Search
Choose a style
Dark
Light

RGC, Flutter partner for responsible advertising research

The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC), funded by Flutter Entertainment, will conduct new research on marketing and advertising in the online gambling industry, assessing the state of play in key jurisdictions including the Ontario market.

The RGC notes that the opening of the regulated Ontario market on April 4 has resulted in “a significant influx” of iGaming-related marketing and advertising across all media channels.

The goal of the initiative is to conduct what global gaming giant Flutter — the owner of the largest U.S. sportsbook FanDuel — describes as “first-of-its-kind” baseline research that will help both regulators and operators develop and refine responsible gaming policies and practices.

Researchers at RGC’s Centre for the Advancement of Best Practices (CABP) will explore the current landscape of marketing and advertising on a global scale and provide policy recommendations to identify opportunities “for quality improvement” in key jurisdictions such as Ontario and New Jersey. The completion date for this comprehensive research is set for early 2024.

“Through this research, we not only have the ability to affect necessary changes to our marketing and advertising standards here in Ontario, but also the ability to make great impacts to the harm minimization efforts of jurisdictions all around the world,” said Shelley White, CEO of RGC. “This comprehensive study truly highlights the culture shift that the industry is currently undergoing, and by leveraging our research partners, we can make greater impacts in protecting players and communities.”

The RGC stresses that with the rise of sports betting and iGaming in Ontario and other jurisdictions, a need has emerged to better understand the impacts that marketing and advertising play in this new gambling landscape, particularly in legal, quasi-legal and grey market environments.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario issued a set of advertising stipulations as part of its Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming at the onset of the Ontario regulatory launch, including a prohibition on third-party or public advertising of sign-up offers and inducements and bonuses.

Since then, it has sanctioned several operators in the Ontario market for alleged breaches of these regulations, including PointsBet, BetMGM, and DraftKings.

George Sweny, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at Flutter International, suggested there is a need “to better understand the impacts of increased marketing and advertising on all stakeholders”.

“This foundational research will help us all make necessary strides towards bridging the gap between best and better practices in an area of significant importance,” he added.

Canadian lotteries call for crackdown on illegal operators

Updated August 6

A coalition of five provincial Canadian lotteries are urging the federal government to take action against black-market online gambling operators.

The British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis (AGLC), the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation (MBLL), Loto-Quebec, and the Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC) have jointly called for the government to take action on those operating illegally in their respective jurisdictions.

The lotteries, collectively known as the Provincial Lotteries Corporation, have warned that offshore gambling operators are advertising nationwide, luring online gamblers into unsafe and unregulated play and blurring the lines between legal and illegal gaming. They add that these unregulated operators are also saturating the market with advertising for their online casinos and sportsbooks at peak times such as major sporting events, particularly by advertising mirror “free-to-play” sites.

“Studies show that the majority of players do not know whether an online site is legal or not in their province,” said ALC President and CEO Patrick Daigle. “These are significant sums that could be used in our region to finance public services, but which, instead of helping our communities, only benefit illegal operators.”

The lotteries are launching a campaign to warn and educate players about the unregulated market as well as to reinforce regulations on platforms and media companies that give illegal operators a platform to advertise. The group is seeking government intervention to enforce the law on those who are infringing on the provincial lotteries, which often hold a monopoly in their jurisdiction as commercial gambling is illegal in Canada unless controlled by a provincial government.

“Canada is favourable to [illegal operators],” added Kandice Machado, President and CEO of AGLC. “They use misleading advertising to dominate the market, providing countless opportunities for Canadians to engage, often unknowingly, in illegal betting.”

Steve Lautischer, AGLC executive vice-president of business operations, estimates that somewhere between $400 and $500 million is spent annually with unregulated iGaming offers by Albertans, he told CBC.

MBLL President and CEO Manny Atwal emphasized that the provincial lottery corporations donate their profits to their provinces, which help to fund programs and services such as healthcare, education and community outreach. “Illegal gambling sites advertise to Canadian players, but often operate outside of Canada, taking their profits with them.”

Penn National rebrands to PENN Entertainment

Penn National Gaming, the owner of brands including theScore Bet and Barstool Sportsbook, is rebranding itself to PENN Entertainment to reflect its evolution into “a provider of integrated entertainment, sports content, and casino gaming experiences”.

