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PENN CEO considers pursuing land-based opportunities in Canada

PENN Entertainment’s abandonment of its U.S.-facing ESPN Bet venture will fuel further investment and growth in theScore Bet’s Canadian operations in both Ontario and the upcoming Alberta market, said CEO Jay Snowden on Thursday.

And he suggested that his company, which has its roots as a land-based casino operator, will continue to assess whether there is an opportunity to re-establish a brick-and-mortar footprint north of the border.

“That’s something that’s been on our radar before, and I’d say it would remain on our radar,” Snowden said on an earnings call on Thursday. “I wouldn’t necessarily think about it as moving up significantly in the list of priorities. There’s not a lot of options there, there’s sort of two large operators in Canada from a retail perspective. If opportunities presented themselves at the right time and the right price, we would definitely take a hard look at that.”

PENN previously had skin in the Canadian casino game, operating the First Nations-owned Casino Rama in Ontario from PENN’s 2001 acquisition of Carnival Resorts & Casinos until 2018. At that time, the operations were taken over by Gateway Casino & Entertainment, one of the two multi-provincial operators Snowden was referencing on the call.

That ended PENN’s direct presence in Canada until it bought theScore for around $2.1 billion USD in October 2021 and launched online sports betting and online casino in Ontario via the legacy sports media brand’s theScore Bet app when Ontario’s regulated market opened in April 2022.

Cross-sell, cross-sell, cross-sell

Given how much value Snowden and Co. place on cross-selling customers between retail casinos, online casino and sports betting, it’s easy to see why the idea of getting back into the brick-and-mortar game in Ontario (or perhaps Alberta?) could appeal.

In the U.S., PENN runs 42 retail casinos under various brands, primarily Hollywood Casino. It expanded that brand online and launched it as a standalone app at the start of 2025. PENN’s primary iCasino platform is now live in four U.S. online casino states. It was also integrated into the ESPN Bet app, and that integration will remain part of the American platform under theScore Bet branding.

Snowden and other executives have stated several times that they are pleased with Hollywood Casino’s progress, particularly with its cross-sell success. Could they try to replicate a similar crossover between land-based and online gaming by re-entering the Canadian brick-and-mortar scene?

“There would be synergies from an omnichannel perspective similar to what we’ve seen in the U.S.,” Snowden mused. “I would say it’s not really ratcheting up on the priority list, but we would be opportunistic if the opportunity presented itself.”

While PENN transitions its U.S.-facing sportsbook from ESPN Bet to theScore Bet, Snowden vowed that PENN would hone its focus on the online casino vertical that has brought its greatest digital success across North America.

PENN’s North American iCasino business achieved its highest quarterly gaming revenue to date for the three months ended Sept. 30, an improvement of nearly 40% year over year with a 79% increase in iCasino monthly active users. Snowden said that was driven by record cross-sell from online sports betting of 62%.

In Ontario specifically, it was the company’s best online casino month ever.

PENN pledges ESPN Bet dollars to Canada

That should be no great surprise, as theScore Bet’s performance in Ontario is consistently a highlight for PENN, with growth quarter upon quarter while ESPN Bet languished in the States. Snowden said earlier this year the province is its number one digital market in terms of revenue, gross profit and contribution margin and has a healthy market share. The latest quarterlies showed a 7% year-over-year increase in PENN’s Ontario gaming revenues.

Though theScore is historically a sports-focused product, PENN has been ramping up the casino side of the platform and launched a standalone theScore Casino app in Ontario in April of this year. PENN Interactive Vice President of Operations Jason Birney told Canadian Gaming Business in September that launching Hollywood Casino within Ontario isn’t something that’s off the table.

PENN also has firm eyes on Alberta. Snowden has high hopes that theScore’s strong positioning in Ontario and longstanding cachet with sports fans across Canada can help Alberta become a top three or four market for PENN Interactive whenever that province opens in 2026.

“The popularity of theScore is really spread across Canada,” he added on Thursday. “All provinces across Canada, there’s about the same level of popularity and market share from a digital sports media perspective, which is why we are very encouraged about the opportunity in Alberta.”

However PENN does proceed in Canada, it intends to fuel its operations north of the border with money it will no longer be spending on ESPN Bet. PENN paid $150 million USD per year to license the ESPN Bet brand, but payments will stop at the end of this year and it will no longer have any marketing obligations with ESPN from the start of 2026.

