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Unionized workers at Winnipeg casinos prepare to strike

Unionized workers at three Winnipeg casinos, represented by Unifor Local 144, are poised to strike by Dec. 23 if they do not secure a satisfactory contract with their employer, Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries. The union members, who have been without a collective agreement since June 2022, overwhelmingly supported the strike decision, with 98% voting in favour.

The workers include over 750 employees at McPhillips Station Casino, Club Regent Casino, and the Shark Club Casino, covering a range of roles such as dealers, cashiers, slot attendants, security officers, customer service representatives, and trades workers. The primary issue cited is the minimum wage increase of only 1.75% over the past six years.

Lana Payne, Unifor’s National President, expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of negotiations. “The workers deserve a strong collective agreement, not the foot-dragging and disrespect we’re seeing from the company,” Payne stated, urging the management to present a “serious offer.”

Similarly, Unifor’s Western Regional Director Gavin McGarrigle emphasized the need for a substantial offer from the employer to resume constructive bargaining, saying, “We don’t have endless patience. A serious offer from the employer is required to get bargaining back on track.”

The potential strike, scheduled to commence at 12:01 a.m. on Dec. 23, has garnered attention from the new NDP government in Manitoba.

Sport, Culture and Heritage Minister Glen Simard, responsible for Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries, expressed optimism about reaching a fair deal, commenting, “Over the summer, we saw how the previous government treated their workers with divisive tactics when all workers wanted was a fair deal.”

“This government is listening to the concerns of our public-sector employees. I look forward to a solution that simultaneously demonstrates our respect for workers and our commitment to responsible management of the public purse.”

Reflecting on the recent strike by Liquor Mart workers, who achieved approximately 12% wage increases over four years, Simard highlighted the government’s commitment to respecting public-sector employees and managing public funds responsibly.

NorthStar Gaming continues expansion with BettorView deal

NorthStar Gaming, the company behind Ontario online gambling platform NorthStar Bets, has partnered with. This will allow NorthStar Gaming to increase its player acquisition potential from customers in bars and r BettorViewestaurants. At the same time, it will enable BettorView to enter the Canadian market for the first time.

NorthStar Bets went live in the province in May 2022. The site is licensed by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and has outlined its intentions to spread across the rest of Canada.

“Partnering with BettorView will fuel growth and expansion of the NorthStar Bets player base while also increasing brand awareness amongst priority audiences. The restaurant and bar space is a great sector to reach target consumers who have a high propensity to wager and are often watching live sports and games in a social environment,” said Chair and CEO of NorthStar Gaming Michael Moskowitz.

BettorView works with bars and restaurants to provide customizable sports and sports betting advertisements. Bar owners can control what betting information is displayed on screens using a mobile app, providing relevant and up-to-date betting information for customers.

“Our technology allows our gaming and venue partners to customize and localize content so that it fully resonates for sports fans while also educating them on sports betting and responsible gambling in general. As a Canadian-owned gaming brand with deep Ontario roots, NorthStar shares our appreciation for authentically reaching Ontario sports fans, and we’re proud to partner with them,” commented CEO of BettorView Javier Vargas.

Even without the BettorView agreement, NorthStar Bets has seen significant growth recently, posting a year-on-year increase in total wagers of 140% in Q3 of 2023. The company also noted a 120% increase in gross gaming revenue in Q3 of 2023 compared to Q2.

The company also continues to grow and expand across the country. NorthStar drew headlines earlier this year when it announced that it would be expanding from Ontario into the gray markets of other provinces with a nationwide launch of its sportsbook and online casino.

Gen Z company Rivalry reports strong Q3 2023 results

Rivalry, the Toronto-based gambling operator and media company specializing in sports betting, esports wagering, and casino games for the millennial and Gen Z market, has announced strong financial results for Q3 2023.

The results report that its betting handle is up by 50% year-on-year for Q3 to $105.7 million, despite a 13% reduction in marketing spend. Revenues are up 22% to $8.7 million, and gross profit is up 90% to $4.0 million year-on-year.

Elsewhere in the results, the company stated that its year-to-date betting handle increased by 127%, revenue by 70%, and gross profit by 175% compared to the first nine months of 2022.

The company reported an uptick in activity in new markets in Southeast Asia and a significant increase in betting handle in regulated markets like Ontario, where it grew over 400% from Q3 in 2022. Traditional sports betting and the casino segment contributed to this growth, with the latter accounting for about half of Q3’s betting handle.

Rivalry also reaffirmed its H1 2024 profitability guidance, citing stabilizing operating expenditure in the first three quarters while maintaining significant year-over-year growth. Looking ahead, the company announced a virtual investor day on Jan. 17, 2024. The event will discuss the company’s outlook for 2024, growth initiatives, upcoming product innovations, and insights into its target Gen Z market.