President and CEO Jay Snowden called it “an exciting day” for the company.

“Over the past few years, PENN has transformed our business through a highly differentiated strategy focused on organic cross-sell opportunities, which is reinforced by our investments in market-leading retail casinos, sports media assets, owned technology including a state-of-the-art fully integrated digital sports and online casino betting platform, and an in-house iCasino content studio,” he said.

Snowden added the new name “maintains ties to our legacy while better reflecting our evolution into North America’s leading provider of integrated entertainment, sports content, and casino gaming experiences.”

The timing of the announcement is somewhat uncanny, as leading Canadian casino company Great Canadian Gaming Corporation this week also announced a rebrand to Great Canadian Entertainment.

As indicated by both companies, these moves reflect the changes afoot in the gaming industry in recent years, where there has been an increasing convergence of traditional land-based gaming, online casino and lottery, and sports betting.

Penn’s rebrand comes at a time of change for the company. Notably, its recently announced its leading Canadian brand theScore’s successful migration of theScore Bet to its proprietary tech stack in Ontario. That stack includes a risk and trading platform, player account management system, and promotion engine. Penn also plans to introduce a new Parlay+ feature on theScore Bet for all major league sports in the fall, as well as migrate the Barstool Sportsbook in the US onto the new tech stack during Q3 2023.

Sportradar launches Virtual NBA in-play offering

Sportradar has launched Virtual NBA, a computer-generated betting solution designed to improve engagement for its operator partners.

Virtual NBA will provide operators with 3,000 virtual NBA games per day, with each contest featuring 12 betting markets, and will be powered by “artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to enable gaming operators to increase engagement”.

Eight games will be available to watch on Sportradar’s betting solution at any one time, allowing operators to offer customers multiple engagement opportunities and more variety in betting offers.

The solution uses actual NBA data to simulate a “real-game” basketball experience. It is available to gaming operators globally in jurisdictions licensed for virtual sports betting, such as Ontario, via Sportradar’s eWallet Remote Game Server or through the Betradar Unified Odds Feed, allowing for straightforward integration.

“Through the introduction of Virtual NBA, featuring the names and logos of NBA teams, Sportradar is providing operators with dynamic new basketball content to drive engagement with the sport and provide fans with access to NBA betting markets, even in the off-season,” said Frank Wenzig, Managing Director of Gaming at Sportradar.

Sportradar says that by utilizing its database and a team of engineers that process millions of data points from previous NBA games, Virtual NBA can generate “480,000 unique, ‘real-game’ basketball simulations, resulting in unparalleled realism” for fans.

The Virtual NBA product also uses data points from half-a-million games and events, such as player positioning and movement, which have been “analyzed using artificial intelligence and integrated to create the dynamic moves and shots”.

BCLC names new President & CEO

The British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) has named Pat Davis as its new President & CEO beginning August 4.

A press release says BCLC’s Board of Directors made the appointment following a “competitive” candidate search and review process.

“Pat brings a wealth of knowledge in both the technology and gambling industries,” said BCLC Board Chair Greg Moore. “We are confident his experience combined with his dedication to integrity, player health and serving the best interests of our players and our province will further propel the advancement of BCLC as a social purpose company that operates with the highest standards.”

Davis was most recently BCLC’s Chief Information Officer and Vice President, Business Technology, leading the refresh of the corporation’s technology platforms and enabling the delivery of its digital strategy and innovation agenda.

Described by BCLC as “an expert in large-scale transformation”, Davis’ background also includes leadership in enterprise architecture and program management.

Davis, who grew up in Kamloops, will continue to be located at the Kamloops head office.

In its statement, BCLC’s Board of Directors thanked Lynda Cavanaugh, who had been BCLC’s Interim President & CEO since January 2021, when she took over from Moore.

Davis will be BCLC’s first non-interim President & CEO since September 2019, when Jim Lightbody went on medical leave. Lightbody subsequently stepped down for good in December 2021.

In addition, Dan Beebe has been appointed as Chief Operating Officer and Sandra Austin has been named Chief People Officer. Both had been serving in the roles on an interim basis for a number of months after an internal competitive hiring process.

