Latest News
NBA Players Go Head-to-Head in First-Ever “NBA 2K Players Tournament” on ESPN and ESPN2

Reading Time: 5 minutes
Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant and Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young among NBA players competing in NBA 2K20 tournament premiering April 3 on ESPN
Winning player to select charity beneficiary to receive $100,000 donation in support of Coronavirus relief efforts
2K, the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) today announced the “NBA 2K Players Tournament,” an NBA 2K20 gameplay tournament between 16 current NBA players. Beginning Friday, April 3 on ESPN and ESPN2, players – including top seeds Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets and Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks – will compete in a single-elimination, player-only tournament on Xbox One. The winner will be crowned the ultimate NBA 2K20 champion and select a charity beneficiary to receive a $100,000 donation from 2K, the NBA and the NBPA in support of ongoing coronavirus relief efforts.
“We’re thrilled to partner with the NBA and NBPA to bring basketball back to fans throughout the world and to help those in need during these uncertain times,” said Jason Argent, 2K Senior Vice President, Sports Strategy and Licensing. “Entertainment, especially sports, has the ability to bring communities together – including athletes, fans and families – and we hope that everyone will enjoy the tournament.”
“We are excited to tip off the first ‘NBA 2K Players Tournament’ in partnership with the NBPA and 2K, continuing an ongoing effort to stay connected with NBA fans around the world, while also giving back in this time of need,” said Matt Holt, NBA SVP of Global Partnerships.
“This tournament offers a unique opportunity for our players to compete with one another while also supporting their philanthropic efforts and engaging with their fans,” said Josh Goodstadt, EVP of Licensing for THINK450, the commercial arm of the NBPA. “We are excited to work with 2K and the NBA to bring this experience to life for the entire NBA community.”
Based on players’ seeding – which is determined first by NBA 2K rating, second by tenure – players will go head-to-head online in NBA 2K20. Prior to the tournament beginning, every player will choose eight of today’s NBA teams, each of which can only be used once. If a mirror match is set, the away team is awarded first choice of team. Rounds one and two will be single elimination, with the semifinals and finals running best of three.
Player Seeding*:
- Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets (96)
- Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks (90)
- Hassan Whiteside, Portland Trail Blazers (87)
- Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz (87)
- Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns (86)
- Andre Drummond, Cleveland Cavaliers (85)
- Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls (85)
- Montrezl Harrell, LA Clippers (85)
- Domantas Sabonis, Indiana Pacers (85)
- Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns (85)
- DeMarcus Cousins (81)
- Michael Porter Jr., Denver Nuggets (81)
- Rui Hachimura, Washington Wizards (79)
- Patrick Beverley, LA Clippers (78)
- Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings (78)
- Derrick Jones Jr., Miami Heat (78)
*Participating players subject to change.
Tournament coverage begins April 3 at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN, with a matchup between Jones Jr. (16) and Durant (1) tipping off at 7:30 p.m. ET. Jones Jr. and Durant will each play as one of their pre-selected teams, with Jones Jr. choosing from the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, LA Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers, and Durant choosing from the Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, LA Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Utah Jazz.
Additional matchups will air through April 12. Every tournament game will debut on either ESPN or ESPN2, while also streaming on the ESPN App and running on NBA.com, the NBA App, and 2K and NBA social channels including Twitter (@NBA2K, @NBA), Twitch (@NBA2K, @NBA), YouTube (@NBA2K, @NBA) and Facebook (@NBA2K, @NBA). Fans can follow NBA 2K, NBA and NBPA for tune-in information, game commentary and game highlights, and they can join the conversation with #NBA2KTourney.
Tune-In Schedule:
Round 1
Friday, April 3: ESPN
- 7:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. ET: NBA 2K Players Tournament Preview Show
- 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. ET: Derrick Jones Jr. (16) vs. Kevin Durant (1)
Friday, April 3: ESPN2, 8:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. ET
Sunday, April 5: ESPN2, 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET
Quarterfinals
Tuesday, April 7: ESPN2, 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. ET
Semifinals & Finals
Saturday, April 11: ESPN, Timing to be announced.
Developed by Visual Concepts, NBA 2K20 is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB. For more information on NBA 2K20, please visit https://nba.2k.com/2k20/, become a fan on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram, or subscribe on YouTube.
