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CCSA Publishes New Responsible Gambling Awareness Guidelines

Recognizing the need for enhanced responsible gambling tools as Canada continues its iGaming and sports betting expansion and with casinos open again across the country, the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) has published its Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines.

The aim of the guidelines, which are a culmination of over five years of intense research, is to provide evidence-informed advice about how to gamble in a lower-risk way in order to help people in Canada reduce gambling-related harms.

In brief, the Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines are:

  • Gamble no more than one per cent of household income before tax per month
  • Gamble no more than four days per month
  • Avoid regularly gambling at more than two types of games

The CCSA notes that for the Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines to be effective, people must follow all three guidelines.

“Gambling is a legal activity that can pose risks to some people in Canada, including financial hardships, relationship conflicts, emotional or psychological distress, and health issues,” explains CCSA Senior Research and Policy Analyst Dr. Matthew Young, who co-chairs the Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines Scientific Working Group that leads the project. “These guidelines will help people in Canada who gamble do so in a way that lowers their risk of experiencing these problems.”

This is the first large-scale, international, comprehensive project in the world to produce guidelines for lower-risk gambling. Developing the guidelines involved:

  • Collaborating with some of the world leaders in gambling research
  • Analysis of data from over 60,000 people who gamble from eight different countries
  • Feedback from over 10,000 people in Canada collected via an online gambling survey
  • A series of interviews and focus groups with people who gamble from across Canada
  • Consultation with over 20 individuals who work in harm reduction, treatment and programs related to gambling

“Until now, our best advice to people who gamble was to set personal spending and time limits,” states Dr. David Hodgins, Professor of Psychology at the University of Calgary and co-chair of the working group. “We can now provide more specific direction on what these limits should be, based upon the experiences of tens of thousands of individuals.”

Chelsea Rodrigues, a certified counsellor with CCSA, stressed to CTV News that the dangers of problem gambling are very real, and exist everywhere in society regardless of education, social status, gender or religion. She added that with casinos open again, those at risk of problem gambling will face renewed challenges.

Doctor Matthew Young, one of the developers of the guidelines, emphasized that participation should be deliberately monitored rather than cut off altogether. He stressed that, above all else, the key to beating addictive behaviour is to minimize risks and ensuring sufficient supports are available.

To present the guidelines, CCSA has created gamblingguidelines.ca. The website provides information on the guidelines, the types of harms people can experience and populations especially at risk, and further safety tips for avoiding gambling harms. There is also a suite of resources that partners and the public can download to help promote the guidelines.

Paysafe Creates New CEO Role for North America iGaming

Payments platform Paysafe has announced in a news release that it has created a new CEO role for its North America iGaming operations and has appointed Zak Cutler to the position.

Reporting directly to Group CEO Philip McHugh, Cutler will lead Paysafe’s ongoing strategic focus in the North American iGaming vertical as more Canadian provinces and U.S. states begin to open up regulated online gambling, sports betting, and iLottery markets.

Cutler brings extensive industry experience to the role and a proven track record of driving growth in iGaming companies, having held senior leadership roles at both startups as well as large, publicly traded firms. He joins Paysafe from Jackpocket, an official state lottery ticket purchasing app, where he was VP of Strategy and Product, and he has also previously worked as Director of Product Management for DraftKings, where he was responsible for all product initiatives related to payment processing, U.S. compliance, and international expansion.

Cutler said: “As a former Paysafe customer for many years, I’m thrilled to now have the opportunity to join the team in this capacity. While at Jackpocket and DraftKings, I was always impressed by Paysafe’s industry-leading products, and their foresight to invest in the North American iGaming industry long before it was in the mainstream. I also admired the team’s ability to develop deep relationships with customers. This approach resonates with my own style and commitment to helping iGaming operators grow rapidly through the delivery of outstanding products and unrivaled partnerships. I’m really looking forward to playing my part now as a member of the team – I believe we are in the early innings of a massive opportunity!”

Paysafe holds a leading position in Canada and partners with the majority of regulated iLottery and gaming brands.