“This brand change doesn’t affect our Canadian operations at all,” Snowden added on the call. “We’ve got some nice momentum there and I believe we can build on that with more of a focus and more resources and marketing dollars headed up north of the border. We’ve been competing really well [in Canada] with not a lot of marketing spend. That’s going to change. We’re going to be able to spend more money in Canada and grow our share.”

PENN kills ESPN Bet venture, will relaunch theScore Bet in US

Canadian brand theScore Bet is returning to the U.S. on a much bigger scale as PENN Entertainment announced on Thursday that it is ending its ESPN Bet joint venture with Disney after just over two unprofitable years.

PENN will rebrand its existing ESPN Bet sportsbook app as theScore Bet from Dec. 1, PENN CEO Jay Snowden confirmed on a Nov. 6 earnings call, bringing together its separate American and Canadian online sports betting products under the brand that is so familiar to Canadian sports fans and gamblers.

“We are realigning our digital focus to leverage the strength of our U.S. iCasino and Canadian operations, while continuing to use OSB to drive both the acquisition of customers with significant lifetime value and unique cross-sell opportunities across PENN’s retail and digital assets,” said Snowden.

PENN abandons ESPN Bet gamble

PENN signed a 10-year, $2 billion USD deal in 2023 to launch ESPN Bet in the U.S. after the failure of its Barstool Sportsbook venture south of the border, and paid $150 million USD annually to license the brand.

At the time of its launch, Snowden stated the goal was for ESPN Bet to capture as much as 20% of the U.S. online sports betting market, and that PENN did not enter the venture just to get only 5%. “When we first announced our partnership with ESPN, both sides made it clear that we expected to compete for a podium position in the space,” said the CEO on Thursday.

But, with eight years left of the initial agreement, ESPN Bet reputedly has only around 3%.

Snowden had signposted multiple times that PENN may bail, confirming that the deal had a three-year break clause. With ESPN Bet failing to improve its standing despite significant investment, it didn’t even make it to that three-year mark.

theScore returning south after three-year absence

While ESPN Bet has struggled desperately in the U.S., theScore Bet has thrived in Ontario’s iGaming market, where it has been operational since regulation began in April 2022.

PENN bought Canadian sports media company theScore in October 2021 from its previous owners, John Levy and his family, for around $2.1 billion USD. Its flagship media app is available across North America. theScore Bet also had some presence in the U.S. as a small market player in New Jersey, Colorado, Iowa and Indiana before its then-new parent company decided it would be better off focused on its home province and shut down those U.S. operations on July 1, 2022.

Now, theScore Bet will go live in the 19 states plus D.C. in which ESPN Bet was already doing business, as well as in the new Missouri sports betting market that is slated to open on Dec. 1. The American app will be a rebranded version of the ESPN Bet app, not a mirror image of the Ontario version.

Snowden said that reintroducing it to the U.S. will allow PENN to leverage connectivity with theScore media app, which has approximately four million monthly active users across North America. Around one-third of those are in Canada and two-thirds in the U.S., said Snowden.

PENN lauds Ontario success

Snowden and other PENN executives repeatedly cite theScore’s operations in Ontario as a highlight of its Interactive business.

The CEO said earlier this year that the province is its number one iGaming market in terms of revenue, gross profit and contribution margin. Late in 2024, PENN suggested theScoreBet held a double-digit market share in Ontario online sports betting and high single digits in overall Ontario iGaming as it battled with 50 other licensed operators.

PENN also has high hopes that success will translate to good standing in Alberta’s upcoming iGaming market, slated to open sometime next year. Snowden has said he expects Alberta to be a top three or four market for PENN Interactive, “given the affinity for and loyalty to theScore brand across the country.”

Snowden noted that ending the ESPN partnership and the fixed media spend that came with it will allow PENN to invest more in Canada as it looks ahead to further growth in Ontario and the opening of Alberta.

“It is the right time to realign our interactive focus, prioritizing our digital assets in Canada and our Hollywood iCasino product to further leverage our core retail casino business and overall omnichannel business model,” added Snowden on Thursday’s call. “Our digital business is primarily focused on our Canadian operations and iCasino-first markets in the U.S.”

SBC Summit Americas 2026: Leadership, regulation and market expansion

SBC Summit Americas 2026 will place leadership, regulation and market expansion at the heart of its conference agenda.

Taking place June 9–11, 2026, at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the event will welcome over 10,000 attendees for a six-stage conference exploring the key themes shaping the iGaming and sports betting landscape in the Americas.

