Aquimo Inc., a leader in mobile gaming technology for sports broadcasts and live events, has partnered with Sportsnet, Canada’s #1 sports network, to bring hockey fans a one-of-a-kind, new interactive mobile gaming experience. Sportsnet Slap Shot Showdown – a brand-new, custom mobile game developed by Aquimo, launched on December 7 during Sportsnet’s live Hockey Night in Canada broadcast, giving fans across Canada a chance to compete in real-time multiplayer challenges and a month-long contest to win exclusive prizes, including a 2025 Hyundai Kona. This collaboration marks Aquimo’s first television broadcast partnership in Canada and a milestone in the company’s expansion into the market.

Powered by Aquimo’s innovative technology platform, Sportsnet Slap Shot Showdown will allow fans to engage with live hockey broadcasts in an entirely new way while watching their favorite teams compete on ice. Aquimo’s proprietary mobile tech enables millions of fans to play together in real-time, seamlessly integrating branded experiences into live broadcasts. For broadcasters like Sportsnet, Aquimo’s platform provides tools to boost audience retention, foster loyalty, and create measurable value for brand sponsors through a highly engaging second screen experience.

Beginning this month, fans watching Hockey Night in Canada on Sportsnet can join the action by simply scanning a QR code displayed on-screen during each live broadcast, allowing them to test their hockey skills in dynamic challenges against fellow viewers. Throughout the month of December, players can stay engaged well beyond the live broadcasts, competing for weekly prizes and a chance at the top grand prizes. This innovative collaboration merges the thrill of live hockey with the excitement of competitive gaming, delivering an unparalleled viewing experience for fans while creating unique opportunities for advertisers to connect with Sportsnet’s engaged audience.

“We’re proud to be working with Sportsnet to bring this unique activation to life and give Canadian hockey fans an exciting new way to engage with the game they love – one that creates a dynamic and immersive connection with the action both on and off the ice. This collaboration underscores the power of interactive mobile gaming to transform live sports broadcasts, and our ability to create meaningful engagement for fans while providing a new form of measurable value for broadcasters, their sponsors and partners,” said Mark Jeffery, founder and CEO of Aquimo.

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Fans participating during each live broadcast will have access to exclusive challenges and the opportunity to win weekly prizes, made possible by Sportsnet’s brand partners. Weekly top two eligible high scorers can look forward to winning special rewards including Shark/Ninja Game Night Packs consisting of a sushi maker, vacuum, indoor grill and a cooler, or $250 Today’s Shopping Choice gift cards, adding to the game-day experience and excitement on the ice. Throughout December, players can continue competing in multiple games to climb the leaderboard, culminating in the awarding of two grand prizes. The top scorer across all games at the end of the month will win a 2025 Hyundai Kona, while the second grand prize winner will be chosen via a random drawing at the end of the month and will receive a year’s supply of coffee from Tim Hortons. All participating fans will automatically be entered into the drawing.

“Our collaboration with Aquimo and the launch of Sportsnet Slap Shot Showdown represents an innovative step forward in how we engage our audience and marketers. By incorporating Aquimo’s interactive gaming technology into our broadcasts, we’re not only enhancing the fan experience, but also giving our partners a new and exciting platform to connect with fans in a meaningful and memorable way,” said Anthony Attard, Vice-president of Sales at Sportsnet.

This partnership highlights the growing demand for interactive, audience-driven experiences in live sports broadcasting. For Aquimo, the partnership represents a significant step forward in its mission to revolutionize fan engagement on a global scale. As its first broadcast partnership in the Canadian market, this activation demonstrates the company’s ability to tailor its platform to meet the needs of broadcasters and brands, while delivering a best-in-class experience for fans. For Sportsnet, it underscores the network’s commitment to innovation and its leadership in delivering exceptional hockey coverage. Together, the two companies are setting a new benchmark for fan participation, creating a win-win for fans, broadcasters, and brand partners alike.

