Sports

St. Cloud Orthopedics Feature: Johnnies Set Sights on All-America Performances at NCAA Division III Championships

By: Ryan Klinkner, SJU Athletic Media Relations Director & Frank Rajkowski, SJU Writer/Video Producer Story Links Six Saint John’s University track and field student-athletes will compete in six events, including the four-man 4×100-meter relay, at the 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships May 22-24 at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio. […]

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3 weeks ago

May 21, 2025

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By: Ryan Klinkner, SJU Athletic Media Relations Director & Frank Rajkowski, SJU Writer/Video Producer

Six Saint John’s University track and field student-athletes will compete in six events, including the four-man 4×100-meter relay, at the 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships May 22-24 at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio. – Live Results | Live Video

THE SCHEDULE: The Johnnies are scheduled to compete at the following times this week/weekend.

Thursday (all times CT)

-10:30 a.m.: Decathlon (Day 1): 100-meter dash, long jump (~11:15 a.m.), shot put (~12:25 p.m.), high jump (~1:45 p.m.) and 400-meter dash (3:40 p.m.)

*Lelwica

-1:30 p.m.: Long Jump

*Reis

-4:15 p.m.: 4×100-Meter Relay (Prelims)

-5:40 p.m.: 200-Meter Dash (Prelims)

*Arthur

Friday (all times CT)

-9 a.m.: Decathlon (Day 2): 110-meter hurdles, discus (9:45 a.m.), pole vault (~11 a.m.), javelin (1:45 p.m.) and 1,500 meters (~3:30 p.m.)

*Lelwica

-1 p.m.: High Jump

*McDowell

-2:30 p.m.: 100-Meter Dash (Prelims)

*Arthur and Reis

Saturday (all times CT)

-12:05 p.m.: 4×100-Meter Relay (Final)

-1:30 p.m.: 100-Meter Dash (Final)

-2:40 p.m.: 200-Meter Dash (Final)

TO ADVANCE IN THE SPRINTS: The winner from each of the three heats plus the next best six times qualify for Saturday’s finals, 1:30 p.m. CT for the 100 and 2:40 p.m. CT for the 200.

THE QUALIFIERS: The Johnnies competing individually are:

-Senior Kevin Arthur (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park) in the 100- and 200-meter dashes;

-Senior Max Lelwica (Brainerd, Minn.) in the decathlon;

-Senior Jackson McDowell (Centennial, Colo./Arapahoe) in the high jump;

-Freshman Max Reis (West Fargo, N.D./Spectrum) in the long jump and 100-meter dash.

The top 22 marks/times in each individual event, and the top 16 teams in each relay event, advanced to the national meet.

4×100-meter relay

The 4×100-meter relay (Morey, Arthur, Murnan, Reis) ended the season eighth in Division III – fourth in the region – with the program-record time of 40.28 seconds it recorded April 26 at the Drake Relays. The time was the 17th-fastest (10th-fastest program) in NCAA Division III history and shattered the previous school record of 40.65, set in 2022, by .37 of a second.

The event’s prelims, scheduled for 4:15 p.m. CT Thursday, will consist of two heats of eight teams. The top two from each prelim plus the next best five times, after tie breaking, qualify for Saturday’s final at 12:05 p.m. CT. Four Johnnies – sophomore Matt Hansen (Longmont, Colo./Niwot), junior Aidan Morey (Omaha, Neb./Creighton Prep), sophomore Kieran Murnan (Lakeville, Minn./Holy Angels) and senior Emanual Popoca (Minneapolis, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy) – are vying for the relay’s two additional spots.

Arthur

An unprecedented four-time (2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025) MIAC Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year, Arthur swept the 100- and 200-meter dashes for the fourth-consecutive season as SJU finished second – 207-206.5 – at the 2025 MIAC Championships last weekend (May 9-10) at Macalester. He broke SJU’s program record to win the 100-meter dash in 10.19 seconds and returned to the track to take the 200-meter sprint with a season-best time of 20.81 seconds. The Johnnies’ previous 100-meter record was 10.22 set by Ryan Miller in 2019.

He also served as the second leg on SJU’s champion 4×100-meter relay (Hansen, Arthur, Morey, Reis), which claimed its fifth title in the last seven seasons with a meet-record time of 40.29 seconds.

Arthur was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division III Men’s National Athlete of the Week May 12 for his performance at the conference meet and ended the regular season second (10.19) in NCAA Division III in the 100-meter dash (second in the region) and third (20.81) in the 200 (second in the region).