Each stage will examine a core pillar of the industry, including leadership, regulation & compliance, affiliation, payments & technology and player protection. To reflect the event’s dual regional focus, each stage will dedicate one day to each region.

“Our debut combined edition was a huge success. Bringing together top talent from across North and Latin America created an environment that encouraged knowledge sharing, open dialogue, and collaboration between two regions that have so much to learn from one another,” said SBC Founder and CEO Rasmus Sojmark.

“This year, we’ll continue to focus on what resonated with attendees so strongly. Delegates can expect insights from leading C-suite executives, engage directly with regulators and learn how technology is transforming our industry — from affiliate operations to payments and compliance.”

Bringing North and Latin America together

Giving attendees the opportunity to hear directly from those shaping the industry, the Leadership Stage will feature top executives discussing how they’re navigating regulation, exploring new revenue streams and positioning for long-term success across North and Latin America.

Day one of the leadership stage will focus on the key issues impacting North America, including regulatory changes, the rise of prediction markets and innovations in land-based gaming.

Day two will see leading Latin American executives explore how operators can work with regulators to build a sustainable industry, strengthen player protection and boost retention in a maturing market.

Leaning on the event’s dual region focus, the conference will also feature dedicated North America and Latin America stages. Attendees will hear the latest updates on regulation, growth, and innovations reshaping sports betting and casinos across the region.

The North America track will feature expert discussions on maintaining sporting integrity amid the expansion of legal betting in the U.S., assessing the rise of sweepstakes casinos and examining how prediction markets are redefining audience engagement across sports, politics and entertainment.

The Latin America track will feature discussions on proposed changes to Brazil’s regulations, Chile’s regulatory progress, strategies for player acquisition in Mexico, player protection in Argentina and why the Caribbean offers a new opportunity for LatAm operators to expand their operations.

From affiliates to payments and RG

The Affiliate Leaders Summit will feature a stage dedicated to exploring the latest affiliate marketing trends shaping the North and Latin American markets. Day one will focus on the North American landscape, covering how affiliates can build loyal audiences in a maturing market, create social-first content for YouTube Shorts and TikTok and leverage AI and martech innovations to engage players more effectively.

Day two will touch upon how Latin American affiliates can remain compliant while using Google Ads, produce mobile-first content that resonates with local audiences and build profitable affiliate businesses primed for acquisition by established operators.

Examining the latest payment and technology innovations transforming transaction speed, security and compliance is the Payment Expert Stage. Day one will focus on the Latin American market, with discussions relating to e-wallet integration, optimising Pix payments in Brazil and how operators can simplify and optimise payment flows across different Latin American markets.

Day two will feature North American experts discussing how operators can implement tech innovations in open banking, crypto wallets and blockchain technologies in a compliant manner. Finally, the Player Protection Stage will bring together regulators, operators and technology providers to discuss how the industry can strengthen player safeguards, ensure compliance and promote sustainable growth across both North and Latin America.

Sessions will explore how operators in both regions can leverage technology to enhance player protection and refine safer gambling messages so they resonate more effectively with audiences.

For more information on SBC Summit Americas, visit our website.

OLG and Kambi’s new sportsbook launch pushed to 2026

Ontario Lottery and Gaming’s new online sportsbook provider Kambi does not expect the upgraded PROLINE product to hit the market until the first quarter of 2026, the company’s CEO said on Wednesday.

OLG and the Swedish iGaming technology provider announced in February that Kambi would take over La Française des Jeux’s (FDJ) contract as the power behind OLG’s omnichannel sportsbook until 2032. Kambi initially said it expected the multi-channel migration to be completed in the second half of 2025, before pushing that timeline to the final quarter of the calendar year and subsequently to December.

On a Nov. 5 earnings call, Kambi chief executive Werner Becher admitted things were taking longer than hoped.

“Our planned launch with Ontario Lottery is now likely to take place in Q1 2026,” said the CEO. “It is on the Ontario Lottery to decide but we expect the launch now in early 2026.

“On the flip side, we’ve managed to stay close to our original guidance with the tight cost control and the efficiency program. OLG is really a shift to January, so the vast majority of the revenue of that deal is completely unaffected. It’s just, we’re talking about a few weeks’ push, which has impacted what we see in the 2025 calendar year.”

