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GARY VAYNERCHUK ANNOUNCES THE 5s AS MAJOR LEAGUE PICKLEBALL TEAM NAME; ANNOUNCES RYAN HARWOOD AS THE 5s GENERAL MANAGER AND UNVEILS THE 5s LOGO
Gary Vaynerchuk, recently announced as a new Major League Pickleball (MLP), Team Owner, has confirmed his MLP team name as The 5s, a homage to Gary’s favorite number. Additionally, Vaynerchuk has confirmed Ryan Harwood as General Manager (GM) of The 5s. Harwood, a former Division 1 Player / Captain for University of Pennsylvania’s men’s tennis team, is the current CEO of Gallery Media Group and Founder of PureWow and ONE37pm. Harwood will lead The 5s as they take part in MLP’s 2022 Draft and MLP competitions throughout the forthcoming season, the first of which will take place at Dreamland, Dripping Springs, Texas, from June 3 – 5, 2022. Vaynerchuk has also unveiled the official logo of The 5s, featuring Competitive Clown, one of the recently unveiled 15 new VeeFriends Series 2 characters.
“The 5s are going to be the most exciting team in pro pickleball, and I’m proud to have the opportunity to lead our team as we set about our first season in MLP,” commented Ryan Harwood. “As the whole of the USA is finding out, pickleball is the sport for our age, and when you see it at pro level, you know why the men and women who are competing at the top of the sport are the superstar athletes of the future. Our job at The 5s is to give our team the best possible chance of winning MLP events, and to help make them household names. It’s an exciting challenge, one we’re all hyped about getting started on, kicking off with the Draft at the end of May.”
“5 means the world to me in the context of sports as it was the first jersey number I received and wore when I came to the US.,” explained Vaynerchuk. “My mom knitted that jersey for me, and the number 5 has always been my favorite ever since. Now it’s on our MLP team and in our logo, alongside Competitive Clown, and I couldn’t be more proud to have that number, that means so much to me, as our team name.
“Ryan and I have been business partners long enough for me to know The 5s is in the best possible hands with him as GM,” added Vaynerchuk. “We share a belief that pickleball can truly change lives – it’s a sport that engages people of all ages, and the athletes in our team are the hero figures that will inspire generations to come. It’s also worth saying, we’re in this to win. Ryan and I are fiercely competitive people. I’m excited to see who we can bring into our team in the Draft, and how that group then goes out and performs when we start competition in June.”
The 2022 MLP Draft will be revealed on Saturday, May 28th in a livestream on MLP channels including MajorLeaguePickleball.net, MLP YouTube and Facebook. The Draft will set the teams for MLP’s first 2022 team competition, which will be held at Dreamland, Dripping Springs, Texas, from June 3 – June 5, in which 48 of the world’s best professional pickleball players, 24 women and 24 men, will compete to win the second-ever MLP competition, with the finals set to be exclusively televised on CBS Sports Network. The preceding rounds will also be livestreamed on MLP digital channels.
The Tennessee Sports Wagering Council through its executive director issued $50,000 in fines to Bovada.lv, an unlicensed and therefore illegal sportsbook operating in Tennessee.
Bovada failed to comply with cease and desist letters delivered to addresses in Curaçao, and Council investigators placed wagers through Bovada’s platform on three separate occasions, including as recently as October 16, 2024.
The Sports Gaming Act authorizes the Council to impose a $10,000 fine for the first offense of accepting wagers without a license, which rises to $15,000 for the second offense, and $25,000 for the third offense. Subsequent offenses may lead to the imposition of a $25,000 fine for each occurrence, an occurrence being a single wager accepted in Tennessee.
In the cease and desist letters, the Council ordered Bovada to allow all Tennessee users to withdraw any funds currently held by the unlicensed sportsbook.
“The Sports Wagering Council recommends that Tennessee users of Bovada withdraw their funds immediately. Our primary role is the protection of the public interest through a safe, regulated environment, and Tennessee sports bettors need to know that just because they can access a sports betting website or app inside Tennessee’s borders does not mean it is licensed to do business here,” Mary Beth Thomas, Executive Director of Tennessee Sports Wagering Council, said.
