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AGEM Names New Executive Director

The Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) has announced it has appointed gaming industry veteran Daron Dorsey as its new Executive Director, effective March 1, 2022.

A press release confirmed Dorsey will begin his new position next year after previously serving as Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Group Compliance Officer at Ainsworth Game Technology in Las Vegas. Dorsey has also been an Officer and General Counsel of AGEM since 2016.

Dorsey will be replacing Marcus Prater, who has served as AGEM Executive Director since 2008.

In addition to his prior roles with AGEM and Ainsworth, Dorsey served as General Counsel for William Hill US after several years of service at two established law firms – Snell & Wilmer L.L.P. and Jolley Urga Wirth & Woodbury. Dorsey has been a member of the State Bar of Nevada since 2001 and is admitted to practice before state and federal courts in Nevada, along with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

“Daron’s broad knowledge base, diverse skill set, and experience will be tremendous assets as he assumes this new role,” AGEM President David Lucchese said. “While we’re sad to see Marcus step away, Daron’s manufacturer background and familiarity with AGEM make him a perfect fit to step in.”

“Marcus devoted over a decade of service to AGEM, overseeing a period of exponential growth in membership, and our industry appreciates all that Marcus has done for us,” Dorsey said. “My hope is AGEM can further build on what it has already accomplished and continue to foster a business environment where its members prosper.”

That news comes as the AGEM Index reached another record high mark in September 2021, building upon its previous record set last month.

The Index grew by 33.86 points to a new high of 1,046.74 last month. That means that over the past year, it has nearly doubled from 525.44 points in September 2020.

The latest monthly rise in the index was driven by gains from five companies, which overcame negative index contributions by the other seven companies in the AGEM Index. The top contributor in September was International Game Technology (IGT), whose 22.5 per cent increase in stock price led to a 23.20-point gain for the index. Scientific Games was also a significant contributor to the overall growth in the index, adding 22.67 points as the result of a 14.8 per cent rise in stock price.

AGEM is a non-profit international technology trade association representing manufacturers and suppliers of electronic gaming devices, lotteries, systems, iGaming / online, game content, table games, sports betting, key components and support products and services for the gaming industry. AGEM works to further the interests of gaming equipment suppliers throughout the world. Through political action, regulatory influence, trade show partnerships, educational alliances, information dissemination and good corporate citizenship, the members of AGEM work together to create benefits for every company within the organization.

The current AGEM membership roster consists of 167 companies based in 22 countries.

Patrick Daigle Named New President & CEO of Atlantic Lottery

The Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC) has confirmed the appointment of Patrick Daigle as its new president and chief executive, following the departure of Chris Keevill.

Daigle took on the role on an interim basis in February when Keevill left the organisation to pursue a new job in the private sector.

Daigle is one of the longest-serving members of the ALC, having joined the business in 1997. He served as chief financial officer before becoming interim CEO. In his time in these senior leadership roles, he has overseen the finances of the lottery as well as supply chain management, human resources, risk management, board governance, and information security.

“I am honoured to continue in the role of president and CEO and lead the Atlantic Lottery team into this next chapter,” Daigle said. “We will continue to put Atlantic Canadians first, balancing social responsibility with sustainable profits to help support our region.”

ALC chair Sean O’Connor added: “The Board of directors’ succession committee followed a rigorous hiring process to ensure we identified the best candidate for this position. We are pleased that candidate was Patrick Daigle, who brings many years of proven experience and knowledge of Atlantic Lottery’s operations to the role.”

The announcement comes days after the corporation confirmed it has teamed up with Austrian company Neccton to boost its player protection offerings with Neccton’s PlayWise tool.

IGT to Enhance INTELLIGEN VLT Technology in Alberta with AGLC

International Game Technology (IGT) has announced in a press release that it has signed a five-year contract extension with Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) to deliver an enhanced version of its INTELLIGEN systems software and continue to be the AGLC’s central systems provider. The extension runs through July 2026.

Under the terms of the extension, IGT will upgrade AGLC’s video lottery central system to the latest version of INTELLIGEN, which includes improved network diagnostics and stability.

AGLC will also receive several iLINK Ultras, IGT’s latest retailer site controller that has a separate point-of-sale device and logic box for increased flexibility, and an updated user interface with improved features for the retailer.

In addition to VLTs and the INTELLIGEN central system, IGT also provides AGLC with commercial casino cabinets and games as well as IGT PlayDigital PlayCasino games. AGLC has been an IGT customer since 2003.

