In total, consumers in Ontario spent CA$9.25 billion (US$6.56 billion) on iGaming last month. This beat the previous record of $8.55 billion, set in September, by 8% and surpassed the prior October’s total spend by 24%.

Data from iGaming Ontario showed online casino games remain the most popular form of iGaming among Ontarians by some margin. Players spent $7.89 billion in total, which accounted for 85% of the entire market.

Internet sports betting drew $1.23 billion in wagers, or 13% of the overall spend and 16% more than September. However, online poker wagers dipped 9% month-on-month to $131 million in October.

Ontario iGaming revenue surpassed $360 million

Turning to revenue, non-adjusted gross revenue from iGaming during October was $367.7 million. This was 9% more than the previous record of $338 million in May 2025.

October’s total was also up 38% up year-on-year and 12% ahead of September this year,

Revenue from online casino topped $303.8 million, up 9% from September. Sports betting revenue climbed 25% month-on-month, while online poker revenue was 10% higher at $5.6 million despite a fall in spending.

iGaming Ontario also reported that active player accounts for the month totalled 1.3 million, up 9% from September. Average revenue per player account edged up 2% to $286 for the month.

FanDuel, BetMGM, Bet365 and BetRivers are among the major operators active in the province.

ESPN and Penn mutually agreed to the early termination of their partnership, which initially was a 10-year deal set to go through 2033, according to Penn’s third quarter report on Thursday. Penn paid $150 million per year for ESPN’s media, marketing and the exclusive right to ESPN Bet. The deal gave either company the option to end the partnership after the third year if market share performances were not met. The companies had aimed to secure 10%-20% market share after three years.

“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,” Penn President and CEO Jay Snowden said in a statement. “Although we made significant progress in improving our product offering and building a cohesive ecosystem with ESPN, we have mutually and amicably agreed to wind down our collaboration. We plan to realign our digital focus on our growing iCasino business, while continuing to capitalise on our omnichannel advantage as the nation’s leading regional retail casino operator.”

Penn readies theScore Bet for US relaunch

In ESPN Bet’s place, Penn will relaunch its theScore Bet product in the United States, with a goal of having it ready by 1 December to coincide with the start of Missouri sports betting. The ESPN Bet app will be automatically updated to theScore Bet when opened on the date of transition, according to Snowden.

Snowden said theScore Bet will “leverage connectivity with theScore media app”. He said the media app has four million monthly users in North America.

Penn purchased theScore in 2021 for $2 billion. The sportsbook then ended its US operations in 2022 to focus on the Canadian market.

In a previous sportsbook partnership that proved costly, Penn purchased Barstool Sports to use that company’s brand before giving it up – after similarly dismal performance – to restart in the new relationship with ESPN.

Penn shelves ESPN Bet

Penn will pay $38.1 million in the fourth quarter to Disney-owned ESPN, as well as an additional $5 million for marketing of theScore Bet and Hollywood Casino, according to the company’s 8-K filing.

The company must stop using the ESPN brand by 15 December. Disney, meanwhile, cannot license the ESPN Bet brand for at least 15 months after 1 December.

“Together, ESPN and Penn created a truly unique offering with unparalleled integrations across our various media assets,” ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said. “ESPN drove over 2.9 million new users into the Penn ecosystem, with a strong uptick in first time bettors this fall. We appreciate the collaboration we had with Penn and are now pursuing other media and marketing opportunities within this space.”

Penn retains the 2.9 million users acquired during the ESPN relationship. ESPN retains vested warrants to purchase nearly eight million shares with a strike price of $28.95.

The release said the two companies will continue to work together in marketing and media. ESPN also announced a new marketing agreement with DraftKings on Thursday morning.

Penn refocuses on iCasino

Snowden said theScore will continue to act as a funnel to Penn’s Hollywood Casino iCasino app and the company will continue to focus on cross-selling its 33 million Penn Play programme members.

“Our OSB offerings will continue to provide top of funnel acquisition and cross-sell opportunities for our Hollywood-branded iCasino, which will remain integrated into our OSB product in states where legal, in addition to serving as a standalone iCasino app,” he said.

“We will operate with a more efficient cost structure, including replacing fixed media spending with performance based and regionally targeted marketing that complement our casino footprint. The realignment will free up resources to strategically invest in the North American markets with strong return potential which we expect will drive enhanced unit economics and profitability.”

In the third quarter, the land-based business was stable with $1.4 billion in revenue, according to the company’s earnings report.

Online struggled, with revenues of $297.7 million and an adjusted EBITDA loss of $76.6 million, which were below expectations. Snowden said the loss was because of “customer-friendly hold” and lower than anticipated online sports betting volumes.

Still, he highlighted the strength of Penn’s iCasino products, including a 40% year-over-year boost in quarterly revenue.

“The momentum in our iCasino business continues to benefit from growing average MAUs, which experienced the third consecutive quarter of year-over-year and quarter-over-quarter increases,” Snowden said.

Second failed media partnership

It is the second partnership Penn has ended based on poor performance in the sports betting space despite strong potential and goals.

In 2023, the company ended its partnership with Barstool Sports, which it initially purchased a share of in 2020. The company later acquired the remaining shares in 2022 for a total of $551 million.

Penn sold Barstool back to founder Dave Portnoy for $1 in 2023, following disappointing conversion of the media company’s audience into meaningful sports betting market share.

DraftKings snaps up ESPN partnership

Shortly after Penn and ESPN announced the ESPN Bet termination, ESPN and DraftKings announced a new partnership. The deal makes DraftKings the official sportsbook and odds provider of ESPN, beginning 1 December.

“Our betting approach has focused on offering an integrated experience within our products,” Pitaro said. “Working with DraftKings, a leader in the space, will allow us to build upon that foundation, continue to super-serve passionate sports fans and grow our ESPN direct-to-consumer business. We are excited about this new collaboration with DraftKings.”

DraftKings products will be integrated across the ESPN ecosystem, including access to sportsbook, daily fantasy and DraftKings Pick6 products. That includes a betting tab within the ESPN app.

“ESPN’s unmatched visibility across the world of sports make this collaboration a natural fit,” DraftKings co-founder and CEO Jason Robins said. “As an innovative leader in digital sports entertainment, DraftKings is uniquely positioned to integrate our technology and products with ESPN’s iconic brand and storytelling power. Together, we’re delivering a seamless, engaging, and responsible experience that elevates how fans connect with live sports.”

ESPN Bet will turn to a sports betting content brand with DraftKings Sportsbook integrations, including “ESPN Bet Live”, the network’s sports betting show.

The September total edged out August’s $8.14 billion by 5%, according to monthly figures from iGaming Ontario. It was also 30.7% ahead of September 2024.

Casino was by far the most popular vertical among players, drawing $7.34 billion in wagers. Sports betting followed with $1.06 billion worth of bets, then peer-to-peer poker at $144 million for the month.

As for non-adjusted gross revenue, this amounted to $329 million in September. The total fell 1.8% short of August but was 18.8% ahead of last year. It was also the sixth straight month revenue exceeded $300 million in Ontario.

Some $277.8 million came from casino gaming, making up 84.4% of all revenue during the month. Sports betting generated $46.5 million in revenue and poker $5.1 million.

Record active player accounts in Ontario

Going hand-in-hand with record spending was an all-time monthly high for active player accounts. In September, some 1.2 million accounts were reported as active, more than in any other month in the market’s history.

However, average revenue per active account slipped to $282. This was down from $330 in August and $320 in September 2024, and the lowest monthly total since February this year.

Several major iGaming brands are among those licensed to operate in Ontario. These include FanDuel, BetMGM, Bet365 and BetRivers.

Under the deal, the league will provide the two companies with access to official NHL proprietary data and rights to use NHL marks, logos and official designations on their platforms and products, according to a press release issued Wednesday. According to the NHL, Kalshi’s and Polymarket’s brokers and merchants will also be able to use the league’s marks and logos to identify the products they make available.

“As prediction markets continue to evolve at a rapid pace, partnering with the two market leaders, Kalshi and Polymarket, provides a tremendous opportunity for the broadest fan engagement during the NHL season,” said Keith Wachtel, who serves as president of NHL Business. “Polymarket and Kalshi are ideal partners as this category continues to grow and expand.”

Speaking to CNBC on Wednesday, Wachtel said he is intrigued by the potential for increased cross-selling through the partnership. For instance, a customer can trade a contract concerning the week’s most popular show on Netflix, while also making their pick for winner of the NHL’s Vezina Trophy given annually to the league’s top goaltender. The entertainment contracts typically are not offered on a traditional sportsbook.

Kalshi brand exposure for NHL Winter Classic

It may not be a coincidence that Kalshi marked the announcement by placing an NHL event contract on the most prominent area of its website on Wednesday, occupying the majority of the screen for customers trading on their laptops. A market for the 2026 Stanley Cup champions received approximately nearly $980,000 in trading volume as of 12:20pm ET.

Two teams, the Carolina Hurricanes and the Edmonton Oilers, were co-favourites on the market with a 12% chance to hoist the Stanley Cup. The Florida Panthers, the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion, were the third choice at 11%.

Kalshi, along with Polymarket, will receive brand exposure via Digitally Enhanced Dasherboards and blue line slot virtual signage on various NHL game broadcasts. The broadcasts will include the NHL Winter Classic, the NHL Stadium Series and postseason games during the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Polymarket offered three event contracts on Wednesday’s nightly slate. An all-Canadian matchup between Montreal and Calgary received more than $683,000 in trading volume as of early Wednesday afternoon.

“The NHL has always been about giving fans an incredible experience. We’re excited to bring that energy to Polymarket, where fans can engage with the NHL and its teams in a new way,” said Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan.

Attempts to ameliorate integrity concerns

Coplan appeared as part of a roundtable with Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour last month in Washington DC. The event, which also featured several executives from the nation’s largest derivative markets, delved into harmonisation efforts between the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

The two prediction markets, as well as Robinhood and Crypto.com, are in the spotlight for their foray into sports event contracts. The derivative products have been criticised by those contending the contracts are essentially sports wagers that should be regulated on the state level. Kalshi is embroiled in litigation in numerous states on the legality of the contracts.

Mansour, however, noted that the partnership with the NHL is a testament to the “integrity, safety, and trust” that Kalshi has spent years building with customers. While Kalshi previously signed a partnership with integrity monitor IC360, critics of prediction markets have argued that the sites lack Know Your Customer and anti-money laundering scrutiny that legal sportsbooks face from state regulators.

“Teaming up with the NHL is an important milestone for Kalshi and the industry at large,” Mansour wrote in a statement. “It should be clear now – prediction markets are here to stay.”

Position of other leagues

Over the summer, the NFL expressed a number of concerns associated with prediction markets. David Highhill, NFL vice president of sports betting, stressed that the contracts are susceptible to “price distortions” without the proper regulations. While MLB is not expressly opposed to the rise of prediction markets, the league called on the CFTC to establish a robust integrity framework for sports event contracts.

Nevertheless, the prediction markets’ commercial partnership with the NHL could exert pressure on regulated sportsbooks to accelerate a possible move into the new space.

The designation comes one day after DraftKings announced its acquisition of Railbird Technologies. The company owns Railbird Exchange, a federally licensed exchange designated by the CFTC. DraftKings has not indicated if it plans to offer sports event contracts.

Senator Marty Deacon introduced Bill S-211 this year after a previous iteration, S-269, failed when former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigned in January and ended the legislative session. The previous gambling advertising framework bill was introduced in 2023.

The legislation would require the Minister of Canadian Heritage to create the framework. The previous attempt passed the Senate in November 2024 and would have included restrictions on the number, scope and location of gambling advertisements.

The Senate last week restarted discussions, lasting less than 10 minutes, on Deacon’s legislation in the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications. It advanced to its third hearing in the Senate following multiple hearings on the issue last year.

“We need a common approach, a national standard similar to alcohol, similar to tobacco ads, that is not patchwork. And that’s why the government has to take the lead on this,” Deacon told the CBC last month.

Pushback on sports betting advertising

A Maru Public Opinion Poll last year reported that 59% of Canadians were in favour of a ban on gambling advertising. That came two years after Ontario opened up its online gambling market to commercial operators and flooded the market with ads. A Leger study released last month stated that 75% of Canadians who reported seeing sports betting ads thought there were too many.

However, such advertising has been waning, according to testimony offered during hearings on the advertising framework bills.

Research group ThinkTV said that out of 28,000 ads reviewed in 2024, 189 were gambling-related. In 2022, the group said there were 442 gambling-related ads. Meanwhile, the Canadian Gaming Association and nonprofit group Ad Standards also are working on their own advertising code for gambling operators.

The Canadian Football League, National Football League and National Hockey League all opposed Deacon’s legislation.

Canada sports betting market

Canadian lawmakers legalised single-event sports wagering in 2021, leading to Ontario, the fifth-largest jurisdiction in North America, opening up its gambling industry to commercial online sports betting and casino operators. It remains the only open commercial market in Canada, but Alberta is working toward a similar industry framework.

Ontario regulators opened the market with some of the strongest advertising guidelines in North America. Those rules were later fine-tuned, including a ban on using celebrities and athletes to promote gambling. Regulators fined multiple operators in the first year of operation for violating those advertising rules.

Canadian lawmakers are not the only ones in North America looking to alter the advertising landscape for sports betting. In the US, Senator Paul Tonko introduced a proposed federal ban on gambling advertising, although it has not gained traction in Congress.

Multiple regulators and industry stakeholders have argued that complete bans on gambling advertising would push bettors back to illegal operators.

HKJC hands senior role to Stylsvig

The Hong Kong Jockey Club has announced Casper Stylsvig as executive director of its sports business.

Stylsvig will focus on commercial growth across horse racing, football, lottery and emerging sporting opportunities. He also will become a board member and report directly to CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges.

An experienced sports executive, Stylsvig was most recently chief revenue officer at English Premier League football club, Chelsea. Previously, he also held senior leadership roles at FC Barcelona, Manchester United, Fulham and AC Milan.

“This role represents a natural progressive next step in my career, bringing together best practices from global football to help shape the future of a truly unique, multi-sport business,” Stylsvig said.

PMU and HKJC launch new pool bet

In other news out of HKJC, the organisation has partnered with France’s Pari-Mutuel Urbain on a new common pool bet.

The International Order Couple bet will be available on all Hong Kong races. It will also cover the 95 World Pool races on the PMU calendar.

This builds on a partnership that began in October 2019 with the launch of Simple common pool bets. In 2022, PMU then joined the HKJC World Pool for International Winner and International Placer bets.

“This growing collaboration demonstrates the commitment of both institutions to offering an ever richer and more diverse betting experience to their customers, while strengthening their ties in the international horse racing world,” PMU said.

ESPN Bet fined $15,000 in Massachusetts

Penn Sports Interactive, operator of ESPN Bet, has been fined $15,000 by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission over a violation of advertising rules.

The case related to comments made by ESPN host Rece Davis during a gambling segment on “College GameDay” in 2024. Davis referred to a betting tip by analyst Erin Dolan as being a “risk-free investment”.

Massachusetts sports betting law bans terms such as “free”, “risk-free” and “can’t lose” in reference to wagering.

“Mr Davis used the prohibited language ‘risk free investment’ after he referred to a sports wager,” the commission said. “As a result of the aforementioned regulatory violations, the Commission hereby fines PSI/ESPN Bet $15,000.”

CT Interactive enters Greece with Novibet

CT Interactive has rolled out its content in Greece for the first time through a partnership with Novibet.

Customers of Novibet Greece will have access to a range of CT Interactive titles. These include Lucky Clover, Win Storm, 40 Treasures, HOT 7s X 2 and The Big Chilli.

This latest rollout follows a similar link-up between CT Interactive and Novibet in Mexico.

“Launching our content exclusively on Novibet Greece is a remarkable milestone for us,” CT Interactive Chief Commercial Officer Monika Zlateva said. “It enables us to bring our top-performing games to the Greek market.”

Wazdan builds on Canadian presence with NorthStar

Wazdan is to expand its presence in Canada through a new partnership with NorthStar Gaming.

Wazdan, an iGaming developer, will provide Playtech-powered NorthStar with a range of its content. Titles include 36 Coins, Hot Slot: 777 Cash Out Grand Diamond Edition and Mighty Fish: Blue Marlin.

The launch will also introduce Ontario audiences to engagement-boosting mechanics such as Hold the Jackpot, Cash Infinity, Collect to Infinity, Sticky to Infinity and Cash Out.

“Expanding our presence in Ontario with such a locally rooted and trusted brand as NorthStar is an exciting milestone,” said Radka Bacheva, Wazdan head of sales and business development. “Its strong position in the market, combined with our portfolio of rewarding experiences, ensures we can deliver measurable growth and enhanced entertainment to players nationwide.”

Under the deal, Glitnor will replace its current B2B sports betting provider with Kambi’s end-to-end sportsbook technology and services. This will include a new betting engine, Kambi’s Bet Builder product and AI-powered trading capabilities.

Glitnor will apply the changes to its full portfolio of online brands, active across jurisdictions in Europe and the Americas. Among these iGaming brands are Lucky Casino, Happy Casino, Flax Casino and One Casino.

The group counts Sweden, the Netherlands and Ontario in Canada among the markets in which it has a presence. Customers in all these regions will have access to the new-look sportsbook.

Glitnor pledges to ‘elevate’ sports betting

Richard Brown, CEO of Glitnor Group, said the new deal represents a long-term partnership. He added that it will help the group grow its presence in core markets.

“Partnering with Kambi was a clear choice for us as we looked to elevate our sportsbook offering,” Brown said. “Kambi’s market-leading technology, proven track record and unrivalled expertise give us the foundation to deliver a premium, seamless sports betting experience to our players.”

Kambi CEO Werner Becher added: “We are incredibly pleased to welcome Glitnor Group to the Kambi network following their decision to switch to our award-winning sportsbook.

“This multi-jurisdictional agreement is a testament to the strength of our premium Turnkey Sportsbook, proven to deliver cutting-edge technology that drives growth, ensures regulatory peace of mind and creates a world-class betting experience for players.”

New financing for Glitnor

The revamp comes after Glitnor in September announced details of a new finance facility to help fund future M&A plans.

Provided by hedge fund HG Vora Capital Management, Glitnor secured €55 million under the arrangement. The group will also use the financing to support its wider growth strategy, including investment in product development and wider operational expansion efforts.

Glitnor has completed several M&A deals in recent times. These include the acquisition of OneCasino, an iGaming operator with a presence in various markets across Europe. Last year, the group also agreed to purchase a 37.5% stake in New Jersey iGaming operator PlayStar.

Revenue for the six months to 30 June reached €387 million ($452.3 million), Playtech said in its H1 results announcement. This lagged behind the €429.7 million reported in H1 2024.

The new-look agreement with Caliente caused a 9% drop in B2B revenue to €347.6 million, as Playtech stopped receiving an additional B2B services fee during the period. As such, revenue from the joint venture declined during the first half.

Announced in September 2024, the new agreement signalled the end of a dispute between the two companies, with Playtech holding a 30.8% interest in Caliplay as of 1 April this year.

Excluding the impact of the revised agreement, Playtech’s B2B revenue was up 3% year-on-year. Playtech maintained the joint venture is “ideally placed to deliver significant value” for the group in the mid-term.

“Our revised agreement with Caliente Interactive, which completed in March, sets both parties up for continued success in the future,” Playtech CEO Mor Weizer said. “Caliente Interactive paid its first dividends in the second half of the year following a period of strong performance.”

Caliente impact clear to see with B2B decline

Taking a closer look at H1 data, the biggest B2B decline came in Latin America – on the back of the revised Caliente agreement – with revenue in this market falling 32% to €87.7 million.

UK B2B revenue dipped 3% to €64.2 million. Playtech reported growth across new and existing licensees but absorbed a decline in revenue from an operator continuing to insource their self-service betting terminals.

There was better news in Europe, however, where revenue climbed 4% to €102 million. The supplier said this was primarily driven by strengths in Poland, Spain and Switzerland. It added that it continues to scale its product offering across European markets. Rest of world revenue increased 27% to €6.6 million.

Playtech also saw growth in the US and Canada, with revenue jumping 64% to €21.8 million. In the US, revenue more than doubled, due to a combination of increased wallet share with existing licensees and the impact of successful launches with new operators in 2024.

The group went live during the year with several major brands including DraftKings, FanDuel and Delaware North.

Playtech returns to B2B focus with Snaitech sale

H1 also saw Playtech complete the sale of Snaitech to Flutter Entertainment in a deal worth approximately €2.3 billion. This lined up with the supplier’s switch in strategy to become a pure-play B2B supplier.

Also forming part of this new approach was the sale of HappyBet, which went through on 28 May. The German-facing brand was sold to Pferdewetten AG subsidiary NetX Betting, just two months after Playtech began the sale process.

UK affordability regs hit Playtech H1 B2C revenue

As a result of these sales, Playtech H1 B2C revenue totalled €41 million, down 17% year-on-year. As HappyBet was disposed of part-way through H1, Playtech only drew €7.8 million from the business.

The remaining €33.2 million of B2C revenue came from Sun Bingo and other B2C activity. This was 17% lower than the previous year, with Playtech blaming increased regulation including financial vulnerability verifications in the UK. This, it said, resulted in a drop in overall player activity.

While Wiezer said recognised revenue was down, he talked up what he saw as a “strong” performance in H1. He said Playtech transitioning “back to its roots” as a predominantly pure-play B2B business will be of value in the long term.

“We continue to see significant growth opportunities in the market for Playtech,” he said. “I am confident that the combination of our market-leading technology and talented people puts us in a strong position to deliver on this exciting potential.”

Earnings-wise, Playtech reported €12.9 million in EBITDA, which was 87% short of €99.3 million in 2024. However, adjusted EBITDA came in at €91.6 million. Although 16% less than the previous year, this was in line with expectations.

Pre-tax loss for the period hit €58.8 million, while after tax, loss from continuing operations stood at €78.1 million. However, when including €1.65 billion in profit from continuing operations – namely the Snaitech sale – this left a healthy bottom line net profit of €1.58 billion, compared to just €5.9 million in 2024.

But when adjusting this bottom line to discount one-off items, including selling Snaitech to Flutter, net profit was €93.1 million, marginally ahead of €92.3 million last year.

What can we expect for Playtech in H2?

In terms of the rest of the year, Playtech said it has had a “solid” start to H2 with normal seasonality.

It has plans to increase investment for growth in both the US and Brazil. However, it flagged certain headwinds in Brazil and Colombia. In its May trading statement, Playtech highlighted Brazil’s transition to a regulated market, as well as Colombia introducing a temporary VAT charge.

Despite this, it remains on track to deliver FY 2025 adjusted EBITDA ahead of expectations. As such, it has retained its guidance of between €250 million and €300 million for the full year.

“These results show the strong start Playtech is making in its transition back to its roots as a predominantly pure-play B2B business,” Weizer said.

“I’m very pleased we have reported earnings ahead of expectations from earlier in the year, reflecting the strong performance across our key markets.”

Revenue in the three months to 30 June 2025 amounted to €2.27 billion ($2.66 billion), data from Allwyn showed. This was clear of €2.15 billion in Q2 last year, while the 6% increase was in line with overall growth seen in Q1 of 2025.

Meanwhile, revenue from gaming activities, referred to by Allwyn as gross gaming revenue (GGR), also climbed 6% year-on-year to €2.19 billion. Of this, 42% was attributed to digital operations, up 16% from the previous year.

“I am very pleased to report another quarter of strong financial performance following our strong first quarter, reflecting continued successful execution of our growth strategies,” Chvatal said. “Total revenue increased 6% year-on-year in the second quarter on a reported basis. This is in line with our growth rate in the first quarter, and 9% year-on-year excluding a one-off benefit to GGR in the comparative period.

“This excellent performance reflected our focus on growth in the digital channel, alongside the dedication of our teams across markets to enhancing the customer proposition and the player experience. As always, we delivered this growth while maintaining our commitment to player safety and upholding our responsibilities to all stakeholders.”

UK GGR tops €1.09 billion in Q2

Breaking down its Q2 performance, Allwyn said numerical lotteries drew the most GGR at €1.22 billion, up 8% from last year.

Instant lotteries GGR climbed 3% to €355 million, while iGaming was up 13% to €191 million and video lottery terminal (VLT) and casino GGR 5% to €231 million. The only decline came in sports betting, with GGR in this sector dipping 2% to €185 million.

Geographically, the UK continued to lead the way. This has been the case since Allwyn took control of the UK National Lottery in February 2024. For Q2, GGR in the UK reached €1.09 billion, up 7% year-on-year.

Detailing this growth, Allwyn highlighted the performance of EuroMillions, which benefited from favourable jackpot cycles and successful promotion events. Online instant win games also saw growth, helped by new game launches and increased player activity. It added that unusually high levels of prize payouts in the comparative period supported top-line growth.

“We remained focused on the ongoing execution of our plans to transform the UK National Lottery,” Allwyn said. “This included upgrading legacy technology infrastructure that has long constrained new product development and innovation, to support future commercial initiatives and the further enhancement of the customer proposition.”

This improvement work continued post-Q2, with Allwyn announcing several developments. Above all was a major tech upgrade, where, from 2-4 August, Allwyn carried out wide-scale changes across the lottery retail network. This included launching new terminal software and moving onto a new platform.

Alongside this, Allwyn committed to installing thousands of new lottery terminals over the coming weeks. In total, over 30,000 Wave terminals will be placed in the premises of retail partners that currently use Allwyn’s existing machines.

Allwyn reports growth in all regions

Elsewhere, Allwyn said its Greece and Cyprus market saw good growth in Q2, with GGR rising 5% to €583 million. This, it expanded, was supported by the online channel, where GGR increased 9%. It added that growth in the physical retail channel remained “solid” at 3%.

Allwyn also saw a 4% increase in GGR in Austria to €403 million. Here, GGR from numerical lotteries was 6% higher and instant lotteries 10%, while online GGR climbed 7%.

“The strong performance in numerical lotteries was supported by favourable jackpot cycles in the main national game, Lotto, as well as multi-national jackpot game, EuroMillions,” the operator said.

Finally, GGR in the Czech Republic, where Allwyn originated, reached €133 million. This was 9% higher than the previous year, with growth higher than in any other region. Allwyn noted “strong” growth across all major product lines, including numerical lotteries (12%).

Away from GGR, Allwyn reported €54 million in revenue from its Technology and Content segment in North America. This was 7% lower than Q2 last year, with the group putting these numbers down to lower incentive compensation fees owing to unfavourable cycles for multi-state jackpot games, Powerball and Mega Millions.

Earnings increase in Q2

Allwyn did not publish a full breakdown of its finances. However, it did offer an insight into its earnings for Q2. Net revenue for the period climbed 6% to €994 million, although operating EBITDA slipped 8% to €301 million.

However, Allwyn noted €61 million worth of adjustments to EBITDA. These included the add-back of certain non-cash amounts relating to the acquisition of its interest in Instant Win Gaming (IWG). Allwyn took a majority stake in IWG in February 2024.

After applying these adjustments, this left an adjusted EBITDA of €362 million, up 6% year-on-year. In addition, adjusted EBITDA margin improved from 36.1% to 36.4%.

As for H1, total revenue increased by 6% to €4.52 billion, with GGR also 6% higher at €4.34 billion. Net revenue also climbed 5% year-on-year to €2.00 billion.

Operating EBITDA dropped 5% to €612 million. However, after applying adjustments, this left €728 million in adjusted EBITDA, an increase of 4% from the previous year.

“Overall, I am very pleased with our continued progress,” Chvatal said. “I believe we’re well-placed for the remainder of 2025 and the next chapters of our growth story.”

Allwyn continues working to improve player experience

On this note, Allwyn has announced several other developments to support its expansion strategy. Alongside its UK-focused activity with improvements to the National Lottery, it made several M&A moves.

The first came in Q1, with Allwyn agreeing to acquire a 51% majority stake in Logflex MT Holding Limited, the owner of online sports betting and gaming group Novibet. Allwyn will pay an initial €217 million, with up to €110 million also due depending on performance of the business.

More recently, just after the end of Q2, Allwyn announced the sale of land-based casino assets in Germany and Australia. It also acquired the remaining minority stake in Greece- and Cyprus-facing online operator, Stoiximan.

This, Allwyn said, supports its increasingly digital-focused strategy. In relation to this, Allwyn appointed Kresimir Spajic as CEO of its new Allwyn Digital business, with a remit to lead its global digital expansion. Spajic began his new role on 1 September.

Just prior to releasing its Q2 results, news also broke of KKCG selling a 4.27% stake in Allwyn International to another Czech investment fund, J&T Arch Investment. The sale, Allwyn said, will allow more investors to support the group moving forward. KKCG will retain a majority 95.73% stake in Allwyn, held via Allwyn AG.

The deal valued Allwyn’s share capital at €11.20 billion.

Funding confirmed for Dutch gambling addiction programme

Dutch regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has confirmed the extension of a gambling harms, addiction and prevention programme in the country.

KSA will continue to work with healthcare research and healthcare innovation organisation ZonMw on the initiative.

The programme has also secured an additional €21 million ($25 million) in funding. This will be used to fund independent research to improve the prevention and treatment of gambling addiction.

“The protection of players is a key priority for the KSA,” Michel Groothuizen, KSA chair, said on 28 August. “By continuing this programme, we are joining forces to gather more necessary knowledge on this subject, so that we can prevent gambling harm as much as possible.”

Trio of appointments for Western Australia regulator

New appointments have been confirmed at the Gaming and Wagering Commission (GWC) of Western Australia (WA).

Former WA Police Assistant Commissioner Paul Steel, lawyer Melanie Cave and former minister Bill Johnston will all join the body. The trio of appointments was announced by the state’s government.

Steel became the first full-time member at the commission. He will continue to oversee casino activities to ensure operations are lawful and responsible

Cave brings experience in commercial and property law. In addition, Johnston joins the GWC after 17 years working as a minister and retiring from parliament prior to the March 2025 state election.

BCLC hits back at anti-money laundering ruling

Meanwhile in Canada, the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) has appealed a ruling by the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) over a notice of violation.

FINTRAC delivered findings of alleged administrative deficiencies on anti-money laundering legislation at the BCLC. The findings did not include allegations of any criminal offence.

The BCLC said it conducted a review of the findings, providing information to support its case against FINTRAC. However, FINTRAC elected to uphold the decision, with the BCLC seeking a repeal of this ruling.

“We take responsibilities under Canadian anti-money laundering legislation very seriously,” the BCLC said. “We are confident in its position we have fully complied with all legal and regulatory obligations.”

MGM to increase NFL responsible gambling messaging

Turning to the US, MGM Resorts International and BetMGM will increase responsible gambling messaging inside NFL stadiums for the upcoming season.

For the third consecutive year, GameSense messaging will appear on LED ribbons at selected stadia. Also new for the 2025 season, these messages will be featured prominently on stadium scoreboards during pre-game activities and also within gameday magazines.

GameSense is a responsible gaming programme first developed and licensed to MGM Resorts in 2017 by the BCLC. The programme focuses on engagements with guests and customers about how to gamble responsibly.

“Placing GameSense in league stadiums gives us direct access to millions of fans each week,” said Rhea Loney, chief compliance officer at BetMGM. “It’s a powerful platform to promote public awareness and amplify our commitment to provide a safe and informed gambling experience.”

Bet365 secures Maryland sports betting licence

Finally this week, Bet365, through its Hillside parent company, secured an online sports betting licence in Maryland.

The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission signed off on the licence and Bet365 has since rolled out its online sports betting platform in the state.

With the addition of Bet365, there are now 12 mobile and online sportsbooks active in Maryland. This is in addition to 13 retail sportsbook locations and Riverboat on the Potomac, in partnership with Fanatics.

Bet365 is now active in 15 jurisdictions across the US.

Publishing its FY25 results, PointsBet said revenue for the 12 months to 30 June amounted to AU$261.4 million (US$170.8 million). This represents a new record, surpassing the previous financial year by 6%.

Revenue was higher across the group’s sports betting operations in Australia and Canada. On top of this, net win – revenue minus promotional costs – improved by 6% year-on-year to $283.6 million.

First EBITDA-positive period in PointsBet history

PointsBet also posted positive normalised EBITDA for the first time in its history. Normalised EBITDA in FY25 – excluding share-based payments and one-off items – reached $11.2 million, in contrast to a $1.8 million loss in the previous year. In addition, rolling annual cash active players hit an all-time high of 295,757.

Australia growth despite reduced player spend in FY25

Breaking down PointsBet’s performance in FY25, sports betting operations in its native Australia again made up the majority of revenue. In total, revenue in the country topped $218.5 million, a rise of 3% and another new record.

The increase came despite a 14% year-on-year decline in overall player spend during the year. However, net win improved 3% to $240.6 million, with net win margin rising to 10.4%. The group has now reported six consecutive quarters of net win margin growth.

Also on Australia, PointsBet again voiced its support for gambling advertising reform in the country. The issue remains up for debate. Reforms were due to be implemented in 2024, before they were delayed to 2025 amid rumours the government did not have enough support in the Senate or from sports governing bodies.

“PointsBet remains active in encouraging the wagering industry, governments, sports bodies and media to promptly resolve sustainable and pragmatic advertising reform,” it said. “This is likely now that the federal election has been resolved.”

Turning to Canada, where revenue across sports betting and iGaming increased by 26% to $42.9 million. Total net win also climbed 26% to $43 million for the full year.

Revenue from sports betting in Canada edged up 6% to $14.8 million, with handle rising 39% to $354.9 million. Net win was 11% higher at $17 million despite what PointsBet said were “unprecedented” customer-friendly results in H1.

As for iGaming, revenue climbed 41% to $28.1 million, amid a 27% rise in player spending to $1.14 billion. Net win also increased by 39% to $26 million despite negative VIP variance on slots during the first half.

Net loss down to $18.2 million at PointsBet

In terms of spending, cost of sales increased 7%, but operating costs were marginally lower for the year. Coupled with revenue growth, this allowed gross profit to climb 6% to $137 million.

Finance expenses, including depreciation and amortisation, were also reduced. As such, PointsBet posted a pre-tax loss of $18 million, compared to $39.5 million in FY24.

The group paid just $0.1 million in income tax, meaning it ended the financial year with a net loss of $18.2 million, an improvement on last year’s $42.3 million loss.

MIXI strengthens position on proposed PointsBet takeover

Shortly after PointsBet published the results, news broke on yet another development in the ongoing battle between MIXI and Betr Entertainment to take a majority holding in the group.

MIXI confirmed its voting power in PointsBet exceeded the 50% threshold. This triggered a two-week extension to the acceptance period for its offer, which had been due to conclude on 29 August. It will now run through to 12 September, allowing shareholders more time to consider the proposal.

Earlier in August, MIXI submitted what it said would be its final bid for PointsBet. This saw it offer $1.25 in cash per share, although this would rise to $1.30 per share if it were to secure more than 90% of the total holding.

However, this latter price is unlikely, with Betr – which has tabled several takeover proposals of its own – saying it would not accept the MIXI offer. This is despite PointsBet encouraging shareholders to accept the MIXI bid and reject Betr.

This has not deterred Betr, which has returned to the table several times with improved offers. Its latest, all-share offer values PointsBet at $1.40 per share. But the initial response from PointsBet was the same, in that it said shareholders should reject the bid in favour of MIXI’s proposal.

However, writing in his post-FY25 earnings commentary, Betr Executive Chairman Matthew Tripp maintained the operator was in a good position to take full control of PointsBet.

“We continue to believe that our offer for PointsBet presents superior value for both Betr and PointsBet shareholders and we remain disciplined as we evaluate further opportunities to accelerate growth,” he said.

Non-adjusted gross gaming revenue in July increased by 29% year-on-year, according to data from iGaming Ontario. The monthly figure was also 1% ahead of June 2025 but fell short of the record $338 million posted in May 2025.

Online casino accounted for $252.3 million, or 81%, of all revenue in July. Internet sports betting revenue topped $52.7 million (17%), while online poker generated $5.9 million (2%).

Ontario online spend tops $7.56 billion in July

Turning to spending, online wagers in July reached $7.56 billion. This was 24% above last year and surpassed June’s total by 4%.

Consumers spent $6.74 billion playing online casino in July, meaning 89% of all money bet online was with casino games. Sports betting spend hit $688 million and poker $139 million.

In terms of player numbers, active player accounts in July stood at 948,000, down 6% from June. However, average revenue per active player account increased 8% month-on-month to $328.

A VGW spokesperson confirmed to iGB on Tuesday that the company is phasing out Chumba Casino and Global Poker in Canada. The company will finish those operations on 23 October.

“This decision wasn’t taken lightly and our focus is on ensuring players are fully informed about the changes and that this transition is as smooth as possible,” the spokesperson said. “Ultimately, this is a difficult but strategic, isolated decision.

“Our Canadian business is relatively small, as the vast majority of our players reside in the larger US market, where we will concentrate our management focus, resources and investment going forward.”

The decision did not stem from pressure from Canadian regulators, the company says.

The full phase-out plan allows users to purchase Gold Coins until 28 August. Gameplay will stop on 25 September but users can redeem sweeps coins until 23 October. The operator has been active in every province other than Quebec, where there are prohibitions on social gaming.

Sweepstakes giant turns focus to US as market shrinks

The VGW pivot to focus on the US comes as multiple state regulators and legislators have acted against the sweepstakes industry. Sweepstakes sites are “dual currency” and offer non-monetary “gold coins” and “sweeps coins” that can be used for real-money prizes. Critics of the industry argue the dual-currency model skirts existing online gambling laws.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy this month signed a bill that bans sweepstakes operators from the Garden State. Connecticut and Montana also enacted similar laws this year. The Nevada Legislature voted to allow broader enforcement against unlicensed gambling operators but did not explicitly include sweeps.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry vetoed his legislature’s effort to ban sweepstakes, explaining the Louisiana Gaming Control Board had enough jurisdiction to act on its own. Shortly after the veto, the LGCB sent 40 cease-and-desist letters to unregulated operators, including many sweepstakes sites.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has yet to act on a sweepstakes bill that made its way through the legislature. Still, New York Attorney General Letitia James sent 26 cease-and-desist letters to unregulated operators. Both sets of cease-and-desist letters included VGW. Michigan, Arizona and Mississippi are among other states that have sent cease-and-desist letters to unregulated sweepstakes operators, including VGW.

VGW has pulled out of or reduced sweepstakes play in at least 11 US states amid the escalating regulatory crackdown.

California sweeps bill working through legislature

Lawmakers in California in June amended a tribal gaming bill, AB 831, to include a proposed sweepstakes ban. It has passed multiple committees and is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Friday.

While most of California’s tribes support the sweepstakes ban, one tribal nation recently partnered with VGW and testified against the bill in a legislative hearing last week.

This month, Kletsel Dehe Wintun Nation of Cortina Rancheria’s economic development arm and VGW aligned to offer free-to-play online social games in California.

VGW is a leading member of the Social Gaming Leadership Alliance, which is working nationwide to champion the sweepstakes industry. Along with the SGLA, the Social and Promotional Games Association is another industry group arguing the games are legal.  

The American Gaming Association, though, remains a strong opponent of sweepstakes sites. A recent AGA study found that 59% of survey respondents say sweeps are “definitely gambling”, with 31% saying they are “probably gambling”.

The former prime minister and chancellor has thrown his weight behind a proposal to hike gambling duty to 50% of GGR in Great Britain. Only his proposal, and the evidence he puts forward to support it, doesn’t really hold up to scrutiny. 

Right to the Source is debating the GB gambling tax hike on Apple Podcasts

GB gambling tax hike: What do the reformers actually want?

Ultimately, Brown is pitching gambling as a solution to child poverty. Considering gambling is regularly decried as the cause of poverty by the anti-industry lobby, that’s quite the volte-face.

And how can people match up treating gambling as a golden goose with calls for new restrictions designed to reduce gambling revenue in Great Britain?

With Bruford, co-host of The Gambling Files podcast, joining to pick apart Gordon Brown’s claims, it gets interesting. And where else will you hear about launching a competing magazine to Runner’s World as part of the conversation?

As promised in our last episode, Robin and Ed also talk about gambling in South Korea and the scope for Canadian provinces joining Alberta and Ontario in liberalising their lottery monopolies. 

We’ll be taking a break in the coming week, but that leaves you lots of time to listen to this week’s discussion!

Locke took on his new role at NAGRA in July, having served as vice president since 2024. He is also the chief operating officer of compliance for the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).

During the conference, Locke joined Jamie Wall, senior manager international regulatory partnerships at Britain’s Gambling Commission, for a special podcast. The session covered the link-up between NAGRA and the Gambling Commission and what benefits this offers to both organisations and the wider market.

