Isle of Man-based esports betting operator Luckbox has welcomed US soccer player Luis Robles as an investor. 

Robles is goalkeeper for Inter Miami – the Major League Soccer (MLS) team co-owned by David Beckham. He also has a degree in finance from the University of Portland and is a keen investor. 

Regarding his investment, Robles said:

“On the road, I’ll be watching Netflix, while my room-mate is watching Twitch. My team-mates, they’re watching in the same way they watch an opponent for a football match. They like to see tactics and strategies, what people are using and what works so that they can use those things in their own game.

“That to me was mind-blowing. And yet, it’s what people are doing and it shows the importance of esports in our culture right now. With what’s going on in the world right now, a lot of the way we’ve been able to maintain a connection with our fanbase, is through FIFA – using FIFA as an avenue through which players can still compete, while entertaining and engaging fans.

“I love investing, I love diversifying my portfolio and looking at different decks and wishing I could get involved and Luckbox has given me a great opportunity to do that.”

While CEO of Luckbox, Quentin Martin, added:

“It’s well documented that esports is super-hot right now and many famous names from the world of sports and entertainment have recognised this by backing a host of projects. We’ve been live in 100 countries for just over a year now, so we’re still a very young company. To have the support of someone as highly respected as Luis is clearly a massive boost for our company.

“For sports fans, betting on outcomes is often an extra way to enjoy the match experience. Safe, legal and legitimate betting is increasingly important to esports and, over the coming years, it will be the dominant driver of revenue for the industry.”

Financial terms of the investment have not been disclosed. The news follows this week’s announcement that the operator is to list itself publicly on the TSX Venture Exchange. 

AYO.NEWS says:

Clearly there’s a useful publicity value when a major celebrity or sports star invests in an esports business, but it’s also an indication of how the perception of esports is evolving to those in the traditional sports and entertainment industries.

Michael Jordan, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and Odell Beckham Jr have all invested in pro gaming in recent years. Just a couple of months ago we reported Tribe Gaming had secured over $1m in a seed funding round that included Boston Celtics player Gordon Hayward, and WWE pro wrestler Claudio “Cesaro” Castagnoli. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

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McLaren Racing has partnered with London-based Veloce Esports to expand its existing esports effort into a complete multifaceted sim racing esports program. 

The partnership will see Veloce manage and develop McLaren’s esports team and establish a sim racing training academy. The companies say their ultimate goal is to create a “staircase of talent.” 

Discussing plans, Managing Director of Sales and Marketing at McLaren Racing, Mark Waller, said:

“We are delighted to begin this new partnership with Veloce Esports with our clear focus on continuing to engage a new, younger generation of motorsports fans. Joining forces with an ambitious and forward-thinking company in Veloce is the next significant step to build on the great progress we have already made in the esports category over the last few years.

“The popularity and growth of esports has been well-documented in recent weeks and that trend looks set to continue even once racing on track resumes. Our aim is to develop and nurture fresh talent via the virtual academy, drive the performance of our esports team and carve new ways of attracting and interacting with fans from around the world.”

While CCO and Co-founder of Veloce Esports, Jack Clarke, added:

“We are thrilled to be working with such a pioneering and iconic team as McLaren Racing, which has a renowned history in motorsport. 

“We share a passion for competition and innovation, and I know this partnership will establish the ultimate destination for fans to interact and a unique space for the best gaming talent in the world to compete as a team. We are incredibly proud and look forward to building a full-scale esports ecosystem with McLaren.”

Benjamin Daly, who races as “Tiametmarduk” has also been announced as a McLaren Shadow Ambassador, to support the esports team for the 2020 program. 

In March we reported McLaren had extended its partnership with gaming peripherals brand Logitech G. 

AYO.NEWS says:

With sim racing enjoying a boom in popularity thanks to the COVID-19 crisis shutting down real-world motorsports, and companies like McLaren now investing serious resources into developing talent, things are looking good for the future! 

Staying with sim racing in the UK, earlier today we reported the British Rally Championship has confirmed AMD and PCSpecialist as leading sponsors of the first BRC Esports Invitational Series. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

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Former Chief Operating Officer at ESL UK, Rob Black, has launched Promod Esports – a new turnkey esports solutions agency. 

The agency is pitching consultancy services to IP owners from the esports world, and those looking to enter it, along with events creation, organisation, management and broadcasting services. 

Announcing the launch Founder and CEO of Promod Esports, Rob Black, said:

“It’s clear that esports will continue to need expert service providers to help brands create relevant, authentic connections. We’re building a world-class white label service to work directly with IP owners on their strategies, products and engagements.

“The philosophy behind Promod was all about nurturing talent and growing the esports scene, and we are determined to continue that approach with Promod Esports. I’m delighted by the work we’ve already done, and I’m excited by the work that this brilliant team will do in the future.”

The Promod team has experience spanning more than 20 esports titles, and has worked on delivering remote broadcasts engagement for UEFA’s eEURO 2020, the ESL Premiership, and National Student Esports (NSE). 

AYO.NEWS says:

As interest in esports rockets around the world, we’re now seeing the rapid development of a professional services infrastructure to support it. From end-to-end esports betting solutions from data suppliers, to analytics companies, talent agencies, affiliate marketing programs, and creative studios – a whole world of new business and career opportunities is opening up for those who are paying attention.   

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

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The British Rally Championship has confirmed AMD and PCSpecialist as leading sponsors of its BRC Esports Invitational Series. 

PCSpecialist is title sponsor of the new sim racing series, which uses Codemasters’ DiRT Rally 2.0, and started on 4 May with a gravel stage in virtual Wales. Stage 2 starts on 25 may with asphalt in virtual Spain, followed by stage 3 on asphalt in virtual Germany from 15 June, and the final stage takes place on gravel in virtual Scotland from 29 June. 

