Tuesday, December 21, 2021

FAT Brands Inc. (FAT)
Acquisition Closings; New Store Openings

FAT Brands Inc is a multi-brand restaurant franchising company. It develops, markets, and acquires predominantly fast casual restaurant concepts. The company provides turkey burgers, chicken Sandwiches, chicken tenders, burgers, ribs, wrap sandwiches, and others. Its brand portfolio comprises Fatburger, Buffalo’s Cafe and Express, and Ponderosa and Bonanza. The company’s overall footprint covers nearly 32 countries. Fatburger generates maximum revenue for the company.

Joe Gomes, Senior Research Analyst, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Fazoli’s and Native Grill. FAT Brands has completed the acquisitions of Italian QSR Fazoli’s and wing concept Native Grill. We anticipate both concepts to see attractive growth. Fazoli’s had an outstanding year with three quarters of record setting sales in 2021, while Native Grill further complements FAT Brands’ existing wing concepts and provides FAT Brands with a larger footprint on the West Coast.


Arkansas Debut.  Earlier this month, FAT announced the opening of a new co-branded Fatburger and Buffalo’s Express in Greenbrier, Arkansas, under a deal finalized in early 2021. As we have noted in past reports, organic growth is a no cost path for incremental sales and EBITDA growth for FAT Brands …

This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary.  Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision. 

	Image credit: Cottonbro (Pexels)

The Cannabis Path to Legalization and its Implications for Psychedelics

 

Federal law has not yet caught up with public sentiment in either the years-old developing cannabis industry or the newer psychedelics space. States have taken the lead and written their own laws. Many have altered state laws to legalize medical and adult-use cannabis, and some have legalized or decriminalized specific psychedelics or entheogens. However, most entheogens and cannabis continue to be stuck as Schedule I narcotics of the CSA. This means that the U.S. has high barriers when it comes to researching these potentially helpful substances.

The cannabis legalization movement has been in the works for decades, and indications are that federal cannabis prohibition will end soon. Comparatively, the current push to legalize psychedelics is in its early stages. What can the cannabis path to legalization tell us about
psychedelics?

 

Background

It took decades for some states to legalize medical and recreational cannabis.  And there still hasn’t been a bill passed at the federal level. At this point, states are taking legalization into their own hands. This may be a desire to get a jump on potential growth in the cannabis industry or even a decision to lower crime statistics. Either way, cannabis is legal in 18 states and decriminalized in 13. Today, the cannabis industry in the U.S. is over $61 billion.

Relatively, the legalization of cannabis is in its infancy. The great strides that were made to make this possible are surely being studied by manufacturers and future proprietors of other recreational drugs.

Psychedelics have emerged as the front runner for the next drug to be accepted and pushed toward legalization. Oregon set precedence last year by decriminalizing personal amounts of ‘hard’ drugs. More and more, people are beginning to believe in harm reduction and dispel notions of mind-altering substances being inherently evil. Psychedelic legalization and nationwide decriminalization are still in the early stages, but it’s beneficial to examine the path cannabis took. After all, it wasn’t an easy road.

 

Medical Benefits Are Important

Before cannabis was legalized in any state, the “wonders” of what cannabis can do for your health was the main talking point for lobbyists. Cataracts, glaucoma, seizures, anxiety disorders, the list goes on and on. It’s not easy to demonize a plant that makes fighting cancer more manageable for patients.

By detailing the extensive list of medical benefits, the concept of cannabis was transformed for the majority of people. Instead of picturing a lazy couch potato, they envisioned a human being in pain and finding relief. Psychedelics would do well to follow the social conditioning cannabis displayed.

Psychedelics have their own medicinal properties. They can significantly reduce feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress. What’s even more amazing is the research that displays that this reduction can last for an extended period of time – years, in some cases. Veterans suffering from PTSD and anyone battling mental health issues can benefit dramatically from these substances. The research into the medical use of Psychedelics is still at its beginning, but the number of companies being formed for Psychedelics leads experts to believe better funding is coming.

 

The Timeline is The Key

Legalized cannabis supporters didn’t give up just because the road was long with no end in sight. As a result, California took the first giant step forward in 1996 when it became the first state to legalize cannabis for medical use. Though a decent number of states followed their lead, it wasn’t until 2012 that Colorado and Washington’s voters made recreational use legal.

These strides for change were good signs, but it still took years for the better part of the nation to agree on one thing – people should not be locked up for possessing personal amounts of cannabis. There are shows and series revolving around cannabis, from cooking with it to different ways of consumption. Incarcerating citizens for a drug that has an entire television market began to make less sense.

