Asia
Crazy Sports Set to Secure a Leading Position in Trillion-yuan Sports Market in China
V1 Group Limited has announced that the Group’s business reorganisation has been completed. Its new Board members had undergone a smooth transition in early January.
Since initiating its business restructuring, the Group has been accomplishing one major milestone development after another. At the beginning of 2021, V1 Group’s Crazy Sports unit secured approval from authorities to establish in Hainan a sports tournament platform and reward points system, through which quiz games on major sports events are conducted and winners will receive reward points to be redeemed into goods and services to stimulate tourism consumption in Hainan. Crazy Sports later secured official authorization from Fédération International de Footballeurs Professionels (FIFPro) to launch a soccer E-sports mobile game “Ace Soccer” featuring renowned international star soccer players from 54 countries and leagues, and names and portraits of professional players, attracting reservations from more than 1 million users. With the IP official authorization for China Super League secured earlier, Crazy Sports leveraged edges from the sports tournament platform in Hainan and launched a “Dream Super League” game under the “Fantasy” football game community. These are populating into a collection of excellent sports games in football, basketball, tennis, bowling, motor racing, etc., contributing to nurturing of Crazy Sports’ leadership in feature sports IPs, core fan base and sports channel interconnectivity and global sports game development support system.
By end-January, Crazy Sports reached strategic cooperation with Lakala (Beijing) E-Billing Technology & Service Co., Ltd. (E-Billing). In the next three years, E-Billing will become a cooperation partner of Crazy Sports’ sports lottery sales business, accelerates landing of Crazy Sports’ new lottery retail business on brick-and-mortar retail points of sales, but also provides more convenient and intelligent lottery purchase services for the large lottery user base in China. Boosting Crazy Sport’s reach to more than tens of thousands of retail outlets, installation of sports lottery terminals will gather pace in convenience stores in different provinces and cities to offer lottery players more convenient access to the services.
In early February, Crazy Sports participated in the signing of the “two districts” under Beijing Economic and Technological Development Zone and thereby becomes a key enterprise introduced to the science and culture integration project segment of the “two districts” (namely “Beijing Economic and Technological Development Zone National Service Industry Expansion and Opening Comprehensive Demonstration Zone” and “China (Beijing) Free Trade High-End Industrial Pilot Zone”). It is eligible for special financial support and green channel treatment for game version number registration from the Beijing Economic Development Zone’s technological innovation research, key equipment research and development, and high-end talent introduction. This accomplishment injects momentum into the further development of Crazy Sports’ businesses.
Crazy Sports has developed a sports community and lottery business ecosystem that comprises Crazy Red Insights APP and Crazy Sports APP online and that integrate streaming dataflows and data sources to constitute an online content entertainment platform spanning the three major areas of sports, games, and lottery, serving a base of more than 200 million users. For offline presence, on the foundation of traditional specialty retail outlets, Crazy Sports continues to expand its network of chain convenience stores bundling terminal installation in pursuit of asset-light operation. The goal is to reach more young lottery players and establish a closed-loop of online sports lottery and entertainment services.
The Group will continue to accelerate the establishment of its nationwide network of sports lottery retail outlets; strengthen its leading position in paid content; leverage its core platform edges to develop new online games; invest in technology and data capabilities; implement marketing strategies to increase the brand awareness of Crazy Sports; and cross-selling between online and offline sports community lottery e-commerce ecosystems to improve cash conversion. Combining with big data accumulation of the Group’s sports lottery entertainment community, Crazy Sports is set to secure a leading position in the trillion-yuan sports market in China, with robust profitability for 2021. It is set to become the most bullish stock in the Year of the Bull.
The renaming of the Group as Crazy Sports Group Limited is expected to be approved in a forthcoming shareholder meeting in May, setting a strong note for its businesses and profitability to escalate to the next level in the years of major international sports events in 2021 and 2022.
Asia
NewCasinoRank Unveils Specifics of Thai New Online Casino Market
NewCasinoRank, a leading website specialising in reviewing new online casinos and covering various aspects of iGaming, has provided an in-depth analysis of the emerging online casino scene in Thailand. As Thailand remains one of the most frequented locations accessing NewCasinoRank, the team is dedicated to delivering precise and relevant information that aligns with the country’s strict gambling regulations.
Gambling in Thailand is heavily regulated under the Gambling Act of 1935, which prohibits most forms of gambling except for the government-run lottery and horse racing. Despite these restrictions, the popularity of online casinos continues to grow, driven by increasing internet accessibility. According to Statista, the online gambling market in Thailand is projected to grow by 5.56% (2024-2028), resulting in a market volume of €628.90m in 2028.
Thai players frequently visit NewCasinoRank to find reliable information on accessible new online casinos that comply with local laws. To meet this demand, NewCasinoRank’s team meticulously curates content that adheres to Thailand’s legal framework, ensuring players have access to safe and trustworthy gaming options.
Chloe O’Sullivan, CasinoRank’s Writer, emphasizes the platform’s commitment: “We highly value our Thai audience and strive to provide up-to-date information on our dedicated Thailand page. This comprehensive resource includes special features of new casino sites in Thailand, the most popular casino game developers in the country, an overview of the average bonus values based on market trends and local currency, and much more.”
