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OLG begins hunt for new lottery tech provider

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) is looking for a new technology partner for its lottery systems.

The OLG formally opened a Request for Proposal (RFP) on May 31 to begin the process of searching for a new platform provider to replace what it calls “aging, back-end” lottery technology systems. The RFP specifically concerns the OLG’s Core Lottery Engines and certain related goods and services.

The crown corporation said in the RFP summary that it is seeking “the most competent and capable provider” to overhaul its lottery tech. The proposed contract runs for five years and there would be five renewal options at three years each.

The RFP closes on July 5.

The OLG said in a news release that implementing a new lottery platform will allow OLG to capitalize on emerging technological trends and offer market-leading products and experiences. In particular, it hopes its new partner will foster greater innovation, allow it to be faster to market with new products and services and keep its lottery players engaged and using its platform.

It added that the technological revamp with the to-be-decided partner will allow its lottery offering to keep pace with evolving customer expectations in Ontario’s saturated gaming market.

OLG has engaged the oversight services of a Fairness Monitor during the RFP process to support integrity and fairness. The crown corporation says there will be no immediate impact to its services and offerings while it assesses its technological options.

OLG introduces Group Play feature

The OLG has made some changes to its lottery offerings in recent weeks, notably introducing a new Group Play feature that makes it easier to play the lottery with others.

Available on OLG.ca and the OLG app, the feature allows players to form online groups that can purchase lottery tickets together and track prizes electronically. Nominated captains of groups can build group packs of tickets and group members can choose to purchase the pack.

OLG Vice President, iCasino & iLottery Andrew Darley said at the time of that announcement that Group Play “is one way OLG is adapting our products and services to meet the changing preferences of Ontarians.”

Now, with this RFP, the corporation hopes it will soon be able to provide a modernized lottery solution to help it keep pace with the province’s ever-evolving online gaming industry.

Payper keen to talk payments and compliance at Canadian Gaming Summit

Day one of the 2024 Canadian Gaming Summit is just two weeks a month away and around 3,000 delegates, exhibitors and attendees are expected at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from June 18-20.

Digital payments solutions provider Payper will be one company with a significant presence at the summit. The company’s VP of sales, Robert Haggan, spoke to Canadian Gaming Business about the upcoming event, Payper’s role in the Canadian gaming industry and where technology in gaming may go next.

CGB: What elements of Canadian Gaming Summit work so well for your organisation, and why is it important for you to be there this year?

Robert Haggan (RH): CGS zeros in heavily on a market/jurisdiction in which we lead from a payments perspective. CGS is an excellent opportunity to discuss important topics such as responsible gaming, compliance, the regulatory roadmap and innovation.

CGB: What’s your key objective at this year’s event and what are the main products/services you will be promoting?

RH: We will be using the event to showcase our product development roadmap and additions to our functionality.

CGB: What would you highlight as the biggest opportunity in the betting and gaming industry over the next couple of years?

RH: Specifically for Canada, further expansion of regulatory framework for additional Canadian provinces.

CGB: What elements of your business do you feel are best placed to take advantage of that opportunity?

RH: The ability to adapt and develop products to adjust to any compliance requirements set forth in additional regulated markets.

CGB: What new technology do you feel will have the biggest impact on stakeholders?

RH: Technology based on enhancing player and ID verification while creating minimal friction points.

CGB: What core challenges do you help solve for your customers/partners?

RH: We use our proprietary technology and expertise to significantly increase player adoption/conversion within an operator’s cashier.

ACGCS: new industry hires lack compliance expertise – we can help change that

Imagine spending over a decade in law enforcement, studiously observing a whole raft of regulations across financial crime and human trafficking, then entering a new industry to find a lack of compliance training and certification opportunities. 

Well, that is the story of Dr. Ian Messenger, Founder and CEO of the Association of Certified Gaming Compliance Specialists (ACGCS). Established in 2022, the ACGCS was borne out of Messenger’s experience having entered the gaming industry in Canada the year prior, only to notice that many new professionals lacked the required level of compliance knowledge. 