Discussing the news series, British Rally Championship Manager, Ian Campbell, said:

“We are excited to collaborate with PCSpecialist and AMD and the newly formed BRC Esports Invitational. The first round created a great deal of online buzz and excitement and we expect the second-round next week to be even more exciting. 

“The set-up our competitors have at home is just as professional as their real rally cars and the products from PCSpecialist and AMD are just as cutting-edge – fitting perfectly with the growing popularity and professionalism of the British Esports series.”

While Social Media and PR Specialist at PCSpecialist, Robb Boyd, added:

“In the current climate we’ve seen a wide range of sporting events turn to the simulation environment. As fans of sim racing, we are excited to be sponsoring the BRC invitational, providing high performance specifications on the AMD platform.

“From competitive gaming to sim racing, we strive to bring our customers the best hardware to support this competitive environment. We hope this sponsorship will bring the same excitement of the BRC experience to the simulation racing scene.”

21 competitors took part in the first round of the series, with times sheets topped by one of Britain’s top co-drivers, James Morgan. In real-world rallying he is usually co-driver for Rhys Yates. 

Running parallel to the invitational is the Motorsport UK eBRC, which is open to anyone who holds a Motorsport UK license, and is the first esports competition to be recognised by UK motorsport’s governing body. 

AYO.NEWS says:

Sim racing has seen an explosion of interest during the COVID-19 crisis, and it seems real-world drivers are taking to it like ducks to water (which is hardly surprising seen as though many use sims to practice). With a faster pace and cheaper production costs, it’s also a winner for organisations and broadcasters, so we’re sure its popularity will continue to grow even after the crisis passes. 

Staying with sim racing, last week we reported that Team Redline had partnered with Netherlands-based creative agency Triple. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

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A record number of Formula 1 drivers have been confirmed for this weekend’s Virtual Monaco Grand Prix. 

Esteban Ocon and Valtteri Bottas will be racing for the first time, along with six other drivers who have raced in previous Virtual Grands Prix; Alex Albon, Antonio Giovinazzi, George Russell, Nicholas Latifi, Lando Norris, and Charles Leclerc. 

The professional real-world F1 drivers will also be joined by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, from Premier League football club Arsenal, and Belgian international goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who will be driving for Alfa Romeo following his 11th place finish in the Virtual Spanish GP. 

Alex Albon, who won at the Interlagos Circuit, will be partnered with big-wave surfer Kai Lenny, driving for Red Bull Racing, while Latin American singer Luis Fonsi will debut for Racing Point. 

The Virtual Monaco Grand Prix will be taking place on the same weekend that was originally scheduled for the real-world Monaco Grand Prix, and will take place at the virtual version of the Circuit de Monaco, with drivers racing remotely. 

A host broadcast will be live from the Gfinity Esports Arena from 18:00 BST on Sunday 24 May. It will be available on the official Formula 1 YouTube, Twitch and Facebook channels, in addition to Weibo and Huya channels in China. It will also be broadcast live through partners in over 100 countries, including on Sky Sports in the UK, ESPN in the US, and FOX Sports Asia across Southeast Asia. 

Head of Digital Business Initiatives and Esports at Formula 1, Julian Tan, said:

“The Virtual Grand Prix series has proven to be a fantastic live spectacle with over 20m viewers to date, providing fans with some racing entertainment during these challenging times.

“We are delighted to announce our strongest line-up of current F1 drivers alongside a star-studded list of global talent from the worlds of sport and entertainment, as we all stand together to put on great racing entertainment around the historic streets of Monaco, virtually.”

The F1 Esports Pro Exhibition race will precede the Virtual Grand Prix, and will begin at 17:00 BST on the official Formula 1YouTube, Twitch and Facebook channels, along with selected TV broadcasters. While the Formula 2 Virtual Racing event, featuring F2 and F3 drivers will also be live on the official Formula 1 YouTube and Twitch channels from 16:00 BST.  

AYO.NEWS says: 

From Formula 1 and NASCAR to World of Outlaws dirt racing and WRC, sim racing has seen a tremendous profile boost during the COVID-19 lockdowns, with broadcasters finding it surprisingly easy to entice traditional motorsports fans to the virtual world.

With much lower production costs and the ability to provide viewers with a faster, more engaging experience (lack of real-world delays etc), it seems sim racing may well have found a long-term place in the mainstream, even after the COVID-19 crisis passes. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020

Bet365 has been confirmed as launch customer for SIS’ Competitive Gaming end-to-end esports solution.  

Sports Information Services (SIS) debuted its SIS Competitive Gaming product at ICE London in February this year. It includes live-streamed events, commentary, embedded betting triggers, and a range of markets and prices on esports. 

Commenting on the news Product Director at SIS, Paul Witten, said:

“SIS competitive gaming is designed specifically to appeal to existing sports bettors in a format that is familiar, and with fast paced action that allows multiple betting opportunities. Quality and integrity that has been built into the product from inception.”

The news means Bet365’s customers will get the ability to wager live on head-to-head esports, including those in the SIS Blitz League with NBA 2K. All SIS-approved matches will also benefit from monitoring by an integrity referee, trained by the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC). 

AYO.NEWS says:

Despite Bet365 being one of the world’s biggest sports betting operators, it has lagged behind others in its esports offering. Clearly, the upsurge in esports betting caused by the COVID-19 lockdowns has made its executives “wake up and smell the coffee!”

Earlier today we reported that Isle of Man-based Luckbox has announced plans to publicly list on the TSX Venture Exchange, encouraged by the boom in esports betting.

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020