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SBC Summit Finds New Home in Lisbon

SBC’s flagship global event SBC Summit has a new home in Lisbon starting in 2024, in order to meet the demands of the industry’s fastest-growing gathering.

Previously known as SBC Summit Barcelona, the upcoming event will be named SBC Summit 2024, as the branding has evolved to better reflect the worldwide nature of the event.

SBC Summit is a global gathering that transcends borders, extending a warm welcome to attendees from across the world and spanning various industry sectors.

Taking place over three days from 24-26 September 2024 at Feira Internacional de Lisboa (FIL), the event is poised to occupy more than 100,000 square metres of exhibition and conference space, which is more than twice the size of the 2023 venue measuring 38,000 square metres. This enhanced capacity enables SBC to welcome 600 exhibitors, nearly doubling the number hosted at the 2023 edition.

With the expanded venue capacity, the SBC Summit will now accommodate 25,000 attendees at FIL. This diverse audience will include operators, affiliates, sportsbook and casino suppliers, regulators, payment providers, marketing agencies, associations, legal advisors, start-ups, and more.

Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and Founder of SBC said: “The decision for a new home for our flagship event was driven by its remarkable growth, which had clearly outpaced the capacity of Fira Barcelona Montjuïc, as well as praise and support from clients and industry stakeholders. When we say it’s the fastest ever-growing event in the industry, we mean it, and that’s why finding the right venue and city was absolutely essential.”

The event’s expansion on the exhibition front does not come at the expense of its commitment to providing the ultimate delegate experience. The conference will host eight stages and 500 speakers including the largest stage in gaming with seats for thousands of delegates. The event will also offer the greatest hospitality in gaming with food trucks serving both local and international dishes and drinks around the clock. There will be plenty of networking and business opportunities across the many bars, coffee bars, ice cream lounges, a beer garden, a beach bar, fun and game zones, and much more.

Maria João Rocha de Matos, General Director of FIL said: “We are thrilled to welcome the SBC Summit to Lisbon in 2024. At FIL – Lisbon Exhibition & Convention Centre, we are dedicated to providing world-class facilities and support to ensure that this event is nothing short of spectacular. Our team is committed to working closely with SBC and its community to create an unforgettable experience in our beautiful city. We can’t wait to showcase all that FIL and Lisbon have to offer and make the SBC Summit a resounding success for many years to come.”

Lisbon, one of the oldest cities in Western Europe and a global historical gem, hosts more than six million tourists annually and is renowned for its warm and welcoming locals. The city offers a seamless transportation network, and while Portuguese serves as the official language, English is widely spoken in key areas. Lisbon’s culinary scene stands out as a top reason to visit, and the venue itself is surrounded by a vibrant array of bars and restaurants, with more than 20 options within walking distance.

Considering the global nature of the event, Lisbon is also the perfect choice for its extensive flight connectivity. Humberto Delgado Airport, conveniently located just 4 km from FIL, provides direct links to 136 airports worldwide, including non-stop routes to major US and South American hubs.

“The city and FIL are home to the Web Summit that annually gathers over 70,000 attendees and transforms the city into a tech hub and was an immediate and obvious choice. We knew that FIL possessed all the essential elements for scaling our event while maintaining accessibility and upholding the high-quality standards we’ve set for ourselves. I’m excited about what lies ahead. This is a unique moment for SBC, and we’re wholeheartedly embracing it,” Sojmark added.

Prince Edward Island charts ‘new course for gambling’ with updated RG strategy

The Prince Edward Island Lotteries Commission has unveiled its new responsible gambling strategy for Islanders, which acts as an update and replacement for the previous strategy created in 2008.

The strategy, which was developed by independent consultant MRSB – contracted by the PEI Lotteries Commission – was created using five guiding principles, which are:

  • harm reduction;
  • accountability;
  • informed and healthy play;
  • equity and inclusion;
  • and supporting vibrant communities.

Citing an “entirely new era” where digital and online activity has been growing at “warp speed”, the new strategy will “chart a new course for gambling” in the province, according to Minister of Finance Jill Burridge.

Burridge, who is also Chair of the PEI Lotteries Commission, explained: “The gambling landscape has shifted considerably in the last fifteen years. This new strategy responds to emerging demands and provides a balanced approach, by ensuring those who want to gamble can do so in a safe and positive way. It is based on sound research and consultation that will ensure we are making responsible decisions for Islanders.”

Prior to formation of the new strategy, MRSB engaged with mental health and addictions professionals, government partners, commercial stakeholders, such as the harness racing industry, and “the people who are most affected by gambling across the province”.

