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Marketing agency MediaTroopers expands into Ontario

Digital marketing agency MediaTroopers has launched its services in Ontario following the opening of the Canadian province’s legal online sports betting market.

MediaTroopers will work with its licensed partners in the province to promote those partners’ brands and sports betting offerings to players, as it has done in multiple U.S. jurisdictions.

The agency has long-lasting partnerships with several of the operators that have already gone live in Ontario since the market launched on 4 April.

“Now is an exceptionally exciting time, both for bettors and operators in Ontario and for us here at MediaTroopers,” chief executive Sam Segal said. “We are delighted to have been given this incredible opportunity to offer our innovative and high-value expertise and services to the legalized betting market in Ontario.”

The agency is already operational in more than 16 states and Washington DC, including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, and Illinois.

Gaming CEOs optimistic despite persistent industry challenges

Gaming industry CEOs have expressed optimism about the industry’s continued growth and recovery despite persistent challenges.

The American Gaming Association’s (AGA) Gaming Industry Outlook, which surveys 24 executives of US and international gaming companies, tribal gaming operators, single-unit casino operators, major gaming equipment suppliers, and major iGaming and/or sports betting operators, found that two-thirds of respondents (67 per cent) rate the current business situation as “good”, up from 54 per cent six months ago.

Meanwhile, four in 10 CEOs (42 per cent) expect the industry’s business climate to improve over the next two quarters, compared to 13 per cent that expect business conditions to worsen.

“Gaming executives are signaling confidence in our continued recovery that is in line with record-setting consumer demand for gaming,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “I’m optimistic that 2022 will see the return of a true sense of normalcy for gaming.”

Concerns persist

However, while gaming CEOs are generally positive about the industry’s economic outlook, they also report concerns over some impediments to business growth, including:

  • Supply chain issues (75 per cent)
  • Inflationary and interest rate concerns (67 per cent)
  • Labour shortages (54 per cent)

While some these are unsurprising, particularly as inflation hits record highs across North America, it i snotale that COVID-19 itself is no longer among the top five concerns for gaming CEOs.

The Current Conditions Index found that the gaming industry has grown at an annualized pace of approximately 16.5 per cent over the last three quarters.

Meanwhile, the vast majority of gaming CEOs surveyed (79 per cent) expect the pace of wage and benefit growth to increase over the next three-to-six months, while 50 per cent expect the pace of hiring to increase.

When it comes to future investment, 53 per cent of gaming operators surveyed plan to invest more capital than normal in hotel facilities in the coming year, while about one-third plan to invest more than normal in slots on the casino floor (27 per cent) and brick-and-mortar sportsbooks (33 per cent).

Meanwhile, 100 per cent of suppliers expect sales of gaming units for new or expansion use to rise; 86 per cent expect sales of gaming units for replacement use to rise; and 71 per cent expect the pace of their capital investment to rise.

MaximBet becomes first sportsbook to sign active MLB player

An active Major League Baseball (MLB) player will officially endorse a North American bookmaker for the first time, as MaximBet has signed up Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon.

ESPN reports the four-time All-Star will serve as a brand ambassador via marketing campaigns, promotions, social media content, and fan events for the online sportsbook, which is an offshoot of the lifestyle brand Maxim and currently operates only in Colorado, albeit with plans to expand into Iowa and Indiana. It also has market access in New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, as well as the nascent regulated market in Ontario.

This is the first such deal struck by an MLB player after the latest collective bargaining agreement signed earlier in 2022 granted permission to active players to sign with sportsbooks in jurisdictions where wagering on sports is legal, as long as they do not promote betting on baseball specifically. Prior to that amendment, marketing and sponsorship deals with sportsbooks were restricted to leagues and teams entities.

The deal between Blackmon and MaximBet is the latest example of the confluence of MLB representatives and legal sports betting in North America.

In Canada, the biggest announcement so far has come in the form of a 10-year exclusive partnership between the Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto-based sportsbook theScore Bet that saw the brand become the sole Canadian MLB franchise’s first gaming partner.

In a recent interview on SportsCenter, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred noted that the league sees legal sports betting “primarily as a form of increasing fan engagement”.

