Swedish state-owned gambling operator Svenska Spel has appointed Erika Svanström as new head of public affairs. 

Svanström, who has been running her own consulting business and has extensive experience in local, regional, and national politics, will be taking up her new role on 2 November. 

She has been an advisor on public affairs issues at Svenska Spel since April 2019, and before that, he was communications manager at Sveriges Åkeriföretag, an industry association for transport and haulage.

Welcoming Svanström to the company, communications director at Svenska Spel, Joakim Mörnefält, said:

“I am very happy to welcome Erika Svanström to Svenska Spel. She will have an important role as responsible for our activities in public affairs. As a state-owned gaming company, Svenska Spel will be a role model for the industry. 

“We want to take that responsibility on a broad front. This includes creating increased knowledge and awareness of the challenges that the industry faces in the long and short term vis-à-vis our decision-makers.”

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Real Madrid and Brazil football star Casemiro has become the latest pro athlete to launch their own esports organisation. 

Casemiro’s new organisation, CaseEsports, has already signed a full Brazilian CS:GO team consisting of Paulo “land1n” Felipe, Denis “dzt” Fisher, Felipe Delboni, Yan “yepz” Pedretti, and Vinicius “⁠n1ssim⁠” Pereira.

The players are relocating to Madrid, Spain, where CaseEsports has an office and gaming house, and the team is set to compete in the DreamHack Open qualifiers in December. 

Discussing the his new venture, HLTV quoted Casemiro as saying:

“This team was created out of a hobby of mine that I really enjoy. I wanted to take it to a professional level, and just like in my career, I want them to be the best. I know that creating a new team and winning titles will take time and require a lot of work, but I hope that the players and the fans will really enjoy this project.”

CaseEsports hasn’t wasted any time securing commercial sponsorships either, already having deals with peripherals brand HyperX, apparel brand BŮH, gaming chair maker Drift and Spanish eyewear brand Hawkers.

Hoy ya somos más grandes, hoy nace @CaseEsports mi propio equipo de CSGO formado por @yanyepz, @dztfps, @delbonifps, @land1ncs y @n1ssimV. #WelcomeCaseEsports pic.twitter.com/JgMFNGGzD7

— Casemiro (@Casemiro) October 29, 2020

AYO.NEWS says:

The fact that CaseEsports has launched with a CS:GO team, rather than something more predictable given its founder’s background, like FIFA, is notable, and suggests a real seriousness – as does the already impressive list of commercial partnerships. 

Recently we’ve seen several pro athletes jump into the world of esports, either as organisation founders or investors. Just yesterday we reported that NBA Champion and LA Lakers Player, Dion Waiters, had invested in Florida-based Centric Gaming, while earlier this month Pittsburgh Steelers player, JuJu Smith-Schuster, launched a new organisation called Team Diverge. 

‘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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NBA Champion and Los Angeles Lakers player, Dion Waiters has invested in Centric Gaming. 

The Miami-based esports and lifestyle brand, which recently signed four Fortnite players for its re-entry into esports, says it is looking to focus on Waiter’s hometown of Philadelphia, and give back to the community there. 

Talking to Esports Insider, Waiters said he “esports had always been a healthy escape” for him, and that he can see himself being involved in the scene for a long time, bringing “that Champ Cheese Swag to esports.”

Waiters is just the latest pro athlete to get involved with esports. Shaquille O’Neil and Alex Rodriguez have teamed up with NRG Esports and Magic Johnson with Team Liquid, while ReKTGlobal, parent company of Rogue and London Royal Ravens, have attracted investment from a string of big sports names including tennis prodigy Taylor Fritz, NFL player Landon Collins, and the NBA’s Rudy Gobert. 

AYO.NEWS says:

It’s not just high-profile athletes keen to get a piece of the esports and video gaming pie these days, music artists are enthusiastic too. Earlier today we reported that rapper Swae Lee has become the first artist to invest in recently formed Boston-based esports organisation and lifestyle brand XSET. 

‘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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Recently formed Boston-based esports organisation XSET has named rapper Swae Lee as its first investor from the music industry. 

XSET, which was formed in July 2020 by former FaZe Clan executives Greg Selkoe, Wil Eddins, and Clinton Sparks, along with Marco Merue, says Lee, who is a member of duo Rae Sremmurd with his brother Slim Jxmmi, has invested an undisclosed amount in the organisation. 