Clearer Path

Psychedelics are gaining popularity and support at a much more rapid speed than we saw in the early days of the cannabis movement. Barely a year after Oregon decriminalized psilocybin, a report from The Hill stated that a survey showed that a third of Americans believe ‘magic mushrooms’ have medicinal benefits. The report indicated that 53% of registered voters ages 18-29 believe in the medical capabilities of psychedelic substances, while a large portion of voters over age 30 disagreed.

Understand The Journey Is Not Linear

The path to cannabis legalization was carved out by advocates who stood resolute in their beliefs. At times, it seemed as though if we did see complete legalization, then it would be decades away. Psychedelics are traveling on the road paved by cannabis advocates, but that doesn’t mean the journey will be the exact same or easy. Advocates for the legalization of psychedelics should study what worked and did not work for the cannabis movement while keeping in mind the differences between the two.

Suggested Reading:

Will Investors Experience a Quicker High in Psychedelics as Cannabis Creates the “Model”?

Clarence Thomas Statement on Half-in, Half-out Marijuana Laws

Psychedelic Medicine – The Next Breakthrough in Mental Health Treatment?

From Trippy Drugs to Therapeutic Aids – How Psychedelics Got Their Groove Back

 

 

Sources:

https://today.law.harvard.edu/the-obstacles-to-decriminalizing-psychedelic-drugs-are-political-not-legal-say-experts/

https://greenlightlawgroup.com/blog/what-can-cannabis-legalization-tell-us-about-psychedelics

https://www.ncsl.org/research/health/state-medical-marijuana-laws.aspx

https://flowhub.com/cannabis-industry-statistics#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20cannabis%20industry%20is,level%20salaries%20increased%20in%202020.

https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/dcjs-nrbjs.pdf

 

Stay up to date. Follow us:

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

FAT Brands Inc. (FAT)
Acquisition Closings; New Store Openings

FAT Brands Inc is a multi-brand restaurant franchising company. It develops, markets, and acquires predominantly fast casual restaurant concepts. The company provides turkey burgers, chicken Sandwiches, chicken tenders, burgers, ribs, wrap sandwiches, and others. Its brand portfolio comprises Fatburger, Buffalo’s Cafe and Express, and Ponderosa and Bonanza. The company’s overall footprint covers nearly 32 countries. Fatburger generates maximum revenue for the company.

Joe Gomes, Senior Research Analyst, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Fazoli’s and Native Grill. FAT Brands has completed the acquisitions of Italian QSR Fazoli’s and wing concept Native Grill. We anticipate both concepts to see attractive growth. Fazoli’s had an outstanding year with three quarters of record setting sales in 2021, while Native Grill further complements FAT Brands’ existing wing concepts and provides FAT Brands with a larger footprint on the West Coast.


Arkansas Debut.  Earlier this month, FAT announced the opening of a new co-branded Fatburger and Buffalo’s Express in Greenbrier, Arkansas, under a deal finalized in early 2021. As we have noted in past reports, organic growth is a no cost path for incremental sales and EBITDA growth for FAT Brands …

This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary.  Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision. 

GameFi? What is Play to Earn

 

GameFi, a hot new trend emerging from the crypto industry, combines decentralized finance (DeFi) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) with blockchain-based online games.

Unlike many traditional online games operating on a “pay-to-win” model, allowing players to purchase upgrades to gain an advantage over other players, GameFi introduces a “play-to-earn” model. This concept involves giving players financial incentives to play and progress through games. In some cases, allowing gamers to earn a full-time income by doing so.

Alien Worlds and similar GameFi projects, along with other play-to-earn games, are disrupting the traditional gaming industry as we know it. These play-to-earn crypto games are fundamentally blockchain-based monetization of the gaming experience. What distinguishes them from traditional games is the players play to earn rewards rather than to win. 

Predictably, the ability to financially reward players for their time and effort is behind the rapid growth in acceptance of these play-to-earn games, usually referred to as GameFi. Who wouldn’t like to earn cryptocurrency while having fun?

What Is GameFi?

A perfect combination between Gaming and Finance. GameFi, a very popular term in the cryptoverse, is a hybrid of “Gaming” and “Finance.” It describes the gamification of the working system creating profit from playing play-to-earn crypto games. 

GameFi projects run on a blockchain’s distributed ledger. All objects in these GameFi games are expressed as NFTs – digital tokens used to prove ownership of limited intangible items. This enables players to have certifiable ownership of virtual items in the game. In contrast to traditional gaming, where users play to win, GameFi projects adopt a play-to-earn model. Consider items such as plots of land, avatars, costumes, weapons, and gold bars. When players find and accumulate items during gameplay, they have the option to trade these in digital marketplaces for different NFTs or sell them in exchange for cryptocurrency.

