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Exclusive Q & A with Marc Edwards, CEO of ORDER


Q. Congratulations on joining ORDER as the new CEO! What are your early reactions to the job?
A. It is an exciting time to join the organisation. I had been working for ORDER in a consultancy capacity for 6 months prior to joining as CEO, so the transition has been relatively seamless. My early impressions are full of opportunity and growth. The industry is forging ahead and receiving a lot of attention from mainstream media and non-endemic brands looking to be involved in the space, and with ORDER being a first mover in esports and now 4 years later is well established, we are looking forward to this next stage of our evolution.
Q. Do you find heading an Esports team much different than leading an organization in traditional sports or motor sports, where you had spent most of your career?
A. There are a lot of similarities with the support structure of esports and traditional sports, especially when it comes to fostering a culture of high performance and professionalism. And now as we look ahead, player welfare and grass roots programs are firmly on the agenda to ensure we are both looking after our professional players, but also playing a role as a leader in the industry to provide pathways for the next generation of talent. If we look at the commercial side of the industry there are certainly some parallels to draw with sponsorship, brand activations and fan engagement and how these are delivered to offer the best value to brands. The real difference in this area of the business is the ability to innovate and execute on new ideas without the constraint of governing or league bodies. Further, we also see the customer facing area of our business as a far more creative than traditional sports – more along the lines of a music label. Essentially our talent, who are professional gamers and content creators, are at the core and the support crew we build around them to bring this to life are creatives, e.g. content managers, creative directors, digital marketers and brand builders.
Q. For the outside world, Australia, where ORDER is based, is known for its outdoor sports. How is esports catching up in the country? How does its popularity compare with that of traditional sports?
A. Traditional sports are fed by generations of participation and ultimately viewership. Right now the esports industry in Australia is no more than 5 years old, yet despite the lack of history and level of unfamiliarity the fan base has more than doubled in the past 2 years alone. With the majority of esports fans being in the 18 to 34 age bracket and skewing male, there has been a natural migration of fans from traditional sport into esports, which is a sign of how Australia’s deep passion for sport is changing. Esports provides this generation an alternative outlet for entertainment and it’s being supported big time. While the current audience base skews male there is a ground swell of engagement coming from the female audience and is being driven by women gamers increasingly turning professional.
Q. ORDER has recently raised a $5.3 million funding? What are the immediate plans to drive the growth?
A. We will solidify our position in Oceania esports while continuing to look at opportunities in other esports titles. The real growth for ORDER though will be in content creation and production and building an audience around our brand. To do that we are looking for content creators across multiple platforms and gaming influencers who will become part of the ORDER crew and benefit from our administrative support and enabled to continue to grow their current activities. Also, in a first for an esports organisation the region, earlier this year ORDER took residency at our new facility in Collingwood Melbourne, which will feature the Alienware esports high performance room, Logitech streaming room, production studio and administrative offices.
Q. Could you talk about the new diversification initiatives that are in pipeline?
A. Outside of what I have mentioned above, ORDER will continue to evolve our gaming production capabilities, with a bespoke offering across events and licensed content. We are also looking towards collaborations with creatives and artists across music, fashion, and art. We see gaming as aligning strongly with the future of pop culture and these pursuits have paved the way for gaming to move from a subculture to pop culture in its own right.
Q. It appears that the lock down forced by the Covid 19 pandemic has turned out to be a turning point for esports in general. How did it affect the growth of ORDER?
A. For ORDER, and most esports organisations, the events of the last year or so have put greater emphasis on the need for online event capability, content production and building a mass audience. While much of this growth is still in it’s infancy, the realignment of strategy in the early stage of 2020 provided us a long enough runway to start executing and importantly secure significant funding to accelerate our growth ambitions.

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Kaizen Foundation and UEFA Foundation for Children send strong message on inclusion through continued partnership
The Kaizen Foundation participates in UEFA Foundation for Children’s 10th Anniversary celebration, supporting amputee football and raising awareness about inclusion through sport. The partnership will expand into the summer through the “Legacy for the Future” project.
