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theScore Bet completes process of bringing sportsbook tech in-house

Penn National Gaming has announced that theScore Bet has officially launched its proprietary risk and trading platform, the culmination of the Canadian brand’s strategy to bring its sportsbook technology in-house.

theScore Bet now operates on a vertically integrated technology stack with all components, including the Risk and Trading platform, Player Account Management system, and Promotion Engine custom built by its in-house product and engineering teams.

A Penn press release states the migration to its own risk and trading platform significantly enhances theScore Bet’s mobile product offering in Ontario, where it is an early leader in the regulated online betting market.

In particular, the company promises more in-game wagering options and event props and an expanded library of markets. Penn said in the release that theScore Bet will also introduce a “new Parlay+ feature” in the fall for all major league sports.

“The completion of theScore Bet’s technology stack is a milestone accomplishment that significantly strengthens our online betting capabilities, mobile product offerings and overall integrated media and betting ecosystem,” said Jay Snowden, CEO and President of Penn National Gaming. “This vertically integrated platform will increase our ability to engage and retain customers, drive more flexible pricing, provide valuable savings on third-party platform costs, and allow us to deliver the most personalized product experience in the market.”

theScore Bet is Penn’s leader in the Canadian market and ceased U.S. operation on July 1 to focus all its attention north of the border. In the U.S., Barstool Sportsbook leads Penn’s sports betting operations. However, theScore’s new technology stack will also power Barstool when it enters Ontario, expected to be next year.

Snowden added that Penn is working toward migrating the Barstool Sportsbook in the U.S. to theScore Bet’s new proprietary platform in Q3 2023, “after which we will begin to realize the full benefits of our in-house, custom-designed technology”.

RELATED: theScore COO Benjie Levy steps into Penn Interactive leadership role

theScore CEO John Levy added that achieving technological independence has been a core priority of the brand from the outset.

“Operating on a system where all components are custom built to work together maximizes our speed and efficiency and supercharges our ability to seamlessly roll out new features, wagering options, and innovations,” Levy added. “We are extremely excited to introduce this enhanced product to Ontario bettors well ahead of the busy fall season.”

Bally’s launches in Ontario without sports betting

iGaming Ontario has confirmed that gaming giant Bally’s has officially gone live in Ontario’s regulated online market.

The Bally Bet brand has received a two-year license from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) earlier in July and has now launched in the province as a late arrival.

However, Bally’s is currently only offering online gaming, reports Covers. The Bally Bet Ontario site includes a number of online slots and table games but there is no sports betting available right now.

The launch of Bally Bet Casino in Ontario makes Canada’s largest jurisdiction Bally’s second online gaming market after New Jersey.

A spokesperson for the company told Covers that while the sportsbook arm of the site is currently in development, “there is no scheduled launch for the Bally Bet sportsbook currently.”

Ontario’s private iGaming market currently includes 19 operators and more than 30 gambling sites and related apps. Bally’s is the latest operator to get the green light from the AGCO, following other recent licensees such as PokerStars, SkillOnNet, and BetVictor.

Bally’s has a widespread land-based and digital gaming footprint in North America, owning and operating 14 casinos across 10 U.S. states and has access to online sports betting licenses in 18 states. As well as Ontario, it has also recently launched in the New York market.

It owns online gaming operator Gamesys Group after completing an acquisition of the UK-based company in the fall of 2021, as well as sports betting platform Bally Interactive; Monkey Knife Fight, the fastest-growing daily fantasy sports site in North America; SportCaller, a leading, global B2B free-to-play game provider; and Telescope Inc., a leading provider of real-time fan engagement solutions.

ALC finally launches Nova Scotia online casino

Nova Scotia has finally launched an online casino via an Atlantic Lottery Corporation website that went live on July 21.

Finance Minister Allan MacMaster said the platform, accessible via the lotto corporation’s website, is not being strongly advertised by ALC but is available for Nova Scotians to play. As of July 22, the casino was home to nearly 150 games.

The platform’s launch comes after months of discussion and means that would-be and existing online gamblers in the province now have a safe and secure place to play, said MacMaster. The website includes a link to play-wise tools which can allow a player to limit the amount of time and money they spend on the site.