Depending on which game is played, users can increase their earning potential by dedicating time leveling-up and improving their characters, creating monetized structures on their land which other gamers pay to use or by competing against others in tournaments. To keep track of player ownership, all NFTs and cryptocurrency transaction data is stored on a public blockchain.

Some GameFi projects also include DeFi elements, stalking where players are able to lock away certain tokens to earn annual interest and other rewards. They’re also able to save to purchase other in-game items or unlock new game content.

The term “GameFi” was first used to describe this new trend by Yearn.Finance founder Andre Cronje in a September 2020 tweet. Since then, the term has been widely used to refer to video games embedded with blockchain-powered decentralized financial elements. These projects take advantage of the popularity of video games, combined with unique features of cryptocurrencies, to make GameFi an exciting and growing space.

How
Do GameFi Projects Work?

Different GameFi projects typically have a few commonalities. In-game items such as avatars, land, costumes, weapons, gold, tokens, and pets are represented as NFTs—non-fungible digital tokens that prove ownership of these digital objects. Game players acquire these items through gameplay and can trade them on NFT marketplaces for profit or exchange them for cryptocurrencies — which can in turn be exchanged for fiat money.

What You
Need to Play

To take part in any these play-to-earn games, users will need to do the following:

• Create
  a cryptocurrency wallet: To store their virtual currency, NFTs and make in-game transactions. Which wallet you need will depend on which blockchain the game was built upon. For example, MetaMask – an Ethereum-based crypto wallet service – will work with any GameFi game built on Ethereum.
• Purchase
  starter items: All GameFi games are free to download. However, many require players to first purchase characters, native crypto tokens, decks of cards or upgrades to begin.
• Pre-funded
  crypto wallet: You will need to pre-fund your crypto wallet with a particular cryptocurrency to purchase starter items and proceed. Cryptoblades, for example, requires users to download MetaMask, purchase Binance coin (BNB) and exchange it for the game’s native cryptocurrency, SKILL.

How
Did GameFi Come Into Existence?

The emergence of GameFi comes from a combination of factors that dates back to 2017 and the emergence of the NFT phenomenon CryptoKitties. The digital collectibles economy proved a viral success, with CryptoKitties amassing over 14,914 users a day at its peak. CryptoPunks, a collection of 10,000 pixelated NFT characters also built on Ethereum, enjoyed similar success, surpassing $1 billion in sales and still growing.

Unfortunately, the success of these NFTs showed both the good and bad sides of the state of blockchain technology at the time. Games like CryptoKitties caused heavy congestion on the Ethereum network, leading to extreme spikes in transaction fees and much slower than normal transaction confirmation times. These technical issues highlighted a clear gap in the market for more efficient and scalable platforms that could handle the rising demand from online gamers and virtual asset collectors.

Since then, several new “Ethereum killer” blockchains have emerged, promising faster transaction speeds, greater scalability, and cheaper fees. These include the likes of Solana, Polkadot, and Cardano.

The increase of decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms over 2020 was the next significant component enabling GameFi’s growth, introducing a range of blockchain-native financial platforms that run entirely using smart contracts. This provided the infrastructure for decentralized exchanges where in-game cryptocurrencies could be launched from and traded, as well as additional features like lending and staking.

In September 2020, Yearn.finance founder and DeFi developer Andre Conje tweeted about the gamification of monetary policies in a decentralized environment. He recognized the many benefits DeFi and NFTs could bring to the online gaming industry, and GameFi applications quickly started to form. Axie Infinity was one of the first play-to-earn games to take off in a big way, surpassing $1 billion in revenue on Aug. 9, 2021.

GameFi
Expands its Reach

Early GameFi titles used the Bitcoin blockchain, but the cost of transactions and slow speed lead to the adoption of the smart contract-enabled blockchain network, Ethereum.Crypto.  Game developers, despite its performance issue, due to limited block space frequently use Ethereum.

Naturally, a game that requires exorbitant fees for in-game transactions will have difficulty gaining a significant user base. Faced with this problem, some crypto game developers moved from Ethereum’s base layer to faster networks, such as Polkadot, Solana, Polygon, Wax and BSC.  

GameFi projects have multiple levels to progress through. Players can increase earnings by dedicating time to improving their characters, monetizing their land assets through developing structures other players will pay to visit, or battling other players in tournaments. 

All data is stored on a decentralized public blockchain, keeping track of all players’ ownership. This way players, not the game developers, own all the assets, providing them the ability to monetize those assets. Since players maintain ownership of their assets even if a server is turned off or the gaming company suffers technical downtime.  Making crypto gaming an actual revenue-producing action for players.   