“We are proud to have delivered a record third quarter while exercising discipline on costs amidst a challenging capital markets environment for growth companies. Now, with our recently announced capital infusion, we will be able to go back on the offensive while still maintaining our path to profitability,” commented Co-Founder and CEO of Rivalry Steven Salz in a press release.

“Years of consistent performance, flattened opex multiple quarters in a row, demonstrated triple-digit growth year-over-year across core metrics year-to-date with all-time high average handle per customer, average revenue per user, and record low cost of customer acquisition over that same period gives me high conviction in Rivalry’s future,” Salz added.

“It is this proven operating leverage, supported by an improving sportsbook margin profile resulting in more revenue per dollar wagered, now fueled by growth capital, that is creating a significant opportunity set for Rivalry. It is that combination which gives us confidence to reaffirm our first half 2024 profitability guidance.”

Canadian Gaming Association working to advance responsible play

Canadian Gaming Association CEO and President Paul Burns discusses why operators need to step up and take ownership of promoting responsible gambling in advance of the CGA’s symposium on the subject in Toronto next week.

The last two years have seen an important and exciting evolution in the Canadian gaming space – with global implications. As artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things have pushed electronic globalization forward, Ontario and Canada have been on the cutting edge in the gaming world as we seek to become global leaders in gaming platforms and innovation.

At a time when Canada has fallen behind in other strategic industries, we are finding a niche in online gambling – helping to deliver jobs and economic growth. Recent progress has been dramatic, and has included:

  • The legalization of single-event sports betting, allowing for effective, transparent regulation and ensuring proper player protection,
  • The opening up of a fully regulated online gaming market in Ontario, with similar implications as the legalization of single-event sports betting, and
  • The expansion of regulated online gambling with further growth potential across the country – and the world.

In less than a thousand days, Canada has regained lost ground in our competitiveness in the online gaming industry, and the massive services and technology sectors that surround it. However, we cannot take our important gains for granted, as jurisdictions from Macau to Malta will work to leapfrog us once again.

Progressive gambling policies – like those we are building in Canada – require sophistication and leadership. That includes not only leading in our regulatory flexibility but also policy that encourages and facilitates responsible play.

We at the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA), along with our members, take responsible play very seriously. This is why we continue to advocate for some of the most advanced regulations and practices in the world.

Collaborating with our members and partners, the CGA has worked hard to encourage policies related to responsible play that are meaningful and based on learnings from other sectors.

But we should always be looking to do better. Continuous improvement when it comes to player wellbeing is a responsibility that we must own.

That’s why the CGA is leading the development of an Action Plan to Encourage Responsible Play.

On Dec. 5, the CGA will be hosting an Industry Symposium to discuss best practices in responsible play and establish an industry-led way forward. Working with the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) and Ad Standards Canada, we’re launching a process to establish Responsible Gambling Guiding Principles, an Industry Responsible Advertising Code and more, as part of an overall Action Plan to Encourage Responsible Play.

As an industry, we have a tremendous opportunity – and responsibility – to come together to advance the evolution of a regulated, responsible and sustainable Canadian gambling industry.

Canada is a world leader in creating an environment that encourages responsible play. Excellent work is already underway across the country and the results are truly impressive. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) Registrar’s Standards for iGaming, for instance, provide industry-leading standards that work to support player wellbeing. In addition, RGC recently launched a global, independent study to conduct ground-breaking research on marketing and advertising that will have a particular focus on online gambling in Canada, with a goal of better understanding the impacts of increased marketing and advertising on all stakeholders. This collaborative project will lead to evidence-informed best practices reflecting the evolving needs of players and the industry. Through this project – and others like it – we are collaborating to build a world-class strategy to encourage responsible play.

At the CGA, we see part of our role as telling this story, rolling up the impact, and helping to ensure a coordinated industry-led effort. The wellbeing of our players and communities is of utmost importance.

As an industry, we are leading the way in evolution and innovation in terms of gaming platforms, responsible play technology, artificial intelligence, and more – which is at an all-time high – resulting in important job and economic growth in our country.

We will continue to collaborate as an industry on pan-Canadian approaches and world-leading practices, research, and regulations to allow and encourage Canadian technology companies and entrepreneurs to continue innovating at home. We are proud of the evolution of gaming in our country, and we believe it is time that we celebrate, leverage, and capitalize on successes in land-based and online gaming to continue pushing our industry forward in a responsible and sustainable way.

If we continue to do what’s right, and if our industry comes together, gaming can be Canada’s next growth industry.

NHL teaming Up with theScoreBet as Sports Betting Partner

PENN Entertainment has signed a partnership for its brands, ESPN Bet in the US and theScore Bet in Ontario, to become official sports betting partners of the National Hockey League (NHL).