Great Canadian Gaming rebrands to Great Canadian Entertainment

One of Canada’s largest and most prominent gaming operators, Great Canadian Gaming Corporation, is rebranding itself for the future of gaming.

Great Canadian will become Great Canadian Entertainment in a transition that the company says reflects its “strategy to set a new industry standard for gaming entertainment in Canada”.

The rebrand also includes a new corporate website (www.greatcanadian.com) and the launch of Great Canadian Rewards, a new loyalty rewards program for its 12 Ontario destinations.

“Our new rewards program and brand launch reflect our number one priority to offer a first-class gaming and entertainment experience for our guests,” said Tony Rodio, Chief Executive Officer, Great Canadian.

Great Canadian Rewards will allow members to earn and redeem loyalty rewards at any of Great Canadian’s 12 destinations across Ontario. Members can earn rewards without the need for a physical card, as well as view new rewards, balances, and other offers online. The program will also include a mix of new benefits and premium choice partners for a superior gaming experience.

The step into the loyalty realm will likely be seen as a way of boosting the appeal of the company and its properties to Canada’s vast network of gamers and bettors amid rising competition in the digital gaming world. Loyalty programs have taken on increased importance for Canadian businesses in recent years, spanning everything from restaurants to retail to other forms of entertainment.

A press release says that the rebrand and the launch of Great Canadian Rewards in Ontario come as the company continues to make “significant investments and upgrades” across the province.

RELATED: Great Canadian casino workers ratify new four-year deal

For one, Casino Woodbine is expected to reopen in 2023 and the expansion of Pickering Casino Resort later this year.

“Diversifying our amenities, by way of additional hotels, entertainment venues, and more food and beverage offerings, elevates the guest experience while making a significant, positive economic impact in the communities where we operate,” stated Matt Anfinson, Chief Operating Officer, Great Canadian. “We’re very excited about our new corporate strategy and the investments we have in progress, and those to come.”

Toronto’s Casino Woodbine is currently undergoing redevelopment and expansion to become Great Canadian’s largest capital project in its history. Once completed in 2023, the facility will feature a new 400-room hotel, an entertainment venue with seating for 5,000 guests, an expanded gaming floor, and an array of food and beverage options.

Meanwhile, Pickering Casino Resort in Ontario will open its own 275-room hotel, an entertainment venue with seating for 2,500 guests, and additional food and beverage amenities later this year.

“We’re extremely proud of our new offerings and what is about to come. Our new brand and new rewards program reflect our clear vision for the company’s future. We want to give our guests a sought-after destination and entertainment experience that ups the ante for the gaming industry in Canada,” concluded Rodio.

Founded in 1982 as Great Canadian Gaming Corporation, Great Canadian Entertainment operates 25 gaming, entertainment, and hospitality destinations in Ontario, British Columbia, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.

OpenBet acquires Multi Builder prior to Endeavor sale

Ahead of the acquisition of B2B sportsbook supplier OpenBet by sports media conglomerate Endeavor Group, OpenBet has made an acquisition of its own by buying betting technology and trading business Multi Builder.

Multi Builder was founded by industry veterans Oliver Preston and Jonathan Smith, with the business’ trading technology operating under the brand Sportsbook Models. The business is primarily focused on creating and powering algorithmic sports betting models that deliver quality content depth and improved margins across multiple sports.

The aim of the acquisition is to integrate Multi Builder’s services into OpenBet’s existing product portfolio.

Smith, who also founded sportsbook training company Sportsbook Training Services Limited, will provide training services exclusively to OpenBet as part of the deal.

“This deal marks another significant milestone in the development of our pricing and trading services strategy, which continues to grow in importance as OpenBet drives operator value through deeper market offerings alongside higher flexibility,” said OpenBet chief product officer Nikos Konstakis.

“Through the acquisitions of DonBest and SportCast in recent years, coupled with our internal roadmap, we saw our content and pricing revenue grow by over 100 per cent in 2021. The addition of Multi Builder Limited allows us to accelerate this growth trajectory, drive innovation and offer next-level betting entertainment for our operators’ players.”