 

Additional
GameFi Advantages  

DeFi concepts like staking, liquidity mining and yield farming are gaining a traction in GameFi projects. These are additional ways players can earn in-game passive income. 
Staking their in-game assets, is a way players can earn annual interest and other rewards, which can be used to unlock new levels or to buy additional in-game items. Also, players can secure loans by collateralizing their game assets. 

Unlike traditional game development, which is centralized, GameFi projects may involve users in decision-making. Some games let players decide future game updates by giving stakeholders voting power, of the GameFi DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization).

A DAO allows token holders to vote on and suggest project updates, making GameFi truly participatory. These proposals usually have a financial impact, such as members of the DAO voting to increase the reward for a particular in-game action.

You must own a project’s governance token to be a member of the GameFi DAO. Typically, your voting power is directly proportional to the number of tokens you hold.

GameFi’s
New Concept “Play-to-Earn”

The play-to-earn model characteristic of GameFi projects is groundbreaking. Traditional online games make money through in-app purchases, affiliate marketing and advertising. As a player, you spend money buying in-game items to help you win or get an edge over other players. Of course, that spending goes directly to the game operators.

Also, if you’re like most players who grew up with online video game staples like Minecraft and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, you’ll be a custom to highly desirable in-game coins that have no value outside the game environment. Apart from the entertainment, you get nothing in return for your time and effort dedicated to playing these online games. With play to earn that has all changed.

This is where play-to-earn crypto games perform a 180 on the gaming industry: allowing gamers to add real-world value to their in-game purchases. In-game items and products are now NFT’s stored on a blockchain running on a crypto network. This blockchain technology allows in-game tokens and items to be traded for cryptocurrencies and, ultimately, actual cash. 

To heighten the gaming experience, online game players buy items like coins, weapons, extra lives, custom characters, outfits, avatars, accessories, etc., directly from the game. Traditional gameplay involves buying assets from stores owned by the game developers, enriching the developers and not the players. This can limit players’ online gaming experience, especially those who don’t have much cash to spend, resulting in a cost to play the games.  On the other hand, with crypto gaming, these purchases are made with cryptocurrencies and often involve trading valuable assets amongst players, providing the opportunity to go from a cost to the player to a revenue generation proposition for the gamer. 

This is a striking difference for the decentralized operations of GameFi projects, where players own globally distributed digital assets that aren’t limited to gaming purposes.

Minimal
or Zero Upfront Cost

Most GameFi games are free to download and play, which makes them more accessible than traditional games. While there are no upfront costs, some games may require you to purchase the in-game tokens, avatars, and other items to get started.

Easy-to-Learn
Games

GameFi projects incorporate simple gameplay mechanisms, an aspect that makes them easy to understand and navigate. This simple approach lowers the barrier to entry, driving considerable increase of potential players of all ages and experience levels can comfortably participate.

Future
Growth

Although GameFi’s origin can be traced to the early development of cryptocurrencies, it’s only recently gaining mainstream adoption. Demonstrated by the growth of the massive success of Axie Infinity. The popular GameFi project became the first to surpass $1 billion in token sales in August 2021 and has seen over a million daily active players. 

The constantly evolving technology behind crypto gaming has advanced to a level where new GameFi projects are attracting massive players & fan bases, as well as institutional funding. Industry experts believe crypto gaming to be the most likely gateway for widespread adoption and use of blockchain technology. As GameFi projects gain popularity with traditional gamers, understanding of crypto can only continue to flourish.

As you might expect, GameFi is increasingly taking up large piece of the growing $175 billion gaming market. Video gamers have long enjoyed and familiarized themselves with the concepts of in-game currencies, limited digital items and tokenization, all without gaining monetary value. Unquestionably, there will be a greater appeal to GameFi projects that comprise all these elements while directly rewarding players financially.

These are exciting times for GameFi. Leading industry players, such as game studios Ubisoft, Roblox Corporation and semiconductor makers, are part of the Blockchain Game

To further the growth of GameFI, an alliance is needed to provide infrastructure for game development, and forums for developers and players to network, collaborate and share knowledge, in addition to creating common standards.

GameFi is rapidly growing, and the collective market capitalization of leading blockchain games has topped $14 billion. But given the massive size of the gaming industry, the total addressable market offers even greater opportunities for growth.

With the runaway success of crypto games like Axie Infinity and CropBytes, the future of GameFi seems bright. With many more GameFi games in the works, newer innovations are expected. Some of the crypto gaming projects currently under development include:

• Star Atlas
• Ember Sword 
• Guild of Guardians
• The Sandbox
• Who: Worlds Apart

 These newer games will provide even more opportunities for gamified profit and a feature-rich gaming experience. 

