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OLG named to 2022 Canada Best Employer list

January 27, 2022

Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) has been named in the top 20 per cent of Canadian employers with over 500 staff in Forbes’ Canada Best Employer 2022 list.

Compiled by Forbes and Statista Inc, the annual award honours 300 companies. OLG made it onto the final list for the first time this year, placing 53rd out of 300.

“It is an honour to be recognised with a place on the Forbes Best Employers List and to know that so many of our employees would recommend OLG as a great place to work,” said Duncan Hannay, OLG’s President and CEO. “For the best and brightest Ontarians looking for purpose in their work, OLG is a top choice employer. We’re an exciting gaming and entertainment company transforming our culture and the way that we work to ensure that we deliver great experiences for our customers, while delivering meaningful benefits to the people of Ontario.”

Canada Best Employer 2022 breaks down companies’ performance as an employer through an independent survey with 10,000 members of staff across Canada, based on whether they would recommend their own employers to friends and family. Subjects in the survey are also asked to evaluate other employers in the same industry that stood out in either a positive or negative manner.

“What makes this award so special is that it is employee-driven,” added Nancy Kennedy, OLG’s Senior Vice President of People and Culture. “Our employees live by OLG’s truths, which include doing good for Ontario and playing as one team. An OLGer respects, supports and values their colleagues and celebrates different perspectives and backgrounds. That is what makes OLG such a great place to work.”

theScore Bet becomes first to achieve RGC accreditation

January 26, 2022

theScore Bet has become the first prospective private market operator in Ontario to achieve the RG Check iGaming Accreditation from the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC).

A press release notes that the accreditation is “widely regarded” as one of the most comprehensive responsible gambling accreditation programs in the world.

“Receiving RG Check Accreditation demonstrates our unwavering commitment to responsible gaming,” said Josh Sidsworth, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, theScore Bet. “We elected to undergo RG Check Accreditation to ensure that we are positioned to deliver the best and safest possible experience for our players. It was important to us that we completed this accreditation ahead of theScore Bet’s launch in our home market of Ontario. We’re also pleased to deepen our relationship with the Responsible Gambling Council as we further establish our responsible gaming thought leadership position in Canada.”

The Responsible Gambling Council developed its RG Check program in consultation with policymakers, gambling providers, players, and people who have experienced gambling harm. The accreditation process helps gambling operators evaluate, monitor and manage all aspects of their RG strategy.

“Congratulations to theScore Bet on achieving RG Check Accreditation,” said Shelley White, CEO of the Responsible Gambling Council. “This achievement is a strong demonstration of Penn National Gaming’s leadership in responsible gambling and prioritizing transparency, player education, and harm minimization in theScore Bet’s operations. RG Check Accreditation is an important tool for continuous improvement, providing operators with feedback and insights that help increase the effectiveness of their RG programming and manage risk. RGC commends theScore Bet on their leadership.”

theScore Bet, which joined the Canadian Gaming Association late in 2021, recently received Gaming Laboratories International’s GLI-33 certification for Ontario, demonstrating the company’s gaming platform compliance with the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming. theScore Bet was also the first prospective online gaming operator to secure GLI Certification in Ontario.

Canadian Gaming Summit 2022: A World of New Opportunities

January 26, 2022

The Canadian Gaming Summit, Canada’s premier gaming event, is returning in-person in 2022 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from June 7-9 and the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA), Canadian Gaming Business (CGB), and MediaEdge Communications (MEC) are welcoming all registrants and presentation submissions.

Canada’s premier and only annual industry conference and exhibition for gaming professionals returns courtesy of the CGA and MEC with the theme of “Canada – A World of New Opportunities”.

We are excited to officially open registration for the Canadian Gaming Summit.

Register today!

So much to catch up on

The 2022 Summit comes at a time when there is a lot to catch up on and to look forward to for the industry.

The “Summit Marketplace” trade show floor will host an extensive education program based on a wide range of relevant and timely topics including iGaming, sports betting, new technologies, casino/online integration, loyalty/rewards, mobile gaming, lottery, data/analytics, regulatory and legal, finance, and community gaming, hosted by recognizable and expert presenters. The floor will also host roundtable discussions, trade show exhibits, social events and networking receptions, coffee breaks, breakfasts, lunches, and more.

Developed by the industry for the industry, as always, the intention is to provide informative and relevant panels, discussions, and education alongside multiple networking opportunities for industry personnel.

