Canada
Loto-Québec announces the dates and conditions for the reopening of its gaming establishments, as well as the cost-saving measures affecting its operations and personnel
Loto-Québec will gradually reopen its establishments according to the following schedule, with operations adjusted to comply with physical distancing and hygiene standards:
- Hilton Lac-Leamy: July 13
- Casino de Charlevoix, Casino de Mont-Tremblant, Québec and Trois-Rivières gaming halls: July 16
- Casino du Lac Leamy: July 23
- Casino de Montréal: August 3
- VLT and Kinzo network: July 7
- Network bingo: July 3
As establishments reopen, the Corporation’s top priority will be to ensure that operations resume in such a way as to allow employees and customers to stay safe while enjoying a fun environment.
Rigorous safety measures, modified opening hours and an online reservation system
When Loto-Québec’s establishments reopen, customers will notice the following important changes to operations and on gaming floors, including:
- New online reservation system for customers
- Casino sectors will be limited to a maximum of 250 customers at a time
- Québec City gaming hall(250 customers)
- Trois-Rivières gaming hall(250 customers)
- Casino de Charlevoix(250 customers)
- Casino de Mont-Tremblant(250 customers)
- Casino du Lac-Leamy(4 sectors with 250 customers = 1,000)
- Casino de Montréal(6 sectors with 250 customers = 1,500)
- Complete disinfection of each establishment every day and cleaning of gaming machines between customers
- All employees on gaming floors required to wear procedural mask and, when required under CNESST standards, eye protection
- Customers required to wear a mask or face covering
- Directional signage people must follow to get from one location to another and two-metre physical distancing signage
- Reconfiguration of gaming floors:
- Slot machine activation that ensures physical distancing
- Reduced number of players at gaming tables and installation of protective panels between the dealer and players
- Availability of rubber-tipped stylets to avoid touching slot machines
- No handling of cards or chips by the customer
- Bars and show halls to remain closed for the time being
- Snack food service only
- New opening hours:
Casino de Mont-Tremblant and Casino de Charlevoix | Casino du Lac-Leamy and Casino de Montréal | Québec City and Trois-Rivières gaming halls |
Thursday: 11 a.m. to midnight
Friday: 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. Saturday: 9 a.m. to 3 a.m. Sunday: 11 a.m. to midnight |
Every day: 9 a.m. to 4 a.m. | Monday to Wednesday:
10 a.m. to midnight Thursday to Sunday: 9 a.m. to 3 a.m. |
All information on the reopening and applicable measures is available at https://casinos.lotoquebec.com/en/portal/establishments.
Savings measures affecting operations and personnel
Since the COVID-19 crisis has been affecting Loto-Québec’s commercial operations for over three months already and despite the announcement of the upcoming gradual reopening, the Corporation is forced to apply savings measures to its operations and all personnel. The decision was made in order to align staffing needs with the level of activities.
Indeed, casinos, gaming halls, video lottery terminals (VLTs) and Kinzo halls have been closed since March, and in-store lottery sales were suspended for six weeks, all of which resulted in a significant reduction in the Corporation’s activities and revenues. Loto-Québec must therefore revise operations to meet the pace at which commercial activities resume.
In an effort to maintain employment and expertise, the Corporation will implement measures that affect management personnel and employees as well as operating and capital budgets in corporate and business sectors. The measures to be implemented are as follows:
- Significant reduction in operating and capital budgets in all corporate and business sectors for 2020-2021
- Temporary layoffs in various sectors (particularly 2,250 operations employees in casinos and gaming halls)
- Cancellation of supernumerary employee contracts
- Salary freeze and cancellation of all bonuses for management personnel for 2020-2021
- Hiring freeze
- Temporary reduction of the work week
Meetings with management personnel, union representatives and employees from all sectors were held yesterday and today to inform them of the decisions, explain the situation and address concerns.
British Columbia Lottery Corporation
SCCG Management Signs Contract with British Columbia Lottery Corporation
SCCG Management has signed a contract with the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), the B.C. Crown corporation which conducts and manages commercial gambling in the province, including lotteries, casinos, and online gaming. This partnership aims to undertake a comprehensive assessment and strategic enhancement of BCLC’s diverse operations.
The work between SCCG and BCLC will involve a thorough review of technological infrastructures, strategic market positioning, and the integration of various gaming modalities. SCCG’s extensive expertise will be pivotal in harmonizing BCLC’s online and physical gaming experiences.
Stephen Crystal, Founder and CEO of SCCG Management, said: “Our collaboration with BCLC represents a remarkable opportunity to push the boundaries of innovation within the gaming industry. We are committed to deploying our resources and expertise to enhance BCLC’s operational efficiencies and customer engagement strategies. It’s an honor to partner with an organization that has a robust impact on the community through its support of public initiatives.”