Messenger, a Brit who previously worked at the UK National Crime Agency and international banks in Canada, had noticed there was a plethora of compliance expertise from other sectors, but as new people entered gaming, they lacked the industry-specific proficiency. 

He told Canadian Gaming Business: “I was seeing a lot of new hires come into the industry, who may have worked in compliance elsewhere. They understood anti-money laundering, they understood fraud, but they didn’t really have an understanding of some of the complexities of the gaming industry. Things like sports betting, odds manipulation, security, surveillance and responsible gaming. 

“So, myself and a few others got together and, using our practitioner and academic  experience, we launched the ACGCS with the intention of building out a one-stop-shop gaming compliance certification.” 

The ACGCS offers training courses and education programs for the casino industry to better equip their staff to tackle the intricacies of gaming regulation compliance. It offers a 35-hour self-study course online, the Certified Gaming Compliance Specialist (CGCS), as well as  online training via a partnership with Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. 

Messenger explained to Canadian Gaming Business that the partnership with the university has attracted the attention of several gaming regulators: “This makes us the only training organization in this space that has an academic partnership and we found that this partnership has really been interesting to gaming regulators. Several regulators have send their staff through out  program this year” 

“We run not just a public version of the course but we often run bespoke closed sessions for gaming regulators.” 

The ACGCS also sought to address another gaming risk – Human Trafficking. The association partnered in 2023 with the Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking to launch  the industry’s first – and free – Human Trafficking Risks in Casino Gaming certificate.

Customers of the ACGCS include casino operators, employees, gaming commissions and regulators, reflecting the association’s ambition to be a best-in-class provider of educational tools for the gaming industry. 

And despite Messenger picking up on a gap in specific gaming knowledge when it comes to compliance, he stressed that this was not an insult to the “dedicated and focused” individuals who are coming into the space. 

Rather, this presented a symbiotic opportunity for the association to grow its operations and for those individuals to become more specialised, particularly as the online private market opened up in Ontario back in April 2022. 

He elaborated: “This really created a wealth of opportunities for individuals to try something else and try a different segment of compliance.” 

Messenger, who has had a storied career in various sectors of compliance, is a self described builder of systems. And when it became clear that casinos and gaming would be the next big frontier for compliance in North America, he jumped at the opportunity to build an education platform for the space. 

“I’m always looking to deal with the next challenge and the casino industry, from a compliance perspective, was that. With the liberalization of Ontario back in 2022 and the  liberalization of states in the US, when it comes to gaming and sports betting, we’re seeing an environment that is dealing in some cases with compliance for the first time.” 

As aforementioned, on top of the 35-hour self-study course for professionals, the association also has a burgeoning relationship with Dalhousie University, which also offers a Certificate in Gaming Leadership course and a number of micro credential courses. 

But the association is also keen to build a long-term relationship with those organizations who enrol on the university course to offer compliance advice and resources long after the completion of the micro credential course. 

After receiving a “significant amount of industry interest” in the academic courses via Dalhousie University, ACGCS has rolled out a six month self-study version of the micro credential, Casino Gaming Investigations, and is exploring further academic partnerships with other institutions to help increase the footprint of its services even further. 

“We are in discussion now with several universities to look at some postgraduate certificates, and potentially an MBA in gaming compliance,” Messenger noted. “This is really driven by requests from industry from our client base.” 

The association is also contributing to the academic space by contributing towards research into compliance. 

After building up a significant number of clients since forming in 2022, the ACGCS is seeking to use the rest of 2024 to ramp up its brand awareness to a much larger scale.

The firm is seeking to drive up even more interest to its courses and will be appearing at the Canadian Gaming Summit in Toronto on June 18-20 to showcase its products and expertise. 

“Attending the Canadian Gaming Summit is, for us, an opportunity to connect with our counterparts in the industry and with a larger audience, putting faces to names and being able to talk about our products and answer questions from individuals,” Messenger concluded.