A Finance Department spokesperson said the provincial gaming corporation, which has partnered with numerous gaming content providers in recent months, including Everi, NeoPollard, and Pariplay, is projecting the website will generate $10 million in its first year.

However, MacMaster emphasized that the driving factor for the launch of a regulated website was the desire to draw players away from unregulated grey-market or offshore sites, bringing revenues back into the province and offering more visibility and protection for gamblers, similar to what has happened in Ontario in recent months.

“It exists without us and if we have a presence, well at least maybe we can protect people and recoup some of the money that’s leaving our province,” he said, per CBC.

Nova Scotia is the second Atlantic province to launch an online casino after New Brunswick took the step in 2020. CBC reports that platform took $7.3 million in revenue during its first fiscal year in operation. Meanwhile, the P.E.I. government gave approval for an online casino in 2021, but that has yet to launch.

Back in February, Nova Scotia became the final province to launch single-game sports betting, which was legalized via Bill C-218 in summer 2021, offering retail options for bettors. The Canadian Gaming Association estimates that the Nova Scotia sports betting market is worth $26 million annually.

Rush Street Interactive adopts Neccton’s player protection tools

Rush Street Interactive has become the first US-based online casino and sports betting company to adopt Neccton’s player protection software.

The company’s BetRivers and PlaySugarHouse sites will now utilize Neccton’s mentor tools to promote responsible gambling across the online casinos and sportsbook platforms.

Neccton was recognized at the SBC Awards North America 2022 as a leader in socially responsible gaming. Its mentor solution tracks play and identifies potential play patterns that could need intervention, helping both players and operators pick up on problem gambling issues early. The tool recognizes triggers, alerts the operator, and directly contacts the player, helping the player make better-informed decisions.

“North America’s regulatory landscape is very diverse, so it is wonderful to see an operator as large and well-respected as Rush Street Interactive embrace our software and be ahead of regulatory requirements to become the first US company to adopt this powerful tool, underlining their heightened approach to player care,” said Dr. Michael Auer, Director and Head of Development at Neccton. “Our research has shown that players who gamble responsibly are more loyal, and their customer lifetime is significantly longer, so there is real value when a player is cared for by an operator.”

Earlier this year, Rush Street Interactive also became the first US-based online casino and sports betting company to receive RG Check iGaming accreditation from the Responsible Gambling Council for its BetRivers and PlaySugarHouse sites.

“At RSI we recognize that RG and other forms of player protection help build customer trust and loyalty, and mentor enhances our current offerings of proactive measures focused on prevention of at-risk play,” Schwartz added. “We believe in the immediacy of directly contacting a player at the first sign of possible at-risk behaviours, with both manual reviews and automatic direct player communication, to keep gameplay fun and safe.”

Scientific Games secures five-year Loto-Quebec contract

Scientific Games has been named the primary instant games partner for Loto-Québec through a new, five-year contract that significantly expands the number of instant scratch games the company will design and produce locally for Loto-Québec players.

Scientific Games has been a supplier to Loto-Québec for more than five decades and recently invested millions of dollars to advance production technologies and innovation at its Quebec facility.

The company, certified by the World Lottery Association as a Responsible Gaming Supplier, has produced more than 4,500 instant games for Loto-Québec at its Montreal facility over the past 50 years, including the lottery’s very first game. That facility also produces games for four Canadian provincial lotteries as well as lotteries in the U.S., France, Hungary, Australia and other countries.

“Scientific Games is a longstanding Loto-Québec business partner and employer in Québec. The company’s leaders understand what we are trying to accomplish by creating new, exciting instant game entertainment for our players. They also support us in creating greener scratch games to reduce our environmental footprint,” said Isabelle Jean, Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of Lotteries at Loto-Québec, in a release.

“We have made a significant investment in production technologies at our Montreal facility to innovate new games for the enjoyment of Québec players and support the lottery in its mission,” said John Schulz, President, Americas & Global Instant Products for Scientific Games. “With five instant game production facilities on four continents, our global scale allows us to support Loto-Québec and all of our customers with unparalleled game production capacity and distribution solutions that make Scientific Games the lottery business partner of choice.”