The company’s ambition is to become the iGaming industry’s payments partner of choice in the U.S., building on its market leading position in Canada and Europe. The firm currently provides 75 per cent of operators in the country with payments or marketing solutions across 16 states.

CEO McHugh stated: “We believe Paysafe has huge potential to win in North American igaming given our track record as the de facto payments specialist in this sector globally. Now, with the additional leadership bench strength of Zak at the helm of our highly focused team, we are in a better position than ever to help operators seize the opportunities out there through the delivery of best-in-class payments products and services. Zak is very attuned to operator needs and is highly regarded by all who know him in the industry. He will be a real asset.”

Scientific Games and Design Works Gaming Agree Exclusive 3-Year North America Distribution Deal

Scientific Games has agreed an exclusive three-year content partnership with Design Works Gaming (DWG) that will see it distribute the Arizona-based company’s online casino titles across North America via its OpenGaming platform, confirms a DWG press release.

Scientific Games will initially make DWG’s content available in New Jersey before launching in Michigan and Pennsylvania as well as other states that open up for online gaming.

DWG has a history of success in the land-based casino sector in the U.S. and is now establishing itself as a trusted developer of iGaming content with its Vegas-inspired game releases, including a mix of Vegas steppers, video slots, and scratchcards.

Troy Zurawski, CEO, Design Works Gaming, said: “When I founded DWG in Scottsdale, Arizona, the thought of launching our games in regulated, real money online casinos in the US felt like a distant dream. Over the past 16 years I’ve grown DWG in this direction, slow and steady – but with purpose. As you can probably imagine, it feels incredible to be launching in the USA. Even more so knowing the proven success behind our products. We couldn’t have found a better partner to bring us home than SG Digital. With their backing – we can now change up the game across North America, starting with this first launch in New Jersey.”

Steve Mayes, Partnerships Director, Digital at Scientific Games, said: “Securing this exclusive deal with DWG furthers our momentum across North America. DWG has a wealth of knowledge on what players in the region want from their gaming experiences and the addition of their content significantly enhances the product offering operators can put in front of players. It is a perfect alliance and we look forward to working and growing together for the next three years and beyond.”

Ontario Bettors Eagerly Adopt Legal Single Bets as PROLINE+ Nets $6M in First Month

Now that Ontario’s sports fans finally have a legal option to bet online on single-event sports with Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG), a survey by OLG’s PROLINE+ platform has found that almost two-thirds of sports bettors in the province are more likely to place a singles bet than they were before legalization.

OLG notes this has proven to be true as single-event bets account for 77 per cent of all wagers since the platform went live with its legal sports option on August 27.

In total, PROLINE+ has taken a total handle of around $6 million in bets placed since the platform went live with single-event options a few weeks ago. OLG had previously announced that more than $1 million was taken in the first five days of legal and regulated single-event sports betting in Canada.

“We’re excited to be first to market bringing Ontarians what they told us they’ve been looking for – a trustworthy, best-in-class platform that complements their sports watching experience,” said David Pridmore, OLG Chief Digital and Strategy Officer. “Since we launched our online sportsbook PROLINE+ in late August, we’ve already processed more than $6 million in bets, and we’re expecting even more interest in the platform as more sports and leagues start new seasons and as our player base continues to scale.”

The PROLINE+ survey also found that 37 per cent of bettors and 44 per cent of frequent bettors were interested in betting on novelty markets including award show results.

Ontarians also say they’re keen to bet safely using an option like PROLINE+ as it promotes responsible gambling and includes player tools and educational materials from OLG’s PlaySmart program, as well as the fact it invests proceeds in provincial priorities aimed at improving the quality of life for all Ontarians.

The survey found one in three frequent sports bettors (defined as those who bet once a week or more) in Ontario said they had a bad experience placing a bet on a grey market online app or website in the past.

Just under half of Ontario’s sports bettors place a bet at least once a month, with almost one in four wagering at least once a week. Just over a quarter of all sports bettors, and half of frequent bettors, said they bet more often during COVID-19 than before the pandemic, in part because it helped offset not being able to go to games.

