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OLG introduces Group Play feature

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) has introduced Group Play, a new feature that makes it easier to play the lottery with others.

Group Play, available on OLG.ca and the OLG app, allows players to form online groups that can purchase lottery tickets together and track prizes electronically. Nominated captains of groups can build group packs of tickets and group members can choose to purchase the pack.

OLG products available with Group Play include Lotto Max, Lotto 649, Ontario 49, and Lottario.

“Playing the lottery as a group is a longstanding tradition in Ontario. Now Group Play is available online, making it easier to manage and completely transparent when playing with your crew,” said OLG Vice President, iCasino & iLottery Andrew Darley.

“Group Play is one way OLG is adapting our products and services to meet the changing preferences of Ontarians. And as with all lottery group play options, whether online or in-store, it’s always a great feeling to share the excitement of playing the lottery together.”

If a group wins under $1000 using Group Play, OLG’s system will automatically split the prize equally between all group members. To participate in Group Play, all members must register for an OLG account online.

OLG reinvests in the community

As part of an agreement, OLG makes payments to the communities that host gaming facilities. According to the operator, it contributed $2.5 billion to Ontario in the last reported fiscal year.

The payments from OLG to host communities are allocated to a range of programs and services, contributing to the region’s overall economic health and well-being.

The Ontario municipalities of Windsor and Chatham-Kent received third-quarter payments of $2.1 million and just over $435,000 respectively from casinos located in their districts.

OLG also makes contributions to Ottawa. It donates $5.5 million annually to community projects in the city, including the renovation of the Jim Durrell Recreation Centre.

 

AGCO’s Doug Hood: Sports must take the lead on integrity

How can the sports and sports betting industries ensure the integrity of competition? It’s a question with no simple answer and one at the forefront of the conversation in recent months.

In the wake of cases such as Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter‘s lifetime ban from the NBA for betting policy violations, navigating the waters of wagering within sport is a hot-button topic. But it’s more than just a buzzphrase. It’s an omnipresent concern for the industries and something that everyone has to work together to get right.

That was the topic of a recent conversation between Insider Sport and Doug Hood, project director of gaming modernization at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). Hood shed light on the difficulties of protecting sporting integrity and why it can’t be something left purely to one party. The burden of protecting the integrity of sports must be shared between regulators, operators, and sports administrators.

While the AGCO is “specifically and strongly committed” to protecting sports betting integrity as a core foundation of its operations, said Hood, this is not a one-party issue.

“Sports betting integrity involves a complex ecosystem and our role within it is nuanced,” Hood told Insider Sport. “The crucial word for us is ‘betting’ as we have oversight of the betting markets but do not regulate sport – and nobody wants us to.

“While we directly regulate the gaming operators and service providers in Ontario’s regulated sports betting market, the betting integrity component is a space where we have to work collaboratively given that sports are being bet on around the globe and we only have one piece of the puzzle.”

A question of data and resources

The stark reality is that monitoring and enforcing sports and betting integrity is a complex issue, one which takes up a significant amount of bandwidth.

Entities such as the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) and IC360 (the merged entity of US Integrity and Odds On Compliance) are constantly conducting data-driven reviews in partnership with sports betting operators and other parties. Still, it’s a tall order.

Hood notes that last year, the IBIA issued just 180 alerts covering around 650,000 sporting events. That does not necessarily mean there were only 180 instances of suspicious betting activity. It is also a reflection of the difficulty of identifying potentially nefarious instances. The time and resources required are significant.

“Having the right technology and data analytics capacity in place is at the forefront of all sports betting integrity efforts because it is like finding a needle in a haystack,” said Hood. While technology is the critical tool, its impact cuts both ways. “Technology is the key to identifying those rare incidents so we can act on them. Moving forward, newer technologies like artificial intelligence will be used for more effectively spotting trouble, as well as for causing it, so we are going to have to both leverage and keep a close eye on them as a regulator.”

Incidentally, that number is tracking higher in 2024. The IBIA reported late last month that it issued 56 alerts in the first quarter of this year, putting 2024 on pace for 224 for the full year. That would represent a 24% increase.

Sport must take the lead

Major sports leagues such as MLB and the NBA prohibit any employees including players from betting on league games and many have robust athlete education programs centered around integrity and betting.

