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theScore Bet, Bet365 leading Ontario downloads

Updated April 26

Three weeks on from the launch of Ontario’s regulated online gaming and sports betting market, data around the province’s most downloaded sportsbook apps reveals that theScore Bet and Bet365 have been leading the way in the early stage.

As reported by Casino.org, Morgan Stanley analyst Thomas Allen concluded that on a month-to-date basis, theScore has established a “very strong lead” when it comes to downloads of mobile sports betting apps.

In fact, as of April, the Toronto-based company’s theScore Bet product is thought to represent 50 per cent of such downloads over the first two weeks of action, perhaps attesting to the prominence of and trust in its made-in-Canada brand. theScore has been a leader in Canada’s sports media market for many years, and theScore Bet has seen reasonable success in numerous U.S. jurisdictions over the last few years.

It has also recently secured a milestone decade-long partnership as the exclusive sports betting partner of the Toronto Blue Jays, resulting in high visibility at the franchise’s Rogers Centre home and through various media channels.

Bet 365 a consistently popular choice

A similar report, this time from Barclays, put theScore Bet’s share over the first 10 days of the Ontario market at 24 per cent, tied with Bet365 and ahead of FanDuel at 20 per cent of downloads.

Wagers.com adds that theScore Bet recorded over three-quarters (79 per cent) of the market share on opening day, April 4, but dropped back to the 30 per cent mark by Day 14. With that, theScore Bet comes in ahead of UK betting giant Bet365, which is in second place with 36 per cent market share in app downloads over the first two weeks of the Ontario market, according to Morgan Stanley.

However, Bet365 has surged in growth from 17 per cent at the opening of the market to 50 per cent this past weekend, and it seems that brand has been a dominant force in Ontario for the past few months.

The Morgan Stanley report shows that Bet365’s monthly share of sports betting and iGaming app downloads in Canada was at least 27 per cent going back to January 2021, with some reports suggesting the brand had more than one-third of the sports betting share of the Canadian market prior to its April launch. It held a huge 77 per cent throughout March, way out ahead of competitors, according to Covers. That may be somewhat skewed by the fact that in the weeks leading up to April 4, the company had been directing users to a new app for Canadian customers and warning them their existing app would not be usable once Ontario’s market went live. 

Barclays’ report over the first 10 days put BetMGM in fourth with 11 per cent of the app downloads.

Wagers.com added that separate data from Wells Fargo and Apptopia confirmed that as of April 14, Bet365 and theScore led the way with around 78,000 daily active users, in Ontario, followed by Betway at ~43,000 and FanDuel with 30,000, while BetMGM had around 14,000.

Others vying for market share

While Barclays’ report concluded that theScore Bet, Bet 365, FanDuel, and BetMGM accounted for 79 per cent of all app downloads in the first 10 days of the market, others are registering on the scale, too.

Betway, which is not yet active in Ontario but received its iGaming operator registration on April 18, comes in third with five per cent, reports both Morgan Stanley and Barclays. The former 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.

Covers adds that BetRivers holds three per cent of sports betting app downloads in Canada’s most populous province since April 4, while Caesars Sportsbook checks in at two per cent and 888 and LeoVegas have a one per cent cut each.

In terms of time spent on the app rather than just the initial download, Barclays reports that Bet365 (41 per cent) and Betway (24 per cent) dominated the market, ahead of FanDuel (eight per cent) and theScore Bet (seven per cent). Both Bet365 and Betway have their origins in Ontario’s grey market, with Betway transitioning from the former grey (now black) market but not yet live in Ontario’s regulated market.

Of course, it is worth reiterating that just because bettors download a sportsbook app, that doesn’t necessarily mean they will use it as paying customer in the long term, or even at all.

But, the analysts note, taking first-mover advantage and getting customers on apps early “has proven a successful strategy in most US markets so far”, although they add that other major operators such as DraftKings joining the horde will likely lead to further dispersion of share over the coming months.

