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Semper Fortis Esports enters Axie Infinity and Hearthstone with Dual Capacity Player
Semper Fortis will become one of the first professional esports companies to enter the play-to-earn market via its very own division of the SMPR team
Semper Fortis Esports PLC, the esports company focused on establishing esports teams, forming brand and technology partnerships, and providing business to business advisory services, is pleased to announce its entry into the blockchain based, Non-fungible Token (NFT) video game, Axie Infinity and collectible card game, Hearthstone.
The company’s esports team, SMPR has made an official signing of Aleksei Bakumenko (‘Iner’) to compete in both Axie Infinity and Hearthstone for the upcoming season. The player has signed a three-month contract with an option to renew for an additional six months thereafter. They will receive an annual salary and performance-based incentives.
The new hire is the first competitive esports players competing in the play-to-earn division of Semper Fortis Esports, where players will be incentivised to compete on behalf of the company for cryptocurrency-based returns in the form of NFTs.
Axie Infinity is a trading and battling game that allows players to collect, breed, raise, battle and trade creatures known as “axies” (characters based on axolotl), which are digitized as NFTs. The game uses a “play-to-earn” model (also called “pay-to-play-to-earn” model) where participants can earn a token which is traded on Binance as an Ethereum-based cryptocurrency. Players can also exchange in-game assets as NFTs. Axie Infinity allows users to cash-out these tokens for monetary gains every 14 days.
In October 2021, Vietnamese studio Sky Mavis the developer of Axie infinity raised $150 million Series B at a $3 billion Valuation with highly renowned investors involved including Andreessen Horowitz and Mark Cuban. As of October 2021, the game nears 2 million Daily Active Users and has generated close to $2.3 billion in total sales volume since it was launched in 2018.
With this appointment, the company will be one of the first professional esports companies to enter the play-to-earn market via its very own division of the SMPR team. The company will look to expand on this division through development and recruitment to earn NFT based rewards through games as a revenue model going forward. Axie tokens are currently trading at circa $120, a staggering 1,200x their initial offer price from 2020.
In addition to Axie Infinity, the newly recruited Aleksei Bakumenko (‘Iner’) is a current ranked Hearthstone player and will also look to compete in the popular free-to-play online digital collectible card game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. The game is played as an esport, with high-level tournaments such as Blizzard’s official World Championship featuring a prize pool of up to $1 million.
Iner’ is currently ranked in ninth place in the Hearthstone EMEA and comes with a digital footprint of almost 75,000 followers across social media channels comprising of 1,475 followers on Twitter, 68,200 followers on Twitch and 4,770 subscribers on YouTube.
Iner’s addition takes the total number of active players on the SMPR roster across to nine and opens the brand up to two new competitive esports and audience types across a digital presence. The player comes with a distinguished digital footprint and a significant following from his competitive region of Russia, a market which the Company sees as a large opportunity to capture in the esports space.
Kevin Soltani, CEO of Semper Fortis Esports, commented: “Our team is extremely proud to share the additions of Axie Infinity and Hearthstone to our esports games participation and to further strengthen our player roster. Semper Fortis is determined to revolutionise the play to earn space, in merging it with competitive esports play. Our latest signing will pioneer our strategy to build out the SMPR play-to-earn division, opening doors for a new pool of players entering the esports space and diversifying the company’s revenue model. Gaming and blockchain are two of the fastest growing industries and with our team being highly experienced in both, we are geared for an exciting season ahead.”
Nolan Bushnell, a Non-Executive Director of Semper Fortis Esports, commented: “The play-to- earn movement is currently in rapid growth and we are very excited to see its evolving nature in the world of competitive esports.”

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Former Sky Bet strategist Andrew Mook joins Midnite as Head of Brand Marketing
Fast-growing UK sportsbook and casino Midnite has continued to strengthen its leadership team with the appointment of Andrew Mook as Head of Brand Marketing.
Mook joins Midnite having most recently been Head of Marketing Strategy & Planning at Flutter. Prior to that, he was Head of Creative Strategy at Sky Bet.
It is the latest high-profile hire for Midnite, after the appointment in April of Mook’s former Sky Bet colleague Zach Amin as Vice-President of Sportsbook.
Mook has been tasked with raising awareness of Midnite’s next-gen product among UK bettors and establishing a brand strategy and identity as the company aims to build on recent marketing activities including sponsorship of the 2025 World Snooker Championship and launching its first TV advertising campaign.
He said: “Midnite is the most exciting name in UK betting right now. There’s a genuine ambition here to shake things up and do things differently. The opportunity to help shape the brand at this stage of its growth is incredibly rare, and I’m thrilled to be on board.”
Midnite’s sportsbook was launched in 2018 by Nick Wright and Daniel Qu, who previously created daily fantasy sports platform Dribble in partnership with Sky Bet.