Sports and betting are becoming intrinsically linked, and it is not just MLB that has been hitching its wagon to sportsbooks and sports stars.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s PROLINE sportsbook, for example, has become an official sportsbook partner of both the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Football League (NFL) in Canada, and the NHL has also linked up with private sportsbook operators FanDuel and BetMGM.

Meanwhile, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), the owner of the Toronto Raptors, Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto FC, and Toronto Argonauts sports franchises, has signed deals with Flutter’s FanDuel and PokerStars as well as PointsBet Canada.

And in March, Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid became the first active major-league star to partner with a sportsbook by signing an ambassadorial deal with BetMGM.

OpenBet appoints BCLC’s Stewart Groumoutis to lead Canadian commercial growth

Sports betting solutions provider OpenBet has appointed former British Columbia Lottery Corporation director Stewart Groumoutis as its new vice president of commercial for Canada.

Groumoutis will be tasked with helping OpenBet secure new commercial opportunities in Canada as the business seeks to expand its presence in the country. OpenBet already has a significant Canadian, serving as the principal technology partner of provincial lottery corporations such as BCLC, Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), Atlantic Lottery, and Loto-Québec.

However, with the country’s online gaming and sports betting market changing rapidly and drastically, Groumoutis’ remit will be to help OpenBet capitalize on the size of the opportunity at hand.

Groumoutis joins OpenBet’s senior management team after a decade with the BCLC, where he most recently served as director of eGaming and has also held roles including senior manager for eCasino and platform operations, as well as manager for casino products and player development.

“During my time with BCLC, I was exceedingly impressed by OpenBet’s ability to maximize operational value delivery, while also maintaining a strong focus on the future and innovation in the industry,” Groumoutis said in a press release. “North America is in the planning or early stages of growth in most states and provinces, and operators are looking for not just vendors but real partners to help them succeed.”

OpenBet chief commercial officer Cathryn Lai added: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Stewart to the team. He understands the culture and best practices of OpenBet, which is hugely beneficial as we look to power more sportsbooks with our unrivalled technology, content and services across North America, including Canada Over the coming months, we anticipate increased commercial activity as demand for our products and services continues to grow.”

OpenBet now operates as an arm of Endeavor Group, having previously served as the sports betting division of Light & Wonder (formerly Scientific Games).

In January, it appointed former executives of DAZN and the American Gaming Association to its senior management team with a view to strengthening the quality of its worldwide offerings.

Light & Wonder launches first slot since rebrand

Casino supplier Light & Wonder has launched its first game since its rebrand with the release of Stargate Megaways, a new 6-reel slot based on the MGM sci-fi fantasy film Stargate.

In the game hosted on the company’s OpenGaming platform, players are tasked with working their way up a Stargate trail every time they register a consecutive win, unlocking modifiers and one of three free spins rounds. When the fifth segment of the trail is reached, a random modifier will be activated to boost the player’s chances of triggering up to seven free spins.

Modifiers include random wilds, wild reels, expanding reels, mystery symbols, and regenerate, which clears the game grid and sees a re-spin occur with the same number of Megaways in place. Should the seventh, eighth, or ninth segment be reached, Star Coordinates will align, allowing players to step through the gate into distant worlds as they are awarded between five and seven free spins featuring lucrative modifiers.

“Not only is Stargate Megaways Light & Wonder’s flagship release as a new brand, but it’s also set to be our most revolutionary,” said Light & Wonder vice president of game development Rob Procter. “We’ve flipped the concept of a Megaways slot on its head, this game is nothing like you’ll have played before from a Megaways title and we think it’ll prove to be a big hit.”

RELATED: Why Asian-themed games will be at the core of driving online casino entertainment in Ontario

The game has already gone live with the likes of Videoslots, Kindred Group, Svenska Spel, Paf, LeoVegas, Hero Gaming, White Hat Gaming, BetVictor, and Buzz Bingo, among others.

Light & Wonder is focusing on the online gaming market, having officially completed the sale of its Scientific Games Lottery business to Canadian investment firm Brookfield Business Partners earlier this month.

Why Asian-themed games will be at the core of driving online casino entertainment in Ontario

By Byron Bridger

With Ontario home to around 40 per cent of Canada’s overall population, the province has all the potential to not only become the country’s leading market but also North America’s largest and most lucrative iGaming hotspot.