SaskGaming appoints Blaine Pilatzke as permanent president and CEO

The Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation (SaskGaming) has selected a new leader, naming former VP of Corporate Services Blaine Pilatzke as its new president and CEO.

Effective immediately, Pilatzke will lead the crown corporation’s operations on a permanent basis. Pilatzke, a longtime senior employee at SaskGaming, has served as acting president and CEO since former president and CEO Susan Flett took up the same roles at Lotteries and Gaming Saskatchewan (LGS) in September.

Since last year, SaskGaming, which operates Casinos Regina and Moose Jaw in the province, has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of LGS.

The corporation said Pilatzke’s appointment is the final result of an “extensive” search by the corporation.

“It was evident through the competitive process that Mr. Pilatzke demonstrated the vision, leadership and a thorough understanding of the gaming industry to succeed in the role,” SaskGaming Board Chair Blair Ross said. “Mr. Pilatzke has been a major contributor to SaskGaming’s success over the past 20 years, and the Board is confident he will keep SaskGaming competitive and on the cutting edge of casino gaming in our province as President and CEO.”

Pilatzke has two decades of experience in the gaming industry at the crown corporation, most recently serving as acting president and CEO as well as VP of corporate services.

“On behalf of the Government of Saskatchewan and the Board of Directors of LGS, I am pleased to congratulate Blaine Pilatzke on his appointment as President and CEO of SaskGaming,” said Minister Responsible for Lotteries and Gaming Saskatchewan Laura Ross. “SaskGaming had one of its strongest years on record in 2023-24, and we look forward to building on that success with Mr. Pilatzke at the helm.”

SaskGaming was formerly the standalone administrator of casino and online gaming in Saskatchewan. When LGS was established as a new commercial crown corporation a year ago, it yielded its online gaming oversight to LGS, while management of the province’s VLT program moved from Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) to LGS. SaskGaming still operates Casinos Regina and Moose Jaw.

One Penn investor thinks company bungled theScore acquisition

In a widely circulated letter scrutinising Penn Entertainment’s strategic operations, a significant investor has questioned the wisdom of the company’s acquisition of Canadian sports media and betting brand Score Media and Gaming.

Penn bought Toronto-based theScore in the second half of 2021 for around $2.1 billion USD, then equivalent to about $2.5 billion CAD.

At that time, Penn said the acquisition fortified its digital media and gaming strategy and would create “a complete one-stop entertainment destination.” The company added that it was attracted to theScore, in part, for its ready access to a deep pool of Canadian engineering and technology expertise.

However, in an open letter to Penn Chairman David Handler questioning Penn’s operations, prominent Penn investor the Donerail Group said the acquisition has not paid dividends and questioned the motivations behind the move. Will Wyatt, Donerail’s managing partner, said bringing theScore on board has not precipitated the projected adjusted EBITDA increase.

The company’s $2.1 billion USD acquisition of theScore, a small Canadian-based sports media company with less than $25 million USD of annual revenue, highlighted just how drastically the Penn investment thesis had changed under Mr. [Jay] Snowden’s watch.

The principal rationale for acquiring theScore at such a high price was not related to meaningfully increasing revenue or the size of the company, but rather, advancing Penn’s technical sophistications. Had a digitally native and more experienced leadership been at the helm, shareholders have to wonder if this could have been done in a more cost-effective manner from the onset.

Further, the failed integration of theScore meant that the “incremental $200mm+ medium term adjusted EBITDA” that Mr. Snowden promised when the deal was announced was never achieved, and the entire leadership team that was acquired in the transaction has since left Penn.

– Will Wyatt, Donerail Group managing partner

Canadian Gaming Business reached out to Penn for comment.

