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IEM Katowice 2024: Team Spirit and BASILISK’s Joona “Serral” Sotala BASILISK’s Joona “Serral” Sotala crowned champions

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The Intel® Extreme Masters (IEM) Katowice 2024 Grand Finals have concluded, with BASILISK’s Joona “Serral” Sotala named the new StarCraft® II Champion and Team Spirit being crowned the Counter-Strike 2 Champions. While BASILISK’s Joona “Serral” Sotala returns for a second time, Team Spirit joins the legendary Hall of Heroes for the first time in history.

Team Spirit’s dominance in the Counter-Strike 2 Grand Finals saw an epic display of the young team of prodigies as they took down the veterans and one of the favorites to win the competition, FaZe Clan. Ranked #19 in the ESL World Ranking, Team Spirit beat the #1 ranked FaZe Clan in a decisive 3-0 victory. Making his tier 1 competition debut, teen superstar Danil “donk” Kryshkovets took fans’ breath away in what many are calling the best individual performance in history.

The fastest-selling IEM Katowice tournament in history, the event saw a peak viewership of over 972,000* for Counter-Strike 2 and more than 77,000* for StarCraft® II. The sold-out Spodek Arena and MCK Auditorium welcomed over 65,000 fans across four days of live StarCraft® II competition, and three days of Counter-Strike action, complemented by IEM Expo.

The return of the IEM Expo gave esports and gaming enthusiasts from Poland and beyond the opportunity to test the latest Intel® powered gaming hardware, get involved in partner activations, try out the newest games, marvel at cosplay costumes, and much more.

Counter-Strike 2

Play-In Stage & Group Stage

The tournament commenced on January 31 with the Play-In Stage, during which 16 teams battled it out for eight of the 16 spots available in the Group Stage. Local heroes ENCE proceeded to the second stage of the tournament, amongst others.

The Group Stage ran from February 3 – 6 and saw teams divided into two groups of eight, where the top two teams from the upper bracket and the top team from the lower bracket advanced to the Playoffs. Group A saw Team Spirit dominate the upper bracket, with FaZe Clan coming in second and Team Falcons emerging victorious in the lower bracket.

In Group B, G2 Esports beat out HEROIC in the lower bracket final to claim their spot in the Playoffs. In the upper bracket, MOUZ and ENCE secured the final two spots, meaning that IEM Katowice 2024 marks the first time in eight years that a majority Polish team has reached the Playoffs.

Playoffs

The final stage of the competition kicked off on Friday, February 9, with a quarterfinal clash between IEM Katowice 2023 Champions, G2 Esports, and IEM Katowice 2022 Champions, FaZe Clan. After many close rounds, the determination and teamwork of FaZe Clan proved to be stronger, leading to a 2-0 win and a spot in the semifinals.

The second quarterfinal was also an emotional rollercoaster for the Polish fans as ENCE faced off against Team Falcons. Despite having the full backing of the arena, it was ultimately Team Falcons who claimed the victory with a narrow win on map 3 and a final score of 2-1.

Saturday, February 10, saw the semifinals take place, with the top two teams from the Group Stage up against the quarterfinal winners. FaZe Clan proved themselves against MOUZ as they secured their spot in the Grand Final with a flawless 2-0 score, and Team Spirit dominated Team Falcons 2-0 to secure the other spot.

Grand Final

Following impressive performances in the Playoffs where neither team dropped a map, FaZe Clan and Team Spirit geared up on Sunday and took the stage for the Grand Final.

The first game of the day saw an even 6-6 score at half-time before Team Spirit managed to pull ahead and secure a 13-9 victory over FaZe Clan, in large part thanks to Danil “donk” Kryshkovets’ incredible performance.

The second game was closer, with FaZe Clan narrowly missing out on a win and the game ending in a 13-11 victory for Team Spirit.

The third and final game, however, saw Team Spirit dominate, winning round after round and concluding the match with a 13-3 score. Team Spirit were an unstoppable force, claiming the title of Champion with an impressive 3-0 final score in the best-of-5 Grand Final.