Gaming platforms like MOBOX are being designed to allow individuals to build their own NFTs and games with interoperability capabilities. The platform also features DeFi functionalities such as staking and liquidity pools, enabling gamers to generate income from their assets. This income can then be used to buy in-game upgrades or generate keys to unlock new NFTs.

Bottomline

GameFi has already gained significant traction, with the collective market capitalization of top games breaking $14 billion. But key opinion leaders in the crypto industry believe there’s a lot more ahead for this new sector, with Tron founder Justin Sun recently stating he believes this new sector will be key to increasing cryptocurrency adoption.

The GameFi concept is clearly an improvement over existing online game. The play-to-earn structure is ultimately the passport to broader crypto adoption as blockchain and NFT games suggest the future of the industry. It’s not surprising, this explosive trend shows no signs of slowing down. At this rate, GameFi and NFTs will become a rallying point for DeFi. With growing public interest and an influx of capital, prospects for this promising industry are limitless.

About the Author:

Peter Spoleti is CEO of  Vertex Markets. Vertex uses AI to make B2B introductions providing a business
networking site free from guesswork as to where the most valuable business
interactions are found.

Contact Vertex Markets here.

 

Suggested Reading:

What Is Yield Farming and Why All the Hype?

Blockchain Smart Contract Applications

Decentralized Apps Using Blockchain to Change the Internet

The Benefits of DeFi

 

Stay up to date. Follow us:

 

Esports Entertainment Group Partnering with Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City for First Sanctioned Esports Skill-Based Wagering Event in New Jersey

Research, News, and Market Data on eSports Entertainment Group

 

HOBOKEN, N.J., Dec. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMBL) (NASDAQ: GMBLW) (or the “Company”) is excited to announce a new partnership with the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City that will be kicked-off by hosting the first sanctioned esports skill-based wagering event in the United States. EEG and Hard Rock Atlantic City have teamed up to create a tournament on January 22 and 23, 2022 that will launch LANDuel and be the springboard for more esports betting events and permanent installations in the future at the casino and hotel venue.

“We are extremely excited to partner with one of the top global hotel and casino venues to kickstart the world of regulated peer to peer wagering in esports,” said Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group. “This partnership and event are a tremendous accomplishment for our brand and creates a wide variety of opportunities for our groups to explore more innovative esports events.”

The launch will include a two-day 256-player in-person tournament, the first skill-based gaming event approved by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement where participants will be permitted to wager on themselves in each round of the event. Players competing in the event will check-in and create a LANDuel account. Once they’re assigned to a PC, they will begin tournament play. Within the tournament, players will be able to place bets on their own matches as they try to make their way to the finals. Interested participants can click here to register for the tournament.

“We are extremely proud to offer a one-of-a-kind e-sports wagering experience in partnership with EEG,” said Joe Lupo, president of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. “We are confident that this innovative and highly regulated partnership will prove to be a success, contributing to our market-leading gaming offerings.”

The event space will also feature a dedicated set of PCs for non-tournament participants to compete in side matches on LANDuel. This allows eligible tournament spectators or casino guests the ability to side-wager in their own matches outside of the tournament. The event will include a showcase stage for the tournament with spectator seating.

Contact:
Media Inquiries
brandon.apter@esportsentertainmentgroup.com 

SOURCE Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City

	Image Credit: vie.gg (flickr)

The Rapid Growth of the Sports Wagering Industry Shows No Sign of Slowing

 

Sports betting in the U.S. before 2018 was only legal in Nevada. In May of that year, The Supreme Court struck down the ban on state authorization of sports betting.  This opened the floodgates of opportunities for businesses large and small to profit from these new and growing entertainment dollars. Since the ban was lifted, 24 states have laws permitting sports gambling, and there are more in the works.

The rampant industry growth in fewer than four years is accelerating from its current rate. The emergence of online betting apps now makes it even easier to be watching at home or at a sports bar and place a wager or in-play wager on traditional events and even esports. The number of potential wagers and revenue from those bets is likely to continue to multiply over the coming months and years.

As a current example, yesterday afternoon (December 9), another state passed a bill that allows sports betting. The Ohio law HB29 is expected to be signed by the governor and go in effect no later than January 1^st. Nasdaq listed Esports Entertainment Group (GMBL) declared support for the inclusion of esports in this legislation, as they expect to help build a strong esports gaming community in Ohio. Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group said, “The news of Ohio’s sports betting bill moving to the governor for his signature is a significant step forward for our Vie.gg wagering platform and our Company.”

To understand the significance to all parties including, companies involved in this market, states who can grow their tax revenue, and investors seeking opportunities, look at the chart below. It’s a tally of the current economics of legal sports betting to the various states that have allowed it.