That hasn’t prevented cases like Porter’s and the instance of Shohei Ohtani‘s interpreter’s involvement with illegal sports betting in California. Those cases are very different, as Ohtani is not accused of betting on games himself, but they both illustrate the dangers at hand.

Above all, Hood’s message is that sports leagues, teams and administrators must take a leading role if integrity is to be protected.

“Sport needs to take the lead in protecting sport because, in the end, while the AGCO takes competition manipulation very seriously and will partner where we can, the gaming regulator’s mandate focuses on the betting markets,” he added. “Our direct role is the protection of the integrity of the betting markets and ensuring fairness to Ontario players. The protection of sport itself is the other side of that same coin so our interests are aligned in working together.

“Nobody should be putting their heads in the sand as corruption can impact any sport in any country in the world – whether they have legalized sports betting or not.”

Doug Hood will be speaking at the Canadian Gaming Summit between 18-20 June, 2024. Purchase your ticket HERE to gain access to all three days of the event and keep up to date with the latest news by subscribing to the bi-weekly Canadian Gaming Summit newsletter.

Soft2Bet joins IBIA and activates membership in Ontario

Soft2Bet is the newest member of the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA).

The IBIA confirmed that the gaming platform provider had activated its membership in Ontario before expanding implementation to the brands it operates worldwide.

“Soft2Bet is a very welcome addition to IBIA, further strengthening our position in the Ontario market,” said IBIA CEO Khalid Ali. “The operator’s decision to join IBIA demonstrates its desire to utilize the best integrity protection available for its sportsbook product.”

In March Soft2Bet announced that it had obtained a Certificate of Registration from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). Gaining a license to operate was the next step in the process of launching the iGaming brand Tooniebet.com in the province.

Tooniebet.com will now feed into the IBIA’s sports betting integrity monitoring platform.

“Soft2Bet is delighted to be joining the IBIA as we strengthen our own betting integrity monitoring processes and play our part in furthering the IBIA’s long-standing work on this key issue,” added Soft2Bet General Counsel David Yatom Hay. “Ontario is a world class iGaming jurisdiction; it will be the first market where we will implement our IBIA membership and we look forward to deploying the monitoring infrastructure worldwide in all the other markets in which we operate,”

Over 50 companies and 100 sports betting brands have joined the IBIA, which ensures betting integrity using an international monitoring network to detect and report suspicious activity.

Last month, The Glitnor Group, which operates under the LCKY Group in Ontario, joined the association.

Tooniebet.com enters a strong iGaming market

Upon launch, Tooniebet.com will be joining one of the world’s largest regulated jurisdictions. In the last quarter of 2023 Ontario reported gross gaming revenue of CA$658 million, which was the highest revenue recorded in Ontario wagering history.

IGaming revenue was the main driver of growth in Ontario as it generated CA$471 million in gross gaming revenue which highlights the strength of the market Tooniebet.com will be entering.

Ontario marks the first foray into North America for Soft2Bet and the company says that it is also actively working to obtain a license in New Jersey.

 

 

Vancouver to consider easing rules on casino expansion

Vancouver City Council will consider a recommendation to relax the restrictions on expanding casinos in the city.

A staff report will be presented to council on May 8 that proposes loosening the moratorium on new or expanded gambling venues.

The British Columbia Lottery Corporation wants to expand gambling at the two casinos in the city, Parq Casino Vancouver and Hastings Racecourse and Casino. BCLC proposes adding more slot machines and table games.

Parq currently has 600 slot machines and 61 gambling table while Hastings holds 446 slot machines. The report did not clarify how many the lottery corporation is looking to add.

A BCLC spokesperson told Canadian Gaming Business that through its consultations with Vancouver on the state of the gaming market and the performance of the facilities, “an opportunity was identified to enhance the gambling mix” at both venues.

The moratorium was implemented in 2011, around the same time that the city rejected an application for a 1,500-slot casino on the Vancouver waterfront. It means the city cannot accept a direct application from BCLC to expand one of its casinos. The report recommends an amendment to allow councillors to approve or reject such proposals. Applications for new gambling venues would still be banned.

“This approach aims to ensure council decisions are informed by sufficient detail to assess the impacts of expanding gambling at existing facilities… while keeping other elements of the moratorium intact,” the report reads.