Kambi CEO disappointed, not concerned

Kambi signed 12 new partner agreements after July 1, the majority in relation to its flagship turnkey Odds Feed+ product. Like the earlier OLG deal, some of those integrations have been pushed into 2026 after initial hopes had been for a 2025 launch. As a result of delays with OLG and others, Kambi has reduced its full-year 2025 EBITDA guidance.

In late July, Becher said that he believed the OLG project was “fully on track” to launch at the end of Q3 or the start of Q4 this year, a projection echoed in comments OLG gave to Canadian Gaming Business at that time.

“I think we were all a little bit disappointed that the closing and signing of some deals took a little bit longer than expected,” admitted Becher on Wednesday. “I would have loved to see us signing some of these deals already earlier.”

However, Becher stressed that there is no cause for concern when it comes to the OLG rollout delay. He and Chief Financial Officer David Kenyon pointed to a significant level of development work and testing that is needed before launch.

“This is a very complex, big project for OLG and us together,” added Becher. “They are operating 10,000 points of sale in Ontario, so the integration to their lottery system is a complicated project, which we completed a few weeks ago. We are in a testing and integration phase with them now.”

In a statement provided to Canadian Gaming Business, an OLG spokesperson said that the lottery is “taking the necessary time needed to ensure thorough testing and smooth integration with OLG’s platform.”

OLG aims to grow market share

OLG offers retail and online betting through its PROLINE brand. Separate 2024 revenue numbers from the lottery and iGaming Ontario implied that OLG had roughly a 20% share of regulated Ontario online sports betting and online casino activity by revenue. Anecdotally, that would give it a podium position among authorized operators.

Kambi already provides sportsbook solutions to Bally’s, MGM Resorts International subsidiary LeoVegas, Rush Street Interactive’s BetRivers and more. In Ontario, it also powers retail betting for Great Canadian Entertainment casinos, as well as Mohegan’s Fallsview Casino and Casino Niagara.

OLG told Canadian Gaming Business earlier this year that it expects Kambi’s takeover of its sportsbook platform to make it even more competitive against Ontario’s dozens of commercial sportsbooks. The same week, Becher said on a July earnings call that he is confident Kambi’s expertise can help OLG grow its market share.

“Being the market leader in Ontario, of course they want to make sure that everything is working perfectly before they launch the new product,” the Kambi CEO added on Wednesday. “This is why we did not have a lot of influence on the launch date.”

Olympic Committee wants federal betting revenue reinvested into sports

The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) say the time is now for the federal government to start reinvesting some of the revenue it makes from sports betting into sports, which they say is greatly underfunded.

COC CEO David Shoemaker and his counterpart on the CPC, Karen O’Neill, authored a budget proposal that called on Mark Carney’s government to put money raised from sports gambling into high-performance athletics programs.

In the proposal, submitted in late August, the committee heads noted that a Deloitte analysis found that the country’s 62 federally funded National Sport Organizations (NSOs) need $144 million in extra investment to be able to stabilize their operations and deliver essential support to athletes and communities nationwide. Many NSOs reportedly received signals that their funding would be cut by as much as 30% in 2026.

That gap, they believe, can be closed in part by money from sports wagering.

Profit breeds opportunity

Since Canada legalized single-event sports betting in 2021, said Shoemaker and O’Neill, the federal government has reaped tens of millions of dollars in extra revenue from wagering. Their budget proposal estimated that approximately $65 million in revenue is reaching the federal government from online sports betting, a number which it says is projected to grow to $100 million by 2029.

A report from the Future of Sport in Canada Commission into sport funding, published around the same time as the COC and CPC proposal, stated that as far back as 2023, the federal government was already making over $60 million in tax revenue from sport betting in Ontario alone. It noted this figure was projected to grow substantially in the coming years as Ontario’s iGaming market boomed.

Although the commission said it heard a range of opinions about the value and ethics of betting revenue being dedicated to sport, the proposal to do so was suggested numerous times during its consultation process.

“A promising opportunity exists to achieve cost neutrality through this new revenue stream,” added the COC and budget proposal. Shoemaker and O’Neill suggested that a coordinated partnership between the federal government and the provinces could help to ensure that revenue translates directly to national benefit, expanded NSO capacity and amplified community-level returns across the nationwide Canadian economy.

“It’s sensible to me that single-sport betting is in effect a microeconomy built on the product that is sport in this country,” Shoemaker told CBC. “And then it’s sensible to take the proceeds or the federal tax proceeds from that and invest it.”

