Sporttrade and its CEO are carving their own path through the sports betting businessThis fall, New Jersey-based online sports wagering business Sporttrade announced the launch of its app in Virginia, the fifth U.S. state where the seven-year-old company is operating. Chief executive officer Alex Kane founded Sporttrade in 2017, one year before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA).Kane made his maiden appearance on the Gaming News Canada Show and told the story of the paralegal assistant who got into the sports betting and technology industry. He also explained the differences between the Sporttrade apps and other online sportsbooks, and the company’s deliberate strategy in building its business.Kane also offered his thoughts on the existing regulated industry in Ontario, and the conversations he’s had with Jay Welbourn, the senior manager of technology and compliance for the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, about the province’s acclaimed competitive and legal gaming industry. And, of course, we prodded him for some thoughts and layers on the state of regulated gambling in the U.S. – included discussion in some states right now about adjusting the tax rates on legal gambling operators – and the soon-to-come regulated business in Alberta. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The latest episode of the Gaming News Canada Show is one of the breaking news variety.On the eve of next week’s Kioti National in St. John’s, the Grand Slam of Curling getting together with ALT Sports Data on a multi-layered partnership highlighted by growth and innovation around making the sport more wagering-friendly and also supporting the CGOS’ efforts to grow curling internationally."Our partnership with ALT Sports Data will open up a new world of engagement for curling fans; where real-time insights, advanced analytics, and seamless betting experiences come together to help elevate the sport,” Nic Sulsky, the co-founder and CEO of The Curling Group, which acquired the series from Sportsnet in April, said in a media dispatch. “As the popularity of curling continues to rise internationally, our collaboration with ALT Sports Data will allow us to enhance the fan experience while unlocking new growth opportunities within untapped markets.”Sulsky and Michael Jordan, the co-founder and head of product for ALT Sports Data, joined us on the podcast to dig a little deeper into the details of the partnership – which has a betting element. The California-based business has a rather lengthy list of partnerships with non-traditional sports organizations, including the World Surf League, the Disc Golf Pro Tour and Power Slap while providing data to many of the biggest brands in sports betting. The deal with the CGOS includes ALT Sports Data becoming the exclusive global partner of data for sports betting worldwide.We spoke with Sulsky, who left his post as chief commercial officer of PointsBet Canada to co-found The Curling Group, about the changes that have already taken place under the GCOS’s new ownership, the growth of the series’ streaming audience, and the appetite by the curlers and their coaches for advanced analytics.Sulsky, who was diagnosed with non-Hodgins Lymphoma in 2009, will be on The Rock next week and will don his road gear once again to run and raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society’s Curl for Cancer campaign. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There’s been a renewed flurry of media coverage lately around the legal gambling industry in the true north, strong and free, including: · An editorial by The Globe and Mail calling on the Justin Trudeau government to pass Bill S-269 before our elected federal officials head home for the holidays:· An interview by Matt Galloway of CBC’s The Current with a problem gambler in the aftermath of a study released by the Lancet Public Health Commission on gambling;· A St. Albert Gazette piece on the relationship between igaming, advertising and problem gambling;· And just yesterday, this “Is the $11 billion online sportsbook bubble about to burst?” tome from the keyboard of David Hill for Rolling Stone. At the same time, the Canadian Gaming Association just made public research it commissioned North American advertising intelligence company MediaRadar to conduct on advertising by operators in Ontario’s regulated market. The research shows a decrease in the amount of advertising spend by operators of online sports betting and gaming products since the province’s market opened its doors in April 2022.Paul Burns, the CGA’s president and CEO, returned to the Gaming News Canada Show to discuss the latest research, and also respond to the latest coverage by the Globe and CBC (the CGA also posted a response on LinkedIn to the Globe editorial). Burns also addressed the efforts the industry have made around responsible gambling while yet again emphasizing the operators’ multi-layered actions to keep children from accessing their products. He also spoke about the challenges in front of advocates of Bill S-269 to have a national framework for sports betting advertising to take effect. He also spoke about the recent Royal Assent given by the Douglas Ford government to the iGaming Ontario Act, which will separate iGO from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. We also asked Burns for his thoughts on what background and skill set the iGO board of directors and its recruiting firm should be seeking in the president and CEO who will replace Martha Otton when the woman responsible for leading the charge to opening the Ontario market in the spring of 2022 retires at year’s end. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The latest financial results released over the past week or so by the likes of Sportradar, Genius Sports, DraftKings,theScore Bet and Flutter Entertainment all refer to the continued increase in activity by sports bettors when it comes to in-play/live wagering. From Genius Sports CEO Mark Locke, in his prepared statements in a call with analysts when the data/technology/broadcast giants put forth its Q3 2024 financials on Tuesday: “In-play wagering now represents 30% of total NFL handle—up from roughly 25% the prior season—representing a meaningful step in the right direction, which we always expected.”  Phill Gray, the former long-time head trader for Sports Interaction and regular guest on the Gaming News Canada Show, returned to the podcast to deliver his thoughts and layers on the expanded in-play and same game parlay betting products, how sportsbooks are creating those markets in real time and the shifting role of traders with the operators. Gray also talked about the three types of bettors today, the acknowledgment by books that the customers did pretty darn well in October, and he offered his take on a new report by Bettometrics analyzing suspension times between top operators for Week 8 of the U.S. college football season, and Week 9 games in the National Football League.  