Canada

World Leading Mobile Game Developer Kabam to Expand North American HQ with Lease in Vancouver Centre II

Published

5 years ago

November 23, 2018

George Miller

World Leading Mobile Game Developer Kabam to Expand North American HQ with Lease in Vancouver Centre II

Photo Source: gwlranews.com

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Kabam set to lease 105,000 square feet in cutting-edge Vancouver office tower

Vancouver-based mobile game developer, Kabam, announced the next phase of its growth with the long-term lease of 105,000 square feet across seven floors at Vancouver Centre II (VCII). The project, which is being developed by GWL Realty Advisors, has a targeted completion date of 2021. VCII will be the first office tower completed in the current cycle of downtown office development.

Kabam is excited to collocate into one unified, agile work environment. The company thinks the amenities are fantastic, and they know their four-legged team members will be excited to have a special place to enjoy as well.

“Kabam is exactly the kind of forward-thinking, industry-leading firm we had in mind when we designed VCII,” says Geoff Heu, Vice President, Development – Western Canada, GWL Realty Advisors. “With VCII’s premier location in the downtown tech hub and its direct connection to two transit lines, it’s not surprising the building is already one-third leased before excavation is even complete. With the current exceptionally low office vacancy rate of 3.9 per cent, we are confident that VCII will be fully leased prior to completion.”

Founded in 2006, Kabam has become a global leader in multi-player mobile games with blockbuster releases such as Marvel Contest of Champions, which has had more than 168 million downloads worldwide since 2014. With over 400 employees across its Vancouver, San Francisco and Austin offices, Kabam sees Vancouver as a key part of its long-term expansion plans.

As VCII’s lead tenant, Kabam will have access to first-class amenities, including the 29th Floor Skyline Rooftop Deck; a state-of-the-art fitness facility and yoga studio; end-of-trip cycling facilities; and dog-friendly facilities. The project is targeting LEED Platinum certification and is registered with the International WELL Building Institute™. VCII’s Wired Certification will ensure it has the digital infrastructure to addresses the advanced technology needs of today and the capacity to upgrade to meet future needs.

Kabam’s quest for a new location was driven by its long-term growth plans. After partnering with Colliers International to determine key criteria, it became evident that Kabam’s property search should be driven by the needs of current and future employees. Following a comprehensive review of available properties, Kabam found that VCII checked more boxes than any other offering and met the most important criteria for supporting Kabam’s team and their long-term growth for years to come.

“We were thrilled to be able to assist Kabam with such an exciting project, and we’re happy to have found a great option like VCII,” says Matt Carlson, Vice President, Colliers International Canada. “It was also very refreshing to see Kabam’s leadership take an employee-first approach, by asking what their real estate can do to improve the overall workplace experience for their team, and how they can attract and retain the best talent in the industry.”

When complete, VCII will sit squarely in the middle of Vancouver’s new commercial office district, which has shifted east in recent years. GWL Realty Advisors is developing VCII on behalf of owners: The Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan, the Great-West Life Real Estate Fund, and London Life Real Estate Fund.

About Kabam:
Kabam is a world leader of massively popular multiplayer games for mobile devices. High quality graphics and next generation technology are the hallmark of Kabam games. The company merges the art of game design and the science of consumer behavior to create immersive games enjoyed by millions of players around the world.

Kabam has partnered with leading entertainment companies with iconic franchises such as Marvel, Disney, Hasbro and Universal. Kabam’s games have generated hundreds of millions of downloads including: Fast & Furious 6: The Game, Fast & Furious: Legacy, Marvel Contest of Champions and Transformers: Forged to Fight. These games have also received multiple awards such as Apple’s Editor’s Choice and Google Play’s Best Game of the Year.

Founded in 2006, Kabam has studios and offices in Vancouver, San Francisco, California, and Austin, Texas. Kabam is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Netmarble Corporation.

About GWL Realty Advisors:
GWL Realty Advisors Inc. is a leading North American real estate investment advisor providing comprehensive asset management, property management, development and specialized real estate advisory services to pension funds and institutional clients. GWL Realty Advisors Inc. manages a diverse portfolio of office, industrial, retail and multi-residential assets as well as an active pipeline of new development projects. In the United States, the Company provides real estate advisory services through its wholly owned subsidiary, EverWest Real Estate Investors, headquartered in Denver, Colorado. To learn more, visit www.gwlra.com.

Source: GWL Realty Advisors

Canada

Glitnor Group expands IBIA’s betting integrity presence in Ontario

Published

2 weeks ago

April 10, 2024

Adrienn Sarkany

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Glitnor Group, operating under the LCKY Group in Ontario, has joined the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA). Glitnor Group’s luckycasino.ca brand sportsbook will feed into IBIA’s world leading betting integrity monitoring platform. The operator joins over 50 companies and 125 leading sports betting brands in IBIA and further cements the association’s position as the leading sports betting integrity monitoring body in Ontario and globally.

David Schwieler LCKY Group CEO, said: “At Glitnor Group, we’re dead serious about keeping our betting games fair and square. That’s why teaming up with IBIA is a big deal for us. We know how crucial it is to protect the spirit of sports, and we’re ready to roll up our sleeves and work closely with the IBIA to make sure sports betting stays exciting, speedy, and above all, fair.”

Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “I am delighted to welcome Glitnor Group as IBIA’s latest member in Ontario. Glitnor and IBIA share a common goal to maintain the integrity of the sports betting marketplace and to protecting consumers and sports from match-fixing. Ensuring product integrity is paramount to our approach and we look forward to integrating Glitnor within our leading global sports betting integrity monitoring system.”

