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Canada

Quarter4 Closes $1.6M Seed Funding Round

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RotoUnderworld Closes $1.5 Million in Pre-Seed Round to Transform Fantasy Sports & iGaming with FastDraft Mobile Platform

 

Quarter4, an easy-to-use, AI-driven predictive sports data and analytics provider for sports, media and betting companies, announced the closure of its seed funding round, raising $1.6 million (USD). The round will be used to acquire strategic talent to expand Quarter4’s technical and sales teams. The company plans to double its headcount by the end of 2021.

Quarter4 is currently using deep learning neural networks to grow their proprietary AI technology. In addition to acquiring talent, the funding from this round will aid in the technological expansion of Quarter4’s business-to-business services, including doubling its industry-leading predictions to two million predictions-per-day by September 2021, which will incorporate NFL forecasts. Quarter4’s technology team is also expanding its data reporting capabilities to include predictive probabilities for live in-play betting and odds and market analysis.

The round was led by Shore Capital Sports & Entertainment, an advisory and investment firm with offices in Toronto and New York. As part of its strategic investment, Shore Capital Sports & Entertainment will also take an active role assisting Quarter4 with business development, strategic partnerships as well as financial advisory services. Scott Secord, Managing Partner, will also join the Board of Directors for Quarter4. Mr. Secord is the former President/CEO of Gaming Nation Inc., a publicly traded company on the TSXV, which was acquired in 2018 by a private equity firm. Prior to Gaming Nation, Mr. Secord held the position of President/CEO of Pointstreak Sports Technologies Inc. from 2009 until 2015.

“Quarter4’s technology is exciting because it spans across the sports landscape providing incredible data and rich insights for sports betting, sports media and sports broadcasting companies,” said Scott Secord. “The opportunities in the sports and gaming industry seem limitless, but we understand that the strength of this market lies in the quality of the data powering the industry. Our investment in Quarter4 shows our commitment to continually improving how data is delivered to sports companies across the globe.”

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Terry McInally, Chief Compliance Officer of Gateway Casinos and Entertainment, will join Secord on the Quarter4 Board of Directors. He previously served as Partner and National Gaming Practice Leader at Richter Advisory Group, the National Gaming Practice Leader for PwC and an executive at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).

“We’ve seen exceptional demand for our market-leading analytics in the past year. Sportsbooks and gaming companies, sports leagues, technology and data providers as well as broadcast and media partners need valuable data to make smarter decisions and create richer content for their respective audiences,” said Kelly Brooks, co-founder and CEO of Quarter4. “This investment allows us to scale our capabilities and work directly with leading partners like Scott and Terry to create cutting edge technology solutions to continue to shape the global gaming industry.”

For more information please visit Quarter4.io.

Canada

IAGR announces Toronto as host city for 2025 conference

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Hot on the heels of its most attended conference in history, the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) is excited to announce that its 2025 conference will take place in Toronto, Canada, from October 20 to 23, 2025.

The event will be held in partnership with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) at the Westin Harbour Castle, offering stunning waterfront views and a premier, downtown Toronto location.

‘Fresh off the success of our Rome conference, we’re thrilled to continue the momentum with next year’s event in Toronto,’ said Ben Haden, IAGR President.

‘The IAGR 2025 conference promises to be another unparalleled opportunity for our global community to come together, collaborate and shape the future of gaming regulation. We’re looking forward to working with AGCO to bring it all together.’

AGCO CEO and Registrar Dr. Karin Schnarr, added, ‘We’re excited to welcome IAGR and its members to Toronto. This partnership provides a great opportunity to share Ontario’s innovative regulatory practices and foster meaningful discussions that drive positive change in the industry.’

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Stay tuned for registration details early next year.

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Canada

ESE Entertainment Completes Acquisition of Gaming Production Company, Bombee Americas

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ESE Entertainment Inc., a gaming company that provides a range of services to leading video game developers and publishers, has announced that it has acquired Bombee Global Entertainment Ltd. (Bombee Americas), the North American arm of Bombee Event Production AB, (Bombee), a global production company specialized in live production, special effects, broadcast, and event management for the gaming sector.

Bombee has successfully collaborated with ESE to bring its premier event production services and world class customer service to North America and beyond. The North American arm of Bombee, Bombee Americas, will continue to grow and scale in this new organizational structure under ESE, while maintaining its entire team and global support.

Konrad Wasiela, CEO of ESE, said: “Today marks the next stage of ESE—a 2.0 version of our company. With the acquisition of Bombee Americas, we are not only solidifying our presence in North America but also paving the way for growth and innovation in the gaming industry. This is a major step, positioning us to deliver even greater value to our partners and elevate the gaming experience for our clients globally. We’re thrilled about the opportunities ahead and the exceptional talent joining our team.”