BCLC highlights increased revenue potential

B.C. regulations guarantee municipal governments 10% of net casino gaming revenue in their jurisdiction on an annual basis. Parq and Hastings contributed more than $7 million to the city in the 2022-23 fiscal year, according to financial disclosures in the report. Parq supplied more than $6 million of that.

BCLC forecasts that expansions to one or both of the venues could increase the government’s annual slice by somewhere between $2.6 million to $5 million.

“Like most cities, Vancouver has seen significant growth since the moratorium was approved in 2011, almost 15 years ago,” the BCLC spokesperson told Canadian Gaming Business. “Since then, the population has grown by an estimated 22% while the gambling mix in Vancouver has remain unchanged. Amending the moratorium would allow us to work with Vancouver city staff to look at ways to meet increased player demand and expectations in the city and generate additional revenue for the Province of B.C. and City of Vancouver.”

The report presents several options to council. They include amending the moratorium to accept an expansion application for one or both of the existing casinos, lifting it entirely for all casinos or conducting a full analysis before deciding.

In the report, staff recommend Option 1.

Parq Vancouver was opened in 2017 next to BC Place stadium in downtown Vancouver. Under current regulations, the 72,000-square-foot, two-storey casino is permitted 600 slot machines and 75 table games. It has maxed out that slot allowance and has 61 table games. Hastings Racecourse and Casino is owned and operated by Great Canadian Entertainment. It has 446 slot machines from an allowance of 600 on a casino floor beneath the horse racing grandstands.

Penn to embed betting functionality in theScore media app

Penn Entertainment CEO and President Jay Snowden announced at the company’s earnings call on May 2 that theScore will tie theScore Bet‘s betting experience directly into the brand’s media app in Ontario.

Score Media and Gaming first launched theScore Bet in September 2019, two years before Penn completed its acquisition of the Toronto-based company.

Until now, theScore‘s sports news and media app and its betting platform have been kept separate. Users can view latest scores in theScore Bet platform but are taken over to theScore app if they want to see deeper dives into the game, such as team and player stats. In theScore app, odds can be viewed for games but there is no wagering functionality.

However, Snowden told investors that a new integration will allow Ontarian users to both track and place bets in the brand’s original sports app.

“We’ve actually got some really exciting deep integrations that we’re launching over the next month in Ontario,” Snowden said on the earnings call in response to a question from Truist Securities analyst Barry Jonas.

“That would include things like being able to have an embedded bet slip in the media app and being able to track your bets in the media app after you place bets with theScore Bet.”

Snowden added that while the integration will only be introduced for theScore Bet in Ontario for now, the company intends to expand the feature to the U.S. for ESPN Bet.

“[These are] things that we’re going to be doing with ESPN Bet over the coming quarters,” he added. “We’re just not there yet, obviously, in the U.S. but we’re starting to launch those initiatives in Ontario. And it will be exciting to see what the traction is. But it’s very seamless between theScore media and theScore Bet in all of those areas. And that’s obviously the goal between us and ESPN here in the U.S. as well.”

For Snowden and Penn, the evolution is a logical next step in their quest to provide sports fans and bettors with a seamless all-in-one user experience. Snowden noted earlier in the call that sports betting and sports media are “rapidly converging” and sports fans are increasingly looking for a fully integrated sports betting experience.

theScore Bet continues to perform

Penn’s overall Q1 2024 results were not what the company would have been hoping for.

It reported a 3.8% decline in revenue to $1.61 billion USD during Q1 2024, including an 11.1% dip in revenue for the Interactive division that was partly attributed to unfavourable hold on larger sports events. That segment covers all online sports betting and casino across the Penn group, which includes ESPN Bet in the U.S. and theScore Bet in Canada.

However, Snowden said theScore Bet is continuing to perform “really well” in the Ontario market.

While thought to be behind the likes of FanDuel and DraftKings in the province, the sportsbook app is in the low double digits for market share in the province in both online sports betting and online casino.

Penn expected further innovation to fuel growth

Overall, Snowden was bullish when forecasting the rest of Penn’s year. He told investors Penn Interactive is in a strong position to post growth throughout the remainder of 2024.

Despite Penn Interactive reporting EBITDA losses of approximately $196 million USD, the digital arm reported quarterly record handles and gross gaming revenues for both online sports betting and iGaming. The number of active online gaming users also increased by 166%.

Snowden said that more product development will boost the remainder of their year.