This week’s trip to the national meet is the fifth-straight for Arthur, who earned All-America honors with a fifth-place finish in the 100-meter dash last season. He has qualified in the 100-meter dash all five seasons and his appearance in the 200-meter dash will be his fourth-straight. His appearance on the 4×100-meter relay team will be his third, qualifying in 2022 (14th) and earning his first All-America distinction as a member of SJU’s fourth-place relay team in 2021. He is now a 12-time All-Region honoree (one indoors and 11 outdoors).

Lelwica

Lelwica qualified for nationals in the decathlon with 6,905 points – the fourth-best point total in Division III – that he registered to win the MIAC title three weeks ago (May 1-2). He is the fifth Johnnie and seventh overall to win the MIAC decathlon. His 6,905 points were the second-highest total in both the region and program history, just 27 points from the record of 6,932 that Maguire Petersen ’22 registered for fifth place and All-America honors at the 2022 NCAA Division III Championships.

He is the sixth Johnnie to qualify for nationals in the decathlon and will be the ninth appearance overall: Dan Besemann ’96 in 1994 and 1995 (seventh), Steve Kimble ’99 in 1998 and 1999 (sixth), Phil Barry ’00 in 2000, Brayden Wagner ’09 in 2009 (sixth) and Maguire Petersen ’22 in 2022 (fifth). Lelwica finished 19th out of 22 participants at last year’s NCAA Championships with 6,225 points.

McDowell

McDowell won his second-consecutive MIAC outdoor title in the high jump on May 10 with a season-best height of 2.07 meters. The mark ranked eighth in Division III and second in the region.

He is the third Johnnie to qualify for the NCAA Championships in the outdoor high jump and the fifth overall, joining Mike Cihlar ’95 in 1992 and Petersen in 2021 (t-eighth) and 2022. McDowell earned his first All-America honor with an eighth place finish at last year’s event (2.08 meters) and was the national runner-up at this season’s NCAA Indoor Championships with a program-record height of 2.14 meters.

Reis

Reis won the long jump with a program-record mark of 7.33 meters (24 feet, 3/4 inches), the 14th-best mark in NCAA Division III and the fifth-best in the region this spring. He is the first Johnnie since Erik Diley ’08 to qualify in the long jump outdoors, both in 2007 and 2008. Reis broke Diley’s program record of 7.30 meters to win the title.

Reis also qualified with Arthur for the 100-meter dash, where he tied for 21st nationally with a time of 10.46 seconds. He qualified for the 60-meter dash at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March and finished 17th with a time of 6.84 seconds, 0.002 of a second from 16th place and second-team All-America honors.

ALL-REGION: Arthur (in both sprints), Lelwica, McDowell, Reis (long jump), the 4×100-meter relay (Matt Hansen, Arthur, Kieran Murnan, Reis) and junior Mitchell Degen (Brainerd, Minn.) were named 2025 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-North Region in their respective events. Degen’s javelin throw of 60.15 meters recorded on March 28 at the CSB/SJU Optimistic Invitational was good for second in the region and 29th nationally.

FEATURE STORY: When the 2025 NCAA Division III outdoor track and field championships get underway this week in Geneva, Ohio, Saint John’s University senior Kevin Arthur will be making his seventh appearance (indoor and outdoor) at a national meet.

Teammate Max Reis will be making just his second – the first coming at the Division III indoor championships earlier this year.

So Reis has been eager to soak in any tips or advice Arthur can provide.

“It’s nice to have someone whose been through this before and can push you,” said Reis, a three-time Minnesota state high school champion who had been away from track and field since competing at Indian Hills (Iowa) Community College in the spring of 2023.

“Before I went to indoor nationals, he and I worked on block starts together and that helped a lot. The biggest thing he told me before that meet was that the timing of your warm-up is different. They get you into a loading zone before you run, which doesn’t happen at a normal meet. So you have to adjust your warm-up accordingly. Knowing that in advance made a big difference.”

This year’s outdoor national meet begins Thursday and runs through Saturday at the SPIRE Academy track and field complex. Reis has qualified to compete in the long jump, where he is seeded 14th, and the 100-meter dash, where he is seeded 21st.

Both Reis and Arthur are part of the Johnnies’ 4×100 relay team, which enters the competition seeded eighth overall. Arthur, meanwhile, enters the meet ranked second in the 100 and third in the 200 – making him a contender for a national title in both those events.

“Any given meet, anything can happen,” he said. “The forecast (in Geneva) this week is supposed to be chillier than usual, which means no one is going to have a perfect day. It’s going to come down to who shows up when it matters. We’re used to running in 45-to-50-degree weather, so maybe that gives us a bit of an advantage.”

Arthur has previously cited Reis as a big reason why he chose to return to use a final season of outdoor eligibility this spring.