Snowden said at Penn’s earnings call on May 2 that despite poor Q1 2024 results including an 11.1% dip in revenue for the Interactive division that includes theScore Bet and ESPN Bet, theScore Bet is continuing to perform “really well” in the Ontario market. The made-in-Ontario sportsbook app is thought to be in the low double digits for market share in the province in both online sports betting and online casino.

Snowden also revealed at that time that plans are afoot to tie theScore Bet’s wagering functionalities directly into theScore’s legacy sports media app, something that could be extended to ESPN Bet, Penn’s sportsbook brand in the U.S.

However, amid the wider underwhelming results, the acquisition three years ago is coming under increased scrutiny.

Donerail calls for Penn to sell up

Snowden was bullish when forecasting the rest of Penn’s year at the earnings call, telling investors that Penn Interactive is in a strong position to post growth throughout the remainder of 2024.

However, Wyatt asserted that the company has failed to meet expectations for its online sports betting business.

He called for the entertainment and gaming giant to consider a sale, arguing that its leadership has suffered a loss of credibility. Over the last three years, shares of Penn are down by more than 80%.

“After four years of effort, attention, and billions of dollars of shareholder capital invested, the company has been unable to disintermediate the online sports betting landscape as it had forecast,” added Wyatt.

The acquisition of theScore Bet is far from the only operational move Wyatt called out. He also questioned Penn’s $2.7 million CAD ESPN Bet venture. The sportsbook posted an adjusted EBITDA loss of $196 million USD ($268 million CAD) in Q1 2024. Overall, Penn projects its Interactive segment, which also includes iGaming, will report a $500 million USD ($682 million CAD) loss in 2024.

“Moreover, the growing pattern of guidance misses, alongside a demonstrated unyielding appetite to continue to invest in the company’s fledgling Interactive projects, irrespective of past results and without a clear return framework, has significantly damaged the credibility of this management team and Board of Directors,” added Wyatt.

“Unfortunately, after less than a year into pivoting its attention to ESPN Bet, there has been no improvement in the company’s ability to execute in Interactive. While we understand that ESPN Bet appears as the company’s newest bright and shiny object that may very well have significant value under the right owners, we ask that the Board take a moment to reflect objectively on the past four years of execution, assess the shareholder capital that has been destroyed, and recognize that shareholders may simply be tired of continued gambling on uncertain outcomes.”

Shares of PENN grew by more than 15% on Friday, May 31 after Wyatt’s letter went public. Wyatt claimed a potential sale of the Pennsylvania-based company could be worth up to $6.9 billion USD ($9.4 billion CAD). He said Penn’s current enterprise value is roughly $4.1 billion USD ($5.6 billion CAD).

AGCO and Malta Gaming Authority to continue collaboration

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) have strengthened their collaboration by signing a new Memorandum of Understanding.

The two regulatory authorities will continue to work together on common objectives and values in overseeing the gaming sector. Areas of focus include responsible gambling and player protection, exchanging regulatory information and best practices, and mutual operational assistance concerning gaming operators.

“Our ongoing collaboration with AGCO has yielded tangible results in the past, and through this MoU we are committed to further bolstering our inter-jurisdictional relationship,” said MGA CEO Charles Mizzi. “Our focus remains on fostering the exchange of information, with the overarching goal of improving our regulatory practices and addressing mutual challenges effectively.”

The AGCO told Canadian Gaming Business that the commission “recognises the value in maintaining and building strong relationships with regulators in other jurisdictions, to enable collaboration, exchange of information as applicable, and to enhance the due diligence processes.”

Ontario market thriving but still a work in progress

The AGCO has been working with the MGA for years as the regulator first developed and now continues to refine the regulatory framework and responsible gambling supports for Ontario-regulated gaming.

The provincial market is healthy, with 47 licensed operators, nearly 80 legal sites, and $2.4 billion in gross gaming revenue taken in the second full year of operations. But there have been lessons learned along the way, such as the amendments that came into effect in February to help curtail the marketing of iGaming toward minors and the use of athletes in gambling advertisements, as well as the ban on offering betting markets on all World Boxing Association events that was introduced in April.