There are significant developments to discuss. The enacting of legalized single-event sports betting promises a world of huge opportunity as provinces, led by Ontario, will open up their markets to private operators from inside and outside Canada in 2022. In addition, Ontario also looks set to lead the way by getting its new iGaming market off the ground, and operators and suppliers alike continue to innovate with impressive results. This all points to increased and sustained demand for new and innovative products and the long-term resurgence of investment in gaming in Canada.

Call for presentations

We look forward to delivering our 2022 Summit education and keynote program, which will be comprised of timely topics with recognizable presenters. We have always taken great pride in developing a robust education program based on industry feedback and the most pressing topics that will be of value to our valued attendees.

We would enjoy gathering your education session ideas for consideration.

Submit your session idea(s)!

Exhibitor/sponsorship opportunities

Our fully integrated sponsorship program packages for 2022 include exposure before, during, and after the Summit. This exposure will be attained through the Gaming Summit, Canadian Gaming Business magazine, e-newsletter, website, Gaming Business and Gaming Summit social media channels and much more. Included in these packages are significant discounts for CGA members.

As our industry continues to evolve, the Canadian Gaming Summit will strive to provide multiple creative ways for the industry to reach target clients and prospects. We look forward to your exhibit and/or sponsor support of the 2022 Gaming Summit and to helping bring the industry back together again.

Download the 2022 exhibitor/sponsorship kit

Looking to the future

It goes without saying that the past two years have been challenging for gaming in Canada. The remarkable resilience that the industry has demonstrated over the past two years – reconfiguring business operations, managing closures and re-openings, tackling staff challenges, and more – is proof of the strong leadership and dedication of employees and companies across the country.

Heading into 2022, Canada’s gaming industry is a source of much attention and admiration around the world. There is so much for us all to demonstrate, to discuss, and to learn.

“The timing couldn’t be better,” says CGA President and CEO Paul Burns. “We anticipate that Ontario’s iGaming market will have launched in early 2022 and we will be several months into seeing how Canada’s first legal iGaming and sports betting jurisdiction is going. Given that Ontario is the largest province in Canada and the first to license and regulate offshore online gaming, we will feature industry experts to discuss this move and its importance and the expectations for the process. This is a clear example of transforming the customers’ experience, the theme for the 2022 Summit.”

It’s truly an exciting time to be part of this great industry, and we sincerely look forward to your attendance and support and to bringing the industry back together again.

For more information on the 2022 Canadian Gaming Summit’s educational program and sponsorship opportunities, please see our sponsorship kit, visit canadiangamingsummit.com, or contact MediaEdge SVP Chuck Nervick at [email protected] or 416-803-4653.

SIGA expects sportsbook offerings to launch by summer

January 25, 2022

Saskatchewan could offer its residents online sports betting by this summer, according to the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA).

SIGA won the right to operate the province’s regulated online gaming and sports betting offerings back in September 2021, soon after Bill C-218 was passed to legalize single-event wagers across Canada.

The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) and the province signed an amendment to the Gaming Framework Agreement (GFA) to establish the legal framework for a new online gaming site to be run by SIGA with a 50/50 revenue split between FSIN and the province. SIGA will operate the site with exclusivity for five years, and it will be managed by Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation.

SIGA, which operates seven casinos in the province, expects to be offering sports betting at its land-based facilities and through its online gaming portal by summer 2022, director of communications for SIGA Alanna Adamko told Covers in an email.

Currently, bettors in Saskatchewan can only place legal sports bets by travelling to a retail store and getting a ticket through Western Canada Lottery Corporation’s SPORT SELECT game. Such bets are capped at $100. In contrast, its neighbouring provinces of Alberta and Manitoba currently have internet-based sportsbooks run by government-owned lottery and gaming corporations.

All proceeds from SIGA’s casino operations go to local First Nation communities. FSIN, which represents 74 First Nations in the province, and the Saskatchewan government have already settled on a new 50/50 revenue-sharing agreement that splits profits right down the middle.

SIGA Chair Chief Reginald Bellerose said back in September that the arrangement “will only increase SIGA’s ability as a non-profit to positively impact employment, economic growth, positive community relations and financial self-reliance of First Nations in the province”.

MaximBet partners with Kambi ahead of Canadian launch

January 25, 2022

MaximBet, a recently launched sports betting supplier currently operating in Colorado, has signed multi-year partnership deals with Kambi and White Hat Gaming as it looks ahead to launching in Canada and more U.S. states in 2022.

The Kambi deal will see MaximBet integrate the Canadian Gaming Association member’s sportsbook platform into its own offering as it expands across North America.

The company hopes to launch in several US states – Indiana, Iowa, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania – in addition to Colorado, and has plans to launch in Canada in 2022.

