St. Catharines, Ontario - The Niagara River Lions announced today a 12-day Community Countdown initiative where the organization will embark on a journey through the twelve Niagara municipalities in the days leading up to the Home Opener on May 30th. River Lions players, staff, dance pak members and mascot, Dunkin, will take part in a series of activities and activations meant to engage residents from across the region while building excitement for the 2024 season. Schedule of events: Wainfleet - 12 Days to Home Opener May 18 - 12:00pm - 2:00pm Join Dunkin at the Wainfleet Public Library for a meet and greet, story time and FITtastic programming. Niagara-on-the-Lake - 11 Days to Home Opener May 19 - 3:00pm - 5:00pm River Lions players will be at Ironwood Cider to celebrate the arts, community, and diversity in Niagara-on-the-Lake while experiencing some of the best ciders and wine made right in our backyard. West Lincoln - 10 Days to Home Opener May 20 - Starting at 1:00pm Residents are encouraged to follow the River Lions instagram page to take part in a scavenger hunt across West Lincoln where game tickets will be hidden at various landmarks. Pelham - 9 Days to Home Opener May 21 - 5:00pm-9:00pm River Lions staff members will be on site at the Meridian Community Centre during the Pelham Panthers sessions with special offers and prizes. Lincoln - 8 Days to Home Opener May 22 - Time TBD Dunkin and River Lions Community Ambassador, Clinton Springer will surprise a local public school with an afternoon visit. Niagara Falls - 7 Days to Home Opener May 23 - Time TBD Keep an eye out for some of the RIver Lions players aboard the Hornblower as they experience the wonder of Niagara Falls for the first time. Thorold - 6 Days to Home Opener May 24 - 12:30pm-1:30pm The River Lions Front Office and Skrtich Living welcome downtown Thorold businesses to join them for a free community BBQ lunch at the rooftop of the River Lions Front Office. Port Colborne - 5 Days to Home Opener May 25 - 5:00-7:30pm River Lions players will visit the Port Colborne Hornets to assist with running a U11 boys practice from 5:00-6:00pm as well as a U13 boys and girls practice from 6:30-7:00pm. Welland - 4 Days to Home Opener May 26 - 10:00am-12:00pm Be one of the first 10 fans to meet Dunkin and the RIver Lions Dance Pak at Empire Sportsplex to score Home Opener tickets. Stay and play on the beautiful outdoor facility that has been the recipient of the Parks and Recreation Ontario Park or Facility Design Award. Grimsby - 3 Days to Home Opener May 27 - 3:00pm - 5:30pm Keep an eye out for River Lions players refreshing the mesh at parks in Grimsby to improve and enhance the overall playing experience at local basketball courts. Fort Erie - 2 Days to Home Opener May 28 - 10:00am - 3:00pm Join our Street Team at Safari Niagara and stop by our tent for giveaways and youth vouchers. St. Catharines - 1 Day to Home Opener May 29 - Time TBD The River Lions end the Home Opener countdown inside the den when CHCH TV will be onsite to film a segment for their morning show at the Meridian Centre. The Niagara River Lions invite fans to join along for the excitement culminating at the Home Opener at the Meridian Centre on May 30th at 7:00pm versus the Brampton Honey Badgers 2024. The Niagara River Lions are one of the original six teams of the CEBL . Playing out of Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines, the River Lions represent the twelve municipalities of the Niagara Region while living up to the River Lions moniker of pride and strength of community. Tickets for the 2024 season which tips off with the River Lions home opener on May 30th are on sale now. Visit www.riverlions.ca/tickets for more information. Media Contact: Michelle Biskup, Vice President, Operations mbiskup@riverlions.ca

The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Friday that BetVictor will return as the Official Sports Betting Partner of the league for its upcoming 2024 season. The relaunch of the partnership between the CEBL and BetVictor will include a more integrated betting experience for CEBL fans across its media platforms, including a new weekly CEBL betting show launching this week across CEBL+ and the league’s social media channels. BetVictor is a licensed and regulated online gaming operator in Ontario and is the official online sportsbook for CEBL fans looking to wager on games this season. In parallel with this announcement, BetVictor has launched outright winner odds for the 2024 CEBL Championship. “Over the past year, our partnership with BetVictor has not only delivered unique and entertaining engagement options and experiences for our fans, but also enhanced our CEBL brand on a global scale,” said Mike Morreale, Commissioner and Co-Founder of the CEBL. “We look forward to building on that and providing even more personalized and innovative sports betting experiences for basketball fans and fans of the CEBL through BetVictor in 2024.” As part of this partnership, BetVictor will continue as the presenting partner of CEBL+ and through it deliver Canadians free streaming access to all of its live broadcasts during the 2024 CEBL season. “We’re thrilled to renew our partnership with the CEBL for the upcoming season and look forward to bringing more exciting content and engagement opportunities to its growing fanbase,” said Brent Almeida, Chief Commercial Officer at BVGroup, the global operator whose flagship brand is BetVictor. “2023 was a record-breaking year for the CEBL in terms of attendance and viewership and similarly, more Canadians than ever made BetVictor their choice for a safe and responsible betting experience. This news underscores our commitment to supporting Canadian basketball and engaging with passionate fans of the sport and we are proud to be a part of the CEBL’s impressive growth!” The 2024 CEBL season tips off Tuesday, May 21 at 7 p.m. local / 9 p.m. ET when the Calgary Surge host provincial rival the Edmonton Stingers in a nationally televised (TSN) game at Scotiabank Saddledome. Season tickets and flex packs are now available league wide with priority seating access and preferred pricing. Ticket information for all CEBL games, including single-game tickets, can be found by visiting cebl.ca/tickets . More than 50 CEBL games will be broadcast live nationally on TSN and Game+ this season. Fans can also livestream all regular season, playoff and Championship Weekend games on CEBL+ powered by BetVictor, TSN+ and the CEBL Mobile app for iOS and Android devices. ConnexOntario provides service information and resources for people experiencing problems with gambling, drugs, alcohol, or mental health. The service is free, confidential, and available anytime. Contact ConnexOntario 24/7 at 1-866-531-2600, via text at 247247, or chat online at Connexontario.ca . - CEBL - About the CEBL A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 73% of its 2023 rosters being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. Fourteen players have signed NBA contracts following a CEBL season, and numerous CEBL players attend NBA G League training camps every year. The CEBL season runs from May through August. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram , Twitter , TikTok , LinkedIn , Facebook & YouTube . Media Contact : Aaron Gogishvili – Sr. Director, Communications & Community Relations Canadian Elite Basketball League (905) 730-4691 | agogishvili@cebl.ca