“IGT’s INTELLIGEN systems software supports the volume, complexity and security of monitoring video lottery terminals throughout Alberta,” said Nick Khin, IGT Chief Operating Officer, Gaming. “AGLC will receive the most advanced updates INTELLIGEN has to offer, allowing them access to quick insight into the status of their entire VLT network.”

Last month, IGT also signed a contract extension to continue supplying the Atlantic Lottery Corporation with INTELLIGEN VLT systems.

Ontario Will Generate More Than $900M in Online Sports Betting Revenue, Predicts Report

Once established and mature, Ontario’s sports betting market will yield more than $900 million in online sports betting revenue alone by 2026, predicts a new extensive Canadian Online Gambling Tracker Special Report from Eilers & Krejcik Gaming.

Chris Krafcik, managing director of sports betting and emerging verticals for the gaming research company, told The Parleh: “For commercial operators, populous Ontario is the most important — and, for now, the only — market entry opportunity in Canada… Assuming most of the largest Ontario-facing offshore operators elect to participate in Ontario’s legal market, we expect that market will ramp up rapidly.”

The report, co-authored by Krafcik and various experts at Eilers & Krejcik, as well as Parleh editor-in-chief Steve McAllister, projected that Ontario will generate online sports betting gross gaming revenue (GGR) of $570 million in 2022, rising to $904 million in 2026. That would see Ontario account for about half of total online sports betting GGR across the 2022-26 period.

The report conservatively predicts around 40 commercial brands will contest the regulated Ontario online sports betting and online casino and poker markets by 2026.

“We expect a vigorous battle for market share, with Ontario-facing offshore operators that elect to participate in the legal market best positioned to capture material share out of the gate, in our view,” added Krafcik. “After all, such operators appear set to enjoy key structural advantages from day one — namely, databases of already-acquired Ontario online gamblers who have money on deposit — that newly launching brands like theScore will not.”

The report further estimates that total Canadian online gambling gross gaming revenue (GGR) will total $4.4 billion in 2026, with sports accounting for 41 per cent of that figure. Canada’s 10 provinces are expected to combine for a total online sports betting GGR of $1.2 billion in 2022, rising to $1.8 billion in 2026.

Meanwhile, it estimates that the provinces will generate combined online casino and poker GGR of $1.9 billion in 2022, rising to $2.6 billion in 2026. Ontario is expected to account for just under half of that, reaching $813 million in gross revenue in 2022 and $1.3 billion in 2026.

Eilers & Krejcik stresses that its outlook is based on a province-by-province assessment of likely comparative tax rates, competition levels, income, demographics, and sports fandom. It also rests on several assumptions and caveats, including the assumption that Ontario will continue to be the only province to allow commercial operators to offer online gambling in the foreseeable future, and that commercial operators will launch in Ontario in Q1 of 2022.

Read the full report, including all predictions, assumptions, and caveats, here.

IGT Names Former William Hill US CEO Joe Asher as President of Sports Betting

International Game Technology (IGT) has announced the appointment of Joe Asher as President of Sports Betting, effective October 1, 2021.

Reporting to Enrico Drago, IGT’s CEO of Digital & Betting, Asher will lead the ongoing expansion of the IGT PlaySports sports betting business in North American markets.

“The PlaySports sports betting solution is among the most widely used in the U.S., powering approximately 50 U.S. sportsbooks for 20 customers across 18 states. We expect continued growth in our PlaySports business, and Joe Asher’s knowledge, experience, network and vision for sports betting are key ingredients to boosting our future success,” said Drago.

Asher joins IGT having recently served as CEO of William Hill US. He held this position from 2012, when the business was created, until it was sold to Caesars Entertainment Inc. in April 2021. Asher joined William Hill when it acquired Brandywine Bookmaking, a company he created as a start-up in 2008.

“I’m really excited to join Enrico Drago and the IGT PlaySports team to help this business reach new heights for our customers and our shareholders,” said Joe Asher, IGT President of Sports Betting. “This is a unique moment in the North American gaming industry as sports betting is expanding rapidly and opportunities abound. I have some background working in partnership with PlaySports and I look forward to working with our team to further enhance our technology and trading capabilities to serve our existing and future customers.”

Asher’s background in the gaming industry is built on a lifelong passion for the race and sports betting business. Honoured as a member of the Sports Betting Hall of Fame Class of 2021, he has held management positions at several U.S. racetracks including Brandywine Raceway, Dover Downs, Harrington Raceway, and Foxboro Raceway.