Samuel Adeoye, CasinoRank’s Researcher, said: “Speaking of new casinos, sometimes it’s hard to get the most accurate information because the subject is new. Still, we manage to do that by collecting data from reputable open sources and collaborating with trusted casinos that partner with NewCasinoRank. This ensures that our content is both accurate and relevant, providing Thai players with the information they need to make informed decisions.”
Asia
Revenant Esports and Team XSpark Join Forces to Form Revenant XSpark, ScoutOP Revealed as Brand Ambassador
Revenant Esports and Team XSpark, two titans of Indian esports, have announced a strategic merger to create Revenant XSpark. This new super organization is set to redefine the esports landscape, combining the resources, expertise, and dedicated fan followings of both organizations.
United under the Revenant XSpark banner, the collaboration aims to compete in multiple popular esports titles, establish original community IPs, deliver engaging fan activations, drive innovative brand partnerships, and expand internationally.
As part of this joint venture, Revenant XSpark has introduced its BGMI lineup, featuring the lineup of Sarang, Spraygod, Shadow, and Joker, with Osmium serving as the team’s coach. These players recently captured back-to-back victories at the BGMI Pro Series and BGMI India Series, making them the only team in the history of the game to win two official BGMI LAN events.
In addition to its BGMI team, Revenant XSpark has been chosen as one of only 10 partnered organizations by The Pokémon Company to compete in the newly launched Pokémon UNITE ACL India League 2025. Fans can look forward to an exciting roster announcement soon.
ScoutOP Joins as Brand Ambassador, Expanding Revenant XSpark’s Reach
Tanmay “ScoutOP” Singh, a legend in the Indian gaming community with over 10 million followers on social media, has officially joined Revenant XSpark as its brand ambassador.
Scout was the mastermind behind the Team XSpark roster, mentoring and nurturing them to their historical back to back victories in BGMI esports. Now, as the ambassador for Revenant XSpark, Scout will bring his vast following, which not only covers India but also extends internationally, to the united brand.
Commenting on the partnership, Tanmay “ScoutOP” Singh, brand ambassador of Revenant XSpark said, “I’ve known Rohit for a while, and I’ve always been a fan of Revenant’s unique approach to content—it’s witty, filled with banter, but still subtle. It’s exactly the kind of vibe I wanted to bring to XSpark. Beyond that, our shared vision for expanding esports with multiple rosters across India and internationally made this partnership a perfect fit. Joining forces to take the Revenant XSpark name global was a no-brainer for me.”
Rohit Jagasia, Founder and CEO of Revenant Esports, commented, “Scout and I have a strong personal connection, and our brands, Revenant and XSpark, naturally share a similar fan base and values. This partnership feels like an organic next step. Scout’s holistic approach to content, spanning gaming and entertainment across multiple platforms, makes him the perfect ambassador for our brand as we aim to establish Revenant XSpark as India’s leading esports organization and expand our footprint globally.”
To celebrate this partnership, Revenant XSpark, including the BGMI team and ScoutOP, will host an exclusive meet-and-greet event in Mumbai in November, giving fans a chance to interact with their favorite players and ScoutOP himself. Stay tuned to Revenant XSpark’s social media handles for more information.
Revenant XSpark will also be working to build esports IPs. Recently, Revenant Esports also partnered with IPL team, Gujarat Titans, to bring BGMI Titans, an open-for-all esports tournament.
Additionally, Revenant Esports has a strong history within the Indian esports scene, having won the VALORANT Challengers 2024: South Asia – Split 2, to be the lone Indian team in the VCT Pacific Ascension. Furthermore, it is the only esports organization to represent India internationally in the Pokemon UNITE World Championship and the Brawl Stars World Finals.
Asia
NODWIN Gaming partners with Japanese gaming company KONAMI for ‘eFootball Diwali Showdown’
The ‘eFootball Diwali Showdown’, a special influencer tournament organised by NODWIN Gaming, a leader in new-age youth entertainment, gaming, and esports, and Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. (KONAMI), the leading video game developer and publisher from Japan culminated with S8UL Aman being crowned as the champion.
Eight of India’s prominent gaming personalities including Dreamboy, Yes Smarty Pie, Ezio18Rip, Sid, Senpai Spider, K18, Binks, and Aman, competed in both group stage and knockout formats.
In addition to the tournament, KONAMI has also announced special in-game rewards to celebrate Diwali with Indian gamers. Players will have the opportunity to log in to eFootball and earn exclusive Diwali-themed rewards.
This includes unique player packs featuring popular Indian football team stars, giving fans the opportunity to play with homegrown talent while celebrating the festival of lights. Alongside these packs, players can unlock special Diwali-themed jerseys, available only during this festive period.
Tournament participants K18, Senpai Spider, and Yes Smarty Pie will also be streaming the game extensively and hosting matches for fans on an integrated YouTube stream from their individual channels.
These Diwali-focused initiatives are a testament to KONAMI’s commitment to catering to India’s fast-growing mobile gaming market. As a free-to-play title, eFootball provides open access to casual as well as high-level competitive gaming, eliminating any financial and accessibility barriers for gamers from all backgrounds.
Recently, eFootball was selected by FIFA as an official title in the FIFAe World Cup, with India among the 18 countries invited to participate. Additionally, eFootball is also set to be featured in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s WAVES Esports Championship 2025 (WESC), further solidifying its relevance and appeal in India’s gaming landscape.
Earlier this year, Konami announced that eFootball has surpassed 700 million total downloads worldwide.
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