“We look forward to unveiling additional product enhancements and unique media integrations with ESPN ahead of the 2024 football season,” Snowden added. “Our improved online product offering will help engage, reactivate and retain our expanding database, while also advancing our strategy to create a highly differentiated experience for sports fans and sports bettors.”

Executive VP of Operations Todd George noted that the company’s Penn Game Studios continues to innovate in Canada. The studio has introduced the likes of the Blue Jays Blackjack game tied into Canada’s MLB franchise.

“It’s really taken off,” he added. “So we’re looking for those types of opportunities as we come to the U.S. And really, this group of folks has created some great products that typically quickly ramp into our top 10, top 5 offerings that we have online.”

To fuel those improvements, Penn has appointed Aaron LaBerge as its new chief technology officer effective in July. LaBerge will be responsible for driving the technology strategy and execution for Penn and will serve as the key business leader for Penn Interactive.

Streamer and influencer Brian Christopher to keynote at Canadian Gaming Summit

Award-winning casino influencer and content creator Brian Christopher is set to appear on a Q&A keynote at the upcoming Canadian Gaming Summit.

The Making Waves: Marketing Innovation in an Online World keynote will feature as part of the Leaders conference track, taking place on Wednesday, June 19.

The keynote, led by Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) President Paul Burns will investigate the influence of new generations of slot enthusiasts on gaming behaviours. Moreover, it will examine how social communities contribute to the development of effective and innovative player marketing strategies within today’s interconnected landscape.

“I’m really excited to be back home and to be launching my branded slot machine in Ontario with SBC!” said Christopher. “It’s a big moment for me and super special.

“Some in the industry have been slow to see the potential of social digital platforms for marketing – like super slow! But I’ve been deep in it for over eight years now: casinos who were early adopters have reaped the benefits, and you can see how much social media and gaming have blown up since then. There’s still so much opportunity out there for marketers who are willing to dive in. I’m excited to share what I’ve learned, give some tips on using digital platforms, and help brands get a solid spot in the online world.”

A native of Burlington, Ontario, Christopher has had a varied yet illustrious career. After training at Humber College for theatre performance, much of Brian’s early career was dedicated to the film and television industry. During this time, Brian made several notable appearances in productions such as Hallmark’s The Christmas Parade, the BBC’s Copper, not to mention a spot in a classically Canadian Tim Hortons commercial.

In 2016, a year after moving to Los Angeles, Christopher found fame on YouTube with his slot machine gambling channel Brian Christopher Slots. The series followed Brian visiting land-based casinos throughout the U.S., chronicling his wins and losses on a host of slot machines. As of 2024, Christopher reaches eight million monthly viewers and has garnered over one billion video views across all platforms.

In July 2022, Brian debuted his very own slot machine, Brian Christopher’s Pop’N Pays More at the Plaza Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Designed in partnership with Gaming Arts, the game was praised for its mechanics, animations, and entertaining voiceovers from Brian himself. Due to its continued popularity, the game has been enjoyed in almost 100 casinos across 15 states, and at sea on Carnival Cruise Line. In 2023, to celebrate its first anniversary, Brian Christopher’s Pop’N Pays More was made available to play online via Chumba Casino.

In 2023, the Plaza Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, announced the opening of the newly expanded Brian Christopher Slots at Plaza, an innovative experience for casino goers and fans alike. The unique space offers players the first smoke-free environment to play in Downtown Las Vegas, and encourages the use of phones and social media, two features traditionally discouraged on casino floors.

“In the past few years, social media influencers and casino streamers have totally shaken up the digital world,” added SBC CEO and Founder Rasmus Sojmark. “Brian Christopher’s been there from the start, leading the way, so his keynote is a chance for everyone to dig into a part of the industry that’s still kind of mysterious to a lot of people but has tons of promise. Brian’s no stranger to SBC either; he’s even bagged a couple of awards already.”

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Purchase your Early Bird ticket at the discounted price of CA$795 and gain access to all three days of the Canadian Gaming Summit, including the Player Protection Symposium, the exhibition, the conference, and exclusive networking parties.

Operators and affiliates can apply for a free pass to the event

Blueprint Gaming to employ Future Anthem AI-driven jackpot tool

Blueprint Gaming will use Future Anthem’s upgraded real-time personalisation product Amplifier AI to generate personalised audiences for jackpot games.