“Over the past five or six years in North America, we have seen this explosive modernisation and evolution of the gambling sector,” Locke said. “Regulators across the continent have quickly identified that world has gotten smaller very quickly.”

Locke also pointed to growing interest in UK- and Europe-based events in betting markets across North America. He said linking up with the commission and other regulators across Europe would help improve integrity within the sector.

“We’re seeing events in the UK and rest of Europe that our markets in North America are betting on,” he said. “So, when we have those integrity alerts coming in, we all need to come together. The UK may have their integrity team looking at the same thing, but we can act far more efficiently and quickly if we’re co-ordinated in those efforts.”

As to why NAGRA elected to work with the commission, Locke said the association had been seeking partners that are “leaders in regulation”. Such relationships, he said, would help to evolve regulation in the fast-changing North American market.

NAGRA keen to share best practices

On this, Locke called for greater collaboration between European and North American regulators to better address shared concerns related to gambling.

While he ruled out the possibility of a “universally applied regulatory model” for regulators on both continents to follow, he said the greater the commonality between regulation, the easier it will be for both regulators and operators.

“What I’ve learnt through my involvement with NAGRA is there are so many small differences between each state that sometimes make it challenging to achieve a certain level of co-ordination,” he said

“We need to find a way for more seamless regulatory services in integrated markets. We should have high standards but make it easy for operators to understand what requirements are.”

Locke even spoke about the possibility of regulators and associations sharing models with each other. This, he said, would allow bodies to learn from those that have succeeded in tackling certain issues.

“The more we can do that, the more time it will save jurisdictions,” he said. “I don’t think there is any pride of ownership in any of these models. They are all keen to share and for other regulators to make it right for their own context.”

PTSB launches in-app gambling blocker

Irish retail bank PTSB has announced the introduction of a voluntary gambling blocking facility for its mobile app.

The new feature allows PTSB customers to block debit and credit card transactions classified as gambling through their PTSB app. The block will cover sports betting websites, online casinos, poker sites and lottery websites.

Should users choose to remove the block, a 48-hour impulse delay period will apply before gambling transactions can resume.

PTSB joins Bank of Ireland, AIB, EBS and Revolut in offering their customers a gambling blocking facility.

Stake links up with Team Vitality

Betting and gaming operator Stake has entered a multi-year partnership with global esports club Team Vitality.

Under the deal, Stake becomes the official international partner of Team Vitality’s CS2 team. The operator will receive branding placement on players’ shirts during esports events.

The two organisations will also collaborate on exclusive content and various activations. This includes at the upcoming IEM Cologne event, which runs from 1-3 August.

Stake also has commercial partnerships in place with teams and athletes across professional football, MMA and Formula 1.

SIS reveals new-look competitive gaming leadership team

Sports Information Services (SIS) has announced a new competitive gaming leadership team.

Peter Camden has been named head of competitive gaming product, with Stephen Maguire becoming head of competitive gaming operations. Meanwhile, Aaron St Pierre is now head of sports trading.

Among them, Camden, Maguire and St Pierre have worked for SIS for just under 10 years.

Andy Purkiss, chief operating officer at SIS, said: “Peter, Stephen and Aaron have been critical in driving competitive gaming’s extensive offering to our large network of international operators.”

EveryMatrix hits NA milestone with CasinoEngine

EveryMatrix has launched its CasinoEngine platform technology in North America for the first time with Pinnacle.

Pinnacle will now make use of the platform in Ontario, Canada. This builds on an existing collaboration for the operator’s global casino offering.

BonusEngine, the cross-vertical bonusing tool, will be integrated in the second phase of launch. This will offer Pinnacle Ontario various bonus types and the Bonus Guardian AI-powered bonus abuse solution.

Stian Enger Petersen, CEO, casino at EveryMatrix, said: “This launch marks a key milestone for EveryMatrix as we bring our market-leading CasinoEngine platform to Canada for the first time.”

Realistic Games grows UK presence with new partners

Realistic Games has expanded its footprint in the UK by entering new partnerships with LiveScore Bet and Virgin Bet.

Players of both brands will have access to more than 20 games. These include the Book of Charms, Chicken Or The Egg and Hit the Top titles.

Realistic Games already provides its content to operators including William Hill, Flutter and Entain

Marcela Nadin, account manager at Realistic, said: “With our existing gaming portfolio and upcoming releases, we are confident that we will offer a diverse selection of fun and exciting titles to each brand.”

Non-adjusted gross gaming revenue was 27.9% higher than the $240 million reported in June last year. However, it fell 9.2% short of the record $338 million posted in May 2025.

Data from iGaming Ontario shows online casino accounted for $243 million of all revenue in June. This was 41% more than the same month last year.

Online sports betting revenue, however, declined year-on-year, falling 7.9% to $58 million. Internet poker revenue climbed 12.5% to $5.4 million for the month.

Spending rises 21.4% in Ontario

In terms of spending, players wagered a total of $7.26 billion. This cleared last year’s spend by 21.4% but was 10% behind the $8.07 billion wagered in May this year.

Online casino wagers increased 25.2% to $6.36 billion. Internet sports betting spend stayed level at $768 million for the month, while online poker bets were also steady at $132 million.

As for player numbers, iGaming Ontario said there were one million active online gambling accounts in June. This was 20.9% ahead of last year and 5.2% behind May’s total.

Average revenue per active player also increased 5.9% to $303 million. However, this was 4.1% less than the average of $316 in May.

Yolo Group confirms senior changes

Yolo Group has announced several changes to its management team, including appointing Lara Falzon as CEO of its B2B brands.

Falzon will oversee brands such as the Hub88 aggregation platform and flagship live casino provider Live88. Her remit will also cover Odds88 and OneTouch.

Meanwhile, Yolo Group has named Stephanie Eddy as chief revenue officer of its B2C arm, Yolo Entertainment. Eddy joins after more than a decade with Betway.

In her new role, Eddy will oversee Yolo Entertainment’s commercial performance across key regions and strategic channels.

Caesars rolls out universal digital wallet in Nevada

Caesars Entertainment has launched a new universal digital wallet on its Caesars Sportsbook app in Nevada.

The operator said this upgrade streamlines the wagering experience for sports bettors who visit Nevada. This will allow customers to manage their funds and Caesars Rewards credits in a single place.

Caesar said the wallet allows access across 19 jurisdictions where Caesars Sportsbook offers mobile sports wagering.

“We’re always looking for ways to make things easier and more seamless for our players,” said Eric Hession, president of Caesars Digital. “The launch of our universal wallet in Nevada is a significant step forward and a long-anticipated enhancement that brings greater convenience and connectivity to our mobile app.”

AGCO amends responsible gambling rules

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has announced changes to responsible gambling requirements for licensees.

As of 11 July, AGCO no longer requires registrar approval for responsible gambling training programmes for casino and lottery employees. This applies to its standards for both gaming and lottery.

Training will still be mandatory, regularly updated and based on best practices. Staff must also understand responsible gambling, their role in player protection and how to support those showing signs of gambling harm.

However, AGCO said the changes offer greater flexibility for casino and lottery operators to design and update training.

3 Oaks Gaming pens StarVegas deal

3 Oaks Gaming, an iGaming content distributor, has expanded its presence in Italy by striking a new deal with StarVegas.

Under the agreement, StarVegas will now offer the full range of 3 Oaks Gaming slots to players in the country. This covers titles such as Scarab Boost, Queen of the Sun and Lord Fortune 2.

3 Oaks Gaming is certified and approved in many major markets across Europe. Among its other approved regions are the UK, the Netherlands and Greece.

Yuriy Muratov, chief commercial officer at 3 Oaks Gaming, said: “The StarVegas brand is instantly recognisable in Italy. We’re excited to see our content go live within its online casino lobby.”

Flutter partners with Leeds Trinity University

Flutter Entertainment has agreed to a new training partnership with Leeds Trinity University.

Flutter will support the university with an educational course taking place this September. It will focus on digital skills and aims to attract those over 18 and mature students seeking a new job or a different challenge.

Flutter, which counts Sky Betting & Gaming and Paddy Power among its brands, has one of its largest offices in Leeds.

The free digital skills programme will take place in person from 2-4 September.

The deficiencies stem from a comprehensive sports betting scandal. Several illegal bookmakers admitted to using casinos as an avenue for laundering millions of dollars in ill-gotten funds.

North of the border in Canada, which adopted single-event sports betting in 2021, leading provinces such as Ontario have done an admirable job in convincing grey market operators to transition to the regulated market. However, the issue in many respects remains a major concern.

In response, the gaming industry is pushing for an overhaul of the nation’s AML standards, many of which it describes as outdated, as technological advances available to nefarious actors progress more rapidly than monitoring capabilities.

At last week’s Canadian Gaming Summit in Toronto, the issue represented one of the most popular subjects of the two-day event. The summit hosted multiple panels in Toronto on methods that need to be employed to modernise the nation’s AML framework. Improvements have been made in strengthening AML controls throughout the nation’s land-based casinos, but panellists emphasised more work needs to be done on the online gaming side.

“We need to understand that in a modern, digital economy, we need to develop policies and regulations that are appropriate to fit the risk profile,” Canadian Gaming Association President Paul Burns told iGB last week on the sidelines of the conference.

Forthcoming FATF review

The summit took place several months before Canada will host the Financial Action Task Force in November for an in-depth review. Headquartered in Paris, the FATF is one of the world’s foremost global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdogs.

The initiative is the first collaboration between the FATF and Canada in nearly a decade, since a 2016 mutual evaluation report issued by the task force.

In the 216-page report, the FATF noted that businesses that handle large volumes of cash are “highly vulnerable” to money laundering and terrorist financing operations as the activities are attractive to those who launder drug proceeds.

The FATF identified brick-and-mortar casinos as among the businesses which exhibited vulnerabilities to laundering activity. Indeed, the 2022 Cullen Commission report highlighted significant evidence of money laundering in British Columbia, with money flowing from China through underground banks and into real estate via casinos.

Two key recommendations, namely establishing a special AML investigation unit and creating an independent commissioner, have not yet been adopted, the Vancouver Sun noted in May.

Although the FATF gave the retail casino industry high marks for understanding the risks involved, the watchdog identified online casino operations as an area with an emerging risk profile.

A panel on 19 June featured Kevin de Bruyckere, an official who serves as director of AML and investigations for the British Columbia Lottery Corporation. During his onstage remarks, the director cited a January study from FINTRAC, the nation’s financial intelligence unit on AML matters.

Are fentanyl traffickers using iGaming to launder money?

De Bruyckere called attention to findings which indicate that online gaming platforms and payment providers are possibly being used in laundering proceeds from fentanyl trafficking and production. In addition, the director has urged the Canadian government to provide federal financing in preparation for the FATF review.

FINTRAC referenced a litany of suspicious transaction reports which showed that known fentanyl traffickers “frequently” sent funds from money transfer sites to online gambling operators. In turn, the individuals received payouts from associated payment processors in Canada, Malta and the UK, according to the report.

Moreover, FINTRAC suspects the individuals withdrew winnings from the online gambling sites after using the platforms to disguise funds from opioid trafficking. In some cases, various transactions appear as an e-transfer from a processor, instead of an online gaming transaction. The scheme enables traffickers to bypass certain reporting obligations had they transacted with a financial institution.

De Bruyckere has largely been pleased with information-sharing initiatives in British Columbia which enable law enforcement to receive alerts in real time. Nationwide, however, there are signs that Canada lags behind other G20 countries with info-sharing cooperatives on money laundering.

Among the deficiencies identified by the FATF nine years ago, the task force detected weaknesses in Canada’s info-sharing apparatus for policing money laundering.

Since then, the weaknesses have also been spotted in a 2018 Parliamentary review of the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act and a subsequent analysis of the nation’s AML framework two years later.

The ‘biggest’ haystack possible

As the opioid crisis continues to proliferate, Canada has proposed sweeping changes to its AML regime. Under Bill C-2, penalties for non-compliance could be increased considerably on individuals to a cap of $4 million.

For corporations, the penalties would also rise significantly to a ceiling of $20 million. While the Canadian parliament tabled the bill earlier this month, aspects of the proposed legislation could be implemented before year’s end.

FINTRAC is still reeling from a pernicious cyber breach last March that took its systems offline for nearly a year. Over that period, there are indications that Ontario gaming operators had to submit approximately 70,000 AML reports on a manual basis. For its part, FINTRAC claimed it maintained the integrity and security of its systems during the monthslong breach.

Nevertheless, the cyber hack raises critical questions of whether the nation’s AML apparatus needs to be modernised. Burns, the president of the CGA, notes that Canadian operators report on overall transactions, while counterparts in the US and the UK report narrowly on suspicious activities.

By one measure, the Canadian Bankers Association determined that nationwide entities submit roughly 96 times more reports associated with money laundering in comparison with banks in the UK. As Burns puts it, Canada builds the “biggest haystack possible” in addressing the issues.

Canada’s AML laws: Stuck in the past?

There are other areas for potential improvement. Derek Ramm, global head of advisory services at Kinectify, wrote a lengthy article ahead of the summit articulating why he believes that some of Canada’s AML laws are stuck in the past. At present, Canadian law contains a narrow definition of casinos, he explains.

As a result, he told iGB that some wagers on a sports betting kiosk may not trigger an AML requirement. In many cases, the same bet placed online must be reported to conform with AML obligations.

“These gaps create confusion, compliance challenges and, worst of all, vulnerabilities that could be exploited by bad actors,” Ramm wrote in the piece.

Ramm appeared on a panel on 18 June that discussed the necessity of overhauling the operational effectiveness of Canada’s AML regime.

Ahead of the FATF review, none of the panelists have a crystal ball. Still, many of them are losing patience. Consider the description of Ramm’s panel in the summit agenda:

“The industry requires improvements in information sharing and performance metrics that prioritise outcomes rather than outputs in combating money laundering, as the current system is inadequate. Or to put it plainly: what we have now isn’t working.”

Non-adjusted gross gaming revenue in May beat Ontario’s existing monthly record of $328.5 million, set in January this year, by 2.9%. Data from iGaming Ontario also showed this was up 40.3% from May last year and 8.0% higher than April 2025.

Of this, $259.8 million was attributed to online casino activity, a year-on-year rise of 45.3%. Sports betting drew $71.8 million, an increase of 26.3%, while internet poker revenue was up 18.9% to $6.3 million.

As for market share, online casino accounted for 77% of all iGaming revenue in Ontario in May. Sports betting share was 21%, with online poker at 2%.

Ontario iGaming spend hits record $8.07 billion

Turning to player spending, total wagering across all iGaming during the month of May was a record $8.07 billion. This surpassed the previous high of $7.95 billion in March this year and marked the first time Ontario has exceeded the $8 billion mark.

Year-on-year, iGaming wagers were 28.9% higher, while month-on-month spending growth was 3.5%.

By a good margin, spending was highest on internet casino. The $6.96 billion monthly total was 30.9% above the previous year. Internet sports betting spend climbed 18.5% to $972.0 million and poker 11.6% to $129.0 million.

Interestingly, the revenue and spending records came despite a drop in active players. The number of monthly active player accounts was down 2.0% year-on-year to 1.07 million.

However, average revenue per active players increased 10.0% to $316.

Despite the setback MIXI has vowed to push ahead with a rejigged off-market all-cash takeover offer of AU$1.20 per PointsBet share.

Prior to the recount, ordered by Betr, after it said its proxy vote against the previous MIXI deal was not included, it appeared shareholders had backed MIXI.

The first vote’s results showed 95.69% approved the offer at a meeting on 25 June. However, the proxy vote was more mixed, with 69.47% backing the proposal.

This led Betr to accuse PointsBet of “impermissibly excluding” its vote against the scheme without reason. Betr, which holds a 19.9% voting power in PointsBet, said its proxy vote was not included in the final tally, thus skewing the results.

PointsBet has since investigated the matter, with stock transfer company Computershare finding the exclusion was due to a system error. As such, it published amended voting results from the meeting. These showed MIXI did not gain enough support to proceed with the offer in its current form,

The updated results show 70.48% of all votes cast in the poll were in favour the proposal, with 29.52% against. This meant that the scheme resolution was not carried forward.

Betr slams ‘irresponsible’ PointsBet

Responding to the matter, Betr said that while it was pleased with the outcome, it hit out at PointsBet. Betr has lodged several takeover proposals of its own to take control of PointsBet. Twice PointsBet has declined these offers in favour of MIXI’s higher-value proposal.

Betr was offering an all-share deal in which 3.81 Betr shares would be exchanged for each PointsBet share. This valued each PointsBet share at AU$1.22, based on a $0.32 Betr share price.

But, PointsBet said this was “materially” below the $1.20 cash per share offer by MIXI. In addition, PointsBet had entered a bid implementation deed with MIXI and secured approval from Australia’s Foreign Investment Review Board.

In its statement dated 20 June, Betr accused PointsBet of a “failure of appropriate governance”.

“There is an ongoing contested auction for control of PointsBet,” Betr said. “It is in the interests of all PointsBet shareholders that this auction be conducted openly and fairly to maximise the value received for their shares.

“Betr considers the approach taken by PointsBet, including by subsequently making assertions to the ASX and to media as to the conduct of Betr in relation to the vote, was unprofessional and irresponsible, reflecting a failure of appropriate governance, and not merely an error by Computershare as PointsBet has suggested.”

Betr added it is “concerned” PointsBet is seeking to transfer control to MIXI without offering a genuine contest to shareholders. This, it said, may not mean an optimal outcome for PointsBet shareholders.

“Betr calls on PointsBet not to permit the early despatch of MIXI’s bidder’s statement and opening of MIXI’s takeover offer,” the company said. “It is important PointsBet’s shareholders have a reasonable opportunity to consider and comment on the MIXI statement before the MIXI offer is capable of acceptance by shareholders.

“In the interim, Betr continues to prepare its takeover offer direct to PointsBet shareholders. We will share further details with the market in coming days.”

MIXI amends PointsBet takeover proposal

While the shareholder vote did not go its way, MIXI has maintained it intends to push ahead with an offer. As such, its amended proposal offers all-cash in contrast to Betr’s all-share. It implies an enterprise value of $402 million for PointsBet. This is the same valuation as MIXI’s previous offer.

The updated deal also offers a premium of 44.6% to the closing share price on 25 February 2025 of $0.83 per PointsBet share. This was the last closing price before the announcement of the Scheme.

This latest offer requires a 50.1% minimum acceptance from PointsBet shareholders as well as certain regulatory approvals, including in Ontario, Canada where PointsBet also operates.

However, MIXI noted that the PointsBet board has agreed to unanimously recommend shareholders approve the offer.

MIXI intends to lodge an official bidder’s statement for the offer in the coming weeks. This will be made available to the ASX and PointsBet shareholders, with another vote expected soon after.

“We look forward to progressing the takeover offer in a timely manner and paying PointsBet shareholders promptly in cash for their shares as and when the conditions to the offer are satisfied,” MIXI said.

“In contrast, under the proposed Betr offer, PointsBet shareholders face an uncertain proposition of receiving Betr shares assessed by the PointsBet board as having low liquidity on the ASX and at a significantly lower value.”

But the uptake to competitive iGaming across the whole of Canada has been slow. The majority of the eight other provinces maintain state-funded online gaming or lottery offerings, similar to the Scandinavian monopoly model – although in the Nordics, Norway is the only remaining market to have not liberalised online gambling.

The model has long been criticised by industry trade bodies in the Nordics and, in the last year, politicians in Norway have also called for an end to the gambling monopoly. A prominent complaint is the unfair competitive advantage afforded to monopoly operators, as well as a lack of competitive options for consumers.

But perhaps the more pressing issue is the proliferation of unlicensed gambling operators and the lack of consumer protection within a monopoly market.

Paul Burns, president and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association, believes the black market’s rise has been so prominent in Canada, the monopoly model no longer exists. “Because of the large unregulated market presence in Canada, no one’s had a monopoly for 25 years and that’s the reality,” he laments. Burns has been vocal about his wishes for other provincial governments to follow in Ontario’s footsteps.

“Canadians have gone to online sites for a decade or more and had access to all kinds of products and choice,” Burns says. “The monopoly model no longer exists. What we’re saying as a trade body is the provincial governments have the tools [to regulate].”

Canada iGaming is already mature

The Canada Gaming Association has urged remaining unregulated provinces to act and follow in the footsteps of Ontario and Alberta. “There’s this whole discussion going on around sweepstakes and predictive markets in North America and it’s like, the next thing’s already here and there’s more coming,” Burns warns. “As a regulator, there’s no time to pause anymore.”

Of the remaining provinces which do not provide regulated iGaming, Burns says the majority operate a legacy lottery regulator model with a lottery monopoly present. British Columbia, like Alberta, has an iGaming monopoly, offering table games, poker, bingo, slots and lottery tickets.

Burns says some of these provinces are still operating on an agreement made with the federal government in the 1980s giving the local governments jurisdiction over their gambling laws. But the developments in Ontario, and more recently Alberta, have piqued the interest of other provinces.

Burns says a number are analysing the framework adopted by Ontario, and British Columbia and Quebec are actively in conversations with the Canada Gaming Association on the possibility of regulating iGaming in their markets.

Looking back at Canada’s historic grey market iGaming adoption, Burns says the country was blessed with ideal foundational elements for the sector. This included high penetration of high-speed internet in the 2000s, a high adoption rate for mobile devices and the use of electronic banking systems throughout that post-millennium period.

“Canadians gravitated to offshore sites and were happy to play because they were available to them and offered them products they wanted and most people didn’t know the difference,” Burns says of the thriving grey market. For a long time, European incumbents like Kindred and Bet365 operated successful products in the country.

Ontario’s successes 

But after the 2018 repeal of PASPA in the US, Canadians took heed of the progressive adoption of online betting and gaming across the United States. For Ontario, the market was already mature when regulation was introduced.

“By the time Ontario opened, there was this built-in marketplace of customers with customer preferences, that was already evolving with brands,” Burns explains. “It’s always been a healthy gaming market, but by bringing the online space out of the unregulated, into a regulated regime, we were able to see what that market looked like.”

Ontario’s healthy 32% revenue gains in 2024 are a nod to the regulated market’s success. In its second full year of operation, the sector reaped $2.3 billion in revenue, not including its state-supported iGaming Ontario platform. The province is the most populous in Canada, with almost 16 million residents.

When looking at the US, and the huge iGaming market in New Jersey, Ontario reaped over two thirds of New Jersey’s $2.39 billion in iGaming revenue in 2024. Notably, New Jersey switched iGaming on in 2013, nine years prior to Ontario.

“There is a strong marketplace in Ontario and it’s continuing to evolve,” Burns says. He nods to the “strong responsible gaming and advertising rules” in place and insists that, while a few brands dominate the market, there is room for others to take market share.

Canada iGaming market leaders

BetMGM is one operator that has previously claimed to hold a 22% share of the market. Speaking during its Q1 earnings call, BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt told analysts the company’s share had increased and it remained the iGaming leader in the region.

Greenblatt was particularly optimistic about the omnichannel opportunity in soon-to-launch Alberta, as he expects BetMGM to replicate its success in Ontario.

“[We’re] particularly excited for Alberta, which looks to still be on track for a Q1 [2026] launch for both sports betting and iGaming. That should be a province where BetMGM really does flex its muscles, given the strength of our business in Ontario,” he said.

Learnings from the East 

Unsurprisingly, Alberta has sought to replicate much of the framework from Ontario, particularly its ability to attract leading players from the grey market. “One of the things Ontario did (well) was building a market that invited the grey market operators and made it advantageous for them to join,” says Burns.

“Alberta is clearly leading with strong measures of consumer protection. It’s this balance of being prepared to invest heavily in protecting your market and making it advantageous for people to join the regulated market. Ontario set a good bar, but we’re asking them to improve on that regulatory regime.”

Burns says his trade body has fought for a number of policies to be updated, based on what’s been learned during Ontario’s first two years of operation. These include streamlining technical reporting measures, which currently must be submitted to two different government entities. After all, Burns notes, compliance costs matter in competitive markets.

“What it means for the PlayAlberta platform is that, just like in Finland, they’re just going to compete naturally with the other private companies, and that’s a choice they must make. So, Ontario was a great example.”

Healthy competition

But where Alberta differs from Finland is its state-run PlayAlberta site continues to grow. In the 2023-24 fiscal year, the platform recorded $170 million in net sales, a 22% uptick on the previous year. But Burns believes the product represents up to 20% of the current market, meaning the remaining 80% is dominated by the black market.

Ultimately, the platform has been unable to compete with the burgeoning grey market. The monopoly story is a familiar one. A state-run operator chugs along for many years with an average product, but when the promise of an open and regulated market emerges, it buckles down and overhauls its product to fight for a fair share of the open market.

In May, Jarkko Nordlund, EVP for iGaming and sports betting at Finland’s monopoly Veikkaus, told iGB the operator was modernising its entire product suite and back-end services, including transitioning to new betting, PAM and CRM platforms. The market will open to private operators in January 2027.

“Everyone is waiting for Veikkaus to fail. And it’s my personal mission to prove everyone wrong,” Nordlund said.

“We have not really activated [our technology and product capabilities], but the competition is fierce and when the market opens we must be very competitive. Our aim is to challenge the mentality of our current position.”

More work for PlayAlberta

PlayAlberta has already leaned in and enhanced the volume of products available on its site, says Burns. And similarly to Veikkaus, the operator is expecting to leverage its strong brand reputation in the province to drive acquisition.

“It’s a choice provincial governments must make: Do they let their gambling organisation invest? Because it will require investment.”

In April, Ontario estimated it was operating a channelisation rate of 84%, although the province’s regulator and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario found that 20.2% of those playing on regulated sites are also still engaging with the unregulated market.

There is clearly still more work to do.

Having achieved an 84% channelisation rate in two and a half years is a positive trajectory, but leakage of players to the illegal market could be in part due to the restrictions on bonusing and promotional marketing by licensed operators in Ontario. Players actively looking for a good welcome bonus deal might be enticed over to the black market.

Alberta has yet to finalise many of the specifics around advertising and player regulations. Following the third and final reading of the iGaming bill in Parliament on 7 May, the law was approved.

Minister of Service and Red Tape Reduction Dale Nally said during the session that consumer protection measures would be determined once the bill was passed, to ensure flexibility and so the regulator could adapt to the changing nature of consumer behaviors. He indicated the regulated market would launch in Q1 2026.

The impact of US tariffs on Canada iGaming

While advancements in gaming are largely positive in Canada, the sector is grappling with the mounting threat of incoming US tariffs, as announced by President Donald Trump in February.

In a note published on 1 February, the White House said to curb the flow of drugs and immigrants into the US from Canada, it would impose a 25% additional tariff on imports from Canada. In retaliation, the Alberta Gaming Liquor and Cannabis Commission suspended the purchasing of all US gaming terminals on 6 March.

The regulator called for all slot machines, video lottery terminals and other machines to be bought from companies with support services in Alberta, or from countries with whom Canada has a free trade agreement. The suspension was lifted earlier this month as some of the initial tariff tensions eased.

“It’s been an emotional debate in Canada because of the way President Trump has chosen to portray the relationship between Canada and the United States in the absence of facts,” Burns laments. He says up to 70% of the gaming machines sold in Canada are being acquired via agencies belonging to the provincial governments. Land-based operators have a deal in place with the local government for the use of gaming machines.

“This impact is real for governments in the province, but also provinces are changing their procurement policies and [fighting back].” This could force a change in the model used by operators. Many will undoubtedly seek to procure local supplies going forward.

Looking beyond the US

And Canada is unlikely to bow out of a trade war with the US, as politicians have indicated the country is happy to move away from its reliance on its neighbour to the south, particularly following Trump’s suggestion that the country would be better off as a US state.

The impact is being felt more broadly by gaming providers with business in the US. The topic of tariffs was flagged in a number of supplier Q1 results, and analysts sought to understand how the sector is mitigating the fallout. Light & Wonder said it was looking to transport parts of its supply chain through Mexico to utilise the trade deal in place.

Overall, the future for regulating gambling is positive in Canada. And although provinces have been slow to adopt a competitive framework for iGaming, developments in Ontario and Alberta have prompted early-stage discussions among provincial regulators.

Illegal horse betting arrests in Singapore and Malaysia

Police in Singapore and Malaysia have arrested 16 people in a joint investigation into a criminal syndicate that carried out illegal horse betting.

Officers from the Singapore Police Force’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Special Operations Command conducted simultaneous raids at multiple locations across Singapore. Some 14 men and one woman were arrested as a result.

Another man was arrested in Malaysia during a raid by the Royal Malaysia Police’s CID. A further 41 people across both countries are also being investigated in connection with the case.

The raids also led police to seize cash, bank accounts and electronic devices such as mobile phones and gambling-related items.

According to The Straits Times, the wider investigation remains ongoing.

Michigan regulator targets five illegal gambling websites

The Michigan Gaming Control Board has issued cease-and-desist letters to a further five gambling websites.

The MGCB said BoVegas Casino, BUSR, Cherry Gold Casino, Lucky Legends and Wager Attack Casino are operating without a licence in a breach of state law.

All five websites offer some form of online casino gaming, while BUSR Wager Attack Casino also runs sports betting.

“We will not tolerate unlicensed gambling operations that exploit Michigan residents,” MGCB Executive Director Henry Williams said. “Our top priority is to protect the public by enforcing the law and shutting down these illegal platforms.”

Maverick partners with Delasport for Ontario launch

In Canada, Maverick Games has partnered with Delasport to launch its sports vertical in Ontario.

Built on Delasport’s technology, Maverick will offer a range of sports betting options to players. It is the second brand to launch with Delasport’s technology in the province.

The launch follows the announcement of SuperPot, a new sports betting jackpot product that will soon be rolled out in Ontario.

“Our sports vertical is a major step forward for us,” Maverick CEO Matt Rathbun said. “Launching it with Delasport has been the right move from day one.”

BetMakers pens Total Performance Data deal

Meanwhile, BetMakers Technology Group has entered a partnership with Total Performance Data (TPD).

Under the deal, BetMakers will distribute TPD’s real-time odds across its network of clients. The service includes in-running coverage of premier UK and US racetracks, as well as Victorian metropolitan racing in Australia.

TPD’s data will be available via BetMakers’ Core API and managed trading services.

“Adding more quality racing product such as this partnership with TPD to the BetMakers network is a win for the industry and our global customer base,” said Joey Carroll, director of business development and partnerships at BetMakers.

Betano scores Club World Cup partnership

And finally this week, Kaizen Gaming’s Betano has struck a partnership with the ongoing Fifa Club World Cup.

Betano become an official partner of the competition for South America. The tournament is taking place in the US from 14 June to 13 July.

Some 32 teams from around the world are featured in this summer’s event. These include Paris Saint-Germain of France, England’s Manchester City and Chelsea and Inter Miami of the US.

“It is a privilege to work closely with Fifa for a tournament that brings together millions of fans from all around the world as they get to watch the best club teams and players football has to offer,” Kaizen Gaming co-founder and CEO George Daskalakis said.

The monthly total was comfortably clear of $250 million in April 2024, according to figures published by iGaming Ontario. It was also 5.8% ahead of $296 million in March of this year.

Casino gaming accounted for $242.8 million of all revenue in April, an increase of 35.6% from last year. Sports betting generated $64.5 million in revenue, level year-on-year, while poker drew the remaining $5.9 million, up 3.5%.

In terms of market share, online casino was responsible for 78% of overall revenue in April. Sports betting accounted for 21% and poker just 2%.

Ontario players spent less in April

Looking to the amount consumers spent, total bets in April hit $7.8 billion. While this was 26.4% more than last year, it fell 2% short of the $8 billion wagered in March 2025.

Online casino bets jumped 29.4% year-on-year to $6.58 billion, while sports betting spend was up 14.1% to $1.07 billion. Poker wagers were level at $144 million, with bets across all markets down slightly month-on-month.

Data on active monthly player accounts was also published by iGaming Ontario. For April, this hit 1.1 million, an increase of 20.3% from last year and 2.8% more than March.

As for average revenue per active player account, this climbed 4% from last year to $287. This was also 2.9% higher than in March of this year.

AGCO penalises Great Canadian Entertainment

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has fined Great Canadian Entertainment CA$151,00 (US$108,396) for age verification failures.

The operator is said to have failed to prevent minors from accessing gambling on multiple occasions at three Toronto-area casinos.

AGCO found four separate incidents in which minors gained access to the casino floors and participated in gambling. Two cases occurred at the Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto and one each at Casino Ajax and Pickering Casino Resort.

“We are committed to ensuring casinos meet Ontario’s high standards of harm reduction and responsible gambling,” AGCO said. “This enforcement action underscores the AGCO’s dedication to protecting youth and other vulnerable individuals.”

Great Canadian Entertainment has the right to appeal the decision to the Licence Appeal Tribunal.

Dutch regulator issues warning to Betca

Also facing regulatory wrath is Betca, which has been issued a warning by Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) in the Netherlands.

KSA said Betca featured a gambling-related advert within its mobile game, Tiny Tower. This was an advert for gambling website Circus.nl.

Dutch law prohibits gambling ads from appearing in non-gambling online games or websites with games. As such, KSA contacted Betca about the breach.

Betca said the advert was accidentally shown as a result of a human error. The operator said it immediately rectified the issue by removing the ad, adding that it was aimed at people who had previously visited Circus.nl and who indicated they were over 24.

KSA opted against further sanctions at this time but said it would continue to monitor Betca.

Bank of Ireland rolls out voluntary gambling blocks

Elsewhere, Bank of Ireland has launched voluntary blocks on debit cards for customers who want to stop spending on gambling.

The feature can be put in place following a customer request. It stops card payments to gambling operators, with intent to block use of online casinos, slot machines and lottery websites.

Customers can request a block on both personal and business debit cards. Bank of Ireland said blocking will also be extended to credit cards in the coming months.

Announcing the tool, Bank of Ireland said 90% of gambling transactions took place online in Q1. It added that 99% of these were funded using debit cards.

Norman to remain as ATG chair

Meanwhile, Sweden’s AB Trav och Galopp (ATG) has announced that Peter Norman is to remain as its chairman.

Norman was reelected at a general meeting last week. He has served as chair since mid-2023.

“I am proud and grateful to continue to lead ATG’s board,” Norman said. “This is a unique year, as for the first time the board is entirely appointed by our owners.”

During the same meeting, three new members were elected to the board: Katarina Bonde, Mårten Forste and Marie Thelander Dellhag. This means that for the first time, the Swedish state does not hold a majority on the board.

Paf links up with Formula 1 legend Kimi Raikkonen

And finally this week, Finnish operator Paf has entered into a new partnership with Formula 1 legend Kimi Raikkonen.

Raikkonen, also from Finland, will work with Paf across a range of initiatives. This includes the operator’s charitable initiatives.

However, the deal remains subject to Paf securing a licence in the new-look Finnish market. Authorities aim to implement a new online licensing system at the beginning of 2027.

“We’re proud to welcome Kimi to the Paf team,” Paf Manager Thomas Näsman said. “He’s a true Finnish icon and we value his honesty and no-nonsense approach, qualities that align perfectly with our brand.”

Raikkonen won the Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship in 2007.

Alberta last week approved its iGaming Act, propelling the province closer towards a regulated online gaming market. The launch is expected in the first half of 2026. 

But Alberta and Ontario are the only provinces so far to regulate iGaming and invite private operators to compete in the market.  

The Canada Gaming Association has urged remaining unregulated provinces to act and follow in the footsteps of Ontario and Alberta.  

Canada black market means ‘no time to pause’ for regulators

“There’s this whole discussion going on around sweepstakes and predictive markets in North America, [but] the next thing is already here, and there’s more coming,” he warns. “As a regulator, there’s no time to pause anymore.” 

He says a number of factors led to the country becoming a hotbed for grey market operators, prior to Ontario’s liberalisation in 2022. These included a high penetration of high-speed internet in the 2000s as well as high adoption of online payments processes and smart phones within the 2010s.  

Of the remaining eight provinces, Burns says the majority operate legacy monopoly models. British Columbia, like Alberta, has an iGaming monopoly, offering table games, poker bingo, slots and lottery tickets, as does Québec.  

Atlantic Canada, which comprises the provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, operates a lottery monopoly, which offers online monopoly, bingo and instant win games.  

“We’re asking provinces to find their own solution. Alberta is going through a process. They’re going to learn a lot from Ontario, but they’re going to build something that ultimately works for their province and that’s what we encourage others to do,” Burns adds.  

Ontario success story? 

Burns has pointed to Ontario as an example of seemingly successful market liberalisation. The regulator in April estimated it was operating a channelisation rate of 84%.  

However, H2 Gambling Capital estimates have suggested the channelisation rate is closer to 93%, up from 83% in 2023. 

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario discovered, however, 20.2% of those playing on regulated sites are also still engaging with the unregulated market.  

Burns celebrates Ontario’s success in transitioning the majority of its grey market revenue to regulated. 

“One of the things Ontario did [well] was build a market that invited the grey market operators and made it advantageous” for them to join, Burns says.  

He expects Alberta to copy Ontario’s framework. “Alberta is clearly leading with strong measures of consumer protection. It’s this balance of being prepared to invest heavily in protecting your market and making it advantageous for people to join the regulated market. Ontario set a good bar, but we’re asking them to improve on that regulatory regime.” 

Burns estimates Alberta’s current channelisation rate for its monopoly PlayAlberta offering is around 20%, meaning the majority of the market is still grey.  

This will hopefully change once regulation is in place and PlayAlberta is preparing to compete against private operators.

A similar story has unfolded in Finland, where monopoly operator Veikkaus is overhauling its product and technology to compete in its liberalised market come January 2027.

Other provinces have taken heed of movements in Ontario and Alberta. Burns says Quebec and British Colombia regulators are in talks with the Canadian Gaming Association on the possibility of regulating iGaming.   

Impact of tariffs has been ‘an emotional debate’ 

Elsewhere, Burns laments the impact of tariffs on the gaming sector in Canada. In February President Donald Trump imposed a 25% additional tariff on imports from Canada. In retaliation, the Alberta Gaming Liquor and Cannabis Commission suspended the purchasing of all US gaming terminals on 6 March. 

The regulator called for all slot machines, video lottery terminals and other machines to be bought from companies with support services in Alberta, or from countries with whom Canada has a free trade agreement. 

“It’s been an emotional debate in Canada because of the way President Trump has chosen to portray the relationship between Canada United States in the absence of facts,” Burns says.  

“This impact is real for governments in the province, but also provinces are changing their procurement policies [and fighting back].”  

Up to 70% of the gaming machines sold in Canada are acquired via agencies belonging to provincial governments. This could force a change in the model used by operators. Many will undoubtedly seek to procure local supplies going forward. 

In a statement released Monday, PointsBet said it had reached the decision with the assistance of external advisers. The company has now proposed a mutual due diligence be undertaken with Betr.

This due diligence, PointsBet said, will be phased, with an initial focus on the value of synergies and Betr’s scrip. In Australia, a scrip is a takeover offer where shares are offered partly or wholly in place of cash. The scrip is a document given to shareholders showing they should receive a certain number of stocks.

Betr tabled its bid worth AU$360 million (US$231 million) in February, prior to its rebrand from BlueBet. This comprised a cash pool of between $240 million to $260 million, plus scrip consideration of $100 million to $120 million. In addition, Betr identified synergies of at least $40 million annually.

PointsBet said shareholders did not need to take any action at this time and it would issue further updates as appropriate.

Where does the PointsBet declaration leave MIXI?

While the declaration may give Betr the edge, PointsBet’s position on a rival bid from MIXI Australia remains unchanged. An independent expert is in the process of reviewing the MIXI offer, after a takeover was proposed in February.

PointsBet approved the initial proposal from MIXI Australia, at the time. This scheme arrangement proposed the transfer of 100% of PointsBet’s shareholding to the Australian arm of Japanese digital entertainment and sports group, MIXI Inc.

The MIXI deal would see shareholders receive cash consideration of $1.06 per share. This represents a premium of 27.7% to PointsBet’s closing price on 25 February – the day before the offer landed – totalling approximately $353 million.

While the PointsBet board considers Betr’s proposal “superior”, it continues to recommend its shareholders vote in favour of the MIXI offer.

“The PointsBet board remains committed to, and unanimously recommends, that PointsBet shareholders vote in favour of the MIXI scheme, in the absence of a superior proposal [from Betr] and subject to the independent expert continuing to conclude that the MIXI scheme is in the best interests of PointsBet shareholders,” the company said.

According to a December balance sheet, MIXI had over JP¥100 billion or AUD1 billion of cash and deposits.

What could a Betr deal mean for PointsBet?