AGCO
AGCO Requires Ontario Gaming Operators to Stop Offering WBA Bets Due to Integrity Concerns
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has mandated all Ontario-registered sportsbook operators to halt offering and accepting wagers on World Boxing Association (WBA) events immediately. This measure is being taken to protect the Ontario betting public following concerns that WBA-sanctioned boxing matches are not adequately being safeguarded against match-fixing and insider betting.
Since December 2023, the AGCO has been conducting a comprehensive review of suspicious wagering activity on a WBA-sanctioned title fight between Yoenis Tellez and Livan Navarro that was held in Orlando, Florida. Suspicious betting patterns on the bout lasting over 5.5 rounds were reported to the AGCO by two registered independent integrity monitors and detected in Ontario by a registered igaming operator. Media reports also alleged that Tellez’s Manager placed $110,000 on the match lasting longer than 5.5 rounds at a Florida casino. The bout ended with Tellez knocking out Navarro in the 10th round.
Following an intensive review that included outreach to the WBA, Ontario-registered gaming operators, independent integrity monitors, and regulators in other jurisdictions, the AGCO has concluded that bets related to WBA events do not currently meet the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming.
The AGCO requires all Ontario-registered gaming operators to ensure the sport betting products they offer are on events that are effectively supervised by a sport governing body. At a minimum, the sport governing body must have and enforce codes of conduct that prohibit betting by insiders.
Registered gaming operators were unable to demonstrate to the AGCO that the WBA prohibits betting from insiders, which could include an athlete’s coaches, managers, handlers, athletic trainers, medical professionals, or others with access to non-public information. Further, registered gaming operators were unable to demonstrate that the WBA took any action to investigate or enforce the allegations of potential match-fixing and insider wagering.
The AGCO has indicated to registered operators that in order for WBA betting products to be reinstated in Ontario, operators must demonstrate that the WBA effectively supervises its events, thus bringing them into compliance with the Registrar’s Standards. In December 2022, the AGCO required gaming operators to stop offering bets on UFC events for similar issues related to insider betting safeguards. Within a month, UFC amended its policies and implemented new protocols that allowed the AGCO to reinstate betting on UFC events in the province.
“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. 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,” Dr. Karin Schnarr, Registrar and CEO of AGCO, said.
Andrew Cochrane Chief Business Officer of GiG
GiG increases Ontario market presence, powering the launch of Casino Time
Gaming Innovation Group Inc. (GiG), has announced the launch of Casino Time, powered by its award winning iGaming platform and pioneering real-time rules engine LogicX, with revolutionary sportsbook, SportX soon to follow, to further extend its footprint in the regulated Canadian province of Ontario.
The launch of Casino Time carries extra significance, marking only the second time that on-demand, regulated online Bingo has been made available in Ontario. The new Bingo product vertical, launched alongside a strong Casino offering, will be boosted by GiG’s new sportsbook, SportX, as part of a planned release later this year.
GiG has focused its solutions on driving exponential growth in revenue for operators with its highly scalable iGaming platform, offering localised third party content and leading suppliers for the Ontarian market. GiGs peerless gamification layer creates an optimised and immersive casino experience tailored to regional preferences, swelling client retention and player engagement.
Canadian owned and operated, Casino Time is a joint venture amongst leading retail operators in Ontario’s Charitable Gaming sector, delivering Bingo, Slots and Live Dealer Casino Games. Promising a personalised service and community experience, Casino Time is continuing its long-standing partnership with local charities, introducing its joint fundraising model into the iGaming space for the first time.
Now coming towards the end of its second year of licensed operations, Ontario has emerged as one of the largest iGaming markets in North America, second only to New Jersey according to data supplied by Vixio. The first and as yet only Canadian province to launch a regulated market, Ontario boasts more than 1.6 million active player accounts spread over 40 plus operators, generating €1.3 billion in Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) in its first year of trading, with this data supplied by iGaming Ontario.
Andrew Cochrane, Chief Business Officer of GiG, said: “GiG continues to set the pace with a strong cadence of brand launches in 2024, and I’m pleased that when operators are seeking platform solutions in regulated markets, GiG is leading the pack. Our partnership with Casino Time, will help deliver something new and exciting to the Ontarian market, and further helps to demonstrate the flexibility of our solutions, adapting to match the regional aspirations of our partners to deliver growth.”
D’Arcy Stuart, CEO of Casino Time, said: “We are thrilled to partner with GiG as the core technology provider of our iGaming platform. Their powerful suite of player engagement tools, as well as diverse content and regulatory integrations, underpin our ability to serve and delight our player community. Our hybrid online and offline customer network, as well as unique bingo offerings, will drive exciting opportunities as the platform and the marketplace continues to grow.”
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