2K is a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).
Online Account (13+) required to access online features.
See www.take2games.com/legal and www.take2games.com/privacy for additional details.
All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their respective holders.
About Take-Two Interactive Software
Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a leading developer, publisher and marketer of interactive entertainment for consumers around the globe. The Company develops and publishes products through our labels Rockstar Games, 2K, and Private Division, as well as Social Point, a leading developer of mobile games. Our products are designed for console systems and personal computers, including smartphones and tablets, and are delivered through physical retail, digital download, online platforms and cloud streaming services. The Company’s common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. For more corporate and product information please visit our website at http://www.take2games.com.
About 2K
Founded in 2005, 2K develops and publishes global interactive entertainment for console and handheld gaming systems, personal computers and mobile devices, with product availability including physical retail and digital download. The Company is home to many talented development studios, including Visual Concepts, Firaxis Games, Hangar 13, Cat Daddy Games, 31st Union and Cloud Chamber. 2K’s portfolio currently includes the renowned BioShock®, Borderlands
, Mafia and XCOM® franchises; NBA® 2K, the global phenomenon and highest rated* annual sports title for the current console generation; the critically acclaimed Sid Meier’s Civilization® series; the popular WWE® 2K and WWE® SuperCard franchises, as well as emerging properties NBA® 2K Playgrounds 2, Carnival Games and more. Additional information about 2K and its products may be found at 2k.com.
* According to 2008 – 2020 Metacritic.com
About NBA
The NBA is a global sports and media business built around four professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, the NBA G League and the NBA 2K League. The NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming in 215 countries and territories in 47 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 100,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents. NBA rosters at the start of the 2019-20 season featured 108 international players from 38 countries and territories. NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass. The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with 1.8 billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms. Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes.
About the NBPA
The National Basketball Players Association is the union for current professional basketball players in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Established in 1954, the NBPA’s mission is to protect and support the rights and talents of our players, magnify the power of their collective will, and amplify their voices as leaders who will transcend sport and society globally.
The NBPA advocates on behalf of the best interests of all NBA players, including the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements, the filing of grievances on behalf of the players, or counseling players on benefits, educational and post-NBA career opportunities. Business opportunities are generated by THINK450, the subsidiary of the NBPA charged with managing the players’ group licensing rights.
Dedicated to preserving the legacy of its members, the NBPA Foundation provides support and assistance to persons, communities and organizations around the world that seek to improve the lives of those in need.
Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network
This is a Syndicated News piece. Photo credits or photo sources can be found on the source article: NBA Players Go Head-to-Head in First-Ever “NBA 2K Players Tournament” on ESPN and ESPN2
Latest News
ScatterKings adds sugar-coated spin to Austria with bespoke win2day partnership
ScatterKings has made its debut in Austria, partnering with operator win2day to bring its vibrant, hand-crafted portfolio to one of Europe’s most tightly regulated markets.
Headlining the partnership is Sweet win2day, a mouth-watering title designed exclusively for the operator. Other standout ScatterKings games, including Coins of Cleo, Vikings and Hogs Christmas and Big Bob, have also hit the screens of win2day’s customers, with further releases scheduled to follow.
Win2day is operated by Austrian Lotteries, which was founded more than 50 years ago and holds the only licence to offer online casino gaming in the country. The brand has gained a rich heritage as a trusted name in the market, priding itself on being one of the industry’s most responsible operators.
Through this deal, the new and fiercely passionate provider is redefining what modern slot content looks like for local players.
For ScatterKings, every game stands as a testament to its philosophy – proven mechanics fused with genuine artistic vision. A true labour of love from battle-tested developers, the brand-new studio, years in the making, is channelling its expertise into games crafted with soul.
With a leadership team of seasoned industry veterans spanning years of experience, ScatterKings is primed to accelerate its global growth and continue building games that deliver non-stop thrills.
Steven Cross, CCO at ScatterKings, said: “Our launch with win2day is such a proud moment for us and it’s a partnership built on trust in both our vision and craft.
“Entering such an exclusive market is a powerful endorsement of the quality and personality our content brings. We’re here to deliver premium entertainment to players under the most respected regulatory standards.”