Canadian Gaming Business reached out to multiple government ministries for this story but did not receive any insights.

2026 Budget keeps sports funding status quo

For now, at least, the call appears to have fallen on deaf ears. Tuesday’s federal budget announcement, the first by Prime Minister Mark Carney’s administration, did not allocate new sources of funding to NSOs.

Twenty years have passed since the last time core federal funding for NSOs was increased, although the 2024 budget did propose two-year investments totalling $41 million toward the Sport Support Program, the Future of Sport in Canada Commission and community sport programming. Even that was less than half the $104 million requested at the time by the COC.

The Future of Sport in Canada Commission also noted in its August report examples from other countries of a large chunk of gambling revenue being directed to sports funding. Data provided to Canadian Gaming Business by the COC suggests that Canada invests 0.082% of its federal budget on sport (equating to 0.011% of its GDP). In current dollars on a per-capita basis, this translates to spending $8 per capita on sport, compared to France’s $950, Italy’s $130 and the United Kingdom’s $25.

“As the government prioritizes results over spending, the legalization of single-sport betting in Canada provides a timely cost-neutral solution to reinvest in Canadian sport,” concluded the COC and CPC proposal. “With 83% of Canadians supporting the reinvestment of these funds into sport, the public mandate is clear.”

The COC said in a statement issued Wednesday in response to Tuesday’s Budget proposal that it will continue to advocate for federal investment in NSO core funding as part of a plan to transform the Canadian sport system.

Affiliate leadership in Canada: Earning player trust in a regulated, competitive market

Sebastian Jarosch, founder of Mithrillium Ltd., has emerged as an influential figure in the evolution of affiliate technology within the iGaming industry. The company has been at the forefront of the sector’s recent development, helping it earn a reputation among both operators and professionals in an increasingly competitive field.

A winner of multiple awards, including EGR’s Best Affiliate Programme Award, Casinomeister’s Best Casino Group Award and AskGamblers’ Best Partner Award, Jarosch speaks with Canadian Gaming Business and shares his insights about leadership roles within iGaming affiliates.

Canadian Gaming Business: How has Canada’s regulated iGaming environment reshaped the role of affiliates in recent years?

Sebastian Jarosch: Regulation in Canada has forced affiliates to pay close attention to compliance and responsible gaming messaging. Instead of focusing on traditional acquisition, affiliates have to think outside the box with educational content that guides players toward safe, licensed operators. The role has shifted from traffic generation to trust building.

CGB: What does “leadership” mean for affiliates in a Canadian context, where competition and compliance are both intense?

SJ: Leadership means setting the bar higher in transparency, responsible messaging, and player protection. Canada is a highly competitive market where affiliates lead through credibility, compliance and innovation. Affiliates must adapt and learn to use regulatory restrictions to their advantage in order to become true market leaders.

CGB: How can affiliates differentiate themselves when so many platforms are competing for the same players?

SJ: Affiliates can differentiate themselves through authenticity, trust and experience. The Canadian market is saturated with affiliates, so to truly stand out, they must focus on genuine expert reviews and educational content that provide value beyond acquisition offers. Meaningful, useful content builds trust and fosters long-term player loyalty.

CGB: What signals of trust do Canadian players look for before engaging with an affiliate site?

SJ: Players look for transparency, fairness and unbiased reviews. Affiliates that focus on responsible gambling and honesty build trust and help players feel safe. Canadian players are savvy and will quickly spot exaggerated or misleading claims.

CGB: How are affiliates balancing compliance obligations with the need to create engaging, player-friendly content?

SJ: Provinces like Ontario are highly regulated, so affiliates must be creative in developing engaging content. Many are finding ways to make responsible messaging informative rather than restrictive. The most effective affiliate sites combine accurate regulatory information with expert reviews that players can easily relate to.

CGB: Do Canadian players value transparency in rankings and reviews more than incentives such as bonuses?

SJ: Canadian players increasingly prioritize trust and fairness when choosing online casinos. In provinces such as Ontario, advertising welcome offers and other incentives is highly restricted. Transparent rankings and honest pros and cons carry greater weight, helping players make informed decisions. While bonuses can help convert players, it is credibility that builds long-term loyalty.

CGB: What lessons can affiliates in Canada learn from other regulated markets, and what makes the Canadian market unique?

Affiliates can learn valuable lessons about the importance of compliance and the integration of responsible gambling practices. What makes Canada unique is its provincial model, with different rules and frameworks across jurisdictions. Affiliates must adapt to each region individually, requiring flexibility, local expertise and a deep understanding of regulatory nuances.