Ontario will thrive as an open digital market due to the presence of an established publicly delivered land-based and digital offering provided through the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG). Additionally, there have been a number of operators floating around the space for around a decade, unlike in the United States, where players were completely blocked from accessing any form of online gambling.

However, with increased competition expected as a flurry of operators and suppliers secure licenses to do business within the new market, deploying the relevant content will be crucial to gain an advantage as these early days of legalisation play out.

Questions have already been raised as to what player preferences will look like within the province. Naturally, they will be inundated with a variety of game types, as several newly licensed suppliers are lining up to fill casino lobbies with a strong selection of industry-leading titles.

The stakes are high, and it is vital that operators understand exactly what kind of content will resonate with Ontarians. Knowing this insight from day one can make the real difference between being hugely successful or distinctively average.

With this in mind, Asian-themed games will need to form an essential component of an online offering within Ontario, should early player behaviour follow similar trends to other North American markets.

Proven content to drive engagement

Not only does data show that Asian-themed games are in demand across Canada, both online and in land-based casinos, there is also a large Asian population in Ontario, particularly within metropolitan areas. It would be remiss of operators not to take this into account when launching iGaming content in the province.

Statistics show that more than half of all Light & Wonder’s online players in the states of Michigan and New Jersey played at least one Asian-themed game over a six-month period, which illustrates a huge number for such a specific game type.

Of course, the significant presence of this genre in the land-based environment has influenced iGaming content and subsequent activity. Those familiar with the North American market will know that most players of a legal gambling age will have only ever been exposed to land-based gaming, which is why Asian-themed games — a casino staple — are already so popular.

The adaptation of Asian-themed land-based content for the digital market has worked tremendously well in the U.S. and Canada so far so, naturally, we are confident that Ontario will also be a success.

As both a content aggregator and slot developer, Light & Wonder can utilize a wealth of market data and insight to finetune our Ontario roadmap so that it is in line with player preferences. Early data from the first weeks of operations in the province have already shown that the strategy is working. Four of the top 10 games in the province were Asian-themed games, with the most played Light & Wonder slot being Ji Bao Xi Endless Treasure.

The brand awareness of these proven Asian-themed games allows operators to enter a market with confidence in their product, while helping players feel more comfortable within this new space. Not only are players already familiar with them, but they also play an important role in the in offering players a true omnichannel experience.

Ultimately, the legalisation of iGaming in Ontario is a hugely welcome move that has been a long time in the making. Above all else, it will provide a safer gaming experience for online players in the province. It will be intriguing to see how the market fares during these opening months. One thing is for sure, though: Asian-themed games will play a significant part in this jurisdiction’s ongoing success.

Byron Bridger is the Commercial Director – Canada of Light & Wonder

Image courtesy Light & Wonder

BetMGM launches private live dealer studio in Ontario with Evolution

BetMGM is expanding its early presence in the legal Ontario sports betting market with the launch of a selection of online gaming titles and live dealer offerings.

After it went live in Ontario as a license operator, BetMGM Casino had been offering a collection of titles from Evolution through its live dealer studios in Europe.

Now, it has launched a studio of its own in partnership with Evolution to become one of the only operators in North America with a private live dealer studio. The new branded live dealer studio will host an Ontario portfolio of 30 exclusive titles and represents the brand’s first investment to support BetMGM Casino Ontario since its launch in the province on April 4.

The brand has also added over 100 new slot and video table games to its casino portfolio, taking its number of slot games to over 560 in addition to a wide range of table games, live dealers, and game shows.

The expansion includes exclusive titles such as MGM Grand Millions, Premium Blackjack Pro, and Mega Mirage Magma, as well as games from numerous partners including the likes of IGT’s Cleopatra and Wheel of Fortune Megaways, Pariplay’s Jackpot Fortunes and Spirit of Mustang, and Pragmatic Play’s Cash Bonanza and Treasure Wild.

BetMGM players will continue to have access to the full Evolution portfolio of online live casino games and games shows, Evolution First Person games, and NetEnt and Red Tiger online slots.

The Entain-owned brand’s array of sports betting options has made it one of Ontario’s most popular sportsbook apps within the first few weeks of launching. It has also gained significant visibility in Canada by becoming one of two North American sports betting partners of the NHL, along with Flutter’s FanDuel.

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.