Georg Wawer, Managing Director at win2day, said: “As Austria’s only licensed online gambling operator, it is our responsibility to offer players exclusively high-quality, secure and fully compliant gaming content. With ScatterKings, we welcome a highly innovative partner whose technological excellence and creative strength perfectly match our uncompromising standards.
“The studio’s games are optimised to meet the strictest player protection requirements, ensuring that every title on our platform delivers not only great entertainment but also the highest level of safety and responsibility. Their growing portfolio will be a valuable and exciting addition to win2day.”
The post ScatterKings adds sugar-coated spin to Austria with bespoke win2day partnership appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
Latest News
Slotegrator’s 2025: the year in numbers
For Slotegrator, a leading software and business solution provider for online casino and sportsbook operators, 2025 marked a year of restructuring and modernization. The company outlines the key transformations of the past year and the strategy shaping its path through 2026.
Throughout 2025, Slotegrator focused on developing its technological and business solutions for gambling operators worldwide. And those efforts — as well as the team’s substantial growth — have paid off, driving the company to new heights of success.
One indicator of positive performance is an increase in demand. Slotegrator recorded strong growth in demand for its products in multiple regions:
- The Balkans (+168%)
- Africa (+132%)
- Australia and Oceania (+111%)
- Central and Eastern Europe (+76%)
In addition to expanding geographically, Slotegrator grew and developed in several key areas: the size of its client and partner network, the scale of its revenues and market share, and the nature of its leadership.
The company now has nearly 300 clients and over 650 projects worldwide, with 217 new projects launched in 2025 alone. That expansion has translated directly to a rise in revenues; the company’s estimated share of global online gambling GGR reached around 0.8%, driven by an 81% YoY increase in GGR and a 71% rise in Total Bets.
One of this year’s key changes was the appointment of Olga Ivanchik as chief operating officer. With an extensive industry and management background to draw on, she is leading the company’s focus on sustainable scaling, ESG integration, and further strengthening of the internal team.
The company also continued to expand the capabilities of its products. APIgrator, the game aggregator solution, surpassed the threshold of 40,000 online casino games, supported by new strategic partnerships with Octopus Global, Urgent Games, Peter&Sons, Winfinity, Enjoy Gaming, PHOENIX 7, Bellot, InOut Games, and BEON. Another major milestone of 2025 was obtaining a gambling license in Anjouan, enabling Slotegrator to extend its services to a wider range of operators worldwide.
The turnkey online casino platform from Slotegrator also underwent one of the most significant transformations in Slotegrator’s history. More than 1,000 product improvements were implemented in 2025 alone, laying a solid foundation for scalability and advanced analytics.
The platform upgrades covered business intelligence and reporting, limitless scalability, security and authentication, bonus module performance, affiliate integrations, resilient infrastructure, an improved Casino Builder solution, and a significantly reduced time-to-market.
“2025 was a year of major milestones for us. While the global iGaming market continues to evolve at high speed, we not only maintained our strong position but expanded it on multiple levels. This year clearly showed that our strategic direction is right and our foundation is strong,” says Olga Ivanchik, COO at Slotegrator.
Slotegrator enters 2026 with a well-calculated strategy and ambitious plans. The company will continue the large-scale expansion of its team, demonstrate its ESG strategy with a focus on responsible gaming practices and ethical marketing, participate actively in industry events around the globe, conduct new research and media projects, and pursue multiple high-impact product updates. And on top of that, there will be some major announcements at the beginning of the year.
Among the most anticipated developments are a new localization service, a revolutionary tool within the Moneygrator solution, extended AI-powered features, and further transformation of the turnkey platform into a fully integrated ecosystem of high-efficiency services.
For Slotegrator, 2025 was a year of modernization, scale, and trust — and 2026 is set to be the next leap forward.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
Since 2012, Slotegrator has been one of the iGaming industry’s leading software and business solution providers for online casino and sportsbook operators.
The company’s main focus is software development and support for online casino platforms, as well as the integration of game content and payment systems.
The company works with licensed game developers and offers a vast portfolio of casino content: slots, live casino games, poker, virtual sports, table games, lotteries, casual games, and data feeds for betting.
Slotegrator also provides consulting services in gambling license acquisition and business incorporation.