“I’m very happy. ” said Dmitriy “sh1ro” Sokolov of Team Spirit. “We beat FaZe Clan 3-0. For me, it’s a really, really big achievement.”

With their win, Team Spirit will take home $400,000 of the $1,000,000 total prize pool, while also securing their spot in the IEM Cologne 2024 Group Stage and entering the race to secure the Intel Grand Slam V.

One of the best professional Counter-Strike debuts of all time, Danil “donk” Kryshkovets received a lot of praise from his teammates as well as from the wider esports community. Furthermore, for his achievements, the young Rifler has been awarded the ESL Pro Tour DHL MVP.

The ESL Pro Tour (EPT) for Counter-Strike continues with ESL Challenger League Season 47 commencing online on February 13 and IEM Chengdu 2024 taking place on April 8-14, with the final three days being played out live in Chengdu, China.

For more information and the latest updates about ESL’s Counter-Strike esports ecosystem, head to the official ESL Pro Tour website, and follow ESL CS on X, Instagram, and Facebook.

StarCraft® II

Group Stage

The Group Stage ran from February 8 – 10 and saw 24 players split into four groups of six to compete in a Round-Robin format live in front of their fans at the MCK Auditorium.

After two and a half days of fierce battles, HeRoMaRinE (Group A), SHIN (Group B), Serral (Group C), and Dark (Group D) topped their respective groups and secured themselves a direct spot in the quarterfinals.

Surprisingly, reigning World Champion Oliveira and Gamers8 Champion Reynor fell short in the Group Stage and it was Solar, GuMiho (both Group A), Cure, Clem (both Group B), ByuN, SKillous (both Group C), Dark and herO (both Group D) who advanced to the Playoffs, following some close battles that kept the community on the edge of their seat.

Playoffs

With the Group Stage concluded, the second- and third-placed teams of each group continued their fight for victory in the Round of 12, with Clem, Dark, ByuN, and Cure coming out on top.

In the quarterfinals, Serral continued his reign without dropping a single map by beating Clem 3-0, while Dark and Maru beat their countrymen SHIN and Byun 3-1 and 3-2 respectively. In the fourth quarterfinal, Cure proved to be dominant over HeRoMaRinE, who, until then, had not yet lost a map in the competition

The first semifinal was a clash between Zergs as Serral and Dark entered the final part of the competition with Serral taking out Dark 3-1. During the second semifinal it was Maru and Cure’s turn to show who was the strongest Terran, with Maru eventually claiming a 3-0 victory.

The long-longed-for Grand Final between Maru and Serral promised some spectacular action, yet already early on Maru’s dedication and diligence showed to be no match for Serral’s unparalleled level of gameplay, leading to a 4-0 win on Serral’s behalf.

“It feels amazing to play in front of the Polish crowd,” said Joona “Serral” Sotala of BASILISK. “I think I gave this one my everything, and I didn’t really leave anything in myself. This was my full performance, I don’t think I can do much better.”

With his victory, Serral takes home $150,000 of the $500,000 total prize pool, on top of an additional $2,500 awarded to him for map wins in the Group Stage. For their top placementsMaru, Dark, and Cure received a direct invite to the Esports World Cup – the 2023/2024 ESL Pro Tour season’s Championship event – later this year, joining Serral and Clem who secured his spot by winning ESL SC2 Masters 2023 Summer and Winter respectively.

Next up in the ESL Pro Tour for StarCraft® II is the ESL SC2 Masters: Spring season concluding with live Finals at DreamHack Dallas in Dallas, Texas, USA, on May 31-June 2.

George Miller (Gyorgy Molnar) started his career in content marketing and has started working as an Editor/Content Manager for our company in 2016. George has acquired many experiences when it comes to interviews and newsworthy content becoming Head of Content in 2017. He is responsible for the news being shared on multiple websites that are part of the European Gaming Media Network.