The AGCO hopes that by continually consulting with the MGA, which has overseen the Mediterranean island nation’s robust gaming and betting industry for 23 years, it can continue to shape the Ontario market to be the best it can be.

While you’re here, why not check out our write-up of the ‘Checking in on Canada’ panel from SBC Summit North America in New Jersey in May?

Rivalry posts sequential growth in Q1 2024 but suffers year-over-year decline

Toronto-based Rivalry reported a 51% quarter-over-quarter increase in net revenue in the first quarter of 2024 and smaller upticks in betting handle and gross gaming revenue but is still lagging behind where it stood this time last year.

The jump in net revenue to $4.5 million means that as a percentage of GGR, Rivalry’s Q1 2024 net revenue margin of 58.5% was the highest in company history. It is 13% higher than the margin for FY 2023.

For the three-month period ended March 31, 2024, Rivalry’s betting handle climbed 11% from Q4 2023 to reach $94.7 million and its GGR rose by 20% in the same period to hit $7.7 million.

The company attributed the quarterly improvements to “ongoing initiatives to increase margins through innovation and adjustments to the product offering.”

Co-founder and CEO Steven Salz said on an earnings call on May 30 that the all-time record net revenue margin proves the company’s innovation strategy is “delivering results.” Salz also noted that a contributing factor was the company scaling back on promos as “we found different ways to reactivate, whether through marketing efforts or otherwise that are below the line.”

Downward trajectory year-over-year

However, while Rivalry reported progress quarter-over-quarter, the company’s financials are still down.

When comparing Q1 2024 and Q1 2023, betting handle, GGR and net revenue all fell by double digits. Handle dropped 21.2%, GGR sunk 35.8% and net revenue declined 16.7%.

Salz stressed that through the company’s continued innovation, it expects moderate growth for the remainder of 2024.

Sportsbook a key focus

Rivalry CFO Kejda Qorri told investors that the company’s handle in Q1 2024 came mostly from casino gaming (59%), with sportsbook handle at 41%.

Salz teased that an increased interest in the company’s original casino content will unlock B2B revenue opportunities “that we are keen to detail more fully in the near future.” Rivalry has stated it will continue to explore interest in licensing its first-party casino games.

However, Qorri noted that sports betting made up nearly 80% of the Q1 GGR, in line with the average split in 2023. “Based on their respective contributions to GGR, the sportsbook segment has been a greater focus in our efforts to improve margins,” said Qorri. “Gaming typically generates lower but more predictable margins.”

The company released several new sports betting features in the quarter as part of this bid to include margins, including a basketball same-game-parlay product coinciding with the 2024 NBA playoffs, pre-made parlays and shareable bet slips.

New crypto token not available in Ontario

The company also announced its new Rivalry Token, a native cryptocurrency token that is set to launch in the second half of FY 2024.

Salz told investors says the token is a continuation of its goal of capturing and engaging its target demographic of under-30s “who were born on the internet.” Customers can earn tokens by wagering and referring their friends. The token will be integrated across its sportsbook and casino verticals and the company said it will drive an increase in player engagement, loyalty, and advocacy.

However, the crypto token will not be available in Ontario. The province’s iGaming standards specifically state that “cryptocurrency is not legal tender and shall not be accepted.”

Salz clarified that the token is not used as betting currency per se, instead serving as a loyalty reward for its customers, but they have chosen not to launch it in the province.

theScore Bet, Golf Canada extend multi-year partnership

theScore Bet and Golf Canada will be pairing up for Canadian golf events for the next few years.

The sportsbook and the governing body have extended their existing partnership. theScore Bet will continue as the organization’s exclusive official gaming partner, including sponsorship of Canada’s marquee national golf championships, the RBC Canadian Open and CPKC Women’s Open.

