Canada
Improving Accessibility Helps Grow the Sports Betting Market
The legal battle for online sports betting has been a subject of debate for many years. But, in 2008, the online betting enthusiasts received positive news. New Jersey won a landmark ruling from the Supreme Court that potentially opened the door to multiple states being able to legalize betting on college and professional sports. Justice Samuel Alito, a New Jersey native, wrote the court’s opinion in the case. “Congress can regulate sports gambling directly, but if it elects not to do so, each state is free to act on its own,” Alito said according to an article by USA Today. “Our job is to interpret the law Congress has enacted and decide whether it is consistent with the Constitution.” Even though strict regulations by various governments are still an obstacle for the online market, according to a Zion Market Research report, the global sports betting market was valued at around USD 104.31 Billion in 2017 and is expected to reach approximately USD 155.49 Billion by 2024 while growing at a healthy CAGR of 8.83% between 2018 to 2024. FansUnite Entertainment Inc. (OTC: FUNFF) (CSE: FANS), Century Casinos, Inc. (NASDAQ: CNTY), Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMBL), International Game Technology PLC (NYSE: IGT), Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE: BYD)
As the legal infrastructure becomes more friendly towards sports betting, specifically in the online space, many companies in the gambling industry are investing in offering more sports betting options. According to a report by the Associated Press, companies like DraftKings are making serious strides in developing easy to use systems available to the public through partnerships with sports leagues. For example, The National Basketball Association and DraftKings had announced a multiyear partnership that will make DraftKings an authorized sports betting operator of the league. And, according to a report by MarketWatch, many have invested money into a new exchange-traded fund that tracks the sports betting and online gambling industries. This represents a “remarkable vote of confidence for a fund that’s only a few days old,” said Dave Nadig, a longtime industry veteran now at ETF Database. “I am a fan of this fund. If you believe online sports betting is the next big thing, this fund will capture everything from back-office infrastructure to front-facing retail plays.”
FansUnite Entertainment Inc. (OTC: FUNFF) (CSE: FANS) announced yesterday the, “acquisition target Askott Entertainment Inc. (“Askott”) has completed its second video game themed casino game ‘Crash Heist’. After the successful launch of ‘Loothunter’, Askott is ready to offer its second game in what will be a series of video game and esports themed casino games for online sportsbooks and casinos to offer.
RNG/casino games represent a large piece of the online real money gaming industry. Many sportsbooks offer casino games and with the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of having such games has been magnified. Askott is developing games that will appeal to a broader target market that includes a growing younger demographic along with traditional gamers.
‘We currently offer a betting solution for esports books and wanted to add RNG casino games to round out our partners’ betting offering to their customers,’ said Scott Burton, CEO of Askott Entertainment. ‘These additional offerings will result in more engagement from bettors and higher retention on our platforms. Without the need for live esports events, these games can be played 24/7 by our players allowing for more consistent betting and predictable revenue.’
‘As a leading developer of casino style games, we have now developed two games that can be leveraged on various platforms. Our partners will now be able to access our full suite of games, and other operators can license these games as stand alone products for their customers.’
The Askott suite of games will be a mix of pure chance games in addition to games that will combine some skill elements. ‘Loothunter’ was modeled on the popular loot case concept used in video games whereby you buy a key for a case and hope to get an item/reward greater than the price of the key. The game also allows you to earn key fragments for free to build out a key.
The Crash Heist concept has the users breaking into a bank vault for an entry fee of their choice. Once in the vault, their money rises steadily until they exit. If they get out of the vault before the police arrive, the money is theirs, if not they crash out.
‘We look forward to our stage of growth with Askott games where we will target casino aggregator partners that serve as an additional channel to leverage and distribute our games to a much broader audience,’ continued Scott Burton.
All of the games are built on our own certified and tested random number generator with provably fair elements built in and adhering to the gaming jurisdictions where our partners have licenses.”
Century Casinos, Inc. (NASDAQ: CNTY) reported back in April that its Colorado subsidiaries received approval for three Sports Betting Master Licenses. The licenses were awarded during a special meeting of the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission held on April 2nd, 2020. In addition, the Commission awarded Circa Sports Colorado LLC, the Company’s partner for one of its Master Licenses, with a temporary Internet Sports Betting Operator License. The Commission is moving forward with licensing and will meet the May 1st, 2020 legislative launch date deadline. Due to impact of the pandemic on the sports betting industry, the Company is uncertain of the timeline that the Circa | Sports TM mobile sports betting app will launch.
Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMBL) announced earlier this month that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire LHE Enterprises Ltd, the holding company of online sportsbook and casino operator Argyll Entertainment AG and its operating subsidiaries. Closing of the acquisition is expected to occur on or before July 31st, 2020. “Reaching a definitive agreement to complete our first acquisition as a NASDAQ company is a major milestone,” commented Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group. “Argyll CEO Stuart Tilly and CFO Dan Marks already joined our senior leadership team in June as Corporate Secretary and Chief Financial Officer, respectively. They are a great addition to our organization and will help us build on Argyll’s base of more than 100,000 registered users, placing us in a great position to grow revenue moving forward.”