 

US Sports Betting, June 1, 2018 – December 8, 2021

DEFINITIONS Handle: Amount wagered over the time period. Revenue: Amount of money kept by sportsbooks out of the amount wagered. Hold: How much revenue sportsbooks keep as a function of handle. Taxes/Jurisdiction: Taxes collected by state and local jurisdictions; or state share of proceeds in revenue-sharing markets.

 

 

Data Source: Legal Sports Report

As you can see, there are 23 states that have joined Nevada since 2018. Ohio will bring the full total to 25 of the 50 states. There is work being done in the legislative branches of other states that are also likely to pass next year.

Take-Away

With change there is potential for investors. One industry that is having one door after another open is gaming, specifically sports wagering. The growth potential is further compounded as technology allows viewers to be tuned into more types of games, including esports. Innovative online apps help wagerers to instantly find an entity to accommodate their bet.

As other states are added to the above list and publicly traded media and entertainment companies find fun and innovative ways for users to enjoy this growing past-time, investors can seek to benefit from calculating the odds of selecting companies that will capitalize on this growth.

 

Suggested Content:

Engine Media Holdings C-Suite Interview (Video)

Motorsports Games C-Suite Interview (Video)

Esports Entertainment Group C-Suite Interview (Video)

Understanding Esports’ Many Income Streams

 

Sources:

https://www.vie.gg/

EEG
Press Release

https://www.legalsportsreport.com/sports-betting/revenue/

https://www.actionnetwork.com/news/legal-sports-betting-united-states-projections

https://www.archerlaw.com/landmark-u-s-supreme-court-decision-paves-the-way-for-legalized-sports-betting/

https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/graphics/2021/09/09/online-sports-gambling-good-bet-industry-continue-winning-ways/5686836001/

https://www.legalsportsreport.com/sportsbetting-bill-tracker/

 

Stay up to date. Follow us:

 

Esports Entertainment Group Partnering with Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City for First Sanctioned Esports Skill-Based Wagering Event in New Jersey

Research, News, and Market Data on eSports Entertainment Group

 

HOBOKEN, N.J., Dec. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMBL) (NASDAQ: GMBLW) (or the “Company”) is excited to announce a new partnership with the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City that will be kicked-off by hosting the first sanctioned esports skill-based wagering event in the United States. EEG and Hard Rock Atlantic City have teamed up to create a tournament on January 22 and 23, 2022 that will launch LANDuel and be the springboard for more esports betting events and permanent installations in the future at the casino and hotel venue.

“We are extremely excited to partner with one of the top global hotel and casino venues to kickstart the world of regulated peer to peer wagering in esports,” said Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group. “This partnership and event are a tremendous accomplishment for our brand and creates a wide variety of opportunities for our groups to explore more innovative esports events.”

The launch will include a two-day 256-player in-person tournament, the first skill-based gaming event approved by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement where participants will be permitted to wager on themselves in each round of the event. Players competing in the event will check-in and create a LANDuel account. Once they’re assigned to a PC, they will begin tournament play. Within the tournament, players will be able to place bets on their own matches as they try to make their way to the finals. Interested participants can click here to register for the tournament.

“We are extremely proud to offer a one-of-a-kind e-sports wagering experience in partnership with EEG,” said Joe Lupo, president of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. “We are confident that this innovative and highly regulated partnership will prove to be a success, contributing to our market-leading gaming offerings.”

The event space will also feature a dedicated set of PCs for non-tournament participants to compete in side matches on LANDuel. This allows eligible tournament spectators or casino guests the ability to side-wager in their own matches outside of the tournament. The event will include a showcase stage for the tournament with spectator seating.

Contact:
Media Inquiries
brandon.apter@esportsentertainmentgroup.com 

SOURCE Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City

	Image Credit: webreats (Flickr)

Why Twitter Changed Their Safety Rules and What they Are

 

Last week Twitter announced it expanded its private information policy to include media. This means sharing without consent of images or videos of private individuals allows the company to take action even if it does not constitute “abusive behavior.”  The reduced tolerance takes effect through a broadening of the social media platform’s private information and media policy published as part of “Twitter Safety.”

Functionally, this means pictures and videos can be removed by Twitter if the photographer does not have permission from people visible in the image prior to sharing on the social media website. Individuals who find their image shared online without consent can report the post, Twitter then decides whether it’s a breach of the new policy and to be removed.

 

Source: Twitter Help Center

 

How is this a Change?

According to Twitter, the previous policies and rules covered explicit instances of abusive behavior. The updated policy allows action on media that is shared, even if devoid of abusiveness, provided it’s posted without the consent of the person depicted. Twitter said it’s a part of its ongoing effort to align safety policies with human rights standards. Global enforcement of the change is immediate.