Kaizen Foundation, the Social Purpose Foundation funded exclusively by Kaizen Gaming, is announcing its participation in the 10th Anniversary celebrations of the UEFA Foundation for Children. During the celebrations, the Kaizen Foundation will be sponsoring a showcase match of two amputee teams with players from Greece, England and Poland at the Colovray Stadium in Nyon on April 28th at 15:30-16:45 CEST. This will be followed by a dedicated cup ceremony.
The focus of the celebrations – held in collaboration with the UEFA Foundation’s partners Football Is More and the European Amputee Football Federation – is inclusion in sports. The amputee football match offers a unique opportunity to witness the incredible spirit and talent of amputee athletes as they compete for the trophy. Highlighting the importance of inclusion in football, the game is guaranteed to captivate the audience and showcase football’s unifying power.
In addition, the Kaizen Foundation will be supporting a Conference on Inclusion to discuss football’s role in social responsibility and inclusion. Happening at the Chateau de Bossey, scheduled to take place earlier on the same day at 11.00 – 12.30 CEST, the conference will feature high-profile guests, including Prof. Dr. Jürgen Buschmann from the German Sports University of Cologne.
Kaizen Foundation and UEFA Foundation for Children expand their partnership into the “Legacy for the Future” project
Excitingly, the Kaizen Foundation is also announcing the expansion of its successful partnership with the UEFA Foundation for Children by supporting the “Legacy for the Future” project, aiming to leave a lasting legacy which fosters the empowerment of girls and women in countries from the UEFA participating national associations.
Within the framework of this partnership, Kaizen Foundation shall support initiatives undertaken by Τhe UEFA Foundation for Children across Portugal, Belgium, Germany and Denmark. The initiatives aim to empower girls and women to dismantle barriers in football and beyond, namely in education, legal rights and access to sport. Said initiatives will be associated with the respective women’s national teams, in order to enhance visibility and promote collective social responsibility.
This builds on the Kaizen Foundation’s inaugural partnership with the UEFA Foundation for Children to support the “10,000 Smiles” project, which provided 10,000 UEFA EURO 2024™ match tickets to associations working with vulnerable children. As part of the expansion of this partnership, Kaizen Foundation shall donate €300,000 to further aid the UEFA Foundation for Children’s aims and ambitions.
“It’s a great honour to be part of the UEFA Foundation for Children’s 10th Anniversary celebrations,” said Panos Konstantopoulos, President of the Kaizen Foundation. “By championing inclusion through the amputee match, we hope to inspire clubs and communities across Europe and the globe to take meaningful steps toward breaking down barriers. The UEFA Foundation for Children does extraordinary work, and we are thrilled to expand our partnership into the Legacy for the Future project, supporting local charities with the mission to dismantle barriers for girls in and out of sports. Our joint initiatives are a powerful reminder that nothing should stand in the way of what people can achieve, regardless of who they are or where they come from.”
“Football has an extraordinary power to bring everybody together. Partnering with organisations like the Kaizen Foundation is key to building a movement that drives real impact and leaves a lasting legacy,” said Carine N’koué, General Secretary of UEFA Foundation for Children. “Not only are we celebrating our 10th Anniversary together, but by deepening our collaboration with the Legacy for the Future project, we can continue to build on our mission to use the power of football to unite and bring joy to millions of disadvantaged children around the world.”