“I knew what an impressive athlete he was, and I played a role in recruiting him to come here,” Arthur said.

“I knew having him here meant we’d have the chance to do some pretty special things in the 4×100 relay. That made it a pretty easy sell.”

Reis, too, said the chance to run with Arthur helped convince him to transfer to SJU.

“Being part of the 4×100 with him was one of the main reasons I wanted to run here,” he said. “I knew we could be pretty good.”

Beyond the 4×100, Arthur and Reis are hoping to lead SJU to a high finish in the team scores. In that, they will be aided by senior Max Lelwica, who qualified fourth overall in the decathlon, and classmate Jackson McDowell, who is seeded eighth in the high jump.

The top eight finishers in each event earn All-American honors. The program record for All-American performances at a single national meet is five in 2007 and ’08 – an achievement the seedings suggest could be equaled or surpassed this week.

“That’s the goal,” SJU head coach Jeremy Karger-Gatzow said. “We have a lot of guys seeded pretty high. We just need to go out there and perform to the best of our abilities. Then we’ll see what happens.”

Both Lelwica and McDowell are making their third trip to nationals (indoor or outdoor).

“The level of intensity is a lot higher when you get to this point,” Lelwica said. “You’re competing against so many great athletes. It takes a bit to get used to the atmosphere. But having been through it a couple of times, I feel a lot more comfortable now.”

McDowell, who played baseball his first two seasons at SJU and did not come out for track until last year, would have track eligibility remaining if he chooses to use it. But, no matter what, this will be his last time competing alongside Lelwica – one of his several roommates on the track and field team.

“It’s kind of a surreal feeling and it hasn’t hit me yet,” said McDowell, who like Lelwica took part in commencement exercises last Saturday. “I don’t think it will until after the competition. I’ve been trying to push back all those kinds of thoughts for now. I want to go there and take it all in. But I also don’t want to be too down when it’s over.”

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Newington’s Parlapiano, Gorman each named All-State in boys volleyball | Sports

NEWINGTON — This past week, a pair of Newington boys volleyball players were named All-State in Class M by the CHSCA (Connecticut High School Coaches Association.) In their final seasons of their high school careers, outside hitter Nate Paralapiano and setter Tristan Gorman earned the respect of their peers by each earning being All-State for […]

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2 minutes ago

June 14, 2025

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NEWINGTON — This past week, a pair of Newington boys volleyball players were named All-State in Class M by the CHSCA (Connecticut High School Coaches Association.)

In their final seasons of their high school careers, outside hitter Nate Paralapiano and setter Tristan Gorman earned the respect of their peers by each earning being All-State for the 2025 season.

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DePaul University Blue Demons – Official Athletics Website

EUGENE, Oreg. – DePaul track and field’s Darius Brown added another milestone to his collegiate resume Friday night with a sixth-place finish in the men’s 110m hurdles final at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Clocking in at 13.50 under the lights at Hayward Field, Brown earned First Team All-America honors for the […]

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22 minutes ago

June 14, 2025

Your Sports Nation

EUGENE, Oreg. – DePaul track and field’s Darius Brown added another milestone to his collegiate resume Friday night with a sixth-place finish in the men’s 110m hurdles final at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Clocking in at 13.50 under the lights at Hayward Field, Brown earned First Team All-America honors for the second time in his career and became the first DePaul track and field athlete to collect four total All-America awards, with two First Team and two Second Team selections.

With the result, Brown joins Dave Dopek and Carey Ryan as one of only three athletes in program history to earn multiple First Team All-America honors.

The Louisville, Ky. native reached the final with a 13.40 in Wednesday’s semifinals, placing third in his heat to claim one of the last qualifying spots. He previously earned his trip to Eugene with a 13.37 at the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds in College Station, Texas, breaking his own school record and finishing seventh overall.

Friday marked Brown’s fourth NCAA Championship appearance. His previous national finishes include First Team All-America honors for a seventh-place showing in the 60m hurdles at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships, along with Second Team recognition at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor and 2025 NCAA Indoor meets.

NCAA Outdoor Championships
Hayward Field – Eugene, Oregon
Friday, June 13

Men’s 110m Hurdles Final: 6. Darius Brown – 13.50

UP NEXT
DePaul looks to extend its postseason at the 2025 USATF Championships, set for July 31 to August 3 in Eugene.