Scientific Games’ products generate more than 70 per cent of global instant game retail sales, with the company providing games, technology, and services to 130 lotteries in 50 countries around the globe, including nearly every North American lottery.

AGEM Index drops notably in June; down 18% YOY

The AGEM Index fell by 71.71 points to 811.39 in June, an 8.1 per cent decline from the previous month.

Compared to one year ago, the index is down 183.98 points, or 18.5 per cent. The drop comes amid economic pressures as during the latest month, 10 of the 12 AGEM Index companies reported stock price declines, and all but one company posted negative contributions to the AGEM Index.

The sole positive contributor to the AGEM Index in June was Agilysys, which added 4.05 points to the index as a result of a 15.7 per cent increase in its stock price.

The largest negative contributor to the index was Konami Corp. whose 14.7 per cent decline in stock price resulted in a 31.61-point fall to the index. This is in stark contrast to the gains made in May, when Konami’s 9.5 per cent increase in overall stock price drove a 2.4 per cent total increase in the index.

International Game Technology saw its stock price fall 13.4 per cent, resulting in an 11.13-point loss to the index.

All three major U.S. stock indices saw both month-over-month and year-over-year losses in June 2022. The NASDAQ fell by 8.7 per cent from May, while the S&P 500 fell by 8.4 per cent. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average saw a 6.7 per cent decline over the month.

The Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) produces the monthly AGEM Index that comprises 12 global gaming suppliers throughout the world. The index is computed based on the month-end stock price (adjusted for dividends and splits) of each company and weighted based on an approximation of market capitalization.

AGEM is an international trade association representing manufacturers of electronic gaming devices, systems, lotteries, and components for the gaming industry.

Great Canadian Gaming casino workers reach agreement on pay, benefits

Updated July 23

Unifor-member casino workers at six Great Canadian Gaming Corporation (GCGC) casinos have reached a tentative agreement to avoid strike action over pay.

“Gaming sector workers were pivotal to ensuring GCGC casinos rebounded following the COVID-19 shutdowns,” said Chris MacDonald, Assistant to the Unifor National President. “It has been a very difficult period for casino workers and these tentative agreements are a step in the right direction.”

The signed agreements include Great Blue Heron Casino, Casino Woodbine, Shorelines Casino Thousand Islands, and Shorelines Casino Peterborough, security workers at Elements Casino Mohawk, and Elements Casino Brantford.

Two other sites, Pickering Casino Resort and Casino Ajax, are still trying to reach an agreement and Unifor-member workers at those casinos are on strike until then.

“There is an unacceptable gap in the wages and benefits between workers doing the same job for the same employer an hour down the highway,” said Corey Dalton, President of Local 1090. “This strike is about fair working conditions across the gaming sector during uncertain economic times.”

The coordinated bargaining tables for Unifor members working in table games, slots, security, cashiering, food and beverage, kitchen and culinary, guest services, housekeeping, and maintenance roles at GCGC properties had met in recent days in Toronto seeking improvements to wages, benefits, and pensions. The union was also seeking to increase the share of good, stable jobs by converting part-time or “casual” positions into full-time jobs.

Unifor Local 1090 represents approximately 1,500 gaming workers at six GCGC properties: Great Blue Heron Casino, Casino Woodbine, Pickering Casino Resort, Casino Ajax, Shorelines Casino Thousand Islands, and Shorelines Casino Peterborough. Unifor Local 252 represents 30 security workers at Elements Casino Mohawk, and Unifor Local 504 represents 300 workers at Elements Casino Brantford as well as 275 workers at Elements Casino Mohawk (slots) and Elements Casino Flamboro.

SBC Awards North America 2022 celebrates industry’s best and brightest

The 2022 edition of the SBC Awards North America celebrated leading and rising stars in the sports betting and gaming industry across the continent as part of the SBC Summit North America.

The winners of the 27 operator, affiliate, supplier, and payment and compliance categories were announced in front of 600 senior executives from the betting and gaming industry.

DraftKings was named the Sportsbook of the Year for the second consecutive year and also collected the Employer of the Year award. BetMGM also went back-to-back in the Casino Operator of the Year category.