The UK studio’s Jackpot King line of games will utilise the Amplifier AI Audience Identifier jackpot extension. Audience Identifier monitors pot sizes and generates audiences of relevant players using algorithms. Based on those findings, it sends tailored real-time communications to players about jackpots.

“This is a perfect example of Anthem’s commitment to innovation and excellence in AI-driven marketing solutions that improve player experiences, building on the strong foundations of successfully working with Blueprint for over three years,” said Chief Data and Product Officer at Future Anthem Chris Conroy.

Blueprint, which is licensed to develop and supply games in Ontario as well as a number of European jurisdictions, will be the litmus test for the extension of the Audience Identifier tool in the online casino market. Future Anthem previously used it in sports betting with operators such as William Hill.

Blueprint Games to employ the new advanced tool include Bankin’ More Bacon Jackpot King, Cash Strike Jackpot King and Fishin’ Frenzy Jackpot King. In Canada, its Jackpot King games are branded as Jackpot Royale.

“Our integration with this new audience innovation product provides an industry-leading approach to real-time player engagement,” added Thomas O’Halleran, director of operations at Blueprint. “It will also leverage Blueprint’s Jackpot King portfolio and provide a personalised player utility to enhance the entertainment delivered by the gameplay.”

Blueprint says Jackpot offerings making a splash in Canada

Overall, Blueprint now has around 200 games certified and live in Canada with over 20 leading operators such as Ontario Lottery and Gaming and Loto-Quebec. As well as partnering with OLG, the supplier first went live in Ontario’s regulated market with more than 50 titles upon the market’s launch in April 2022.

Blueprint says its progressive jackpot system Jackpot Royale has been a hit with Canadian players. It has been modified to work with the specific requirements and liquidity of Canada’s various provinces.

“While we’re not omni-channel in Ontario, we still proved capable enough to perform very well indeed and it’s a challenge we’ve welcomed,” Blueprint’s Director of Marketing and Relationships Jo Purvis, told Canadian Gaming Business in March. “We’ve had great confidence in our library of legacy games which have been incredibly well supported by our recent roadmap of releases – King Kong Cash Even Bigger Bananas Jackpot Royale and Crabbin’ for Christmas Jackpot Royale both lent their considerable weight to our Canadian portfolio.”

Blueprint strives to offer games that players in Ontario are looking for and will hope that the implementation of Amplifier AI’s Audience Identifier in its Jackpot Royale portfolio serves it well.

The company’s portfolio of new and upcoming titles includes Gold Strike Jackpot Royale, released this spring.

Bragg Gaming appoints Neill Whyte as Chief Commercial Officer

Bragg Gaming Group has appointed experienced iGaming executive Neill Whyte as the company’s Chief Commercial Officer, effective May 1.

He will be tasked with driving growth across all product verticals, including both proprietary and partner online casino content, content aggregation and player engagement and account management.

Whyte has over 18 years of experience in the iGaming sector, most recently in the role of CCO at Digital Gaming Corporation‘s B2B iGaming division. He was responsible for the commercially successful launch and growth of the company’s content distribution business in the U.S. Whyte has previously served in senior positions for the likes of Apricot Investments, Genera Networks and Microgaming.

Bragg CEO Matevž Mazij called White a perfect fit for the company and said in a release that the new CCO’s iGaming product and market knowledge, “together with his record in driving growth from developing successful and mutually beneficial commercial partnerships, are exceptional.”

“It’s an honour to join Matevž and the wider teams at Bragg already in place across North America, Europe and in India,” said White. “I have been impressed with the depth and quality of the content, product and technology offerings at Bragg, and its ability to rapidly adapt, certify and deploy this content and technology in newly regulated markets is a distinct advantage.

“We also have a huge opportunity to grow our footprint with our existing customers in markets in which we are already established. Our content and product roadmaps are second to none, and I’m planning to get on the road in the coming weeks and months to meet the team and our customers and to start building for the next stage of mutual growth. I can’t wait to get going.”

Whyte’s appointment is the latest in a series of C-suite changes over the last 12 months.

After Mazij became the new CEO last August, the company announced in April that Ronen Kannor had resigned as chief financial officer effective June 3 in order to pursue other career opportunities.