While the move signals a shift towards greater protection of individual privacy, there are questions around implementation and enforcement.

What is a Violation?

When non-permissible private information or media has been shared on Twitter, the site needs a first-person report or a report from an authorized representative in order to make the determination that the image or video has been shared without their permission.  The categories include:

• Threatening to publicly expose someone’s private information
• Sharing information that would enable individuals to hack or gain access to someone’s private information without their consent, i.e., sharing sign-in credentials for online banking services
• Asking for or offering a bounty or financial reward in exchange for posting someone’s private information
• Asking for a bounty or financial reward in exchange for not posting someone’s private information, sometimes referred to as blackmail.

Twitter’s policy change represents a pragmatic solution, giving individuals greater control over how and if their image and or information can be shared. This is not a blanket ban on images of individuals. Twitter has said images or videos that show people participating in public events (such as large protests or sporting events) generally wouldn’t violate the policy.

Decision Making

Twitter says they’ll always try to assess the context in which the content is shared and may choose to allow the images or videos to remain on the service. For instance, their rules state they would take into consideration whether the image is publicly available and/or is being covered by mainstream/traditional media (newspapers, TV channels, online news sites), or if a particular image and the accompanying tweet text adds value to the public discourse, is being shared in public interest, or is relevant to the community.

Take-Away

Twitter is aware that feeling safe on their platform is different for everyone, they try to address the different needs, which they also know is an endless effort. The company says it will continue to invest in making products and policies more robust and transparent to continue to earn the trust of the people using the service.

Suggested Reading:

WallStreetBets Founder May Create Controversial ETP

Bill Ackman Says ESG Investing Contributes to Inflation

Deflation Not Inflation is Risk Says Cathie Wood

Index Funds Still May Fall Apart over Time

 

Sources:

https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/personal-information

https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/twitter-rules

https://theconversation.com/twitter-has-banned-posting-of-images-of-people-without-their-consent-heres-why-thats-a-good-thing-173122

 

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	Image Credit: webreats (Flickr)

Why Twitter Changed Their Safety Rules and What they Are

 

Last week Twitter announced it expanded its private information policy to include media. This means sharing without consent of images or videos of private individuals allows the company to take action even if it does not constitute “abusive behavior.”  The reduced tolerance takes effect through a broadening of the social media platform’s private information and media policy published as part of “Twitter Safety.”

Functionally, this means pictures and videos can be removed by Twitter if the photographer does not have permission from people visible in the image prior to sharing on the social media website. Individuals who find their image shared online without consent can report the post, Twitter then decides whether it’s a breach of the new policy and to be removed.

 

Source: Twitter Help Center

 

How is this a Change?

According to Twitter, the previous policies and rules covered explicit instances of abusive behavior. The updated policy allows action on media that is shared, even if devoid of abusiveness, provided it’s posted without the consent of the person depicted. Twitter said it’s a part of its ongoing effort to align safety policies with human rights standards. Global enforcement of the change is immediate.

While the move signals a shift towards greater protection of individual privacy, there are questions around implementation and enforcement.

What is a Violation?

When non-permissible private information or media has been shared on Twitter, the site needs a first-person report or a report from an authorized representative in order to make the determination that the image or video has been shared without their permission.  The categories include:

• Threatening to publicly expose someone’s private information
• Sharing information that would enable individuals to hack or gain access to someone’s private information without their consent, i.e., sharing sign-in credentials for online banking services
• Asking for or offering a bounty or financial reward in exchange for posting someone’s private information
• Asking for a bounty or financial reward in exchange for not posting someone’s private information, sometimes referred to as blackmail.

Twitter’s policy change represents a pragmatic solution, giving individuals greater control over how and if their image and or information can be shared. This is not a blanket ban on images of individuals. Twitter has said images or videos that show people participating in public events (such as large protests or sporting events) generally wouldn’t violate the policy.

Decision Making

Twitter says they’ll always try to assess the context in which the content is shared and may choose to allow the images or videos to remain on the service. For instance, their rules state they would take into consideration whether the image is publicly available and/or is being covered by mainstream/traditional media (newspapers, TV channels, online news sites), or if a particular image and the accompanying tweet text adds value to the public discourse, is being shared in public interest, or is relevant to the community.

Take-Away

Twitter is aware that feeling safe on their platform is different for everyone, they try to address the different needs, which they also know is an endless effort. The company says it will continue to invest in making products and policies more robust and transparent to continue to earn the trust of the people using the service.

