FanDuel Announces Donations to Key Non-Profit Partners To Support Problem Gambling Research and Prevention Services

NEW YORK, March 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — To promote the importance of safer play during Problem Gambling Awareness Month, FanDuel, the premier online gaming company in North America, announced a series of initiatives and donations to further support a culture of Responsible Gaming.

Expanding Support Behind Non-profit Partnerships

FanDuel will donate $100,000 to the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) that will further support the NCPG’s Agility Grants program, in partnership with the NFL Foundation. This program provides funding to nonprofit organizations across the country for problem gambling prevention in areas that currently have no such services. “FanDuel’s commitment to supporting a spectrum of services from problem gambling prevention to responsible gambling education is a reflection of their dedication to building a safe and sustainable gambling ecosystem,” said Keith Whyte, NCPG Executive Director. “We are excited to continue to partner with FanDuel on our Agility Grants program, the first-ever national grants for problem gambling prevention. Together, we are taking an important step forward in mitigating gambling-related harm.” 

Additionally, FanDuel will expand its support of the International Center for Responsible Gaming (ICRG) to fund ground-breaking research designed to understand gambling behavior in the U.S. With this research, ICRG and FanDuel aim to enhance the industry’s tools to identify potential harm, mitigate risk, and improve responsible gambling programs. “FanDuel’s substantial support plays a crucial role in promoting important research,” stated Arthur Paikowsky, President of ICRG. “We commend the company for its unwavering dedication towards advocating responsible gaming and increasing awareness about it.”

Raising Awareness through the RG Ambassador Program

FanDuel also will expand efforts to raise responsible gaming awareness through its RG ambassador program. RG ambassador Craig Carton, host of “The Carton Show” on FS1 and “Carton and Roberts” on WFAN 101.9/660 AM radio in New York, recently kicked off a
“Responsible Gaming College Tour” with stops at college campuses across the northeast to raise awareness and educate young adults around the risks of problem gambling. In March, the tour will continue with a stop at Sacred Heart University. “March is an important month to highlight advocacy for responsible gaming,” said Carton. “Whether it’s connecting with young adults about my story on campus or promoting safer play among sports fans on social media, I look forward to continuing to promote a culture of responsible gaming with FanDuel.”

Seven-division boxing champion and FanDuel RG ambassador Amanda Serrano and Carton also will share video content on their respective social channels reminding sports fans of the importance of playing within limits and encouraging those choosing to wager on sporting events to use FanDuel’s ‘Play Well’ tools including wager, deposit, and time limit technology, to help manage their play. “As a FanDuel Responsible Gaming Ambassador, I’m proud to work with the team at FanDuel to promote education around responsible play,” said Serrano. “During Problem Gambling Awareness Month, it’s even more important to remind those who choose to wager of the tools and resources available to them to help stay in control of the way they play.”

Collaborating with League Partners on a Shared Mission
FanDuel works closely with its professional league and team partners to promote responsible gaming to sports fans and applauds the efforts of those who are working to raise awareness of safer play this March. Building off FanDuel’s partnership with the NBA, at games this spring, FanDuel and team partners are sharing critical responsible gaming messaging and raising calls to action at arenas throughout the country, furthering the reach of efforts to promote RG education and tool usage, enabling fans stay in control of their play. “Prioritizing responsible gambling efforts has been integral to our relationship with FanDuel from day one,” said Scott Kaufman-Ross, Senior Vice President, Head of Gaming & New Business Ventures, NBA. “Responsible gambling is a key pillar of our approach to legal sports betting and we are grateful that FanDuel shares that vision.” 

Throughout the month, FanDuel is proud to support the PGA TOUR’s newly launched campaign for Problem Gambling Awareness Month on FanDuel TV and through FanDuel social media channels. “When the PGA TOUR made the decision five years ago to enter this space, we did it fully understanding that integrity programs and responsible gaming initiatives would lead the way,” said Scott Warfield, VP of Gaming for the PGA TOUR. “Because of that, we’ve developed deep relationships with operators such as FanDuel that also have that mindset and see responsible gaming as a shared priority and collective responsibility.”

Encouraging Customer Usage of Player Protection Resources
As part of FanDuel’s commitment to lead on responsible play, the company promotes awareness and encourages customers to use responsible gaming resources and tools to help manage their online casino, sports betting, horse racing and daily fantasy sports play. The tools are available in our apps and can be viewed on FanDuel’s Play Well site. These ‘Play Well’ tools include the following:

• Deposit Limit – Decide how much you can deposit within a given time period.
• Wager Limit – Decide how much you can wager within a given time period.
• Maximum Wager Size Limit – Decide how much you can wager on a single bet.
• Time Limit – Decide the max daily number of hours you can spend on FanDuel apps.
• Time Out – Decide if you want to take a break from betting.