Should PointsBet opt for the Betr proposal, this could lead to the company being partially broken up.

Sources familiar with the proposal have suggested Betr could sell off the Canada-facing business of PointsBet. This would allow it to focus on the operator’s core Australian operations.

In April, Betr confirmed it had received a non-binding proposal from Hard Rock Digital to acquire PointsBet Canada. Reports emerged last week that Hard Rock Digital has also applied for an online gambling licence in Ontario in anticipation of a deal being agreed.

Of course, any sale of PointsBet Canada would depend on Betr acquiring the entire PointsBet business. However, the reports, coupled with PointsBet’s “superior” declaration, suggest the momentum is now with Betr.

Besides macroeconomic issues on consumer spending and the global trade war, another topic dominated first-quarter earnings calls this week for top sportsbook operators.

Executives from three leading companies – Flutter Entertainment, DraftKings and Penn Entertainment – were inundated with questions related to a series of unfavourable sports outcomes. The questions surfaced after the operators blamed the negative trends for denting earnings for a second straight quarter.

On previous calls, the executives had bemoaned the patterns over the final quarter of 2024 when NFL favourites covered at a high clip. For the three-month period ending 31 March, the operators now report taking a hit due to an unprecedented trend in March Madness when underdogs largely failed to advance.

In 2025 year-to-date, the adverse outcomes have provided a negative impact of $170 million to revenue and $111 million to adjusted EBITDA, DraftKings reported on Friday’s first-quarter earnings call. Flutter, the parent company of FanDuel, incurred larger damage, noting that the outcomes resulted in a $230 million hit to US revenues. Moving forward, Flutter lowered its fiscal year US revenue guidance from $7.7 billion to $7.4 billion.

Penn Entertainment, the operator of ESPN BET, indicated on Thursday that the outcomes provided a negative impact of $15 million to its revenue, as well as a $10 million impact on EBITDA in the first quarter.

While DraftKings’ risk-management team studied various pricing strategies in response, CEO Jason Robins does not believe the outcomes will be a recurring trend.

“Our analyses provide us strong confidence that the recent volatility we’ve experienced is random in nature,” Robins said.

Florida shelves non-tribal online sports betting bill

Despite extending the current legislative session into June, the Florida legislature withdrew two key gambling bills this week, handing a slight victory to opponents of the Seminole tribe of Florida.

One bill, SB 1404, sought to criminalise mobile sports betting platforms not covered under the state’s gaming compact with the tribe. The bill was viewed as an avenue to potentially augment the tribe’s stranglehold on online sports wagering via Hard Rock Bet. The legislation also contained a broad definition of online gambling, classifying the categories as cash games of chance, including video poker, digital slots and online table games.

Since the bill also aimed to create prohibitions on sweepstake casino products, the withdrawal received high marks from the Social and Promotional Games Association, a sweepstakes industry trade group.

A companion bill, CS/HB 1467, addressed the criminalisation of illicit sports betting platforms across the state. One provision sought to revise criminal penalties involving renting a house for gambling purposes. In February, two former employees of the US Sports Specialty Association filed a motion asking a Florida judge to compel the organisation to hand over documents in a longstanding civil lawsuit. The whistleblowers filed a RICO suit over a series of illegal sports wagering improprieties.

The USSSA, the nation’s largest multi-sports agency, placed CEO Donald DeDonatis III on administrative leave late last year.

Among the accusations, the plaintiffs alleged that several executives “doctored” the USSSA’s books while moving funds from several youth baseball events to certain non-company accounts linked to an unidentified employee.

Both bills can be revived in future legislative sessions.

Alberta bill on sports betting expansion advances

As the Edmonton Oilers move closer to a possible return to the Stanley Cup Finals, Alberta took considerable steps this week to expand legalised sports betting.

The Alberta Legislature’s Committee of the Whole passed the Alberta iGaming Act, also known as Bill 48. While the bill received a third reading Wednesday evening, it still requires Royal Assent for passage.

Sports wagering is currently legal in Alberta, but only on a limited basis. Operated by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission, Play Alberta is the only legal online gaming and sports betting platform in the province. The launch of a commercial sports betting market in Alberta could result in annual gross gaming revenue of $700 million, according to JMP Securities.

The framework closely mirrors the market for online gaming in Ontario. As of this week, the Ontario market had more than three dozen operators. Ontario is the nation’s most-populous province with more than 14.2 million residents, while Alberta ranks fourth with 4.3 million.

An official date for the launch of the market has not been set. Addressing the timing of the Alberta launch on Thursday’s first quarter earnings call, Penn Entertainment CEO Jay Snowden expressed confidence that the market will go live over the next several quarters.

The Oilers entered Friday’s slate as the favourite at FanDuel to hoist the Stanley Cup. Edmonton defeated Vegas on Thursday night to take a 2-0 series lead in the Best-of-7 Western Conference semifinals. With the overtime victory, the Oilers’ championship odds moved to +300 at FanDuel.

Son of ex-NYC mayor Giuliani to head World Cup task force

As the one-year countdown to the 2026 Fifa World Cup nears, the son of former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani received a high-profile position this week.

On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump appointed Andrew Giuliani as head of the World Cup task force. During Trump’s first term, Giuliani served as associate director to the Office of Public Liaison and as an assistant to the president. Since then, he failed in an election bid to become governor of New York.

Ahead of last December’s congressional hearing on sports betting, two US senators urged the Justice Department to examine the nexus between illegal sports wagering and transnational organised crime. Senators Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Catherine Cortez-Masto of Nevada are seeking additional information on the potential crime connection, prior to two major international events. Following the World Cup, Los Angeles will host the Summer Olympics in 2028.

The US will host the World Cup along with Mexico and Canada. Of the 11 sites on US soil, five are in states that will likely offer mobile sports betting by the start of the event. The availability of in-game betting inside the venues may bolster handle considerably in those states.

At the same time, there are expectations that the gambling industry will monitor illegal data scouting closely throughout the tournament, an industry source told iGB. While France and Spain are presently the World Cup co-favourites at FanDuel  (+550,) the US remains a longshot at +3400.

Defy The Odds unveils partnership with EDGE Markets

A startup run by several prominent female gambling executives is partnering with the company behind EDGE Boost, one of the first debit card products designed specifically for responsible gaming.

On Tuesday, Defy The Odds announced a strategic partnership with EDGE Markets, a company that provides bettors with a financial skillset to augment their gambling appetite. EDGE Markets emerged out of stealth mode last month after completing a $17.2 million funding round. Since the start of 2024, EDGE Boost processed over $300 million in transactions.

“EDGE Boost is focused on providing bettors with financial tools that enhance their experience while keeping responsible gaming at the forefront,” said Seni Thomas, founder and CEO of EDGE Markets.

By offering a comprehensive suite of services – including community building, mentorship and networking opportunities – Defy The Odds aims to bridge the gap between groundbreaking ideas and tangible opportunities in the gambling industry. Former Pinnacle Sports CEO Paris Smith launched Defy The Odds last year alongside industry veterans Sue Schneider and Kelly Kehn.

“For operators, it identifies responsible players without adding extra costs or complexity,” Smith said in a press release. “We’re excited to partner with Seni and the EDGE Markets team and help drive EDGE Boost to the next level.”

The EDGE Boost bank account is FDIC-insured up to $250,000, providing financial security for users, while their personal banking data is safeguarded on a private, encrypted platform.

ICYMI on iGB

DraftKings treads water in Q1 but pricing questions persist as favourites’ bug bites books

Flutter buoyed by strong US results in Q1 as CEO Jackson expounds on prediction markets

MGM pens new employment agreement with CEO Bill Hornbuckle

CFTC stands down, seeks dismissal in Kalshi election betting appeal

HG Vora launches legal challenge against Penn Entertainment over board changes

Penn still bullish on ESPN BET while remaining mum on proxy battle

Genius Sports confident on long-term growth after cutting net loss in Q1

Wynn sees revenue fall nearly 9%, delays projects as CEO Billings downplays tariff impacts

Q1 monthly active users (MAUs) hit 354,000, which is a quarterly record for LatAm as a whole. Rush Street Interactive also posted a record number of MAUs in Colombia despite the February introduction of a 19% VAT on online gambling operators in the country.

On the post-results analyst call, Rush Street Interactive CEO Richard Schwartz explained the company had looked to absorb the impact of the tax through bonusing, rather than passing the cost onto players.

As a result, Rush Street Interactive retained its market share in Colombia while keeping GGR levels near all-time highs, up by 55% in local currency, he said.

However, CFO Kyle Sauers explained other financial metrics such as NGR were falling short of base expectations in Colombia, while average revenue per MAU across LatAm as a whole fell to $36 from $44 in Q1 2024.

“In each of March and April, our net revenue growth was significantly impacted,” Sauers said. “So, in March, our net revenue in US dollars was actually down slightly year-over-year. And in April, it’s been about flat year-over-year.

“So, we’ve got a market that may have otherwise been growing at 50%, plus that’s now relatively flat year-over-year because of this temporary VAT tax.”

Could the tax be repealed?

The Colombian government implemented the VAT in February by temporarily eliminating the exemption on online gambling operators, claiming it needed the additional contributions to cover the expenses of responding to ongoing civil unrest in the Catatumbo region.

The tax is currently only set to last until the end of December, although there is uncertainty among the industry over whether it will in fact be made permanent.

Local lawyer Juan Camilo Carrasco, a partner at Bogota law firm Asensi Advogados, previously told iGB: “We know that regarding taxes, nothing is more permanent than something that comes in temporarily.”

However, Schwartz explained the tax is under review by the Colombian courts to establish whether it is constitutional, with a final ruling expected by late May or June.

There’s underlying optimism from Rush Street Interactive the tax could yet be repealed. “Given how strong the volumes have been in Colombia, should the temporary tax go away prior to year-end, we could see meaningful upside to both revenue and EBITDA,” Sauers pointed out.

“The removal of the VAT tax should be a very meaningful driver of growth for us when that happens and when we have those as comparables with when the tax was in place.”

Excitement for Mexico and Peru

Colombia aside, Rush Street Interactive remains confident on its exploits elsewhere in the LatAm region, with the company also live in Mexico and Peru.

In Mexico, Rush Street Interactive noted year-on-year growth in Q1 was close to 50% as the company begins its third full year in the market.

“In terms of Mexico, we’re really seeing a lot of great growth out of that market,” Schwartz said. “It’s continued to be one that really excites us and things are moving in a really great direction for us there.

“And as we noted before, we expect over time it will be one of the largest markets in LatAm, larger than Colombia, ultimately. So, we feel really optimistic about Mexico.”

The business is taking a slower approach in Peru, where it launched its RushBet brand in July 2024 as part of its “strategic advancement” into the LatAm region.

“Peru has been a story where we haven’t invested much in marketing yet, because we’re continuing to optimise the experience and localise it,” Schwartz continued.

“It’s something that we continue to feel positive about, but it has been a market that we haven’t ramped up yet. It’s still something that we’re excited to be able to do in the future given the relatively large population that country has.”

LatAm expansion opportunities for Rush Street Interactive

In the company’s results presentation, it highlighted potential expansion markets in LatAm, including Chile, Argentina and Ecuador, as well as the newly regulated Brazil.

By the end of 2028, Rush Street Interactive could have a total addressable market of $15.9 billion in LatAm.

“There are other LatAm markets as well that we’ve been focused on and have been evaluating ways to enter those markets,” Schwartz added. “We haven’t announced anything and so I won’t be able to share anything with you today.

“But certainly, as you can imagine, once you have a great brand, a great platform, a great team, great marketing team, operations, local knowledge of experiences in those regions, it becomes a lot easier for us to be able to add and be successful in future markets.”

Rush Street Interactive EBITDA nearly doubles in Q1

Alongside growth in revenue and net income, Rush Street Interactive also reported year-on-year adjusted EBITDA growth of 95% to $33.2 million in Q1.

This was despite adjusted sales and marketing expenses edging up by 3% to $38.8 million.

MAUs in the US and Canada also increased by 17% to 203,000, while average revenue per MAU in North America was significantly higher than in LatAm at $368 compared to $36.

Rush Street Interactive reiterated its FY2025 guidance, expecting revenue to be between $1.01 billion and $1.08 billion and adjusted EBITDA to reach $115 million-$135 million.

“These strong results are driven by our commitment to innovation and enhancing the quality of our player experience, alongside efficient acquisition and retention of high-value players,” Schwartz said.

Pennsylvania has become the sixth US state to join the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA) for poker.

Online poker players in Pennsylvania will be able to participate in the multi-state games. This will be available to consumers from certain operators starting today (28 April), with Pennsylvania expanding the pool of online poker players for those sites by more than 50%.

Pennsylvania joins New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware, West Virginia and Michigan within the MSIGA. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board will work with operators and the other state agencies to facilitate poker games.

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro signed off on the agreement last week. He said: “This is a common sense step to support hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians, grow our economy and bring in more revenue to support our schools, our seniors, our small businesses and more.”

Allwyn North America rolls out games with DC Lottery

Meanwhile, not far south of Pennsylvania, Allwyn North America has launched its portfolio games in partnership with the DC Lottery.

Players in DC will now have access to games across the Allwyn collection. The first to go live will be Super Cash Bolt which, customised for the DC Lottery, is part of the Cash Bolt series.

Allwyn North America works with Instant Win Gaming to deliver its games via IWG’s InstantRGS.

“DC Lottery’s mission is to responsibly maximise lottery funding for our communities – and our players expect high-quality gaming experiences,” DC Lottery interim executive director Eugene Vlasenko said.

Gaming Corps lands Ontario licence

North of the border, Gaming Corps has secured a licence from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

The new licence enables Swedish-based Gaming Corps to develop and distribute its gaming content in Ontario. Gaming Corps said that it already has agreements in place with several licensed operators in the Canadian province.

At launch, Gaming Corps will go live with a selection of its top-performing, sports-themed titles. It said these will be tailored to local demand and include titles such as Hoop Champion and Shootout Champion.

“This licence opens up significant opportunities for Gaming Corps and reinforces our commitment to working only within licensed and regulated jurisdictions,” Gaming Corps CEO Juha Kauppinen said. “With a growing appetite for original content, we’re excited about the potential Ontario holds – both in terms of player engagement and long-term growth.”

Penn Entertainment to refresh board

In other news, Penn Entertainment has announced several proposed changes to its board of directors.

Johnny Hartnett and Carlos Ruisanchez have both been nominated for election to the Penn board. This follows discussions with HG Vora Capital Management.

Meanwhile, Ron Naples has informed the board he is retiring effective immediately. Barbara Shattuck Kohn and Saul Reibstein have also notified Penn they will not stand for re-election at the upcoming annual meeting of shareholders.

As such, the board now comprises eight directors, seven of whom are independent.

“We look forward to benefitting from Johnny’s and Carlos’ fresh perspectives as we enter into a critical phase for the business,” the Penn board said.

LeoVegas opens second UK office

LeoVegas has opened its second office in the UK with a new facility in Leeds.

LeoVegas will occupy the entire ground and lower ground floors of Tailor’s Corner. The new office will support the group’s existing UK location in Newcastle.

The operator said this will support the ongoing development of brands such as BetMGM and LeoVegas in the UK market.

“It’s an important step towards our key goal to continue building the strength of our hero brands in the UK – BetMGM and LeoVegas – by attracting top talent,” said Gethin Evans, managing director UK and Ireland at LeoVegas.

The 2024-25 figures comfortably beat the CA$2.4 billion reported in year two of legal igaming in Ontario. It is also 129% ahead of the CA$1.40 billion generated during the market’s opening year.

Breaking this down, CA$2.40 billion of all revenue was attributed to casino gambling, up 36% year-on-year. Betting revenue climbed 23% to CA$724.0 million, alhough online poker revenue was level at CA$66.0 million for the period.

As to how much consumers spent, total online wagers hit CA$82.7 billion, an increase of 31% from the previous year. iGaming Ontario notes that the figure does not induce promotional wagers. Casino drew the most wagers, with total spend here reaching CA$69.6 billion, up 34%. Betting wagers also increased 17% to CA$11.4 billion, while poker spend edged up 2% to CA$1.7 billion.

Record quarter for Ontario

It was also noted that the final quarter of the year proved a record one for Ontario. Revenue hit an all-time high of CA$903 million in the three months to 31 March, while wagers reached a record CA$22.9 billion.

Players in Ontario can gamble online across 84 websites run by 49 licensed operators.

“These results show Ontario is home to a truly dynamic igaming market with a strong roster of operators, and a world-class list of games available for players,” iGaming Ontario chair Heidi Reinhart said. “Ontario’s regulated market continues to grow by offering a safer environment for Ontarians to play.”

March revenue tops CA$294.8 million

Ontario recently switched to publishing monthly reports for online gambling data. iGaming Ontario, which regulates the market, previously only released data on a quarterly and annual basis.

The first set of figures for February were published last month, with iGaming Ontario this week releasing the dataset for March. This revealed total igaming revenue of CA$294.8 million for the month, up 22.3% year-on-year and 5.3% ahead of February.

Casino generated CA$240.3 million of all revenue in March, with betting at CA$47.9 million and poker CA$6.6 million.

As for spending, wagers in March amounted to CA$7.94 billion, a year-on-year rise of 27.2%. Of this, CA$6.6 billion was spent on casino gaming, CA$1.12 billion betting and CA$148 million poker.

Some 1.1 million player accounts were active during March, with average revenue per active account at CA$278. Data covers all operators that have an agreement in place with iGaming Ontario, but not the OLG igaming offering or pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing.

Sports betting odds, data and content provider Beter has secured its first approval in the US.

Vendor registration from the New Jersey Department of Gaming Enforcement enables Beter to work with licensed operators in the state. This includes delivering its real-time data and live streams.

The first approved product is its flagship Setka Cup table tennis tournaments. This is already live in New Jersey from Bet365.

Beter arranges over 11,000 Setka Cup matches per month, offering more than 30 betting markets per event. In total, it organises over 46,000 fast-betting events monthly across esports and sports disciplines.

“This is a milestone moment for the Beter team,” CEO Gal Ehrlich said. “We see tremendous potential for our fast-betting products and solutions in New Jersey and across the US.”

Gojic joins STS as chief sportsbook officer

In Europe, Entain-owned STS has named Ivan Gojic as its new chief sportsbook officer.

Confirmed on his LinkedIn page, Gojic is working in his new position in Zagreb in Croatia. He previously worked in sports-focused roles at Superbet and Ladbrokes Coral.

Gojic was most recently head of trading product at Superbet, where he worked for seven years. He also spent time in senior trading roles with the operator.

Prior to this, Gojic worked at Ladbrokes Coral for almost six years, in roles including senior sports trader and product manager.

ULIS scores integrity partnership with LFP

Elsewhere in Europe, the United Lotteries for Integrity in Sports (ULIS) has partnered with the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP).

ULIS, the integrity body for state lotteries, will work with the LFP to protect sports integrity in French football. This covers both the top-tier Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 competitions.

Initiatives will include information sharing to combat manipulation threats and carrying out pre-season integrity assessments of clubs and other stakeholders.

“This partnership reinforces the collective efforts of ULIS and the LFP to ensure that Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 remain synonymous with fair play and ethical excellence,” ULIS president Gilles Maillet said. “It represents an extra instrument to protect the integrity of French football.”

ToonieBet partners with NHL’s Senators

Canada’s Ottawa Senators NHL franchise has partnered with ToonieBet.

The deal sees ToonieBet become the team’s official online casino partner. ToonieBet launched in 2024 as part of Soft2Bet.

Elements of the agreement include in-arena and broadcast branding, signage placement and direct fan engagement.

“We are thrilled to welcome ToonieBet as an official partner,” Senators vice president of corporate partnerships Martin Ballard said. “Cooperating with a brand that shares our commitment to providing fans with an exceptional and trusted experience is incredibly exciting.”

Strip casino pays out $15 million in negligence lawsuit

And finally, a California woman has been awarded a $15 million (£11.4 million/€13.2 million) judgment in a negligence lawsuit against MGM Resorts International.

The case, which dates back to April 2023, relates to Las Vegas Strip casino The Cosmopolitan. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports Deborah Fenton slipped and fell “due to an unsafe and dangerous condition on the property, specifically water and glass”. This took place during a visit to the resort’s Chandelier Bar in September 2021.

Clark County District Court ruled in favour of Fenton and approved several payouts. First, she was awarded $261,751 for past medical expenses, then $976,614 for her future medical expenses.

A further $1.4 million was issued for “past physical pain, mental pain, suffering, anguish, disability and lost enjoyment of life”. Finally, Fenton was awarded $12.3 million for future pain and suffering.

The single-count negligence lawsuit did not specify the extent of her injuries.

The new Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the British Gambling Commission.

The deal establishes a framework for cooperation and sets out principles of collaboration between the two regulators. These shared aims, the organisations say, will enable closer working relationships and support their respective duties and functions.

GRAI CEO Anne Marie Caulfield and Gambling Commission interim CEO Andrew Rhodes signed off on the new collaboration last week.

“This MoU is an important step in formalising the working relationship between the two regulators,” Caulfield said. “Ireland and the UK share many of the same operators and gambling practices, so putting this agreement in place will enhance our ability to share information and discharge our respective regulatory responsibilities effectively.

“Open dialogue and close cooperation between both jurisdictions is paramount. I greatly look forward to continuing this close cooperation for the years to come.”

Stats Perform welcomes Kaplan as new marketing chief

Stats Perform has announced the appointment of Charles Kaplan as its new chief marketing officer.

Confirmed last week, Kaplan will take on his new role from 21 April. He will oversee the company’s marketing capabilities, Opta data insights and editorial services, and Opta Content Agency.

Kaplan brings nearly 25 years of marketing, product management and revenue growth expertise to Stats Perform. He was most recently chief product and marketing officer at Wynshop.

Kaplan also held leadership roles at Mi9 Retail, MicroStrategy, Lexmark Enterprise Software and Brainware.

“I am thrilled to be joining the Stats Perform team at such a critical time in the company’s history,” Kaplan said.

Playnetic moves into Canada with Ontario licence  

B2B igaming content provider has secured a licence from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

The approval enables Playnetic to provide its library of games to licensees in the Ontario region. It has already begun talks with approved operators in the province.

This is the first approval for Playnetic in the wider Canadian market. The supplier aims to make it a “starting point” for expansion into other provinces in the country.

Hard Rock races ahead with Earnhardt Jr

Meanwhile, Hard Rock International and Hard Rock Bet have announced NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr as a brand ambassador.

The new partnership will feature brand integrations across several areas of the Hard Rock business. These include with Hard Rock Bet players and a branded free-to-play game on Hard Rock Neverland Casino and Jackpot Planet.

On the wagering side of the deal, customers can follow Earnhardt with his sports betting picks. They can also win face-to-face meetings with the NASCAR Hall-of-Famer.

“Hard Rock is such a historic and iconic brand,” said Earnhardt. “They have something for everyone – music, food, drinks, casino games and sports betting. I’m excited to partner with them and the opportunities we have to do some really fun things together.”

Midnite lands World Snooker Championship deal

Finally this week, UK-facing online betting and casino brand Midnite has partnered with the World Snooker Championship.

The deal sees Midnite become the official UK betting and casino partner of the contest. This year, the World Snooker Championship runs from 19 April to 5 May in Sheffield, England.

Midnite will run a series of activations throughout the competition. This includes giving away three pairs of Century Club tickets for the final session.

The Midnite sportsbook was launched in 2018 by Nick Wright and Daniel Qu. The duo previously created daily fantasy sports platform Dribble in partnership with Sky Bet.

The gambling industry converged in San Diego for the 2025 Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention, one of the nation’s largest tribal gambling events on the annual conference circuit. The show kicked off with a panel that featured two of the nation’s most prominent executives in the sports betting industry. 

DraftKings CEO Jason Robins made a rare appearance on 31 March during a panel moderated by conference chair Victor Rocha. Robins was joined by Christian Genetski, who serves as president of FanDuel Group. Both executives sang the praises of tribal gaming after both lost millions in a failed attempt to bring sports betting to California in 2022.

The next day, the Sports Betting Alliance (SBA), a group of leading commercial sportsbooks, unveiled a proposed tribal collective market structure. The initiative would enable national operators to enter the California market.

Members of the SBA, which is composed of four operators including DraftKings and FanDuel, would pay a minimum guaranteed amount to each tribe on an annual basis. The proposal also calls for monthly revenue-sharing payments from the commercial operators to the tribes. News of the proposal was first reported by Casino Reports. 

Two tribal groups, the California Nations Indian Gaming Association and the Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations, issued a statement regarding the roundtable with the SBA on 2 April. The groups noted that further discussions among tribal governments are expected to take place in the coming weeks and months. 

“This is a complex matter that involves navigating federal, state and tribal laws, which requires thorough debate and careful resolution,” they wrote in a joint statement. 

Gaming stocks not immune to US market sell-off

The US stock market suffered its worst week since 2020 amid an escalating trade war as President Donald Trump’s plan for sweeping tariffs sent global stocks into free-fall.

The unveiling of Trump’s “Liberation Day,” tariff plan on 2 April roiled markets late in the week, erasing more than $5 trillion (€4.6 trillion/£3.9 trillion) in market value from the S&P 500. On 3 April, top gaming stocks plunged as much as 15%, suffering their worst session since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Stocks with Macau exposure were hit particularly hard as Wynn Resorts fell 10.6% in Thursday’s session, while MGM Resorts tumbled 9% on the day. The major indices plunged another 5% on the final day of the trading week, as China retaliated against Trump’s plan.

One concern among analysts is that high rollers will curtail international travel, perhaps reducing their number of Macau trips from three a year to one – or possibly even none.

Impact on OSB/iGaming stocks

On Kalshi, the probability of an economic recession at some point in 2025 spiked to 63% on 4 April. By comparison, the chance of an economic downturn hovered around 42% earlier this week. The rout also impacted leading online sports betting companies, as DraftKings and Flutter both fell 5%.

“Past recessions in other countries and economic volatility recently in the US have shown OSB/igaming to be highly durable demand,” Craig-Hallum analyst Ryan Sigdahl told iGB. “There is panic in the markets and, when that happens, everything is sold aggressively.” 

Following the sell-off, iGB reached out to a bevy of Wall Street analysts in the gaming space. Several responded on the condition of anonymity. Despite the uncertainty, companies such as DraftKings and FanDuel could still grow during a recession, according to one analyst.

Placing a few wagers on a single game is viewed as “low denomination” versus other forms of entertainment, the analyst told iGB. Still, there is uncertainty whether the radical foreign trade policy will lead to prolonged inflation, which in turn may affect wallet share. Concerns surrounding consumer discretion may prompt bettors to spend less on parlays, according to another analyst.

Trump’s cumulative tariffs amount to a hike of around 22%, which would be the equivalent of the largest US tax increase since 1968, JP Morgan wrote in a research note.

Midwest states latest to issue C+D orders against Kalshi

As the road to the Final Four comes to an end, two midwestern US states joined several others in issuing cease-and-desist orders to operators of websites that offer prediction markets on sports. 

On 31 March, Ohio became the third state to issue the notice to Kalshi, following Nevada and New Jersey. A day later, the Illinois Gaming Board issued a similar order to Kalshi, Robinhood and Crypto.com.

Kalshi, a New York-based prediction market, has come under fire from a litany of states, which contend that its derivative products on sports have characteristics that mimic sports wagering. 

Last week, Robinhood pulled sports event contracts in New Jersey after regulators gave the exchange less than 48 hours to remove the offerings across the state. Unlike the others, the Illinois regulator did not set a firm date that requires the sites to comply with the request.

Meanwhile, the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) took exception to the availability of the contracts to minors. The companies allow customers under 21 to sign up on their websites, OCCC executive director Matthew Schuler wrote in a press release. The commission views the easy access to minors as a “flagrant” repudiation of the state’s gambling laws. 

Kalshi fights back

In response, Kalshi has filed suit against two states, New Jersey and Nevada. A New Jersey court delayed a hearing scheduled for this week until 30 April. The new hearing date coincides with a roundtable on event contracts scheduled by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on the same day.

The roundtable is expected to produce as many fireworks as any industry event in recent months. Former CFTC commissioner Brian Quintenz has been nominated by Trump to serve as the regulator’s next chairman. As of 4 April, Quintenz still remained on the Kalshi board.

Former Kalshi attorney joins DOGE

Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour argued that the state regulators “fundamentally misunderstand” the products, which he believes reinforces the foundation of US financial markets. 

“They mobilise the most elegant and effective properties of free financial markets towards the pursuit of unbiased truth,” Mansour wrote in a post on X. 

Kalshi also announced that Eliezer Mishory, former chief regulatory officer at the exchange, has left the position to take a high-ranking position in the federal government.

Mishory, a former special counsel for Quintenz at the CFTC, will join Elon Musk’s DOGE venture at the Securities and Exchange Commission. Daniel Wallach, a leading gaming attorney, told Front Office Sports that he believes sports event contracts will eventually be approved by the CFTC. Wallach cites Quintenz’s 2021 dissent on ErisX NFL contracts and comments from CFTC interim chair Caroline Pham as factors in his prediction.

Hawaii sports betting bill passes in senate committee

Since the repeal of PASPA in 2018, Hawaii has remained on a short list of states with steep odds to legalise sports betting. 

The odds lowered this week after a senate committee passed a bill that would decriminalise the activity in the Aloha State. The bill, HB 1308, advanced in the senate ways and means committee by a vote of 11-2. The bill sets a $250,000 licensing fee and a proposed tax fee of 10% on sports wagering revenues. 

The proposed legislation faces a potential senate vote before it could be sent to the desk of Governor Josh Green.

If approved, the bill would allow up to four legal sports betting platforms statewide. A parallel bill would establish a working group tasked with researching how an increase in gaming taxes could bolster economic development and tourism within the state. One option centres around allocating a portion of the tax revenues for a new Aloha Stadium project for the University of Hawaii’s football team.

“As you can see, the legislature wanted to be cautious and that’s smart,” Green told reporters. “We got a survey and about two out of three in our state wanted to do gaming – as long as the monies went to an important set of projects.”

ICYMI on iGB

Bill to ban sweeps casinos dies in Mississippi, along with online sports betting hopes

Concerns of cannibalisation are “totally overstated” says BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt

Sans Super Bowl, Nevada gaming revenue slides 9% in February

Ohtani’s ex-interpreter scheduled to report to prison in May after delay

How Rei do Pitaco is following the US DFS to sports betting model in Brazil

Growth mostly in digital as report pegs total 2024 US gambling spend at $172 billion

IGA panel urges tribes to get proactive about cybersecurity

Virginia sports betting hold hits near-record in February

“We’ve had two large operators who, either operationally or business wise, have dropped over the last year or so and we’ve kept the same market share,” Segal said of its UK performance.

“But we’re downstream of that in a sense. And then we’ve had some other bigger operators in the UK where we’ve really grown over the years. I think we’ve just had a bit of a mix.”

Segal noted the UK holds a certain level of uncertainty at the moment as various regulations, including new online slots stake limits, are due to kick in.

The UK’s Gaming Commission is set to enforce £5 and £2 stake limits on online slots from 9 April and 21 May. Players aged between 18 and 24 will be restricted to £2 per spin, while older players will face a £5 limit per stake.

“The more interesting thing is to come with the staking limits and our games are generally under the staking limit amounts. We imagine that a good 95% to 96% of the games wouldn’t have been affected anyway,” Segal commented.

Despite largely being shielded from the incoming online slots stake limits, Gaming Realms will be watching to see how the updated stake limits impact player behaviours more broadly, as a drop in player activity could absolutely impact future revenues.

Gaming Realms’ full year results 2024

Gaming Realms is best known for licensing out its Slingo branded games to operators globally.

In its full-year results for 2024 ended 31 December, it posted revenue of £28.5 million ($36.8 million/€34 million), up 22% year on year. Group EBITDA also increased by 25% to £12.3 million.

The company’s growth was largely driven by licensing revenue, which increased 23% to £24.5 million in 2024. Licensing accounted for 86% of Gaming Realms’ total revenue stream.

Social publishing accounted for the remainder of the group’s earnings at £4 million, posting growth of 14%.

Gaming Realms’ pre-tax profit was £8.3 million, up 61% year on year.

Gaming Realms in North America

The North American market accounted for 54% of the group’s total content licensing revenue in 2024.

Together, the US and Canada posted growth of 59%, reaching £12.9 million in licensing revenue.

The Canadian market grew by 71% in 2024, as Gaming Realms launched in new districts and obtained licences for its regulated markets.

“The actual Ontario market itself is growing really strongly,” Segal stated. “We got our licence during 2024 for British Columbia. Alberta is also on the horizon. That’s a market that’s commercially regulating like Ontario. So that’s a market that we have really high hopes for moving forwards.”

Gaming Realms US market and future states

Looking at the group’s US market, which posted growth of 57% year on year, Gaming Realms pointed to its existing partnerships with operators like MGM.

“I think we had a good set of games which went live last year and they’ve been really well received,” Segal added. “We’ve also had some sports franchise games. That’s an initiative with BetMGM in Michigan and Pennsylvania which has done very well.”

Segal noted the company had just released two games for New York that are tied into sports franchises.

“We’ve just launched two games for New York, with the Rangers and the Knicks, so I think they’ll be well promoted this year as the teams do well. I think the Knicks are in the playoffs, for example. So as these teams do well, they get better coverage.”

Segal stated the group is working “more closely” with operators. The company sees more potential opportunities with its existing partners moving forward. As more states regulate, it expects a “real jump” in US growth.

It will launch in new states like Delaware this year and keep an eye on other possible opportunities for expansion in the US.

“There’s talk of some really big ones like Florida and New York [coming online], as well as Illinois, but then Louisiana, for example. We’re constantly monitoring and waiting to see,” Segal said.

In February, consumers spent a total of CA$7.13 billion (£3.84 billion/€4.56 billion/US$4.96 billion) on gambling. This is 26.9% higher than last year, with figures now available for each month of regulated igaming in Ontario. The province opened its legal market in April 2022.

Month-on-month, however, the February total was 9.1% behind January.

Online casino leads the way in Ontario

As for how players were gambling, $6.07 billion of all wagers were on casino-type games in February. This beat the previous year by 30.5% and represented 85% of all February bets.

On top of this, online sports betting spend among consumers totalled $930 million. Again, this was comfortably higher than last year, surpassing February 2024 by 12.6%.

The remaining $130 million was spent on peer-to-peer online poker gaming, down by 6.5% year-on-year.

February online gambling revenue rises to $280 million

In terms of revenue, monthly total in Ontario hit $280 million, a year-on-year rise of 19.2%. This was, however, 5.7% behind January.

Breaking this down, online casino game revenue amounted to $214 million, up 30.5% from the previous year and 76% of total monthly revenue.

Sports betting revenue for February reached $62 million, an increase of 47.6.%. This resulted in a 6.67% monthly hold for the province.

Online poker revenue, meanwhile, slipped 9.4% to just under $5 million.

The data covers all operators that have an agreement in place with iGaming Ontario. It does not, however, include OLG’s igaming offering or pari-mutuel wagering on horseracing.

It appears the November election didn’t turn out well for the future of gambling expansion in Texas. A group of anti-gambling Republican lawmakers newly elected in the state replaced some who previously supported the idea, according to the Texas Tribune. In addition, three GOP senators who supported a gambling expansion in 2023 say they now oppose the idea. The Texas legislature meets only in odd-numbered years.

In addition, opposition to a casino complex in the Dallas suburb of Irving has been mounting. According to KERA News, “thousands” have signed a petition against converting a 1,000+ acre parcel that was the site of the old Texas Stadium into a mixed-use entertainment development. The project by Las Vegas Sands could ultimately crumble without a casino.

House state affairs committee chairman Ken King received a letter from the GOP lawmakers on 11 March. In it, they wrote they would oppose “any attempt to expand gambling”. The letter was sent a day after Democratic senator Juan Hinojosa’s constitutional amendment that would send the decision of whether or not to legalise sports betting was assigned to the state affairs committee.

SJR 65 would allow the state’s professional sports teams to be licensed for sports betting, as well as golf courses that host PGA Tour events. The bill does not specify if in-person or digital sports betting, or both, would become legal.

The referendum language would ask Texans to vote yes or no on the following:
“The constitutional amendment authoris[es] the legislature to legalise wagering in this state on certain sporting events.”

Legal wagering in Texas has been fraught issue

A similar constitutional amendment was filed earlier this session in the house. Neither bill has had a hearing.

Given Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick’s past comments, it seems unlikely that SJR 65 – or any other gambling expansion proposal – will gain any traction. Patrick, also the president of the senate, has previously said he would call for votes only on legislation that has the strong backing of the Republican party.

In their letter to King, a dozen GOP senators wrote: “We are confident this legislation does not have the votes necessary to pass the Texas house this session. Given the certainty of its failure, I urge you not to waste valuable committee time on an issue that is dead on arrival.”

The issue has been fraught in Texas for multiple sessions, despite heavy lobbying efforts headed by Las Vegas Sands. That casino company spent $13 million on lobbying ahead of the 2025 session. Owner Miriam Adelson last year purchased a majority share of the Dallas Mavericks and wants to build out an entertainment complex around a new home arena.

A University of Houston poll has reported that 60% of Texans support legalised sports betting and 73% support adding destination resort casinos.

But given Patrick’s strong opposition and the new makeup of the legislature, it does not appear that 2025 will be the year for a gambling expansion in the second-biggest state in the US.

Alberta market to open early next year?

Ontario remains the only legal digital sports betting and igaming market in Canada. Stakeholders have long been saying that Alberta would be next. Canadian Gaming Association executive director Paul Burns stated at the Next.io conference that Alberta is now on track for an early 2026 launch.

Missouri applications available from 15 April

The Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC) this week posted on its website that sports betting applications will be available beginning 15 April. It is unclear from the update what the timeline will be for approval, or if there is a deadline to submit an application. Rules won’t be in force until 30 August, after secretary of state Denny Hoskins denied the MGC’s request for emergency rules.

In other states, regulators have not issued licences until the rules are in force. But making the applications available means operators can begin work on them and have them ready whenever the deadline is set. The MGC also wrote in the update that live digital sports betting is on track to launch by 1 December.

Most major wagering platforms, including BetMGM, DraftKings, ESPN Bet, Fanatics Sportsbook and FanDuel, already have market access in Missouri. Per a November interpretation of the statute from the attorney general, every land-based casino will be entitled to one skin. In addition, five professional sports teams are eligible for licences and there will be two standalone mobile licences available.

Another Southern California sports bettor indicted

A Southern California man was indicted on 10 March on four counts of tax evasion. He allegedly used corporate funds to pay for sports betting losses. According to a press release from the US attorney’s office for the Central District of California, Edwin Michael Greer used some of the funds to pay off debts to illegal bookmakers Wayne Nix and Ken Arsenian.

Per the US attorney’s office, Greer owned an insurance salvage company from 2017 to 2020. During that time, he allegedly used company funds to pay off gambling debt and “concealed these personal payments in the company’s business records and, in many cases, directed the payments to be recorded as business expenses to reduce the company’s income”.

If convicted, Greer would face a potential maximum of five years in prison for each count.

Nix in 2022 pleaded guilty to a federal tax fraud charge and running an illegal sportsbook, but he has not yet been sentenced. Arsenian also pleaded guilty to running an illegal sportsbook, money laundering and two other federal charges. He agreed to pay $1.1 million in back taxes and forfeited $341,459.

DraftKings getting into prediction market?

According to The Closing Line on 10 March, DraftKings has registered the name ‘DraftKings Predict’ with the National Futures Association. The filing indicates that DraftKings could be exploring a prediction market product. The filing should not come as a complete surprise – in November, DraftKings founder and CEO Jason Robins alluded to his company’s interest in prediction markets during the company’s third-quarter conference call.

“I do think there could be a place for it outside of elections,” Robins said. “We’ll have to see where it fits in the priority list, but it is something we’ll plan on looking at ahead of next election, for sure.”

Flutter Entertainment CEO Peter Jackson didn’t outright dismiss getting into prediction markets during his company’s Q4 earnings call. He called prediction markets “an interesting opportunity” at that time. He also said that he believes that such markets don’t have the energy or excitement of a “true sportsbook”.

Americans to wager $3.1 billion on March Madness

On 13 March the American Gaming Association (AGA) projected that Americans will wager $3.1 billion on the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. March Madness begins on 16 March with Selection Sunday and games begin on 18 March. The estimate is up from $2.7 billion last year.

As part of its announcement, the AGA offered a reminder to bettors to wager responsibly. The trade group highlighted its ‘Have a Game Plan. Bet Responsibly’ campaign. The industry group recently rolled out a new pillar to its campaign: ‘Keep Your Cool’, which encourages players to “keep betting fun and respect the game”.

