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Team Vitality and adidas reveal League of Legends Open Tour roster

Published

4 years ago

January 12, 2022

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The new semi-pro team ‘Yellow Stripes’ will compete in the League of Legends Open Tour 2022 and benefit from Team Vitality and adidas’ unrivalled performance infrastructure, training alongside the likes of Perkz and Alphari

Team Vitality is pleased to reveal its new semi-pro League of Legends roster for 2022, in partnership with adidas. Yellow Stripes is made up of some of the most promising rising stars in League of Legends who will compete in the 2022 League of Legends Open Tour France. The new team will be powered by the same performance staff and facilities as Team Vitality pro players competing at the highest level to unlock their full potential. As main sponsor of Yellow Stripes for 2022, adidas will provide world class support to the team, including designing a bespoke jersey and a professional athlete, as a mentor to accompany the team throughout the year, give advice from his career and provide all the experience a young team needs to get started.

The Yellow Stripes roster is made up of:

Matias “matias” Manchin Opheltes, France, 21 years old, AD Carry
- Long-time competitor who has been playing League of Legends since season 5, and took part in the competitive season in the Portuguese League in 2021
Alexis “Artoria” Diebold, France, 19 years old, Mid Laner
- Played competitively in the France open tour in 2020 before doing a split at MCES Italy this summer and it is his goal to reach Worlds.
Lorenzo “Linkkey” Giorgiutti, France, 22 years old, Support,
- Played League of Legends competitively since he was 16 and went pro in 2020
Julian “eaRyz” Wehinger, France, 21 years old, Jungler
- Began competing in League of Legends full-time in 2021 following successful performances in Open Tour France in 2019 and 2020
John “Sotsy” Sicre, France, 23 years old, Top Laner
- Began competing in League of Legends in 2019 and has since performed well in both the Nordic UKCL and Open Tour Benelux

The team will be coached by Benjamin “Fara” Stoffel and seasoned League of Legends caster and content creator Martin “Krok” Berthelot will act as team manager. The team will have full access to Team Vitality performance facilities including V.Hive, their cutting-edge public esports complex, V.Performance in the Stade de France, and the Berlin coaching house. Yellow Stripes are the third Team Vitality League of Legends roster, joining the newly revealed LEC super team and LFL squad.

Yellow Stripes will make their stage debut on January 29th when the League of Legends Open Tour France begins, the annual semi-pro year-long competition, allowing rising stars to benefit from the environment of top tier pro LAN competition. The Open Tour France gives the next generation of pro players the opportunity to graduate to division 2, and be in with a slight chance to be recruited to the LFL.

“We are proud to invest resources into the amateur scene. This project is a unique opportunity for these young players to learn and grow into what we hope will be a great sporting career in the future. They have challenges ahead of them, but we have every ambition to get them to the final of the Open Tour.” Said Fabien “Neo” Devide, Co-Founder and Esports Director, Team Vitality. “We’re delighted to have a partner in adidas who is not just interested in having their brand represented on the biggest stages in esports, but are committed to helping develop and support the pros of tomorrow”

“True to our belief that through sport we have the power to change lives, we are very proud to participate to this program. adidas supports all athletes who want to make a difference in the way they play, regardless of their sports. Launching ‘Yellow Stripes’ initiative with Team Vitality is rooted in our brand DNA and in the way we want to challenge sports industry codes.” said Sylvain Bouches, VP Director Brand for adidas France.

Yellow Stripes marks the latest collaboration from Team Vitality and adidas in one of the longest standing partnerships in esports. adidas was the first sports kit supplier to invest in the French esports market with Team Vitality in 2017, and together they have created the first-ever esports sneaker, the VIT.01, which sold out worldwide within a week, and created the first sports jersey especially for an esports team. To capture the progress of Yellow Stripes, the brands will collaborate on an eight-episode documentary series following the teams’ progress in the Open Tour.

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Meridianbet Doubles Down on Belgium: New Casino License Unlocks €455m Market Segment

Published

12 hours ago

December 22, 2025

George Miller

Editor’s Take

Why this matters: This is a classic “Cross-Sell” play. Meridianbet has already spent seven years building a sports betting database in Belgium. By securing this B+ license, they can now monetize those same users with higher-margin casino products (slots, table games) without needing to acquire new traffic from scratch. With the Belgian casino sector growing at 20% year-over-year, this is a significant revenue unlock for the GMGI portfolio.

The Full Story

Meridianbet, the sports betting and gaming operator owned by Golden Matrix Group Inc. (NASDAQ: GMGI), has successfully expanded its regulatory footprint in Europe by securing a B+ online gaming license in Belgium.

The new license (B+ 4016) authorizes the company to launch a comprehensive online casino platform—featuring slots, table games, and automated live games—starting in January 2026. This move significantly broadens the operator’s capabilities in the country, complementing its existing sports betting operations which have been active in the Belgian market for seven years.

Targeting the Largest Market Segment The strategic rationale behind the license is clear: Casino is now the dominant force in Belgian gambling. According to the Belgian Gaming Commission, the online casino vertical generated €455 million in Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) in 2023, representing a 20.2% year-over-year increase.