Gray also weighed in on the ongoing debate around limiting, and the overwhelming popularity beyond the United States for wagering on the recent U.S. elections. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While Swifties prepare to gather in Toronto next week for their beloved songstress’s six concerts, the Westin Harbour Castle will be home for three days to leaders in the sports industry from across North America - including NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and MLSE president/CEO Keith Pelley – for the 17th annual PrimeTime sports management conference. Among the plethora of panels that will take place beginning Sunday (Nov. 10) is a Developments in Sports Betting discussion with Parleh Media Group CEO/co-founder Mark Silver holding the moderator’s mic. Silver will be joined by Tom Burdakin, the vice president of marketing, Canada, for FanDuel; Daniel Caufield, the head of business development and partnerships at Woodbine Entertainment; Tyler Puley, the director of marketing communications and brand experience at OLG; and Michael Zitney, the director of brand and content for Entain Group.  Ahead of the conference and the Swifties invasion, your humble host made the trip to Toronto this week for a pre-PrimeTime podcast with the aforementioned panelists and Silver. Among the topics covered: Reaction to Tuesday’s announcement that the Senate has sent Bill S-269, aka the National Framework on Advertising for Sports Betting Act, to the House of Commons;The evolving strategies around advertising, marketing and partnerships since Ontario unlocked the door to regulated sports betting and online gaming in the spring of 2022. That included a discussion around the ongoing efforts to integrate sports betting into sports broadcasts and the opportunities that lie ahead in a changing sports rights, broadcasts and streaming landscape.Reaction to the financial results from iGaming Ontario’slatest market performance reportand OLG’s 2023-24 annual report. The challenges and opportunities ahead for Ontario’s regulated operators, OLG and Woodbine.And, of course, we asked Zitney and Burdakin for their thoughts on the road to regulation in Alberta. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

These aren’t the best of times for affiliates in the business of gambling, as reflected by the recent news involving XL Media, Catena Media and Better Collective. Straight to the Point publisher/editor Steve Ruddock returned to the Gaming News Canada Show. Ruddock walked us through his experiences in the affiliates industry over the past 15 years, and discussed with your humble host the decision by Catena Media and Better Collective to let go journalists covering the industry and what’s next in the affiliate space. That also led to a lengthy discussion around coverage of the sports betting and gaming industry since the overturning of PASPA by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018. The wild and crazy presidential election in the U.S. has attracted the interest of 16 sportsbooks – including OLG - in Ontario’s regulated marketplace. We asked Ruddock about the participation by Robinhood, Kalshi and Polymarket in predicting the Harris-Trump battle, and the potential impact the next U.S. federal government will have on the country’s legal gambling landscape. Last but not least, the debate continues about the competition/collaboration of retail and online gambling, so we asked our guest for his two cents on the topic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Responsible Gambling Council recently released its 2023-24 annual report, which included 32 igaming sites across 20 operators being accredited through the council’s RG Check program over the past year, and the Ontario government delivering an unprecedented $9 million investment to the Responsible Internet Gambling Fund over three years. Shelley White, who is leaving the RGC after an eight-year tenure as its chief executive officer at the end of the year, and VP, marketing and communications Elaine McDougall joined us for a new episode of the Gaming News Canada Show. White and McDougall dug a little deeper into the latest annual report, and spoke with us about: The ongoing efforts of the council and other stakeholders in the sports betting and igaming industry in Canada and globally to inform and educate people on gambling safely, and the use of artificial intelligence to help amplify messaging in the future;The RGC’s new partnership with Maple Leaf and Sports Entertainment, which debuted last Saturday during the Toronto Maple Leafs’ home opener at Scotiabank Arena;The council’s participation in the creation of a regulated gaming marketplace in Alberta;White’s testimony in front of the Senate transport and communications committee earlier this month on sports betting advertising;The continuing momentum when it comes to women landing executive suite positions across the industry. White also let us know that the RGC is expected to announce her success by the end of November, and gave us some thoughts on her eight-year run. McDougall also spoke about the impact White has had on the council in bringing a much-appreciated cultural shift to the organization and leading its evolution as a business. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amazon Prime dropped the puck on its NHL digital streaming journey across Canada over the past week, first with the debut of NHL Coast to Coast last Thursday followed by Prime Monday Night Hockey while we were awakening from our Thanksgiving turkey coma. Sports Interaction has a segment in the first hour of the Thursday NHL Coast to Coast broadcast. To learn more about the Homegrown Bet of the Night segment, veteran sports broadcaster David Bastl – now SIA’s chief betting officer – was our guest on the Gaming News Canada Show. Bastl provided more details on the SIA integration (with a helping hand on the production end from Parleh Media Group) into the Amazon Prime hockey broadcasts – Thursday nights deliver a Red Zone-like experience for NHL fans – and revisited his first picks from opening night.  