The post Slotegrator’s 2025: the year in numbers appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
Latest News
Whale.io Launches $WHALE NFT Collection on Solana: New Pre-Market Phase Ahead of TGE
Whale.io has officially launched the $WHALE NFT collection on Solana, introducing the next phase of the platform’s native token rollout and bringing the community one step closer to the upcoming Token Generation Event (TGE).
The $WHALE NFTs – presented as fully tradable digital cards – represent a new value layer within the Whale ecosystem. Each card holds a fixed amount of $WHALE tokens locked on-chain and backed 1:1, making them redeemable at any time for the underlying tokens. Minting is now live exclusively at mintwhale.io, where users can acquire these asset-backed cards and begin trading immediately on secondary marketplaces such as Magic Eden.
This format transforms $WHALE into a hybrid asset: a collectible card that behaves like a traditional NFT while carrying real, instantly verifiable token value. Cards can be freely transferred, sold, or held, with the assurance that the locked $WHALE can always be unlocked and returned to the Whale.io platform when needed.
Key Benefits of the $WHALE NFT Model
- Liquidation and stronger community – $WHALE NFTs enable holders to convert tokens into tradable crypto assets, supporting liquidity and ongoing ecosystem activity.
- Easier entry for new participants – Anyone can now join the Whale ecosystem by purchasing cards on Magic Eden, bypassing the traditional play-to-earn grind.
- Seamless top-ups – Players with low $WHALE balance can buy additional cards on secondary markets and redeem them instantly for playable tokens to continue enjoying games, battle passes, and rewards.
Because every card is transparently backed by real $WHALE, value remains anchored and fully verifiable on-chain at all times.
Utility Already Live
$WHALE continues to serve as the native currency across Whale Originals titles, including Crock Dentist and Blackjack. Holders use it for gameplay, Battlepass purchases, staking rewards, and exclusive in-platform features – a utility that is available today and will expand significantly after TGE.
Next Steps on the Roadmap
Upcoming features include a Staking mechanism (locking liquid $WHALE into cards) and a dedicated Token Swapping interface for one-click redemption. Whale.io has also reaffirmed its commitment to regular market buybacks followed by permanent token burns to support long-term token health.
Participation Now Open
The $WHALE NFT collection is available for minting exclusively at mintwhale.io. Detailed card tiers, pricing, and redemption instructions are displayed on the site. All on-chain activity remains fully transparent through Whale.io’s established Treasury wallets.
Community members are invited to follow @Whalegames_en on X for real-time mint updates, secondary market insights, and announcements on future roadmap milestones.
About Whale.io
Whale.io is an online casino and sportsbook platform, recognized for its proprietary Whale Originals games and innovative reward systems. With $WHALE at its core, the platform combines provably fair gaming with community-owned economics and transparent tokenomics.
For complete details on the $WHALE NFT collection, users can visit mintwhale.io or whale.io.
Information on the future direction of Whale.io Casino and the Whale Token is available here:
Website: https://mintwhale.io/
Socials: https://linktr.ee/whalesocials_tg
Contact
Whale Spokesperson
Whale.io
The post Whale.io Launches $WHALE NFT Collection on Solana: New Pre-Market Phase Ahead of TGE appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
-
Latest News3 months ago
Announcement: 25th September 2025
-
Latest News6 days agoSCCG Announces Strategic Partnership with Yellow Elephant Studios to Expand Multi-Channel Gaming Content Worldwide
-
Latest News1 month ago
JioBLAST Launches All Stars vs India powered by Campa Energy: A New Era of Creator-Driven Esports Entertainment
-
Latest News3 months ago
The Countdown is On: Less Than 3 Months to Go Until The Games of The Future 2025 Kicks Off in Abu Dhabi
-
eSports1 month ago
CS:GO Betting Gains Momentum in the iGaming Sector
-
Latest News2 weeks ago
THE 2025 PUBG MOBILE GLOBAL CHAMPIONSHIP GROUP STAGE WRAPS UP WITH LAST CHANCE IN SIGHT
-
Latest News3 months ago
Leading The Charge! Euronics Group Joins LEC As Official Electronics Retail Partner
-
Latest News3 months ago
Evolution launches Sneaky Slots — a Bold New Slot Studio


You must be logged in to post a comment Login