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The very first virtual sports product has been launched in the US by the Virginia Lottery in collaboration with Aristocrat Gaming and Inspired Entertainment. Referred to as VSports, these virtual lottery games include sports such as basketball, football, horse racing, and more, available through the Virginia Lottery's online platform. The Virginia Lottery has made history by becoming the first US regulated lottery to offer virtual sports draw games online, marking a groundbreaking step in the evolution of digital lottery entertainment. This new suite of games, called VSports, was launched through a strategic partnership involving Aristocrat Interactive, Inspired Entertainment, and NeoPollard Interactive. A pioneering move in the US iLottery market VSports represents the first-ever introduction of virtual sports to a regulated digital lottery platform in the United States. The games simulate popular sports such as basketball, football, and horse racing, and are now available to players through the Virginia Lottery's online platform. Unlike traditional sports betting, these games rely on a certified random number generator, delivering outcomes that are both fair and entertaining, but not tied to real-world events. Offering new ways to play, the virtual games operate on a frequent, rapid schedule - running every two to three minutes - and replicate the excitement of live sports for digital lottery players. This innovation is designed to enhance engagement while aligning with regulatory standards in the gaming space. Tech integration and key partnerships The new product was developed by Inspired Entertainment, a global leader in virtual sports content, and was seamlessly integrated into the Virginia Lottery's digital ecosystem through Aristocrat Interactive's Fusion aggregation platform. NeoPollard Interactive also played a key role in delivering the content by leveraging its longstanding operational partnership with the Virginia Lottery. The collaborative approach helped ensure that the integration was both technically robust and aligned with the lottery's strategic goals. The Managing Director of Aristocrat Interactive iLottery, Chris Shaban, highlighted the significance of the launch, stating: "The introduction of these first-of-its-kind draw games for the Virginia Lottery exemplifies how customers can benefit from strategic integrations that drive new innovations." A win for players and public education From the Virginia Lottery's perspective, the introduction of VSports is more than just a novel gaming option - it's a way to expand player offerings while staying true to its mission of supporting public education. "This relationship allows us to provide a wide range of new, distinctive games that we are confident will be exciting and appealing to our players," said the Deputy Executive Director of Marketing at the Virginia Lottery, Scott Kenyon. "At the same time, it supports the Lottery's overall mission of raising revenue for K-12 public education in the Commonwealth." Part of a broader growth strategy The launch of VSports comes amid strong digital performance from Aristocrat Interactive in 2025, particularly in the North Carolina and Virginia markets through its NPI venture. The iLottery and digital content segments were among the few bright spots for Aristocrat in the first half of the year, contributing to a 9% increase in overall group revenue despite headwinds in its international gaming division. The success of the Virginia launch is expected to pave the way for further expansion of virtual sports offerings in other regulated lottery markets. Inspired Entertainment confirmed that more VSports titles are on the horizon, describing the current rollout as the first phase in a broader content roadmap aimed at transforming the digital lottery experience nationwide. As digital gaming continues to gain momentum across the US, the Virginia Lottery"s VSports debut could serve as a blueprint for how traditional lottery organizations can innovate while maintaining regulatory compliance. With more titles expected to launch and additional states watching closely, this pioneering move may be just the beginning of a larger shift in how Americans engage with lottery games online.

After yet another exit in the first round in the playoffs, LeBron James opts in with the Los Angeles Lakers with his player option to play one more year with the Purple & Gold as he seeks to come up with another championship run heading into the 2025-26 NBA season. With this decision, James now becomes the first player to play a 23rd season in the history of the league. James is slated to earn $52.6 million on his final deal with the Los Angeles Lakers and will become a free agent by July 2026 provided that he does not sign any other deals with the Lakers or other teams. On top of that LeBron also returned to on-court workouts this week after taking some time to recover from his sprained knee ligament that he suffered in Game 5 of the First Round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. In that regard, it seems that Los Angeles will be keeping its main star for one more year as they hope to come up with a promising campaign that will have them ready for another competitive run. After all, James is still seeking his first NBA title since winning last 2020, and that would be a legendary finish to his already majestic NBA career. Was There Any Doubt? Ahead of the final games of the 2025 NBA Finals, James has released a few videos detailing his future and hinting at one more season to play in the NBA at the very least. LeBron, at the very least, didn’t have any doubts about staying in the league as he still has a very healthy finish compared to most players. “I have a lot of time to take care of my injury, my knee, the rest of my body and make sure I’m as close to 100% as possible when training camp begins in late September,” James said in that interview. James is known well for his longevity in the league. He has rarely missed a lot of games in a single season, and is rarely hurt and struck by major injuries that we have seen from the likes of Tyrese Haliburton most recently. So far, it seems that LeBron is keen to return to play one more year for now. While talks about his retirement are still largely buzzing, this decision by the four-time MVP is certainly going to trim a lot of those discussions moving forward into the offseason. Big LeBron Run Coming Up As he is set to return, LeBron will now be playing alongside his co-star Luka Doncic for the first time in a full year. Doncic was traded last February to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis. While they did made better strides en route to the playoffs, Los Angeles eventually fell to Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round in five games. Still, the Lakers finished at a satisfactory pace as the third seed in the West. James is also set to turn 41 this December – although it is unlikely to affect his level of play. If you are not impressed, note that James has averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists in the previous campaign – that is way better than many other young players in the league right now. Oh, and he is still slated to add more to his points tally as the NBA’s All-Time scoring leader.