The victors in the operator section of the awards also included Entain Group (Socially Responsible Operator of the Year), who repeated their inaugural SBC Awards North America success in the same category. Meanwhile, Caesars Sportsbook (Marketing Campaign & Sponsorship of the Year) and Design Works Gaming (Social Gaming Operator of the Year) were also among the winners.

The ceremony also honoured FanDuel’s Amy Howe, who was presented with the Leader of the Year award for her contribution to the overall success of the industry. Cristian Robalino, VP of Marketing for the Americas at SBC, said that Howe has proven that a strong female leader in our industry should be a norm, not an exception.

The affiliates and media section saw gambling.com named Sports Affiliate of the Year and Catena North America securing the Casino Affiliate of the Year award, while Better Collective triumphed in the Sports Media Company of the Year category.

In the supplier section of the awards, the fiercely contested Sportsbook Supplier of the Year title went to OpenBet while Light & Wonder triumphed as Casino Supplier of the Year. Lottery Supplier of the Year went to International Game Technology and White Hat Gaming was named Platform Provider of the Year.

Sportradar won the Live Betting & Gaming Product category, Sports Data IO received the Sports Data Product title, and Xtremepush took home the Marketing & Services Provider of the Year award.

There were also victories for Optimove (Acquisition & Retention Partner), Aristocrat (Land-Based Betting & Gaming Product) and EPIC Risk Management US (Player Protection Service Provider of the Year).

The SBC North America Awards 2022 also honoured some brands challenging industry giants. The rising star prizes were presented to BettorEdge (Rising Star of the Year), GAN sports (Rising Star in Sports Betting), and Digital Gaming Corporation (Rising Star in Casino Award).

Everi Holdings was awarded the Payment Solution of the Year title, Paysafe triumphed in the Payment Innovation Category, and Veriff won the Compliance Solution & Partner of the Year.

Bragg expands Rush Street partnership into Ontario

Bragg Gaming has expanded its presence in Ontario by extending its ongoing partnership with Rush Street Interactive and RSI’s sportsbook product BetRivers.

The move will see Rush Street Interactive offer a selection of Bragg’s online gaming content. It is the first North American dual deployment of Bragg’s remote games server technology from both its Oryx Gaming and Spin Games divisions via a single integration.

A selection of 22 games compromising five exclusive online titles and numerous titles from proprietary and partner studios will be rolled for players at the BetRivers.ca brand over the coming months.

Richard Schwartz, Chief Executive Officer at Rush Street Interactive, said: “We’re thrilled to offer our players more best-in-class content from some of the world’s best suppliers and Bragg’s portfolio will help us do just that.”

RELATED: Immersive omni-channel gaming means focusing on the customer

The launch of the company’s content on Rush Street Interactive’s online site and mobile app in Ontario expands the partnership between the companies in North America, which also includes Bragg’s supply of games to RSI in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.

“With Ontario projected to become one of the largest iGaming markets in North America, this partnership with RSI will play an important role in our North American growth strategy,” said Yaniv Sherman, Chief Executive Officer for Bragg Gaming Group.

CGA President inducted to Sports Betting HoF and other notes from SBC Summit NA

The SBC Summit North America kicked off on July 12 in New Jersey, uniting the North American gaming and betting industry with a wide range of topics discussed.

We’ve summarized some snippets and tidbits from the Summit here.

Sports Betting Hall of Fame inductees

Canadian Gaming Association President and CEO Paul Burns was inducted into the SBC Sports Betting Hall of Fame on July 13, the first Canadian to receive the honour. He was inducted alongside three other industry leaders in a special ceremony at Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment in East Rutherford, NJ.

The induction recognizes, among Burns’ other career achievements, his prominent role in the ongoing reform of Canada’s sports betting and iGaming industry, within which the opening of Canada’s first regulated private online gaming and betting market in Ontario in April was a key landmark. As of Thursday, there were 31 sports betting and gambling websites approved and operating in the province.

“It’s an honour to be recognized and I am humbled to be inducted with some true legends of the sports betting industry,” Burns told OntarioBets. “We are seeing the potential of the sports betting market in these early days of the Ontario regulated online market.”

Burns said in his induction speech that while British Columbia and Alberta are future potential commercial sports betting and iGaming markets but significant work remains before they reach an Ontario-style structure, if they ever do.