IBIA is a not-for-profit body that has no competing conflicts with the delivery of commercial services to other sectors and is run by operators for operators to protect regulated sports betting markets from match-fixing. IBIA’s global monitoring network is a highly effective anti-corruption tool, detecting and reporting suspicious activity in regulated betting markets.

Through the IBIA global monitoring network it is possible to track transactional activities linked to individual customer accounts. IBIA members have over $300bn per annum in betting turnover (handle), accounting for approximately 50% of the global commercial regulated land-based and online sports betting sector, and in excess of 50% for online alone.

IBIA recently released a report on the Availability of Sports Betting Products which highlighted Ontario as a leading regulated gambling jurisdiction, with an expected onshore channelisation for sports betting of 92% in 2024 forecast to rise to 97% in 2028. IBIA currently represents over 60% of the private sports betting operators licensed in the province. All online sports betting operators licensed in Ontario are required to be part of a betting integrity monitoring body.

IBIA’s 2023 annual integrity report detailed 184 alerts reported in the year, which represents a decrease of 101 (or 35%) on the revised 2022 figure of 285 alerts. IBIA alerts contributed to the investigations and subsequent successful sanctioning of 21 clubs, players and officials in 2023, an increase on the 15 sanctioned in 2022.

Canada

SOFTSWISS Obtains Firstly Issued B2B Tobique Gaming Licence

Published

3 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

George Miller

SOFTSWISS Obtains Firstly Issued B2B Tobique Gaming Licence

Reading Time: 2 minutes

SOFTSWISS, an iGaming software provider celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2024, has obtained the B2B Tobique Gaming Licence, the first ever issued in the jurisdiction. The Tobique Gaming Commission (TGC) and Differentia Licensing Advisory Group Limited (DLAG), a provider and facilitator to gaming companies for international gaming licences, authorised SOFTSWISS to engage in business activities for one year.

Located in western New Brunswick, Canada, the Tobique First Nation is a sovereign indigenous community issuing online gambling licences through the TGC under the Tobique Gaming Act of 2023. The licence, recognised as the B2B Tobique Gaming Licence, offers businesses the prospect of international operations, facilitating the establishment of a global footprint. The licence covers various categories of real money betting, including sports, casino games and lottery. Its significant advantages include the streamlined application process, reasonable price and quick acquisition.

Yuri Sharapa, Head of Country Projects at SOFTSWISS, comments: “Acquiring a new licence is a remarkable achievement for us, signifying our dedication to offering our clients a diverse range of options. We extend our gratitude to the Tobique Gaming Commission for their trust and stringent standards. We are proud to announce that one of the companies under the SOFTSWISS brand has become the first company to secure the B2B Tobique iGaming Licence.”

“The DLAG team is pleased to announce that the first Tobique Licence has been granted. The Licensee is under the tier-1 international brand, SOFTSWISS, in our industry, recognised for its leading products and services. These are exciting times for both the gaming world and Tobique!” adds Graham Martin, Chairman of DLAG.

SOFTSWISS supplies multiple operators under three international licences: MGA, CGA, and Kahnawake. Additionally, SOFTSWISS has several national licences and certifications, among which the recently obtained South African Licence through the acquisition of Turfsport, a leading South African provider of wagering software with 35 years of experience. Additionally, last year, as part of its strategy to enter regulated markets, the SOFTSWISS Casino Platform and the SOFTSWISS Sportsbook obtained GLI-19 and GLI-33 certifications, respectively.

About SOFTSWISS

SOFTSWISS is an international tech company supplying software solutions for managing iGaming projects. The expert team, which counts over 2,000 employees, is based in Malta, Poland and Georgia. SOFTSWISS holds a number of gaming licences and provides one-stop-shop iGaming software solutions. The company has a vast product portfolio, including the Casino Platform, Game Aggregator, the Affilka affiliate tracking platform, Sportsbook Platform, and Jackpot Aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS was the first in the world to introduce a Bitcoin-optimised online casino solution.

Canada

Hacksaw Gaming and Caesars Digital Partner to Launch Online Casino Games in Ontario

Published

4 months ago

December 21, 2023

Alan Campbell

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Launch brings Hacksaw Gaming titles to Caesars Palace Online Casino and Caesars Sportsbook & Casino in Ontario

Hacksaw Gaming today announced its first market launch with Caesars Digital in North America, in the regulated iGaming province of Ontario, Canada. The new partnership marks the exciting launch of new games on Caesars Palace Online Casino and Caesars Sportsbook & Casino in the province.

This new partnership, a first between the two companies, will bring familiar titles to online casino players and will be followed by a dedicated roadmap for additional launches in more jurisdictions in 2024, showcasing the entire Hacksaw Gaming catalog. The first release of games includes Hacksaw Gaming classics Wanted Dead or a Wild, RIP City, Hand of Anubis and Mines.

“Forging partnerships with new faces is always an exciting time but the influence of Caesars Digital is one we pride,” the Chief Executive Officer for Hacksaw Gaming, Marcus Cordes, said. “Launching this partnership in Ontario is the perfect place to begin our journey.”

“Hacksaw Gaming brings an exciting catalog of games to our platforms that should provide a thrilling experience for our players,” the Senior Vice-President and Chief iGaming Officer for Caesars Digital, Matthew Sunderland, said. “We’re excited to see how our players engage with this content in Ontario and in jurisdictions in the future through our new partnership.”