Ontario expands sports betting field with bwin, Party brands

Updated April 21

Ontario’s regulated online gaming and betting market continues to take shape during its first couple of weeks after opening on April 4.

When the market went live near the start of the month, 13 private operators were ready to launch immediately having previously been registered and licensed by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and having executed an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario (iGO).

Since then, the field has expanded further, with Entain’s Austrian betting brand bwin and “Party” network both granted the right to go live as of April 12.

iGO’s list of licensed operators includes bwin and three “party”-brand sites: on.Partypoker.ca, on.Partycasino.ca, and on.Partysports.ca. That means Entain now has three prongs of attack in Ontario, with BetMGM part of the initial wave of licensed operators.

Others will follow in the weeks to come.

Entain could make it an Ontario quartet, according to a Wagers.com report which suggests its Sports Interaction brand has applied for a license in the province.

Meanwhile, according to iGaming Business, the AGCO says that Betway, which received its registration on April 18, was the 30th operator licence awarded in the province. Once Betway is licensed by iGO, it could make a big splash in the Ontario market; a report from Morgan Stanley concluded that the brand accounted for the highest percentage of iGaming and sports betting smartphone app downloads in Ontario on a month-by-month basis for the whole of last year and represented one-third of all gambling app downloads in the province as recently as February.

NorthStar Gaming has also been registered by the AGCO as an online gaming operator, meaning the launch of its gaming platform NorthStar Bets now seems imminent once it executes an operating agreement with iGO.

RELATED: theScore Bet, Bet365 leading Ontario sportsbook app downloads

More, such as US industry giant DraftKings, will likely follow by joining bwin and co. in the market, going through a seven-step process with both the AGCO and iGO to receive a license, adding more and more layers to an already fiercely competitive provincial market. Sports Handle reports that more operators should be fully licensed during the week of April 25 and another group of operators is expected to enter the market in May.

“We are just seeing a lot of excitement,” Mitchell Davidson, the chief of staff of iGO, told the Toronto Star. “On Day 1, we had 12 operators, 13 brands and 17 websites. That’s a lot of variety, a lot of consumer choice, and we are in the process of onboarding more operators.”

In addition, dozens of suppliers are live and providing games to those licensed suppliers.

Toronto-based Bragg Gaming is supplying to operators including 888; Evolution is working with numerous licensed operators such as BetMGM, LeoVegas, Rush Street Interactive’s BetRivers, and theScore Bet; Gaming Realms is working with the likes of Rush Street Interactive, BetMGM, and Kindred.

Numerous others are also active, including Vancouverian company FansUnite, Kambi, Scientific Games’ Light & Wonder rebrand, Everi, FSB, Playtech’s Quickspin, Aspire’s Wizard Games, and many more.

In such a saturated field, many of these brands are turning to high-profile partnerships with sports stars, franchises, leagues, and broadcasters as a way to attempt to get a leg up on the competition.

Some examples of those partnerships include FanDuel and BetMGM being named the NHL’s first North American sports betting partners of the NHL as the league expands its sponsorship into Canada; Toronto sports franchise conglomerate Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment striking deals with FanDuel and PokerStars, as well as PointsBet Canada; theScore Bet adorning Rogers Centre with its branding and offerings as the exclusive gaming partner of the Toronto Blue Jays; and FanDuel linking up with TSN.

Meanwhile, Connor McDavid has become the first active major-league sports star to partner with a legal sportsbook in Canada through a deal with BetMGM, and NorthStar has signed up veteran Canadian sports broadcaster Rod Black as a host and brand ambassador.

PointsBet Canada partners with US Integrity

US Integrity (USI) has made PointsBet Canada its first client partner with operations based outside the US regulated market.

The agreement began back in January ahead of PointsBet’s brand expansion in the Canadian market. Now, following the launch of the operator in Ontario on April 4, the deal has been enacted.

USI will provide integrity monitoring services to PointsBet Canada via its proprietary dashboard to identify irregular contest-level, officiating, and wagering patterns.