International Game Technology PLC announced that its new Powerbucks Blackjack game is now available to online players in multiple jurisdictions in Canada. The theme links to IGT’s Powerbucks omnichannel wide-area progressive (WAP) jackpot prize pool, Canada’s largest jackpot connecting land-based, online and mobile games.

“IGT is excited to build on its omnichannel jackpot leadership in Canada and the success of our Powerbucks portfolio by delivering a new evolution of one of the most popular casino card games. Designed to deliver the ultimate gaming experience, IGT’s Powerbucks Blackjack offers players the opportunity to win life-changing jackpots and provides operators with another compelling content option to help drive strong performance results,” said David Flinn, IGT SVP Canada, EMEA, and LATAM Gaming Sales.

Bringing a player-favorite card game to a new level, IGT’s Powerbucks Blackjack offers a state-of-the-art user interface with vibrant animations, language localization, and a sleek design for an engaging experience.

Launched in 2016, IGT Powerbucks slots is the world’s first omnichannel WAP game that links the jackpot prize pool between gaming machines found in land-based casinos with digital-based games in Canada. Since their debut, Powerbucks slots have paid over 50 jackpots of 1 million dollars or more across the country.

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As expected at the end of the first quarter, Loto-Québec had an excellent second-quarter performance. Therefore, halfway through fiscal 2024–25, the corporation is in an excellent position with better results over the same period last year and still in line with its forecasts. It is thus on its way to reaching its net income target for the current year.

For the second quarter, which ran from June 25 to September 30, 2024, Loto-Québec posted total revenues of $814.2M (+16.1%) and a net income of $421.6M (+18.5%). Overall, for the period from April 1 to September 30, 2024, its total revenues reached $1.504B (+6.5%) and its net income was $771.3M (+4.7%). It is worth noting that lottery winners have received nearly $720M in prizes since the current fiscal year began.

Quotes from the President and CEO

“If we’re in such a good position halfway through the fiscal year, it’s thanks to the work done across all our sectors over the last few months. We obtained excellent results despite the economic context, reinforcing our confidence that we’ll reach our net income annual target. Remember that 100% of our profits are reinvested in the community,” said Jean-François Bergeron.

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“Responsible commercialization has remained a priority in everything we offer. We’ve created an enhanced program—Wise Play—to consolidate our actions in this field. We proudly launched it in mid-September, along with a campaign raising people’s awareness of the importance of setting limits. Among other things, through this program, we can present a unified message so that a game remains a game.”

Cumulative Results by Sector

For the period from April 1 to September 30, 2024

• Lottery product sector revenues amounted to $474.2M.

• Casino and gaming hall sector revenues were $608.9M. This sector is once again on the way to a record year.

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• Gaming establishment sector revenues totalled $432.5M.

Quarterly Highlights and Social Contributions

For the period from June 25 to September 30, 2024, the lottery crowned 28 new millionaires, bringing the total of new millionaires since the beginning of the fiscal year to 50.

On September 10, Lotto Max became more generous than ever. Its maximum jackpot increased from $70M to $80M—no Canadian lottery had ever awarded such an amount. A few days later, the record $80M jackpot was won in the September 17 draw, and one of the two winning selections had been purchased in Québec. An Outaouais resident took home half the jackpot with a play he bought online.

The Loto-Québec responsible gambling website had a makeover as part of the launch of the enhanced Wise Play program. It presents content such as information to help players better understand the notions of chance and odds, valuable tips to manage their gambling, and ways of getting help if needed. The website can be reached at wiseplay.ca.

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The Collection Loto-Québec is proudly celebrating its 45 years this fall. To mark the occasion, some thirty of its works were showcased at the end of September in the Voir bleu exhibition, which was entirely curated in-house and shown in the Collection’s new exhibition space at the corporation’s head office.

Loto-Québec was honoured to be a presenting partner at the celebrations surrounding the 150th anniversary of Parc Jean-Drapeau, home to the Casino de Montréal for over 30 years. The iconic park hosts several major events, some of which are part of the Rendez-vous Loto-Québec.