disabilities collected via remote user testing sessions played a key role in helping OLG create a game that meets real-world accessibility needs.
“Our mission at Fable is to empower people with disabilities to participate, contribute, and shape society – and this is how true accessibility is achieved. We’re thrilled to partner with OLG, who recognize the importance of embedding the voices and experiences of people with disabilities throughout the development of their new game,” said Kate Kalcevich, Head of Innovation at Fable.
High Roller Technologies, operator of the premium online casino brands High Roller and Fruta, announced the submission of its Internet Gaming Operator license application in Ontario, Canada, targeting the launch of its flagship brand HighRoller.com in the second half of 2025.
“The submission of our licensing application to access Ontario’s regulated online gambling market is an important milestone in our Company’s journey. Once our application is approved, we anticipate that we will have the opportunity to launch our online casino product into the market later this year,” said Ben Clemes, Chief Executive Officer at High Roller.
Ontario is one of the largest regulated online gambling markets in the world as measured by gross gaming revenue. In 2024, regulated online gambling operators within the province generated approximately $2.3B in gross gaming revenue, and growth continues to be recorded in the first half of 2025. Recently, the province of Alberta passed enabling legislation to establish a regulatory framework for online gambling. Once available, the Company also intends to pursue licensure in Alberta to expand its regulated market footprint in Canada.
“Ontario is missing an elegant brand like High Roller. We’re excited to roll out the red carpet for our new customers, and we’re looking forward to showcasing our tremendous product,” said Clemes.
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