“US Integrity was proud to partner with PointsBet Canada and assist ahead of and during their launch into the brand-new Canadian regulated sports wagering market,” said Matthew Holt, CEO and Co-Founder of USI. “USI’s mission is to provide conflict-free, best-in-class insights & compliance solutions to our clients… These types of partnerships help ensure sports betting integrity and strengthen the unique and proprietary anomaly detection tools we have developed at US Integrity.”

This is the latest partnership in a busy few weeks for PointsBet Canada, which was one of the first slate of operators to go live on Ontario’s opening day.

The sportsbook has also partnered with the likes of Canadian TV series Trailer Park Boys and Canadian sports giant Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. That latter collaboration has seen it become an official sports betting partner of the MLSE’s teams, including the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors.

Atlantic Lottery, IGT strike deal for significant VLT expansion

International Gaming Technology (IGT) Canada Solutions has struck a deal with the Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC) that will see it supply 1,375 CrystalDual 27 video lottery terminals (VLTs) to ALC partners in 2022.

As part of the agreement, the IGT subsidiary will launch the CrystalDual 27 VLT with “high-performing” themes including The Wild Life, The Big Easy, and Royal Spins Deluxe.

The CrystalDual 27 VLT features two high-definition displays delivering “optimal graphics” for players, as well as a premier audio package, ergonomic design, and a mobile device charging port.

“IGT has supplied engaging cabinets and content that have proven to entertain VLT players throughout Atlantic Canada for more than 30 years,” said Patrick Daigle, President and CEO of ALC. “Expanding on the number of new VLTs in ALC’s gaming venues with popular IGT themes allows us to deliver on our promise of providing our players with the most compelling gaming experiences.”

In 2023, IGT will also deploy The Price is Right VLT content with ALC, one of its most recognizable brands based on the popular television game show.

“The versatility of IGT’s CrystalDual 27 VLT enables ALC to continue modernizing its gaming offering and provides players with best-in-class, market-attuned content,” added David Flinn, IGT SVP, Canada, South and Central America. “These 1,375 CrystalDual 27 units, in addition to the more than 350 that are already in the ALC market, reinforce our commitment to the lottery’s growth, and elevate gaming within the region with highly successful hardware.”

IGT has also announced an extended partnership with Aristocrat regarding patent cross-licensing for titles features and remote game server technologies.

Inspired awarded extended VLT deal in Saskatchewan by WCLC

Inspired Entertainment has extended its reach in Saskatchewan after Western Canada Lottery Corporation (WCLC) awarded the company an additional 700 Valor video lottery terminals (VLTs) in the province.

WCLC’s decision, acting on behalf of the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, will see the lottery and gaming provider provide an updated Valor cabinet with several new game themes specifically tailored for the Saskatchewan market.

The additional Valor terminals are expected to be delivered by the end of 2022, with new games slated for release throughout this year and 2023.

“We are thrilled to deploy additional VLT products into Canada in partnership with WCLC, as it is a testament to the successful launch and ongoing performance of the initial 100 units deployed in 2021,” said Brooks Pierce, President and Chief Operating Officer of Inspired. “We are proud of our launch in Saskatchewan and the great working partnership we have developed with the WCLC VLT team to launch our products, especially during the global pandemic. We will continue to innovate and improve on our offerings as we build on this foundation and cement our presence in North America.”

“We have been impressed with Inspired’s Valor VLT and their commitment to launch the product, which we have been operating for the past year in Saskatchewan,” added Eric Karmark, WCLC Vice President, VLT Gaming and Operations. “Valor has had strong comparative performance and we appreciate the depth and quality of the new and existing game styles, which we believe will offer an exciting and varied experience to Saskatchewan VLT players.”

IGT extends cross-licensing deal with Aristocrat

International Game Technology (IGT) and Aristocrat Leisure have partnered to sign a patent cross-licensing agreement for titles features and remote game server technologies.

The agreement relates to game features and remote game server (RGS) technologies for the digital and social gaming sectors and extends and expands a previous patent cross-license between IGT and Aristocrat. Under the terms of the deal, IGT will offer licences from the two companies’ combined game feature and remote gaming technology portfolio to the gaming sector globally.