Outside of his career in sports betting, Asher was an attorney with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. A graduate of the University of Delaware and the Delaware Law School of Widener University, Asher served a judicial clerkship with the Supreme Court of Delaware and was admitted to the bar in Delaware and New York.

Manitoba Online Gaming Revenue Spiked by $51M in 2020-21

Online gaming revenues in Manitoba rose by $51 million in the 2020-21 fiscal year amid closures and industry shifts accelerated by the COVID-19.

According to Global News, Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries (MBLL)’s end-of-year report found that iGaming in the province boomed while casino and VLT revenue suffered a significant drop-off.

According to the MBLL report, casino revenues plummeted more than 85 per cent compared to the previous year, a financial drop of more than $195 million drop. Casinos across the province were forced closed for a total of 282 days between March of 2020 and 2021.

VLTs also took a big hit, with a nearly $217 million fall in revenue. The VLT network was shut down for 195 days during the year.

Manitoba’s casinos were only able to reopen from July 17 at 50 per cent capacity for fully vaccinated visitors. That date also saw VLTs ableto operate again in bars and restaurants.

Casinos in the provincial capital of Winnipeg had to wait another nine days, until July 28, before they were allowed to open their doors again.

Sudbury Council Votes to Move Ahead with Gateway Casino Site

Sudbury city council has voted to move forward with the next phase of the Kingsway Entertainment District (KED) project, which is slated to host a new Gateway Casinos and Entertainment site.

CBC reports a 7-6 vote supported a motion to begin site preparation for the $100-million project, which is expected to include an arena and hotel in addition to the casino, before the end of November.

Ward 9 Coun. Deb McIntosh abstained from the vote, but a city clerk said an abstention counts as a no vote.

Ward 5 Coun. Robert Kirwan said waiting on blasting and preparing the site for the development would mean longer delays. “We need to approve this so we can hit the 2024 target,” he said.

David Shelsted, the city’s director of engineering services, said blasting would need to begin by winter to keep the project on track. “Blasting is a relatively good thing to do over the winter time,” he said. “It’s not temperature dependent like concrete pouring, asphalt placement or steel erection would be.”

Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger also supported moving ahead with the project. “The partners that we’re moving forward with, they each have business cases.” Bigger said. “They each have commitments to others.”

The Sudbury Star reports that the staff report states that the site preparation will cost about $9.7 million, of which the city will be responsible for $5.9 million and Gateway will pay $2.2 million. The hotel, as yet unnamed, will cover $1.1 million of the site prep costs, while Dario Zulich, the developer, will pay $530,000.

ReDiscovery: Exploring the New World of RG

For close to 20 years, the Responsible Gambling Council has played host to the pre-eminent responsible gambling conference in Toronto. Discovery brings together leaders from the global gaming stakeholders to share the latest research and innovation, engage in thought-provoking discussions and ultimately drive positive change in responsible gambling.

In the spring of 2020, Discovery, like all conferences, was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, after a two-year hiatus, Discovery is back – virtually – from October 19-21, 2021.

Attendees can look forward to a Discovery conference that feels different, and not just because it’s virtual. At its core, Discovery is a knowledge sharing hub for operators, regulators, government, researchers, treatment partners and allied health professionals to examine all sides of responsible gambling in purposeful ways.

As a community, the collective work done in this field will only become more important from here on out. Discovery is the stage for RG visionaries.

Now, more than ever, it is important that leaders come together. Discovery is a tremendous opportunity for us to collectively address the changes that are occurring, the impact the changes are having on consumer behaviour and society, share what we are doing and commit to what we must do together to advance the prevention of gambling harms, now and into the future.

When asked about her thoughts on the conference, Shelley White, CEO of the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) said “Without a doubt, Discovery will be unique. We are living in unprecedented times. The impact of the pandemic, combined with other scientific, technology, social justice, political and economic trends are all having a profound impact on the gambling industry and consumer behaviour. As a result, the potential that Discovery presents to the industry and broader worldwide community is immense.”

Expanding and innovating the field of RG

RGC’s Centre for the Advancement of Best Practices is the architect behind the framework for Discovery. Through their expertise in the field, Discovery offers different tracks for all interests. From innovative and future forward sessions, to sessions that reimagine and redefine the issues that continue to be barriers to responsible gambling.