Could Rhode Island open its market?

A bill filed late last week in Rhode Island would prohibit the state from renewing its contract with IGT, which currently has a monopoly on sports betting in the state. Instead, it would open the market to a minimum of five wagering platforms. SB 748 was referred to the senate labour and gaming committee, but no hearing has been set. Rhode Island doesn’t have a crossover deadline and the session is set to close on 30 June.

IGT’s contract is set for renewal on 1 July 2026. Prior to that date, the regulator would be directed to open an application window for additional operators.

Rhode Island was the second state to launch digital sports betting after the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was overturned in 2018.

In other news…

Penn Entertainment launched its standalone Hollywood Casino igaming app in New Jersey on 11 March. Bettors can directly access the app or log in using their ESPN Bet credentials. New Jersey is the third market in which the app is available after Pennsylvania and Michigan.

ICYMI on iGB

Hawaii digital betting begins its march in senate

Mississippi legislature makes digital wagering a political football

In Maryland, no vote on sweeps ban and HHR bills

SAFE Bet Act updated, introduced again

Opponents of digital sports betting come out in force in Nebraska

A year in, NC wagering in line with similar-sized states

Up first this week, a new survey has highlighted the potential for sports betting subscription services.

Published by YouGov, the report found that a significant number of bettors would consider paying for a subscription. Of those surveyed, 22% said they would be “very likely” to join some form of subscription service.

A further 43% said that would be “somewhat likely” to subscribe, with 44% of those within this category aged 18-34. In comparison, only 18% of bettors were “not at all likely” to sign up, with 10% “not very likely”.

As for why consumers may be interested, 46% said this was due to the opportunity to access exclusive promotions and offers. Lower fees or reduced commissions also scored highly at 45%, new betting markets at 38% and personalised offers at 35%.

In terms of cost, 25% of bettors said they would pay up to $10 a month for such a service, 17% would allow $10 to $19 monthly and 12% would pay $20 or more.

Choctaws sign casino cryptocurrency partnership in Oklahoma

Next, Choctaw Casinos & Resorts has agreed to a partnership with Bitline, a provider for casino chip access directly from cryptocurrency.

The deal, supported by Everi, introduces cryptocurrency and digital assets as a new source of liquidity for casino customers in Oklahoma. Choctaw said this is the first partnership of its kind in the US.

Bitline will leverage Everi’s Cash Club payment infrastructure to make the service available to Oklahoma players for betting. Cash Club will also board, screen and verify patrons looking to use their digital assets to gamble.

“Through our long-term relationship with Everi, a leader in fintech solutions, we will continue to invest in innovative offerings that provide the discerning gaming VIP access to funds in a safe and secure manner,” said Thomas McDonald, senior director of cage and credit at Choctaw.

Inspired agrees to virtual sports deal with Altenar

On the subject of digital gaming, Inspired Entertainment has announced a partnership with sports betting software provider Altenar.

This collaboration will integrate Inspired’s virtual sports betting products into Altenar’s sportsbook platform. Customers will have access to a range of virtual sports betting options.

Altenar has sportsbook customers in more than 30 countries around the world. It recently expanded its client base by launching in both Peru and Brazil.

“This partnership showcases the versatility of the Altenar platform,” Altenar director of operations Antonis Karakousis said. “We are thrilled to launch Inspired’s virtual sports products with our partners. This enhances our sportsbook offering with the very best in virtual sports technology.”

Swintt names Dalla-Giacoma as new CCO

Elsewhere, another content provider, Swintt, has appointed Anthony Dalla-Giacoma as chief commercial officer.

Formerly of Quickspin and NetEnt, Dalla-Giacoma joins the leadership team at Swintt. The provider confirmed the new addition today (10 March).

He will oversee the sales, account management and marketing teams. The role also includes devising and deploying commercial strategies, strengthening partnerships, identifying new business opportunities and optimising revenue growth.

Dalla-Giacoma was most recently CCO at Quickspin. Prior to that, he worked as an account manager and regional business manager at NetEnt. In total, he has spent 15 years in the igaming industry.

“Joining the team as CCO is a truly exciting opportunity,” Dalla-Giacoma said. “I look forward to using my experience to help drive the business to new heights.”

Gaming Corps targets North America igaming growth with Oddsworks

Finally this week, Gaming Corps has entered into a strategic partnership with Oddsworks to support its expansion plans in North America.

Under the deal, Gaming Corps content will be distributed through the BetGuard platform across North America. This includes key US markets such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan.

The agreement covers Gaming Corps’ six game engines: casino slots, table games, multiplier games, mine games, plinko games and Smash4Cash.

“Everyone in igaming knows the potential of the North American market,” Gaming Corps CEO Juha Kauppinen said. “It will be very exciting to work closely with market leaders like Larry and Steven DeMar from Oddsworks.”

This amount also equates to an EV/EBITDA multiple of 25.2x – 32.1x based on PointsBet’s FY25 EBITDA guidance range.

The deal has been unanimously recommended by the board, as published in its half-year financial earnings report on 25 February.

A vote to approve the deal will occur in late May, and the ‘scheme’ is expected to pass and be implemented in mid-June.

MIXI’s Japanese parent company operates a number of sports and digital gaming business arms, including the FC Tokyo football team, horse racing betting site Net Dreamers and betting platform Chariloto.

BlueBet submits competing $360 million bid

Meanwhile, a competing bid for PointsBet was filed by BlueBet on 18 February, which proposed an acquisition by way of a scheme of arrangement. The offer comprises a cash pool of $240 million to $260 million, plus scrip consideration of $100 million to $120 million.

This puts the total bid at around $360 million, plus identified synergies of at least $40 million annually.

In Australia, a scrip bid is a takeover offer where shares are offered partly or wholly in place of cash. The scrip is a document given to shareholders showing they should receive a certain number of stocks. BlueBet estimates over 20% of PointsBet shareholders would prefer a transaction including a scrip component rather than a cash proposal.

In a note published today, BlueBet said the proposal presents a “highly attractive” offer for PointsBet shareholders.

“Our proposal offers compelling strategic and financial benefits for PointsBet shareholders,” said BlueBet chairman Matt Tripp and CEO Andrew Menz, who jointly submitted the offer.

“The transaction offers Betr immediate additional scale, access to important technology assets and key marketing contracts, all of which will accelerate our growth ambitions.”

BlueBet added it has secured equity funding arrangements from Jarden, Morgans and Ord Minnett. In addition, it expects to complete due diligence within 20 business days.

Earlier this month, BlueBet entered an agreement to acquire certain assets of Merlehan Booking, the Australia-facing sports and racing betting company trading as TopSport.

BlueBet will pay an initial AU$10 million to acquire TopSports’ assets. The agreement also includes potential further payments, contingent on BlueBet’s share price reaching certain milestones and the net gaming revenue performance of the assets.

MIXI deal presents “compelling opportunity”

Speaking during PointsBet’s half-year earnings call on 25 February, group CEO Sam Swanell said the board believed the MIXI offer represented “a compelling opportunity for PointsBet shareholders to realise immediate and certain cash value at a premium to the recent trading prices and at a high implied FY25 EBITDA model.”

End of a chapter for PointsBet?

Incidentally, towards the end of last year, PointsBet denied reports it was in discussions over a $300 million sale to an overseas party. Media reports suggested talks had taken place with several potential suitors, including at least one in Asia, but PointsBet shut these down.

Takeover talk had been rumbling on for some time prior to this. Betr, the Australian sportsbook operator co-founded by News Corp Australia and Tekkorp, was linked with a bid by Earnings+More in November last year. Betr was then acquired by BlueBet in April 2024.

Stake.com founders Ed Craven and Bijan Tehrani, meanwhile, have built up a shareholding of more than 5% in PointsBet.

PointsBet reduces net loss in H1

Turning to the company’s results, PointsBet posted figures for the first half of its 2025 financial year yesterday. This covers the six months to 31 December 2024. Group revenue for the period increased 5.8% to $124. million, with growth across both its Australian and Canadian operations.

Total sports betting revenue was 4.7% higher at $112.6 million, while igaming, only available in Canada, climbed 18% year-on-year to $11.8 million.

Geographically, Australia’s revenue jumped 4.4% to $106.2 million, despite a 21.8% drop in sports betting handle. Gross win margin, however, improved from 10.9% to 13.4%.

In Canada, player spend was higher across both sports betting and igaming, pushing total revenue up 14.5% to $18.2 million. Canada’s sports betting revenue increased 14.3% to $7.2 million and igaming 14.7% to $10.9 million.

Group gross profit improved 11.1% to $65 million, while operating costs were reduced by 3.9%. Finance income was lower, but revenue growth meant pre-tax loss was cut by 47.4% to $17.2 million.

PointsBet accounted for $165,000 in negative foreign exchange difference. As such, it ended H1 with a $17.4 million loss, an improvement on $37.0 million in the previous year.

PointsBet’s US days of yesteryear

Up until last year, PointsBet also had a presence in the US market, stretching across a host of states. However, Fanatics Betting and Gaming in May 2023 agreed to acquire the PointsBet US division for $150.0m.

It was not quite all plain sailing with the sale though. In June of the same year, DraftKings submitted a higher proposal of $195.0m. PointsBet said it would engage with DraftKings over what it said could be a “superior” proposal and eventually agreed on a higher purchase price of $225.0 million.

Fanatics completed its takeover of PointsBet’s US operations after going live in New Jersey in May last year.

The basketball programme at California State University, Fresno has reportedly found itself at the centre of a betting enquiry.

Sources close to the matter told ESPN on 22 February the case involves several of the Fresno State team’s players. So far, one player has been removed from the team, while two others have been suspended.

Mykell Robinson has not played for Fresno State since January and is no longer on the team. Fresno State also said in a statement that guards Jalen Weaver and Zaon Collins were being withheld from competition while the university reviews an “eligibility matter”.

The sources said Fresno State launched an investigation after receiving a tip off. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has also since become involved in the matter.

The Fresno State Bulldogs have lost 10 straight games and recently set a new record for most losses in a season.

Bet365 lands Tennessee sports betting licence

Bet365 has extended its reach in the US by securing a licence in Tennessee.

It is is now listed as an approved operator in the state via a licence issued to Hillside, which operates the Bet365 brand.

Bet365 will now be able to offer online sports betting to customers across the state of Tennessee, up against other major licensed brands FanDuel, DraftKings, ESPN Bet, Fanatics and Caesars.

In the US Bet365 is also licensed in Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia,

Bragg extends Canada presence with Loto-Québec deal

North of the border, Bragg Gaming Group has entered an online casino content agreement with Canadian operator Loto-Québec.

Under the terms of the deal (dated 20 February), Bragg will supply a range of content to Loto-Québec, the only legal and local casino site in Québec. This will include content from partners under the Powered By Bragg programme.

The deal extends Bragg’s reach in Canada into a second province, following its entry into Ontario in March 2022.

Garrick Morris, senior vice president, commercial, US and Canada at Bragg, said: “Loto-Québec is a strategic partner and we are excited to see our proprietary games as well as exclusive content from our partners live and available to Loto-Québec players.”

Malta regulator details new regulatory oversight approach

Across the Atlantic and into the Mediterranean, the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has announced enhancements to its regulatory oversight approach and supervisory focus areas for 2025.

According to the regulator’s regulatory oversight report for 2025, released 21 February, the enhancements will strengthen its supervision of igaming and promote transparency with stakeholders.

Its new-look framework will operate on more of an evidence-driven and outcomes-focused model. Central to this, the MGA said, are compliance, player protection and sports betting integrity regulatory themes.

With this, the regulator said that it will focus on risk-based resource allocation, improved collaboration and proactive risk management.

“This approach aligns with our broader strategy to bolster the resilience of the online gaming sector, safeguard player interests and foster greater stakeholder confidence in a sustainable and well-regulated industry,” the MGA said.

Altenar scores sportsbook deal with Immense

And finally this week, turnkey sportsbook provider Altenar has signed a wide-ranging deal with Immense, the group formerly known as Videoslots.

Altenar will now supply its sportsbook to brands under the Immense umbrella including Mr Vegas, Videoslots and MegaRiches.

The link-up comes after Immense recently launched its first sports-led brand: DBET.com.

Klas Winberg, chief commercial officer at Immense, said: “We expect that the Altenar sportsbook will be a very strong contributor, if not the biggest, for growth this year. So far, we are very happy with what we see.”

Since the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was overturned in 2018, the number of internet searches terms around “gambling addiction” has risen 23% nationally, according to an American Medical Association JAMA Internal Medicine investigation. Published on 17 February, the responsible gaming (RG) study revealed that searches rose most in Pennsylvania (50%), Massachusetts (47%), New York (37%) and New Jersey (34%).

In the abstract, investigators wrote, “The results of this time series study suggest that access to sportsbooks, sports wagers and potential help-seeking for gambling addiction increased substantially and highlight the need to address the health implications of sportsbooks, including recognition and treatment of gambling problems and their broader societal implications.”

But is this increase truly cause for concern? Guy Bentley, writing for Reason.com, suggests that it is not. In New Jersey, he wrote that searches for gambling addiction help rose 34% since legal sports betting went live in 2018. But that has not translated into an increase in the percentage of problem gamblers in the state.

“In 2021, the latest year for which we have data, problem gambling in New Jersey was 5.6%,” Bentley wrote. “But in 2017, before sports betting was legal, New Jersey’s problem gambling rate was 6.3%.”

Number of problem gamblers in UK, Australia didn’t change

In addition, Bentley shared that while there was an increase in the number of bankruptcies in the 1980s and early 1990s after lotteries and casinos were legalised, the “effect largely disappeared” by the mid-1990s. Further, he wrote that gambling expert Howard Schaffer “said the evidence suggests that the rate of PG (pathological gambling) has remained relatively stable during the past 35 years despite an unprecedented increase in opportunities and access to gambling.”

In the UK and Australia, where digital wagering has been legal for 20-plus years, there has been “no change” in the percentage of problem gamblers, Bentley wrote.

Investigators from the University of California San Diego Qualcomm Institute and School of Medicine looked at the use of the following search terms: gambling and addiction, addict, anonymous, or hotline. In hard numbers, investigators wrote that between 6.5 and 7.3 million searches were made.

They reviewed Google search histories between 1 January 2016 and 30 June 2024. 

Only two books taking bets on next Canada PM

Election betting is legal in Canada, but Gaming News Canada reports that only two sportsbooks are taking action on which party and prime minister will be the outright winners. The election is set for 27 February. FanDuel and Bet99 are offering markets for the “sworn in government”.

The Progressive Conservatives (PG) are favoured on both platforms, but at -1400 on Bet99 and -700 on FanDuel. According to GNC, Liberals have the next best odds at +750 on FanDuel and +900 on Bet99. The NDP is posted at +1500 on both platforms, and the Green Party is listed at +3100 on FanDuel and +3000 on Bet99.

In the US, election betting is a touchy subject. Mainstream sportsbooks can’t offer it in legal states, but prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket were able to offer odds on the November presidential election.

In Ontario, Canada’s only open, competitive gambling market, three sportsbooks also offered odds on which party would get the second-most seats. BetMGM, PartySports and Sports Interaction all offer that market. Most sportsbooks are only offering odds on the federal election, although some are taking odds on the Ontario provincial election, as well.

Fanatics to pay out on Wemby bets

Diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, San Antonio Spurs defensive player of the year favourite Victor Wembanyama will miss the remainder of the NBA season. Wembanyama is expected to make a full recovery.

Those holding season-long bets on Wemby winning DPOY with Fanatics Sportsbook are in luck. The sportsbooks announced on Thursday (20 February) that it will honour all DPOY bets as wins. Those with parlays involving Wembanyama will be refunded.

Most people don’t know what sweepstakes are

While the legal gambling industry is focused on killing sweepstakes and social casinos, a Fantasy Sports and Gaming Association (FSGA) study released on 19 February shows low recognition and even lower engagement among Americans. According to the report, 14% of American adults “recognise” social sportsbooks and 4% have used them. In addition, the FSGA said, many do not understand what sweepstakes are or whether they are legal. 

The study also showed that 28% of Americans engaged in fantasy or sports betting in 2024, which is flat when compared to 2023. It also revealed that more Americans participate in sports betting (22%) versus fantasy (18%) and that the demographics are different. The average sports bettor is a 45-year-old male while the average fantasy player is 42.4 years old. The demographic for both is predominantly male. 

With regard to to women’s sports, FSGA did not provide any numbers, but said that the WNBA remains the top women’s league for betting and that it is seeing “steady growth” in betting on women’s soccer, MMA, golf and other sports.

The research was released at the FSGA Winter Conference in Las Vegas. The Angus Reid Group conducted polling  21-29 January 2025, among a representative sample of 2,052 online Americans who are members of the Angus Reid Forum.

ROGA debuts RG suite of tools for young adults

On 19 February the Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA) released a suite of responsible gaming and financial literacy tools aimed at helping college-aged consumers. “Know Your Play” is available to anyone interested in learning more about money habits, responsible gaming or mental health. The website also includes “exclusive” content available to anyone with a college code or who requests a code. 

The website is comprised of videos on each topic. According to a ROGA press release, the campaign will also include in-person “learning sessions” and workshops on some college campuses. The programme was crafted in partnership with EPIC Global Solutions, Kindbridge Behavioural Health and the Responsible Gaming Council. Eight of the biggest US gaming operators formed ROGA in March 2024. 

“College students are learning to navigate newfound financial independence and equipping this age group with resources to make informed decisions that can build good financial habits will serve them throughout their lives, whether they engage in gaming or not,” ROGA executive director Dr Jennifer Shatley said via press release. “While previous programmes have focused on student-athletes, our campaign intends to educate the broader student population about responsible gaming concepts that can help this age group set realistic expectations and see gaming as a form of entertainment, not as a way of making money.”

Churchill Downs retail sportsbook shuttered

Citing the growth of online sports betting platforms, Churchill Downs racetrack shut down its in-person sportsbook on 9 February, reports the Louisville Courier Journal. Bettors had until 16 February to collect on tickets in person. After that date, tickets could be mailed in. Consumers will still be able to bet on horse races, including the Kentucky Derby, at the venue. 

“With 98 per cent of sports betting made on mobile platforms such as FanDuel, there simply isn’t a profitable path forward for us to sustain profitability as a retail operator,” Churchill Downs spokesman Darren Rogers said in a statement.

Will Vermonters lose chance to wager? 

Just over a year after legal digital sports betting launched in Vermont, three lawmakers filed a bill to end it. H133 seeks to repeal the laws that allow for legal sports betting and a state lottery. The bill is the first of its kind in a legal wagering state. 

After being introduced on 4 February, H133 was sent to the government operations and military affairs committee. No hearing has been scheduled yet.  

Bill sponsor representative Troy Headrick told PlayUSA that he believes legal sports betting and lotteries are tantamount to “regressive” taxation. 

MI two-factor authentication starts on 4 March

The Michigan Gaming Control Board will begin requiring two-factor authentication for online casino on 4 March. PlayUSA reports that operators must require two of the following authentication methods:

• Information known only to the authorised participant, such as a password, pattern,
  or answers to challenging questions;
• Something possessed by an authorised participant, such as an electronic token,
  physical token, or identification card. This can include a one-time passcode sent to a device, email address, or phone number;
• An authorised participant’s biometric data, such as a fingerprint, face recognition,
  or voice recognition scan.

In other news…

The Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission (CLGCC) awarded more than $2.9 million in responsible gambling grants on 21 February. Four organisations received grants to combat gambling addiction in the state. The biggest single earmark is $886,550 to the Kindbridge Behavioural Institute.

ICYMI on iGB

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AGA: Cannabalism issue still a discussion topic; feds must crack down

Manhattan borough president opposes Hudson Yards proposal

World Series of Politics: Andria Evripidou demystifies crypto in gambling

First, BetMGM has been fined $260,905 (£212,364/€254,701) in Pennsylvania for breaching rules on self-exclusion.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) found BetMGM allowed self-excluded online casino individuals to place bets. Some 148 accounts on BetMGM were identified as players who had self-excluded, PlayPennsylvania.com reports.

From these accounts, a total of $252,035 was deposited and $82,460 withdrawn. BetMGM also flagged a further three separate incidents across 2021, 2022 and 2022 involving four more self-excluded individuals.

Overall, $436,381 was deposited by self-excluded users with $175,477 withdrawn. The difference between these amounts is $260,904, with this the amount BetMGM is being fined by the regulator.

The fine represents the fourth highest ever issued in Pennsylvania. BetMGM also agreed to donate $20,000 to the Pennsylvania Council on Problem Gambling.

North Carolina considers sports betting tax change

Elsewhere in the US, lawmakers in North Carolina have introduced a new bill proposing a state income tax deduction for gambling losses against winnings.

WRAL News reports the bill would require players to pay taxes on any winnings, even if they accumulate more losses. For example, if a player won $10,000 but lost $11,000, they would be liable for income tax on the $10,000.

This would not apply to players who use the standard deduction on their taxes, only those who itemise the deductions. In addition, bettors would not be able to write off more than their winnings under the bill.

North Carolina launched legal sports betting in March last year, with this the first tax season since legalisation. If approved, the new rules would be effective from the 2024 tax year.

Kambi secures approval in Nevada

In other news out of the US, Kambi has secured approval in Nevada for its gaming licence application.

The Nevada Gaming Commission approved Kambi’s application for Manufacturer & Distributor Licences and an Information Services Licence. This follows a unanimous recommendation by the Nevada Gaming Control Board last month.

This enables Kambi to provide its sportsbook technology and services to non-restricted gaming establishments across Nevada for the first time.

Werner Becher, CEO of Kambi, said: “Securing approval for our licences in Nevada is an important milestone for Kambi and a testament to our market-leading technology, regulatory expertise and corporate integrity.”

Alberta government ends funding for gambling harms group

North of the border, the Alberta government has pulled funding for a non-profit organisation that provides education and resources for gambling addiction in the Canadian province.

Edmonton-based Problem Gambling Resources Network has had a government funding agreement of some sort since 1993. However, executive director Ray Reshke told The Albertan this will now end.

“We’re not counsellors, but we do direct people to resources for help like gamblers anonymous or Alberta Health Services,” he said.

The decision comes as Alberta considers legislation to allow private companies to run online gambling operations, similar to Ontario. Government-owned Play Alberta is currently the only licensed online gambling site in the province.

EveryMatrix lands record deal with Norsk Tipping

And finally this week, EveryMatrix has won a competitive public procurement process to partner with Norway’s Norsk Tipping.

Under the deal, EveryMatrix will provide a range of in-house and aggregated content plus bespoke casual games development. The agreement, the company’s largest ever SlotMatrix deal, covers two principal areas.

First, SlotMatrix, EveryMatrix’s aggregation platform, will provide Norsk Tipping with a range of third-party online casino content plus in-house titles from its own studios. EveryMatrix Games will also provide third-party content for Norsk Tipping’s Yezz range of casual games.

Ebbe Groes, CEO and co-founder of EveryMatrix, said: “I’m delighted Norsk Tipping, one of our most valued partners, has chosen to continue to put their trust in us after almost 10 years of collaboration. We look forward to even more years working together.”

Data published yesterday (30 January) by PointsBet reveals sports betting net win was marginally higher (0.2%) at $63.6 million, while igaming net win declined 1.6% to $6.3 million. However, it was the operator’s geographical performance that most impacted the results.

In Canada, customer-friendly results across both sports betting and igaming had a negative effect. CEO Samuel Swanell noted online slots and betting on the NFL as two areas where customers won more.

“Q2 group net win was negatively impacted by circa $3.9 million, due to customer-friendly results in Canada across NFL and slots,” Swanell said. “This NFL season has been the most customer-friendly, since the launch of regulated online sports betting. We have seen the highest rates of favourites winning in nearly 20 years.”

PointsBet, however, is not the first operator to flag the impact of customer-friendly results in sports betting during late 2024. Earlier this month, Flutter issued a US profit warning on the back of “unfavourable” sports results in the country. DraftKings has also downgraded full-year revenue and earnings guidance.   

Turnover growth fails to halt Canada decline

Looking at overall performance in Canada in Q2, total net win was 10.5% lower year-on-year at $9.4 million. Declines were reported across both sports betting and igaming.

Starting with sports betting, net win dropped by 22.5% to $3.1 million due to the customer-friendly results. Player spending increased 30.2% to $97.4 million, but with lower revenue, net win margin fell from 5.4% to 3.2%.

As for igaming, there was a fall in net win but not as steep as sports betting. Net win for this segment dipped 1.6% to $6.3 million, despite player spending increasing by 19.9% to $310.6 million. Gross net win margin dropped from 2.5% to 2%.

Looking forward in Canada, PointsBet plans to expand its offering in the next financial year. In Q2 of FY25, it will launch with three new content providers and grow its overall games offering by approximately 40% to over 600 titles. Further improvements, including to its loyalty programme, will follow later in FY25.

Q2 growth in Australia despite lower spending

Turning to Australia, net win for Q2 improved 1.7% year-on-year to $60.5 million. This was despite a 34.4% drop in player spending to $591.5 million. As a result, net win margin increased from 6.6% to 10.2% for the quarter.

PointsBet only operates sports betting in Australia, with igaming activities reserved for players in Canada.

Other key figures from Australia in Q2 include an 8% rise in cash active clients. Total bets were also 38% higher year-on-year, although average stakes were 20% lower than Q2 of FY23.

Analysing PointsBet in H1

Alongside Q2 data, PointsBet also released figures for its performance in the first half of its financial year. In the six-month period to 31 December 2024, total net win hit $135.1 million, an increase of 5.5% from the previous year.

Of this, some $124.3 million came from sports betting, up 4.8%. The other $10.9 million was drawn from igaming activities in Canada, a rise of 14.7%.

In terms of geographical performance, total net win in Australia improved by 4.4% to $117.1 million. As for Canada, net win climbed 14.6% to $18.1 million, with sports betting net win up 14.3% to $7.2 million and igaming 14.7%.

PointsBet also revealed certain other group figures for H1. These include gross profit hitting $65 million, a rise of 11.1%, while normalised EBITDA loss improved from $13.3 million to $3.3 million.

“While full H1 results will be released next month, we are thrilled to report we improved our H1 EBITDA position by $10 million, coming in at a loss of $3.3 million,” Swanell said. “This in turn, means the company has passed a very important milestone, having now delivered full year EBITDA profit for calendar year 2024 of $8.2 million.”

No news on takeover reports

There was, however, no more mention of reports that emerged during Q2 of a possible $300 million takeover of PointsBet.

Reports in November said PointsBet had held talks over a possible takeover. The Australian said discussions have taken place with several potential suitors – including at least one in Asia – but did not name any of the interested parties.

However, PointsBet distanced itself from the reports. In a statement sent, PointsBet said there have been no such talks over a possible deal. No further comment was made during the post-Q2 results earnings call.

The owners of Betfred and Bet365 both made the top three in The Times’ annual survey showing who paid the most tax in the last year.

Fred and Peter Done and family, owners of Betfred, were second on the list having contributed £273.4 million (€324.7 million/$341.2 million) to public funds. This pushed them up from fourth place in 2023, when they paid £204.6 million. Top of the Times’ Tax List 2025 was the founder of Children’s Investment Fund Management, Chris Hohn, who paid £339.5 million.

Bet365 owners Denise (pictured), John and Peter Coates remained in third place, contributing £265 million to the exchequer.

Unnamed French operator sanctioned over player withdrawal breach

France’s gambling regulator, l’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), has taken action against an unnamed operator that failed to comply with rules on player asset withdrawals.

The ANJ college referred the case to its sanctions committee in April 2024. The ANJ accused the operator of not immediately validating player withdrawal requests. The obligation to immediately return assets to players has been imposed on operators since 2010.

The sanctions committee imposed a financial penalty of €5,000 on the operator, but decided not to attach publicity measures to the sanction.

Canadian report links online gambling payments to fentanyl trafficking

A new report has identified online gambling transactions as a leading method for disguising proceeds from illegal fentanyl trafficking and production in Canada.

FINTRAC, Canada’s national financial intelligence agency, highlighted online gambling as a major contributor to drug trafficking in a new report. The agency said fentanyl traffickers frequently sent funds received from multiple incoming email money transfers to gambling sites and received payments in return from associated payment processors based in Malta, Canada and the UK.

The ‘Operational Alert, Laundering the Proceeds of Illicit Synthetic Opioids’ report will be used to assist businesses in identifying and reporting financial transactions related to the laundering of proceeds from the importation, production and distribution of fentanyl and other illegal synthetic opioids.

NFL launches responsible gambling programme for student-athletes

The National Football League (NFL) has announced plans for a responsible gambling training programme specifically designed for university and college student-athletes.

The NFL has launched the programme in association with the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC). The partners have identified student athletes as an important audience for targeted responsible gambling and problem gambling prevention initiatives, as previous research has shown their susceptibility to risky gambling behaviour.

The programme will launch with a pilot phase at eight universities and colleges in the upcoming 2025 spring semester.

Lotto-Berlin operator hands seven-year deal to Scientific Games

Deutsche Klassenlotterie Berlin (DKLB) is to become the first German lottery provider to implement Scientific Games’ Symphony omnichannel gaming system under a new seven-year contract.

While Scientific Games has served as a technology provider to the Lotto-Berlin operator for more than 20 years, it will now make the switch to the new system. Symphony’s architecture supports retail, digital and mobile play and future game entertainment channels, including third-party content and platforms.

Hansjörg Höltkemeier, chief executive of Lotto-Berlin, said: “With our selection of Scientific Games and Symphony, we are not only responding to the ever-increasing requirements in the areas of operational safety and cyber security but also focusing on continuity.”

Data is now available for each month since Ontario launched legal online gambling in April of 2022.

Online casino spend reaches new high

Focusing first on Q3, total market spend was 32% higher than in the same quarter of 2023-24. It is also 22% ahead of Q2 of the current financial year. Ontario’s Q3 ran for the three months to 31 December 2024.

Online casino remains by far the main area of interest for players in the province. During Q3, some $18.9 billion was spent in this segment, up 38% on the previous year and another new record for Ontario.

Sports betting spend, including esports, amounted to $3.4 billion, a year-on-year increase of 10%. The other $418 million was wagered on peer-to-peer poker, representing a 3% drop from the previous year.

As for revenue, the market’s total for Q3 reached $826 million. This surpasses the 2023-24 total by 26% and is 12% more than Q2’s $738 million haul.

Online casino revenue amounted to $644 million, up by 37% year-on-year. Sports betting revenue, however, slipped 3% to $166 million while poker revenue was 6% lower at $16 million.

Some 50 operators, running a total of 83 gaming websites, were active in Q3.

More Ontario records tumble in December

As for December, the new monthly report reveals online gambling spend reached an all-time high of $7.8 billion. This beat the previous year by 28% and November’s existing record by 4%.

Online casino spend topped $6.5 billion, another new monthly record that is 33% ahead of 2023-24. Sports bets climbed 9% to $1.1 billion but poker spend slipped 8% to $141 million.

In terms of revenue, the December total stood at $269 million. This is 19% more than in the previous year but 10% shy of November’s $291 million record.

Online casino generated $224 million in revenue, a new monthly high that is 36% more than December of 2023-24. Sports betting revenue, however, fell 28% to $39 million, while poker revenue dropped 7% to $5.6 million.

The Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) 18 December announced a first. The state’s land-based casinos are now accepting mobile driver’s licences for age and identity verification. Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati, Hollywood Casino Columbus, Hollywood Casino Toledo and JACK Casino Cleveland will take the licences, which Ohioans can add to their Apple wallets. Patrons can show the mobile licence on a phone or Apple watch.

“From a regulatory perspective, accurate, safe and secure identification for entry into Ohio’s casinos is foundational to ensuring the integrity of casino gaming,” Tom Stickrath, OCCC chair, said via press release. “The Ohio Mobile ID leverages cutting-edge technology to provide a simple and secure method for verifying age and identity.”

Ohio casinos will accept mobile licences and IDs from nine other US jurisdictions, including Arizona, California, Colorado and Puerto Rico. Patrons can hold their Apple device up to a reader to scan the licence or ID card. Customers authorise the reader to scan the information using Face ID or Touch ID.

Maverick fails in attempt to bust WA compacts

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower-court decision that keeps the Washington state gaming compacts in place, per Casino Reports on 19 December. Washington lawmakers in 2020 gave the state’s tribes exclusivity for in-person sports betting. Indian country already had a monopoly on land-based gaming. At the time, card-room owner Maverick Gaming pushed for a more open marketplace.

Ninth-circuit judges wrote that invalidating the compacts would disrupt the state’s gaming policy. They also wrote that Maverick failed to name tribes in the lawsuit, which would have meant that a decision about their future would have been made without their input.

“Washington tribes are sovereign nations,” Washington Indian Gaming Association executive director Rebecca George said in a statement. “The gaming compacts are carefully negotiated, government to government agreements that are fully valid and legally binding. The Washington state legislature’s bipartisan supermajority decision to limit sports betting to the premises of tribal casinos is not only legally sound, it also strikes exactly the right balance, allowing responsible adults to participate in safe and well-regulated gaming activities while minimising the negative social consequences that can sometimes result from gambling.”

Maverick Gaming has been fighting tribal exclusivity in Washington for more than four years.

Bally Bet live in Ontario

On 16 December Bally’s announced the launch of Bally Bet Sportsbook & Casino in Ontario. Bally Bet is live in 11 US jurisdictions, including New Jersey and New York.

In Ontario, the company launched its new combined app, bringing digital sports betting and casino onto a single platform. As the company continues to roll out its redesigned app, consumers will be instructed on how to migrate current accounts to the new platform.

“This integrated platform merges the features of our previous apps, providing players in Ontario with a seamless experience for both sports and casino betting,” Bally’s Corp CEO Robeson Reeves said via press release. “Our commitment to enhancing the player experience remains at the forefront as we strive to personalise the enjoyment of playing Bally Bet.”

Hidden cost of funding account with credit card

Bettors opting to fund their gambling accounts in states where it is legal to do so might be in for a surprise, writes Yahoo! Finance. A new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau report found that some credit card companies treat funding a gambling account like a cash advance and subsequently charge fees. It can cost gamblers $10 per credit card swipe or 5% of the advance, whichever is more.

According to the report, such credit card fees rose in Kansas and Ohio after wagering went live in those states. Some states, including Massachusetts and Tennessee, ban funding gambling accounts with credit cards.

Michigan tribe appeals to SCOTUS

The Sault St Marie Band of Chippewa Indians in northern Michigan is taking its case to the Supreme Court. The tribe purchased land near Detroit to build a new casino, but the US department of the interior (DOI) denied the tribe’s request to have the land put into a trust so it would be appropriately designated to build a casino, per PlayMichigan.

At issue from the DOI perspective is that the tribe purchased the land using its Self-Sufficiency Fund. Money from that fund can only be used for projects around education, health, culture and charitable pursuits. The tribe argues that the land purchase fits the parameters of using the fund because it plans to dedicate some revenue for basic services, including “vital services for cultural activities, elder meal programmes, education programmes, day care and food assistance for low income families.”

The tribe already operates five Kewadin Casinos on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

See you in January

State of the Union will take a two-week hiatus as we head into the holiday season. Wishing everyone happiness and health – and maybe a few new legal gambling states and provinces – in 2025.

In other news…

Ho-Chunk Inc has plans for another Nebraska casino, KTIV reported on 16 December, this one in South Sioux City at the Atokad race track. The tribe, which is also building out casinos in Lincoln and Omaha, plans to break ground on its latest project in the spring of 2025.

Governor Bryan Kemp cut the ribbon on 13 December when PrizePicks debuted its expanded Atlanta offices. The Georgia-based company doesn’t offer legal sports betting but it is among the top fantasy providers in the US. Sports betting remains illegal in Georgia, but PrizePicks operates fantasy contests, which are not regulated or taxed in the state.

Oklahoma’s Choctaw Casinos & Resorts announced a new partnership with the ATP-Dallas Open on 11 December. Through the partnership, the tribe will get branding rights inside the venue as well as naming rights in areas like VIP boxes and player entrances, according to a press release.

ICYMI on iGB

US congressional hearing on wagering upended

ESPN Bet banks on linking with ESPN to differentiate itself

353 questions and answers on the New York State downstate casino RFA

In NH, Sanborn appeals gaming licence revocation

Intralot elevates Bateson to CEO

Missouri voters passed a legal sports betting initiative on 5 November, but the vote count wasn’t official until yesterday (5 December). And it turns out that the proposal won by the slimmest of margins – .05%, according to the Missouri secretary of state’s (SOS) office. The SOS certified the results, which show that Amendment 2 won by 2,961 votes. A total of 2,954,343 ballots were cast on the initiative question.

The initiative was the richest in Missouri history, with proponents and opponents spending a combined $57 million. DraftKings and FanDuel were the biggest proponents, although Missouri’s professional sports teams took the lead on the getting the initiative on the ballot.

From here, the Missouri Gaming Commission must promulgate rules and issue licences. The new law requires that the state launch legal betting by 1 December 2025. Missouri professional sports venues and casinos can apply for retail and digital licences. There will also be two stand-alone mobile licences available.

Missouri is the only state in the US that legalised sports betting 2024.

MGC fines FanDuel $10,000

After allowing three bets for a total of $11 on the Boston College (BC) men’s basketball team in March, FanDuel yesterday (5 December) was fined $10,000 (£7,843.44/€9,456.50) by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. Betting on local college sports teams is prohibited in the state, unless the teams are in a tournament of more than four teams. The BC men’s basketball team ultimately made the NIT post-season tournament, but the bets were placed prior to the announcement that it was in.

FanDuel isn’t the first operator to be fined for violating the Bay State’s unique college betting rule. In 2023, BetMGM, Penn and Wynn all erroneously took bets on Massachusetts college sports teams and were ultimately fined between $10,000 and $20,000.

Robinhood getting into sports betting

During its inaugural investor day on 4 December, Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev shook up the sports betting world when he told attendees: “We’re keenly looking into that space.” On Wall Street, the comments had an immediate effect, as shares of DraftKings, Flutter and Penn Entertainment were down for the day. 

According to CNBC, Tenev suggested that his company may be interested in entering the gambling landscape with a product similar to Kalshi or Polymarket. Both of those companies offered betting on the latest presidential election. Those companies do not offer traditional sports betting, but rather customers buy and sell contracts from each other. 

“Nothing to announce just yet, but it’s so important to our customers and culture that we’re excited about it,” Tenev said. 

Robinhood stock rose 3.5% on 4 December. 

Mathew Bowyer sentencing postponed

According to the docket for the US District Court for the Central District of California, sentencing for accused illegal bookmaker Mathew Bowyer has been postponed from 7 February to 4 April 2025. Bowyer pleaded guilty in August to three federal charges, including running an illegal sportsbook and money laundering. Bowyer faces up to 18 years in prison. At the height of his business, Bowyer had more than 700 customers, none more infamous than former Shohei Ohtani Japanese-language interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. 

Mizuhara lost of tens of millions of dollars gambling with Bowyer and stole $17 million (£13.3 million/€16.1 million) from Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ star pitcher and slugger. Mizuhara, who pleaded guilty to bank fraud and subscribing to a fraudulent tax return in June, is set to be sentenced on 20 December. He faces up to 33 years in prison. 

Redskins logo revival?

A Washington, DC-area newspaper reported on 30 November that the senate energy and natural resources committee approved legislation that would fund a renovation of RFK Stadium – the NFL team’s former home – and would also allow for discussions around reviving the old Redskins logo. The team, now the Washington Commanders, abandoned the Redskins name and logo in 2020. 

According to the story, Commanders owner Josh Harris said the team doesn’t want the name back. But lawmakers say they are interested in bringing the logo back for other purposes. 

“We’ve had good discussions with the NFL and with the Commanders,” Montana senator Steve Daines said. “There’s good faith negotiations going forward that’s going to allow this logo to be used again; perhaps revenues going to a foundation that could help Native Americans in sport and so forth. We’re making good progress and, based on the good-faith negotiations, I made the decision to support this bill.”

Bovada now out of Arizona after cease-and-desist

Arizona became the latest state for offshore operator Bovada to exit after the Arizona Department of Gaming (ADoG) issued a cease-and-desist letter to parent company Harp Media BV on 8 November. The regulator announced on 3 December via press release that it had sent the letter.

The Bovada website now lists Arizona on its “restricted” US states lists, which includes 16 other US jurisdictions. The letter is one in a string that regulators across the US have sent to the company this year. 

According to ADoG, Harp Media is violating three laws by operating in the state. The regulator referred to Bovada as a “felony criminal enterprise”. 