We also asked Bastl about the ongoing evolution of professional sports leagues, rightsholders and sports wagering operators when it comes to integrating betting information and insight into a game broadcast – including The Locker Room show produced by Homestand and available on the Sports Interaction app. He also spoke about his background in media and betting, including his work on the Inside the Lines NFL betting show, and The Mike Richards Show in the early years of TSN Radio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It turns out that the road to regulated sports betting and online gaming in Alberta has hit a pothole or two. Tom Nightingale of Canadian Gaming Business reported Monday that more time is needed for the provincial government in the land of the Oilers and Flames to meet with various stakeholders with potential skin in the game of a legal gambling marketplace. For further context on this story, Jessica Welman – the editor-in-chief of both SBC Americas and Canadian Gaming Business – made her return to the Gaming News Canada Show. Welman joined GNCS host Steve McAllister before getting on yet another plane. . . this time to Las Vegas for this week’s Global Gaming Expo, to provide her insight on a few topics, including: ·      Some key takeaways from the recent SBC conference in Lisbon·      Teeing up G2E this week·      The buzz around sweepstakes in the U.S. of A. these days, including her recent conversation with Novig co-founder/CEO Jacob Fortinsky·      The latest on efforts in the Canadian Senate to pass a bill which would create a framework for sports betting advertising in our home and native land·      And other matters pertaining to legal gambling in the U.S., including what’s happening (or not) in California, Texas and Florida. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Senate Committee on Transport and Communications resumed hearing from witnesses at the beginning of October with the proposed Bill-269 to create a national framework for advertising on sports betting. Among the folks making the trek to the nation’s capital to appear in front of the committee was Canadian Gaming Association grand poobah Paul Burns. Burns returned to the Gaming News Canada Show to discuss his appearance in Ottawa, and the continued evolution of advertising in Ontario’s regulated sports betting and online gaming marketplace. From Tom Nightingale’s reporting in Canadian Gaming Business: Burns had argued in his opening statement that he doesn’t believe S-269 is necessary, as most of what the bill aims to do is already being done. In particular, he pointed to Ontario’s advertising restrictions and stipulations around responsible gaming messaging, noting that anecdotally, Ontario has seen a far higher uptake of RG messaging and practical tools than operators are legally required to offer. “There’s been a lot of emotional discussion about gaming advertising over the last couple of years because people have seen more of it,” noted Burns. “But there’s also been some absence of facts and data and understanding.” The CGA president/CEO also provided an update on the road to regulation in Alberta, including Minister Dale Nally’s pending appearance on a panel Wednesday alongside Burns, AGCO chief Dr. Karin Schnarr and iGaming Ontario executive director Martha Otton (you can expect the soon-to-retire iGO ED will deliver the latest quarterly results on the Ontario industry) at this week’s Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas. We also asked Burns for his thoughts on the state of regulated gambling today across the true north, strong and free. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since Ontario’s regulated gaming industry opened its doors in April 2022, there’s been a steady rise in the popularity and corresponding revenue from online gaming. Paul Adams, the director of marketing operations for BetMGM, made his maiden appearance on the Gaming News Canada Show alongside the company’s PR/data insights manager John Ewing for a chin wag about the operator’s increasing investment in igaming via the launch of Lightning Storm and WOF Casino, and exclusive slots based on movies and TV Shows such as The Godfather and Charlie’s Angels. Adams also got into the partnership announced this summer between BetMGM and gaming casino content creator Brian Christopher.  Ewing returned to the podcast for a conversation on the wave of wagering around the early weeks of the National Football League season, and how its customers in Ontario engaging in four-down football. We also asked Ewing about the impact Shohei Ohtani’s season for the ages has had on the business of betting, and the potential excitement around a Dodgers (Ohtani)-Yankees (Aaron Judge) World Series. Finally, Adams confirmed that BetMGM is among the operators paying close attention to plans for launching a regulated sports betting and online gaming marketplace in Alberta (we recommend our recent GNCS episode with Amanda Brewer and Phill Gray for more on the Alberta situation). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many folks employed in the world of sports betting and gaming are congregating in Portugal this week for SBC Lisbon. That includes Gaming News Canada Show regular panelist and industry consultant, Amanda Brewer, who will be lending her voice along with other stakeholders in the Canadian marketplace (NorthStar Gaming’s Michael Moskowitz and Jared Beber from Bet99 are among the speakers on a “Is the goose still golden” panel Wednesday around regulated gambling in Canada and the U.S. Speaking of which, Brewer and fellow consultant Phill Gray returned to the GNCS for a roundtable that was heavy on talk about the pending regulated market in Alberta. We tackled the rumblings about an opening date , the potential tax rate and other costs of doing business in the western Canada province, a consultative process which so far has been different than what operators experienced in the lead-up to the opening of regulated sports wagering and iGaming in Ontari-ari-ari-o, and the reaction from the Canadian Gaming Association to the results of a report by an Ottawa-based think tank earlier this month with the recommendation that Alberta shouldn’t follow Ontario’s lead in creating regulated gambling beyond what’s currently offered by Alberta Liquor, Gaming & Cannabis. (Ed’s Note: We reached out to the communications folks at the office of Minister Dale Nally requesting an update on the province’s plans. After recording this episode, we received a response including: “We’d be happy to give an update, however due to a busy schedule we don’t have much availability until the first to second week in October”. We expect the minister will be in Lisbon and will participate in a Thursday roundtable on Canada hosted by Alon Segev of Segev LLP. Also, ICYMI, Ron Segev was our guest on the podcast a few weeks ago to provide his take on Alberta.) Both Brewer and Gray weighed in on the proposal by two U.S. senators to create a federal Supporting Affordability and Fairness with Every Bet (SAFE) Act. Gray also addressed our questions into a recent roundtable organized by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission into operators placing limits on sports bettors (Steve Ruddock’s thoughts in his Straight to the Point newsletter is a good read). Finally, our two panelists also weighed in on the pending retirement of IGaming Ontario executive director Martha Otton, and the challenges facing her successor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There were tremors through the Canadian sports business and media landscape this morning when Sportico’s Scott Soshnick and Kurt Badenhausen broke the news that Rogers was acquiring Bell’s 37.5 per cent stake in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment for $4.7 billion, subject to the approval of sports leagues tied to MLSE’s ownership of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors and Toronto FC.From the reporting done by Soshnick and Badenausen of the U.S.