International Game Technology PLC (NYSE: IGT) announced last month that its PlaySports platform will power retail and mobile sports betting at Wild Card Saloon and Sasquatch Casino in Black Hawk, Colo. Owned and operated by privately held gaming company, Ed & Shirley’s Inc., both casinos will leverage IGT PlaySports kiosks, platform and mobile technologies to give their patrons choice and convenience for how, when and where they place sports bets. “Offering omni-channel sports betting via the IGT PlaySports solution will introduce an exciting new dimension of gaming to Wild Card Saloon and Sasquatch Casino that sports fans throughout Colorado are ready to embrace,” said Ed Smith, Ed & Shirley’s Inc. President.
Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE: BYD) and FanDuel Group announced last year the debut of FanDuel Sportsbooks at four Boyd Gaming properties: Blue Chip Casino Hotel and Spa in Michigan City, Indiana; Diamond Jo Casino in Dubuque, Iowa; Diamond Jo Casino in Northwood, Iowa; and Belterra Casino Resort in Florence, Indiana. The openings follow the successful debut of the FanDuel Sportsbook at Boyd Gaming’s Valley Forge Casino Resort in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, in March, as well as the companies’ launch of mobile sports betting across the state of Pennsylvania in July. In the coming months, the two companies also plan to introduce mobile sports products under the FanDuel brand in both Iowa and Indiana, pending the receipt of required regulatory approvals. “Together, Boyd Gaming and FanDuel Group continue to successfully capitalize on the historic opportunity afforded by the legalization and expansion of sports betting in new states across the country,” said Keith Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of Boyd Gaming.
SOURCE FinancialBuzz.com
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.”
Glitnor Group, operating under the LCKY Group in Ontario, has joined the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA). Glitnor Group’s luckycasino.ca brand sportsbook will feed into IBIA’s world leading betting integrity monitoring platform. The operator joins over 50 companies and 125 leading sports betting brands in IBIA and further cements the association’s position as the leading sports betting integrity monitoring body in Ontario and globally.
David Schwieler LCKY Group CEO, said: “At Glitnor Group, we’re dead serious about keeping our betting games fair and square. That’s why teaming up with IBIA is a big deal for us. We know how crucial it is to protect the spirit of sports, and we’re ready to roll up our sleeves and work closely with the IBIA to make sure sports betting stays exciting, speedy, and above all, fair.”
Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “I am delighted to welcome Glitnor Group as IBIA’s latest member in Ontario. Glitnor and IBIA share a common goal to maintain the integrity of the sports betting marketplace and to protecting consumers and sports from match-fixing. Ensuring product integrity is paramount to our approach and we look forward to integrating Glitnor within our leading global sports betting integrity monitoring system.”
IBIA is a not-for-profit body that has no competing conflicts with the delivery of commercial services to other sectors and is run by operators for operators to protect regulated sports betting markets from match-fixing. IBIA’s global monitoring network is a highly effective anti-corruption tool, detecting and reporting suspicious activity in regulated betting markets.
Through the IBIA global monitoring network it is possible to track transactional activities linked to individual customer accounts. IBIA members have over $300bn per annum in betting turnover (handle), accounting for approximately 50% of the global commercial regulated land-based and online sports betting sector, and in excess of 50% for online alone.
IBIA recently released a report on the Availability of Sports Betting Products which highlighted Ontario as a leading regulated gambling jurisdiction, with an expected onshore channelisation for sports betting of 92% in 2024 forecast to rise to 97% in 2028. IBIA currently represents over 60% of the private sports betting operators licensed in the province. All online sports betting operators licensed in Ontario are required to be part of a betting integrity monitoring body.
IBIA’s 2023 annual integrity report detailed 184 alerts reported in the year, which represents a decrease of 101 (or 35%) on the revised 2022 figure of 285 alerts. IBIA alerts contributed to the investigations and subsequent successful sanctioning of 21 clubs, players and officials in 2023, an increase on the 15 sanctioned in 2022.
The post Glitnor Group expands IBIA’s betting integrity presence in Ontario appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Bragg Gaming Group Inc., a global B2B gaming technology and content provider, announced that Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Ronen Kannor, has notified Bragg’s board of directors (Board) that he will resign from his position to pursue other career opportunities, effective June 3, 2024. The Company confirms that the search for a replacement CFO has commenced.
Matevž Mazij, Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board, commented: “We thank Ronen for his dedication and commitment to Bragg over the past four years and for his unwavering service as a pivotal member of the leadership team.
“During his tenure as CFO, the Company has undergone huge positive transformation including being uplisted to the Toronto Stock Exchange, dual listed on the NASDAQ and successfully completing two acquisitions, all while reporting consecutive years of revenue, gross profit and adjusted EBITDA growth. We wish Ronen all the very best in his future endeavors.”
Ronen Kannor commented: “It has been an honor to be part of the Bragg team which has successfully navigated many challenges and continued to deliver consistent growth over the past four years. I thank the Board for their support throughout my time with Bragg, and I am now fully focused on ensuring a smooth handover to my successor.
“Special thanks goes to my finance team, who work tirelessly to deliver the positive change and financial growth that the Company continues to achieve. I wish them and all of my colleagues continued success with Bragg now and in the future.”
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