Legal sportsbook operators provide important bettor protections not found in the illegal market. If an individual wagers with unlicensed sportsbooks, their sensitive financial and personal information may not be protected and could even be shared with criminal enterprises. The bettor’s money could be withheld or disappear without a way to recover it.
The SWC is working closely with its network of law enforcement at the state and federal level to eradicate illegal sportsbooks such as Bovada and others.
Tennessee is the largest “online-only” sports betting market in the US, with more than $4.7 billion wagered in Tennessee last fiscal year through online sportsbooks licensed by the Council.
The hottest new game from Aristocrat Gaming, Phoenix Link, is now live on casino floors, with Yaamava’ Resort & Casino being the first in North America to offer the highly-anticipated game. As the next evolution of the international hit game, Dragon Link, Phoenix Link features player-favorite mechanics from top games with all-new themes, features, and bonuses.
“We have been humbled by the incredible global fanfare Dragon Link has received over the years but are never ones to rest on our laurels. The teams have been working tirelessly on a follow-up that brings together all the player-favorite elements in a new and exciting way with Phoenix Link as the proud result. We were thrilled to partner with Yaamava’ to premiere Phoenix Link with flair, excitement, and celebration,” said Victor Duarte, executive vice president of product for Aristocrat Gaming.
Phoenix Link players will enjoy the game’s additional denominations, configurations, and jackpots on each of the launch game theme titles. Gameplay features include Hold & Spin, Free Games with multiplier wilds or twin spin reels, Phoenix Mystery trigger, and more new bonus twists. Phoenix Link is available on the Neptune Single cabinet.
“Yaamava’ is thrilled to host yet another world premiere in gaming with the launch of Phoenix Link by Aristocrat Gaming. Our Club Serrano members are already raving about this captivating extension of the player-favorite Dragon Link. It’s a great addition to the Yaamava’ gaming floor,” said Kenji Hall, General Manager of Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel, said.
On November 6, the iGaming industry in Mexico is preparing for a key event in which the benefits and challenges that regulation has brought to the Mexican market will be discussed. Under the title “Benefits of Regulation in the Mexican Market”, this panel will offer an in-depth look at the impact of regulation on transparency, competition and consumer protection, critical issues in the new digital era of iGaming.
The event, moderated by Geraldine Alexandra García Torres, Media Manager of Digital Gaming News, will feature the participation of recognized figures in the sector such as Daniel Magariños, representative of BMM Testlabs, and Hermilo Peregrina Cabrera of Prometeo IT Solutions. Both panelists will contribute their extensive knowledge and experience in regulation and certification in the Mexican market, and will analyze with the public the challenges and opportunities that companies face in an increasingly competitive and regulated context.
BMM Testlabs, who will participate as a Gold Sponsor, underlines with its sponsorship the importance of regulation to strengthen the iGaming sector in Mexico and demonstrates its commitment to progress and transparency in the Mexican market. For its part, Kushki joins as a Silver Sponsor, promoting the dialogue and analysis necessary for the industry.
Daniel Magariños, from BMM Testlabs, expressed his enthusiasm for participating in this digital webinar: “It has been a pleasure to be able to share our comments as a Laboratory on a market like the Mexican one and exchange opinions with a reference like Hermilo and the company Prometeo IT Solutions, with its excellent track record in this market. A relaxed talk with a lot of learning that I hope will be interesting for the attendees.”
For his part, Hermilo Peregrina, from Prometeo IT Solutions, highlighted the relevance of these spaces for dialogue: “Thank you to Conferencias iGaming for the invitation to participate in this panel. Thanks to Geraldine for coordinating us, and it was a pleasure to share ideas and opinions with my friend Daniel from BMM Testlabs, who has extensive experience in international regulations and certifications.”
Sponsor Support
The panel has the support of important sponsors who recognize the relevance of regulation in the development of the iGaming market in Mexico. Among them, BMM Testlabs as Gold Sponsor, and Kushki as Silver Sponsor.
Event Details:
Date: November 6
Time: 10:00 a.m. (Mexico)
Registration: Register here
Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of this essential conversation for the future of the industry. Secure your place and access a key analysis on the dynamic iGaming market in Mexico!
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