Bragg continues to strike deals amid strategic review

Toronto-based iGaming technology provider Bragg currently operates in multiple regulated online casino markets globally, including Ontario and the U.S. states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan.

Its in-house brands include Wild Streak Gaming, Spin Games, Atomic Slot Lab, Indigo Magic and Oryx Gaming.

Whyte’s appointment comes at a critical time for the company.

In an earnings call in late March, Bragg revealed it is forming a new ad hoc special committee to review strategic alternatives after a mixed set of results for Q4 clouded an otherwise promising year. Potential actions could include the sale of the company or its assets, a merger, financing, or further acquisitions.

However, Mazij said at that time that Bragg projects midpoint growth of 12.8% in revenue and 10.9% in adjusted EBITDA in 2024.

In the meantime, the company continues to strike deals. It announced last week it has signed an international online casino content distribution agreement with Light & Wonder that spans Ontario and its other regulated markets.

NorthStar Gaming takes quarterly record revenue in Q4 2023

Toronto-based NorthStar Gaming reported a 103% year-over-year increase in Q4 revenue as it unveiled the financial results for its first full year of operations.

NorthStar took total revenue of $6.5 million in the three months ended Dec. 31, 2023, a quarterly record for the company and more than double the $3.2 million it took in the same period of 2022. Gross gaming revenue for the company’s NorthStar Bets wagering platform in Q4 2023 was $7.6 million, up 85% YOY. Total handle for the betting platform rose 90% in the same period, to $213.3 million.

Given that NorthStar only launched in mid-May 2022 in Ontario, the 12-month period covered by this week’s financial report was its first full year of operations. While revenue was up 240% in 2023 compared to 2022, that period is nearly twice as long as the previous year.

However, NorthStar made $19.4 million in 12 months in 2023 compared to $5.7 million in seven and a half months of 2022. Extrapolating that latter figure to span the whole of 2022 would take the hypothetical Y1 revenue figure to around $9 million, which would represent an increase of more than 100% in Y2.

NorthStar Bets’ handle for 2023 was $648.8 million in 2023, up 251% compared to the $184.7 million in bets during the 2022 operating period. GGR for the betting site was up 208% to $22.5 million in 2023 and gross margin was $7.1 million in 2023, an increase of 492% over $1.2 million in 2022. That margin represented approximately 36% of revenue last year compared to 21% of revenue in 2022.

Though the business reported a net loss of $25.5 million during its first full year. CEO Michael Moskowitz noted in a letter to shareholders that the company has now posted six successive quarters of growth in both customers and revenue.

“We delivered very strong growth in our first full year of operations, with revenue and customers increasing sequentially in every quarter,” said Moskowitz. “Key accomplishments during the year included the public listing of our shares, numerous product innovations to enhance our online betting platform, a strengthening of strategic partnerships, implementation of a marketing plan that has yielded an excellent return on investment, and the Slapshot Media acquisition which has enabled us to expand our addressable market through a First Nations-managed services arrangement.”

Year of progress for NorthStar

In its year-end reporting, NorthStar pointed to a year of progress across numerous verticals.

As well as exceeding the $1 billion mark in total wagers since NorthStar Bets’ launch, the company also introduce branded studios for select live dealer games last year. In the first months of 2024, NorthStar surpassed 600 casino games covering all major categories and curated from renowned vendors worldwide. It also revamped its Sports Insights department, which produces a variety of sports and betting content featured on major Canadian media platforms such as the Toronto Star, and launched a VIP Rewards program.

Notably, the company, which listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange in March 2023, also commenced trading on the U.S.-based OTCQB Venture Market in March this year.

The year-end results were published just a few days after NorthStar announced it extended its strategic partnership with Playtech through a renewal of the pair’s existing marketing agreement. Playtech will also provide another $3 million worth of short-term financing, the proceeds of which NorthStar says will be used to fund the company’s continued growth as well as for general corporate purposes.

In his letter to shareholders, Moskowitz credited that partnership with “giving us access to some of the world’s premier gambling technology and marketing services.”

Ultimately, Moskowitz said NorthStar is well-positioned to capitalize on its momentum, adding that “as we scale the business, we expect to realize operating leverage as revenue continues to grow faster than expenses.”