AGA says ‘Keep Your Cool’ is newest RG tenet 

On 5 December the American Gaming Association (AGA) released an update to its ‘Have a Game Plan’ public service campaign. ‘Keep Your Cool’ becomes the fifth pillar of the group’s responsible gambling campaign, it said via release. The newest pillar is in response to athlete harassment and guides bettors that harassment is not acceptable. 

According to the press release, Keep Your Cool also means to “respect the game” and “stay focused on having fun”. The existing four pillars, put into place when the AGA rolled out Have a Game Plan in 2019 are:

• Set a budget
• Keep it social
• Know the odds
• Play legally

What’s behind the AGCO, iGO split? 

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and iGaming Ontario (iGO) are set to become separate agencies in 2025. Steve McAllister of Gaming News Canada explained why. McAllister said that after reaching out to Ontario’s ministry of the attorney general, he learned that there is some concern about a conflict of interest with both iGO and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation reporting to the same agency (AGCO) as iGO, which represents commercial sports betting and online gaming operators. 

The attorney general’s office shared with McAllister that the move will “strengthen iGO’s governance and accountability structure and contribute to the continued success of Ontario’s thriving igaming market by positioning the agency as a competitive employer and addressing a conflict-of-interest concern raised by the auditor general.”

McAllister went on to posit that the move could make iGO more nimble and implement change more quickly. 

Fight is on over Bay Area tribal casino

On 27 November the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria filed a lawsuit saying that a proposed tribal casino in Sonoma County would “irreparably harm” its sovereign rights, according to SF Gate. The tribe also claims that a casino proposed by the Koi Nation could disturb “sacred objects” from Graton Rancheria’s past on the construction site. 

At issue is a proposed off-reservation casino that would encroach on Graton Rancheria’s current customer base. The Graton Resort and Casino is located south of Santa Rosa in Sonoma County. The Koi Nation is proposing the Shiloh Casino and Resort in Windsor, north of Santa Rosa. The two locations are about 15 miles apart. In its lawsuit Graton Rancheria argues that the Koi Nation has no ancestral claim to the land. Graton Rancheria is suing the US Department of the Interior, which it claims did not do its due diligence before approving the Koi Nation’s request. 

The Koi Nation paid $12 million for a 68-acre parcel. But Graton Rancheria alleges that the tribe has no claim to the land as an “aboriginal homeland”. The Koi Nation’s reservation is 50 miles north.

The Koi Nation made an agreement in 2022 with Oklahoma’s Chickasaw Nation, which would build and operate the casino resort. 

Non-smoking bills introduced in Kansas, Missouri

Bills looking to ban smoking in casinos have been prefiled in Missouri and Kansas and lawmakers will debate the issue once the states begin their legislative sessions on 8 January and 13 January, respectively.

The advocacy group Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE), which has argued on behalf of smoking bans for years in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and elsewhere, has a Kansas and Missouri chapter that will support the movement.

“85% of Kansans and Missourians do not smoke,” CEASE Kansas and Missouri founder Joe Hafley told KCTV. “We have lots and lots of support from different groups, American Heart, American Lung, Americans for Non-Smokers’ Rights.”

In other news…

Fanatics will hold its FanFest 20-22 June 2025 at the Javits Center in New York, the company announced on 4 December. Presales for those who attended the 2024 event are available through 8 December. General public tickets go on sale 13 December. Find tickets and more information here.

Accel Entertainment completed its acquisition of Fairmount Holdings, Fairmount Park Inc, more commonly known as FanDuel Sportsbook & Racetrack in Illinois. In the deal, Accel got a casino licence and will partner with FanDuel to offer digital wagering in the state.

ICYMI on iGB

NCLGS igaming model legislation has some good and not-so-good

Nevada regulator grants Resorts World extension for violation response

Sports betting graveyard: Small wagering platforms exited US in ’24

Fernandez resigns from Aristocrat to head up IGT/Everi

LVS gets key approval in NY; public-comment period open

NorthStar, which published the results yesterday (27 November), also showed revenue after deducting bonuses, promotional costs and free bets. When including revenue from other managed services, this left $6.8 million in operating revenue, up 44.7%.

The operator generates revenue from its Northstarbets.ca website. During Q3, total wagers placed through the site hit $234.0 million, a rise of 69.6% from last year.

Q3 costs reduced despite higher marketing spend

Spending-wise, operating costs were cut by 5.2% to $5.5 million, despite a rise in marketing and general and administrative expenses. NorthStar, however, benefitted from lower share-based compensation expenses, which last year hit $1.7 million.

After a further $213,710 in finance costs, pre-tax loss was $3.1 million, an improvement on last year’s $4.2 million. As NorthStar did not pay income tax in Q3, nor did it in the same quarter last year, bottom-line net loss figures were the same as pre-tax.

“Our consistent revenue growth and improved economies of scale have enabled gross margin to fully cover overhead costs – a significant milestone in our journey toward profitability,” NorthStar chair and CEO Michael Moskowitz said.

“Additionally, marketing expenditures as a percentage of revenue have declined substantially, dropping from two-thirds last year to roughly half year-to-date, further demonstrating our continually improving operational efficiency and strategic focus.”

Similar story for the year-to-date at NorthStar

Looking now at the year-to-date, gross gaming revenue in the nine months to 30 September was $24.1 million. This surpasses last year’s total by 56.5%.

Total after bonuses but with revenue from other managed services hit $20.2 million, a rise of 55.4%. Total wagers on Northstarbets.ca were also 54.6% higher at $677.0 million.

Operating costs were reduced 5.3% to $21.4 million, again despite higher marketing spend. After $930,435 in finance expenses, pre-tax loss was $14.3 million, short of the $18.0 million reported last year.

In terms of bottom line, no tax was payable in the period, meaning net loss was also $14.3 million for Q3.

NorthStar eyes further growth

Looking ahead, NorthStar also noted management is currently working to secure additional funding to support growth. The operator said it is “confident” about accessing this capital, with an update due in the coming weeks.

FY24 will be the first full calendar year of the enlarged NorthStar business. In Q1 of last year, NorthStar completed the reverse takeover of Baden Resources. Baden, which owns Canadian property business Midway Property, combined with NorthStar Gaming Inc and a wholly owned subsidiary of Baden.

“The marketing investments and product launches we executed in Q3 have set us up for a strong finish to the year, as the fourth quarter is typically a seasonally robust period,” Moskowitz said.

“With the continued momentum in our business and operating leverage driving improved financial results, we are highly optimistic about our ability to deliver significant shareholder value in 2025.”

Lawmakers from Illinois to New York and Ireland to Ontario passed tighter gambling advertising laws while state and federal governments in the US and beyond considered various degrees of such measures, including all-out advertising bans.

No US state – not even those with the most stringent responsible gaming regulations – has a total ban on advertising.

“I think it sounds like an easy solution to deal with the rapid expansion of advertising and promotions in gaming where there is an addictive component,” Cathy Judd-Stein, former chair of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, told GGB Magazine. “I think an informed, data-based decision is what’s needed now.

“But I’m hesitant (to consider a ban) because the illegal market has the ability to advertise and advertise and advertise without any guidelines. I think a ban on the regulated industry would be harmful.”

“Ad bans are very bad news”

In the US a bill proposed by Senator Richard Blumenthal and Representative Paul Tonko would do just that. Similar measures are being discussed in Australia and Canada. In all cases, the goal seems to be to keep wagering advertising off the air and away from youth. But problem and responsible gambling advocates have previously said such bans won’t work.

“I’m not a fan of and I am a huge advocate against the banning of anything,” lobbyist Bill Pascrell III told GGB Magazine. “I think it’s important that we not just put complete bans out there. In terms of athletes and celebritiess, they can be utilised in a way that is useful for responsible gaming.… I don’t think that banning anything is useful. And there is no proof that it works.

“Ad bans are very bad news. You won’t have anything on the airwaves to show where to go” for help with gambling addiction.

Limiting celebrities, warnings and ban on word “free”

In Ontario, regulators landed on a middle ground. They did not ban advertising nor the use of celebrities. But in the new regulations that went into effect in February, celebrities can only be used for responsible gambling advertising.

In 2024, New York lawmakers passed a law that requires that any advertisement for sports betting or gambling carry “warnings about potential harmful and addictive effects of gambling”. It also mandates that the state gambling commission work with the state’s addiction services programs to ensure that all advertisements – for sports betting, land-based casinos and online gambling – include hotline numbers.

Also in the US, Illinois regulators tightened advertising guidelines, following the leads of lawmakers and regulators in Massachusetts and Ohio. The new rules, passed in September, strengthen existing measures by banning the use of words like “free”, “cost-free” or “free of risk”. They also ban gambling advertising on college campuses or other venues where the majority of attendees are under 21 and ban the use of messaging or logos on merchandise like toys that might appeal to youth.

The Ohio Casino Control Commission last summer added a first-of-its-kind prohibition when it approved a rule that prohibits offering promotions to anyone under the age of 21 during a “non-gaming, consumer transaction”. The rule was in response to Fanatics Sportsbook – part of the larger Fanatics merchandise empire – launching in the state and offering gambling credits to merchandise customers.

Why Massachusetts is an RG leader

Judd-Stein and the MGC have been at the forefront of such protections since wagering was legalised in Massachusetts in 2022. In that state, it was lawmakers that set the tone for a strict responsible gambling and consumer protection landscape.

Judd-Stein said that in her state, lawmakers “put a premium” on such measures. That gave regulators a head start by creating a research agenda.

“We were really well positioned” to prioritise responsible gambling, she said. The research “really informed the application process. The statute requires that operators to submit an annual responsible gaming plan. I give the legislature a lot of credit for establishing this and then the commissioners felt a responsibility to adhere to that.”

Across the world in legal gambling jurisdictions, responsible gambling has also been a top-line issue. The UK is testing the affordability checks endorsed by a 2023 white paper. And Ireland’s Advertising Standards Authority laid out guidelines that counsel against “encouraging” socially irresponsible behaviour or suggest that gambling could solve financial problems. The new standards also prohibit gambling ads that would appeal to or be available via “selection of media” to children.

The question is when? In the US, regulators and operators often point to the Super Bowl or NCAA March Madness as big events around which to launch.

In Canada, it’s possible that if the regulator is aiming for a big event, it would be the start of the Stanley Cup Finals in April. Alberta is home to two NHL teams – the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers. Another potential time would be in June, around the start of the Canadian Football League.

Penn has biggest stake of all US operators

Penn is particularly invested in sports betting in Canada after purchasing theScore and theScoreBet in October 2019. While Penn has been uber-focused on its US offering, ESPN Bet, it is live in Ontario with theScoreBet. Penn has plans to use the same platform in other provinces.

During the company’s Q2 earnings call, Snowden said: “Both with online sports betting and icasino, we expect Alberta to be a very strong market for us, given the power of theScoreBet brand in that market and the success we have seen in Ontario.”

Most of the other major US players are also already live in Ontario with plans to expand across the country.

Steve McAllister, editor-in-chief of Gaming News Canada, told iGB he believes the province is “on track” for a 2025 launch. He also said that with regulations still being promulgated, there is “too much work to be done to open by the end of the year”. His comments support those by Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) president Paul Burns.

“We encouraged them to get it right versus being quick,” Burns said earlier this year.

Alberta to use, ‘massage’ Ontario regs

There is already limited online sports betting and icasino in Alberta, offered through the government-run PlayAlberta. In anticipation of an open, competitive market, Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) is crafting rules for the wider industry.

Service Alberta and red tape reduction minister Dale Nally said earlier this year that the plan is to use rules in place in Ontario as a “road map”. But the province will “massage” the Ontario regulations to fit Alberta’s needs.

Nally’s office in October told Canadian Gaming Business: “We want to get our igaming strategy right by ensuring fairness and transparency to everyone. Industry stakeholders have told us that we need to continue our conversations so they can provide more input on the model. We are doing just that.

“While we aim to put the strategy forward in 2025, we will continue to provide updates as this work unfolds.”

A key difference between Alberta and Ontario is tribal gaming. Gaming by indigenous peoples was not a key consideration for the Ontario regulator. But there is a vibrant indigenous gaming community in Alberta and the tribes have been included in the regulatory process. Called the Host First Nations, tribes in Canada currently operate six gaming locations in Alberta.

House next up for S-269

As Alberta regulators refine their regulations, they are doing so against the backdrop of federal legislation moving forward. Canada’s parliament has been considering S-269 for more than a year and the legislation is gaining traction.

The bill would tighten advertising guidelines, including limiting the use of celebrities and athletes. It would also limit the number of gambling advertisements that could be shown and non-broadcast advertising. The bill includes new standards regarding responsible gambling and preventing gambling harm.

S-269 got a third reading and passed the senate on 5 November. It has not yet had a hearing in the house of commons.

The idea that the federal government is considering an advertising ban or limitations is curious. The CGA’s Burns pointed out on an 18 November Gaming News Canada podcast that gambling has long existed in Canada, and provinces already have advertising guidelines in place.

The rumours had a marked impacted on PointsBet’s share price, which earlier today (11 November) was trading as high as 13.3% above opening price. At the time of writing, the price is $0.98, some 10.2% ahead of opening pricing.

However, PointsBet has since moved to distance itself from the reports. In a statement sent out today, PointsBet said there have been no such talks over a possible deal.

“Generally, PointsBet does not comment on rumour of speculation,” it said. “However, the company confirms that it is not in discussion as suggested in the article.

“The company will keep the market updated in accordance with its continuous disclosure obligation under ASX Listing Rule 3.1.”

Takeover rumours continue for PointsBet

Since PointsBet sold its US operations to Fanatics in a US$225 million deal last June, rumblings of a bid for the remaining Australian and Canadian operations won’t go away.

Betr, the Australian sportsbook operator co-founded by News Corp Australia and Tekkorp, was linked with a bid by Earnings+More in November last year. However Betr was acquired by BlueBet in April this year.

Stake.com founders Ed Craven and Bijan Tehrani, meanwhile, have built up a shareholding of more than 5% in PointsBet. The crypto betting operator has recently started snapping up licensed real-money gaming assets including Betfair Colombia in November 2023 and Italy’s IdealBet in August.

Positive start to FY2025 at PointsBet

The reports come after PointsBet last month posted results for the first quarter of its 2025 financial year. Figures were high across many key verticals, including total net win, which climbed 12% to $65.3 million.

Of this, $60.7 million came from sports betting, a 10% year-on-year rise. PointsBet reported growth across both its Australia and Canada operations, with the latter seeing the largest increase at 77% year-on-year.

Net win from igaming in Q1 was also 50% higher at $4.6 million. All net win in this segment came from activities in Canada. Total Canada net win for Q1 was 62% higher at $8.7 million, with overall Australia net win up 7% to $56.6 million.

Looking to the full year, PointsBet estimates that it will post between $280 million and $290 million in revenue. This, it says, will be driven by its operations outperforming the market in both Australia and Canada. The midpoint of this range, $285 million, would be 6.7% higher than FY2024.

As for EBITDA, guidance places this within a range of $11 million to $16 million for the year. Based on a midpoint of $13.5 million, this would be a significant improvement on the $1.8 million loss in the previous year.

Up first, 11 ministry officials working within the Indonesian government’s communication and digitalisation ministry face charges over illegal online gambling.

Jakarta Globe reports the officials allegedly facilitated online gambling operators by keeping their websites active. This is despite a recent presidential instruction to close all gambling sites and accompanying apps.

Police say some 20% of around 5,000 identified gambling websites were allowed to continue to operate in exchange for money. Each site paid the group of officials RP8.5 million (£447/€533/$580) for the privilege.

The identities of those involved have not been disclosed. However, Jakarta police did reveal the case has also seen five private citizens arrested. This brings the total of those being charged to 16.

Kyrgyzstan parliament approves gambling in state-owned facilities

Elsewhere, Kyrgyzstan’s parliament has voted through legislation to allow gambling in state-owned facilities. Buildings owned by the state or enterprises with government stakes will now be permitted to host casino activities, the Times of Central Asia reports.

The ministry of economy and commerce, which developed the new law, said the aim of the change is to attract investment, generate employment and boost tax revenue. Revenue from casino operations will support the development of tourist infrastructure, the ministry added.

Until recently, gambling was completely banned in Kyrgyzstan, under legalisation passed in 2012. However, a law passed in 2022 to permit gambling under strict conditions, whereby only foreign nationals could gamble.

While the new law permits casinos in state-owned facilities, Kyrgyz citizens will remain barred from entry.

Ontario regulator penalises horse racing trainer

Moving across to the Americas now and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has penalised a standardbred trainer and driver for violating regulations.

An AGCO probe found that a non-therapeutic, performance-enhancing drug – darbepoetin alfa (DPO) – had been used on the horse Funtime Bayama. This is in direct breach of rules and regulations for horseracing in Ontario.

Trainer Richard Moreau and driver Sylvain Filion have been issued 10-year suspensions from the sport. Both licensees have also been issued a monetary penalty of CA$40,000.

Any horses owned by Moreau or Filion are ineligible to be entered to race during the 10-year suspension period. Horses trained by Moreau or Filion are also ineligible to race but may be released or sold to another trainer, if approved by AGCO.

West Virginia Lottery launches iPLAY with NeoPollard Interactive

South of the border, NeoPollard Interactive has partnered with the West Virginia Lottery to launch a new ilottery. Powered by Neopollard’s ilottery 360° Solution, iPLAY allows players to access online lottery services.

Included within iPLAY are the Powerball, Mega Millions and Lotto America draw games, as well as instant titles from NeoGames Studio. Other services include responsible gambling options such as self-exclusion options and deposit limits.

Alongside this, the Lottery is also unveiling a new omnichannel PlayON loyalty programme, through which players can earn points for in-person and online purchases or by completing activities online. This grants them access to exclusive promotions and rewards.

John Myers, director of the West Virginia Lottery, said: “We are incredibly excited about this new chapter of playing lottery games.”

New Irish regulator seeks to fill key roles

And finally this week, the newly formed Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland is seeking to appoint its first chair and board members. The Authority is inviting candidates to fill the role of chair and six ordinary members on its board, the Irish Examiner reports.

To become a board member, candidates must have experience in gambling activities, consumer affairs, the pathology and treatment of addiction, or financial services. As for the chair role, experience of board membership and management experience in large organisations is desirable.

Separate to this, the Authority is looking to appoint a manager to establish the Social Impact Development Fund. This will see a levy on the gambling industry to help fund projects and initiatives aimed at tackling problem gambling.

Still, this player with a career average of 11.2 minutes per game is a central figure in one of the league’s biggest storylines of the new season.

A number of national sportsbooks such as BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, ESPN Bet and FanDuel won’t be posting NBA player prop unders for those on 10-day or two-way contracts. The rationale? These players have less financial security than those under contract for the season. Because of that they could be enticed to purposely tank their performances.

Call this the Jontay Porter effect.

Porter did exactly this – exiting games early due to supposed injury or illness, ensuring under bets on his props would win – a season ago as a member of the Toronto Raptors. This scheme led him to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He was also banned for life from the NBA.

Inconsequential? Not so fast

While NBA props for fringe players may seem inconsequential in terms of the books’ massive handle, their publicly announced move demonstrates an effort to prevent another Porter-like situation.

Certainly any act to increase integrity is going to be applauded by bettors. Still, this new policy raises some concerns – namely the possible removal of additional wagering options by legal sportsbooks.

To better understand how this move may impact bettors, we talked to a number of handicappers to get their perspective.

Banning bets ultimately hurts bettors

As a senior NBA analyst for VSiN, Jonathan Von Tobel believes the elimination of unders for certain player props shouldn’t go unnoticed.

“It’s a big deal,” said Von Tobel, who then wondered aloud if this could lead the books to make other changes in the not-too-distant future: “What is stopping a book from expanding this rule to minimum contracts across every sport? Or what about taking every under away on player props in a league like the WNBA, in which the average salary was $150K last season? It is a slippery slope which only hurts the bettors. There are systems in place already to catch this sort of behaviour.”

The system to which Von Tobel is referring: In a regulated market, sportsbooks are able to flag suspicious wagers and start an investigation.

Read the full story here.

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According to the report, handle does not include promotional deductions. iGaming Ontario does not report promotional deductions, hold or individual operator numbers. Fifty-three operators and 83 platforms were live in the province during the quarter.

Casino games = $16 billion in bets placed

On the online casino front, total bets placed were CA$16 billion, and gaming revenue was CA$738 million, up 35.4% against the same period in 2023. Slots, live and digital table games and peer-to-peer bingo comprise casino gaming. Against Q1 2024, the total amount bet was up 1.7% and revenue rose to CA$553 million, compared to $407 million in Q2 2023.

For sports betting, handle was CA$2.2 billion and operator revenue was CA$167 million. Handle and revenue were both down against the first quarter.

iGaming Ontario reported that the average spend per player across all categories was CA$308 and that there were 1.32 million active play accounts during the quarter. Also, casino gaming made up 86% of all betting and accounted for 75% of all revenue.

Peer-to-peer accounted for CA$417 million in bets and CA$18 million in gaming revenue.

Other provinces offer digital gambling through their lotteries, but do not yet have open, competitive markets. The expectation is that the next province to launch digital gambling will be Alberta.

According to the AGCO, it discovered the violation during a “third-party assessment” earlier this year. “Tests were conducted from physical locations in Quebec and New York state to determine whether Ontario gaming sites were accessible outside of Ontario,” reads the press release. “During the assessment, NorthStarBets.ca failed to accurately identify the location of one of the devices.”

AGCO issues additional violations

NorthStar was also cited for failing to provide data, information and other documents to the registrar in a “timely manner”. In addition to the fine, the AGCO said that it will continue to monitor and work with NorthStar Gaming. Additional violations could result in “further enforcement action”.

“Ontario’s gaming sector is carefully regulated to ensure it’s conducted legally and with the public interest in mind,” Dr Karin Schnarr, CEO and registrar for the AGCO, said via press release. “The AGCO will continue to take all appropriate steps to ensure that regulated gaming sites are operated with integrity and within the province’s legal framework.”

Geolocation services allow gaming operators to determine if consumers are inside or outside a “geofence” surrounding a legal gaming area. The company plans to expand its reach to other Canadian provinces as they go live. But it does not currently have approval to launch in other provinces. NorthStarbets.ca is not licensed in New York state in the US. NorthStarbets.ca went live in Ontario in April 2022.

First, Betfred has confirmed it is exiting two more US states by announcing closure dates for its sports betting services in both Arizona and Virginia.

Betfred will cease online operations in Virginia first, with a date of 21 October confirmed by the bookmaker. This will be followed by a shutdown in Arizona a couple of weeks later on 4 November. Customers in both states will have until 10pm local time in each state to access their account and make withdrawal requests.

This confirmation follows Betfred’s exit from several other US states during recent months. It ceased online and retail operations in Colorado on 31 August, while Ohio activities were also halted on the same day. Betfred is also no longer operating in Louisiana or Maryland.

The operator does, however, remain active in Iowa, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Washington either online or via retail sportsbooks.

Canada sports betting advertising bill framework advances

North of the border, a national framework on advertising for sports betting in Canada has made progress, with the senate committee on transport and communications passing the proposed law with no changes.

Bill S-269, which is now set for a third reading, aims to restrict sports betting advertising in the country. Proposed rules include limiting the use of celebrities and athletes and also the number of adverts that can be shown.

Other rules operators in Canada could face include restricting non-broadcast advertising and new standards regarding responsible gambling and preventing gambling harm.

Should the bill clear the senate, it will then be passed to the Canada house of commons for further debate and discussion.

Sorare set for summer 2025 court date after “not guilty” plea

Over in Europe, crypto fantasy sports site Sorare.com will appear in court next summer after pleading not guilty to charges of providing unlicensed gambling to consumers in Britain.

Sorare appeared at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 4 October, charged with providing gambling facilities without a licence in the UK. The France-based firm entered formal not guilty pleas via its barrister.

The Standard reports that the company will now face trial next year at the same court. An exact date is yet to be confirmed.

Users of Sorare pay real money to trade digital player cards and can manage five-a-side football teams, as well as basketball and baseball teams. Players compete for cash prizes, merch and VIP experiences. 

Evolution opens first Czech studio

Across the Channel on mainland Europe, Evolution has launched its first live casino studio in the Czech Republic. The new facility has opened within the Kajot Intacto land-based casino in Prague.

Evolution’s Prague studio will initially offer roulette and ‘Infinite Blackjack’ tables with native Czech-speaking dealers. Additional live casino tables including blackjack, roulette, poker and baccarat will launch in the coming weeks.

The casino games, Evolution said, will complement its online slots portfolio that is already live in the Czech market.

“The Prague studio launch opens up huge opportunity for Czech operators, as does the regulator’s approval of our Infinite Blackjack and roulette,” Evolution’s CEO for Europe, Gionata La Torre, said.

“Offering these games with native Czech-speaking dealers will help create a more immersive and engaging experience for players, fostering a strong rapport between dealers and players, which is key to building trust and long-term customer loyalty.”

G2E confirms keynote speakers

And finally this week, more keynote speakers have been revealed for the Global Gaming Expo (G2E), which begins today (7 October).

Jason Robins, co-founder and CEO of DraftKings, and Derek Stevens, owner and CEO of Circa Sports, will both present keynote sessions this coming Wednesday (9 October).

Organisers had already announced Flutter Entertainment CEO Peter Jackson and MGM Resorts president and CEO Bill Hornbuckle as keynote speakers for Tuesday (8 October).

This year’s G2E runs from 7-10 October at the Venetian Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The study – a “rapid review” – is designed to be informational for regulators and other stakeholders. GP Consulting conducted the study using a US-based team. The team included policy specialists from from Eilers & Krejcik and academics from UNLV’s International Gaming Institute and Washington State University.

The authors studied academic literature related to online sports betting and casino advertising and how it might inform responsible gambling programmes. In its final analysis, the team reviewed 41 studies.

Ontario’s rules already evolving

In April 2022 Ontario was the first province in Canada to launch regulated digital gambling. It appears that regulators in Alberta are moving to be the next. Ontario’s Alcohol and Gaming Commission (AGCO) have already revised existing rules.

In February, new regulations banning the use of celebrities and athletes in gambling advertising went into effect. Canada’s parliament is considering limiting when gambling ads could be shown on television – or banning them completely. Legislative bodies in the US and Australia are contemplating similar changes.

Study authors recommend targeted research in eight areas, including responsible gambling advertising, consistent measurement of exposure and outcomes and cultural bias.

Five themes for successful, safe ads

In addition, the authors identified five ‘themes’ critical to successful and safe advertising:

• Good taste/moral expectations: Don’t make false promises or use “misleading” content. The authors wrote that advertising should focus on responsible play and not suggest “excessive” play;
• Advertising to youth or vulnerable populations: This should be avoided;
• Advertising related to sports or celebrities: This rule is already in place in Ontario. For the broader Canadian market, the guidance is to avoid using celebrities and athletes, unless for responsible gambling advertising or marketing;
• Online gambling promotions and direct marketing: Enticements should be limited to direct marketing that consumers have opted into. Regulators should prohibit the use of “free”, “risk-free” and similar words or phrases; and
• Affiliate marketing: Operators must be held accountable for the actions of their affiliates.

The authors applied these themes to the markets of Denmark, Michigan, New Jersey, Ontario and the United Kingdom. Using this framework, the United Kingdom currently has the most stringent rules, followed by Ontario, Denmark, Michigan and New Jersey.

Study authors seem to indicate that in addition to more informed research, regulators in Canada and elsewhere should remain fluid in the future.

“The approach to regulation in Ontario was shaped in part by the necessity to integrate grey market operators into a regulated framework, ensuring that all market participants adhere to consistent standards of consumer protection and ethical advertising,” researchers wrote. “Many considerations about the current state of the market are dynamic and may change without regulatory intervention.”

The Fox Corporation this week confirmed plans to attempt to buy into FanDuel at a deeply discounted rate. How discounted? About $2.2bn below market value in the current conditions.

When Flutter Entertainment bought The Stars Group in 2020, it created a situation that would allow Fox Corp to buy up to an 18.6% stake in FanDuel. Earlier this week, at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia and Technology Conference, Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch confirmed that his company is now moving forward with that option, reports Sportico.

According to Murdoch, analysts value FanDuel at $35bn. At that valuation, the 18.6% stake would be worth $6.5bn on the open market. Fox could buy it for about $4.3bn under the terms of the agreement. Fox, which previously had wagering platforms in several states, must again become a licensed betting operator in order to complete the transaction.

Bettors chase athletes for cash

As sports betting has swept the US, athletes have been more and more vocal in saying that wagering has resulted in harassment. This week, Auburn quarterback Payton Thomas said he got multiple Venmo requests from bettors for cash after last weekend’s loss to California. He made the comments on ‘The Next Round’, according to ESPN. 

According to the story, he’s not the only one. Max Homa, a PGA golfer, said he also gets Venmo requests from bettors multiple times a week. 

In August, tennis player Caroline Garcia posted on X that she often gets hateful messages and that maybe sports leagues should reconsider promoting betting.

CA political donation raises eyebrows

Last week, the California legislature approved a bill that will allow tribes to sue the state’s card rooms for what they believe is a violation of their exclusive right to Class III gambling. The bill passed easily, but one surprising “yes” vote, both in committee and on the assembly floor, was from Evan Low, reports CalMatters. The Democrat represents the city of San Jose, which gets millions in tax dollars from local card rooms. 

The political outlet shared that the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, a key supporter of the bill, bought $60,000 worth of ads supporting Low’s senate campaign. Tribal leaders say they have a “longstanding” relationship with Low. The card rooms are fighting back with negative advertising on billboards near the San Jose airport.

NJ Republicans will support smoking ban

Republican officials from the New Jersey general assembly have come out in support of efforts to ban smoking in the state’s casinos and have pledged to help pass the issue if the Democratic majority does not.

“If Democrats are serious about protecting workers, Republicans are ready to help pass the bill,” said Assemblyman John DiMaio, according to InsiderNJ. “We need legislative action, not excuses.”

The issue has gained tremendous steam in recent years but the legislative progress has been slow. Last year, several contentious hearings on a bill that would close the smoking loophole did not lead to a vote. Local unions and trade bodies filed an unsuccessful suit earlier this year. Last week, the dealers’ union said it was pulling out of New Jersey because other unions don’t support the ban.

SBA rolls out Missouri Amendment 2 ad

Now that the courts have ruled that a Missouri initiative that would allow for statewide mobile sports betting can be on the November ballot, proponents have started their ad campaign. The Sports Betting Alliance (SBA) – comprised of BetMGM, DraftKings, Fanatics Sportsbook and FanDuel – is leveraging the idea that tax dollars will support schools.

Also in Missouri, on 6 September, the gaming commission announced that Mike Leara has been named executive director. He’ll replace Peggy Richardson. The agency did not announce a start date for Leara. 

These fans aren’t happy about gambling ads

On 9 September the Edmonton Oilers debuted new shirts for the 2024-25 season with a PlayAlberta logo on the front. Fans reacted almost immediately, and not in a good way according to the Edmonton Journal.

Among the social media replies:
“This is cringe.”

“Shameful. Gambling is an epidemic and you’re now fully advertising it to kids.”

“Money talks as usual. Shameful.”

So far, the team has not responded, but in its original release spent significant time sharing that funds from PlayAlberta “support programmes and services that Albertans rely on every day”.

Stand by your man

Earlier this week, Wynn Las Vegas was fined $130m for using unlicensed money transmitting businesses. The fine was issued by the federal government to the corporation. But so far no individuals have been called out for making the decisions or using the unlicensed companies.

Kim Sibella, wife of former MGM and Resorts World executive Scott Sibella, had plenty to say. Her husband took a plea deal earlier this year, after admitting that he failed to file a suspicious activity report while exchanging money for known illegal bookie Wayne Nix.

More Maine drama

Shortly after it became public that all of Maine’s Gambling Control Unit inspectors had signed a letter of no confidence for chief Milton Champion, half of the MGCU staff signed a letter supporting him, reports the Portland Press Herald. 

“As a group, we feel a need to express our unwavering support and appreciation for our executive director,” read the letter. “His open-door policy and approachable demeanour have made us feel both welcomed and valued. Under his guidance, we have been encouraged to take on new challenges, develop our skills and grow professionally.”

The letter was signed by nine of the MGCU’s 19 employees, including deputy director Matthew Motti.

GLPI completes Chicago land acquistion

Gaming and Leisure Properties (GLPI) announced on 11 September that it had completed the acquisition of the land on which the permanent Bally’s Chicago casino will be built. GLPI purchased the land from Blue Owl Capital for $250m.

The site is the former home of the Chicago Tribune, which is being demolished. Demolition is expected to take three to four months. The casino is scheduled to open in September 2026.

Snowden loads up on Penn stock

Penn Entertainment CEO Jay Snowden purchased $1m worth of company stock in early September, according to CDC Gaming Reports. Snowden bought 54,200 shares for various prices, ranging from $18.15-$18.76. The timing dovetailed with the start of the NFL season. It is ahead of a projected September launch of ESPN Bet in New York State. 

Circa’s record-breaking prize pools

Circa announced that its season-long NFL Survivor and Million VI contests set a new record with $20.3m in prize money. That is a massive jump from last year, when the total pools were $15.2m. There are 14,266 entries in this year’s Survivor contest, for a prize pool of $14.3m. The Circa VI has 5,817 entrants and the sportsbook will pay a $183,000 overlay to bring the prize to $6m. 

HardRock Bet partners with Jaguars

Florida’s only digital sports betting platform announced on Monday (9 September) that it is partnering with the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars.

NorthStar Bets upgrades

Ahead of the NHL season and in preparation for an anticipated legal wagering launch in Alberta, NorthStar Bets has streamlined navigation and is now using AI to craft customer-specific parlays. The platform is also live in Ontario and has also made improvements on the igaming side, adding a new blackjack table design that targets VIP players. It has also improved online casino navigation. 

In other news…

NFL legend Terry Bradshaw is apparently looking to get back into the horse world. Bloodhorse reported that he was spotted at the 10 September Keeneland September Yearling Sale. 

Ten more athletes involved in the Iowa sports betting scandal joined a civil lawsuit against the state, the Associated Press reported on 10 September. An Iowa basketball equipment manager was also allowed to join, bringing the total number of plaintiffs to 37.

ESPN announced on 10 September that it had agreed to a contract extension with sports betting analyst Liz Loza. Details of the deal were not released.

The Michigan Gaming Control Board’s ‘Don’t Regret the Bet’ ad campaign won a Michigan Chapter Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the agency announced earlier this week.

ICYMI on iGB

Tonko, Blumenthal unveil federal sports betting legislation

FanDuel got a massive bump in revenue from the Olympics

Inside the Mass Gaming Commission’s bet limits discussion

Nevada regulators give Sammy Sega initial approval for GAN purchase

Sporttrade starting to have its day in the sun

Wynn Las Vegas’ $130m penance for using unlicensed money transfer companies

DC Councilman Trayon White was arrested by the FBI on Sunday (18 August) afternoon, according to the City Paper. White will be charged on Monday (19 August), although what the charges are have not yet been disclosed.

In 2019, the DC Council approved legal sports betting and gave lottery operator Intralot the sole-source contract. White was absent on the day of the 2019 vote. He voted to approve the FY2025 budget that opened the market earlier this year.

Bill that would allow tribes to sue CA cardrooms moves

A bill that would allow California’s tribes to directly sue cardrooms moved forward late last week. The assembly’s appropriations committee voted, 14-0, to send the bill to the floor for a full vote. It’s not clear if SB 549 will get a vote with two weeks remaining in the current session.

The tribes have long contended that the cardrooms are encroaching on their exclusivity to gambling by using player-dealer companies. According to state law, when playing at a cardroom, players are not playing against the house; they are playing against each other and the dealer position rotates among players. But cardrooms use player-dealer companies because most players don’t want to be the bank. The bill would allow the tribes to seek legal recourse against the cardrooms and the third-party providers.

California’s cardrooms contend that they are acting within the law and that, should the bill pass, jobs would be lost and some cardrooms would go out of business. In many of the cities where they operate, the cardrooms are a key tax driver. The bill passed a third reading in the senate, 37-0, in May 2023.

More betting woe for Drake

Rapper Drake suffered more disappointment with his betting antics, losing a reported $450,000 wager on a UFC bout over the weekend.

Drake backed Israel Adesanya to beat Dricus du Plessis at UFC 305 for a return of around $850,000. However, du Plessis came out on top in the fight, leaving Drake out of pocket once again.

The latest loss will do nothing for Drake’s reputation of bad luck when placing large wagers on sports events. This dates back to 2014 when he lost out backing US tennis icon Serena Williams at the US Open, only for her to lose to unseeded Roberta Vinci in the semi-finals.

Arrests made in raid on illegal online gambling operation in Taipei

Meanwhile, in Asia, police arrested 31 people for their part in an illegal online gambling operation in the Neihu District of Taipei.

The Taipei Times reports executives and staff working at an IT company were arrested during a raid, with this being confirmed by Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) officials.

A Chinese man and his Taiwanese wife headed the operation, registered under the name Care Well Technology Co. It is reported the couple, who previously worked as software engineers, hired more than 100 people as part of their operation.

In other news…

iGaming Ontario chief Martha Otton will retire on 31 December 2024, the agency announced on 15 August. Otton oversaw the launch of legal digital gambling in Ontario in 2022. She also worked for the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and the provincial attorney-general’s office.

Hard Rock Las Vegas requested a three-year waiver of its gaming licence while it revamps the former Mirage site, reported the Las Vegas Review-Journal late last week. Clark County law requires that it could suspend a licence if a licensee does not meet conditions, unless the licensee shows cause.

Fanatics has launched in Louisiana, extending its reach across the US. The brand is operating in partnership with the Boomtown Casino & Hotel, with players in the state now able to download the Fanatics sportsbook. Fanatics is now active in 22 states in the US.

Less than an hour after Flutter’s second-quarter earnings call ended on Tuesday, DraftKings announced that, after hearing customer feedback, it will back off plans to impose a winners’ surcharge. The company announced the idea in early August, only to get swift and negative feedback. 

Wall Street reacted positively on Wednesday. DraftKings’ shares were up as high as $33.50 per share before they settled at $32.06, up nearly 2%. While Rush Street Interactive and Penn Entertainment previously said they would not follow DraftKings’ lead, the company was clearly waiting to see how FanDuel would react. 

“We have no plans to introduce a surcharge to winners,” CEO Peter Jackson said during the Q&A portion of the call. He then declined to entertain the issue further when others asked.

Jefferies’ David Katz wrote in a note that: “Over time, our view had evolved to consider the notion that the initiative was intended to spark debate and awareness rather than actually recoup margins.” Truist has previously addressed “tinkering with OSB pricing” and that analysts there “believe DKNG has less room to do so than FanDuel.”

But those in the industry were less forgiving. An argument can be made that DraftKings was the leader in accepting or proposing high tax rates. It offered to pay the state of New Hampshire 51% of revenue for the right to have a monopoly in 2019. 

“When mobile sports betting was first legalised in New York, it was DraftKings – alongside FanDuel – who led the way in championing the legislation that included a 51% tax on winning bets,” Fantasy Advocates for New York Sports wrote in a statement on Wednesday. “They simply had no excuse to then use these tax rates as a way to justify what could have been a $32 million cash grab for their players’ pockets.”

What a boo-boo: DraftKings’ errant email worries bettors

On the same day it announced it would back off of its proposed winners’ tax, DraftKings mistakenly sent out an email that caused consumers to worry their accounts had been hacked, reports Sports Handle.

The email was sent under the Jackpocket logo and explained the “dead heat” rule in golf. Bettors were offered a one-time promotion due to the dead-heat reduction. But only those who had a bet affected by the reduction will get the bonus. 

DraftKings followed up the email with a social media post explaining the error and an apology email. DraftKings representatives told Sports Handle that the issue was email-related, not security-related. 

Sports betting headed to Missouri ballot

On Tuesday Missouri’s secretary of state announced that it approved a retail and digital sports betting measure for the November ballot. The initiative is backed by the state’s professional sports teams and operators DraftKings and FanDuel, but not its casinos. 

The proposal would require digital wagering platforms to be tethered to professional sports venues. Casino companies and pro sports venues would comprise a single betting skin. Attempts at legalisation through the state legislature would have allotted casinos companies one skin per location, up to three.

Missouri’s ballot will also have a highly charged abortion issue on it. An initiative that would allow for abortion up to the point at which a fetus is viable outside the womb was also approved. That initiative question is expected to drive higher than usual voter turnout. 