A series of virtual meetings and online surveys allowed the public to share input, with specific surveys launched to consult with groups that offer charitable lottery games on the Island.

“I want to thank all Islanders who provided their input into this guiding document that will be referred to prior to any decisions on this important topic down the road. We have a solid plan in place, with timelines and the means to measure outcomes,” added Minister Burridge.

NBA, MLS, CFL back Quebec online sports betting bid

The Quebec Online Gaming Coalition (CQJL) has gained high-level support in its quest to implement a new regulatory framework for Quebec online sports betting.

As reported by Le Soleil, the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Canadian Football League (CFL) and Major League Soccer (MLS) have all thrown their weight behind the Coalition’s bid to modernize the current system and allow for multiple private operators in the Canadian province.

Currently, Loto-Quebec is the only legal provider of online sports betting in Quebec, but a move to an Ontario-style licensing system could see the Quebec government receive at least $230m in royalties, according to the CQJL.

The Coalition was created earlier this year by eight operators, including DraftKings and Flutter, stating its intention “to address growing concerns about consumer safety, responsible gaming, advertising, and substantially increasing government revenues based on a new licensing regime for qualified private operators”.

Now, the CQJL has received a welcome boost with three of the biggest sports leagues in Canada and North America expressing their support for its demands.

“If the Quebec government were to create an open and regulated market, the NBA would support this structure, in the same way it supports Ontario’s competitive market,” said NBA spokesperson Mike Bass.

Randy Ambrosie, Commissioner of the CFL, said he joins other major leagues “in urging Quebec legislators to fully explore the benefits of introducing a regulated playing environment, one that does not operate in the shadows, but in full view of all, which protects the integrity of the competition and which encourages responsible gaming”.

This was a sentiment echoed by MLS Commissioner Don Garber, who wants to see the province equip itself with a model allowing it to increase “fan engagement in a responsible manner, with the highest levels of integrity and strong partnerships”.

Loto-Quebec, meanwhile, is defiant in the face of these calls, with spokesperson Renaud Dugas remarking that the organizations that give them their support “should question themselves about the Coalition’s true intentions”.

According to Dugas, it is “peculiar” that this group promotes a regulatory framework, “while some of the signatories illegally offer games to Quebecers, thus contravening the Canadian Criminal Code.”

However, Nathalie Bergeron, spokesperson for the CQJL, is unwavering in her assertion that the Coalition is a force for good.

Bergeron said: “Do you know of many industries that are proactively asking a government to not only regulate them, but tax them?”

BCLC bares all in ‘cheeky’ new PlayNow.com sports betting ad

British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) is reinforcing its safer gambling message with a new sports betting ad designed to reduce intimidation when using its PlayNow.com website.

The ad features plays in American football, ice hockey and soccer, where the participants, spectators and commentators are unclothed, except for the necessary equipment.

The message being conveyed by BCLC is that the sports betting experience can be enhanced and made easier for users, especially newer bettors, by using PlayNow.com, the Canadian Crown corporation’s online gambling site which deploys its flagship responsible gambling program, GameSense.

The new PlayNow Sports ad is being launched in tandem with GameSense ads, and significantly features no athletes or celebrities, with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) recently outlining its new online gambling advertisement standards, which outright bans athletes and places tougher restrictions on the use of celebrities, influencers and the like.

“You don’t need big names and big money to have effective advertising,” declared Patrick Davis, President & CEO of BCLC, on LinkedIn.

“With so much important dialogue in the industry about the frequency of sports-betting advertising and the use of celebrity and athlete endorsers, BCLC has continued to show that innovation in advertising is very possible: and without the flashy superstars who undeniably have appeal to younger audiences.

“With the NFL season beginning this weekend, BCLC, in partnership with our advertising agency 123w, is proud to unveil a new ad for PlayNow Sports, that demonstrates this innovation.

“I’ll admit, it’s a bit cheeky.”

Casumo onboards mkodo’s GeoLocs solution for Ontario igaming operations

Casumo has called on the services of mkodo and its geolocation verification solution, GeoLocs, as the online casino operator strives to achieve full compliance with geolocation regulations.

The Maltese-based firm was approved for a license to enter the Ontario igaming market by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) in June 2022, before going live in the province last November.

Now, Casumo is looking to enhance its igaming operations with GeoLocs, which has been purposely built to tackle the industry’s geolocation challenges through its “quick and seamless” integration and requires no companion app or additional downloads.