“When we launched MaximBet late last year, we promised our users the very best experience, both online and in the real world,” chief executive Daniel Graetzer said in a press release. “Teaming up with Kambi – the world’s most prestigious sports betting technology supplier – makes this promise even more of a reality.”

“Kambi is delighted to become the exclusive online sportsbook provider to MaximBet, a company that is committed to delivering a superior experience to its players,” Kambi CEO Kristian Nylén added. “This is an important partnership for Kambi as we continue to strengthen our global network and we look forward to working closely with MaximBet to aid its expansion across the U.S.”

MaximBet joins numerous other sportsbooks, including market leaders such as Penn National’s Barstool and Rush Street Interactive’s BetRivers, in offering sports wagering through Kambi’s platform.

White Hat, a frequent collaborator of Kambi’s, offers iGaming and player account management (PAM) platforms as part of its range of services. MaximBet will now gain access to White Hat’s full-service iGaming platform and PAM solution, including a range of casino content and its in-house cashier and travelling wallet.

Atlantic Lottery becomes NeoPollard’s first North American digital content partner

January 24, 2022

Lottery supplier NeoPollard Interactive (NPi) has agreed its first digital content deal in North America with a partnership with Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC).

The initial agreement will see ALC, the only regulated iGaming operator in Atlantic Canada, expand its alc.ca platform by adding online instant win games from NPi’s NeoGames Studio library for the next five years.

“The Atlantic Lottery is excited to work with NPi to enhance the exceptional experience we are able to deliver to players online,” said ALC iGaming manager Robert Lalonde. “ALC strives to offer the best digital content available within a world-class responsible gambling framework that keeps more gaming revenues within the Atlantic Canada region to directly benefit residents. This new partnership and content integration with NPi will give ALC the opportunity to expand the game content that we offer online and broaden our competitive appeal to players.”

This deal marks NeoPollard’s first venture into digital content partnerships in North America, although it already provides iLottery platforms, solutions, and content digital game content to Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis’ Play Alberta platform, as well as four U.S. state lotteries.

NeoPollard Interactive general manager Liz Siver added: “NPi is thrilled to celebrate another first for our company with our new partners at ALC. Our digital content partnership with ALC once again demonstrates NPi’s willingness and ability to customize our best-in-class solutions to address the unique needs of each of our lottery customers to maximize profitability and proceeds to good causes.

IGT reshuffles leadership as CEO Sala becomes Executive Chair

January 20, 2022

International Game Technology (IGT) has announced that the company’s CEO Marco Sala will replace Lorenzo Pelliciolo as its Executive Chair.

Pelliciolo is retiring from the role of Chairperson and will depart on January 24. He will remain at the company as a Non-Executive Director.

Sala will take on a new role as Executive Chair of the Board, replacing Pelliociolo after 19 years of service to the company.

“The changes to the IGT executive team and board are an important step in positioning the company for the next phase of its evolution,” said Pelliciolo. “The actions further strengthen IGT’s capabilities to execute on its long-term strategy and the value creation initiatives identified in the company’s recent investor day. It is a natural evolution for Marco to lead the IGT board.

“More importantly, during his 19-years at IGT and its predecessor companies, he has a proven track record of success and has earned the trust and respect of IGT’s customers, investors, business partners and regulators. As Executive Chair, Marco will focus on managing the board, corporate governance, including sustainability initiatives, and guiding the strategic direction of IGT.”

In turn, Sala will be replaced as CEO by Vincent Sadusky, who will also become Executive Director of the Board.

“Likewise, we are delighted to announce that Vince Sadusky, a seasoned executive, a long-time member of the current IGT board as well as that of its predecessor companies and the former Chair of our audit committee will succeed Marco as CEO,” added Pelliciolo. “Vince brings a unique set of skills to the role, where he combines his knowledge of IGT with his demonstrated ability to create shareholder value with decades in leadership roles in public and private companies in dynamic industries, including digital and media. His transition into the CEO role will be relatively seamless.”

Sadusky’s boardroom duties will be filled by Maria Pinelli and Ashley Hunter, who have been appointed as non-executive directors. Pinelli will directly replace Sadusky position on IGT’s audit committee.

BetMGM sets eyes on Ontario launch

January 20, 2022

BetMGM has firmed up its commitment to its highly anticipated launch into the Ontario market by announcing in a press release that it is expecting to launch both online sportsbook and iGaming offerings in the province later in 2022.

CEO Adam Greenblatt added that bwin, another brand owned by Entain Plc, the 50-50 owner of BetMGM with MGM Resorts International, will also launch in Canada.