CGB: How do affiliates manage relationships with operators to maintain both independence and credibility in their content?

SJ: Review sites like Casino Groups adopt a player-centric approach to build credibility with their audience. Casino reviews should be based on hard facts rather than commercial agreements with operators. Casinos that deliver an outstanding player experience are rewarded with higher conversion rates and better lifetime values. Open communication and transparency about review criteria foster trust and long-term engagement.

CGB: What role does responsible gambling promotion play in building long-term trust with Canadian players?

Responsible gambling is essential to maintaining credibility in a regulated market. Affiliates that educate players about RG tools, personal limits and self-exclusion demonstrate that they put player well-being first. This commitment fosters long-term trust and loyalty.

SJ: Looking ahead, what innovations (in technology, content, or partnerships) will define the next stage of affiliate leadership in Canada?

SJ: Innovation in the affiliate space will be driven by personalization, community-building, and technologies such as AI. Close collaboration with responsible gambling organizations, operators and regulatory bodies will also shape the industry’s future. Affiliates that combine cutting-edge technology with player-first values will define the next stage of leadership in Canada.

SBC Summit returning to Lisbon in September for 2026 and 2027

SBC Events has reiterated the 2026 dates and announced the 2027 schedule for its flagship SBC Summit, which most recently brought together 30,000 industry professionals in Lisbon.

The global event will return to the Feira Internacional de Lisboa and the MEO Arena on Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, 2026, and Sept. 21-23, 2027.

“Clarity and predictability, at least when it comes to dates, are vital,” said SEO Founder and CEO Rasmus Sojmark. “Our partners deserve to plan ahead without uncertainty. By setting our dates well in advance, we ensured that everyone could organize their year efficiently and contributed to a well-balanced industry event calendar.

“Our 2026 dates are slightly later than usual to avoid clashing with major Jewish religious holidays taking place in mid-September in 2026, but will return to their usual timing from 2027 onwards.”

SBC has been hosting its major exhibition and conference in September since 2015 and has firmly established itself as the major industry gathering after the European summer break. It provides the perfect window for sales and strategic planning for the year ahead.

Lisbon relocation levels up SBC Summit

The move from Barcelona to Lisbon in 2024 marked a turning point for the event.

Rebranded as SBC Summit to mirror its global vision, it has since seen exponential growth and recognition across the industry. The 2025 edition attracted 76.6% more first-time attendees and 57.5% new companies, confirming its place as a key day in the global gaming calendar.

“Our focus has always been on serving the industry, not competing with it,” added Sojmark. “Consistency in scheduling reflects that mindset. When organizers align around a clear, predictable calendar, everyone benefits, from exhibitors and sponsors to delegates who can make the most of every event they wish to attend.”

Set to welcome 35,000 professionals from betting, gaming, payments, marketing, and tech, the 2026 edition promises to raise the bar once again.

As the industry looks ahead to 2026 and a new cycle of events, planning for the next SBC Summit is well underway. For sponsorship and exhibition opportunities, reach out to [email protected]. For general enquiries, contact [email protected]. 

Betway owner Super Group expects double-digit growth in Alberta

The CEO of multibrand iGaming operator Super Group said he expects the company to grow at a double-digit rate in Alberta once that province launches regulated online gambling.

Licensed in Ontario’s iGaming market, Super Group also has a longstanding presence in other Canadian provinces. It runs platforms including the Betway sportsbook and casino and online casinos such as Spin and Jackpot City and is reputedly Canada’s grey-market iGaming leader.

In the lead-up to its latest earnings call on Tuesday, Super Group reported that its North American revenue grew 14% year-over-year for the quarter ended Sept. 30, which CEO Neal Menashe said on the call was supported by higher deposit volumes and strong customer retention. North American earnings comprised 33% of the company’s total revenue, behind only Africa (40%).

In Canada, which is now Super Group’s only operational footprint on the continent after its U.S. withdrawal, growth was considerably stronger outside Ontario (15%) than in the regulated iGaming province (3%).

Super Group intends to seek a license in Alberta when it opens its doors and begins regulating iGaming play, touted to be in 2026. CEO Neal Menashe said on Tuesday that he expects that even when facing strong competition in a regulated market, Super Group will post double-digit revenue growth in Alberta.