Renato Ascoli, IGT CEO Global Gaming, commented: “This combination of two of the gaming industry’s most valuable game features and RGS patent portfolios can help propel the evolution of gaming with compelling content and advanced game mechanics.

“We look forward to providing the entire gaming industry with the opportunity to licence IGT and Aristocrat patents, particularly the compelling content resulting from our combined RGS portfolios, in the spirit of competition and innovation.”

This deal comes shortly after IGT confirmed the acquisition of iSoftBet in a transaction that the firm says could more than double its gaming output.

GLMS secures Ontario license to continue offering integrity services

The Global Lottery Monitoring System (GLMS) has obtained a gambling licence from the authorities in Ontario to continue supporting integrity services for Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) and other licensed operators in the province.

GLMS will use the Alcohol and Gaming Commission (AGCO) licence to provide OLG with monitoring and education services, which it says are part of its activities to raise awareness of fighting the manipulation of sports competitions.

The body has already cultivated a relationship with AGCO which resulted in it providing the regulator with resources regarding its standards for online gaming that the AGCO published last year.

Ludovico Calvi, GLMS President, said: “I am delighted that GLMS has become one of the first registered integrity bodies to win approval from the AGCO. GLMS has always supported regulated, responsible, and sustainable betting market environments, as bans have often favored the proliferation of the black market, criminal organizations, and match-fixing.

“GLMS has effectively cooperated with AGCO since 2021 in providing key provisions in the process of defining the standards and requirements for sport and event betting embedded today within AGCO’s Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming. We believe that the standards set by AGCO will create a sustainable sports betting market in Ontario and can be considered a best practice for other Canadian provinces. We are very excited to provide integrity services to our current and future members in Ontario and other provinces.”

OLG’s Chief Land-Based Gaming and Business Development Officer,Lori Sullivan, who is also a member of the GLMS Executive Committee, added: “OLG is a globally recognized responsible operator that is proud to work with the GLMS and its other members to uphold sport integrity in a safe and secure global marketplace for digital and retail sports.”

JCM, Global Payments announce cashless payments partnership

JCM Global and Global Payments Gaming Solutions have announced a collaboration to create a universal cashless solution that can be used by all casinos regardless of CMS provider.

The VIP Solutions cashless gaming solution will use JCM’s FUZION system and iVIZION bill validator to allow casino patrons to use mobile phones to fund slot machines and table games as well as pay at restaurants and bars and all casino properties, with no system integration required. The integration will enable casinos to avoid the CMS upgrades, system integrations, and related fees that are necessitated by all other cashless solutions, says CDC Gaming Reports.

“JCM Global is a 67-year innovator in automated transaction technologies with installations of more than 700,000 bill validators nationwide,” said Global Payments Gaming Solutions President Chris Justice in a statement. “By integrating our cashless solution and database of more than 3 million players with JCM Global’s technology, it creates a truly powerful combination for casino operators. Together, we offer state-of-the-art, highly secure technology that has perfected the cashless experience for players and operators alike.”

Global Payments Gaming’s cashless solution offers players a seamless cashless gaming experience, from enrollment to funding to gameplay to cash-out, and is the only solution enabling both rated and unrated play. VIP Mobility also is the only cashless solution that doesn’t require the creation of a wagering account, easing regulatory review and mitigating Tribal compact changes.  

JCM’s FUZION system and iVIZION bill validator help casino operators deter cheating, prevent acceptance of fraudulent bills, increase up-time on slot machines, and save labour during routine and emergency drops. FUZION simplifies cash management, optimizes printer and bill validator management, and has several interfaces that use unique data managed by JCM. 

“We designed iVIZION, GEN5, and FUZION to empower creativity that would help shape the future of gaming,” said JCM SVP of Sales, Marketing & Operations Dave Kubajak in a statement. “Global Payments has continued to expand their cash access solutions to provide an excellent omni-channel experience with their high-quality products. Now, this partnership between JCM and Global Payments takes full advantage of that forward-thinking technology, making cashless payments a great option to our customers.”