Transaction Terms

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The Acquisition was completed by way of a share purchase agreement (the SPA) among the Company, Bombee Americas, and the shareholders of Bombee Americas (the Vendors). Pursuant to the SPA, ESE acquired all of the outstanding shares of Bombee Americas in exchange for: (i) $750,000 in cash paid on closing, (ii) $375,000 in cash to be paid six (6) months following closing, subject to customary adjustments based on the working capital of Bombee Americas on closing, (iii) $375,000 in cash to be paid twelve (12) months following closing, and (iv) 30,000,000 common shares of ESE (the Consideration Shares), issued at a deemed issue price of $0.10 per share.

In connection with the Acquisition, the founders of Bombee Americas have signed three-year service agreements and will continue to run the business following the closing, along with the rest of the personnel of Bombee Americas who will remain in place, ensuring a smooth transition of operations. As part of the Acquisition, the Company has acquired the liabilities of Bombee Americas, mainly consisting of customary current obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business for Bombee Americas, which are not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s operations or financial position.

No finder’s fees were paid or payable in conjunction with the Acquisition.

The Acquisition was an arm’s length transaction within the meaning of the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the Exchange) and constituted an “Expedited Acquisition” in accordance with Exchange Policy 5.3 – Acquisitions and Dispositions of Non-Cash Assets. The Acquisition remains subject to the final approval of the Exchange.

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Canada

Suspected Digital Fraud Coming from Canada Up Nearly 11% Since H1 2023, Reveals New TransUnion Analysis

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In the first half (H1) of 2024, Canada saw a significant increase in suspected Digital Fraud attempts, with nearly 5.74% of all attempted digital transactions where the consumer was located in Canada involving suspected Digital Fraud, revealed a new TransUnion® (NYSE: TRU) analysis. This is nearly an 11% year-over-year (YoY) rate increase from H1 2023, and TransUnion also documented an 11% increase in the volume of suspected Digital Fraud from Canada during this period, despite a less than a one percent (0.7%) YoY increase in the volume of transactions.

According to a recent TransUnion survey,1 more than half (54%) of Canadians said they were recently targeted by email, phone call or text message fraud attempts. Phishing was the most common scheme type (45%), followed by smishing (42%) and vishing (39%).

The increasing use of digital transactions, combined with rising suspected Digital Fraud attempts are also impacting businesses as they potentially face revenue losses and increased operational costs due to fraud. According to a TransUnion business survey for the H2 2024 Update to the State of Omnichannel Fraud report, 200 Canadian business leaders said their companies lost approximately 6% of equivalent revenue – representing $78 billion – over the past year due to fraud. The most prominent causes of fraud loss cited by them were:

  • Scam/Authorized fraud (31%): Dishonest scheme intended to trick a person into giving up something of value (e.g., account access, money, information)
  • Account takeover (19%): Unauthorized individuals taking over someone’s online account (e.g., bank, social media, email) without their permission
  • Synthetic identity fraud (18%): Use of a combination of personal information to fabricate a person or entity to commit a dishonest act for financial or personal gain

TransUnion also found that suspected Digital Fraud attempts – where the consumer was transacting in Canada and targeted businesses globally – increased on average by 10.5% YoY in H1 2024 compared to H1 2023 and impacted all industries.

Top Three Industries Globally with Highest Rate of Suspected Digital Fraud Attempts Coming from Canada in H1 2024

  1. Gambling (online sports betting, poker, etc.) – 9.6%
  2. Retail – 9.2%
  3. Government – 7.7%

Top Three Industries Globally with Highest YoY Increase (H1 2024 vs H1 2023) in the Rate of Suspected Digital Fraud Attempts Coming from Canada

  1. Logistics – 172.9%
  2. Gambling – 79.3%
  3. Video gaming – 67.8%

“Protecting customers and their businesses from fraud is essential to enabling safe and tailored consumer experiences. These findings reveal that despite the good-faith efforts that are being undertaken by companies to identify and prevent fraud to date, fraudsters continue to evolve and it’s vital that fraud prevention methods keep up with the changing times,” said Patrick Boudreau, head of identity management and fraud solutions at TransUnion Canada.

“Businesses that aren’t already doing so should ensure that they are taking advantage of fraud prevention technologies such as identity verification, IP intelligence, device reputation and synthetic identity detection as critical components of their fraud prevention programs,” he added.

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