By entering this vertical, Meridianbet gains access to the largest and fastest-growing segment of a market that generated a total of €944.6 million last year.

Tech-First Entry Meridianbet plans to deploy its proprietary AI Casino Recommender technology for the Belgian launch. This system analyzes player behavior and preferences in real-time to deliver personalized game suggestions, a crucial differentiator in a highly concentrated market where just ten operators account for 94% of all online wagers.

Regulatory Context Belgium is known for having one of Europe’s strictest regulatory frameworks, characterized by rigorous compliance standards and player protection protocols. Securing this license validates Meridianbet’s operational standards and deepens its foothold in a “mature” market that is notoriously difficult for new entrants to penetrate.

The post Meridianbet Doubles Down on Belgium: New Casino License Unlocks €455m Market Segment appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.

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LinkDataMedia Drops ‘Startup’ Look with Major 5th Anniversary Rebrand

Published

16 hours ago

December 22, 2025

George Miller

Editor’s Take

Why this matters: In the iGaming affiliate space, the five-year mark is a critical survival threshold. Many media startups fade away before reaching it. LinkDataMedia’s decision to rebrand now is a classic “graduation” signal. By shedding their startup skin for a more corporate, “blue-chip” aesthetic (the stability-focused blue triangle), they are telling operators and partners that they are no longer just an affiliate project, but a stable infrastructure partner ready for larger commercial deals.

The Full Story

LinkDataMedia, the parent company behind the popular affiliate portal Gamblers Connect, has announced a comprehensive corporate rebrand to coincide with its fifth anniversary.

The overhaul includes a completely refreshed brand identity, a redesigned logo, and a fully revamped website, all of which are now live. The move is described by the company not as a mere cosmetic update, but as a strategic pivot designed to distance the business from its “startup roots” and reflect its current status as an established player in the competitive iGaming media landscape.

Visualizing Maturity The new visual language features a modernized blue triangular logo, a shape chosen to represent “stability and forward momentum.” The digital user experience has also been streamlined, offering partners a cleaner interface that aligns better with the company’s matured operational capabilities.

Management Commentary Gjorgje Ristikj, Founder and CEO of LinkDataMedia, commented on the significance of hitting the half-decade milestone in such a volatile industry:

“Surviving the first five years in business takes more than luck. It takes belief, resilience, and the right people around you. This milestone, and the rebrand, reflect exactly that.”

Implementation The new branding has already been deployed across the main corporate website and is currently being rolled out across LinkDataMedia’s social media channels and internal communication platforms. As the company enters its sixth year, the refreshed identity aims to set the stage for a new phase of expansion and innovation.

The post LinkDataMedia Drops ‘Startup’ Look with Major 5th Anniversary Rebrand appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.

Latest News

Win Systems to Debut New ‘Gold Club Colors’ and WIGOS Upgrades at ICE Barcelona

Published

16 hours ago

December 22, 2025

George Miller

Editor’s Take

Why this matters: As ICE makes its historic move to Barcelona, established tech providers like Win Systems are under pressure to bring their “A-game” to the larger venue. The focus here isn’t just on cabinets; it’s the ecosystem. By highlighting WIGOS (their CMS) alongside WIN PAY, Win Systems is positioning itself as an infrastructure partner, not just a hardware supplier. The debut of the Gold Club Colors roulette specifically targets the growing demand for visually customizable electronic table games (ETGs).

The Full Story

Win Systems, the global provider of technology for the gaming and entertainment industry, has confirmed its product roadmap for ICE Barcelona 2026, the sector’s most significant international event taking place from January 19 to 21.

Exhibiting at Stand 3M30 at the Fira Barcelona Gran Via, the company will leverage the new venue to showcase a broad portfolio designed to cover the entire casino floor—from management systems to the gaming floor itself.

Systems and Fintech At the core of the showcase is WIGOS, the company’s flagship Casino Management System (CMS). WIGOS is widely recognized for connecting thousands of machines across multiple countries, and the Barcelona display will focus on advanced tools that streamline daily operations and optimize player retention.

Complementing the CMS, Win Systems will present WIN PAY, its secure transaction platform. As cashless and seamless payment solutions become standard requirements for operators, WIN PAY offers the necessary efficiency and security controls for modern gaming environments.

Hardware: Roulette and Slots On the hardware side, Win Systems is refreshing its electronic table game offering with the new Gold Club Colors electronic roulette. The Gold Club line has long been a staple in the company’s portfolio, known for its compact footprint and reliability; the “Colors” iteration promises to maximize visual impact on the floor.

Alongside the roulette, the company will display its latest slot hardware, including the Sublime and Rhapsody cabinets. These units are designed to house the company’s extensive game library, which has been adapted to suit diverse market profiles from Europe to Latin America.

Strategic Goals Win Systems aims to use the three-day event to reinforce its 30-year legacy in the industry. The company described its participation as a commitment to “continuous innovation,” inviting operators and regulators to explore how their integrated solutions can improve in-room performance.

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