How did the pandemic affect online gambling?

The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) Centre for the Advancement of Best Practices has collaborated with the Ontario Gambling Research Society on a provincial study examining how online gambling behaviours were affected in the first year of COVID-19.

The study was released this month and provides the results of a three-step survey conducted between April and December of 2020 during the first and second waves of the pandemic.

RGC CEO Shelley White concluded that the council found that “a sizeable percentage” of gamblers increased their online gambling involvement during this period as they spent more time at home and as land-based gaming was shut down for a lengthy timespan, spending more time and money gambling and playing on more sites.

Among the report’s key conclusions were that more Ontario-based gamblers migrated to online gambling throughout the pandemic, including those who had primarily gambled in person before COVID-19. In Wave 1 of the survey, just a few weeks into the pandemic, just over half (54 per cent) of gamblers reported playing online since the initial lockdown in March 2020. This proportion rose significantly to nearly nine in 10 (87 per cent of) in Wave 3, at the end of 2020.

The most popular online gambling games were lotto or raffle ticket draws, instant lottery, electronic gambling machines, casino table games, and sports betting. Almost two-thirds of respondents said they gambled on OLG.ca, which was the only legal iGaming site in Ontario at the time of the study and remained so until April 4, 2022. Nearly one-third of respondents reported gambling on offshore or non-regulated sites during the pandemic.

In total, one-third of online gamblers in Wave 1 and 2 and almost half (45 per cent) of online gamblers in Wave 3 reported gambling online due to COVID-19 restrictions.

RELATED: Sports betting in Canada: Are we setting ourselves up for success? 

On the responsible gaming side, there were positive conclusions from the study. Primarily, almost 90 per cent of gamblers said they’ve used spending-limit features on online gambling sites, and many also reported using time-limit features.

White added that the RGC has built on these findings to develop programs in order to provide high-priority demographics, such as young adult men, with greater access to key information about the importance of setting time and money limits.

NHL expands its field of betting partnerships

The National Hockey League (NHL) has agreed multi-year partnerships with FanDuel and BetMGM for the North American market, including Ontario’s open regulated market.

FanDuel and BetMGM will serve as the first North American sports betting partners of the NHL as they expand their rights into Canada, giving them access and official rights to NHL branding for marketing in legal jurisdictions across Canada and the United States. In addition, both brands will support the NHL with its responsible gambling initiatives.

In Canada, the NHL’s only previous existing partner had been the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, which until just over a week ago was the only legal source of sports betting in Ontario. That deal with OLG’s PROLINE sports betting offering will continue, with OLG  an official NHL partner for sports betting on both its PROLINE+ digital sports betting platform and the new PROLINE product at retail lottery outlets across Ontario.

Now, though, the NHL has broadened its field.

“Canada’s new sports betting landscape presents a tremendous opportunity to further fan engagement and continue our progressive approach with the sports gaming industry,” said NHL chief business officer and senior executive vice president Keith Wachtel. “FanDuel was one of our first sports betting partners in the U.S., and we’re thrilled to expand our partnership with a leader in the sportsbook and mobile betting marketplace as we begin our transformative entry into this space in Canada and engage our avid Canadian fan base.”

FanDuel CEO Amy Howe noted that the partnership has already allowed the NHL and FanDuel to collaborate and “become true innovators in sports betting with initiatives like the NHL Network’s first-ever Odds Ticker and custom NHL sports betting content for social media”.

FanDuel has also recently struck a deal with the owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs franchise, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment.

Adam Greenblatt, chief executive of BetMGM, added that the brand is excited to further its relationship with the NHL, “including incorporating some of its all-time greats from Wayne Gretzky to Connor McDavid into our brand marketing”.

In March, Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid became the first major-league sports star to partner with a league sportsbook when he signed on to become a brand ambassador for BetMGM. Canadian hockey icon Wayne Gretzky also promotes the brand.