Fanatics goes live in Louisiana

Fanatics Sportsbook added its 22nd state on Thursday (15 August) when it went live in Louisiana. It is partnered with the Boomtown Casino & Hotel in suburban New Orleans. Fanatics Betting and Gaming launched in 2021 and is now available to 95% of the “addressable market”, according to a company press release. Consumers can earn FanCash to be redeemed as bonus bets, team merchandise and more. 

Among the other platforms available in Louisiana are Bet365, BetMGM, BetRivers, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, ESPN Bet and FanDuel.

Ontario premier wants poker pools across country lines

Ontario Premier Doug Ford supports the idea of opening up online gambling to cross country lines. The idea would allow Canadians to play in poker pools and fantasy contests against players around the world, the CBC reported on Monday (12 August).

Ford’s government wants the following question answered:  

• “Would legal online gaming and sports betting remain lawful under the criminal code if its users were permitted to participate in games and betting involving individuals outside of Canada?” 
• “Would legal online gaming and sports betting remain lawful under the criminal code if its users were permitted to participate in games and betting involving individuals outside of Canada?” 

Proponents of the idea argue that there could be tens of millions of dollars at stake. They say that Ontarians are already playing on unregulated international platforms. That means that tax dollars that could be flowing into the province are going elsewhere and that consumers aren’t protected.

Big gambling media move in Canada

The Lazarus Agency Limited tweeted on Tuesday (13 August) that it has entered into a letter of intent to buy Parleh Media Group for $5m. Parleh includes media brands Gaming News Canada, Homestand Sports and The Parleh.

Arkansas casino proposes unique way to fund NIL deals

Saracen Casino in Pine Bluff, Arkansas is seeking to legalise 50/50 online raffles in hopes of raising funds for name, image and likeness (NIL) deals for athletes at the University of Arkansas. 

According to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, the state’s department of finance and administration said that “the proposed NIL raffle is not authorised under existing Arkansas law and could not be implemented with just a rule change”. There is also “a statutory ban on online raffles that can be found at Arkansas Code Section 23-114-401”.

Carlton Saffa, chief market officer for Saracen, has estimated that the new games could raise an additional $24 million in state taxes in the first year. Executives at Oaklawn, another casino in the state, said they don’t support legal online casino, but support raising money for the “athletic fund at the U of A”.

Detroit casinos report negative wagering revenue

Detroit’s three commercial casinos reported -$399,229 in sports betting revenue for July, according to the Michigan Gaming Control Board. The overall had positive aggregate revenue of $105.9m, including $106.3m from table games and slot machines.

MGM grabbed 48% of market share, followed by MotorCity (29%) and Hollywood Casino at Greektown (23%).

Worth the read

Eric Raskin at Casino Reports says DraftKings’ proposal to tax winners in high-tax sports betting states wasn’t the worst idea ever, but it was close. Remember the “integrity fee”?

In other news…

VSiN will bring viewers behind the scenes of a big-time football survivor pool with “Circa Survivor: The Quest for $9.2 Million”, which debuts on Monday (19 August) at 9pm ET, the company announced. The docuseries will be available via VSiN’s YouTubeTV channel, VSiN.com and live on X (formerly Twitter) @VSiNLive.

A week after its grand opening, War Horse Omaha temporarily closed on Thursday (15 August) due to issues with the air conditioning. The casino did not indicate when it would reopen.

ESPN hired former Yahoo! Sports wagering analyst Pamela Maldonado, it shared in a press release on Wednesday. Details of the contract were not announced. “Maldonado will be a key addition to ESPN’s sports betting coverage this college football season, leveraging advanced analytics and a deep understanding of the game to provide sharp, insightful commentary for fans looking to place bets,” according to the release.

Bally’s Corp opened a VIP lounge on 12 August at its temporary Chicago casino at Medinah Temple. The space is located on the third floor of the casino near the table games area and features seating for up to 30 people. A VIP Player Services window also opened. 

Mississppi’s Gold Strike casino announced on Wednesday (14 August) a new wagering partnership with DraftKings. The company will put 10 sports betting kiosks in the sportsbook, which also has four teller windows.

ICYMI on iGB

Notre Dame suspends men’s swim team for betting violations

Flutter beats expectations, raises guidance, and says “no” to winners’ surcharge

Politics of DraftKings’ proposed winners’ tax

Washington, DC attorney-general probing Intralot sports betting contract

Established in 2007, Sporting Solutions is a UK-facing business but also operates in Canada and South Africa, working with several major operators and lotteries including 888Sport, Ladbrokes Coral, SkyBet, William Hill and Norsk Tipping and Betsson, who have partnered with the platform for over 10 years.

Sporting Solutions will continue to provide services to its B2B betting partners, it said in a statement on LinkedIn.

The acquisition remains subject to regulatory approvals and certain other conditions. Once the deal gains the necessary clearance, as expected by both parties, the acquisition will close. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Its the second B2B purchase for Betsson so far this year, after it bought Dutch games studio Holland Power Gaming and its B2C operation in February for €27.5m.

During the operator’s Q2 earnings call in July, CFO Martin Öhman insisted Betsson was prioritising M&A currently. “We are in a growth phase. We like M&A and, if you find good M&A opportunities, that’s kind of the first priority,” he said.

Acquisition a “strategic fit” for Betsson

Commenting on the deal, Jesper Svensson, CEO of Betsson operations, said it was a “strategic fit” for Betsson in helping it to improve revenue streams and create valuable business prospects.

“We are excited to welcome the Sporting Solutions team to Betsson Group,” Svensson said. “This acquisition is a strategic fit, providing us with quality technology that is already integrated into our sportsbook product.

“It complements our sportsbook B2B strategy, strengthening the flexibility and scalability of Betsson’s sportsbook offering. Both are key factors in the success of our B2B strategy.”

In its statement FDJ highlighted a strategic refocus of international activities via both its B2C and B2B2C operations across lottery, sports betting and online gaming markets. 

FDJ also clarified that Betsson would acquire the platform’s price setting and risk management activities. It does not, however, include the sports betting managed services operated by FDJ for lottery operators.

Positive performances by Betsson and FDJ

The acquisition deal comes on the back of both Betsson and FDJ reporting positive results for Q2 and H1, respectively.

In the case of Betsson, a 25.4% year-on-year increase in active players drove revenue, net profit and EBITDA.

Revenue from sportsbook activity in Q2 climbed 12.8% to €78.4m, a 12.8% year-on-year rise. This offset Betsson’s weaker segments, including poker and bingo, which made up the remaining €2m, down 13.0%.

As for FDJ, group revenue increased 10.8% to €1.43bn in its first half. Focusing on sports betting and online poker, revenue was up 14.5% to €294m, but the group noted how the Euro 2024 football tournament fell short of expectation in the latter part of the period.

Incidentally, the Sporting Solutions sale is the latest M&A activity at FDJ. Last year, the group acquired both Premier Lotteries Ireland (PLI) and Zeturf, with both deals having an impact in H1. FDJ said the two acquired businesses helped digital revenue up 39.8%.

Swanell highlighted record quarterly cash flow performance of $7.1m in Q4. He said the company remained “well capitalised to invest in further growth and execute ongoing operational and strategic plans”.

“We continue to invest to further growth, in particular, in our core technology and product capabilities and through our strategic marketing investment. This is driving our market share growth in Australia and Canada and setting the company up for further success,” he said.

PointsBet received its final installment of US$50m from fanatics in Q4.

It closed the financial year with a gross profit margin of 50% and a lower-than-expected EBITDA loss of $1.8m, 55% lower than the originally forecasted $4m to $6m range.

Canada powers group betting growth

The group’s core sports betting business saw net win increase by 13.6% year-on-year to $248.3m. Profit margin for the vertical also increased from 7.7% to 8.5% in FY24.

Quarterly growth for betting was also strong with net win up 12% for the April-June 2024 period.

Growth in Canada was prominent, as betting win in the market was up 124% to $15.2m for the full-year, while turnover was also up 31% to $255m. Swanell told analysts the firm was gaining market share in both Canada and Australia.

As for igaming in Canada, PointsBet posted a net win of $18.8m, up 63.5% from the previous year. Igaming is currently only operated via its Canadian product, while sports betting spans both Australia and Canada.

Swanell said PointsBet’s business grew faster than the overall Canadian market in 2024. “But Canada remains an earlier stage market with more strong growth potential,” he said.

Australia remains the firm’s core market by some margin, reporting $233.1m in net win from sports betting, up 10.1%. Betting turnover was 1.7% higher at $2.68bn, with net win margin rising from 8% to 8.7%.

Cash active betting clients were up 4% in Q4, Swanell said, noting its in-house betting product and a strong focus on retention and reactivation powered this growth.

Cutting back on advertising to minimise harm

Marketing spend was decreased by 21% as the firm cut back on advertising across TV and in-stadium to reduce the risk of exposure to its gambling brands across its advertising.

The firm no longer displays its ads on free to air television between the hours of 6pm and 9.30pm and has removed its brand from stadiums and sports team’s jerseys, meaning its sponsorship deals with the Manly Sea Eagles and Cronulla Sharks have been waived from 2025.

A group of North Texas business and community leaders formed a coalition to explore legalising casinos in the state. Former Dallas Mavericks majority shareholder Mark Cuban sold a portion of his shares to two families associated with Las Vegas Sands earlier this year. Should gambling be legalised, the entity plans to build a casino resort in Dallas.

The North Texas Commission “will study the implications of destination gaming and make recommendations regarding issues like economic development, workforce demands, infrastructure requirements, transportation and public safety impacts,” the Dallas Business Journal reported on Wednesday (24 July).

The commission was formed ahead of the 2025 legislative session, when lawmakers are expected to again consider the issue. Las Vegas Sands has invested heavily in lobbying in Texas, but every step of the way Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has said he opposes an expansion of gaming. The state legislature is set to open on 14 January and lawmakers can pre-file bills beginning 1 December.

Addabbo poll: 44% of constituents support igaming

On Friday (26 July) New York State Senator Joe Addabbo’s office released results of a survey of 523 constituents. His office polled on key issues in New York, including the legalisation of igaming. Results show that 44% of those polled support the idea, 36% are opposed and 24% are undecided.

The lowest amount of support was in the Forest Hills district, in which 34.3% of those polled are in support and 37.1% oppose. The highest support is in Howard Beach, where 63.3% support the idea and 22.4% oppose it.

Addabbo was instrumental in getting legal online sports betting legalised in New York in 2021 and has since been pushing his peers to consider legal online gambling.

Editor’s note: this item has been updated following a revision from Addabbo’s office on Sunday.

Betfred to exit Ohio

On the heels of SuperBook shuttering in eight states, Betfred this week announced that it will close in Ohio. The company shut down its Maryland sports betting platform last month,and will cease operations in Ohio on 31 August. Patrons can make deposits in Ohio until 31 July and place wagers until 14 August. The deadline for Ohio patrons to initiate online withdrawal is noon ET, 31 August. In Maryland, Betfred stopped taking bets in the middle of July and withdrawal requests must be initiated by 31 July.

Betfred remains live online in eight states.

Bet365 live in Pennsylvania

Bet365 went live in Pennsylvania on Monday (22 July), its 11th US market, the company announced via press release. It is partnered with Presque Isle Downs for market access and brings the number of wagering platforms available in Pennsylvania to 13. Based in the UK, Bet365 is live across the country, from Arizona to Virginia.

AGS expands on land, online

Gaming supplier AGS announced significant game launches, both in brick-and-mortar casinos and online.

On 19 July the company announced an exclusive omnichannel launch of Rakin’ Bacon Sahara, in-person at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City and online at Hard Rock Bet. It was Hard Rock’s first joint omnichannel launch of a slot game simultaneously online and in-person in New Jersey.

Meanwhile, AGS Interactive (AGSi) is now live in Delaware with Rush Street Interactive Inc, a leading igaming company that operates the BetRivers brand.

• – Frank Legato

OLG partners with Team Canada

Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG), which regulates sports betting in the province, late last week announced a partnership with the Canadian Olympic Committee. OLG’s ad campaign focuses on how their players have indirectly helped support amateur athletes in Ontario by playing with OLG.

That campaign has focused on some of the bigger-name Team Canada athletes: Andre de Grasse (athletics), Penny Oleksiak (swimming), Maggie Mac Neil (swimming), Jillian Weir (athletics) and other Ontario and Para athletes who have received funding from the Quest for Golf programme.

Simermeyer named to Native American HoF board

FanDuel’s VP of strategic partnerships, E Sequoyah Simermeyer, was appointed to the National Native American Hall of Fame’s board of directors on Thursday. A former chairman for the National Indian Gaming Commission, Simermeyer will work with the board to “bring greater awareness to the significant contributions of contemporary native people” according to a press release

In other news…

The WNBA announced late last week that it is partnering with DraftKings, which will be the league’s wagering and daily fantasy partner. According to Bleacher Report, DraftKings will get additional media exposure across WNBA platforms as well as rights to marketing, activation and hospitality opportunities, including at the WNBA All-Star Game.

Gamblers in Deadwood, South Dakota, laid down $748m in the first six months of the year, including betting on sports. Wagering handle was up 9% over the same period in 2023. In June, Deadwood bettors laid down $557,594 in bets and more than half of the amount wagered was on baseball.

Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby was a boon for a Tennessee auto worker who won $900,000 on Fanatics’ new free-to-play game. Royden Hudson correctly picked the winner of four first round derby matchups. He also correctly picked how many home runs the winner recorded in those matchups. Hudson called the windfall “life-changing money”, part of which he’ll use to take his wife to Hawaii.

ICYMI on iGB

Bally’s agrees to Standard General buyout at $18.25 per share

Lower-income gamblers take more risks online

Las Vegas Sands gets local approval for proposed Long Island casino site

US lawmakers share model igaming legislation in hopes of smoothing path to legalisation

DraftKings announces market access, plans for digital platform in DC

This was underpinned by more players coming into the market. Active player accounts more than doubled to 1.9 million in the quarter, with 50 operators running 80 sites. This beats Q1 2023-24 by 106.5% and represents a 46.2% on the preceding quarter. Ontario’s average monthly spend per active player account also increased markedly by 44.2% year-on-year to $284.

After winnings and adjustments from promotional spend by licensees, revenue for the quarter increased 34.4% year-on-year to $726m.

To iGaming Ontario executive director Martha Otton, this shows the success of the province’s regulated online market.

“With 50 regulated operators and a one-third increase in wagering and revenue figures over the first quarter of last year, Ontarians who choose to gamble are finding many enjoyable options in our open regulated igaming market,” Otton said.

“The revenue generated by Ontario’s competitive igaming market contributes directly to provincial priorities such as infrastructure, healthcare and education.” 

Online casino dominates Ontario market

Breaking the headline figures down by vertical, online casino dominates, accounting for over 84% of player wagers and nearly 73% of revenue. 

Players wagered $15.5bn on slots, tables games and peer-to-peer bingo, a 33.6% improvement on the prior year. 

As for sports betting, total spend hit $2.5bn. While this surpasses Q1 2023 by 25.0%, it is 7.4% behind the $2.7bn wagered in Q4 last year. It is also the second consecutive quarter of decline of online sports betting handle, even with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers progressing to the Stanley Cup final in June.

However an improved hold of 7.24% means sports betting revenue was up 31.2% year-on-year to $181m. Ontario’s sports betting hold has traditionally been low, hovering just above 5.5% in the preceding two quarters.

The remaining $402m in wagers were attributed to peer-to-peer poker, up 14.9% year-on-year but 9.9% lower than the final quarter of 2023-24.

Ontario igaming adds to GDP but ad restrictions tighten

The Q1 data comes on the back of a recent report that shows Ontario’s commercial igaming sector outperformed certain five-year economic contribution targets set by Deloitte between 2023 and 2024.

Published last month, the report shows the market hit or almost reached many year-five projections within its second year. Excluding the state-backed lottery operator, the sector contributed $2.7bn to GDP and sustained almost 15,000 full time equivalent jobs.

However efforts are under way to roll back industry advertising. Sportsbooks were banned from using celebrities in promotions last August, and efforts to strengthen consumer protections are ramping up. 

Ontario’s online gambling market went live on 4 April 2022 and is soon to be joined by Alberta, which announced plans to liberalise its market in June.

But for consumers, gambling is a money-losing proposition with potentially life-changing consequences. And online casino, researchers wrote, caused more “irresponsible” behaviour than online sports betting.

“On the downside, increased accessibility and participation can lead to higher rates of problematic gambling behaviour,” the authors wrote.

Tracking online gambling spending habits

In particular, data from a subset of 250,000 online gamblers in Canada revealed that 43% spend above the recommended 1% of their salary on betting. Further, 5.3% spend more than 10% of their income on gambling and 3.2% spending more than 15%.

The study took place over five years, from 2019 to 2023, and potential gamblers were identified by tracking consumer credit-card purchases. During that timeframe, online sports betting (OSB) downloads grew from six million to 33 million. Researchers looked at consumers who transferred money in or out of gambling accounts and whose first transaction was a deposit. Researchers tracked 41 gambling sites.

While the tracking method allowed researchers to determine how much bettors spent in a month or year, data is not detailed. It was not possible to determine if deposits were used for daily fantasy, digital sports betting or online gambling. Further, researchers could not track the frequency or “intensity” of betting.

Researchers also did not gather significant demographic information other than income and spending habits. The online gamblers who were studied, “as one would expect”, earn more than the average American. According to the study, the mean US household income is $106,400 while online gamblers have a mean income of $130,096.

OSB transaction habits revealed

Among the findings:

• The average bettor made 21 transactions – 18 of which were deposits
• The average deposit total was $1,375
• The average withdrawal was $742
• DraftKings and FanDuel are by far the biggest operators in the US in terms of deposits. BetMGM, BetRivers and TVG rounded out the top five
• The value of wagers placed between 2019-23 grew 14-fold
• Taxable revenue during the study period grew 18-fold
• Researchers also examined the National Council for Problem Gambling (NCPG) helplines and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) suicide data. As more and more states legalise online gambling, it is not surprising, researchers wrote, to see a rise in calls to gambling hotlines. They did not see a spike in suicide rates, writing, “none of the time series show unusual increases in that visually correspond to OSB policy date changes”
• Calls to hotlines appeared to rise dramatically beginning in 2021, according to the research. That year, five states, including Michigan, the 10th biggest US state by population, and Arizona, the biggest legal betting state in the west, launched digital sports betting. In 2022, five more states came online, including New York.

“Having said that, we do not claim perfection on this or any other issue. We recognise in all we do we must remain open minded and continue to learn and evolve.”

Ambrosie may be the first major professional league commissioner anywhere in the world to publicly oppose a gambling ad ban. In the letter to the committee, Ambrosie outlined measures the league has already taken to limit exposure to gambling advertising. The CFL also has responsible gaming initiatives in place and educates its employees on the topic.

Ambrosie wrote that the CFL regulates “sports wagering advertising on league-controlled channels, such as broadcast-visible signage on the field, to limit how often and how prominently a sportsbook’s digital log is featured during a CFL game.”

US, Australian governments also considering bans

In the US, the NFL itself limits gambling ads to six per game. But none of the US professional leagues have spoken out publicly against a blanket gambling ad ban. All of the American professional leagues, in addition to several broadcast partners, in 2023 formed the Coalition for Responsible Sports Betting Advertising.

No other US professional league has imposed a limit on the number of gambling ads during games.

The Canadian parliament isn’t the only federal government that thinks regulating how often gambling ads can be seen is wise. In 2023, a bill was filed in the US congress calling for a total ban on gambling advertising. And in Australia, parliament is investigating a blanket ban.

Italy and Belgium already have such laws in place while Germany and Holland have partial gambling ad bans.

The idea behind a total advertising ban is to prevent those under 21 or otherwise at-risk from being subjected to the ads. But it is unclear yet if blanket ban has the desired effect.

“Flood of advertising” too much

Canada’s parliament decriminalised single-event wagering in 2021. Ever since betting went live in Ontario in April 2022, citizens have complained – at times vehemently – about the number and content of gambling ads. In February of this year, 59% of respondents to a Maru Public Opinion poll said they favour a total ban.

Subsequently S-269, a bill that would limit the frequency of gambling ads, was introduced. Last month, the transport and communications committee had a two-day hearing on it. Senator Marty Deacon is the bill’s sponsor.

“I wish we had considered at the time the flood of advertising that would go along with it,” Deacon said about legalisation. “If you have watched a hockey game or other sporting event in the last two years, you have been subjected to a barrage of advertising encouraging you to a place a bet.

“Networks have teamed up with betting companies or even started their own betting ads. Betting ads adorn the walls and equipment in hockey arenas and football stadiums, some have even made it onto the uniforms of our teams. This could be a mere annoyance, an irritation for some, if it were not so damaging.”

Problem and responsible gambling advocates support the idea of national advertising guidelines. All those who favour a ban point to the corruption of kids and others at risk as the key issue.

In June the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and Addiction released a study that includes recommendations about when and how often gambling ads can run.

“Gambling harms are much broader to a lot of people: [many] encounter a lot of financial challenges, relationship difficulties, some health issues and certainly some psychological challenges when they become too involved in gambling,” Matthew Young, who co-authored the study told the CBC. 

AGCO already trying to tamp down gambling ads

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Canada (AGCO) last year began to address concerns. In late February, the agency laid out new regulations that ban sportsbooks from using celebrities for promotional activities. It also banned sportsbook billboard advertising near schools, or other places where youth or vulnerable populations congregate. The AGCO has not, at least publicly, taken any action on banning gambling ads or limiting their frequency on TV.

S-269 doesn’t propose an outright gambling ad ban. And it’s not clear if the federal government in Canada could even enforce such a law. As in the United States, legal gambling is not federally regulated. In Canada, single-event wagering is a provincial issue, with a local lottery in charge. In the US, it is a state issue.

Ontario so far is the only Canadian province to launch a legal competitive wagering market. But representatives from Alberta’s government have recently promised that province is next. Alberta is home to two of Canada’s seven NHL teams, the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers. British Columbia lawmakers and agencies also appear to be considering introducing competitive markets.

Part of the conversation during that June committee hearing was about how the federal government could create guidelines, but would also have to work in partnership with provinces, which have the ultimate say.

Late last June, the AGCO removed ads gambling ads from an arena at which youth hockey teams play. The action seems in line with the new regulations. It might also suggest the Ontario regulators would be open to working with the federal government to limit ads.

US, Australia continue considering gambling ad ban

In the US, Senator Paul Tonko proposed a bill that would limit gambling advertising. The bill would also require states to seek permission to allow sports betting. In addition, it would ban the use of credit cards to fund accounts. The proposal is Tonko’s second try at federal oversight, In 2023, he filed a bill that would have banned gambling ads, but it did not gain traction.

According to the outline of Tonko’s latest proposal, no gambling advertising would be permitted between 8am and 10pm. Besides that, sports betting ads would be prohibited during live games.

Canada’s bill appears less extreme. As both North American countries contemplate limits, lawmakers in Australia are studying how to move forward. A current inquiry revealed that citizens are “frustrated and annoyed” by the current level of wagering ads. And that “[there] is public support for significant restrictions on gambling advertising”.

At the completion of the inquiry, a parliamentary social policy and legal affairs committee recommended a “comprehensive ban on all forms of advertising for online gambling, to be introduced in four phases, over three years, commencing immediately”.

That was in 2023.

Australian politicians “scared” of gambling industry?

Independent MP Kate Chaney told Sky News last month that there has been no movement because Australian politicians are “scared, really. I think they are scared of the very strong gambling lobby who also make significant political donations.

“They are scared of the powerful media and also of the sports codes that stand to benefit from online gambling ads, which have tripled in the last decade.”

Chaney told SkyNews that it’s been more than a year since the inquiry report was filed and that “we’ve just seen delay after delay and no action. Government is meant to respond within six months and it’s been [more than 12]”.

The Australian report laid out a national strategy for online gambling harm reduction and guidelines for counselling and support services. It has “multi-partisan” support.

Chaney favours a total gambling ad ban, saying: “We want to be able to look back on gambling ads like we now look back on tobacco ads and say, ‘I’m so glad we did that.’”

Those in UK see 700 gambling ads per football match

Lawmakers in Belgium and Italy may be able to make that claim in the coming years. But other countries are still wrestling with next steps.

In the UK, the government continues to break down and implement the 2023 gambling white paper. In 2023 The Conversation reported that UK football viewers see gambling logos 700 times per match. In addition, operators post more than 28,000 social media gambling ads per year.

Those numbers, however, lack context, What other types of logos are prevalent during sporting events? How are they different than online games like Candy Crush offering specials? Or coffee chains pushing extra reward points for more purchases as Starbucks does?

Is it parents’ sole responsibility to protect kids?

During the Canadian parliament discussion about S-269, there was discord and healthy discussion, but no clear path forward. Two senators had a poignant back-and-forth about where responsibility for protecting children falls:

Senator Paula Simons: “I would suggest that it is up to the parents. Sorry, but it doesn’t matter whether it is advertising for junk food or child pornography. I see a pattern of overreach across many issues where people have a well-intentioned goal to protect the children. However, fundamentally, this is a family responsibility.”

Senator Julie Miville-Dechêne: “Thank you for being here. I want to start by apologising for my reaction to what you just said, but I fundamentally disagree with the assertion that only parents are responsible for their children’s well-being online. In 2024, it’s impossible for parents to monitor everything their children see. That’s like saying liquor stores shouldn’t check to see whether someone is underage.

“The government steps in to minimise the harms done to children and should continue to do so.”

Ambrosie sees the process of managing gambling ads as an evolution. He also clearly sees it as an evolution his CFL should be entitled to manage on its own.

“The CFL has demonstrated its commitment to the integrity of our sport and to save a sports wagering environment for those who choose to bet on our games,” he wrote. “We strongly believe that the measures we, and other sports leagues, have put in place support our contention that a national framework, as envisioned by Bill S-269, is not necessary.”

The Daily News wrote that Porter will likely be charged “through an ‘information’ document instead of an indictment, which typically happens when a suspect plans to plead guilty to the charges at the case’s onset”.

Porter allegedly removed himself from two Toronto Raptors games to allow bettors to win on “under” prop bets. DraftKings reported suspicious activity to the NBA after games on 26 January and 22 March. The four arrested gamblers wagered on those games.

Ontario police also investigating

The charges may not be the only ones that Porter will face. On 18 June, ESPN reported that the Ontario Provincial Police had opened a criminal investigation into the illegal gambling scheme. So far, no charges have been filed.

In New York, a complaint that identifies four gamblers who bet on the games in question does not name Porter. He is referred to as “Player 1” but the dates and other details match up and point to him being the player in question.

From the context of the complaint, it appears that the gamblers were betting on a legal platform in a legal US wagering state, but Porter owed one or more of them money. It is unclear if any were acting as an illegal bookmaker, although that appears to be the case. The gamblers “forced” Porter to leave the games early so they could win their bets. Text messages from the complaint suggest that Porter was paying down debts with his actions.

Three pro athletes banned for life since April

“Screenshot this… Me ammar awawdeh born 7/23/91 is forcing [Player 1] to do this,” reads a text in the affidavit. Porter allegedly replied with: “If I don’t do a special with your terms. Then it’s up. And u hate me and if I don’t get you 8k by Friday you’re coming to Toronto to beat me up.”

After the suspicious activity came to light, the NBA opened an investigation. On 17 April, commissioner Adam Silver banned Porter for life. It was the first time in the history of the NBA that a player was issued a lifetime ban for gambling.

Porter was the first of three professional athletes in the US and Canada to be banned for life from their leagues since mid-April. On 24 April the Canadian Football League banned three-time Grey Cup winner Shawn Lemmon for betting on his own team. And, on 4 June, Major League Baseball banned San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano for betting on his own team. He was playing for Pittsburgh when the betting occurred.

In both of the US cases, operators reported suspicious activity to the professional leagues. At the time that Lemmon was accused of wagering, single-event sports betting had not yet been legalised in Canada.

Rising availability could lead to rising harm

Its call follows a study authored by the CCSA and researchers at Greo Evidence Insights. This report does not provide specific evidence of a rise in gambling harms since the liberalisation of the Ontario market in 2022 or since the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act paved the way for single-event wagering spreading across the country in 2021.

“The impact of these significant changes in gambling policy on the health of Canadians is largely unknown as there is no national or provincial/territorial monitoring and surveillance of gambling-related harm,” the report explains.

Instead, it outlines how the proliferation of gambling could create a scenario that leads to increased harm in the country.

For example, single-event betting is now available across nine crown provinces, it explains, while Ontario’s liberal regime means 49 different gambling operators were running 72 sites as of December 2023. The province has an estimated population of 15.2 million people in 2024, according to World Population Review.

What has prompted the CCSA’s concerns?

The increase in legal gambling options and a proliferation of advertising causes four key concerns, the CCSA says:

1. Early evidence – not shared in the report – suggests increased participation has been associated with increased gambling harms among the population and among vulnerable demographics.
2. The CCSA believes types of betting made available such as single-event sports betting and in-pay betting are associated with greater risk of harm.
3. High volumes of advertising normalise gambling, which is of particular concern for young people.
4. Legal gambling is expanding at at time when Canadians are more vulnerable to gambling harm due to the cost of living crisis and the after-effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
   

CCSA cites Ontario to back up harm claims

As the only province with a liberalised market, Ontario is used to back up the CCSA’s concerns about a spike in gambling activity. It points out CA$35.5bn was wagered online in the first year of legal activity, adding such a sum “cannot be explained simply by a movement of people from illegal to legal online gambling”.

Given 1.5% of the population was thought to gamble illegally in 2018 (according to a 2023 study) the CCSA claims each of these players would have to have wagered $200,000 a year to make up that handle. Furthermore, there has been a 300% increase in stakes from the province, from Q1 FY2022-23 ($4.08bn) to $17.8bn in Q4 FY2023-24.

Rising calls for advertising restrictions in Canada

The report’s publication also coincides with growing calls for a ban on gambling advertising, with Bill S-269 currently sitting with a parliamentary committee.

This aims to limit visibility of gambling by restricting the number, scope and location of ads and banning the use of celebrities and athletes for promoting sports betting.

Ontario has already enacted a ban on sporting and celebrity endorsements.

The CCSA believes the volume of gambling ads, repeatedly pairing sports with betting, normalises gambling, This, it suggests, leads people to think of betting as an integral part of being a sports fan.

“We have seen a massive increase in gambling advertising and opportunities to gamble. We can no longer watch sports with our kids or go online without being subjected to an overwhelming amount of gambling advertising,” said Dr Matthew Young, chief research officer at Greo and senior research associate at the CCSA. “Canada is at a critical moment in how it manages gambling.”

The need for a national strategy to tackle Canadian gambling harm

The CCSA therefore mapped out its proposal for a national strategy to limit the impact of recent changes on gambling harm rates.

1. This strategy must set national standards governing the promotion and provision of gambling products.
2. A national body must avoid perceived conflicts of interest that may arise from provincial or industry-formed proposals or initiatives.
3. It must address inadequate funding for harm prevention and reduction initiatives and research across crown provinces.
4. This must also ensure systematic monitoring of gambling harms, meaning its social and economic costs could be tracked.
5. The strategy must also allow for a concerted drive to increase awareness of gambling harms among health and social service professionals and the public.
   

“A national strategy or framework – similar to what we have for alcohol, tobacco and cannabis – is critical to manage the expected increased in gambling harm, especially among youth and other vulnerable people,” Dr Young added.

Further development of the national gambling harm strategy

The strategy can be developed further, the CCSA added, by investigating and potentially regulating esports betting and loot boxes, to better protect young people.

It could also extend to enforcement, coordinating efforts across provinces to block unlicensed operators, such as through payment blocking by financial bodies.

Harm prevention messaging could also be standardised across provinces, while safer gambling measures could be made mandatory through regulation, it said, supported by a self-exclusion register.

Dr Pam Kent, director of research and emerging trends at the CCSA claimed increased gambling will “undoubtedly” result in increased harms and therefore increased societal costs. Again, this was not backed up by evidence beyond the rising instance of gambling in Ontario.

“These include healthcare costs, criminal-justice costs, child welfare costs, increased unemployment and lost productivity costs because of gambling-related suicide,” she said.

“We need to think about our approach. We need to ensure that it considers not only short-term government revenue and economic activity but also the longer-term societal costs. That’s why we need a national strategy.”

Dale Nally, Alberta’s minister of service and red tape reduction, confirmed the province’s broad plans during a session at a conference in Toronto on Thursday. He was speaking just weeks after Alberta’s legislature passed Bill 16, which simplifies the expansion of the province’s gambling sector.

While not setting out a specific timeline, Nally confirmed that online betting and gambling will be expanded beyond the current Play Alberta monopoly, which is operated by Alberta Gaming Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC).

An independent administrator for the commercial market would be created in the province along the lines of iGaming Ontario, which is separate to Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).

Nally also said the First Nations in the province, who have interests in the land-based casino market, will be involved in the online marketplace.

Nally said: “It’s going to be very similar to Ontario. We’re following their model as they built the roadmap. We’ll massage it a little bit, but it’s been inspired by the experience in Ontario. It’s going to be an open and free market.”

What Bill 16 means for Alberta online gambling

Bill 16 is the recently passed legislation that allows for gambling to be expanded in line with a number of commitments to reducing red tape. The bill recognises that the provincial government has the authority to conduct and manage gaming in the province as well as AGLC.

Minister Nally has been directed by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to explore new potential avenues for online gaming and sports betting in the province.

PlayAlberta, developed by NeoPollard Interactive, was launched by AGLC in October 2020. Last year, AGLC announced a long-term partnership with NeoPollard’s BtoBet to assist in growth and improvement for the website’s sportsbook. In 2022-23, CA$1.5bn in net gaming income was generated for the province’s general revenue fund from all provincial gaming activities.

A report by Deloitte published in June revealed Ontario’s online gambling market hit or almost reached many of Deloitte’s year-five projections within its second year (April 2023 to April 2024), with the market (excluding the state-backed lottery operator) contributing CA$2.7bn (US$1.97m) to GDP and sustaining almost 15,000 full time equivalent jobs in the province.

According to ESPN, the OPP Investigation and Enforcement Bureau will coordinate with US federal authorities, who are also investigating wrongdoing surrounding two NBA games. Porter took himself out of games on 26 January and 22 March. According to a federal affidavit, Porter allegedly left the games early at the behest of of Ammar Awawdeh.

“Screenshot this … Me ammar awawdeh born 7/23/91 is forcing [Player 1] to do this,” reads a text in the affidavit. Porter allegedly replied with: “If I don’t do a special with your terms. Then it’s up. And u hate me and if I don’t get you 8k by Friday you’re coming to Toronto to beat me up.”

Porter is not identified in the affidavit. But the key dates related to Porter’s lifetime ban align with the dates in the affidavit. The affidavit also shows that “Player 1” was banned from the NBA and Porter is the only player to receive such a penalty.

Was Porter betting illegally?

The texts at least imply that Porter was betting illegally, while Awawdeh and his associates took the information Porter shared and bet with DraftKings and FanDuel. DraftKings first reported suspicious betting activity to the NBA after the 26 January game.

Single-event sports betting is legal in Ontario, and in New Jersey, where the bettors placed their wagers. But it is a violation of NBA rules to bet on the league. Any player who bets on his own team is subject to a lifetime ban. When the NBA first opened its investigation, Silver made clear that he would not spare a player betting on his own team.

“I have an enormous range of discipline available to me,” Silver said in April, according to the Associated Press. “It’s a cardinal sin what he’s accused of in the NBA. The ultimate extreme option I have is to ban him from the game. That’s the level of authority I have here because there’s nothing more serious.”

US authorities have not charged Porter. But Awawdeh and three others have been charged with wire fraud. All were caught or turned themselves in and were arraigned in federal court in New York in early June. The four either bet on or financed betting on the “under” for points, rebounds, or assists in the games Porter removed himself from.

Jontay Porter is the brother of Denver Nugget Michael Porter. The Nuggets won the NBA Finals in 2023. Michael Porter scored 16 points and had 13 rebounds when the Nuggets sealed their win in Game 5.

Of this, $1.3bn contributed to labour income. In comparison, market contribution in Ontario’s first year of operation hit $1.58bn, after Ontario’s online gambling market went live on 4 April 2022.

Between April 2023 and April 2024, direct jobs sustained hit 120% of Deloitte’s five-year prediction, with government revenues (94%), total full-time jobs sustained (92%) and GDP contributions (93%) also outpacing initial expectations.

The report said approximately $1.4 of economic activity (in terms of GDP) was added to the province’s economy per every dollar spent by operators on operational and capital expenses (opex and capex), during the 12-month period.

“Our made-in-Ontario igaming sector is being recognised internationally for its success as a leader in this space. Working together with our partners and industry, we will continue to drive innovation and deliver robust player protections, all while displacing the unregulated market,” said Doug Downey, Ontario’s attorney general.

“Our igaming sector is not only a job creator here in Ontario but it shows the world our ongoing commitment to building a sustainable and responsible igaming industry,” he said.

Government contribution soars

The contribution towards federal, provincial and municipal government was up to $1.24bn from $761m in year one. Of the total, $790m supported provincial government revenue, $75m supported municipal government revenues and $380m supported federal government revenue.

Ontario’s regulated competitive igaming market, not including igaming offered by OLG, sustained 2,800 additional full-time equivalent jobs in its second year. Within the 15,000 some 2,675 were in direct employment.

According to figures released by the province’s regulator in April, a total of $63bn in wagers were placed during the second year of Ontario’s regulated online gambling market.

Looking back over the year, wagering was highest in Q4, hitting $17.8bn. Wagering totals grew steadily over the year, beginning with $14bn in Q1 and following on with $14.2bn in Q2. Wagers then jumped significantly to $17.2bn in Q3.

Incidentally, Q1 of last year saw NorthStar Gaming complete the reverse takeover of Baden Resources. Baden, which owns Canadian property business Midway Property, combined with NorthStar Gaming Inc and a wholly owned subsidiary of Baden.

The takeover, coupled with other factors, helped push revenue up year-on-year in Q1 this year. Another is NorthStar extending to all provinces and territories in Canada in October 2023, having only previously been remained accessible in Ontario.

Other developments flagged by NorthStar include “notable” improvements across its key performance indicators. These include a 42.0% increase in active players, a 9.0% drop in cost per acquisition of a customer (CPA) and a 54.0% rise in estimated 12-month player values.

Add in the recently renewed strategic marketing agreement with Playtech Software, which will contribute services valued at up to $4.0m to October 2024, and CEO and chair Michael Moskowitz said this places NorthStar in a solid position for further growth.

“In Q1 we continued our pattern of strong year-over-year growth, highlighted by record total wagers,” Moskowitz said. “Our premium customer experience and growing brand awareness are propelling higher player retention, strengthened loyalty and increased player values. 

“These positive trends enable us to spend our marketing dollars more efficiently. This then contributes to improved operating leverage as the business scales.”

Record wagers drive revenue up in Q1

Taking a closer look at the Q1 figures, $5.8m of all revenue came from gaming activities, up 61.1%. Gaming revenue is drawn from both sports betting and casino.

The remaining $159,327 came from managed services within the Slapshot Media business that was acquired in 2023. As the deal did not complete until after Q1 last year, there are no year-on-year comparable figures.

NorthStar also said revenue benefitted from the expansion of its brand across all regions in Canada. Wagers reached a record high, with total spend on Northstarbets.ca climbing 55.5% to $218.0m.

Turning to spending, revenue costs increased 83.3% to $2.2m, with operator participant and service providers fees increasing. However, operating expenses were down 21.4% to $7.7m, with last year’s spend including $2.8m worth of listing associated with the TSX Venture Exchange public listing.

Financial costs hit $976,710, meaning pre-tax loss amounted to $6.5m, down 25.3% in 2023. NorthStar did not pay tax either this year or last, meaning comprehensive net loss also stood at $6.5m.

“Our team is making regular improvements to our service offering, such as the recent launch of a VIP Elite strategy aimed at the most active players who drive a meaningful share of our results,” Moskowitz said.

“We have some exciting demand creation activities planned for the coming months along with further innovations to our platform and content. We remain focused on unlocking value for our stakeholders and are excited about the opportunities ahead of us in 2024.”

NorthStar welcomes Dhushenthen as permanent CFO

In other news, NorthStar has announced that interim CFO Dhushenthen will now take on the role full time.

Dhushenthen has served as interim CFO since November following the departure of Jennifer Barber. He was previously vice-president of finance and compliance at the operator. 

Prior to NorthStar, Dhushenthen spent 13 years in financial leadership roles at CAPREIT, a Canadian provider of quality rental housing.

“Chin has demonstrated strong leadership of the finance team and excellent knowledge of our compliance and financial reporting systems,” Moskowitz said. “I look forward to his continued contributions.”