As part of Flutter’s Play Well strategy, FanDuel and Flutter’s other global divisions are committed to together reaching a global goal by 2030, that 75 percent of active online customers will utilize at least one Play Well tool, with over 50 percent using at least one tool by 2026.

“This March marks the 20^th anniversary of Problem Gambling Awareness Month, and we will once again use this as a moment to demonstrate how FanDuel aims to set the standard for what it means to be a responsible operator,” said Amy Howe, FanDuel Group CEO. “Through collaboration with our valued partners, we can continue to raise Responsible Gaming awareness and encourage our customers to incorporate our Play Well tools into their experience.”

For more information on FanDuel Group and the commitment to responsible play please visit https://www.fanduel.com/playwell.

About FanDuel Group
FanDuel Group is an innovative sports-tech entertainment company that is changing the way consumers engage with their favorite sports, teams, and leagues. The premier gaming destination in the United States, FanDuel Group consists of a portfolio of leading brands across gaming, sports betting, daily fantasy sports, advance-deposit wagering, and TV/media. FanDuel Group has a presence across all 50 states with approximately 17 million customers and nearly 30 retail locations. The company is based in New York with offices in California, New Jersey, Florida, Oregon, Georgia, Portugal, Romania and Scotland. Its network FanDuel TV and FanDuel+ are broadly distributed on linear cable television and through its relationships with leading direct-to-consumer OTT platforms. FanDuel Group is a subsidiary of Flutter Entertainment plc, the world’s largest sports betting and gaming operator with a portfolio of globally recognized brands and a constituent of the FTSE 100 index of the London Stock Exchange.

SOURCE FanDuel Group

INTRODUCING FAZE’S NEW FEMALE VALORANT ROSTER: FAZE REFINNEJ, FAZE EMY, FAZE PANINI,  FAZE MADDIESUUN AND FAZE DI^

THE TEAM WILL COMPETE IN THE 2023 SEASON OF THE  VALORANT CHAMPIONS TOUR GAME CHANGERS SERIES

LOS ANGELES /PRNewswire/ — Today, FaZe Clan Inc. (“FaZe Clan”), the lifestyle and media platform rooted in gaming and youth culture, announced a ground-breaking moment for FaZe and the gaming industry: the signing of FaZe’s first all-female professional esports team. The new team, which will compete under FaZe’s VALORANT banner is comprised of pro players Jennifer “refinnej” Le, Emma “emy” Choe,  Vannesa Emely “panini” Emory, Madison “maddiesuun” Mann, and Diane “di^” Tran.

The team will make its first public appearance under FaZe Clan while competing in the upcoming 2023 season of the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) Game Changers Series. The VCT Game Changers Series was first introduced in 2022. It was created to supplement the standard VCT competitive season by creating new opportunities and exposure for women and other marginalized genders within VALORANT esports. The start of the 2023 season sees the introduction of FaZe Clan and other major gaming organizations to the series.

“It’s been a long time coming but we’re stoked to officially announce bringing on our first all female esports pro team for VALORANT,” said Erik Anderson, Head of Esports at FaZe Clan. “Signing this group of talented women is just the beginning of bringing female gamers to the forefront at FaZe and I can’t wait to watch them play as a team. Check them out during the 2023 VCT Game Changers Series – they’re ready to bring the heat to the competition.”

Before joining FaZe Clan, the women played together on various pro teams throughout the years, making the new FaZe Clan female VALORANT team an exciting reunion. Refinnej, panini, and maddiesuun previously played together for Complexity GX3, while refinnej, mmy, and di^ played competitive Counter Strike Global Offensive (CS:GO) for Count Logic Gaming (CLG) Red. The first time all five women competed together was in 2022 for the Champions Tour Game Changers Series III: North America playing under the name ‘Hamboigas’.

The team announcement brings FaZe Clan’s professional esports roster up to 14 teams currently holding a total of 37 world championships. For more information on the FaZe Clan’s female VALORANT team and VTC Game Changers Series – follow FaZe Clan’s social media channels or check out FaZeClan.com.