“We’ve learned our lessons, as we always say, in Ontario,” he told investors and analysts. “We’ve got a new casino client being launched in the next quarter in Ontario, enhancing that product. All of that will help us to deliver more in Alberta. I would say Alberta would be higher teens, etc. We would expect to be close to what else we see in Canada.”

At its September investors’ day, Super Group pushed back its projected timeline for Alberta launching its regulated market into the second half of 2026. Menashe added at that time that he expects his company to maintain its existing “podium position” in that province whenever the doors do open.

Ontario growth flatter amid intense competition

Outside of Ontario, Super Group competes with other grey market players and the respective province’s government-owned gaming operators, such as Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis’ Play Alberta. In Ontario, its five licensed platforms — also including the Royal Vegas and Ruby Fortune casinos — compete with more than 80 other approved sites for players’ time and dollars.

Menashe admitted on a previous earnings call in August that Super Group’s growth in Ontario, which was 5% in Q2 and 3% in Q3, is “still below our expectations.”

Still, executives said in September that the operator has utilized “out-of-the-box marketing tactics” to build brand awareness in Ontario, and Menashe has long said that he expects its Ontario positioning and its longstanding visibility and growth elsewhere in Canada to give his company first-mover advantage in Alberta.

Menashe said on Tuesday’s call that Super Group plans to launch with a new casino client in Ontario in the first half of 2026, which he expects to boost the operator not just in Ontario but in its ramp-up to Alberta regulation, too.

Online casino leads the way

Given that all five of Super Group’s Ontario-facing brands offer online casino while only one offers sports betting, and that more than 80% of Ontario’s market by wagering activity and revenue is iCasino, it should be no surprise that vertical is leading the way.

Super Group’s total revenue increased 26% year over year to around $784 million CAD last quarter, with about 84% of that coming from online casino. That iCasino revenue number was up 21% year over year, and the company said it enjoyed solid casino growth in Canada specifically.

On the sports betting side, Betway’s revenue in Ontario grew 5%, making the province the company’s flattest sports region. In comparison, that growth was 23% overall (ex-U.S.), 32% in Europe and 33% in its largest region of Africa.

Super Group posted a total profit of approximately $135 million CAD for the quarter, nearly nine times the amount it reported in the same quarter of 2024, and adjusted EBITDA grew 65% to $214.4 million CAD. Total monthly active customers across all Super Group brands increased 18% to a new all-time quarterly high of 5.5 million. Menashe said that number hit six million by the end of September and then grew again in October.

As a result of the growth, Super Group has again raised its full-year revenue and EBITDA guidance.

bet365 beefs up its Ontario live casino with Evolution’s Ezugi

British sportsbook bet365 has further built out its online casino offering in Ontario by adding Ezugi’s live casino games.

Evolution-owned studio Ezugi announced on Tuesday that it has partnered with bet365 in Canada’s regulated iGaming province, as well as in New Jersey and the UK.

The strategic partnership is set to go live before the end of 2025. When it does, traditionally sports-focused bet365 will add live casino titles like EZ Baccarat, Revolution Roulette, Ultimate Roulette and Lucky 7 to its casino vertical.

“At bet365, we are constantly looking for ways to enhance our players’ experience,” said a spokesperson. “Partnering with Ezugi allows us to add innovative and distinctive live casino games to our offering in two key markets. We’re confident our players will love the variety, excitement, and immersive gameplay these titles provide.”

“We are extremely proud and delighted to partner with an operator of bet365’s magnitude to bring our unique selection of live casino titles to their players,” added Ezugi Commercial Strategy Manager James Robert Smith. “Ezugi’s mission is to deliver fresh, engaging, and entertaining experiences, and we believe bet365’s players will truly enjoy the exciting twists we bring to classic table games. This partnership aligns perfectly with our strategy to expand alongside tier-one operators in key regulated markets across Europe and North America.”

Evolution aims for one-two punch in live casino

Leading live casino provider Evolution acquired Ezugi in 2018 and the subsidiary has been live in the U.S. market for years, streaming live casino games from its studios in Europe. Starting this year, Ezugi began streaming titles including EZ Baccarat and Ultimate Auto Roulette live from Evolution’s New Jersey studio.

Ezugi launched its live casino offering in Ontario in 2024 through partnerships with Toronto-headquartered brands theScore Bet and Bet99. It said at the time that it would announce more operator rollouts in the province in due course.

Ezugi offers in-house games as well as a portfolio of localized titles from its 12 studios worldwide.