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Law enforcement officers from Kazakhstan eliminated the organized financial criminal group organized by Vadim Gordievsky, Larisa Ivchenko, and Alyona Suvorova from Ukraine

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The law enforcement agencies of Kazakhstan have effectively eliminated the organized criminal group created by Vadim Gordievsky from Ukraine and his accomplices, Larisa Ivchenko and Alyona Suvorova. Even though the law enforcement agencies managed to block accounts and payments of the Marginplus Company, key employees and management are still hiding.

According to the media, just a few days ago, the Financial Monitoring Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan revealed a large-scale shady scheme of cross-border transfers that involved numerous payment organizations and providers. The funds were disguised as legal transactions and withdrawn to the accounts of online casinos. The total volume of illegal transactions exceeded more than $1 billion.

According to law enforcement authorities in the Republic of Kazakhstan, the key organizer of the miscoding scheme, which involved bookmakers, online casinos, payment organizations, and bank employees, is Vadim Ivanovich Gordievsky from Ukraine, who was born in 1974. He was the leader of the organized criminal group and used the local Marginplus Company for these purposes (official website: marginplus.kz). In addition to companies from Kazakhstan, Gordievsky also worked with illegal Russian online casinos while helping them to facilitate illegal payments.

According to new information from law enforcement agencies in the Republic of Kazakhstan, banks and bookmakers, including the local PIN-UP bookmaker, have already terminated all cooperation with Gordievsky’s Marginplus company.

According to informburo.kz, the local licensed Pin-Up.Kz bookmaker (legal entity: Bonami LLP) declares that it has nothing to do with transactions carried out by individual payment organizations. Judicial and criminal proceedings have already been initiated against these structures, and the company itself is fully cooperating with law enforcement agencies to establish all the circumstances and identify fraudulent, shady schemes.

According to unofficial information, the Pin-Up management provided the law enforcement agencies of the Republic of Kazakhstan with all the data related to the Marginplus company belonging to Vadim Gordievsky.

As of today, all financial activities of Marginplus have been paralyzed. In addition, large amounts of money have been blocked in its bank accounts. This money should have been paid to partners, contractors, and providers, including the local Parimatch betting company. Ordinary employees of Vadim Gordievsky’s company are already looking for new work while its management, including Larisa Vladimirovna Ivchenko (listed as the head of Gordievsky’s FC Alta Capital from Ukraine), is still hiding. Alyona (Elena) Suvorova has already closed and renamed her social media profiles a few days ago. In addition, she does not respond to messages and is trying to evade responsibility.

We would like to remind the audience that Alyona Suvorova positions herself “as an entrepreneur, investor, and a crypto trader with 5+ years of experience.” According to Suvorova herself, she has been developing payment technologies in the field of FinTech for 10 years. In 2021, she opened her own business for international crypto transfers. In addition, she is the founder of the Lemoncoin Crypto Academy.

According to investigators, Gordievsky’s partner, Mikhail Kovalev (Mykhaylo Kovalov), who is a citizen of both Ukraine and Israel, as well as an owner of a number of companies in the EU, in particular, in Poland, and who has a residence permit in Spain, was closely working with Gordievsky. By using the STABLEX SOLUTION Sp. z o. o fictitious company (official website: solvexs.pl) in Poland, he was engaged in illegal payments and withdrawal of cryptocurrencies into fiat money.

At the same time, as the source notes, the mentioned management and the people involved in the money laundering of Marginplus Company will be added to the wanted list of Interpol in the nearest future. The National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan has also announced that it’s going to closely monitor this case. According to local laws, participants of this shady scheme face up to nine years in prison. Information on Vadim Gordievsky’s companies and connections in other countries is also being checked.

After the initiation of criminal cases for financial crimes, fraud, and the announcement of his wanted list by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Vadim Gordievsky left Ukraine on forged documents. Before diving into the world of financial fraud, he was involved in land and property issues in the Kyiv region. As of today, numerous criminal cases have been initiated.

The post Law enforcement officers from Kazakhstan eliminated the organized financial criminal group organized by Vadim Gordievsky, Larisa Ivchenko, and Alyona Suvorova from Ukraine appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.