“Discovery is about moving the field forward: signposting to the future while also building on historical best practices. This year we want to create an environment that supports and inspires leaders to move the responsible gambling agenda in new and more integrated ways. Our goal is to spotlight innovation in the field, while maintaining a focus on improving ongoing safeguards, like prevention programming. Discovery blends these tracks and themes to create a future-forward, 360 picture of RG,” said Janine Robinson, Director, Centre for the Advancement of Best Practices, on the importance of providing delegates with a spectrum of session content.

New and emerging topics at this year’s Discovery conference.

Single-event sports betting is on the radar for many. While it has long existed in other markets, its debut is new to Canada. A deep-dive on identifying markers of harm and player protections in this rapidly evolving field will be explored.

Advancements in technology mean greater and increased access to online gambling via phones, tablets and laptops. Youth and young adults have long been a focus to researchers as this age group are at a heightened risk of experiencing gambling harms. Digital resilience as it relates to youth and young adults will be unpacked, with the goal to help stop gambling harms before they start.

Industry-leading experts will explore sessions like these and more.

“Discovery is more than just a conference. It is an opportunity for all of us to explore all sides of the issues and leverage our respective wisdom and discover new ways to advance safer gambling,” said White. “It is also a time to listen and learn from each other so we can be visionary, strategic and collaborative in our approaches. I invite everyone to join us as we reconnect, re=strategize and recommit to RG. Together we will create the change the industry needs.”

RGCs Virtual Discovery Conference takes place October 19-21, 2021. Register for the conference and view the agenda here.

AGLC Appoints Kandice Machado as New Permanent President & CEO

Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) has appointed its acting President and CEO, Kandice Machado, to the positions on a permanent basis, confirms a press release.

Machado has spent the last 10 months as acting President & CEO at the Crown corporation.

With over 19 years of first-hand experience with AGLC, Machado is described by AGLC as a well-known and respected professional within the liquor, gaming, and cannabis industries. She was the successful candidate in an extensive public recruitment process lead by the AGLC Board who made the final recommendation to government.

Machado will assume the role immediately.

“Kandice’s steady guidance and focus on meaningful collaboration with our stakeholders have shown she is the right leader as we move forward to modernize policies to remove unnecessary barriers for industry while supporting consumer choice, innovation, and economic growth,” said Len Rhodes, Board Chair at AGLC. “On behalf of the board, I am pleased to congratulate her on this well-deserved appointment.”

“I am very proud of the work AGLC and its employees are doing to modernize our processes, reduce red tape and provide a regulatory environment that gives Albertans choices they can trust,” said Machado. “I’m excited to take on this role and to continue collaborating with stakeholders, to grow our industries and contribute to Alberta’s economic recovery.”

Machado joined AGLC in 2002 and has held a variety of senior roles in the organization, including vice president of corporate services and chief financial officer. She acted in the role through the recruitment period, successfully supporting business continuity through the COVID 19 pandemic, regulatory modernization and reduction of red tape and a renewed focus on customer-centric services.

Atlantic Lottery Adopts Neccton’s PlayWise Player Protection Tool

The Atlantic Lottery Corporation has teamed with Austrian company Neccton to boost its player protection offerings with Neccton’s PlayWise tool.

Neccton was awarded the contract with the Atlantic Lottery following a public tender process in which the data science company had to demonstrate its qualifications and explain how it would best serve players, reports Casino Beats.

The two companies have since been working together to expand the breadth of responsible gambling options available to players on alc.ca by launching the PlayWise rating tool.

If a person has been active on the aforementioned website for 30 days or more, they can view an assessment of their online play patterns. The rating is generated by Neccton’s software utilising information such as the player’s responsible gambling tools, what games they play and how often, how much they wager, and any significant changes in these areas.

The Atlantic Lottery has been certified at Level 4 of the World Lottery Association’s Responsible Gaming Framework, the highest level any lottery can achieve, since 2010.

The Atlantic Lottery’s head of social responsibility and learning, Stephanie Ryan, said: “As a publicly-owned corporation, our commitment to responsible gambling is at the forefront of everything we do. The PlayWise rating is an important addition to the range of features, information and resources we provide to empower players to make healthy decisions about their play.”

“We are always very proud when distinguished organisations use our tools to help their players, but when it’s a group like Atlantic Lottery that is already so well recognised for their work in player protection, it means even more to us,” Dr. Michael Auer, director and head of development at Neccton. “Our values are aligned and we look forward to working together for a long time.”

Players can choose from a variety of games, including quick games, draws, video lottery, sports, and internet games, all of which are available through Atlantic Lottery. The company will also open an online casino in the province of New Brunswick.