This deal comes soon after OpenBet owner Light & Wonder slashed the sale price of OpenBet by US$400m in order to ensure the deal closes smoothly.

EveryMatrix gains license to enter Ontario market

iGaming platform provider EveryMatrix has officially secured its license to operate in Ontario’s regulated online gaming market.

The online casino provider has received approval from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and will now secure an operating agreement from iGaming Ontario before joining the masses in the market.

Once it is live in the province, EveryMatrix will distribute its proprietary content and in-house developed technology within sportsbooks and casinos, including games from Spearhead Studios and Armadillo Studios, to operators in the market.

The two studios have over 100 games combined, including North American-themed, branded games such as The Lioness featuring MMA champion Amanda Nunes and John Daly Spin It And Win It, made after the American golfer of the same name.

Erik Nyman, President EveryMatrix Americas, said Ontario market entry is “an important milestone for us in our North American expansion.”

Ontario entry is the latest step for EveryMatrix, which has recently rolled out an array of commercial partnerships including alliances with 888casino and BetMGM.

Betway officially launches in Ontario

Betway, a large player in the Ontario grey-market game prior to the opening of the province’s regulated market, has completed the transition to becoming a regulated operator.

After receiving its license from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission back in April, Betway is now in the process of executing an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario and going live in the province. It is listed on the iGO website as an approved operator.

The Super Group-owned operator has effectively been shut out of the province since the April 4 regulated launch date. However, it already has a significant level of brand recognition in the province, having operated in the grey market for a long while.

Data from Wells Fargo released in the early weeks of Ontario’s regulated market showed that, despite not being an approved operator at that point, Betway had the second-highest number of daily active users in Ontario after only theScore.

At around the same time, separate Morgan Stanley and Barclays reports concluded that Betway ranked third in the province in terms of app downloads in the first 10 days of the market, with five per cent of the total. Morgan Stanley also concluded that Betway accounted for the highest percentage of iGaming and sports betting smartphone app downloads in Ontario on a monthly basis for the whole of 2021, and represented one-third of all gambling app downloads in the province as recently as February, per iGaming Business.

In recent weeks, Betway had already warned its existing customers in Ontario that changes were coming, informing them that they would need to start using a new, provincially regulated website that would launch on August 1.

“This means you’ll no longer be able to bet on Betway.COM,” the operator said in an email, as reported by Covers. “Next time you visit the site, you’ll be prompted to confirm Ontario as your location and begin the switch to Betway.CA. You may also be asked to verify your identity – so we recommend having your passport and driving license ready.”

Betway also has a U.S.-facing partnership with the National Hockey League.

Betway’s parent company Super Group already has other irons in the Ontario fire, with its Spin Casino, Jackpot City, Royal Vegas, and Ruby Fortune brands all approved for two-year licenses to operate online casino sites.

Relax Gaming to power bet365 iGaming content

Relax Gaming has agreed a deal that will see it supply games to bet365 across multiple jurisdictions.

The latter brand’s customers will now receive access to content developed in-house by Relax, including slots titles such as Temple Tumble, Snake Arena, and Money Train 2. In addition, titles from Relax Gaming’s more than 50 casino suppliers and partners available through the Powered By Relax and Silver Bullet partnership programs will also be made available to bet365 customers.

Relax, which appointed a new CEO last month, says the move will enhance its profile in “key jurisdictions”.

While those cornerstone markets were not specifically named, both Relax Gaming and bet365 are live in Ontario’s regulated online gaming market.

RELATED: Canada calling for Relax Gaming

Relax’s Chief Commercial Officer, Nadiya Attard, who was appointed in January, noted that partnering with such a world-renowned operator as bet365 is “a hugely important moment for us as we continue to expand at pace”.

“The operator has a famously in-depth understanding of its player base and consistently has an impact on the market through innovation and a high-quality offering,” continued Attard. “As a result, we’re delighted the brand has chosen Relax to enrichen its offering even further. I’m sure the addition of our premium portfolio will only benefit that reputation further as bet365 continues to grow and differentiate itself.”

In total, Relax Gaming provides more than 4,000 online casino games, from its high-performing proprietary slots to a significant, varied library of content from hand-picked third-party studios via its partnership programmes.