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The Top South African No-Deposit for 2025

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As online gambling continues to grow rapidly in South Africa, players are increasingly seeking reliable, transparent and trustworthy information to guide their choices. With new casinos launching and bonus offerings constantly changing, having a solid, expert-backed source is more important than ever. These are the top no-deposit online casinos for South African players in 2025, carefully selected for their reputation, player safety, and quality of offer.

Top No-Deposit Casinos in South Africa for 2025

Here are the no-deposit casinos that stand out this year, and what makes each of them good:

Casino What Makes Them Good
Springbok Casino Well-known brand with a strong track record in customer service and fast payouts. Its no-deposit bonus is attractive, and the game selection is broad, especially in slots and live dealer games.
Yebo Casino Exceptional localised experience — supports ZAR transactions, offers bonuses tailored to South African players, and provides strong mobile compatibility.
ZARbet Regulated and licensed, with solid game variety, clear terms and conditions, and no-deposit offers that are easy to claim.
10bet International pedigree, reliable software providers, frequent promotions, and a reputation for fairness and security.
Punt Casino Unique bonus structure, good welcome no-deposit offer, and a clean, user-friendly website interface.
Hollywoodbets Very popular in SA, known for its excellent sports betting offering and casino routines. No-deposit bonuses are backed by high trust and local support.
Silver Sands Casino Offers generous free spins or no-deposit bonuses, with attractive slot titles and smooth customer support.
Thunderbolt Casino Strong in game diversity and theme variety; no-deposit offers are well-promoted and integrate well with regular bonuses.
Lucky Fish Casino Light, fast-loading site with a good range of games; no-deposit promotions that don’t hide conditions, making them transparent.
Pantherbet Royal feel, premium software titles, reliable payment methods and a no-deposit bonus that works for real players (not just marketing).

 How We Vet These Casinos

At SouthAfricanCasinos.co.za, we use strict criteria to determine which casinos make the list. Our vetting process includes:

  • Licensing & Regulation: We only include casinos that are properly licensed and regulated by recognised authorities.
  • Safety & Security: Encryption, data protection, and fair gaming audits are essential.
  • Fairness of Terms & Conditions: No-deposit offers are checked for reasonable wagering requirements, transparent withdrawal rules, and clear bonus expiry.
  • Payment Methods & Localisation: Support for ZAR, local banks, and trustworthy deposit/withdrawal methods.
  • Game Variety & Software Providers: A rich selection of games, including slots, live dealers, table games—powered by reputable software developers.
  • Customer Support: Responsive, helpful support channels available during hours convenient for SA players.
  • User Reviews & Reputation: We monitor actual player feedback and complaints to ensure the casinos maintain good standing.

How Players Can Choose a Good No-Deposit Casino

When choosing a no-deposit casino, South African players should consider:

  • Reading the fine print on wagering requirements and withdrawal rules
  • Checking for transparency–-hidden fees, bonus expiry, and valid licence info
  • Verifying payment options in ZAR and ease of cashing out
  • Looking at game selection especially games you enjoy; diversity is a sign of quality
  • Testing customer support — good support often indicates how the casino treats its players

Expert Insight

“Our goal is to take the guesswork out of choosing a no-deposit casino in South Africa,” says Damien Valler, senior analyst at SouthAfricanCasinos.co.za. “We spend hours vetting each operator so players don’t have to. If an online casino makes our list, it means it has passed strict checks on fairness, security, and overall player value. South Africans can sign up with confidence knowing we’ve done the homework for them.”

Why SouthAfricanCasinos.co.za Is the Most Trusted Source for SA Players

SouthAfricanCasinos.co.za is fully focused on the South African market. We understand local regulations, banking systems, and what players here want from a casino. Our editorial team is independent and committed to giving accurate, up-to-date information. We frequently re-review listed real money casinos to ensure bonus terms haven’t become unfavourable, licences are current, and player feedback remains good.

For any question about online casino south Africa safety, no-deposit bonuses, or how to pick the right casino in South Africa, SouthAfricanCasinos.co.za is the go-to destination.

Contact:
SouthAfricancasinos.co.za
https://www.southafricancasinos.co.za/

The post The Top South African No-Deposit for 2025 appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.

