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China Sports In The Spotlight As 1.1 Million Viewers Tune In To Sports Connects!
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Over 200 sports industry executives from mainland China and around the world were at Mission Hills Resort in Shenzhen, southern China this week for the return of ‘Sports Connects’.
Leading Chinese media and tech firms including Tencent, Weibo Sports, Wanda Sports, SECA, China Sports Media, Netease and Gemdale joined international counterparts on stage from NBA, NFL, WTA, The R&A, AEG, New Zealand Rugby, Hong Kong Rugby Union, Visa, AIA, UBS, Bose and more.
Highlights of the three-day China Sports Forum included three major golf announcements, a live stream to 1.1 million viewers and fun networking including a Golf Day and Bowling Night.
Tenniel Chu, Group Vice-Chairman of Mission Hills said: “This was another important gathering for the China sports industry, one which we hope to make a fixed annual event. At a sensitive time for international relations, it is important for our industry to come together and demonstrate how sport can create friendships, bridge divides and unite cultures.”
Jasper Donat, CEO of organisers Branded commented: “With a truly bilingual programme and 50 percent of attendees from mainland China, we achieved our objective of bringing together an impressive mix of domestic and international stakeholders from the world of sport. With 35 high-quality speakers also in attendance and some key topics addressed, this was another milestone appointment for the China sports industry.”
Features of the programme included:
Two golf announcements from Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, including a new golf scholarship programme in China with Mission Hills and SECA, plus a new Rules of Golf app in Chinese
A third major golf announcement from PGA of America’s Head of Global and Corporate Strategy, Arjun Chowdri that the first PGA of America Golf Academies in China will be launched in Shenzhen and Hainan as part of a multiyear partnership with Mission Hills
A live-streaming session with global sports media property, the ONE Championship – featuring heavyweight world champion Brandon Vera – that attracted 1.1 million live views
Regular references to the buzzword “Springtime” when describing the emerging nature of the China sports industry, including Eddy Liu, CEO of Gemdale Sports who is bringing the WTA tennis finals to Shenzhen starting in 2019
A keynote interview with Derek Chang, CEO of NBA China which explored the potential growth of one of China’s most popular spectator sports with 38 million followers on Weibo Sports alone and a new Bytedance partnership announcement announced that day
Case studies on sports sponsorship from high-level executives at AIA, Bose, UBS and Visa
Insights into China’s leading role in the rise of esports from Tencent, Netease and Culture Group
Round-table sessions with iSportConnects, Mass Participation Asia and Weibo Sports, with Zhou Tianyi of Weibo Sports reporting 3.2 billion video plays during the 2018 Winter Olympics
A study on international sports coming into China with the NFL, WTA, New Zealand Rugby, Hong Kong Rugby and Genius Sports
A look at the shortage of high quality “city defining” venues in Asia, according to AEG Asia, KPMG and Wanda Sports
With a bowling night at Mission Hills Centreville and golf day also on the agenda, delegates had plenty of opportunity to enjoy the facilities at Mission Hills Shenzhen, one of two luxury Mission Hills resorts spanning 40 square kilometres and 22 golf courses, making it the world’s largest golf facility.
Sports Connects, the China Sports Forum was presented by Weibo Sports, ONE Championship, Mission Hills China, Mailman, and Branded and was sponsored by KPMG, Culture Group and Genius Sports.
About Branded:
Producers of “It’s a Girl Thing”, “Sports Connects”, “Tencent Music Connects”, the YouTube FanFest and “Matters” series of events including Music, Sports, Gaming and Digital Matters, Branded designs, sells, markets and produces award winning B2B2C and B2B2F(an) events in Asia Pacific. Founded in 2002 and listed as a top 10 Event Marketing agency by Marketing Magazine, Branded connects people through the organisation, programming and production of dynamic conferences, live music festivals, academies, and youth fan events. Branded was acquired by Dentsu Aegis Network in 2018.
About Mission Hills Group:
Mission Hills Group, owner and operator of Mission Hills resorts in the heart of the Pearl River Delta and on the tropical island of Hainan, is synonymous with leisure, wellness, entertainment and luxury.
Founded in 1992, Mission Hills is recognised as one of the world’s leading golf brands and a pioneer in China’s hospitality, sports and leisure industry. The world- class integrated leisure and wellness resort destinations have been accredited by the Guinness World Records as the “World’s Largest Golf Club” and the “World’s Largest Mineral Springs and Spa Resort”.
Mission Hills’ properties sprawl over 40 square kilometres, including 22 championship courses, five-star resorts, award-winning spas and volcanic mineral springs, international convention centres, state-of-the-art golf academies, a 20-pitch football training base, Asia’s largest basketball school and Asia’s biggest tennis facility.
The Group’s ‘golf and more’ leisure philosophy has seen its tourism-related business expand into shopping, recreational, business, education, entertainment, leisure and cultural experiences. Mission Hills has also extended its foray into the hospitality industry by partnering with world-renowned hotel brands Hard Rock, Renaissance and Ritz-Carlton.
Other significant projects include Movie Town, China’s first Wet’n’Wild water park and ground-breaking partnerships with FC Barcelona, NBA and the PGA of America.
Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network
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Gamblers Connect is pleased to announce a new strategic partnership with NuxGame, a premier B2B software provider specialising in API-first, modular iGaming solutions.
This collaboration is designed to significantly enhance NuxGame’s brand visibility and solidify its authority across the critical regulated and emerging markets our operator network serves. NuxGame, which has been successfully developing and expanding operator projects since 2018, offers comprehensive Turnkey Casino and Sportsbook Platforms.
The company’s technical strength is unmatched, featuring a massive aggregated content library of over 16,500 games from more than 130 studios, alongside advanced, market-specific tools like its Telegram Casino Software and specialised Sweepstakes Casino Platform.
Gamblers Connect will showcase how NuxGame’s modular, API-first architecture allows clients to quickly launch a fully branded platform, easily scale into complex verticals like crypto, and benefit from full compliance support, including their Romanian Class II B2B Licence and GLI-19 Certification.
By offering transparency around risk management and a comprehensive support system, Gamblers Connect will de-risk the initial onboarding process for operators.
This strategic alliance underscores NuxGame’s commitment to delivering technical excellence and our dedication to providing our audience with trusted, high-value industry partners.
Gjorgje Ristikj, Founder of Gamblers Connect, said: “Our partnership will leverage Gamblers Connect’s high-authority platform to connect NuxGame directly with decision-makers seeking fast, scalable, and compliant software solutions. Our cooperation will focus on delivering expert content and deep technical insights into the platform’s core advantages.”
The post NuxGame & Gamblers Connect Enter a New Partnership appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Soft2Bet, a leading provider of iGaming turnkey solutions, has been nominated for Best Solutions for iGaming Industry in Romania 2025 by Romania Gaming Celebration 11 – Casino Inside Gala Awards. The nomination highlights Soft2Bet’s continued investment in the country and its ability to deliver highly localised and high-performing solutions for local operators and players, powered by its proprietary gamification engine, MEGA (Motivational Engineering Gaming Application).
This nomination is the latest in a series of achievements in the Romanian market, highlighting Soft2Bet’s data-driven iGaming solutions for player retention. Previously, the company was honoured as the Best iGaming Solutions Provider in Romania at the 12th Reunion of Gambling Professionals. Furthermore, its local brand, Don.ro, secured the title of Best New Launch of 2024 at the same event, and in the process showcased how its approach to creating compelling brands specifically tailored for Romanian players is highly successful.
Don.ro has rapidly established itself as one of Romania’s most recognisable online entertainment platforms. Its success is built on a highly intuitive user experience (UX), a comprehensive range of casino and sportsbook options, and strategic, locally focused marketing campaigns. In addition, Don.ro has strengthened its brand appeal and established strong trust with Romanian players thanks to its partnership with the CFR Cluj 1907 football club, in the process contributing to local sports.
Don.ro uses Soft2Bet’s advanced MEGA technology to boost player engagement with missions, challenges and personalised rewards. This proprietary technology also ensures responsible gaming. MEGA allows operators to customise player experiences, rewards and activation triggers to fit local market needs. These features increase engagement, retention and long-term value for both casino and sports betting platforms.
Yoel Zuckerberg, Chief Product Officer at Soft2Bet, stated: “Being nominated in the Best Solutions for iGaming Industry in Romania 2025 category is a clear recognition of all the work our teams have accomplished with Don.ro and confirmation of the success in Romania. Our focus is on building locally relevant experiences, powered by MEGA and supported by strong compliance and design standards. We are proud of what we are achieving in Romania and remain committed to bringing quality iCasino engagement tactics and long-term strategies to our players.”
The post Soft2Bet Nominated for Best Solutions for iGaming Industry in Romania 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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London-based video virtuals and instant win games specialist Highlight Games Limited today announces that its flagship soccer products are now live online in Romania with the Fortuna Entertainment Group.
Highlight’s premium SOCCERBET games which feature genuine archive footage from some of the biggest leagues and teams in football are now available to Fortuna’s online customers in Romania via its Casa Pariurilor and Fortuna Romania brands. Available iterations of the product include Italian Football featuring Serie A, Spanish Football featuring LaLiga and English Football featuring English Premier League teams.
Steven Holmes, CEO, Highlight Games said: ‘I’m delighted to see our SOCCERBET portfolio go live with FEG in Romania. This launch represents another significant milestone in our expansion across regulated European markets, and we look forward to building on our partnership with Fortuna and bringing even more compelling content to its customers in the months ahead.’
Erik Klems, Group RNG Product Manager, Fortuna Entertainment Group added: ‘We are excited to introduce Highlight Games’ SOCCERBET products to our Romanian customers. The combination of authentic archive football footage and innovative gameplay brings something genuinely fresh to the market and perfectly complements our existing portfolio. At FEG, we are committed to offering players the best and most engaging experiences available, and this partnership with Highlight Games supports that mission. We anticipate a strong reaction from players and see great potential for continued collaboration.’
The post HIGHLIGHT GAMES LIVE IN ROMANIA WITH FORTUNA ENTERTAINMENT GROUP appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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