-based sports business publication:Rogers already owned 37.5% of MLSE, and now puts a total valuation of Rogers’ ownership of the entity at $9.4 billion Canadian dollars. Rogers also owns the Toronto Blue Jays, who are worth $2.27 billion, according to Sportico. Larry Tanenbaum owns the remaining 25% stake in MLSE, which also includes the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts.Jonah Sigel, the go-to person for the latest news on the Canadian sports media industry (you can find him on X at @yyzsportsmedia), and Parleh Media Group co-founder Mark Silver hopped on their laptops for a special edition of the Gaming News Canada Show. Among the topics discussed:The impact of today’s announcement on the sports media business in our home and native land, including the expiration of the NHL’s $5.2 billion, 12-year broadcasting contract with Rogers at the end of the 2025-26 season;Bell Media securing content rights for the Maple Leafs and Raptors for the next two decades;The potential impact of the announcement on Rogers and the leaders – led by Edward Rogers - of MLSE and its franchises, and the Blue Jays; The relevance of the sports and entertainment behemoth having a face for the organization a la George Steinbrenner, Jerry Jones or Mark Cuban (which got us talking about Bruce Garrioch’s feature on Ottawa Senators owner Michael Andlauer in today’s Ottawa Citizen);And of course, some thoughts from a regulated gambling industry respective given the dollars spent on media and partnerships with pro sports organizations by legal operators in Ontario and provincial lottery and gaming corporations across the country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some 18 months ago, your humble host sat in a New York restaurant with three guys who came friends while attending UCLA and took the startup plunge to create WagerWire.Today, the Los Angeles-based business has established a place in the sports wagering and daily fantasy sports trading marketplace while using social and media platforms to build a community of sports aficionados. The co-founders of WagerWire, Zach Doctor, Travis Geiger and Guy Dotan were our guests on the Gaming News Canada Show to discuss the company’s ongoing growth, including this summer’s announcement of establishing fantasy and media verticals to “operate sports products and other types of gaming independently of sports betting”.We also asked the trio about the opportunities in Ontario’s regulated gambling marketplace, and the soon-to-come regulated industry in Alberta, their newish foray into horse racing. Dotan also lent us his expertise on the continuing challenges with new technologies.And, our conversation included some NFL talk in a week when the four-down gridiron giant kicked off its regular season, and the American Gaming Association announcedthat an unprecedented $35 billion (Amarican dollars) will be wagered on the league this season.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earlier this month, the British Columbia Lottery Corporation bid adieu to the old days of sports bettors stopping by the local convenience store to make their picks on paper with the launch of its ProLine digital sportsbook.Brett Hanson, BCLC’s Manager – Retail Sports was our latest guest on the Gaming News Canada Show to dig into the deets of the new ProLine, which went live just before the start of the NFL regular season. Hanson, who previously worked for offshore sportsbooks before joining the provincial lottery corporation in April 2018, talked about the race to launch ProLine before the start of the four-down football campaign and the challenges and opportunities around creating a new and improved sportsbook product for retail customers. That includes some new features and an expanded offering of wagers for Lions, Canucks, Seahawks and other favourite teams of sports fans in Canada’s most-western province. We also asked Hanson about changing the habits of ProLine customers to move into the digital world, and on the opportunity to educate those customers about responsible gambling with the new sportsbook. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s been awhile since we had a conversation with Ron Segev, the founder of Segev LLP and one of the leading legal beagles when it comes to the business of sports betting and gaming.  So, the recent announcement that the British Columbia-based law firm was establishing some roots in Calgary ahead of the launch of regulated gambling in Alberta was the catalyst to have Segev join us on the Gaming News Canada Show. Among the topics discussed: · We’ve never heard the story of Segev LLP having a gaming component to its legal practice, so we asked;· While it’s expected the Alberta model will have similarities to Ontario’s regulated gambling marketplace, Segev says there are unique qualities in the western Canada province that will come into play;· A state-of-the-Ontario-market discussion, including with regards to the current Ontario Superior Court case brought forth by the provincial Attorney General’s office on liquidity;· Why it’s not a slam dunk for B.C. to follow suit with an open, legal marketplaceWe also asked Segev for his thoughts on what’s expected to be a rather robust fall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the eve of the start of the National Football League regular-season, Michael Cryan – the newish Head of Paid Social at Sportradar – was our guest on the Gaming News Canada Show to answer our queries about his new gig. Cryan, who landed at Sportradar after stints with social media behemoths TikTok and Meta, and is still settling into his new role, dug into the evolving use of short-form videos for betting brands and acquiring new customers. He also spoke about the integration of Sportradar’s data and technology into the video content of operators in the business of sports wagering and online gaming.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back in the spring, Bettormetrics released a report analyzing suspension strategies and the impact they were having on sportsbook revenues in the U.S. of A.  