Mark Busuttil, Chief Product Officer at Casumo, commented: “Since the opening of the Ontario market, we’ve been eager to enter one of the biggest igaming markets in North America

“By choosing GeoLocs as our geolocation provider, we are confident that we can offer our players a seamless and user-friendly experience that meets the compliance and regulatory demands of the territory.

“The technology, knowledge, and expertise behind GeoLocs has been key in supporting us to license and operate in Ontario, during what is a highly anticipated and exciting milestone for Casumo and our players.”

GeoLocs has been used by mkodo’s partners for over 10 years, providing a “smooth user experience when it comes to location verification”. Users can verify their location very quickly, directly within the app or website, eliminating any lengthy location approval processes.

Stuart Godfree, Managing Director at mkodo, added: “mkodo is proud to be partnering with a leading operator to support their igaming launch in Ontario and establish GeoLocs as a leading geolocation verification service in this territory.

“We are excited to work with Casumo in Ontario to offer their players the best user experience for geolocation verification.”

‘Dealer collusion’ lands Woodbine Casino hefty AGCO fine

Ontario Gaming GTA Limited Partnership (Casino Woodbine) has been served with a Notice of Monetary Penalty totaling $80k by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).

The regulator took action after conducting an “in-depth compliance review” to assess Casino Woodbine’s adherence to the Gaming Control Act, 1992 and Registrar’s Standards for Gaming, which followed an investigation into allegations of collusion between an electronic craps dealer and five patrons.

The Ontario Provincial Police Investigation and Enforcement Bureau (IEB), embedded within the AGCO, laid charges against the five individuals in April 2023, and the regulator’s own review found that Casino Woodbine had “failed to detect or take appropriate action on available information to prevent the cheat-at-play and dealer collusion scheme”, including:

  • internal financial reports and emails indicating substantial and atypical losses from the electronic craps game over a six-month period of time, which were not effectively acted upon;
  • Table games supervisors were often absent from the craps table when suspicious gambling activities occurred;
  • Video surveillance recordings showing that the electronic craps game failed to follow required rules and procedures and lacked effective supervision;
  • Although Casino Woodbine had issued the dealer with seven procedural violations for inappropriately pushing dice to patrons before closing bets, the dealer was allowed to continue dealing electronic craps during that time.
  • Under Ontario’s gaming laws, casino operators are required to implement effective controls to limit the risk of criminal activity, including cheating and collusion between patrons and casino staff.

The Registrar, which is currently Tom Mungham until Dr. Karin Schnarr takes over next week, issued a Monetary Penalty for multiple alleged violations of the Gaming Control Act, 1992, which arise from non-compliance with the Registrar’s Standards for Gaming:

  • Standard 4.3, paragraph 2, requiring operators to have adequate supervision in place to ensure adherence to required procedures, including rules of play.
  • Standard 4.14, requiring that operators have mechanisms in place to deter, prevent and detect collusion and cheating;
  • Standard 6.1 paragraph 1, requiring that operators conduct risk assessments to determine the potential for unlawful activities, including money laundering, fraud, theft and cheat at plays.

According to the AGCO, Casino Woodbine has “fully cooperated” with its review and is committed to addressing deficiencies, but the regular will continue to monitor to ensure the casino “appropriately addresses their controls to better detect and prevent casino cheats and dealer collusion”.

The fine is the latest action taken against an operator, following the $100k fine handed to Apollo Entertainment last month for violations of the Commission’s responsible gambling standards.

WCLC marks industry-first with Catan scratch ticket

Western Canada Lottery Corporation (WCLC) has launched its new scratch ticket, Catan, which marks the debut of the brand within the lottery industry.

Catan is a multiplayer board game where players attempt to assert themselves as the dominant force on the island of Catan by building settlements, cities, and roads, and it has proven particularly popular with adults under 35.

WCLC is now hoping to leverage the success of Catan in the lottery industry and has subsequently called on the services of its partner Pollard Banknote, which has provided an integrated marketing campaign to increase player engagement and drive sales.

Brad Thompson, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Pollard Banknote, commented: “We congratulate WCLC on launching the first-ever instant game featuring the wonderful world of Catan, one of our new licensed brands ready to conquer the lottery industry.

“With a deeply devoted following and enviable brand recognition, the Catan instant game is destined to be a player favourite.”

WCLC’s $3 ticket features recognizable symbols from the Catan world, such as brick, wood, wool, ore, grain, and gold. With a familiar key number match game style, players scratch hex tiles corresponding to their rolls to uncover game symbols.

If they uncover the symbols corresponding with the winning combinations in the prize legend, they win up to $50,000. There are also two development card bonus features that instantly reward players who uncover a prize amount.