Inducted alongside Burns were Chris Andrews, Sports Book Director of South Point Hotel, Casino and Spa; Sandy Drozd, Vice President of USBookmaking; Vinny Magliulo, Vice President of the Las Vegas Dissemination Company & Sports Book Director at Gaughan Gaming; and SBC Community Director Sue Schneider.

Other provinces look to Ontario’s progress

Burns also moderated an SBC Summit panel session titled “Online in Ontario: iGaming in North America’s 5th largest market” panel on day one at the Summit. Alongside panelists Richard Roberts, President of Digital Gaming at Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment; Oren Cohen Shwartz, CEO of Delasport; Will Whitehead, Commercial Director of mkodo; Scott Vanderwel, CEO of PointsBet Canada; and Kent Young, CEO of Spin Games, Burns discussed the licensing and regulation requirements for iGaming in Ontario and the pros and cons of the various market entry strategies for the Canadian state.

There, Burns noted that other provinces continue to follow Ontario, which launched its regulated industry to better protect consumers, and suggested he expects it will take a year or two for other provinces to have “meaningful discussions” towards regulation.

During the session, Vanderwel said that PointsBet’s data and research suggests that online casino is currently driving around 60 per cent of gaming revenue in Ontario. He added that PointsBet believes the sustainable pathway in the Ontario market is “long-lasting, meaningful relationships [and] more direct experiential connections.”

Meanwhile, at a session entitled “Building a gaming powerhouse in Canada” which also featured Burns, Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario COO David Phillips said that the commission intends to conduct a two-year project to examine its approach to land-based casino regulation for the purpose of implementing some of the innovations recently established for gaming.

“We have a lot of registered suppliers, where their ecosystem involves dozens and dozens of operators,” Phillips added. “Some are in the regulated market, some are still in the grey market… we’ve set very clear expectations, and we are spending a lot of time visiting other regulated sites and Ontario to get a sense of which suppliers are still out there and engaging suppliers to send very clear expectations with respect to exit requirements.”

Diversity, responsible gaming key issues

FanDuel CEO Amy Howe said in a keynote interview with CNBC’s Contessa Brewer that she expects to see some sportsbook consolidation down the road, given the competitive nature of North American markets and the current economic turmoil.

Howe also said that she wants to see more diversity in the sports betting industry, stressing that there is more space for more women working in the business, and that the market for women wagering on sports also has room for growth. To that point, she added that the presence of women on sports betting platforms is growing at 115 per cent times the rate of men, adding that while the industry is making progress, “there’s a lot of untapped opportunity.”

On that topic, on July 14, SBC’s Schneider noted that there are now 40 female CEOs across the global gaming industry, indicating that things are moving in the right direction.

In a session on July 12 at the SBC Summit North America’s Player Protection Symposium, a panel moderated by Responsible Gambling Council CEO Shelley White discussed the trials and tribulations of RG in the new world of gaming.

At the Symposium’s closing panel, former NBA players Charles Oakley and Randy Livingston joined Entain’s Martin Lycka to discuss the prevalence of gambling in the league and how to protect both pro and college players.

SBC First Pitch

On July 14, the second edition of the SBC First Pitch contest saw five innovative industry startups go head-to-head, pitching their business plans to a panel of judges for a chance to win a prize package valued at more than $60,000.

The five finalists were:

  • Kero Gaming: a white label in-game micro betting platform with a vision to disrupt the sports betting experience over the next decade by offering an interactive social environment for the bettors.
  • BetSwap Limited: a company that provides fully integrated marketplaces for both platform providers and operators. Each party will have access to a marketplace where they can buy and sell active bets.
  • STX: sports betting exchange inspired by traditional financial markets that offers a fair and real-time marketplace for users to bet on the outcome of sporting events.
  • Sparket – The Social Betwork: a company providing software solutions that enable operating partners to expand their sportsbook offerings and reach via a proprietary and customizable pool wagering system.
  • CapWize: a company providing sports bettors with real-time dashboards that include cutting-edge simulation data to help bettors make more intelligent sports picks.

Ultimately, it was BetSwap who emerged victorious, winning the $60,000 prize package.