The deal allows the two brands to take advantage of marketing opportunities with the league, a host of intellectual property rights, and cooperation across League programming. This cooperation includes ESPN broadcasts of NHL games on ESPN and ABC, as part of the seven-year broadcast agreement between the league and ESPN signed in March 2021.

Entitlements begin immediately, with the NHL currently around a quarter of the way through the regular season. Opportunities for activation include the Stanley Cup playoffs, broadcast on ESPN and ABC, and the All-Star Weekend.

ESPN Bet launched this month as part of a $1.5 billion partnership between PENN Entertainment and ESPN. The sportsbook took over licenses from PENN’s previous sports betting product, Barstool Sportsbook, in 17 states. theScore Bet launched in Ontario in March 2022, leveraging the popularity of Canadian sports media brand theScore.

“From day one, we’ve said our media rights deal with ESPN and The Walt Disney Company has been a big win for our fans and our League, and this new collaboration is further testament to the value of our partnership. There’s definite excitement in being one of the first leagues to partner with ESPN BET and PENN Entertainment,” said NHL Vice President of Business Development Jason Jazayeri in a press release.

“The recent launch of ESPN BET in the US is extremely exciting, and we’re thrilled to collaborate with the NHL to help market our new sports betting experience,” added Senior Vice President of Marketing and Content at PENN Interactive Aubrey Levy.

Kindred pulls Unibet brand out of North America, including Ontario

Kindred Group, the international gambling operator behind Unibet, has announced it will withdraw its online sportsbook and casino from North America. This will include its gambling operations in Ontario. Unibet Ontario launched when online gambling first went live on April 4, 2022, with licensing from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

In addition to withdrawing from Ontario, Unibet will also remove its online presence from Arizona, Indiana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Last year, Unibet left Iowa to improve its North American performance.

The move comes in response to a strategic review of the company, which started in April 2023. The withdrawal from North America is expected to be complete by the end of Q2 in 2024. Through a press release, Kindred Group acknowledged the move was one of the “cost-saving initiatives” the company was employing.

Another one of its initiatives will be to cut 300 jobs, mainly focusing on North American employees and contractors. These efforts combined are estimated to save the Kindred Group up to £40 million per year.

“The cost reduction actions announced today are both necessary and decisive. While it is never a desire to inform valued colleagues of redundancies, this puts us in a stronger position to secure long-term growth for Kindred across our locally regulated core markets,” said Interim CEO of Kindred Group Nils Andén.

Andén took on the role of Interim CEO at the start of the strategic review, which led to this North American withdrawal. He took over the position from Henrik Tjärnström, who had served as Kindred Group CEO since 2010.

According to the press release, the funds raised from these cost-saving initiatives will allow Kindred Group to invest in its “existing core markets” to “capitalize on core market potential and gain market share.” This aims to expand hyper-local casino brands, reallocate marketing funds, and produce more exclusive content.

“We can now focus our resources and tech capacity towards strategic initiatives and selected markets where we see clear potential to grow our market share,” commented Andén

BCLC expands holiday leave program to be more inclusive

During British Columbia’s Multiculturalism Week, the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) released a statement announcing a new inclusive holiday program for its employees.

The release explains that the BCLC is offering employees the flexibility to substitute up to six BCLC-recognized statutory holidays with days of personal, cultural, or religious significance.

The BCLC says that the initiative is part of the BCLC’s ongoing commitment to diversity, inclusion, and belonging and aims to cater to the diverse needs of its workforce.

Within the media release, BCLC features a statement from its Chief People Officer, Sandy Austin, who said, “We recognize that there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach when it comes to holidays”, and states that the move aligns with their evolving diversity practices.

Through the press release, the BCLC declared that they actively shape policies, processes, and structures to ensure an inclusive and barrier-free work environment “where employees can thrive”.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have such a diverse workforce and are honoring that diversity and reaffirming our commitment to fostering an inclusive culture at BCLC where all employees feel that they are seen, valued and belong,” said BCLC Manager of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is an exception to the substitution options, and all employees must observe this day on Sept. 30 each year.

iGaming Ontario putting out RFP for universal self-exclusion list

iGaming Ontario (iGO), the agency that regulates online gambling in the province, has announced it is looking for tech partners to help create a centralized, self-exclusion list encompassing all Ontario operators.

In early 2024, iGO plans to issue an RFP for parties interested in the project. The centralized system aims to create a more secure and player-focused gaming environment in Ontario for those seeking to limit or cease their gambling activities. Through the RFP, bidders will be invited to present solutions.

The successful bidder will collaborate with iGO on a multi-year project to build the program. The goal is to establish a system that earns and maintains the trust and confidence of a broad range of stakeholders, including players and operators.

The proposed system is designed to enable players to self-exclude from all regulated iGaming operators in Ontario, including the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s site, through a single registration process. This necessitates that the selected bidder develop a system compatible with all operator systems, simplifying players’ self-exclusion registration, renewal, and reinstatement process.