FOLLOW THE BLUE DEMONS

For all of the latest on DePaul Cross Country, Track & Field, stay tuned to DePaulBlueDemons.com and follow the team on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

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State championship games in volleyball produce exhilarating action

NEWTOWN, CT. (WFSB) – Volleyball state championships took place Friday evening. The Class M title match was between Joel Barlow and New Canaan. The first set featured six lead changes with both the Falcons and the Rams turning saves into kills, swinging the momentum back and forth. But senior Erik Schmid was a man on […]

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23 minutes ago

June 14, 2025

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NEWTOWN, CT. (WFSB) – Volleyball state championships took place Friday evening.

The Class M title match was between Joel Barlow and New Canaan.

The first set featured six lead changes with both the Falcons and the Rams turning saves into kills, swinging the momentum back and forth.

But senior Erik Schmid was a man on a mission, leading to Joel Barlow winning the first set.

In the second set, Mark Meschi set the tone and Joel Barlow took control early.

However, despite leading by as many as eight points halfway through the set, New Canaan rallied back to make things interesting.

Joel Barlow ultimately came out on the right side of a marathon point to win by two, taking a 2-0 lead.

With their backs up against the wall, New Canaan threw the first punch in the third set. Nolan Mclaughlin was a major contributor and helped the Rams bring the deficit to one.

Just like the previous three, the fourth set went down to the wire, but Joel Barlow would get the job done and secure a state championship.

In Class L, Conard came into their matchup against Maloney undefeated and looking to complete a perfect season. They would win the first set in convincing fashion.

But Maloney didn’t back down. The Spartans went into attack mode in the second set.

Wes Colebrook was in his bag, jumping out of the gym for crucial kills. Maloney would win the second set 25-19, tying the match.

They would carry the momentum into the third, where Colebrook was dialed in on his serves. Maloney would claim their second straight set and go up 2-1.

They didn’t stop there, and the Spartans would dash Conard’s hopes of a perfect season in five sets. It is their first state championship since 2005, when coach Kevin Sevajs was on the team.

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Team Saint Lucia Dominates in Beach Volleyball

Clio Phillip and Ericka Gaspard won gold. Photo credit: MYDS Team Saint Lucia’s athletes showcased their strength at the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association’s Under-21 Beach Championships, securing both gold and silver medals. In the female category, the formidable duo of Clio Phillip and Ericka Gaspard emerged as undefeated champions, dominating the tournament and winning all […]

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30 minutes ago

June 14, 2025

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Clio Phillip and Ericka Gaspard won gold. Photo credit: MYDS

Team Saint Lucia’s athletes showcased their strength at the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association’s Under-21 Beach Championships, securing both gold and silver medals.

In the female category, the formidable duo of Clio Phillip and Ericka Gaspard emerged as undefeated champions, dominating the tournament and winning all five matches without losing a set. Their gold medal victory was clinched with a decisive 2-0 (21-11, 23-21) victory over Antigua & Barbuda’s Jassania Joseph and Jaya Carr in the final.

Despite a tense moment in the second set on the sands of St Kitts and Nevis, Phillip and Gaspard displayed remarkable composure and skill. After trailing 19-20, they fought back to win 23-21, capping off an impeccable tournament run.

“We feel great, we are excited, we are happy,” Phillip said. “This is what we came to do: win the gold!”

Rio Victor and Peter Emmanuel took the silver medals (Photo credit: MYDS)

Gaspard added, “We had to work hard in the last set. Our confidence drove us to push through those final points.”

In the bronze medal match, Dominica’s Alyssa Bully and Joyan Pascal triumphed with a thrilling three-set victory over Anguilla’s Deandra Fleming and Lavesha Richardson.

After taking the first set 21-14, Bully and Pascal narrowly lost the second 22-20 but bounced back in the final set, winning 15-7 to secure third place.

On the men’s side, Saint Lucia’s Rio Victor and Peter Emmanuel claimed silver after falling 2-0 (21-17, 21-15) to the defending champions Mervin Mingo and Bill Frederick of Dominica. Grenada’s Zerick and Hamilton rounded out the podium with a hard-fought 2-1 (21-17, 12-21, 15-11) victory over St Kitts & Nevis’ Sundar and Pencheon for bronze.

The top three teams from the tournament will represent the ECVA at the NORCECA World Championships Qualifier Tournament.

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IM/Breaststroke Specialist Jake Nowoswiat Commits To Bucknell For 2025

Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey. Jake Nowoswiat from Newtown Square, […]

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36 minutes ago

June 14, 2025

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Jake Nowoswiat from Newtown Square, Pennsylvania has announced his commitment to continue his academic and athletic careers at Bucknell beginning in fall 2025.

“I am excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at Bucknell University! I’d like to thank God,family,friends and coaches for the support. #rayBucknell”

Nowoswiat swims for Suburban Seahawks Club and just finished his senior year at Malvern Preparatory School in the suburbs of Philadelphia. He was a dual sport athlete in high school as he also played water polo.