The Nevada Independent reported that Nevada is the latest state to take notice of Dave & Buster’s plan to offer betting among friends. Gaming Control Board agents met with Dave & Buster’s executives to say betting at the amusement centres wouldn’t be allowed.

Board chair Kirk Hendrick said in a statement on Monday (13 May) that the board “opposes activities that could promote underage gambling, as well as wagering activities by businesses catering to a significant number of minor clientele.” Other states have reacted as well. An Illinois lawmaker filed a bill that would prohibit the idea and regulators in Ohio and Pennsylvania are considering action.

Date set for Mizuhara plea change

On Wednesday (15 May) the US Attorney’s office said that Ippei Mizuhara’s change-of-plea hearing is set for 4 June. The hearing will be in the federal building in Orange County. Previous court dates have been in Los Angeles. Mizuhara, baseball star Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, pled not guilty on Tuesday (14 May) as a procedural matter. He’s already signed a plea deal and a federal affidavit shows he admitted he’s guilty of stealing funds from Ohtani.

Mizuhara faces up to 33 years in prison and $1.25m in fines. He is accused of transferring nearly $17m from Ohtani’s accounts to pay off debt.

Chief Louisiana regulator announces retirement

Ronnie Johns, head of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board, last last week announced his retirement effective June 30. Johns was appointed to the position in July 2021 by then Governor John Bel Edwards. He’s been in public service for 37 years, including 22 in the state legislature. Johns oversaw the development of regulations and the launch of online sports betting.

Johns told the American Press that he has reached a time in life to prioritise his family. It’s time to “chase our grandkids from ballpark to ballpark, school events and wherever life’s journey takes them”.

Check out ESPN Bet’s latest…

ESPN Bet earlier this week rolled out a new ad featuring Stephen A Smith. Check it out:

NY senator trying to tweak betting laws

New York State Senator Joe Addabbo this week filed a bill that would earmark 1% of tax revenue for problem and responsible gaming initiatives. The minimum amount designated for PG/RG programmes would be $6m. Another 1% of tax revenue would be sent to youth team sports funding and youth sports and education funding.

Last month, Addabbo filed a bill that would raise the legal age for daily fantasy from 18 to 21. That bill – SB 9044 – would also allow for peer-to-peer pick’em-style DFS games. New York’s legislative session is set to adjourn on 6 June and bills don’t carry over to 2025.

Court: No problem with Ontario sports betting

On Monday (13 May) an Ontario superior court ruled that the province’s online wagering and casino model is legal, reported the Associated Press. The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) filed a lawsuit questioning the legality of how the government agencies regulate legal gambling. Canadian lawmakers voted in June 2021 to decriminalise single-event wagering. Operators went live on 4 April 2024.

The MCK, according to the AP, has been licensing gambling operators for 25 years for the Mohawks of Kahnawà:ke. The group argued that Ontario’s new gaming will result in losses for its community.

Circa Sports live in Kentucky

Circa Sports launched on Tuesday (14 May) in Kentucky in partnership with ECL Corbin/Cumberland Run, the company announced. The company says it offers the highest betting limits in the industry and “transparent odds”. Kentucky marks Circa’s fifth US state. Consumers are required to make a minimum deposit of $20. Kentucky’s regulator launched live, legal digital sports betting on 28 September 2023.

Harrah’s Columbus opens

Caesars Entertainment opened its Columbus, Nebraska, casino on Friday (17 May) to rave reviews and big crowds. The first jackpot was hit at 10.14am local time, a $1,876 win on Power Push. The first sports bet was $20 on the Boston Celtics to win the NBA Finals (-135). The 17,000sqft new property has 400 slot machines. The 2,100sqft sportsbook has a 163-inch video wall.

The property is branded as a Harrah’s casino and is in partnership with Columbus Exposition and Racing.

Justin Thomas first athlete to make deal with Fanatics

Golfer Justin Thomas signed a deal to represent Fanatics, the company announced on Tuesday. According to the press release, Thomas will “highlight new product enhancements, create social content and engage with the Fanatics community over the course of the next year.” Thomas is in the field for the PGA Championship at Valhalla.

In other news …

Borough leaders rallied outside a New York state senator’s office on Monday (13 May) in support of a casino project near Citifield. Mets owner Steve Cohen is behind the project, which would require legislative action to move forward.

The Colorado Division of Gaming, on Wednesday (15 May), sent out an update to its March 2024 wagering revenue report. After discovering an error, the agency “revised” the Top 10 Sports by Total Wagers section, according to an email announcement. The update does not affect handle, wagers or taxes collected.

Citing the risk to kids, a Prince Edward Island (Canada) senator says he supports a national gambling advertising framework, according to CBC. “My particular concern is the impact on young people. These ads [feature] a lot of sports heroes, a lot of celebrities. Young people may be aspiring for that lifestyle, thinking, ‘Oh, I can make some easy money.’ Are we expanding the number of gamblers and are we growing the addiction problem in the future?”

Fontainebleau Miami Beach announced on Tuesday (14 May) that it will unveil a 45,000sqft, five-storey convention centre in Q4. The space will feature a grand staircase, LED walls and floor-to-ceiling windows. It will also have a 7,000sqft rooftop terrace with ocean views.

President Joe Biden on Thursday (16 May) appointed National Indian Gaming Commissioner associate commissioner Sharon M Avery as acting chair. She replaces E Sequoyah Simermeyer, who left in February for an executive position at FanDuel. Avery will serve in both roles until a senate-confirmed chair is in place. The appointment was effective as of 15 May.

ICYMI on iGB

New Jersey: Online casino, sports betting revenue up; land-based down

GLPI acquires three land-based casinos for $105m

Flutter CFO: North Carolina “won” by continued investment

US DoJ to Supreme Court: Florida case isn’t your purview

Ohtani’s ex-interpreter enters “not guilty” plea, with plans to change plea

AGA reports record US quarterly revenue

Donald Trump Jr is the latest to weigh in on the Alabama legislature’s legal lottery conundrum. The Alabama house passed a stripped down gambling expansion bill on Tuesday (30 April), but the senate did not after the bill’s sponsor and conference committee member, Greg Albritton, voted against the final version.

The Poarch Band of Creek Indians, who are in Albritton’s district, would be giving up some sovereignty and the chance at a fourth casino. “We put ourselves in a state position so the state had absolutely nothing to offer PCI for a compact,” Albritton told the Alabama Daily News this week. “As (much as I want) to solve this problem for the state, I can’t harm my folks in my area for it.”

The tribe has exclusivity for gaming, but the latest version of the gambling bill included “electronic games of chance” at dog tracks and bingo halls and took away an option for a fourth Poarch Creek casino. The legislature still has three “days” left before adjourning on 14 May. That means the house and senate can meet three more times before adjournment and the bill could come up again.

Alberta up next? Or maybe Quebec?

When it comes to legalising or launching sports betting in the US, money is often the driver. It seems the same is true in Canada. While most stakeholders point to Alberta as the next Canadian market to go live with sports betting, Loto-Quebec has been asked by the province to find $1bn in savings. At about the same time, the Quebec Online Gaming Coalition released results of a Mallette economic analysis. The study shows that Ontario brought in $145m in revenue during 2022-23. This was the first fiscal year of single-event wagering.

Also according to the report, Ontario Lottery and Gaming increased profits by 31%. The coalition suggests that the report results mean that any Canadian province could benefit from implementing a model similar to Ontario’s. Quebec has a population of 8.5 million compared to Ontario’s 14.2 million.

Betway, Bet99, DraftKings, Entain (BetMGM), FanDuel, Games Global and Rush Street Interactive are all part of the coalition and all have live wagering platforms in Ontario.

No statewide mobile in Mississippi

On Monday (29 April) a bill that would have expanded legal sports betting to statewide mobile in Mississippi died in conference committee. HB 774 would have allowed up to 30 digital wagering platforms tethered to casinos. The tax rate would have been 12%. The house approved the bill in February, but it didn’t get out of the senate. Further, conference committee could not resolve the differences.

Mississippi was the third state to go live with some form of legal sports betting after the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was overturned in May 2018. Wagering is limited to in-person and on-site mobile at several locations, but there is no statewide mobile in Mississippi. Three of four Mississippi border states now offer digital betting.

That ain’t right!

North Carolina’s legal sports betting law requires consumers to pay taxes on winnings. But it does not allow them to write off losses. Governor Roy Cooper wants that to change and is asking the legislature to revisit the new law. Operators are currently entitled to write off losses.

On Thursday (2 May) North Carolina Senator Julie Mayfield also dropped SB 788, which would ban prop bets on college players and prohibit in-person wagering at any venue hosting a college event for eight hours before and during a during an event. In North Carolina, pro sports venues are permitted to have brick-and-mortar sportsbooks.

Texans: Bring on betting

A new poll shows that Texans support the idea of land-based casinos and digital sports betting. The Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation, found that 56% of those surveyed support casinos and 47% support sports betting and it included 1,600 “likely” Texas voters. The only issue that those polled are slightly opposed to, is the idea of in-person sportsbooks at professional sports venues.

The poll was released just as the Texas Destination Alliance has begun to rally support. The alliance, backed by Las Vegas Sands, claims that Texans spend $5bn annually on “out of state entertainment”.

In other news…

In partnership with the Wild Rose Casino & Hotel, Sporttrade went live in Iowa on Thursday (2 May), marking the independent startup’s third US market after Colorado and New Jersey. “Sporttrade isn’t just any old sportsbook,” founder and CEO Alex Kane said. “We’re on a relentless mission to transform the way players think about sports betting. Sporttrade will be attractive for sports bettors who want a premium betting experience; higher limits, better prices and concierge care.”

On Wednesday (1 May) Sports betting creator platform SoBet announced $3.7m in seed funding from Third Kind Venture Capital. SoBet brings well-known wagering content creators under one roof and consumers pay a monthly subscription price for access to dozens of voices. Founder Cooper Lycan said the goal is to “become the one-stop shop for sports coverage, analysis, and entertainment”.

CNBC reported on Tuesday (30 April) that Dave & Buster’s is poised to begin allowing betting on its arcade games. The company will offer the opportunity to loyalty customers aged over 18 and will place a limit on how much can be bet.

ICYMI on iGB

US TV sports betting ads on the decline

YouGov: Bet365 gaining traction among younger bettors

Missouri pro teams submit 340,000 signatures for sports betting initiative

Penn Entertainment peddling positive attitude despite revenue decline

Alabama senate rejects lottery, electronic games of chance hours after house approves them

Multiple US states considering new betting restrictions

Customers will also see a redesigned custom interface. This will enable players to have access to “bespoke and exclusive title additions” and personalised promotions.

“The newly upgraded Caesars Palace Online Casino app delivers on our player promise to raise the bar in terms of functionality, ease of use and enjoyability,” Caesars SVP and chief igaming officer for Caesars Digital said via press release. “This new mobile app strengthens our ability to provide our players with an experience that is fully customised to their online play habits. While leveraging our unrivalled Caesars brands and omnichannel experiences that can’t be matched.”

Four lobbies will be easily accessible with Caesars

In the upgraded app, live-dealer games, new games, slots and table games will each have their own accessible lobby. Players can click from the front page multi-lobby navigation space into the lobby of their choice to begin playing. Under the “for you” tab, customers will find the last game they played and other titles that might be of interest.

In terms of speed, Caesar’s says the “experience has never been faster with speed enhancements that jump off the screen”. Players will be able to take advantage of an “easy-to-find” search function to quickly locate specific games.

“Caesars Palace Online Casino’s refresh is centred around giving our online casino players an experience that stands out from the ordinary,” Michael Mastrangelo, vice-president of product, igaming at Caesars Digital said in the press release. “Our new mobile app redefines the online casino player experience with seamless functionality and product innovations that are brand new to the industry.”

The app features the Caesar’s Palace Online Casino colour palette, but will continue to “feel familiar”.

Caesars online casino product is available in Michigan, New Jersey, Ontario, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

NorthStar officially launched in May of 2022, rolling out its online sportsbook and casino in the Canadian province of Ontario. Shortly after this was followed by a reverse takeover of the business by Canadian property business Baden Resources.

NorthStar only remained accessible in Ontario until October 2023, when the services were extended to all provinces and territories in Canada. The expansion clearly had a major impact on NorthStar’s performance, with revenue rocketing. 

This, Moskowitz says, was helped by a sharp rise in customers as a result of the expansion across Canada.

“We delivered very strong growth in our first full year of operations,” Moskowitz said. “Revenue and customers increased sequentially in every quarter. 

“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 and implementation of a marketing plan that has yielded an excellent return on investment.”

NorthStar hails Slapshot impact

Moskowitz also references the acquisition of Slapshot Media earlier in the year. Slapshot delivers marketing and operational management services to sports betting and igaming operators.

Incidentally, NorthStar used the Slapshot business to support its expansion in Canada.

“The Slapshot Media acquisition has enabled us to expand our addressable market through a First Nations-managed services arrangement,” Moskowitz said.

“Our financial results and KPIs are beginning to demonstrate the strength of our business model. We have the people and systems in place to support considerable expansion. 

“As we scale the business, we expect to realise operating leverage as revenue continues to grow faster than expenses.”

Net loss widens despite revenue growth

Breaking down the full-year performance, gaming revenue for the 12 months amounted to $18.9m. This is 231.6% higher than in the previous year, helped by the expansion across Canada. Gaming revenue is drawn from both sports betting and casino.

The other $465,247 in revenue came from managed services or, in other words, Slapshot. As the deal did not close until part way through the year, there were no year-on-year comparables for this area.

In terms of costs, spending was higher in many areas, mainly due to the expansion into more territories. Operator participant fees jumped 207.7% to $4.0m and service provider fees more than doubled to $8.2m.

As for operating expenses, these were 58.7% up year-on-year at $33.8m. The main outgoing here was marketing at $14.1m, only marginally higher than the previous year. However, general and administrative costs hiked 63.8% to $11.3m, while $2.8m was attributed to public listing expenses.

Net finance costs amounted to $1.2m, meaning pre-tax loss for the year hit $25.5m, wider than $20.2m in 2023. However, like in the previous year, NorthStar did not pay tax, meaning net loss was also at $25.5m.

NorthStar extends Playtech partnership 

In related news this week, Playtech extended a strategic partnership between its Playtech Software Limited and the NorthStar Ontario subsidiary of NorthStar.

Signed in June last year, the agreement aims to accelerate the NorthStar player acquisition strategy in Ontario. The initial agreement resulted in a total contribution of services from Playtech Software valued at $4.0m. 

Playtech Software will now provide similar marketing services in Ontario, worth up to $4.0m and until 31 October this year. Playtech Software will be reimbursed and compensated with a share of revenue from income generated from such marketing initiatives.

Separately, NorthStar has issued a $3.0m unsecured, interest-bearing promissory note to Playtech. This will bear interest of 8.0% per annum and is payable in arrears at maturity.

The initial agreement resulted in a total contribution of services from Playtech Software valued at $4.0m. This, NorthStar said, was a major driver of its growth in the Canadian province during 2023.

Under the extended deal, Playtech Software will now provide similar marketing services in Ontario. These are worth up to $4.0m and will run through to 31 October this year.

In reply, Playtech Software will be reimbursed and compensated through a share of revenue from income generated in connection with the marketing initiatives to which it contributes.

Financing boost for NorthStar 

Separately, NorthStar has issued a $3.0m unsecured, interest-bearing promissory note to Playtech. This will bear interest of 8.0% per annum and is payable in arrears at maturity.

Proceeds from the note, NorthStar says, will help fund its ongoing growth strategy and for general corporate purposes.

“We are very pleased to continue to strengthen our relationship with Playtech, one of the world’s leading gambling technology companies,” NorthStar chair and CEO Michael Moskowitz said.

“Their ongoing support has been instrumental in helping us to acquire new customers, provide a premium online gaming experience and fund the expansion of our brand in Ontario and across Canada.”

Playtech continues to back NorthStar

Playtech’s support of NorthStar stretches back further than the marketing agreement struck last June. A few months prior to this, Playtech agreed a $12.25m strategic investment in the Ontario-based online casino and sportsbook.

Alongside this, Playtech extended an existing software and services deal with NorthStar by 10 years. Playtech and NorthStar first entered the partnership in December 2021.

The investment is via a convertible debenture. This was then converted into equity and warrants in relation to NorthStar’s takeover of Baden Resources Inc. The deal completed in March 2023.

This left Playtech holding around 16% of the total issued and outstanding common shares belonging to NorthStar. It also holds warrants that give it the right to boost its stake to over 20%.

In addition, off the back of the investment, Playtech’s chief financial officer Chris McGinnis joined the board of directors of the listed entity.

Lemon, a South Carolina native, unexpectedly announced his retirement on 10 April, which would coincide with the time during which the league was conducting its inquiry.

The CFL suspension comes a week after the NBA banned Toronto Raptor Jontay Porter for sharing confidential information and betting on the league. The Ottawa Senators’ Shane Pinto was also suspended for 41 games for violating league betting rules.

According to a CFL press release, the league found “clear and irrefutable evidence” that Lemon violated league policy, but it says there is no indication of match fixing.

Integrity of the game “of the utmost importance”

The CFL discovered that Lemon bet on league games, including one that he played in, in 2021. Lemon, a defensive lineman, played for the Calgary Stampedes at the time. Single-event sports betting became legal, but not live in Canada, in August 2021. The first and only province to go live so far is Ontario on 4 April 2022.

“The integrity of our game is of the utmost importance,” CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie said in a statement, according to TSN. “Any other factors – career performance, actions in the community, timing, frequency or size of wagers – hold no weight when the legitimacy of the CFL can be called into question.

“It is our responsibility as a league to investigate and address such abnormalities and it is our collective duty, along with our teams and players, to ensure that sports wagering in no way impacts the quality nor standing of the CFL.”

Betting wasn’t legal in Canada when Lemon wagered

Lemon played for eight CFL teams during his career, and was an all-star in 2022. He played college football at Akron, where he was a Mid-American All-Conference selection as a senior.

Lemon played for the Montreal Alouettes last season. The team beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to win the Grey Cup. Lemon also won Grey Cups with Toronto Argonauts (2017) and Calgary Stampeders (2014).

The CFL did not indicate on what platform that Lemon bet, or where he was when he placed the bets. But at the time that Lemon bet, single-event wagering was legal in Canada, but was not available on the legal market anywhere. There were grey-market operators offering sports betting at that time.

The suspension is the first for the CFL, but marks the 11th North American professional football player banned since sports betting became a states’ rights issue in the US in 2018 and legal in Canada in 2021. Last summer, the NFL suspended 10 players for betting and, in the last week, has reinstated six of those players, including the Philadelphia Eagles’ Isaiah Rodgers.

The NFL Draft begins tonight (25 April) in Detroit. The CFL Draft will take place on 30 April.

AGCO took the decision after ruling WBA-sanctioned boxing matches are not adequately being safeguarded against match-fixing and insider betting. This followed a comprehensive review of suspicious wagering activity on a particular WBA-sanctioned title fight.

During the bout between Yoenis Tellez and Livan Navarro, suspicious betting patterns lasting over five and a half rounds were reported to AGCO by two registered independent integrity monitors and detected in Ontario by a registered igaming operator. 

Media reports also alleged Tellez’s manager bet $110,000 (£64,300/€75,085/US$79,822) at a Florida casino on the match lasting over five and a half rounds. The fight ended with Tellez knocking out Navarro in the 10th round.

Regulator concerned over insider betting

The AGCO review into the matter began in December 2023 and covered various bases. These included working with the WBA, Ontario-registered gaming operators, integrity monitors and regulators in other jurisdictions. 

The Ontario regulator concluded bets related to WBA boxing events do not currently meet the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming. As such, it has put in place the halt on betting on WBA events.

AGCO said licensed operators were unable to demonstrate to the WBA prohibits betting from insiders. This, AGCO said, could include an athlete’s coaches, managers, handlers, athletic trainers, medical professionals, or others with access to non-public information. 

Further, operators could not show that the WBA took action to investigate or enforce the allegations of potential match-fixing and insider wagering.

Could WBA betting return in Ontario?

The halt on betting could be temporary. AGCO says wagering could restart if operators can demonstrate that the WBA effectively supervises its events.

Such action would bring WBA events into compliance with the Registrar’s Standards in Ontario.

“Ontarians who wish to bet on sporting events need to be confident that those events are fairly run and that clear integrity safeguards are in place and enforced by an effective sport governing body,” AGCO CEO and registrar Karin Schnarr said.

“Knowing the popularity of boxing in Ontario, we look forward to reinstating betting on WBA events once appropriate safeguards against possible match-fixing and insider betting have been confirmed.”

Ontario took similar action over UFC betting

This is not the first time AGCO has ordered a halt on certain betting. In December 2022, the Ontario regulator required operators to stop offering bets on UFC over similar insider betting concerns. 

The UFC amended its rules and regulations to ban its fighters from betting on UFC events a few weeks prior to this. However, AGCO said other insiders such as coaches, managers, handlers, athletic trainers and medical staff could still bet.

However, the ban lasted just a few weeks, with UFC betting permitted again in Ontario in the following month. This came after the UFC amended its policies and implemented a range of new protocols.

Among the new measures was that coaches, managers, handlers, athletic trainers and other individuals affiliated with the athletes or UFC could no longer bet on UFC events. The UFC said any violations may result in disciplinary action against related contract athletes. 

Gambling advertising under fire in Ontario

The ban also comes after new research showed widespread opposition to gambling adverts in Ontario.

Published this month, the Maru Public Opinion found 59% favour a total ban on wagering advertising. Most also believe operators are not acting responsibly and that there should be more government regulation.

The poll was taken several weeks before the latest Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario advertising regulations were introduced. These regulations ban sportsbooks from using celebrities for promotional activities. They also ban sportsbook billboard advertising near schools, or other places where youth or vulnerable populations congregate. 

As of 31 March 2024, 47 operators were licensed in Ontario, holding 77 gaming sites between them.

Looking back over the last four quarters, wagering was highest in Q4, hitting $17.8bn. Wagering totals grew steadily over the year, beginning with $14.0bn in Q1 and following on with $14.2bn in Q2. Wagers then jumped significantly to $17.2bn in Q3.

In terms of gaming types, casino contributed the highest amount in wagers throughout the year, totalling at $51.7bn. Betting accounted for $9.7bn, while peer-to-peer (P2P) poker made up the remaining $1.6bn.

For the fourth quarter alone, casino generated $14.6bn in wagers. Betting accounted for $2.7bn and P2P poker made up $446m.

Gaming revenue and Q4 performance

Gaming revenue consists of the total cash wagers and includes fees paid by operators. This came to $2.4bn for the year ended 31 March 2024. Much like wagering, revenue climbed steadily over the year, beginning at $540m in Q1 and ending at $690m in the final quarter.

As expected, casino generated the highest gaming revenue by category, hitting $1.8bn for the year overall. This total was $588m for betting and $63m for P2P poker.

As seen across the board, the fourth quarter provided a final boost to the overall gaming revenue. Casino generated $510m in gaming revenue in Q4, while betting accounted for $161m. A total of $19m came from P2P poker.

A total of 1.3m player accounts were active during Q4. These are defined as accounts with wagering activity and do not represent individual unique players. Monthly spend per active player in Q4 was $263.

Martha Otton, executive director of iGaming Ontario, praised the growth of Ontario’s igaming market in its second full year.

“With $63bn in wagering and $2.4bn in gaming revenue, the second year of Ontario’s igaming market is more than 70% bigger than the first,” said Otton.

“As the market matures into its third year, I look forward to building on this foundation of success with operators and other partners as they invest in Ontario so that Ontarians can continue to play with confidence.”

“There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of NBA competition for our fans, our teams and everyone associated with the sport, which is why Jontay Porter’s blatant violation of our gaming rules are being met with the most severe punishment,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.

The NBA’s gambling policy prohibits players from betting on the NBA or any of its properties, or wagering in a jurisdiction where that is illegal.

Porter shared info, bet on NBA games

Through its investigation, the NBA found that, before a 20 March game, Porter shared “confidential information” about his own health status to a known NBA bettor. Another Porter associate placed an $80,000 parlay with a $1.1m payout. Porter, according to the league, then “limited his own game participation” in order to affect the outcome of the bet. The parlay was flagged at the time and was not paid out.

The NBA also shared the fact that, over the span of the three months between January and March 2024, while traveling with either the Raptors or Raptors G-League team, Porter placed 13 bets on NBA games. Porter placed the bets using another person’s account.

Porter bet a total of $54,094 and won $21,965. The bets were as small as $15 and as big as $22,000. None were placed on games in which Porter played. Three of the bets were parlays – all of which lost – and one included the Raptors.

System working by flagging suspicious bets

The NBA did not reveal with which operator bets were placed, but DraftKings reported suspicious activity on at least two bets in January and March. It’s also been previously reported that Porter was a FanDuel VIP, but that account was closed when Porter signed with the Raptors. According to the league release, “sports betting operators” and an integrity monitoring service alerted the NBA to the suspicious activity around the 20 March game.

“While legal sports betting creates transparency that helps identify suspicious or abnormal activity, this matter also raises important questions about the sufficiency of the regulatory framework currently in place, including the types of bets offered on our games and players,” Silver said.

The league did not indicate where the bets were placed. Porter played in Ontario, where single-event wagering went live on 4 April 2022 and spent time in Colorado, where his brother, Michael Porter Jr, plays for the Denver Nuggets. Wagering went live in Colorado in May 2020 and, last week, Colorado regulators mandated operators to share information about any bets placed by Jontay Porter.

Last week, Silver promised harsh consequences if it was discovered that Porter had bet on basketball or was found to otherwise be violating gambling rules.

While polls are often designed and taken to get a certain result, and a significant percentage of those polled by Maru were in the over-55 category, the sentiment matches the hue and cry that has been echoing through Canada since wagering went live on 4 April 2022. Since its launch, televised hockey games were flooded with advertisements for sportsbooks and have been since.

There is similar sentiment in some parts of the US. In 2023, for example, Senator Paul Tonko proposed a federal wagering advertising ban. To date, no US state legislature has voted for a complete ban on wagering advertising on TV. There have, however, been some have very strict regulations around it.

Two years in, Ontario regulators continue to evolve and respond to what consumers want. The market is vibrant, but has required some massaging of rules. The regulator has also elevated problem gambling and responsible gaming issues.

“No celebrity” rule in gambling ads in place from February

The Maru poll was taken about three weeks before the latest Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario advertising regulations went into place. The new regulations ban sportsbooks from using celebrities for promotional activities. They also ban sportsbook billboard advertising near schools, or other places where youth or vulnerable populations congregate.

The regulations do not dictate how much advertising can be done on television however. Nor do they call for a ban on wagering advertising. The only exception to the celebrity rule is the use of influencers in responsible gambling messages.

Since its launch, Ontario has systematically clamped down on advertising. This makes it one of the toughest jurisdictions for betting advertising in North America. The newest advertising guidelines went into effect on 28 Feburary.

“There has been very public pushback and the regulator has acted on it,” Covers’ Geoff Zochodne said on a Gaming News Canada podcast of the advertising change. “The advertising piece was something that regulators heard and tried to strike a balance.”

McDavid now the face of responsible gaming

In the US, Maine and Massachusetts have tough advertising rules that all but ban sportsbook ads at sports venues. They also keep sportsbooks from partnering with local colleges. It is also prohibited to target anyone underage or in an at-risk group.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission at one point considered banning sports betting advertising during live-event broadcasts. However, it soon discovered that it wasn’t practical. In short, because companies like ESPN or Fox either weren’t likely to honour the ban, or would not be able to during national games.

Multiple major operators used well-known celebrities in sportsbook advertising in Ontario prior to 28 February. Zochodne said those advertisements “served a purpose” and were to “alert people to the presence” of new operators. BetMGM featured two of the country’s most recognisable sports faces – Wayne Gretzky and Connor McDavid – as ambassadors.

Now, neither can be used to pitch for the sportsbook. Although, McDavid has pivoted to be the face of BetMGM’s responsible gaming television campaigns.

While a McDavid representative told CBC that responsible gaming is a “priority” for the Edmonton Oilers centre, others say the change is a bit ironic.

“I go back to something that (Sharp Edge Picks founder) Harley Redlick told me a while back about celebrities representing sportsbooks. His take was that anyone who is gambling even just a little isn’t going to be attracted to a sportsbook just by Connor McDavid,” David Briggs of PlayCanada said on a Gaming News Canada podcast.

“That’s clearly an attempt by sportsbooks to groom kids to one day to pick their sportsbook brand based on who they might have had a poster of up on the wall of their bedroom.”

McDavid’s new role: “It doesn’t look right”

“I was a little surprised that BetMGM spent the money to have him be a responsible gaming representative,” Briggs continued. “But kudos to them.

“There probably is a positive, like Geoff said, that at the end there is probably more RG messaging. But that’s within the rules,” he finished.

Others in Canada say the swap from straight-up pitchman to responsible gambling spokesman is an uncomfortable look.

“You associate Connor McDavid with their site,” Andrew Kim, assistant professor in the psychology department at the University of Calgary, told CBC.

The new McDavid ads have been airing on television and on social media since the beginning of March. These include live fixtures during sporting events.

Ontario increases investment in PG/RG

Beyond the new advertising guidelines, in late March the Ontario Gaming and Lottery announced that it increased its contribution the Community Investment Programme that supports problem and responsible gaming initiatives, according to CDC Gaming. It is seeking to create a centralised self-exclusion “solution” that will not only help players to easily self-exclude, but make it so that the regulator and every operator have access to the same information across Ontario. The current deadline for submission is 8 May.

The Community Investment Programme has received a two-year total of CA$760,000 (US$559,000). In FY2022-23, CA$22m (US$16m) was sent to problem and responsible gambling programmes around the province.

In the two years since launch, Ontario regulators have continued to evolve and respond to calls for consumer protection, in a province slightly bigger by population than Illinois or Pennsylvania and one that has 45+ wagering platforms along with 70+ online gambling platforms. No US state has that number of operators.

Vibrant sports scene drives handle

Ontario is the biggest province in Canada and its 14 million people include those in the country’s biggest city, Toronto. That city is home to seven professional sports teams, including three CFL teams and the province borders Michigan, Minnesota and New York.

In its first full year, iGaming Ontario (iGO) reported total online gambling handle of CA$35.5bn (US$26.3bn) and CA$1.26bn (US$93.4m) in total gaming revenue. According to the report, online gambling brought in CA$230m (US$170.5m) in new revenue to the province.

For the first three quarters of FY 2023-24, iGO has reported that CA$45.4bn (US$33.7bn) in total gambling wagers have been placed.

“When talking about Ontario’s igaming market, the numbers tell us a lot,” Heidi Reinhart, the iGO board chair said via press release on Thursday. “But what I’m most proud of are the countless ways that our government partners, operators, responsible gambling experts, players and employees have worked together to help us create a world-class market that is Ontario-made for Ontarians.”

These deals included the remaining 50% in Nevada’s Nugget Casino Resort, purchased from Marnell Gaming in April 2023 for $100.0m. In July, Century also finalised its acquisition of Rocky Gap Casino in Maryland for $56.1m, after striking the deal July 2022.

Aside from M&A activity, Century also continued work on several large construction projects in Missouri. Its new Cape Girardeau hotel is set to open next month, while the Caruthersville casino and hotel is scheduled for completion in late 2024.

Taking into account these new projects, acquisitions and increase in revenue, co-CEOs Erwin Haitzmann and Peter Hoetzinger were positive about Century. Both described 2023 as a “transitional” year for the business that sets it up for growth in 2024 and beyond.

“2023 was a transitional year for Century,” Haitzmann and Hoetzinger said. “We completed two major acquisitions to expand our US portfolio to seven casinos.

“We are excited to look forward to 2025, when our newly acquired casinos are fully integrated into the company and to what we anticipate will be our first year since 2022 with no significant construction or renovation disruptions at our properties.”

US revenue jumps 41.7% in 2023

Breaking down geographical performance in 2023, the US was Century’s main source of revenue by some distance. Revenue in the US increased 41.7% to $380.6m, helped by the acquisition of the two casinos.

North of the border, Century also reported growth in Canada, with revenue here rising 5.3% year-on-year to $75.4m. Century operates four land-based venues across Canada.

Over in Europe, revenue from operations in Poland edged up by 4.3% to $94.1m. This was despite unanticipated licensing delays that resulted in the closure of three casinos in Poland in Q4. 

Century has since secured all three Polish licences, with one casino reopening last month and another scheduled before the end of March. The third casino is due to open at a new location in Q3.

The group also noted $61,000 in other and corporate revenue, down 70.4% year-on-year.

Higher expenses hits bottom line

Turning to spending, total operating expenses in 2023 amounted to $487.3m, an increase of 33.1%. Non-operating costs were also 42.7% higher for the year at $87.9m.

As such, pre-tax loss reached $23.8m, in contrast to a $6.0m profit in 2022. Century received $5.3m in tax benefits but also noted a $9.7m loss from non-controlling assets.

This left an overall net loss of $28.2m, compared to an $8.0m profit during the previous year. However, there was better news in terms of EBITDAR, which increased 10.4% to $114.0m in 2023.

Similar story in Q4

As for the final quarter of the year, the results made for similar reading. Revenue increased by 38.5% to $143.8m. 

Again, Century reported solid year-on-year growth across the US (up 36.6%) and Canada (up 51.4%). However, the same could not be said for Poland, where the licensing issues and subsequent closures meant revenue fell 71.1%. In addition, Century reported a drop of $3.3m from corporate and other activities.

Spending-wise, operating costs increased 44.0% to $131.2m, while non-operating expenses were also up 52.4% to $25.0m. This led to a pre-tax loss of $12.4m, compared to $2.6m in 2022.

Century received $4.0m in income tax benefits but also accounted for a $2.4m loss from its non-controlling assets. As such, this left an overall net loss of $10.8m, more than double $4.0m in the previous year and in line with forecasts made last month.

However, as was the case with the full year, there was better news with EBITDAR. This was 17.1% higher at $25.4m.

The PointsBet brand remains active in a handful of US states. FBG has completed the online rebrand in 12 states, while retail betting venues are active in both Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

While the sale meant PointsBet lost access to the growing US market, it allows it to focus on activities elsewhere. PointsBet remains active in Canada as well as in its native Australia.

Record H1 in Australia, Canada revenue rockets

For the six months to 31 December 2023, statutory revenue from continuing operations was AU$117.9m. This was 6.7% ahead of $95.3m in the previous year.

Growth, PointsBet said, was partly driven by a record performance in Australia. Revenue in the country climbed 6.7% to $101.7m, with strong activity across its core sports betting offering of NBA, NFL and football. This growth came despite a 4.1% drop in turnover in the country.

H1 also marked the first half in which Australia was EBITDA-positive for PointsBet. EBITDA in H1 hit $900,000, compared to a $20.2m loss in the previous year.

Turning to Canada, revenue rocketed 137.3% year-on-year to $15.9m. This comprised $9.5m in total igaming revenue, up 126.2%, and $6.3m in sports betting revenue, a rise of 152.0%. Sports betting growth was helped by a 17.4% rise in turnover, whereas for igaming, the new partnership with Strive Gaming helped improve PointsBet’s position in Canada.

PointsBet also noted the Canadian business is on track to achieve break-even EBITDA by the 2025 financial year. In H1, EBITDA loss was reduced from $19.4m to $12.0m.

Net loss shortens on back of revenue growth at PointsBet

Turning to costs, total operating expenses were reduced by 29.2% to $72.1m in H1. Spending was lower across all areas, with the main outgoing of sales and marketing being cut 30.2% to $42.4m.

Net finance costs amounted to $12.1m, leaving a pre-tax loss of $32.7m, compared to $53.6m in H1 of 2023. PointsBet did not pay tax but did account for $3.7m in loss from discounted operations in the US and Europe. In the previous year, this loss stood at $124.6m.

As such, net loss for H1 was reduced from $178.2m to $36.4m. In addition, EBITDA loss was cut from $49.9m to $20.6m.

PointsBet welcomes Lucas as new technology chief

Meanwhile, PointsBet has appointed Daniel Lucas as its new group chief technology officer. He will join the business on 1 September and replace Jerry Bowskill, who is stepping down following the FBG deal in August 2023.

Lucas takes on the role having served as global director of trading technology at Flutter for almost two years. Prior to this, he worked in various roles at SportsBet for nine years.

“We are very pleased that a senior executive of Dan’s quality and experience is joining PointsBet,” PointsBet group CEO Sam Swanell said. 

“Dan’s understanding of complex platform and trading operations, in particular algorithmic trading, risk and advanced analytics together with his strong people leadership skills, are valuable assets to PointsBet’s Australian and Canadian operations, as we continue to invest in our market-leading live betting and multi capability through Odds Factory.”

Swanell also paid tribute to the outgoing Bowskill. He said: “Jerry has made an outstanding contribution to PointsBet over his tenure leading our global technology organisation. He has been an integral part of the group executive leadership team and his experience and expertise has proven invaluable as we have planned for and executed the transition of our US business to Fanatics.

“I would like to thank Jerry for all he has done for PointsBet and wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”

The deal will extend iGamingBusiness’ and Clarion Gaming Digital’s global reach as the North American market enters a crucial phase. Clarion plans to provide its clients with access to a significantly bigger audience through GGB’s range of marketing services products.

Founded in 2002, GGB is a trusted title with a reach beyond sports betting and igaming into commercial and tribal gaming. Given GGB’s extensive US heritage, the deal will broaden Clarion’s ability to provide a comprehensive range of news, analysis and data across North America.

Data and audience development in the works for Clarion

The acquisition is a cornerstone of a wider multimillion pound investment to enhance Clarion Gaming Digital’s data and audience development.

Clarion Gaming is a division of Clarion Events, one of the world’s largest organisers of digital and in-person events.

The gaming division is responsible for organising world leading annual business-to-business events comprising iGB L!VE, iGB Affiliate and ICE. In total, these combined events attract 60,000+ gaming industry professionals from 150 nations.

Commenting on the acquisition, Alex Pratt, managing director of Clarion Gaming, said: “This is a major milestone for our digital business as we unlock the benefits of our investment. We are acquiring a business with deep industry heritage and with it the opportunity to build on their solid foundations in the US.”

Big plans for the US and Canada

Robin Harrison, global content director, B2B, at Clarion Gaming Digital, said the acquisition came amid changes to state regulation, as well as new land-based and online developments across the US and Canada.

He added: “We are delighted to seal this deal, which brings in new industry expertise to the team, expands our reach and consolidates our presence in a crucial region.

“We will build an offering that acts as the final word on key industry developments and GGB’s authority and relationships takes us a step closer to that goal.”

Roger Gros, GGB publisher and CEO of its parent company Casino Connection International LLC, also added: “We have had lengthy discussions with Clarion Gaming Digital in recent years and believe Clarion shares our passion and vision for serving our readership in a way that will maintain the quality of the publications for decades to come.

“As the gaming industry continues to grow in many different ways, our relationship with Clarion will make certain that our pivotal role in the industry remains unchanged and we can continue our important work going forward.”

Clarion Gaming Digital plans to further accelerate its North American expansion by leveraging unique partnerships on offer through the wider Clarion Events portfolio. This includes the DigitalPlay Summit at the Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention over 10-11 April 2024.

In line with its business update in December, BetMGM says it remains on track to reach a positive EBITDA of $500m by 2026. This comes despite it expecting to post negative EBITDA of $67m for 2023.

Highlights for BetMGM in 2023 include key metrics for igaming and online sports betting improving year-on-year. Average monthly actives, first time deposits, hold percentages, bonus levels, net gaming revenue per active and cost per acquisitions improved.

Continued expansion in North America

BetMGM was able to expand its presence in North America and is now active in 28 markets across the region. New launches in 2023 included Ohio, Massachusetts and Kentucky, all of which were online and retail, while it also rolled out online in Puerto Rico.

Further expansion is also on the horizon with a deal in place in North Carolina. BetMGM last month struck up a partnership with Charlotte Motor Speedway which is set to launch in March, pending regulatory approval.

As for market share, BetMGM says it has a 14% sports betting and igaming share in the US. The operator also says it holds 22% of the market in Ontario in Canada.

“Our performance in 2023 demonstrates our commitment to delivering on our promises,” BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt said. “We were able to achieve strong organic growth, while executing against key strategic initiatives that lay the foundation for 2024 and beyond. 

“The attainment of EBITDA profitability over the last three quarters of 2023 validates the effectiveness of our business model and provides the basis from which to invest further in expanding our sports offering through the integration of Angstrom and leveraging our largely untapped Las Vegas omnichannel advantages.”

Following the BetMGM roadmap

On the subject of new development, BetMGM remains committed to the strategic roadmap set out in December. This includes technology, product and capability enhancements across its offering.