As outlined by iGO on its website, the system needs to be “player-focused, supportive, transparent, secure, robust, and viable.” These principles aim to make the self-exclusion process accessible, non-stigmatizing, and secure, ensuring that player information is protected and shared only when necessary for administering the program.

“We are seeking interest from responsive and nimble companies that are able to build modern, innovative, secure, cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions that are high-profile, public-facing, and critically important to building and maintaining the trust and confidence of a wide range of stakeholders,” said iGaming Ontario in the release.

Furthermore, the system is expected to be robust, featuring strong processes and secure, responsive technology. iGO wants to allow players to create and manage their self-exclusion profile, incorporating KYC identity verification processes. It also wants players to access self-exclusion options anytime while actively gambling on any regulated iGaming website.

Sportsnet taps Sportsradar for data partnership deal in Canada

One of Canada’s leading sports networks, Sportsnet, has teamed up with Sportradar to improve its viewing experience for North American sports enthusiasts. Through the incorporation of real-time statistics, player information, and advanced data sets, this partnership is set to provide Canadians with data-driven content through all of Sportsnet’s broadcasts.

Sportradar will support Sportsnet’s entire brand portfolio, which includes its regional channels, Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet World, Sportsnet+, Sportsnet ONE, the Sportsnet Radio Network, Sportsnet.ca, the Sportsnet app, and podcasts.

“We are proud to partner with Sportsnet, a market leader, who is committed to entertaining and informing Canadian sports fans,” said Sportradar Head of Regional Sales in North America Brian Josephs.

Sportsnet’s capabilities will be elevated with enhanced digital graphics and in-depth research through access to both statistical experts and radar360, Sportradar’s analytics platform. This data will allow Sportradar to improve the MLB and NHL broadcasts on Sportsnet. Sportsnet offers extensive coverage of major leagues such as the NBA, MLB, Premier League, and FA Cup and is the official Canadian NHL national multiplatform rights holder.

All of this is made possible through Sportradar’s OnAir service, which provides an advanced platform that streamlines the process of integrating real-time sports data into broadcast systems. The service offers industry-standard graphics software, ensuring dynamic data representation that aligns with the rapid pace of sports events.

“This collaboration showcases Sportradar’s expertise in enhancing sports content through data and technology. Together, we will bring fans closer to the action, providing them a unique, more engaging viewing experience,'” added Josephs.

Ontario Senator talks sports betting and its implications

Marty Deacon, member of the Senate of Canada representing the Waterloo region in Ontario, has live-streamed an almost hour-long discussion on the “absolute increase” in sports betting advertising.

Titled “Sports Betting and the Implications for our Sports Systems”, the conversation featured inputs from Professor Emeritus, Sport & Public Policy at the University of Toronto Bruce Kidd, Senator Brent Cotter, Canadian Parks and Recreation CEO Martin Sampson, and Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport CEO and President Jeremy Luke.

One of the purposes of the live stream was to explain the rationale and drum up support for Senator Deacon’s bill S-269, which she introduced into the Senate of Canada on June 20, 2023. 

The legislation intended to introduce a national framework to regulate sports betting advertising, including the usage of celebrities in commercials. The bill received a second reading and was debated on November 9, 2023. No further action has been taken. Deacon commented on the need to regulate advertising, saying: “Canadians across the country, all ages, from coast to coast to coast, are bombarded with advertisements to place bets”. 

Bill S-269 aims to create a legal framework for sports betting advertising based on three key components. The first is stricter regulations on the advertising itself, including restricting the locations where these commercials can be shown and preventing athletes and celebrities from being involved in advertising. The other two relate less to advertising but intend to set up measures to protect minors from gambling and help with gambling addiction treatment. 

As Senator Deacon noted during the live stream, she voted in favour of bill C-218, which allowed Canadian provinces to legalize and regulate sports betting. So far, Ontario is the only Canadian province to launch sports betting, going live on April 4, 2022. 

Deacon highlighted the need to address “black market, illegal, single sports betting” as her motivation for supporting the legislation. However, she commented: “We did not get C-218 right, and we could do better”.

The involvement of celebrities in advertising and how this impacts young people was mentioned several times, with Martin Sampson saying, “these things are so obviously targeted at young minds”. He also noted that “the constant stream of it [sports betting advertising] normalizes gambling”, which S-269 intends to reduce.

Senator Brent Cotter mentioned how Canada has been “very aggressive” in regulating advertising for cannabis, tobacco, and alcohol and how sports betting “fits into the same category”.

Commenting on “the risks that our athletes face from being bet upon”, Jeremy Luke commented that athletes could be “groomed, they can be coerced, and they can be tempted” into influencing event outcomes. 

Reducing sports betting advertising would be one of several “harm reduction strategies” to reduce the risks for athletes. Bruce Kidd agreed, saying it is a “safe sports issue”.