The brand is focused on disrupting the UK betting market, prioritising the player experience with a slick website and app and a brand platform designed to speak to a new generation of players.
Wright said: “Andrew brings a wealth of experience from some of the biggest names in the industry, but what really stood out was his passion for building bold, creative brands. As we continue to grow, having someone like Andrew to lead our brand marketing efforts is a huge asset.”
The post Former Sky Bet strategist Andrew Mook joins Midnite as Head of Brand Marketing appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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BETER Names Adam Conway as General Manager of Esports Business Division
Seasoned esports professional joins fast-betting content provider, bringing over 20 years of trading and product experience to elevate its offering
BETER, an award-winning provider of fast-betting content, data, and live streaming for esports and sports, has appointed former SIS senior executive Adam Conway as its new General Manager of Esports Business Division, significantly strengthening the company’s position in the market.
Conway is a highly accomplished manager in the betting industry, with more than 20 years of experience in overseeing and launching successful product portfolios.
Adam joins BETER following a ten-year tenure at SIS, where he held various positions—from Head of Trading to Global Head of Esports and Competitive Gaming. Before SIS, he held roles at several companies, including Head of Trading at betting powerhouse Ladbrokes.
As Esports General Manager at BETER, Adam will be responsible for strengthening the provider’s leadership in the fast-betting domain, as well as developing and expanding the number of in-house events for the company’s flagship ESportsBattle tournaments, which currently feature disciplines such as eFootball, eBasketball, and eHockey.
Conway will spearhead the development of new disciplines—eCricket and eTennis are set to launch soon—and focus on enhancing relationships with existing clients while establishing new partnerships.
Adam will lead a team of over 200 specialists and 500 professional athletes, delivering more than 500,000 esports events annually across four countries. He will also work closely with key industry bodies, including the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) and the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA).
Gal Ehrlich, CEO at BETER, said: “Adam’s background in esports is unmatched, and we are thrilled to have him on board as we continue to enhance our esports offering, especially our flagship ESportsBattle tournaments.
“We’re already the go-to provider for fast-betting content, data, and live streaming in esports and sports. With Adam as our Esports General Manager, we’re confident we’ll strengthen that leadership and further distance ourselves from the competition.
“We’re excited to welcome Adam and look forward to the significant value his expertise will bring to our partners worldwide.”
Adam Conway, Esports General Manager at BETER, added: “It’s an honour to join BETER and contribute my extensive experience in trading and product development to such a pioneering company.
“BETER is the undisputed market leader, and I’m excited to help ensure it remains at the forefront—delivering exceptional products to operator partners and bettors alike.”
The post BETER Names Adam Conway as General Manager of Esports Business Division appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Hit the red line and massive payouts in Vegas Velocity from Rival
Speed down The Strip towards the game’s 10,000x max payout, boosted by Expanding Turbo Wilds and an Overdrive Respin feature
Experience the neon lights and pulsing rhythm of the City of Sin in Vegas Velocity from Rival. This is a slot where players shift into gear and hit the gas as they race towards big wins.
Vegas Velocity sees players strap in for a thrill ride like no other, lighting up the reels with Expanding Turbo Wild symbols and an Overdrive Re-spin feature.
This is one of the studio’s most visually striking games to date, capturing the electrifying glow of the Las Vegas strip, which flashes past as players speed towards the game’s 10,000x max win potential.
The action hits the red line when Expanding Turbo Wild Symbols drop onto the reels. They can land on reels two, three or four and light up the reel (literally), substituting for all symbols to boost wins.
There’s also the Overdrive Re-spin Feature for added adrenaline-fuelled action. When a Wild Car symbol is part of a win, it expands to fill the whole reel.
It then Locks into place for a free Overdrive Respin. Any additional Wild Cars that form a win during the respin award another Overdrive Respin.
This occurs until there are no more Respins in play, and the feature then U-turns back to the base game.
Vegas Velocity is set across five reels and three rows with ten paylines active in the base game. This is a highly volatile slot with a score of 5/5.
Operators can choose from a range of RTPs including 92.62%, 94.64% and 96.00%, which is the game’s default Return to Player setting.
Ryan Maclean, Head of Games at Rival, said: “Vegas Velocity offers players a fast-paced thrill ride where the adrenaline builds with each spin as they speed towards massive wins.
“The game captures the electrifying excitement of The Strip and where neon lights pulse to the beat of the city.
“By keeping the pedal to the metal, players can trigger high-octane bonuses such as Expanding Turbo Wilds and Overdrive Respin, which help them shift up a gear and hit the game’s biggest payouts.
“This is a strong addition to our growing game portfolio, and we look forward to seeing players buckle up, hit the gas, and light up the reels in what is one of our most explosive slots yet.”
The post Hit the red line and massive payouts in Vegas Velocity from Rival appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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