FOLLOW FAZE EMY: TWITTER, TWITCH

Emma “FaZe emy” Choe is originally from New Jersey and brings her skills as an esports pro player to the FaZe Clan roster as a VALORANT Initiator. Her previous player experience includes playing CS:GO for Counter Logic Gaming Red back in 2022.

FOLLOW FAZE DI^: TWITTER, TWITCH

Diane “FaZe di^” Tran is originally from Seattle, WA and currently resides in Houston, TX.  Di^ has been in the esports scene for the last few years previously playing CS:GO for Counter Logic Gaming Red up until 2022. She joins FaZe Clan’s female VALORANT team as a Controller / Initiator Agent.

FOLLOW FAZE MADDIESUUN: INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, TWITCH, YOUTUBE

Madison “FaZe maddiesuun” Mann is joining the FaZe Clan female VALORANT roster as the team’s skilled Duelist Agent. Before FaZe, she played for Complexity GX3 and was previously a professional Fortnite player for GenG. During her time with GenG, Maddiesuun was a major advocate for female pro players and aided in the organization’s continued hunt to bring more women on board.

FOLLOW FAZE PANINI: TWITTER, TWITCH

Vannesa Emely “FaZe panini” Emory is originally from the Bay area and splits her time in Los Angeles, CA. Her professional esports career includes playing for Complexity GX3 followed by Shopify Rebellion GC. Panini joins FaZe Clan’s female VALORANT team as a Smoker.

FOLLOW FAZE REFINNEJ: INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, TWITCH

Jennifer “FaZe refinnej” Le is originally from the Bay area and recently planted her roots in Dallas, TX. Before joining FaZe Clan’s VALORANT roster, she played competitively for Complexity GX3 and was previously a CS:GO pro for Counter Logic Gaming Red in 2021. Refinnej will hold down her position on FaZe’s VALORANT team as a Sentinel Agent.

ABOUT GAME CHANGERS:

VCT Game Changers is a new program which will supplement the competitive season by creating new opportunities and exposure for women and other marginalized genders within VALORANT esports. The competitive VALORANT community is both diverse and incredibly global, and our esport should reflect that. Through Game Changers, we hope to build towards a VALORANT Champions Tour that is more inclusive and representative of our community. For more information visit playvalorant.com/en-us/news/esports/vct-game-changers.

ABOUT FAZE HOLDINGS INC.

FaZe Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: FAZE) (“FaZe Clan”), is a digital-native lifestyle and media platform rooted in gaming and internet culture, reimagining traditional entertainment for the next generation. Founded in 2010 by a group of kids on the internet, FaZe Clan was created for and by gamers and today operates across multiple verticals with transformative content, tier-one brand partnerships, a collective of notable talent, and fashion and consumer products. Reaching over 500 million followers across social platforms globally, FaZe Clan delivers a wide variety of entertainment spanning video blogs, lifestyle and branded content, gaming highlights and live streams of highly competitive gaming tournaments. FaZe Clan’s roster of more than 100 influential personalities consists of engaging content creators, esports professionals, world-class gamers and a mix of talent who go beyond the world of gaming, including NFL star Kyler “FaZe K1” Murray, LeBron “FaZe Bronny” James Jr., Lil Yachty aka “FaZe Boat”, Offset aka “FaZe Offset” and Snoop Dogg aka “FaZe Snoop.” Its gaming division includes 13  competitive esports teams who have won 37 world championships. The content of any website referenced or hyperlinked in this communication is neither incorporated into, nor part of, this communication. For more information, visit www.fazeclan.com, investor.fazeclan.com and follow FaZe Clan on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Twitch.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS:

The information in this communication includes “forward-looking statements” pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of present or historical fact included in this communication, regarding the company’s strategy, future operations and financial performance, market opportunity prospects, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “budget,” “could,” “forecast,” “future,” “might,” “outlook,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seem,” “seek,” “strive,” “would,” “should,” “may,” “believe,” “intend,” “expects,” “will,” “projected,” “continue,” “increase,” and/or similar expressions that concern strategy, plans or intentions, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Such statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are based on the management’s belief or interpretation of information currently available.

These forward-looking statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified herein, and on the current expectations of management and are not predictions of actual performance. Because forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions, whether or not identified in this communication, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Many factors could cause actual results and condition (financial or otherwise) to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on by any investor as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of the company. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. While FaZe Clan may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, FaZe Clan specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing FaZe Clan’s assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this communication. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements.