The news coincides with the start of the Canadian Open at the Hamilton Golf and Country Club.

theScore Bet has been Golf Canada’s exclusive gaming partner since 2021. The union sees theScore Bet branding adorn the major events’ venues and the Penn-owned made-in-Canada sportsbook also creates a variety of digital and on-course activations, such as the Score BET Skyline Seats, the Hole Zero fan experience, and the Greenside Lounge.

The Hole Zero activation at the RBC Canadian Open last year featured a 150-yard par-3 hole built above No. 7 on the Thompson course. Participants could use a clubhouse, get a lesson from a golf pro and then play to compete for prizes.

Golf Canada’s senior director of partnerships Craig Sharp said the sportsbook has “consistently elevated the spectator experience” at its events.

“Golf Canada has been a tremendous partner over the last three years and we are extremely pleased to extend our relationship,” said Jason Birney, vice president of operations at Penn Interactive. “The RBC Canadian Open and CPKC Women’s Open are foundational, best-in-class events that we’re proud to align theScore BET brand with. Through our sponsorship and creative on-site activations, we look forward to providing golf fans with unique and memorable experiences in the years ahead.”

theScore Bet continues to perform

theScore Bet is one of the leading homegrown options for Ontario bettors and gamers in the province’s regulated gaming market.

Spun off from theScore’s flagship sports scores and news app, it competes for market share in Ontario with the likes of U.S. giants DraftKings and FanDuel and bug European brands such as bet365.

In Penn’s recent Q1 2024 earnings call, CEO Jay Snowden said that the Canadian brand continues perform “really well” in the Ontario market. The sportsbook is thought to hold a market share in the low double digits for both online sports betting and online casino.

Penn to embed betting functionality in theScore media app

Snowden also announced at the earnings call on May 2 that theScore will tie theScore Bet‘s betting experience directly into the brand’s media app in Ontario.

Until now, theScore‘s sports news and media app and its betting platform have been separate. Users can view odds in theScore app but must wager in the betting app.

However, theScore app users will soon be able to to track and place bets in the brand’s original sports app.

Snowden added that while the integration will only be introduced for theScore Bet in Ontario for now, the company intends to expand the feature to the U.S. for ESPN Bet.

CGB Magazine: celebrating two years of Ontario, building upon a solid foundation

SBC Media has published the digital edition of the Canadian Gaming Business magazine, Volume 17, No. 1, which marks the second anniversary of the opening of Ontario’s private business model and looks forward to seeing how the rest of the country’s industry shapes up in the years to come. 

Published to coincide with the Canadian Gaming Summit at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on June 18-20, the CGB magazine puts some of the hottest debates in the Canadian business under the spotlight and highlights the activities of some of the biggest organizations. 

Martha Otton, Executive Director of iGaming Ontario, is the cover interviewee for this issue and chronicles the adventure of setting up the government agency. Otton gives a deep dive into the key challenges of establishing the private, regulated market in Ontario, celebrates the achievements of the first two years, and sets out the agency’s aims moving forward. 

Meanwhile, the debate around advertising rages on in Canada. CGB magazine speaks to industry experts including Canadian Gaming Association President Paul Burns and Catherine MacLeod of ThinkTV to get different perspectives on how sports betting and igaming adverts have been received across Ontario. 

Away from Ontario, CGB speaks to Natasha Questel, Chief Social Purpose Officer at BCLC about the crown corporation’s strategy for maximizing its provisions for good causes and marketing. This issue also offers a ‘state of the nation’, analyzing which province, if any, could follow in Ontario’s footsteps and open a regulated private market. 

On the land-based sector, the Louis Bull Tribe’s Erika Bull-Giroux opens up on how the opening of the Bear Hills Casino and Resort has offered the First Nation a huge opportunity for economic development, and Mohegan’s Ray Pineault reveals how the group’s Niagara properties have bounced back from the pandemic and thrived. 

The physical version of the CGB magazine will be available at the Canadian Gaming Summit in Toronto at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on June 18-20. The 27th edition of Canada’s leading betting and gaming industry conference, SBC in collaboration with the Canadian Gaming Association, will welcome over 3,000 attendees to Toronto for three days of networking, learning and business opportunities. 