In April 2024, Nowoswiat swam to numerous lifetime best times at Y-Nationals. He finished 13th in the 400 IM in a 4:02.11 and 21st in the 200 breast in a 2:04.74.

Most recently, Nowoswiat swam at the 2025 Middle Atlantic Championships in March. There he finished 3rd in the 400 IM (4:05.97), 8th in the 200 breast (2:07.54), and 19th in the 100 breast (58.74). He also swam to a lifetime best 52.61 in the 100 back for 22nd.

Nowoswiat’s Best SCY Times Are:

100 breast: 58.72
200 breast: 2:04.74
200 IM: 1:52.75
400 IM: 4:01.36

The Bucknell men finished 4th out of 10 teams at the 2025 Patriot League Championships with 952.5 points. Loyola Maryland was 3rd with 1213 points.

Based on his best times, Nowoswiat is on the border of the ‘B’ and ‘C’ final in the 200 breast while his 400 IM would have made the ‘C’ final. The team was thin in the 200 breaststroke with only one ‘A’ finalist and one ‘B’ finalist.

Nowoswiat will arrive this fall as a member of the class of 2029 along with Finn Lukens, Evan Hepburn, Drew Davis, and Jason Kellerman.

If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].

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Hard Rock Digital Signs Content Agreement with Bragg Gaming

Hard Rock Digital inked a fresh agreement with Bragg Gaming Group to commission the iGaming provider to create a portfolio of Hard Rock Bet Casino brand exclusive online casino games. Jun 14, 2025 • 09:00 ET • 4 min read Photo By – Imagn Images. Hard Rock Digital inked a fresh agreement with Bragg Gaming […]

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41 minutes ago

June 14, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Hard Rock Digital inked a fresh agreement with Bragg Gaming Group to commission the iGaming provider to create a portfolio of Hard Rock Bet Casino brand exclusive online casino games.

Jun 14, 2025 • 09:00 ET

• 4 min read

Photo By – Imagn Images.

Hard Rock Digital inked a fresh agreement with Bragg Gaming Group to commission the provider to create a portfolio of Hard Rock Bet Casino brand exclusive online casino games.

This is a further expansion of Bragg’s already established deal with Hard Rock Digital, which incorporates proprietary content from Bragg’s in-house development studios, including Wild Streak Gaming, Atomic Slot Lab, and Indigo Magic, as well as content from Bragg’s broader group of partner studios.

Key takeaways

The partnership will see Bragg Gaming develop exclusive casino games for Hard Rock Digital.
The deal is an extension of the already established partnership between the two.
Bragg Gaming is setting its focus on U.S. growth.

The agreement is intended to grow Bragg Gaming’s footprint in the U.S. iGaming space. The in-house-developed games will be launched in New Jersey initially, and the agreement also sets the stage for future launches in additional states.

Bragg Gaming, in a statement, revealed the move will bring a substantial boost to U.S. growth, making it the group’s fastest-growing market in 2025. Bragg also announced a partnership with U.S. casino operator Caesars Entertainment in the new year, becoming its official technology provider.

The expansion comes as Bragg gathers strategic momentum. The company recently hired Scott Milford as Executive VP, Group Content, which confirms Bragg is positioning itself to become a worldwide leader in generating online casino content.

He brings over 25 years of gaming experience from his previous leadership roles at Aristocrat Leisure Limited, Konami Group, and Aruze Gaming. His experience in innovation and running a studio will aid Bragg’s future expansion, particularly in regulated North American jurisdictions.

Hard Rock Digital continues gaming expansion

The rollout follows a previous content partnership Hard Rock Digital signed with Games Global last May. Under the partnership, Games Global launched Hard Rock Splash ‘n Spin Link&Win, a Hard Rock-branded slot game available to Hard Rock Bet customers in New Jersey. Aurum Signature Studios, part of Games Global’s network of developers, created it.

Hard Rock Splash ‘n Spin Link&Win features the Link&Win mechanism, triggered when the reels stop with six bonus symbols in a round. Players get three initial respins, and every additional bonus or jackpot symbol in the feature resets the counter to three.

There’s also a Free Spins Wheel triggered by a Bonus Wheel and three scattered symbols, which can be triggered when a player fills up a bonus meter. Together, they provide a possibility for a win as much as 10,000 times the original stake.

Bragg’s deepening relationship with Hard Rock Digital indicates a broader industry trend for operators to differentiate through branded and bespoke content. By gaining exclusive content rights, Hard Rock Bet can create customer loyalty and extend playing time in highly competitive state-regulated environments.