“NorthStar is a rapidly growing company in a relatively new sector with a lot of runway ahead,” he told shareholders. “We have a differentiated offering and, as a locally-based company, a distinct familiarity with the Canadian market. We are small and nimble enough to introduce innovation to our platform, while at the same time having access to world-leading technology and services through our committed partners. Our business model is gaining traction and has the potential to deliver strong returns.”

Countdown to SBC Summit North America, welcoming 5K delegates next week

The upcoming SBC Summit North America, set to be held at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in New Jersey from May 7-9, will welcome a record-breaking 5,000 delegates eager to expand their connections in the evolving North American market.

The three-day event will feature a pre-day Player Protection Symposium, an expansive exhibition floor, and a comprehensive conference. In collaboration with +More Media, SBC will also host the inaugural Capital Market Forum, on Monday, May 6.

“The North American market is still undergoing a pivotal and transformative shift. Despite some regulatory roadblocks, sports betting is continuing to go from strength to strength as evidenced by the recent developments in Vermont, Kentucky, Maine, and North Carolina,” said SBC CEO and Founder Rasmus Sojmark.

“With that said, there is still much more to be achieved in the market, and alongside discussions on the slow progress of iGaming, SBC Summit North America will serve as the ideal opportunity for delegates to equip themselves with the tools to prosper and continue pushing the market forward.”

A notable feature of the event will be the conference program spanning eight dedicated tracks across four stages. The conference, featuring 300 speakers, will aim to address crucial issues affecting the North American markets. Throughout the event, delegates can anticipate discussions encompassing the reinvention of land-based experiences through digital integration, strategies to build upon the ongoing success of tribal gaming, methods for forging successful operator-league partnerships, an exploration of emerging technology set to innovate the sports betting market, and more.

The first core day of the event will feature notable appearances from Rep. Dina Titus, President of the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS) Delegate Shawn Fluharty, Caesars Entertainment Board Member Jan Jones Blackhurst, former President of the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) Donna Orender and Robert Norton, President of Cordish Companies Casinos & Hotels.

The second day will commence with an exclusive Q&A keynote session with nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback, and former Miami Dolphin, Dan Marino. Marino will reflect on his decorated career playing for the Miami Dolphins, his work with the Dan Marino Foundation and will share his views on the wider sports industry.

Additionally, the second day of the conference will feature a keynote presentation by Trustly’s Vice President of Gaming, John Parsons, as he shares strategies for operators seeking to utilize open banking solutions to enhance player loyalty.

The exhibition floor will host over 75 global and regional brands, showcasing cutting-edge technology, the latest game releases and innovative services and products. Companies appearing on the show floor include leading operators such as Bet365 Partners, well-known affiliates like Key Affiliates, innovative game studios such as RLX Gaming and White Hat Gaming, and suppliers like BetConstruct, Continent 8 Technologies, Kinectify and Trustly.

In addition to showcasing the industry’s latest offerings, the exhibition floor will provide delegates with a variety of daytime networking opportunities. The first day of the summit will see daytime events such as the Global Gaming Women Meet-Up Breakfast, sponsored by PayNearMe and VDX.tv, the African Americans In Gaming Meet-Up, and a Drinks Reception sponsored by BTI Labs. The second day will see the exhibition floor host both the Tribal Gaming Breakfast Meet-Up, sponsored by Strive Gaming and the Responsible Gambling Affiliate Association (RGAA) Launch & Networking Drinks, sponsored by Affiliate Leaders and Better Collective.

Away from the exhibition floor, SBC Summit North America will offer all those with a full event pass an array of exciting evening networking opportunities. These networking events include the SBC Summit North America Opening Party, held at Slate NYC (May 7), the Official Networking Party and Sports Betting Hall of Fame at Red Bull Arena (May 8) and the Official Closing Party and Awards After Party at the Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge at Moxy Times Square (May 9).

Closing the event will be the prestigious SBC Awards Ceremony, taking place at Hilton Midtown on the evening of May 9. The ceremony will serve as an excellent opportunity to shine a light on the tremendous achievements of companies and individuals over the past twelve months, celebrating the best operators, affiliates and suppliers in the industry.

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Please note that a separate ticket is required to attend the SBC Awards ceremony. Details regarding available table and ticket options can be found here.

For groups of three or more, you can purchase the ‘Group Pass Ticket’ gaining you access to all three days of SBC Summit North America for the discounted price of $895 per person. 

Additionally, operators and affiliates can apply for a free pass to the event.