Suggested Reading:

WallStreetBets Founder May Create Controversial ETP

Bill Ackman Says ESG Investing Contributes to Inflation

Deflation Not Inflation is Risk Says Cathie Wood

Index Funds Still May Fall Apart over Time

 

Sources:

https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/personal-information

https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/twitter-rules

https://theconversation.com/twitter-has-banned-posting-of-images-of-people-without-their-consent-heres-why-thats-a-good-thing-173122

 

Stay up to date. Follow us:

 

Esports Entertainment Group’s ggCircuit to Install ALPHA at Four Simplicity eSports Locations; Expected To Generate Approximately $1,500,000 in Multi-Year Revenue

Research, News, and Market Data on eSports Entertainment Group

 

Hoboken, New Jersey–(Newsfile Corp. – December 6, 2021) – Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMBL) (NASDAQ: GMBLW) (or the “Company”) announced today that its ggCircuit brand will install the ALPHA software solution at four Simplicity Esports and Gaming Company (OTCQB: WINR) (or “Simplicity Esports”) locations in a deal the Company expects will generate approximately $1.5 million in revenue over the next five years.

ALPHA (short for Automated LAN Programming, Hardware, & Assistance) is an eSports software and support package for venues that want to focus on their business vision by outsourcing their technology needs to ggCircuit. By partnering with ggCircuit to deploy ALPHA, venues get access to a team with 20 years of eSports management experience to implement turnkey solutions, sourcing, setup and support services that allow venue operators to more efficiently and effectively manage and grow their business.

“We’re extremely excited to bring the extensive capabilities of ALPHA to these four facilities managed by Simplicity Esports’ team,” said Magnus Leppäniemi, President of Esports at Esports Entertainment Group. “We believe ALPHA will greatly enhance their operations and improve the appeal and revenue generating power of their venues. Furthermore, Simplicity will have access to ggCircuit’s cryptocurrency mining application, which recently surpassed the $1.5 million mark in mined currency.”

“Our continued relationship with Esports Entertainment Group and ggCircuit has provided us with the ability to deliver top notch gaming services to our customers across the country inside the largest footprint of esports gaming centers in North America,” said Roman Franklin, CEO of Simplicity Esports. “We began mining cryptocurrency in June, and having the ability to do so at four more locations by replacing older consoles with gaming PCs powered by NVIDIA 3090 graphics processing units, will only increase our mining revenue and the quality of our customers’ gaming experiences.”

Simplicity Esports will earn approximately $225,000 per location in cryptocurrency mining revenue over the next five years, based on current cryptocurrency prices, in addition to game time revenue from each location. Simplicity Esports previously announced it intends to upgrade 450 more of its existing console stations to powerful mining PCs.

About Simplicity Esports and Gaming Company:

Simplicity Esports and Gaming Company (WINR) owns 17 esports gaming centers, and is the franchisor for 16 esports gaming centers that give the public an opportunity to experience gaming and esports in competitive and casual social settings, regardless of skill or experience. Simplicity Esports also owns a Riot Games League of Legends franchise and top Brazilian esports organization, Flamengo Esports. Simplicity and Flamengo branded teams compete in popular games such as League of Legends®, FreeFire®, Wild Rift®, and Heroes of the Storm®. Simplicity Esports is also in the process of designing, minting, and selling non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for the esports and gaming industries. Simplicity Esports also organizes and hosts various in-person events and play from home, online tournaments.

FreeFire®, Heroes of the Storm®, League of Legends®, and Wild Rift® are registered trademarks of their respective owners.

About Esports Entertainment Group

Esports Entertainment Group is a full stack esports and online gambling company fueled by the growth of video-gaming and the ascendance of esports with new generations. Our mission is to help connect the world at large with the future of sports entertainment in unique and enriching ways that bring fans and gamers together. Esports Entertainment Group and its affiliates are well-poised to help fans and players to stay connected and involved with their favorite esports. From traditional sports partnerships with professional NFL/NHL/NBA/FIFA teams, community-focused tournaments in a wide range of esports, and boots-on-the-ground LAN cafes, EEG has influence over the full-spectrum of esports and gaming at all levels. The Company maintains offices in New Jersey, the UK and Malta. For more information visit www.esportsentertainmentgroup.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

The information contained herein includes forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or to our future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond our control and which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects our current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to our operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. We assume no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. The safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 protects companies from liability for their forward-looking statements if they comply with the requirements of the Act.

Contact:

Media Inquiries
brandon.apter@esportsentertainmentgroup.com

Investor Relations Inquiries
Jeff@esportsentertainmentgroup.com

JCIR
Joseph Jaffoni, James Leahy, Norberto Aja
212-835-8500
gmbl@jcir.com