Rivalry Launches Betting on Mobile Esports

Company Among the First to Offer Betting on One of the Fastest-Growing Esports Segments

TORONTO, March 23, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rivalry Corp. (the "Company” or "Rivalry”) (TSXV: RVLY) (OTCQX: RVLCF) (FSE: 9VK), an internationally regulated sports betting and media company, today announced that it has added mobile esports to its sportsbook. Customers can now wager on competitive esports played on mobile devices, considered to be one of the fastest-growing segments of the industry.

Rivalry is among the first sportsbooks globally to introduce a comprehensive mobile esports betting offering. Its titles currently include Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, League of Legends Wild Rift, Call of Duty Mobile, PUBG Mobile and Free Fire, with additional games to be introduced in the future.

"Mobile gaming is soaring in popularity around the world, and we believe mobile esports titles will be among the most played, viewed, and bet on within the coming years,” said Steven Salz, Co-Founder and CEO of Rivalry. "Not everyone has a desktop computer capable of playing top games, or a console at home, but nearly everyone now has a mobile phone. This makes the global ecosystem for mobile gaming incredibly deep and exciting. We think the future is massive for this platform.”

"Rivalry aims to innovate by bringing new products to market in advance of the traditional online betting providers. This approach has helped us establish the highest brand engagement among the Gen Z and younger Millennial demographic,” Salz added.

Developments signaling the continued growth of mobile esports include the following:

• There are more than 2.2 billion active mobile gamers worldwide¹ and some estimates predict that half the world’s population will play mobile games by 2025.²
• The most popular mobile games are achieving remarkable participation levels; Free Fire last year saw a peak of 150 million daily active players.³
• Markets such as India, Southeast Asia and Latin America, where affordability may be a bigger concern, have experienced above average growth.⁴ For example, Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) saw 50 million downloads in its first month of release.⁵
• Gaming developers are devoting increasing resources to mobile titles.⁶

• New mobile esports tournaments are being launched, similar to the pattern seen several years earlier in the broader esports space.⁷
  

Rivalry's mobile esports offering continues its focus on product innovation and consistent execution. In 2021, the Company established a new category called Massively Multiplayer Online Gambling Games (MMOGG) with the launch of its proprietary Rushlane online casino game. Rivalry also developed an engagement program called ‘Quest’ which adds a meta-layer role play game (RPG) that enables customers to earn experience points and the opportunity to earn rewards. Beyond these discrete offerings, Rivalry prides itself on having originally developed its entire user experience top to bottom, crafting a novel entertainment experience for esports and sports fans. The Company looks forward to welcoming mobile esports fans to enjoy the latest offering.

About Rivalry:
Rivalry Corp. wholly owns and operates Rivalry Limited, a leading sport betting and media property offering fully regulated online wagering on esports, traditional sports, and casino for the next generation of bettors. Based in Toronto, Rivalry operates a global team in more than 20 countries and growing. Rivalry Limited has held an Isle of Man license since 2018, considered one of the premier online gambling jurisdictions. Rivalry holds a sports bookmaker license in Australia and is currently in the process of obtaining additional country licenses. The Company also has a variety of originally developed products, including Quest, an on-site engagement experience, and an original casino game called Rushlane, a proprietary casino game that marks the creation of a new category for online gaming: Massively Multiplayer Online Gambling Games (MMOGG).

Investor Contact:
Vincic Advisors
Jeff Codispodi I investors@rivalry.com  

Media Contact:
BRANDSTYLE COMMUNICATIONS
Kell Cholko I kell@brandstyle.com

Company Contact:
Steven Salz, Co-Founder & CEO
ss@rivalry.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws ("forward-looking statements”). All statements other than statements of present or historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate”, "achieve”, "could”, "believe”, "plan”, "intend”, "objective”, "continuous”, "ongoing”, "estimate”, "outlook”, "expect”, "project” and similar words, including negatives thereof, suggesting future outcomes or that certain events or conditions "may” or "will” occur. These statements are only predictions. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements in respect of the growth of mobile esports worldwide and the Company’s plans to add more mobile esports titles to its sportsbook.

Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management of the Company at the date the statements are made based on information then available to the Company. Various factors and assumptions are applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to and involve a number of known and unknown, variables, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, which may cause the Company’s actual performance and results to differ materially from any projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors, among other things, include regulatory or political change such as changes in applicable laws and regulations; the ability to obtain and maintain required licenses; the esports and sports betting industry being a heavily regulated industry; the complex and evolving regulatory environment for the online gaming and online gambling industry; the success of esports and other betting products are not guaranteed; changes in public perception of the esports and online gambling industry; failure to retain or add customers; the Company having a limited operating history; negative cash flow from operations; operational risks; cybersecurity risks; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; reliance on management; reliance on third parties and third-party networks; exchange rate risks; risks related to cryptocurrency transactions; risk of intellectual property infringement or invalid claims; the effect of capital market conditions and other factors on capital availability; competition, including from more established or better financed competitors; and general economic, market and business conditions. For additional risks, please see the Company’s prospectus dated September 17, 2021 and other disclosure documents available on the Company’s SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

No assurance can be given that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information and/or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

Source: Rivalry Corp.

¹ Earthweb, Mobile Gaming Statistics 2022: Industry Size, Revenue & Demographics, March 11, 2022
² Techjury, How Many People Play Mobile Games in 2022 - Everything You Need to Know, March 14, 2022
³ Yahoo Finance, Free Fire Teams Up with Snoop Dogg for 12 Days of Snoopmas, December 17, 2021
⁴ Digiday, In Asia and beyond, mobile gaming is on the rise — and esports organizations are starting to take notice, September 9, 2021
⁵ TechRadar, BGMI has hit 50 million downloads and introduces new rewards, August 17, 2021
⁶ Newzoo, Esports & Games Live Streaming Trends to Watch 2022, January 24, 2022; and Esports Insider, The Willingness to Wager: Breaking down 2022 esports betting trends with Abios, February 27, 2022
⁷ For the Win, The biggest mobile games with an esports scene, October 23, 2021; and Digiday, Why ESL and Qualcomm are teaming up to launch a $2 million mobile esports league, March 8, 2022