Other key findings from the survey include:

  • Player satisfaction: More than half of Ontario sports bettors surveyed said betting is a great source of entertainment and makes watching games more fun.
  • Conversation fodder: 45 per cent of frequent bettors say that betting on sports gives them something to talk about with their friends.
  • Giving back: More than half of those surveyed said they’re more likely to use PROLINE+ to bet on sports knowing that 100 per cent of the proceeds will stay in Ontario to help fund government priorities such as health care.
  • Engagement: 47 per cent of frequent bettors wouldn’t watch as many games if they weren’t betting.
  • COVID-19 impact: 24 per cent of those surveyed said they will attend more sports games in the next 12 months than before the pandemic, and 27 per cent of those surveyed said betting on their favourite team during COVID-19 helped off-set the fact that they couldn’t go to games.

OLG launched PROLINE+ on August 27, the same day that Bill C-218 came into effect to legalise regulated single-event betting in Canada.

For now, they hold a monopoly in Ontario, but private operators interested in obtaining an online gaming license are now able to prepare applications to register to operate through the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). The AGCO earlier this month released its iGaming sports and event betting regulatory standards for the province’s market.

Scientific Games Expects SG Lottery Revenue to Exceed $1B in 2021

Scientific Games expects its lottery division to break US$1 billion in revenue this year after accelerating plans to divest the business unit.

The company had announced in June that it would be spinning off its lottery and sports betting arms in an effort to position the company for “sustainable growth”. This will see it focus on gaming products and services across online and digital channels.

In its September 14 update, the group said SG Lottery revenue is forecast to rise at a two-year compound annual growth rate of 13.6 per cent to fiscal year 2022, building on the US$919m achieved in fiscal year 2020. It forecasts revenue of US$1.04bn in 2021 and US$1.18bn in 2022.

Scientific Games said the market-leading position it holds, and infrastructure-like characteristics of its lottery division, are expected to lead to sustainable revenue. It has a 69 per cent global share of instant game retail sales and strong momentum across other segments, including a 17 per cent U.S. market share in terminal-generated games.

The group said it expects significant growth underpinned by even faster growth in the U.S. market with 19 additional states expected to legalize iLottery by 2025. This is likely to increase the U.S. iLottery market from sales of US$3bn to US$12bn by 2025, it added.

Scientific Games said instant lottery participation-based revenue growth for fiscal year 2021 is estimated to be 14 per cent in the U.S. and 23 per cent internationally, with further growth expected through digital content provided by August’s acquisition of online instant win studio SidePlay.

Despite an increase in costs related to new business, earnings are expected to rise considerably in the coming years. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) of US$303m was achieved in 2019, but this should rise to US$398m in 2021 and $433.0m in 2022.

During fiscal year 2021, SG Lottery expects significant contractual capital expenditures to occur primarily as a result of winning the contract with the Pennsylvania lottery systems.

In announcing its Q2 results last month, Scientific Games had said it was “well-progressed” in its intention to divest the lottery and betting divisions. In its Q2 results for 2021, the SG Lottery division contributed US$266m towards the group’s total revenue of US$880m.

At the time, Michael Eklund, executive vice president and chief financial officer, said: “In concert with our board, we announced a strategic action plan to transform our company and unlock value. We are taking decisive steps to optimize our portfolio, de-lever our balance sheet and invest to grow. I am very encouraged by the interest and discussions we are having around our proposed divestitures, and we are making great progress as we move quickly to unlock shareholder value.”

Online Sports Betting Operator truenorth.bet Goes Live in Canada with Pronet Gaming

Online sports betting operator truenorth.bet has entered into the Canadian market using the Pronet Gaming platform. The platform supplier said taking the operator live represents one of its most exciting launches to date, via SBC Americas.

Pronet Gaming’s technology is now powering a full turnkey service that has produced a comprehensive online offering for the new brand after the supplier was selected ahead of a host of its industry competitors.

truenorth.bet operates under a full license granted by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC), the regulatory board for the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake, Canada. The deal also enables truenorth.bet to offer micro markets on some of Canada’s niche sports, such as sprint car racing, lacrosse and Canadian boxing that are not currently served by other generic platforms.