Last year, BetMGM executed single account single wallet across 21 markets in time for the 2023 NFL American football season. It also expanded sports betting with new markets and bet types and added more games to its igaming offering.

Looking to 2024, its plans include utilising Angstrom, the specialist sports data provider it acquired in July. This will be fully enabled come the start of the 2024 NFL season. The operator BetMGM plans to leverage Angstrom modelling to support products such as player-popular same game parlay (SGP), SGP+ and new LIVE SGP products.

BetMGM also committed to more personalised and differentiated gaming experiences, as well as more investment in marketing and player acquisition. In addition, BetMGM rolled out its new app last month, with this now live in Nevada.

“With this comprehensive roadmap in place, we can focus on driving accelerated player acquisition and retention and strengthening our current market position,” Greenblatt said. “This clear strategic direction underpins our confidence in achieving our targets and building long-term, sustainable value for shareholders.”

What about the UK?

Interestingly, the update does not make reference to the launch of BetMGM in the UK. Back in August, BetMGM went live in the UK market to much fanfare. However, the venture does not include Entain, with MGM choosing to work with its LeoVegas business – to much success, according to UK director Sam Behar.

In the wake of this, Greenblatt insisted BetMGM still represents a “strategic limb” of Entain and MGM. He highlights Entain’s support as evidence of the endorsement. Incidentally, MGM saw an £8.10bn bid for Entain rejected in 2021.

Back to 2023 and issues impacted the wider group, specifically MGM. In September, MGM was hit by a cyberattack that forced it to shut down systems across its US properties.

MGM Resorts CEO Bill Hornbuckle said MGM had been to “hell and back”, losing $100m in revenue after the breach.

Having gone live in Ontario when the market launched in April 2022, PointsBet reported a total net win of $10.5m in Canada, again a record quarter.

Total handle across all operations was AU$976.4m, down 4% on the previous year. Gross win also fell to AU$94.4m from Q2 FY23’s figure of AU$97m.

Igaming saw significant growth, with a net win of AU$6.4m, up 119% from the previous Q2’s AU$2.9m. This was attributed to its integration of the platform provider Strive, which it says will “increase game and promotional offerings”.

In its report, PointsBet pointed to Strive’s key benefits. These include “enhanced acquisition of casino-first customers”, which will deliver higher gross win margins.

Changes at PointsBet

In December, PointsBet appointed Alister Lui as its new group chief financial officer, replacing the outgoing Andrew Mellor. Lui will assume the role on 29 February.

Lui’s appointment came after the Fanatics Betting and Gaming (FBG) arm of Fanatics Holdings launched its sportsbook in Colorado, taking it a step closer to completing the acquisition of PointsBet US.

FBG agreed a deal worth $225.0m (£178.4m/€208.1m) in June to acquire the US operations of PointsBet. FBG was approved to acquire PointsBet US in eight states in September, before also completing the acquisition of its operations in New York, Wyoming and Colorado.

It had initially agreed a deal worth $150m in May, although a rival bid of $195m from DraftKings forced Fanatics to increase its offer. PointsBet shareholders approved the higher offer in June and Fanatics has started to take over its operations in the US following the approval.

In November, chief executive Sam Swanell revealed the company was on course to deliver financial growth in FY25. Technology is set to be at the core of that growth, powering its and Fanatics’ platforms.

Established by Xuereb and CEO Max Meltzer, both veterans of the post-PASPA gold rush, Strive knows the market. Coming in three years after the first bets were placed, it has watched what works and what doesn’t. 

“We had the advantage of understanding the state-by-state nuances in each market,” Xuereb continues. “We had the opportunity to do our research and ensure we built a product that meets not just the current state, but the future state or requirements, as and when we roll out into more and more states.”

Strive is building a future-proofed offering as the US market works to wean itself off promotional activity and bonuses as drivers of acquisition and retention, to focus on developing a product that resonates with the consumer. “Seeing the challenges that our competitors and operators have in the market; we are able to address that,” Xuereb explains. 

“We’re also able to drive real value for [a business]. Utilising our Infinity Rules Engine really gives operators the opportunity to drive higher lifetime values through personalisation and contextual engagement. This also allows them to run their gaming operation with lower overheads through automation and build contextual campaigns across all verticals and channels.”

A focus on North America

Crucially, the Strive platform was built for the North American market. It’s a product designed to solve the nuances and challenges of regulatory demands, player journeys and a player experience unique to the region. Its management team of Xuereb, Meltzer and CMO Jamie Shea will not lose focus as opportunities emerge in other jurisdictions. 

“We won’t get distracted by other regulations,” Xuereb says. “We’re not chasing the regulated market in Brazil, we’re not chasing the Dutch or German markets. 

“That means our business and our product will continually evolve around the North American player experience.”

That positions Strive for North America’s product-focused evolution. “Players do mature, player experiences do change and it is the operators’ responsibility to ensure they engage their players with meaningful experiences.

“We are seeing a trend of new, non-traditional enterprises enter the gaming space as well as major brands moving into sports betting and igaming, including those with backgrounds in broadcasting and merchandising as well as businesses with complementary assets,” he says. “The new age of PAM is to extend outside of conventional gaming verticals and to unify the operators’ assets, creating an intelligent ecosystem built around player behaviour. 

“Consumers shop a brand, not a channel. As a technology provider it is our responsibility to ensure a consistent experience for the players.” 

Three years, eight clients

Xuereb prides himself on the diversity of partners Strive launched over the past three years. It started out launching Desert Diamond and Golden Nugget Online Gaming – part of DraftKings – in Arizona. There’s also Betsson’s Betsafe, PointsBet in Canada and, most recently, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians’ Four Winds. Further clients are signed up and yet to be announced.

Its roster ranges from locally established tribal operators to international competitors, with a US market-leading client thrown in for good measure. In each case this requires a migration; PointsBet, for example, is supplementing its own tech. Four Winds is replacing another PAM. Why go through the process to extricate themselves from a platform and move to another, with all the inherent risks?

“We’re seeing our operators gain meaningful market share,” Xuereb says. “Desert Diamond in Arizona is a local tribal operator and they’re really mixing in with the big hitters in the space, beating out some of the national guys. With the right technology behind a brand, local operators can compete.”

Single-state operators have struggled to compete with the market leaders, but Xuereb argues this is exactly what Strive aims to help them do. 

“We want to enable operators to compete at that level,” he says. “It’s not just about earning a sliver of market share. Small operators deserve a bigger slice of the pie, especially when they can offer a local flair and an equally player-friendly experience.

“We know not all customers are going to have the marketing budgets of the big guys,” he continues. “That means we need to do more as a platform provider. We need to work harder, smarter. We need to provide our operators with all the tools that enable them to really compete.”

Doing something different

This could be through real-time bonusing, deep integrations with sportsbooks, cross-selling from different verticals, or running unique promotions in partnership with local brands.

“Differentiation is key,” Xuereb says. “If everybody had the same product, it would just become a race to the bottom. 

“This is really where we want to encourage our operators to reward differently, to reward smarter. Ensuring you reward the right players is key, and reward them at the right time with the right amounts.”

A cookie-cutter marketing plan only serves to raise the risk of bonus abuse, he says. Instead, Strive aims to help partners refine and adapt their strategy to genuinely connect with their players in each market. 

Again, it all comes down to the importance of evolution, Xuereb says. “Strive brought technology to market that solves some of the fundamental challenges for operators when they are looking to launch a brand. 

“But our investment didn’t just stop there, our product has continually evolved.” Its roadmap is influenced not only by its experience of the market but by what customers want to achieve, “whether it’s offering different front-end experiences, different cashier options, whether it’d be our hybrid cashier or working with preferred partners to create a unified waterfall experience in the payment space.”

The omnichannel evolution

As a three-year-old business in a six-year-old market, Xuereb sees huge opportunity to grow. Sports betting may be in 36 states, but icasino is only in seven. As the market expands, players will mature and market sizes will increase. 

“We’ll continue to see more positive datasets come from the market around the halo effect that digital has on land-based,” he predicts. The most progressive operators will work to create a unified omnichannel experience, to unlock hidden value and grow player loyalty. 

“This is really the space where Strive can help operators stand out, whether it’d be integrated into their land-based system, or through creating a single sign-on, or even creating of a unified loyalty scheme across both land-based and online. 

“So I very much expect to see operators really harmonising their ecosystem and in creating these consistent omnichannel experiences.”

Xuereb wants to redefine what a PAM provider is to an operator. Having established itself in a region dominated by brands with in-house technology and multinational competitors, Strive is proving first-mover advantage isn’t as strong as an optimised, North America-centric product.

“We have a unique asset in our Infinity Rules Engine, which can unify whatever the channel, whatever the vertical, and can even extend outside of non-gaming verticals,” he adds. Now it’s established, Strive is gearing up to lead a new phase of growth.

The market is home to a number of heavy-hitter operators, including PointsBet, Rush Street Interactive, Bet365 and FanDuel.

Player spending during the third quarter increased by 21.1% to $17.2bn compared to the second quarter of the financial year. This excludes promotional wagers.

Online casino games made up $471m of the total gaming revenue for the quarter, 15.7% more than in Q2. Betting accounted for $171m of the total, while peer-to-peer poker represented $17m in revenue.

Looking at the total wagers, online casino accounted for $13.7bn, representing 79% in all. A total of $3.1m was wagered through betting and $431m was generated through peer-to-peer poker.

Comparisons to Q3 2022-23

Turning to year-on-year comparisons, online gaming revenue was up 44.0% while player spending increased by 49.1%.

The number of operators and gaming websites active in Ontario has also increased. In Q3, 72 gaming websites were active in the province, up by four. The number of operators rose by 13 to a total of 49.

The average number of active player accounts hit 1.2 million, an increase of 31.8% yearly, while the average monthly spend per active account was recorded at $186 – an uptick of $19.

During the third quarter, the AGCO issued a fine totalling $150,000 to PointsBet Canada for breaching responsible gambling provisions. In November, iGaming Ontario announced that it would launch a request for proposals regarding the development of a self-exclusion service in the province.

Also in November, Penn Entertainment agreed for its ESPN Bet and theScore Bet brands to become the official sports betting partners of the National Hockey League.

But as this week’s partnership to power PointsBet’s igaming offering in Canada shows, it can take on the biggest competitors and win.

A team of industry pioneers

It’d be easy to position Strive as an industry upstart, but with a leadership team featuring a trio of US betting pioneers, it comes with strong pedigree. CEO Max Meltzer and president and CCO Damian Xuereb were responsible for a flurry of deals in the wake of PASPA’s repeal during their time at Kambi. CMO Jamie Shea oversaw the launch of New Jersey’s first mobile sportsbook at DraftKings.

“The platform is designed around our industry experience,” Meltzer says. “We have more B2C operational experience than any other player account management (PAM) and we recognise what’s needed to be a success: to deploy quickly, to have a configurable solution, move state to state for customers from the same single office.”

Even its client base, in the early stages of its growth, includes names that will make larger platform providers envious. It already supplies DraftKings, via Golden Nugget Online Gaming, Betsson’s Betsafe and Desert Diamond in Arizona. PointsBet expands the list of high-profile partners further, thanks to a four-year deal to deploy Strive’s PAM platform for its igaming offering. 

PointsBet deal “a natural next step” for Strive

To chief executive Meltzer, it’s the right time for Strive to take on a client of PointsBet’s size in Canada. 

“It’s a natural next step for us,” he explains. “Over the the past two years we have been establishing ourselves, proving we can be quick to market, scalable and without tech debt, which has really resonated [with the industry]. 

“Since then we’ve vastly built out our Vancouver, Newcastle and Malta offices, to build a really slick operation. It makes sense to take on such a large multi-state operation.

“It’s a very significant moment for us. We’ve been planning for this [size of client] since day one.”

Are North American operators rethinking their partnership rosters?

The announcement also comes amid a flurry of bed-hopping across the industry. This is as operators switch suppliers, acquire systems or even build their own. In some ways, this opens up new doors for Strive in that there’s more scope to entice organisations away from their existing partners. In others, it potentially raises risk levels as companies look to control their own tech stack. 

However Meltzer argues there’s increasing scope for outsourcing expertise. There’s plenty out there to suggest a vertically integrated proposition is “not necessarily the way to win in the long term”, he points out. 

“There’s not enough strategic value in buying businesses. The market has told us that. You need to show success from the bottom line, with a product that’s sticky and drives long-term value,” he explains. “That’s exactly where we fit.”

To put it simply, Strive offers an edge on the competition. Meltzer claims it’s integrated with more sportsbooks and casino vendors than any other PAM. It also offers a host of payment providers, KYC solutions and geolocation services. 

Lifting the hood on Strive’s PAM

Strive’s gaming platform offers something that is very hard to replicate, Meltzer continues. Building anything in-house would take years. 

Operators built out hefty player bases in the acquisition spree that typified the early years of US sports betting. As the focus turns to retention, they need a product that keeps them engaged and playing.

“Our platform is laid out for operators to track customers from a single back office, moving from state to state with a single wallet,” he says. 

Its infinity engine automates workflows to better engage customers, while a dedicated data analytics team is building out AI models. This use of data is “a key battle for the industry”, utilising data to keep customers engaged and playing responsibly. 

Laser focus on North America

But Meltzer believes Strive’s “laser focus” on North America gives it an additional advantage. 

“The global regulatory landscape is becoming more and more complex, whether you’re looking at the UK, or Germany, or Brazil, through to North America,” he explains. “It’s a complex landscape of regulatory and technical requirements, meaning there are companies out there, even with their own gaming platforms, that use our PAM. 

“Betsson has its own internal PAM, but recognises that using ours in North America makes sense, for example.”

Rival suppliers, meanwhile, may spread themselves too thin. “It’s difficult to focus on a launch in Pennsylvania or Ohio while trying to make sure you’re ready to be in Brazil, Peru, Germany or the Netherlands, so from a development focus it’s difficult to be spread across all these jurisdictions.”

This means “it hasn’t proven that difficult to be in the conversation if people want to outsource their PAM”. 

“People know it’s incredibly complex. It’s not the most exciting part of the business so operators might want to look at more creative elements such as the front end or marketing. We provide the expertise so they can build on it.”

Will a lack of progress for online casino regulation slow growth?

But while Strive is targeting growth across all verticals, two of its major deals in Golden Nugget Online Gaming and PointsBet focus on icasino. Early hopes of a wave of legalisation to take the vertical into more than its current six states in 2023 have been dashed in the current legislative session. 

For Meltzer, online casino “is a highly engaging and profitable area for our industry and [operators recognise] its not enough to offer sportsbook alone”. 

The lack of progress in 2023 doesn’t bother him, however. It gives the industry time to test and prepare for 2024. 

That year, he predicts, will be “a huge year for sports and icasino approvals. Next year will be the wave, where we see something exciting happen. This year has given everyone an opportunity to get their product ready. My boldest prediction is something to happen with icasino in New York.

“In my previous business, I worked to get people live, but people were focused on speed rather than quality. 2023 has been the year of quality, where you’ll see which casino games work. There are differences between the states so we should be learning as much, testing as much and getting as much content through.”

Creating an ecosystem around gaming

Adding online casino to the mix also expands the gaming ecosystem, something Meltzer believes is a key point of differentiation between North America and Europe. 

“From the way [operators] approach things, it’s not so much how they differentiate the sportsbook product, but how they differentiate the whole experience.

“DraftKings has sportsbook, daily fantasy and casino, then acquired Golden Nugget Online Gaming and built out their NFT marketplace. Fanatics is just at the precipice of what they’re trying to achieve, in combining sports betting with merchandise.”

This approach of incentivising players through non-cash bonuses is being replicated across other providers, such as Prizeout, where vertical integration is less about owning the tech stack and more about piecing together the products and prizes. 

“That’s the way I see [North America] going; obviously there’s differences in their proposition, but it’s not sticking to the traditional way of rewarding players from a technical standpoint,” he says. “They’re going to be able to reward dynamically and that’s what I perceive the big players to be doing. 

“It’s exactly what we’ve designed our platform for. It’s not just an igaming platform, it’ll grow depending on what people want to add in.”

The client base grows

And there are more clients already lined up. Meltzer says multiple deals have been signed already, and not yet announced. 

“Even Ontario who we are going into with PointsBet, we’ve gone in with other customers. Customers unannounced include those ones that own property assets such as tribal operators, clients launching new brands, some of the big operators and hopefully in the coming months we’ll announce those.”

There are multiple gaming platform providers fighting for clients, not to mention the additional challenge of operators taking tech in-house. Meltzer and Strive are working to prove there’s room for more. 

Lui has been with PointsBet for more than six years in financial controller and treasury roles. He is a chartered accountant with more than 17 years’ experience in senior banking and finance roles in London and Melbourne. He previously worked with Ernst & Young and ANZ prior to joining PointsBet in November 2017.

PointsBet chairman Brett Paton paid tribute to Mellor’s contribution towards the group’s transformation. This has seen the company go from a small-cap start-up to a global business over the last five years.

Paton said: “Andrew has made a transformational contribution to Pointsbet over his tenure. He has built a world class finance function that has grown from a small number of employees based in Australia to a high performing team operating across multiple regions. He has been an integral part of the global executive leadership team, driving our strong growth and expansion into new regions, while ensuring we had the right capital structure to execute the global strategy.”

Group CPO role now defunct following US withdrawal

PointsBet has also announced the cessation of the group chief people officer role and departure of incumbent Melissa Fitzpatrick. The position is deemed surplus to requirements as a result of the sale of the US business. These duties will now be incorporated into the PointsBet Australian and Canadian Human Resource functions.

Chief executive Sam Swanell said: “Mel has played a valuable role at the group level managing our people functions across six countries, with a focus on ensuring consistent best practice. Her experience and expertise came to the fore particularly during the challenges of Covid, with driving forward our global sustainability and diversity initiatives, with leadership training programs and with Remuneration Committee processes.”

FBG in June agreed to acquire the US operations of PointsBet in a deal valued at $225.0m. Since then, Fanatics has slowly started to take over PointsBet’s operations in states across the US.

PointsBet: We’ll break even in FY25

At the group’s recent AGM, Swanell outlined a focus on technology to deliver growth in Australia and Canada following the group’s departure from the US. Swanell told investors that PointsBet remains on course to break even this year and deliver growth in FY25. Revenue from continuing operations in Australia and Canada have grown from $26m in FY19 to an anticipated $230m-$250m in FY24.

Central to its performance, Swanell said, will be the proprietary technology powering its own platforms as well as Fanatics. In total, PointsBet’s platform handled more than $7bn in wagers during the most recent financial year.

PointsBet also retains the rights to use and further develop the Banach “Oddsfactory” technology assets. This drives in-play, parlay products and cash-out features in Australia, Canada and the US.

“The strength of our technology has also been validated through our sale of the platform to Fanatics,” Swanell said. “While we have provided Fanatics with a perpetual licence to our technology platform, importantly we retain ownership of this technology. That means we can develop and exploit it in a manner that creates the most value for PointsBet shareholders.”

In its full-year results ended 30 June 2023, ASX-listed PointsBet generated net revenue of AU$383.1m ($248.1m/€227.4m/£195.3m). This was up 7.6% year-on-year. Revenue from continuing operations – removing the US business – was up from AU$195.4m to AU$210.3m. PointsBet reported a negative EBITDA of AU$230.6m for 2023, with AU$49.0m of that coming from its continuing operations.

BetMGM signed the initial deal in 2018. In April 2022, BetMGM joined FanDuel in expanding its partnership with the NHL. This move was announced in the wake of Ontario launching its sports betting market, allowing BetMGM to expand into Canada for the first time.

BetMGM chief executive Adam Greenblatt is excited for the continuation of the partnership, saying: “Our partnership extension with the NHL enables us to enhance the BetMGM product and offer fans unforgettable entertainment built around the game they love.

“The NHL is more thrilling than ever – a symphony of athleticism, teamwork and skill on skates. We look forward to bringing our customers exceptional live experiences and new content.”

Jason Jayazeri, vice-president of the NHL’s business development arm, stated: “We are thrilled about our partnership extension with BetMGM.

“The evolution of our partnership with BetMGM will focus on building unique and compelling fan experiences.”

Sports a big part of Bet MGM’s plans

The renewal of its NHL deal is another indicator of BetMGM’s growing emphasis on utilising the world of sports to further its brand.

Greenblatt recently explained that 2024 would be the year BetMGM “unlocks” Las Vegas, using the recent Formula One race in the city as an indicator of how the operator will look to tap into the growing sports market. BetMGM took three times the number of bets than any other F1 race in its history.

Greenblatt pointed to the Super Bowl in Las Vegas in February as another opportunity for BetMGM to take advantage of elite sport coming to the region, as well as the Oakland Athletics’ upcoming move to the city.

BetMGM recently announced the New Jersey launch of NHL Gold Blitz, the first ever NHL-endorsed online slot game. The game is expected to launch in all other states where BetMGM holds an igaming licence.

BetMGM’s mixed performance

In its last earnings update, BetMGM announced it was expecting to deliver $500.0m (£396.1m/€462.2m) in positive EBITDA by 2026. Greenblatt also revealed the operator was aiming to reach 25% market share in the US.

Greenblatt says in the current financial year, revenue should be between $1.80bn and $2.00bn, the upper end of its 2023 guidance. BetMGM, a joint-venture by Entain and MGM Resorts International, is expecting to be self-funding from 2024 onwards.

Despite Greenblatt’s optimism, Goldman Sachs noted the stagnation that BetMGM is experiencing. In its Q3 update, Entain revealed BetMGM held an 18% market share in the US. That is level with Q2 and only marginally ahead of the 17% recorded in Q1.

Established in 2014, the Centre for Gambling Research focuses on responsible and problem gambling. This includes research into understanding gambling behaviours and creating improved programmes and treatments to risks associated with problem gambling.

The latest commitment is the third consecutive five-year term of financial support from the British Columbia government and BCLC.

“As government continues to work toward its commitments of harm reduction and a public health approach to preventing problem gambling, we are grateful for the work the Centre for Gambling Research at UBC does,” Mike Farnworth, minister of public safety and solicitor-general, said.

“Its research and findings are integral to the development of policies within government and the steps we take to protect British Columbians from the harms of problem gambling.”

BCLC president and CEO Pat Davis also praised the ongoing relationship with the specialist research facility.

“At BCLC, the well-being of our players is paramount and we’re always looking for opportunities to offer safer gambling experiences,” Davis said. “Knowledge that we gain from the Centre for Gambling Research at UBC helps us consider enhancements to the programmes and initiatives that promote player health at BCLC and beyond. 

“We’re pleased to continue providing support to the centre so its work can continue to guide the industry.”

Commitment to supporting players in British Columbia

BCLC has launched a series of scheme aimed at supporting players and protecting them from gambling harms.

Earlier this year, it announced a number of updates to its voluntary self-exclusion (VSE) programme. These were focused on reducing stigma and making the scheme more approachable for players.

The programme was renamed “Game Break” and now offers additional elements. These include an active reinstatement process for individuals who choose to return to play. While terms of enrolment for the scheme remained the same, players choosing to play again now need to complete an online course.

Meanwhile, BCLC partnered with Everi Holdings to support its anti-money laundering efforts.

Everi now provide its Everi Compliance anti-money laundering software to support BCLC’s gaming and online operations. This covers lottery, casino, bingo and online gaming activities.

Everi Compliance is currently deployed in more than 600 gaming properties across a range of markets.

Penn said the deal comes into effect immediately. It covers the NHL regular season, Stanley Cup Playoffs, 2024 NHL Winter Classic, 2024 NHL Stadium Series, and 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend. 

The agreement will grant ESPN Bet and theScore Bet access to a host of entitlements. These include IP rights and media and marketing integrations across the NHL’s programming and premium NHL experiences. In addition, the partnership includes collaboration for game integrity procedures.

Major partnership for newcomer ESPN Bet

ESPN Bet, a product of Penn’s partnership with Disney-owned ESPN, is among the latest brands to launch in the US. It went live across 17 states on 14 November. 

In essence, it is a rebranding of existing sports betting app, Barstool Sportsbook. In August, Penn said it sold Barstool Sports back to its founder Dave Portnoy for $1.

“There’s definite excitement in being one of the first leagues to partner with ESPN Bet and Penn,” NHL vice-president of business development, Jason Jazayeri, said. “From day one we’ve said our media rights deal with ESPN and The Walt Disney Company has been a big win for our fans and our league and this new collaboration is further testament to the value of our partnership.

“The NHL is younger, faster and more exciting than ever. It delivers tremendous opportunity for fan engagement and responsible gaming experiences. We’re looking forward to working with ESPN Bet and theScore Bet to engage our passionate fan base.”

Broader engagement among NHL fans

Penn Interactive’s senior vice-president for marketing and content, Aubrey Levy, also spoke highly of the new deal.

“The recent launch of ESPN Bet in the US is extremely exciting,” Levy said. “We’re thrilled to collaborate with the NHL to help market our new sports betting experience. 

“Becoming an official partner allows us to more broadly engage hockey fans, develop compelling integrations and uniquely leverage NHL programming. This is also a key partnership for theScore Bet in Ontario, where the popularity of hockey is unmatched.”

Heavy support for ESPN Bet launch

The partnership adds further fuel to the ESPN Bet fire that is already burning strong. 

Upon launching the brand, an initial wave of integrations targeting an estimated audience of 200 million was announced. The ESPN Bet launch also saw an advertising campaign headlined by SportsCenter anchors Scott van Pelt and Elle Duncan.

ESPN is the largest sports media brand in the US, with over 105 million monthly unique digital visitors. It also has a strong social media presence with 370 million fans while 25 million subscribe to its ESPN+ streaming service.

Penn and ESPN have also developed a set of content guidelines for ESPN Bet. These will apply to marketing across social media.

In becoming ESPN’s exclusive sportsbook, this effectively ends ESPN’s existing partnerships with the likes of DraftKings and Caesars. Both brands were previously mooted as potential sportsbook partners for the broadcaster. 

While the review remains ongoing, one of the first major developments from the initiative is the North America exit. This process will begin immediately, with Kindred saying it hopes to complete the withdrawal within six months. The exit remains subject to regulatory process.

Kindred said such a move will allow for the re-allocation of financial and tech resources to existing core markets. It added that this will improve ability to capitalise on core market potential and gain market share.

The group currently has a presence across a number of US states. Kindred’s Unibet brand has been active in Pennsylvania since September 2019. The brand initially launched as a retail sportsbook in partnership with Mohegan Sun Pocono. Kindred in July announced the launch of its proprietary tech platform in the US state of Pennsylvania.

Elsewhere, Kindred in May also rolled out the platform in New Jersey. The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement gave final approval for the platform’s launch earlier in the year. Kindred was already active in the state via Unibet.

Other operating markets include Virginia with Unibet, Arizona and Washington State in partnership with the Swinomish Tribe. In addition, Unibet is active in Ontario in Canada.

More than 300 jobs to go

As part of the wider review, Kindred has also announced that more than 300 jobs will be cut across the business. This includes employees in North America and consultants, with the jobs set to go next year.

Kindred said addressing its organisational structure will allow it to achieve a leaner and more efficient business focused on selective growth initiatives. Coupled with the North American exit, Kindred expects to make approximately £40.0m (€46.2m/$50.8m) in savings. 

Kindred added that the re-allocation of financial and tech resources will support additional initiatives across core markets. These include additional brand extensions of hyper local casino brands in select markets and continued product differentiation through exclusive content.

“The cost reduction actions announced today are both necessary and decisive,” Kindred interim CEO Nils Andén said. “While it is never a desire to inform valued colleagues of redundancies, this puts us in a stronger position to secure long-term growth for Kindred across our locally regulated core markets. 

“We can now focus our resources and tech capacity towards strategic initiatives and selected markets where we see clear potential to grow our market share.”

Strategic review rumbles

Andén has been serving as interim CEO of Kindred since Henrik Tjärnström resigned back in May. Prior to this, Andén was chief commercial officer.

Incidentally, it was Tjärnström who kicked off the cost-saving plans at the turn of the year. This came after Kindred posted a year-on-year decline in revenue and net profit for its 2022 financial year.

At the time, Tjärnström said “no item is sacred” in terms of cutting costs. He said that the business was reviewing all areas of costs to improve spending.

Could Kindred push for a sale?

While Andén said the review remains ongoing, he did hint at the possibility of a full or partial sale. Speaking after Kindred today (29 November) also published its Q3 results, Andén said it is the board’s belief that shareholder value will be maximised through a third-party transaction.

“The strategic review initiated by the board remains ongoing and we continue to advance a number of options to deliver shareholder value,” Andén said. “The board currently believes that shareholder value will be maximised through a third-party transaction.

“We will provide a further update regarding the exploration of strategic alternatives when final decisions have been made by the board of directors.”

Kindred also leaving Norway

In addition to the North America exit, Kindred is also pulling out of Norway. This process is due to complete before the end of the year according to Norway’s regulator Lotteritilsynet.

This marks the end of a long battle that stretches back to 2019 when the regulator ordered Kindred subsidiary Trannel to cease operations. This escalated to Lotteritilsynet, which threatened Kindred with a daily fine of NOK1.2m if it did not withdraw.

In June 2022, Trannel lost the lawsuit it initiated against the regulator. Lotteritilsynet set a date for the fines to begin in September. However, Kindred vowed to stay in the market and appeal the decision.

in October 2022, Kindred announced Trannel would no longer target customers in Norway. Lotteritilsynet paused its daily fines although Kindred emphasised that this was done only as a gesture of goodwill.

Just weeks later, Lotteritilsynet said it would restart daily fines, which were then paused again in December. 

Finally, in June 2023, the saga began to conclude as the Borgarting Court of Appeal ruled that Lotteritilsynet had been correct to issue Kindred with a cease and desist order.

The winning bid will be expected to develop and implement a system that integrates with all operator systems. This should also support players’ self-exclusion registration, renewal and reinstatement. 

Calls for simple and transparent system

Key features of the system should include a player-focused solution that is easy for players to use and self-exclude. iGaming Ontario also said that the system should be delivered and executed in a non-stigmatised, non-judgmental manner and support users.

The regulator also called for the solution to be transparent for players and operators, as well as secure for all users. In addition, it should be viable for licensees to implement alongside their own offerings. 

“We are seeking interest from responsive and nimble companies that are able to build modern, innovative, secure, cloud-based SaaS solutions that are high-profile, public-facing and critically important to building and maintaining the trust and confidence of a wide range of stakeholders,” iGaming Ontario said.

“The successful bidder will partner with us on a multi-year programme to develop best-in-class experiences by leveraging modern, innovative technology.”

Ontario igaming revenue more than doubles in Q2

Plan for the RFP come after figures last month showed online gambling revenue in Ontario more than doubled year-on-year in Q2 to CA$540m (£315m/€363m/US$397m). 

Some $407m came from online casino, $118m sports betting and $16m poker. Revenue covers all cash wagers, rake fees, tournament fees and other fees, minus player winnings.

As for player spending, total igaming wagers in Q2 rocketed 132% to $14.20bn. Consumers bet $11.90bn on internet casino games, $1.90bn sports betting and $397m online poker. This does not include promotional wagers such as bonuses and free bets.

PointsBet Canada fined for responsible gambling failures

Earlier this month, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) fined PointsBet Canada CA$150,000 for breaching responsible gambling rules.

Violations included failing to assist a customer potentially experiencing gambling harm. The player in question lost over $500,000 in under three months.

The user was flagged as potentially high-risk by PointsBet Canada’s systems on multiple occasions. This included when incurring significant losses and making repeated withdrawal cancellations. However, AGCO says no interventions were provided during that period.

PointsBet Canada was also rapped for failing to enforce a 24-hour cooling-off period when players cancelled their per-day deposit limit. This is required under Ontario licences

In September, iGB took a closer look at the Ontario market and its development during year one of regulation. Only Ontario has a regulated igaming market, which went live in April 2022.

Online gaming is prohibited in other Canadian provinces outside of the provincial lottery corporations, which have a de facto monopoly. NorthStar’s new dotcom venture is not regulated by Canadian authorities outside of Ontario.

The collaboration includes GREF and NAGRA holding joint meetings of their relevant interest groups. Both organisations will support each other’s annual conferences, while the bodies will host seminars for members on emerging regulatory risks.

Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, chair of French regulator Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) and also chair of GREF, welcomed the partnership. She said collaborations such as this are key in supporting gambling regulators.

“With a public opinion across the globe more and more concerned about the risks related to excessive gambling offer and with the increase of gambling markets and innovations, exchange between regulators worldwide is crucial,” Falque-Pierrotin said.

“Regulators of GREF and NAGRA face the same issues and I believe that this collaboration will improve the protection of our consumers.”

NAGRA and GREF to help regulator organisations address evolving gambling landscape

NAGRA president Ryan Winfield also welcomed the partnership. Winfield, from the Arizona Department of Gaming, said the link-up will benefit people in markets around the world.

“The power of partnership and collaboration between GREF and NAGRA is important in this ever-evolving industry,” Winfield said. “The changing landscape and the future of gaming makes it imperative that we reach out to other organisations in the industry in order to remain informed as we tirelessly serve our communities.

“This commitment to collaboration and communication will serve people across the globe.”

NAGRA comprises federal, state, local, tribal and provincial government agencies responsible primarily for regulating gambling in North American markets.

GREF brings together gambling regulators from across Europe to exchange views on issues relating to gambling. This includes regulation, supervision and control of operators and upon the gambling industry as a whole.

The operator also continued to benefit from its acquisition of Slapshot Media earlier in the year. Slapshot delivers marketing and operational management services to sports betting and igaming operators. In Q3 alone, the business generated $200,000 in managed services revenue.

Shortly after the quarter, NorthStar used the Slapshot business to support its expansion in Canada. Since launching in May 2022, NorthStar has only been accessible in Ontario but is now being made available across all provinces and territories in Canada with the roll out of NorthStarBets.com.

Reflecting on Q3, CEO Michael Moskowitz said that he was pleased with growth in what is a “seasonally slow” quarter. He also talked up further growth potential in Q4 and beyond.

We delivered another quarter of strong growth in Q3, more than doubling last year’s results across key measures including wagers and revenue,” Moskowitz said. “In a seasonally slow quarter, we continued to expand our customer base through our premium, differentiated product offering, while at the same time demonstrating our ability to effectively manage costs.

“As we enter the busiest time of the year with most of the major North American sports leagues now under way, we are very well positioned to drive further improvements in our results.”

Q3 net loss shortens as revenue climbs

Gaming activities drew $4.5m of all revenue in the three months to 30 September, a rise of 125.0% on last year. As the Slapshot Media deal only went through in 2023, there were no comparables for this area.

Total wagers in respect of NorthStarBets.com amounted to $138.0m, up 139.6% year-on-year. This increase was reflected in the revenue rise in Q3.

As for costs, service provider fees and operator participant fees both increased as NorthStar grew its offering. Marketing costs were slashed 55.8% to $2.0m, which helped reduce total expenses by 9.4% to $5.8m.

NorthStar did not disclose information on tax or other finances but did report a net loss for Q3 of $4.2m. This was an improvement on the $6.1m loss posted in the same period last year.

Significant year-to-date revenue growth 

As to how the impacted year-to-date performance, gross gaming revenue was 420.0% up at $13.0m. This includes $12.6m in gaming revenue and the remainder managed services.

Total wagers in respect of NorthStarBets.com also hiked 500.3% to $434.6m.

Costs-wise, service provider fees and operator participant fees were higher but marketing expenses fell. However, higher spending elsewhere, including public listing costs, meant total expenses hit $22.7m, up 65.7% from last year.

This left a net loss of $18.0m, wider than $13.6m in the same period last year. 

“Our strengthened balance sheet, strategic partnerships, ongoing innovation in our product offering and development of our brand across Canada all point towards solid growth for the rest of 2023 and into next year,” Moskowitz said.

NorthStar confirms exit of CFO Barber

Publication of the Q3 results comes after NorthStar also announced the departure of Jennifer Barber as chief financial officer.

Barber will depart NorthStar on 1 December to pursue another opportunity. She has served as CFO since June 2022.

Chin Dhushenthen, currently vice-president of finance and compliance at NorthStar, will assume the role of interim CFO.

Violations included PointsBet Canada failing to provide assistance to a customer who was potentially experiencing gambling harm. The player in question lost over $500,000 in under three months.

The user was flagged as potentially high-risk by PointsBet Canada’s systems on multiple occasions. This included when incurring significant losses and making repeated withdrawal cancellations. However, AGCO says no interventions were provided during that period.

PointsBet Canada was also rapped for failing to enforce a 24-hour cooling-off period when players cancelled their per-day deposit limit. This is required under the operator’s licence in Ontario.

AGCO flags PointsBet Canada for breaching marketing rules

Other violations included communicating gambling inducements, bonuses, or credits via direct advertising without active player consent. 

Highlighting the case of one player, despite withdrawing their consent for direct advertising and marketing, credits totalling $35,500 were deposited on various occasions into the player’s account. Numerous offers of free tickets to sporting events were provided to the same user.

Based on such activities, AGCO said there was evidence PointsBet Canada failed to ensure employees understood responsible gambling. Staff were also not adequately trained to respond appropriately to, and assist, players who may be experiencing harm from gambling.

AGCO says it takes breaches of the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming seriously. These rules, it adds, are in place to protect players at risk of gambling-related harm. 

As is the case with any monetary penalty in Ontario, PointsBet Canada has the option to appeal. PointsBet Canada is yet to issue a response to the fine.

“In Ontario, igaming operators have an obligation to proactively monitor their patrons’ play for signs of high-risk gambling and to take appropriate actions to intervene and reduce the potential for gambling related harms,” AGCO CEO and registrar, Karin Schnarr, said.

“AGCO will continue to focus on player protection by holding all registered operators to these high standards.”

PointsBet was one of the first operators to go live in Ontario, rolling out its offering when the market launched in April 2022.

All change in the US as Fanatics deal moves forward

South of Canada, thing are looking very different for PointsBet. Earlier this year, Fanatics Betting and Gaming (FBG) struck a deal to acquire the US operations of PointsBet.

PointsBet shareholders approved the deal shortly thereafter and there has been little time wasted in pushing ahead with the transition.

Last month, FBG completed the acquisition of PointsBet operations in both New York and Wyoming. 

This came after FBG in September also secured approval for acquiring PointsBet US in eight other states. These comprise New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.

Operations in Canada will not be impacted by the FBG deal.

However, while revenue continues an upward curve, costs associated with the acquisitions more than offset this rise. Ultimately this led to Century reporting a net loss for Q3.

Reflecting on the quarter, co-chief executives Erwin Haitzmann and Peter Hoetzinger were seemingly untroubled by this loss. They put the loss down to one-time expenses, saying costs will soon return to more consistent levels in Q4.

“With our acquisitions of the Nugget Casino Resort and Rocky Gap Casino, we achieved record high net operating revenue and adjusted EBITDA,” Haitzmann and Hoetzinger said  

“One-time expenses related to the Rocky Gap acquisition and Canada sale leaseback transaction negatively impacted our earnings from operations and net loss for the quarter. Looking ahead we anticipate revenue and operating expense trends to remain consistent with what we have seen the last several quarters.”

US growth clear to see for Century in Q3

Taking a closer look at the Q3 figures, the acquisitions impact is easy to see within the US business. US revenue was 65.4% higher at $116.9m on the back of the new casino additions.

Elsewhere, Canada revenue climbed 4.3% to $20.9m and Poland revenue was also higher by 7.7% at $23.4m.

However, with the acquisitions came an increase in costs, with operating expenses rising by 56.7% to $146.7m.

Century also noted $31.0m in non-operating expenses. This resulted in a pre-tax loss of $16.5m, compared to a $5.1m profit in Q3 last year.

Century received $3.1m in tax benefits but discounted $709,000 in earnings from its non-controlling assets. As such, Q3 net loss reached $14.2m, in contrast to last year’s $2.9m profit.

However, adjusted EBITDA was 18.5% higher at $33.3m.

Year-to-date revenue exceeds $400m

As to how Q3 impacted Century’s year-to-date performance, revenue was 24.4% higher at $406.5m. This, however, was accompanied by a 29.4% increase in operating expenses to $356.1m.

Century took $1.1m in earnings from equity investment but also reported $62.9m in non-operating costs. This resulted in a pre-tax loss of $11.4m, whereas last year it reported an $8.6m profit.

The operator received $1.3m in tax benefit but took off $7.3m worth of earnings from non-controlling interests. As such, it ended the period with a net loss of $17.4m, in contrast to last year’s $12.0m profit.

There was some good news on the earnings front, however, as adjusted EBITDA increased 8.6% to $88.7m.