eSports
European Gaming talks to Joseph Noone Senior Sales Manager at PandaScore
Congratulations on your appointment as Senior Sales Manager at PandaScore. How have you settled in?
Thank you. I’ve settled in really well, helped of course by the entire PandaScore team being incredibly welcoming and supportive. This has allowed me to hit the ground running and to enjoy getting to know the team and the business. I’ve spent my initial days understanding the intricacies of our products and the specific needs of our customers. This has been crucial in helping me align my goals with the company’s vision. I’ve also taken time to get a feel for the dynamics of the business and my immediate team to ensure that I integrate myself smoothly into day-to-day operations. It’s been a busy few weeks, but great fun at the same time.
Where will you be focusing your attention and efforts initially?
Now that I’ve got my feet under the table, my focus will be on strengthening the relationship we have with our current sportsbook operator partners and also identifying new business opportunities. I plan to expand our market share by showcasing the unique value that we bring to the esports betting space through our Odds feed as well as cutting-edge products such as our BetBuilder and PlayerProps. I’ll also be working closely with teams across the business to ensure our solutions and services align with the needs of our customers and they not only meet expectations but exceed them.
Can you talk through your previous experience and how you will use it to help drive growth at PandaScore?
My background is in sales and business development, especially driving growth through strategic partnerships. This will be instrumental in my role at PandaScore where I’ll leverage my experience in identifying new market trends and customer needs to develop and deploy targeted sales strategies that will help us expand our presence across international markets and ultimately drive growth. That I have experience in both the video games and gambling industries is an added bonus, too.
You mention you have experience in both video gaming and gambling – what are the main similarities between these industries?
Both industries are about engagement and entertainment. In video games, the focus is on creating immersive experiences that captivate players while with betting, it’s all about providing thrilling and potentially rewarding experiences. Of course, esports betting sees these two worlds collide. They are a good fit, too. Both rely heavily on innovation and a compelling UX. They also have a shared community aspect and the need to build a loyal user base to ensure long-term success. The overlap between the two provides plenty of opportunities, especially when it comes to esports which bridges the gap between competitive gaming and betting.
Some operators have been slow to embrace the esports betting opportunity. Why is this and what are you doing to ensure more sportsbooks tap into the rising demand for esports betting?
There are a few reasons for this. Some operators are hesitant due to a lack of understanding of the esports audience and how to engage them – esports fans are quite different to traditional sports bettors in their preferences and expectations. There’s also the challenge of navigating the fast-paced and ever-evolving world of esports. This is why we have focused on educating our partners about what makes esports different and then providing them with the tools they need to engage players and deliver the esports betting experiences they are seeking. To do this, we take a data-driven approach alongside offering a suite of innovative solutions that simplify the process for operators to get in on the esports betting action.
What makes for a compelling esports betting experience? Does it differ from standard sports betting and if so, how?
It comes down to offering fast-paced, engaging and tailored betting opportunities across many esports disciplines. The user experience and bet types offered need to reflect the dynamic nature of esports, including things like player props, bet builders and micro-betting. Esports fans also expect enhanced on-site content to add more value to their overall experience with the esportsbook, which is why our pre-match and live stats widgets is proving really popular with operators and their players.
What opportunities are operators missing if they don’t get in on the esports action?
Those who fail to tap into the esports market are missing out on the chance to engage a rapidly growing and highly motivated audience. Esports allows operators to reach a younger demographic not currently interested in traditional sports betting. In addition, the global reach of esports allows operators to expand into new markets through a growing vertical that shows no signs of slowing down. By not embracing esports, operators are failing to diversify their offering and missing the chance to engage the players of tomorrow, today.
Any final thoughts?
Esports is not just a trend. It represents a significant shift in the entertainment and betting landscape and those who recognise this and embrace it will be the ones who see substantial growth in the years ahead. At PandaScore, we are committed to being at the forefront of this revolution and we are excited to partner with forward-thinking operators who are ready to seize the opportunity at hand.
Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA), founded in 1984, is the national federation for Board games, Card games, Esports, and Wargames.
MSSA promotes all the different disciplines equally, although each school may pick-and-choose which discipline it wishes to promote at its school. Some schools will promote the whole gambit, while others will concentrate on only one discipline, and/or even just concentrate on one specific title.
The choice is ultimately up to the school.
MSSA has sent teams with full Protea Colours to international events since 1991 for wargames, 1996 for Morabaraba, 1997 for Checkers, and 2005 for Esports. Many members of the national teams have been scholars, and all have benefited from their involvement in the national Protea Team.
There is still the option open for a school to start a full-blown sub-club on its premises, but bearing in mind the tight regulatory conditions under which accredited schools have to operate in the Republic, the MSSA no longer deems it necessary for a school to start a sub-club.
As long as the school club has the approval of the school, and has an Educator-in-Charge, a school may affiliate by merely completing the Application for Affiliation Form and submitting such to MSSA.
Advantages of having a MSSA affiliated club: There are many advantages of having a MSSA affiliated club, such as:
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Being part of a community where your club has a real say in how things are done
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Being able to apply for National Lottery Funding – MSSA member clubs can apply for up to R800,000.00 in funding
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Being able to get assistance from your local government
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Experience increased media exposure of your events and your gamers
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Become part of the international community through the MSSA Registered players are able to become internationally recognised umpires, etc.
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Enable your gamers to take part in MSSA events, which may qualify them for Regional, Provincial, and National colours, overseas trips, and even sports bursaries at university.
- Private clubs: one vote per every five registered players, and
- School clubs: one vote per every ten registered players.
MSSA’s General Regulations
The General Regulations comprises of decisions made by both Council and Executive Committee Meetings. The General Regulations deals with how sub-committees operate as well as to how teams are selected and development funding is distributed. Please refer to Schedule 10.12 in regard to the rights of clubs in hosting events.
MSSA’s Discipline Specific Regulations
The Discipline Specific Regulations deal with rules concerning the different disciplines. The Disciplines that the MSSA caters for are; Board Gaming, Card gaming, Esports, and Figure Gaming.
When a club applies for membership, the applicant club must complete such form and return the same to the MSSA.Fee note for 2025
The fee note details the Affiliation Fees and Registration fees that are payable.
Player Registration Form
The Player Registration Form needs to be completed by every player that is a member of a club and intends to participate in MSSA affairs.
MSSA’s Letter of Undertaking
The Letter of Undertaking is for all registered players who sit on any MSSA committee.
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.
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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