Apparently, Lee was enticed to get involved in XSET by Clinton Sparks, the luminary record producer and entrepreneur, who was also responsible for attracting a Lee and a host of other artists, including Offset, to FaZe Clan.

Regarding his investment in XSET, Lee spoke with Rolling Stone, saying: 

“I always wanted to be on what’s next. There’s a network of people like myself who want to bring simple access for fans.

“XSET, FaZe, they have fans who like to do the same things I like to do: sit at home on a game and be lazy. I want to help make a huge network for all the kids to enjoy gaming, talk about life, talk smack to each other, get merch, and have first-person access to rappers.”

Despite Lee initially telling Rolling Stone that it was an “eight figure” investment, Lee promptly rephrased, saying it was merely in the “big figures.” XSET has also confirmed it was not an eight figure investment. 

Though details of any activations involving Lee have not been officially revealed, he suggested they could include things like sharing music via streams with XSET players, and even allowing fans to decide his styling and wardrobe for gigs. 

XSET, which already claims to be “the world’s most diverse, innovative, socially conscious pop-gaming and esports “SET” ever assembled”has said it is currently pursuing partnerships with more artists and athletes, and will announce further deals in the coming months. 

The organisation now fields teams in Valorant, Rocket League, Fortnite, Call of Duty Warzone, PUBG Mobile, COD Mobile, and Madden. 

AYO.NEWS says:

With Sparks involved, it was only a matter of time before high-profile artists started joining XSET. Of course, although any big name investors will give valuable publicity in the short-term, the trick will be getting them genuinely involved with content and engagement – something Lee seems keen to dive into. We’re keen to see where this goes…

‘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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Online sportsbook and casino operator 777.be has extended its contract with Belgium’s most famous Hollywood star, Jean-Claude Van Damme, through 2022. 

The operator will be launching a new campaign featuring Van Damme later this week, across national television, plus YouTube and other digital channels. In keeping with today’s socially responsible climate, the new campaign casts Van Damme as a “benevolent hero” on a mission to teach customers about knowing their limits.

Commenting on the news Head of Gaming at 777.be, Jean-Christophe Choffray, said:

“We are delighted to have Jean-Claude Van Damme on board to help us educate our players about responsible game play. Moderation is essential, and with this campaign Van Damme very effectively combines his talents and humour to get this very important message across to our players.”

Van Damme originally teamed up with 777.be back in March 2019, starring in two TV spots, and becoming the face of the online casino and sportsbook. According to the company, the ads featuring the martial arts legend have racked up 13 million views on YouTube alone.

AYO.NEWS says:

777.be are demonstrating that the power of celebrity can also be harnessed to deliver advertising that also educates about responsible gambling – something the UK’s Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) might want to pay attention to, given their conviction that celebrities should be banned from gambling advertising. 

‘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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Video games industry veteran Jason Bunge has joined Riot Games as its new CMO. 

Riot Games, the publisher behind some of the world’s biggest esports titles, including League of Legends and VALORANT, has appointed the former Electronic Arts (EA) executive as its new Chief Marketing Officer. 

During his five years with EA, where he most recently held the position of Senior Vice President of Global Brand Management and Marketing, Bunge played a critical part in the launch of games including Apex Legends. 

Although Bunge wasn’t specifically focused on esports alone, EA’s Apex Legends, just like Riot’s flagship title League of Legends, and the recently released VALORANT and Legends of Runeterra, all have growing esports scenes. 

Discussing the appointment, President of Worldwide Publishing at Riot Games, Jin Oh, said:

“Jason’s proven track record of deploying and sustaining games and his deep understanding of players are exactly the combination we were looking for in a CMO. We knew we needed to find someone who connects with players and has demonstrated success in executing innovative and creative campaigns. 

“On behalf of everyone at Riot, we’re excited to have Jason join the team as we continue to engage players across all our titles in deeply resonant ways.”

While Bunge himself added:

“I’m thrilled to join Riot, a company with an unwavering commitment to players. Through our growing portfolio of games and immersive storytelling, I’m looking forward to working with all of the passionate and creative Rioters around the world. Together, we’ll deliver truly holistic brand experiences that constantly strive to raise player expectations.”

AYO.NEWS says:

Though his role will not be specifically esports-focused, as CMO, Bunge will play a key part in determining if Riot can create the same kind of long-term popularity for new titles like VALORANT, as has been enjoyed by League of Legends.

While we’re talking about VALORANT, earlier today we reported that North American esports organisation Cloud9 has signed a new all-female VALORANT team to complement its existing roster. 

‘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.