Colin McDonagh, Pronet Gaming Chief Sales Officer, said: “As a brand, truenorth.bet is well-known for the quality of its offering and regulatory integrity and I’m pleased to say that we were able to adapt to meet those challenges in a well-established market. We fought off stiff competition to secure the business, with the adaptability of our UI and UX ultimately proving pivotal in the decision-making process. As we go live, we look ahead to a long-lasting and successful relationship.”

A spokesperson at truenorth.bet, said: “We’re very pleased to have launched truenorth.bet with Pronet Gaming and are confident that the quality of the user experience on the platform will be second to none. Their passion for the project shone through – as did the quality and flexibility of the product – and we are confident that this innovative new partnership will put us in the driving seat as the Canadian market matures.”

IGT Extends INTELLIGEN Contract with Atlantic Lottery

IGT Canada has extended its contract with the Atlantic Lottery Corporation for one year to continue providing its most advanced video lottery central system, INTELLIGEN.

An IGT news release says this extension continues IGT’s legacy of winning video lottery terminal (VLT) systems bids across Canada. All VLTs in the country are connected by IGT’s INTELLIGEN system.

The Atlantic Lottery operates more than 6,000 VLTs across four Atlantic Canada provinces.

“IGT’s INTELLIGEN system offers the Atlantic Lottery progressive tools and functionality that help position the Lottery for future success,” said Nick Khin, IGT Chief Operating Officer, Gaming. “With more than 25 years of gaming central system development expertise with customers worldwide, IGT is happy to continue providing our advanced INTELLIGEN system to enhance the Lottery’s VLT system performance.”

IGT’s INTELLIGEN systems are deployed worldwide connecting a total of nearly 150,000 VLTs in a variety of gaming environments. The software is built on more than 25 years of central system experience and supports the Gaming Standards Association’s Game to System® (G2S) standard protocol, which enables an enhanced player user interface, improved responsible gaming features, exciting multi-level mystery jackpots, and additional player-centric functionality.

The Atlantic Lottery has been an IGT customer since 1982. In addition to the video lottery central system, IGT also provides the Lottery with VLT cabinets, compelling video lottery content, lottery point-of-sale terminals, digital lottery, casino and bingo games, IGT ADVANTAGE casino management system, and a variety of slot machines.

Meanwhile, IGT also announced this week that it is splitting its business to create a Digital & Betting segment that will include its iGaming and sports betting activities.

AGCO Releases Final Registrar’s Standards

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has released its final Registrar’s Standards on iGaming in the province.

The draft of the iGaming standards, as well as the sports betting standard, was published in July. The AGCO has now released a refined and updated version that incorporates the feedback it received on sport and event wagering standards.

The sport and event betting standards were developed to address the expanded menu of sport and event betting options and to minimize the potential compromising of betting markets through activities such as insider betting or game manipulation including:

• Requiring operators to actively monitor the betting markets for suspicious betting activity
• Prohibiting insiders, including coaches, athletes and referees, from betting on certain events
• Ensuring that sport and event offerings meet acceptable betting criteria and are not objectionable

The Registrar Standards for Internet Gaming are expected to come into force when the regulated igaming market is launched in Ontario.

On Monday, September 13, prospective iGaming operators and gaming-related suppliers can access application forms that will be available on iAGCO.

The Canadian Gaming Association invites anyone with questions to contact [email protected].

Several Provinces Implementing Vaccine Cards for Casino Entry in September

The start of September has seen the introduction of vaccine certificates in some Canadian provinces, and there’s more to follow.

Quebec began mandating proof of vaccination as a condition of entry to certain non-essential businesses including casinos, bingo halls, and other gaming centres on Sept. 1. That was followed by Manitoba expanding its own system on Sept. 3, having previously been the first province to introduce a form of the certificate in June.

Next week, British Columbia’s own system will begin on Sept. 13, and Ontario confirmed last week that it will become the fourth province to launch a vaccination certificate later this month, starting Sept. 22.

According to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), via CDC Gaming Reports, there are 24 casinos in Ontario which will be affected, including Fallsview Casino Resort and Casino Niagara in Niagara Falls, both of which are popular destinations for U.S. tourists. In B.C., the mandate would affect 19 casinos and 18 bingo halls or community gaming centres.