The post Kaizen Foundation and UEFA Foundation for Children send strong message on inclusion through continued partnership appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Fanatics Sportsbook Is the Fastest Growing Sportsbook in America – and Is Expanding Its FanCash and Fair Play Initiatives
Awarded $750k in FanCash last Week and Extended Fair Play Protection to First Half for NBA Playoffs |
Since its inception, Fanatics Sportsbook has been able to set itself apart from the competition with customer-first initiatives like FanCash Drops and Fair Play. Fanatics Sportsbook has expanded those efforts with the launch of the brand-new FanCash Drop game and an exclusive extension of the Fair Play policy from the first quarter to the first half for all games throughout the NBA Playoffs. Fanatics Sportsbook, now the fastest growing sportsbook in America*, recently debuted FanCash Drop, a new game giving customers the chance to win up to $10k in FanCash.** Last week, Fanatics Sportsbook awarded more than $750k in FanCash as part of the new FanCash Drop game. With 75% of sportsbook customers using FanCash and up to 10% of FanCash being redeemed each month on Fanatics.com and the Fanatics app, FanCash has become a major reason for customers to choose Fanatics Sportsbook. FanCash Drop will be available to sportsbook customers every Friday, and prizing will vary each week. Fanatics Sportsbook customers have enjoyed more than $6 million in winning payouts thanks to Fair Play since the start of the football season. Every year during the NBA playoffs, the game’s brightest stars rise to meet the moment, so it’s only fitting that Fanatics Sportsbook does the same, with an exclusive Fair Play protection extension from the first quarter to the first half for the entire NBA Playoffs. Fair Play will kick in whether it’s a straight, parlay or Same Game Parlay (SGP). In addition, Fanatics Sportsbook will introduce the Fair Play Hub in the app, where customers can track live player news and Fair Play payouts. Customers can download the Fanatics Sportsbook app on iOS and Android and for up to date news and information on Fair Play follow the Fanatics Sportsbook social channels on X @FanaticsBook and on Instagram @FanaticsSportsbook.
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Vixio’s Chief Analyst James Kilsby Honored As Silver Stevie® Award Winner In 2025 American Business Awards®
Vixio, a leading provider of regulatory intelligence solutions, is proud to announce that James Kilsby, Chief Analyst, has been named the winner of a Silver Stevie® Award in the Thought Leader of the Year – Business category in the 23rd Annual American Business Awards®. The American Business Awards are the United States’ premier business awards program.
Kilsby was honored for his impactful leadership in providing intelligence on regulatory and compliance trends affecting the global gambling industry, particularly in emerging markets like Brazil. In an industry where compliance monitoring is cumbersome, his analysis, forecasts, and deep expertise help take the complexity out of compliance. His work in 2024 included in-depth analysis of the new regulated Brazilian gambling market and the launch of Vixio’s Technical Compliance Tool.
Roseanne Spagnuolo, Chief Research & Data Officer, Vixio, said: “James’ contributions to the gambling industry and to Vixio are significant. Some of the world’s biggest brands trust Vixio to monitor regulatory developments affecting their licences and identify new market and product opportunities. James’ expertise, especially in emerging markets in the Americas such as Brazil, is a significant contributor to those efforts.”
“I’m deeply honored to receive this recognition from the American Business Awards,” said James Kilsby, Chief Analyst, Vixio. “This award is a reflection of the trust our clients place in us and the incredible team at Vixio that brings clarity to such a complex and fast-moving global industry. As jurisdictions like Brazil evolve, our mission remains the same: to empower organizations with the intelligence they need to navigate compliance challenges confidently and responsibly.”
Stevie® judges praised Kilsby’s clear and actionable insights in an often opaque industry. One judge said: “James Kilsby has demonstrated exceptional thought leadership in the gambling compliance sector. His deep expertise in gambling regulations, particularly in emerging markets like Brazil, has positioned him as a key industry voice. His contributions include high-impact research, frequent media appearances, and direct influence on product innovation, notably with Vixio’s Technical Compliance Tool.”
Another judge added: “The gambling industry is often an opaque field where it is hard to understand what is and what is not allowed. James’s ability to provide clarity in this area and use that to support compliance and responsible gambling are commendable.”
More than 3,600 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories.
“Organizations across the United States continue to demonstrate resilience and innovation,” said Stevie Awards president Maggie Miller. “The 2025 Stevie winners have helped drive that success through their innovation, persistence, and hard work. We congratulate all of the winners in the 2025 ABAs and look forward to celebrating their achievements during our June 10 gala event in New York.”
Nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word meaning “crowned,” the awards will be presented to winners at a gala ceremony at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York on Tuesday, June 10.
Details about The American Business Awards and the list of 2025 Stevie winners are available at StevieAwards.com/ABA.
To learn more about simplifying compliance management with Vixio’s award-winning regulatory intelligence solutions, visit vixio.com.
The post Vixio’s Chief Analyst James Kilsby Honored As Silver Stevie® Award Winner In 2025 American Business Awards® appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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