“We see this as incremental,” Greenblatt said on a conference call, per Covers. “What we see, even in the U.S., where we have multiple brands, both can thrive. The brands will be operated by different, independent teams. So, we fully see that as incremental to value.”

BetMGM is one of many third-party operators that has already submitted an application for licensing in Ontario. Currently, only the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation is able to offer options including single-event sports betting in the province.

Singles were made legal in late August 2021, but Ontario is still in the process of considering how and exactly when to open up a private sports betting and iGaming market.

The most recent predictions suggested that the market could go live by the end of the first quarter of 2022.

In the meantime, numerous border states in the U.S. have launched online sports betting, including New York in recent weeks. BetMGM entered the New York market on January 17, offering new customers a risk-free bet of US$1,000. In addition to a focus on Ontario, BetMGM anticipates launching online sportsbooks in Illinois and Louisiana in the first quarter of 2022.

Ontario casinos can reopen on January 31

January 20, 2022

Ontario casinos can reopen to customers at 50 per cent of normal capacity starting on January 31.

Casinos, bingo halls and other gaming establishments in the province had been shut down again on January 5 as Ontario returned to a modified version of Stage Two of its pandemic response plan.

At the time, that move was confirmed to be for a minimum period of 21 days, until January 26. On January 20, it was confirmed that casinos will be able to open their doors again slightly later than hoped, but still before the end of the month.

From January 31, the province will be moving forward with a 21-day period of loosening restrictions. Under that plan, casinos would be allowed to return to full capacity on February 21.

The closure this month had been the latest in a long line of shutdowns for Ontario casinos. Gaming centres had been off-limits in spring 2020 and then again in the winter of 2020-21, and had only finally been able to enjoy unrestricted operation for the first time in over a year in late October.

Now, the return to 50-per-cent capacity brings Ontario casinos in line with those in numerous other provinces including British Columbia and Nova Scotia.

The Canadian Gaming Association estimates there are 114 casinos in Canada, along with 200 permanent bingo halls and community gaming centres, that employ roughly 183,000 people.

Sportradar makes key hires, strikes CHL deal

January 20, 2022

Sports data and solutions provider Sportradar has appointed former Bloomberg executive Andrew Bimson in its newly created role of chief operating officer for North America.

Bimson will manage the growth of Sportradar’s three core business areas; Betting and Gaming, Sports Entertainment (media solutions), and marketing services.

At Bloomberg, Bimson spent a decade in a number of senior management roles, most recently as global head of business marketing operations and analytics. He will now report to Sportradar North America CEO Arne Rees.

“Andrew joins Sportradar at an important time as the North America market is primed for significant growth and remains a key focus of Sportradar’s overall strategic plan,” Rees said.

The company has also named experienced former NCAA executive Jim Brown as its new Head of Integrity Services & Harm Prevention in North America.

For the past eight years, Brown has worked for the NCAA in various risk management roles, most recently as the Managing Director of Enterprise Risk Management, wherein he was instrumental in guiding the organization’s approach to sports wagering risk mitigation. He collaborated on the development of a comprehensive program featuring the integrity-related monitoring of 12,500 games annually.

Brown said: “As new sports betting markets open up across the US, the need for robust and resilient integrity services has never been greater. Sportradar sets the standard in our industry and I’m excited to join the team to lead the development of existing and new offerings that will both protect the integrity of competitions as well as safeguard the well-being of athletes.”

Canadian Hockey League deal

Meanwhile, Sportradar has agreed a new integrity support deal with the Canadian Hockey League. The multi-year education and bet monitoring services agreement will see the three CHL member leagues – the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League – monitored by Sportradar Integrity Services through its Universal Fraud Detection System (UFDS).

The agreement takes Sportradar’s portfolio of ice hockey partners to nine leagues and federations around the world.

“By engaging Sportradar, a leader in providing integrity services, the CHL is putting itself in a strong position to protect the integrity of their competitions as well as educate and inform all their key stakeholders about potential risks within a sports betting environment,” said Sportradar Integrity Services director of global partnerships Andy Cunningham. “As new sports betting markets open up across North America, we look forward to supporting the CHL through our best-in-class products and services.”

Canadian Hockey League president Dan MacKenzie added: “The CHL is fully committed to protecting all of our league-wide stakeholders from the threat of match-fixing, and Sportradar’s eLearning tutorial will be integral to ensure they are fully equipped with the necessary knowledge and understanding of how best to recognise and react to integrity threats.”

This is the latest partnership for Sportradar, which extended its sports betting partnership with Kambi and announced a new partnership with PointsBet last month. It also joined forces with FansUnite back in October 2021.