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Latest News

Law enforcement officers from Kazakhstan eliminated the organized financial criminal group organized by Vadim Gordievsky, Larisa Ivchenko, and Alyona Suvorova from Ukraine

Published

on

The law enforcement agencies of Kazakhstan have effectively eliminated the organized criminal group created by Vadim Gordievsky from Ukraine and his accomplices, Larisa Ivchenko and Alyona Suvorova. Even though the law enforcement agencies managed to block accounts and payments of the Marginplus Company, key employees and management are still hiding.

According to the media, just a few days ago, the Financial Monitoring Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan revealed a large-scale shady scheme of cross-border transfers that involved numerous payment organizations and providers. The funds were disguised as legal transactions and withdrawn to the accounts of online casinos. The total volume of illegal transactions exceeded more than $1 billion.

According to law enforcement authorities in the Republic of Kazakhstan, the key organizer of the miscoding scheme, which involved bookmakers, online casinos, payment organizations, and bank employees, is Vadim Ivanovich Gordievsky from Ukraine, who was born in 1974. He was the leader of the organized criminal group and used the local Marginplus Company for these purposes (official website: marginplus.kz). In addition to companies from Kazakhstan, Gordievsky also worked with illegal Russian online casinos while helping them to facilitate illegal payments.

According to new information from law enforcement agencies in the Republic of Kazakhstan, banks and bookmakers, including the local PIN-UP bookmaker, have already terminated all cooperation with Gordievsky’s Marginplus company.

According to informburo.kz, the local licensed Pin-Up.Kz bookmaker (legal entity: Bonami LLP) declares that it has nothing to do with transactions carried out by individual payment organizations. Judicial and criminal proceedings have already been initiated against these structures, and the company itself is fully cooperating with law enforcement agencies to establish all the circumstances and identify fraudulent, shady schemes.

According to unofficial information, the Pin-Up management provided the law enforcement agencies of the Republic of Kazakhstan with all the data related to the Marginplus company belonging to Vadim Gordievsky.

As of today, all financial activities of Marginplus have been paralyzed. In addition, large amounts of money have been blocked in its bank accounts. This money should have been paid to partners, contractors, and providers, including the local Parimatch betting company. Ordinary employees of Vadim Gordievsky’s company are already looking for new work while its management, including Larisa Vladimirovna Ivchenko (listed as the head of Gordievsky’s FC Alta Capital from Ukraine), is still hiding. Alyona (Elena) Suvorova has already closed and renamed her social media profiles a few days ago. In addition, she does not respond to messages and is trying to evade responsibility.

We would like to remind the audience that Alyona Suvorova positions herself “as an entrepreneur, investor, and a crypto trader with 5+ years of experience.” According to Suvorova herself, she has been developing payment technologies in the field of FinTech for 10 years. In 2021, she opened her own business for international crypto transfers. In addition, she is the founder of the Lemoncoin Crypto Academy.

According to investigators, Gordievsky’s partner, Mikhail Kovalev (Mykhaylo Kovalov), who is a citizen of both Ukraine and Israel, as well as an owner of a number of companies in the EU, in particular, in Poland, and who has a residence permit in Spain, was closely working with Gordievsky. By using the STABLEX SOLUTION Sp. z o. o fictitious company (official website: solvexs.pl) in Poland, he was engaged in illegal payments and withdrawal of cryptocurrencies into fiat money.

At the same time, as the source notes, the mentioned management and the people involved in the money laundering of Marginplus Company will be added to the wanted list of Interpol in the nearest future. The National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan has also announced that it’s going to closely monitor this case. According to local laws, participants of this shady scheme face up to nine years in prison. Information on Vadim Gordievsky’s companies and connections in other countries is also being checked.

After the initiation of criminal cases for financial crimes, fraud, and the announcement of his wanted list by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Vadim Gordievsky left Ukraine on forged documents. Before diving into the world of financial fraud, he was involved in land and property issues in the Kyiv region. As of today, numerous criminal cases have been initiated.

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