Among those are dozens of properties operated by Great Canadian Gaming Corporation and Gateway Casinos and Entertainment. Chuck Keeling, Great Canadian Gaming’s executive vice president for stakeholder relations and responsible gaming, told casino.org that the operator is currently working out how best to implement proof of vaccination across its properties in affected provinces.

The parameters of the proof of vaccination system will vary between the provinces. In B.C., until late October, gamblers will only need to have received one dose of an approved vaccine to be eligible for entry, while the other three provinces will require customers to have had two doses.

A preventative measure

The intention of these measures, according to governments and health staff, is to avoid the widespread closures that marked earlier waves of COVID-19. B.C. casinos only recently opened for the first time since the start of pandemic in March 2020, while Quebec endured a strict lockdown at the start of 2021.

Governments also hope the mandates will serve as motivation for the unvaccinated to get their jabs, and there has been early evidence in Quebec and B.C. to suggest this is the case, as cited by the Globe and Mail and CBC.

With nearly half of Canada’s provinces now limiting entry to gaming centres based on vaccination status, it remains to be seen whether the trend will continue to spread across the country.

Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, announced on Twitter on Monday, Sept. 7 that Canada’s smallest province will be introducing a vaccine passport in the coming weeks.

However, Global News reports that both Alberta and Saskatchewan are opposed to the idea, and there are no plans for a vaccine passport in many of the Maritime provinces or the northern territories. However, leading medical staff in Alberta are urging introduction of the system to boost what is Canada’s lowest provincial vaccination rate, reports CBC.

Operators may be given some choice

In some jurisdictions where a government mandate is not introduced, casino operators may be given the choice of requiring proof of vaccination.

Saskatchewan’s government has said it will support any business or organization that chooses to mandate proof of vaccination and is developing a digital QR code to be used by local businesses, notes the Times-Colonist. In addition, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health has said that individual businesses or organizations could decide to employ vaccine cards.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., where jurisdictions such as New York and California also now require proof of vaccination for some events, Caesars Entertainment’s Harrah’s New Orleans became the first casino in North America to require either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to enter the property.

Employees encouraged but not mandated

As of right now, while casino visitors in these provinces will need to be vaccinated to enter premises, there is no such mandate for casino workers in Canada.

Caesars Windsor spokesperson Susanne Tomkins says, via CBC, that while it has not mandated vaccines for employees, it is encouraging them to get their shots by providing education and working with the government, health staff, and OLG and Caesars.

Stricter measures have been taken south of the border though. As reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, MGM Resorts now requires all new hires at its properties in the U.S. to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated as of Aug. 30. All salaried employees who do not work primarily from home will be required to show proof by Oct. 15.

IGT Splits Business to Create New Digital & Betting Segment for iGaming & Sports Betting

International Game Technology (IGT) has split its business to create a Digital & Betting segment that will include the iGaming and sports betting activities that were previously part of its Global Gaming division.

An IGT news release stated that beginning from Q3 of FY2021, IGT will report its results under three business segments: Global Lottery, Global Gaming, and Digital & Betting.

Its iLottery business will remain part of its Global Lottery segment.

Enrico Drago will serve as CEO of Digital & Betting, reporting to Marco Sala, CEO of IGT. Drago previously oversaw IGT’s iGaming, iLottery, and sports betting businesses as Senior Vice President of PlayDigital.

Sala commented: “IGT has established strong leadership positions and driven dynamic growth across its iGaming and sports betting businesses. With significant growth expected to continue, we have decided to establish a dedicated Digital & Betting business segment. These businesses have become strategically important to IGT as they afford us the opportunity to leverage the global reach and strong customer relationships of our Global Gaming segment. The new structure gives us more flexibility in our product and solutions portfolio and enables better appreciation of the intrinsic value of these activities.”

Meanwhile, IGT is expanding its footprint by bringing its PlaySports platform into Wisconsin through an agreement to power sports betting at Oneida Casino, on the Oneida Nation Reservation.