To purchase tickets for the Canadian Gaming Summit, please click here.

Canadian Gaming Summit: Unlocking the door to marketing success

The ongoing growth and innovation of digital platforms have significantly increased players’ gaming options while simultaneously intensifying the challenge for brands to differentiate themselves from competitors and attract new players.

The upcoming Canadian Gaming Summit will include focused discussions on maximising loyalty with CRM technologies, building strong operator-affiliate partnerships and delving into the latest gamification strategies to aid affiliates and other marketeers in converting new players and instilling brand loyalty.

The Affiliate & Advertising conference track will take place on Thursday, June 20 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. It will explore the key topics in marketing and affiliation such as innovative fan engagement strategies, how to effectively appeal to the next generation of players and how to maintain a strong brand image.

Opening the track is the panel titled Maximising Loyalty with CRM: Leveraging Gamification and AI Strategies, which will explore innovative CRM strategies to increase brand loyalty. Industry experts Gibran Khan (Director of Growth Marketing & CRM, FanDuel), Stewart Groumoutis (Director of Digital Strategy, BCLC), and panel moderator Tommy Kearns (CEO, XTREMEPUSH) will delve into the transformative power of free-to-play games and AI technologies in crafting dedicated players, the global trends impacting the industry and how operators are integrating gamification and AI to enhance CRM practices.

The panel titled Next-Gen Gamification: Engaging Millennials and Gen Z will address optimal strategies to attract and engage Millennials and Gen Z players. Panelists Brooke Hilton (Head of Casino, PointsBet Canada), James White (Co-Founder & COO, Hot Takes Sports), Steven Salz (CEO, Rivalry), Andrew Darley (VP, iCasino & iLottery, OLG), Sim Bielak (President, Suzohapp) and panel moderator Jesse Learmonth (Host, Betting Startups Podcast) will discuss the nuances between both demographics, explore how traditional casinos and bookmakers can adapt to appeal to younger audiences and how innovative gamification features such as social gaming to interactive storytelling can aid in appealing to the next generation of gamers.

The panel titled Building Lasting Partnerships: Affiliates and Operators will provide delegates with the framework to craft successful operator-affiliate partnerships. JD McNamara (Country Manager, Better Collective), Cassie Brickman (CEO, Betting Hero), Vanda Silva (Chief Corporate Officer, Clever Advertising), and moderator Bryan Bennett (Consultant, NoCo Strategy) will explore the crucial elements required to craft fruitful partnerships such as the alignment of specific marketing metrics, understanding regulatory compliance, and establishing mutually beneficial goals.

The final track panel of the day, titled Fan Engagement Strategies in Sports Betting, will discuss the tools to engage Canadian sports fans effectively. Joseph Hanson (Director of Sportsbook Operations, DraftKings), Corey Brown (VP of Product Management, theScore), Allanah Della Vedova (Brand Director, FanDuel), Dami Amurawaiye (Head of Sportsbook & Operations, PointsBet) and panel moderator Mark Silver (CEO, Homestand Sports) will explore innovative features such as interactive mobile apps and real-time engagement features that are enhancing the immersive experience for players.

Additionally, the panel will discuss the latest fan engagement strategies for Canadian bettors and how sports league partnerships and social media integration can encourage wider fan participation.

Delegates will have the opportunity to glean invaluable insights into the Canadian market through dedicated conference tracks covering player protection, leaders and land-based, sports betting, growth and leadership, and payments and compliance.

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For groups of three or more, you can purchase the Group Pass Ticket to get access to all three days of the Canadian Gaming Summit for the discounted price of CA $795 per person.

Additionally, operators and affiliates can apply for a free pass to the event.

You can keep up-to-date with the latest news, speakers & exhibitor additions, and conference content by subscribing to the bi-weekly Canadian Gaming Summit LinkedIn newsletter.