Back in May, Evolution’s North America CEO, Jacob Claesson, told SBC Americas that the company intended to establish Ezugi as the number two live dealer provider in the U.S., behind the parent company itself.

bet365 deepens live dealer offerings

bet365 has long had a deep footprint in Canada and has established itself not only as a highly competitive sportsbook in Ontario but also as an appealing casino option. It hosts a range of slots and table games and already worked with suppliers including Pragmatic Play on live dealer content.

Several Ontario-licensed operators have reported that live dealer casino gaming is one of their fastest-growing verticals. iGaming Ontario (iGO) does not break down its revenue reporting by specific product category, but $7.3 billion of the $8.5 billion in total wagering handle on regulated iGaming platforms in September was on online casino. Some 84% of operators’ total earnings from iGaming that month came from iCasino, with online casino revenue reaching a record $227.8 million.

Now, as live dealer continues to grow in popularity, bet365 is another typically sports-associated operator that is looking to ensure it is as competitive as possible in a key online casino product line.

ClubWPT Gold sweepstakes poker goes all-in on Canada

The World Poker Tour’s online sweepstakes poker site ClubWPT Gold has finally launched in beta mode in Canada.

The company confirmed to Canadian Gaming Business that it began play north of the border on Oct. 30, before ClubWPT Gold’s social media pages announced it on Oct. 31. It is live in every province other than Québec.

ClubWPT Gold is a free-to-join sweepstakes online poker platform from the WPT.  It had been accepting pre-registrations from Canadian residents since it first went live in the U.S. in early 2025. It is available in 44 states but not in Canada, but it teased an upcoming Canadian launch in recent weeks on its social media channels and through its brand ambassador, pro poker player Doug Polk.

Until recently, ClubWPT Gold utilized the kind of dual-currency system that is typically seen on sweepstakes gaming platforms in North America, combining Gold Coins in-game currency with Sweeps Coins that can be redeemed for cash prizes. Players can participate in tournaments and games for a chance to win real cash prizes.

However, in late September, it announced that it was scrapping Gold Coins. Instead of using Gold Coins on free-play tables, users can now buy a poker training tool to analyze hands they have played on the site. For every dollar spent on hand analysis, users earn a dollar in chips that can be used in ring games and poker tournaments, where users can win real-value prizes.

That move came after several U.S. states banned dual-currency gaming in 2025, including Connecticut, Montana and New Jersey. ClubWPT Gold no longer operates in any of those states, and it is also offline in Louisiana, Michigan and Washington, where gaming regulators have been proactive in trying to stop sweepstakes casinos doing business. California also signed a ban on sweepstakes gaming into law in October, but ClubWPT Gold did not list the most-populous state as a prohibited area as of the time of writing.

Regulated Ontario included in launch

In Canada, there is more leniency towards the sweepstakes model of online gaming than in some of those states, and there is far less angry noise about the vertical than there is south of the border. Sweeps gaming is deemed in Canada to be non-real-money gaming and is permitted nationwide without regulatory oversight. The exception to the rule seems to be not the regulated iGaming province of Ontario but Québec.

The WPT already offers its real-money WPT Global site in most of Canada except for Ontario, which requires online poker platforms to be licensed and limits player pooling of approved operators to within the province’s borders. In other provinces, WPT Global allows Canadian players to compete in a player pool of more than 100 countries.

It seems that ClubWPT Gold will accept players from Ontario, and that players there will be able to compete with players in other provinces and the U.S.

ClubWPT, a subscription-based free-play platform, is also available across Canada.

One in, one out in Canada’s sweeps poker landscape

ClubWPT Gold had jumped into the hole left by fellow sweepstakes poker site Global Poker’s exit from Canada this month.

Global Poker’s parent company VGW told Canadian Gaming Business in August that it was shutting down its Canadian operations, taking Global Poker and the Chumba Casino sweepstakes casino platform offline by late October. The full withdrawal was completed on Oct. 23.

VGW told CGB the exit was not due to any kind of regulatory pressure in Canada but was “a difficult but strategic, isolated decision” reflecting the fact that it wanted to shift away from its comparatively small Canadian business to focus on the vast majority of its players and business in the far larger U.S. market.

Global Poker previously accepted players from across Canada except Québec, like ClubWPT Gold now does. It was the clear leader in online sweepstakes poker in Canada; now, ClubWPT Gold inherits that status, with the brand power of the World Poker Tour behind it.