“We’re confident the Catan scratch ticket will be as compelling to our players as the board game is to its loyal global following,” added Chelsey Rowledge, Manager, Instant Games, WCLC.

“A new product like Catan is a great boost to WCLC’s ticket lineup. Our players are going to love this new and highly entertaining offering, which will help support priority programs and services funded by our partnering provinces and territories.”

Playtech sounds positive NorthStar notes amid recent investment pursuit

Playtech has noted the “significant H1 23 revenue growth” of NorthStar Gaming, with whom it finalized a $12.3m strategic investment earlier this year to expand its partnership.

Publishing its own financial results for the six months ended 30 June, the online gaming software supplier opted to also spotlight its movements in newer markets such as Ontario, where it has witnessed “attractive economics”.

Total player value and CPA are showing improving trends, according to Playtech, which referenced North Star’s recent attempts to raise additional capital from the firm and other investors in a bid to accelerate the growth of its footprint across Canada.

Playtech also made an investment, initially by way of a convertible debenture in December 2022, which subsequently was converted into equity in H1 23.

Playtech CEO Mor Weizer made further comments on the Toronto-based firm during the company’s H1 earnings call, adding that NorthStar was one of its structured agreements and that Playtech was “excited to see how this grows” as the company accelerates its growth in Ontario and beyond.

These comments may ease any shareholder worries which arose from NorthStar’s Q2 earnings report, where the firm expressed uncertainty over its future due to a lack of funds after losing $4.8m in the quarter.

Aside from NorthStar, Playtech has further exposure to the Canadian market with more than 10 other operators, and launched with FanDuel for Casino and Live in Ontario.

Gateway Casinos London ‘raises the stakes’ with gaming floor expansion

Construction has begun on the renovation of Gateway Casinos London, which will feature an expanded gaming floor, Gateway Casinos has confirmed.

As part of the $50m overhaul, the gaming floor will be expanded from 70,000 square feet to 84,000, and will include 891 slot machines and 18 live gaming tables wrapped around a new centralized bar.

“The development of the Cascades Casino at Western Fair District will be great for London, customers will benefit from new and expanded entertainment and food experiences,” said Reg Ash, CEO of Western Fair District.

“Everyone will benefit from the enhanced economic impact for London and (the) region through jobs and visitors to our city.”

According to Darcy Romanin, General Manager at Gateway Casinos, construction on the site will take 27 months to complete but it will be divided into five phases to minimise the impact on customers on the gaming floor.

“An expanded gaming floor, additional tables, adding two great new restaurants, our Match Eatery and Public House signature brand as well as our Chow Lucky Noodle House,” said Romanin.

“It’s going to be very exciting here. London will be very happy with the product that will be here once it’s all finished. We have definitely not held back.”

The casino expects to add about 100 new jobs by the time the renovation is finished in late 2025.

However, according to Councillor Susan Stevenson, expanded gaming on the site “raises the stakes” for Gateway and city hall because of an existing revenue-sharing agreement.

“Our (multi-year) budget is going to be an incredible challenge this year,” explained Stevenson.

Elsewhere, Gateway Casinos paid tribute to the “iconic” Tony Santo last month, following news of the CEO’s passing.

Linemate to simplify sports betting for novices with ‘Discover’ feature

Linemate, winner of the SBC First Pitch Competition 2023, is aiming to “revolutionize” the sports betting industry with the launch of its new ‘Discover’ feature.

The sports betting research app is primarily targeting people new to sports betting with a free feature that simplistically guides users from content discovery to consideration, research, and their transaction on the sportsbook.

The app also offers a premium option, Linemate+, which enables users to access a presorted feed of multi-trended plays.

Calvin Konya, Co-Founder at Linemate, commented: “We’re really excited to launch Discover. We want to provide an entry point to both our app and sports betting for everyday sports fans.

“This isn’t to say that experienced bettors cannot use our app either. In fact, the bulk of our current users are experienced bettors. This shows the trust people place in our statistics and analysis.”

According to the Montreal-based firm, the Discover feature resembles a “travel-like” engine that guides users to find their bet through straightforward narratives, such as “find a goalscorer in play today.”

This prompts only the top plays, which the user can view as sports cards, each showcasing their unique bet proposition.

The new feature helps to reinforce the message conveyed by Linemate at the Canadian Gaming Summit, where the company’s B2C app for entry-level sports bettors was honoured with a first-place finish in the SBC First Pitch Competition.

Speaking at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in June, Konya explained Linemate’s desire to make sports betting more simple and time efficient with an app he compared to what Expedia offers for travel.