SOURCE FaZe Clan

Scott’s Role as Brand Ambassador Will Continue Connecting the Sports and Esports Worlds

LOS ANGELES /PRNewswire/ — Dignitas, the esports vertical of New Meta Entertainment, Inc. (NME) has announced the re-signing of Super Bowl LVII Runner-Up, Boston Scott, the NFL Running Back for the Philadelphia Eagles, as the official substitute player of the legendary Dignitas Rocket League team. Scott will also continue his role as both a brand ambassador and content creator for the organization.

In 2022, Scott joined Dignitas and became the first two-sport athlete across traditional sports and esports. Scott quickly rose as a popular figure in the esports community, leveraging his passion for gaming and his growing following on social media to engage with fans and promote the Dignitas brand. In February 2023, Scott’s impact on Rocket League was officially recognized by the game’s publisher, Psyonix, through the addition of a custom in-game car designed for and inspired by Scott. This makes Dignitas the only organization with both a player and a team car in Rocket League.

Scott and the Philadelphia Eagles recently squared off against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII. Known by the Philadelphia Eagles fanbase as The Giant Killer, Scott scored five touchdowns and 278 rushing yards in the 2022 season. In the postseason, Scott’s 3 yard run in the NFC Divisional Playoffs against rival New York Giants and 10 yard run in the NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers helped the Eagles’ run to Super Bowl LVII.

“Boston perfectly epitomizes the brand and values of Dignitas, so expanding our relationship makes all the sense in the world, ” said Michael Prindiville, CEO of NME. “His energy and enthusiasm for gaming are contagious, and he has been a fantastic representative for our organization both on and off the field. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Boston through unique fan engagement opportunities that bring together sports and esports fans.”

As the official substitute player of the Dignitas Rocket League roster, Scott is one of the just a small number of athletes in history that have competed across two sports at an elite level. In his new role as brand ambassador, Scott will represent Dignitas in a variety of ways, including content collaboration with our famed Rocket League and Fortnite teams, in addition to in-person appearances at landmark esports events. He will also spearhead the advancement of Dignitas’ initiatives in the sports and gaming communities, including the development of competitions, further establishing both Scott and the organization as a leader in both worlds. In addition to competing in Rocket League, Scott has found success in Fortnite as well, notably winning Twitch Rivals’ Streamer Bowl III at Super Bowl LVI, finishing fourth out of twenty teams comprised of Fortnite and NFL professionals, an event won by Dignitas’ Piero “Pgod” Ramirez.

“I’m very thankful for the opportunity to continue working with Dignitas,” said Scott. “This past year was amazing and I’m excited for the things to come in 2023! I’m incredibly grateful to the Rocket League community for welcoming me with open arms and I’m proud to represent the game’s most successful Rocket League organization”

Rocket League, the popular vehicular soccer esport from Psyonix, continues to grow Dignitas’ die-hard fan base across North America. Since Dignitas’ entry into the Rocket League space in 2018, the organization has been the most successful in the esport’s history, winning the World Championship, and a slew of other major tournaments. Dignitas has solidified itself as the strongest global brand in Rocket League. With key focuses on vehicles, petrol, tires, and automotive accessories, Dignitas is paving the way for new brands to meaningfully activate within the gaming and esports industry through their championship-winning Rocket League team. Scott’s re-signing comes days after competing in Super Bowl LVII, and just a week after the Dignitas Rocket League roster made waves, beating rivals Version1 and Spacestation to make it to the Semi-Finals of the RLCS Winter Open.

ABOUT NEW META ENTERTAINMENT, INC. – DIGNITAS & RAIDIANT

Since its formation in 2003, Dignitas has established itself as one of the most successful esports organizations in the world, amassing 18 World Championships across multiple gaming titles. In September 2016, Dignitas was acquired by the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), a diverse, global portfolio of sports and entertainment franchises and properties that includes the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA), New Jersey Devils (NHL) and more. Dignitas is the esports organization within New Meta Entertainment, Inc. (NME), a new media sports and entertainment company founded in May 2019 by an investor group that includes HBSE, Susquehanna International Group and Delaware North, among others. Dignitas currently fields four teams in three of esports’ largest and most popular games: League of Legends, Fortnite and Rocket League. In 2021, NME launched Raidiant, a first-of-its-kind broadcast solutions platform to empower women in gaming through competitive and influencer driven events. With content studios and player wellness facilities in Greater New York City and Los Angeles, and infrastructure in Europe, NME is a global leader dedicated to esports athletes, digital influencers, and entertainment game-changers.

SOURCE Dignitas.gg