Robert Urwin, the co-founder and managing director of the sports odds intelligence company, made his maiden appearance on the Gaming News Canada Show to dig deeper into the company’s data around betting on the 2023-24 NBA season. Included in the company’s analysis as FanDuel leaving an estimated $1.45 billion (Amarican bucks) in handle during the pro hoops campaign. Urwin, who’s worked in the gaming industry for more than two decades – including tenures with Unibet, Betfair and Ladbrokes before co-founding Bettormetrics almost three years ago – spoke about his current company’s place in the sports betting biz and further addressed suspension of wagers during live sporting events.  He also got into the evolving use of artificial intelligence in delivering data around sports and sports betting, as we enter a busy fall sports schedule with the return of the NFL, NBA and NHL regular seasons, MLB playoffs, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the beginning of August, iGaming Ontario announced a select bid by Integrity Compliance 360 and Australian company IXUP was selected to develop a centralized self-exclusion system for Ontario. Catherine Jarmain, iGO’s director of industry programs and monitoring, and IC360 president Eric Frank joined the latest episode of the Gaming News Canada Show to discuss the project to build on the existing player protections in Ontario. Frank explained the creation of the partnership between IC360 and its ProhiBet betting integrity product, and IXUP, which designed and delivered and operates Australia’s national self-exclusion register (BetStop). Jarmain spoke about both the lengthy process that led to the August 1 announcement, and the coming together of Ontario’s regulated operators and OLG in supporting the development of a centralized program for Canada’s only regulated industry. We also asked Frank about the IC360/IXUP partnership extending into other jurisdictions, including the anticipated opening of a regulated gambling industry in Alberta. Finally, both Jarmain and Frank paid tribute to Martha Otton, after iGO announced last week that its executive director is retiring at the end of the year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So much for the dog days of summer, at least when it comes to the business of sports betting and gaming in Canada and the United States of America. Geoff Zochodne, the veteran gaming industry beat reporter for Covers, took a break from listening to hearings, transcribing interviews and tapping the keyboard to return as our guest on the latest episode of the Gaming News Canada Show. Among the many topics we covered over a lengthy conversation: - What is motivating DraftKings to, in Zochodne’s words, “plan to hit winning players with a ‘gaming tax surcharge’?- What make sense in terms of timing for regulated sports wagering and online gaming to arrive in Alberta and what will that marketplace look like?- Jeff Marek’s departure from Sportsnet appears to have involved both the NHL and Nevada Gaming Control Board.- And what’s the dilio with regards to sports betting regulators and limiting? Zochodne also provided his perspective on the Ontario Court of Appeal case considering the expansion of online poker and daily fantasy sports, consolidation of the U.S. sports betting industry (and why it hasn’t happened in Ontario), and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did you hear the story about the NCAA assistant basketball coachwho decided less than a year into the COVID pandemic to leave coaching and create a startup business around tractor and truck pulling, and gaming? If not, you’re politely invited to listen in on our conversation with Full Pull Entertainment founder and CEO Chase Richardson on the latest episode of the Gaming News Canada Show. Richardson, whom we first met while he was on a networking/business development mission at last year’s Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas, shared his journey of leaving college hoops to parlay (see what we did?) his farming family’s generational participation in truck and tractor pulling to build a business and expand engagement around the sport into the gaming sector with the launch of Full Pull Picks.  Richardson discussed with us the lessons learned from coaching and recruiting in the highly competitive U.S. college basketball environment into operating a startup business. And we asked the former NCAA player how he recruited Friend of Gaming News Canada Benjie Cherniak to join Full Pull as an advisor and investor. The Full Pull head honcho also talked about his desire to bring Full Pull Picks to the Ontario and Alberta (when regulated gambling comes to the western Canada province) markets, given the appetite for tractor and truck pulling throughout rural communities in the two provinces. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Court is in session this summer, at least the Court of Appeal for Ontario, which is being asked by the provincial government “to answer whether the Ontario’s igaming regime would remain lawful under the Criminal Code (of Canada) if the overall size of the potential gaming audience of the scheme, otherwise known as its liquidity, is expanded to include players outside of Canada”. The latest session, which took place July 6, included legal representation for the Attorney General of Ontario, the Attorney General of British Columbia, members of the Canadian Lottery Coalition, the Canadian Gaming Association, Flutter Entertainment (owners of PokerStars and FanDuel), NSUS Group Inc. and NSUS Limited (proprietors of GGPoker), and the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke. For their respective perspectives on the court proceedings, the Gaming News Canada Show welcomed back CGA president/CEO Paul Burns and Jack Tadman, the managing partner of GME Law. Burns walked us through the CGA’s role in supporting the province’s request and provided some history around cross/jurisdiction/border online gaming and daily fantasy sports. Tadman added a layer or two, too, to that topic and spoke about what intrigues him about the case and the participants. Burns had some thoughts last month’s Canadian Gaming Summit and welcomed Kiron Interactive as the association’s newest member. Both Burns and Tadman addressed the ever-evolving nature of regulated sports betting and gaming, and we also asked Tadman for his reaction to the ongoing push by Senator Marty Deacon to pass Bill S-269, National Framework on Advertising for Sports Betting Act.  From the Dept. of In Case You Missed It, iGaming Ontario released Wednesdayits FY 2024-25 Q1 Market Performance Report. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some four weeks after the curtain fell on the latest Canadian Gaming Summit, the Gaming News Canada Show welcomed back regular contributors Amanda Brewer and Phill Gray. The two gambling industry veterans provided their thoughts and layers to the annual gathering of operators, regulators, suppliers, politicians, etc., to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Brewer, who spoke on the Alberta: A new gold rush? panel at last month's summit, and Gray delved into the details of what regulated gambling will look like in the western Canada province, the influence Ontario's existing industry will have on the Alberta model and which operators will be heading west when that market hangs the Open For Business shingle. We also asked the resident GNC experts for their respective perspectives on the latest around the conversation about gambling advertising, and a recent callby the Canada Centre on Substance Use and Addiction for the introduction of a national strategy to address gambling-related harms in our home and native land. Finally, Gray and Brewer gave their reaction to the news last week that Betway is pulling its sports betting product out of the U.S. of A. (but continuing to operate both sports wagering and igaming in Ontari-ari-ari-o). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Ontario opened its doors to legal sports betting and igaming industry in April 2022, one of the first companies to provide its online slots products to the marketplace was Play’n GO. In May, the Swedish-born company announced a partnership with Loto-Québec to bring its products to the lottery corp’s customers in La Belle Province. And last month, just before the start of the Canadian Gaming Summit, Play’n GO became a member of the Canadian Gaming Association. Saam Hafezi, the company’s North American business lead, and head of government affairs Shawn Fluharty took time away from their version of Meetings Madness during the summit to join us on the Gaming News Canada Show. Hafezi walked us through Play’n GO’s strategy for growing business in Canada and addressed the need for speed and delivering what the customers want in a highly competitive sector of the gambling industry.  Fluharty, who serves as the president of the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States, explained the challenges operators face in navigating the different sets of rules created by gambling regulators in U.S. states and Ontario. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the second morning of the recent Canadian Gaming Summit, news broke of an exclusive partnership between BetMGM and Brian Christopher, the online slots and casino influencer with almost 700,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel. That afternoon, Christopher and his business partner Marco Bianchi sat down with us on the summit’s exhibition floor for an episode of the Gaming News Canada Show. Christopher and Bianchi, the co-founders of Palm Springs-based BC Ventures delivered some details on how the BetMGM partnership came to fruition, including Christopher’s to-come appearances for the giant igaming brand on YouTube, Facebook and Kick. We also asked Christopher about his success in building a following through BCSlots, FlipTheSwitch.com, BCSlots Cruises and Rudies Fan Club. Bianchi, a former colleague of your humble GNCS host a decade ago with Yahoo, weighed in on the company’s growth and Christopher’s connectivity with online gaming players and audiences. The two men also emphasized the commitment to responsible gaming, which Christopher will reinforce in the partnership with BetMGM. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Martha Otton was among the busiest attendees at the recent Canadian Gaming Summit. The executive director of iGaming Ontario was a ubiquitous presence around the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, whether it was speaking formally with operators in Ontario’s regulated sports betting and igaming market in her role as executive director, participating in a panel on the province’s successful industry with OLG president Duncan Hannay, OLG board chair Jim Warren and AGCO CEO/Registrar Dr. Karin Schnarr, and holding a cornucopia of informal conversations. Otton, who was put in charge of creating the conduct-and-manage subsidiary of AGCO in February 2021, also made time to join us on the latest episode of the Gaming News Canada Show. We solicited some additional thoughts to her words at the conference about the iGO-commissioned report conducted by Deloitte around economic contribution from Year 2 of a regulated industry which today includes almost 50 operators and 80 gambling websites/apps. Our interview occurred minutes after Alberta minister Dale Nally announced the western Canadian province will follow Ontario’s lead in opening a regulated gaming marketplace, so we asked Otton for her reaction. The iGO boss also addressed the ongoing evolution of legal gambling in Ontario and her still-young organization’s focus on improving its use of technology and data. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For three and a half years now, your humble host has listened and learned from many, many voices across all sectors of the gambling industry. And some of those experts prompt us to go all E.F. Hutton when they speak. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MXqb1a3Apg One of those very learned people is Benjie Cherniak, who returned to the Gaming News Canada Show after a busy couple of months piling up the frequent flier miles, including stops for NEXT.io conferences in New York and Malta. The native Montrealer, an investor and advisor to a cornucopia of companies in the gaming space (including his investment in the proprietors of GNC) was appointed to the board of directors of Kambi Group last month. We asked Cherniak to chime in on several topics in the industry these days, including the happenings around mergers and acquisitions (to wit: DraftKings acquiring Jackpocket and Sports IQ Analytics and rumblings it will also bring Simplebet into the DK family; FanDuel’s acquisition of BeyondPlay; and the sale of Waterloo-based Quarter4 to FairPlay Sports Media). He also provided some sundry thoughts on the discussions and debates around the still-newish regulated gambling marketplaces in Ontario, and states across the U.S. of A., the creation of media and marketing content for sportsbook and igaming operators, and the ongoing innovation happening in the business. Cherniak also had some advice for first-timers attending the Canadian Gaming Summit, which gets underway today at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Ian Messenger is a man with many hats over his professional career, from his work as an officer with Lothian and Borders Police in Edinburgh almost 20 years ago, to time as an operational duty officer with Interpol London and international intelligence officer, to investigating crimes of the financial sort with HSBC and OLG. Messenger’s experiences and expertise motivated him in the fall of October 2022 to create the Association of Certified Gaming Compliance Specialists, which today provides training to the casino and igaming sector in Canada and around the rest of the world. In March 2023, the ACGCS and Dalhousie University announced the first-of-its-kind course in igaming compliance in our home and native land. At next week’s Canadian Gaming Summit, Messenger will moderate a panel on Identifying and combating human trafficking in land-based casinos. He joined us on the latest episode of the Gaming News Canada Show to talk about his experiences and his motivation for launching an association which provides online courses to people around the globe. Messenger also got into the steps that have been taken to stop human trafficking casinos and gave us some advice on how to identify that someone may be in trouble. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Toronto-based Rivalry made his return to the Gaming News Canada Show. A conversation between Steves – Salz and McAllister – begins with the head honcho of the online gambling company laying out the path to last week’s announcement of Rivalry entering the world of cryptocurrency, including the NUTZ interim points program.  Salz answered our questions about the company’s latest financials, also released last week, and the company’s strategy for the remainder of 2024. There was also a discussion on what’s happening in the esports universe, and Salz’s observations about Ontario’s regulated gambling market moving into Year 3. The expansion of regulated gambling beyond Ontario in our home and native land also prompted a couple of interesting responses from Salz, who will participate in the Next-Gen gamification: engaging Millennials and GenZ panel at the upcoming Canadian Gaming Summit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the boom in women’s sports continues, led by Caitlin Clark’s arrival to the WNBA, the inaugural season of the Professional Women’s Hockey League, and Nelly Korda’s dominant season on the LPGA Tour, BetMGM has seen that rising tide impact its sports betting handle in a bullish manner. Scott Woodgate, the company’s Vice President in charge of Canada, and PR Manager – Data Insights John Ewing appeared on the Gaming News Canada Show to provide thoughts and metrics on the increase in betting on women’s sports, and the rise in female bettors. Ewing dug into BetMGM’s announcement earlier this year there was a 51-per-cent increase on women betting on the Super Bowl – thanks in some part to the Taylor Swift effect – compared with the 2023 NFL championship game. Ewing answered our question about the habits of female bettors. Both Ewing and Woodgate also got into the impact of increased attention around women’s sports on BetMGM’s product, including customers being invested in Clark during NCAA March Madness and in her rookie WNBA season with the Indiana Fever. “We reflect the interest from bettors,” said Ewing, who, with Woodgate, spoke about the similarities between sportsbooks and media when it comes to women's sports. Woodgate provided his perspective on the current state of regulated gambling in Ontario, and the prospect of Alberta becoming the next Canadian province to open its door to legal operators. Alberta’s iGaming Evolution is among the panels at the June 18-20 Canadian Gaming Summit, with Patrick Harrison guiding a conversation between TRM Public Affairs President, Entain senior executive Martin Lycka, and BetMGM Vice President, Strategy & Development Witek Wachinski. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the latest edition of the Gaming News Canada Show, we are joined by two women who’ve been instrumental in the highly acclaimed efforts of the Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corporation when it comes to creating and continuing to push forward with a culture that embraces diversity, equity and inclusivity.  Catherine Meade, the Vice President of Community, Sustainability and Social Responsibility has been with OLG for more than eight years, and in May was named North America Leader of the Year during the SBC Summit North America. Tyjondah Kerr will celebrate 25 years with OLG later this year, and is currently the corp’s Director, Social Responsibility. Meade and Kerr both spoke about OLG’s commitment to DEI, beginning with an embracing of the organization’s five-year plan in February 2019 and continuing to build on that strategy at a time when companies are pulling back on their DEI efforts. Meade talked about the work she’s done in various roles over her career, beginning as an equity officer at Acadia University and the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society in the 1990s, to her position of Director, Capital Projects for the PanAm/Parapan Games group in Toronto less than a decade ago, and as a passionate advocate for the LGBTQ sports community. We asked Kerr about her early years as a young black woman in the business of gambling – telling the story of her frustration at being overlooked for promotions - and the (slow) evolution of the industry as one that’s more inclusive with work still to be done. Our two guests also weighed in on the tidal wave these days around women’s sports. Meade and Kerr will both be speaking at the June 18-20 Canadian Gaming Summit in Toronto.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Given the recent cornucopia of happenings around the business of sports betting and igaming, we brought back the Gaming News Canada Show panel with Amanda Brewer and Phill Gray.The rapid-fire roundtable featuring the two gambling industry veterans opened with a discussion on the recent ruling by the Ontario Superior Court against the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke that the gaming model operated by iGaming Ontario is of the valid variety, and its potential impact on the future on other regulated provinces across Canada. Brewer, who will participate in a couple of panels at next month's Canadian Gaming Summit in Toronto, and Gray also weighed in on the agenda that's been created by SBC in collaboration with the Canadian Gaming Association for the three-day conference inside the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.The conversation turned to south of the border where U.S. states such as Illinois are proposing tax hikes to regulated sports betting operators, and the recent snub by operators toward the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to discuss placing betting limitations. We also asked our pair of panelists for their thoughts on the rising wave around women's sports, including an exciting final series in the Professional Women's Hockey League, the launch of the new WNBA season with rookie sensation Caitlin Clark, and this week's announcement about the incoming Northern Super League in Canada. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stuart Godfree, the Managing Director, Mobile and Geolocation Specialists for Mkodo, is our latest guest on the Gaming News Canada Show. Godfree, who co-founded the UK-based geolocation technology business 23 years ago this month, discussed the evolution of the company’s business in the more-recent regulatory environment of U.S. states and Ontario, including Mkodo’s work with the Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corporation, Casumo and Betty. We asked Godfree for his thoughts on the regulatory regime created by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, with the assistance of iGaming Ontario, and the need for other Canadian provinces to follow the lead of the provincial government in Ontari-ari-ari-o.Our conversation touched on the collaboration between operators and companies like Mkodo, which includes its Geo Locs service for igaming operators. Godfree, who will participate in the Modern Approaches to Traditional Verticals: Digitization Comes for Lottery, Bingo, and Horses panel at next month’s Canadian Gaming Summit, also provided his thoughts on the evolution of machine learning/artificial intelligence.Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/G2ysd1G6HSc?si=khj82YOv6NPC4SeW Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Canadian Elite Basketball League opens its sixth season tonight in Calgary with the hometown Surge hosting the Edmonton Stingers in a hoops edition of the Battle of Alberta expected to draw more than 10,000 fans. Mike Morreale, the CEBL’s commissioner, and deputy commissioner John Lashway appeared on the Gaming News Canada Show to set the table for the 10-team loop’s Summer of 2024. Morreale and Lashway walked GNCS host Steve McAllister through the league’s efforts to educate players, coaches, officials and other stakeholders on its sports betting policy and collaborating with league partners Genius Sports, SIS and BetVictor in the fight against match-fixing. The podcast also includes a discussion on the CEBL’s partnership with BetVictor, which this season includes a weekly betting show to be produced by Homestand Sports. And, Morreale and Lashway both weighed in on the league’s growth from six teams in its 2019 inaugural season to 10 teams with plans for expansion in 2025, the development of players, coaches and officials who have graduated to the National Basketball Association, and the CEBL becoming an attractive place for players looking to climb the pro hoops ladder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This morning, Sharp Alpha Advisors – the New York-based venture capital firm which specializes in sports, gaming and entertainment – announced the closing of Sharp Alpha Fund II, an oversubscribed $250-million VC fund investing in early-stage businesses. Lloyd Danzig, the managing partner of Sharp Alpha Advisors, joined the Gaming News Canada Show from Dallas to provide more details around the breaking news. He also spoke about the flurry of M&A activity so far in 2024, including the acquisition of Quarter4 by FairPlay Sports Media Group, and what’s motivating those transactions, and what investors are looking for when it comes to providing funding to companies in the sports, gaming and entertainment spaces. And, what excites him about the innovation and products appearing in the world of sports wagering and online gaming these days.Danzig, who will be speaking at next month’s Canadian Gaming Summit in Toronto, also addressed the opportunities north of the border.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Three years since doing the incorporation thing – and less than a year before the opening of Ontario’s regulated sports betting and igaming industry – Parleh Media Group’s journey has been one of twists and turns for its Homestand, Bettor Content and The Parleh/Gaming News Canada brands. Mark Silver, the PMG chief executive officer who brought together the company’s six founding partners in early 2021 and Homestand’s content/brand grand poobah Kevin Kennedy appeared on the Gaming News Canada Show for some reminiscing and a lookahead at the opportunities in the always-changing world of betting, gaming and media. Silver spoke about his latest experience in a startup business, and the need for continuous experimenting and shifting strategies to meet the needs of some 10 clients which Parleh has served in Ontario’s two-year-old regulated marketplace. Kennedy was asked for his thoughts on the merger of sports betting and sports media – including The Locker Room program that’s available on the Sports Interaction app - the continuous search for unique content in a market that remains crowded despite the challenges faced by traditional media, and the content opportunities around Ontario’s robust online gaming business.  Both PMG leaders gave their own taps of the hockey twig, Silver to investors and other supporters of the company, and Kennedy to the group of established and just-starting content creators who are finding a different path these days to telling stories in the world of sports. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The leadership group at U.S. Integrity and Odds On Compliance took its own version of the Nestea plunge last month when it announced the merger of the two companies under a new brand, IC360. Matthew Holt, the chief executive officer of the new company, and IC360 president Eric Frank appeared on the latest episode of the Gaming News Canada Show. The main drivers of the merger gave us the back story on how U.S. Integrity and Odds On Compliance came together since launching ProhiBet at the beginning of 2023, and the new business’s integration of integrity and compliance products. Holt explained the creation of an education and training team led by former EPIC Global Solutions employees Mark Potter and Dan Trolaro while both Holt and Frank got into the fast-moving evolution of artificial intelligence in supporting its integrity and compliance services. The interview also included a discussion on IC360’s plans for the Canadian market, including the hiring of Sebastian Jedrzejewski from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario last year and U.S. Integrity’s collaboration with the AGCO in the days leading up to the opening of the province’s regulated gambling marketplace. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some 5,000 people working across various sectors of the sports wagering and gaming industry in the U.S., Canada and countries around the planet will gather inside at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, NJ, next week for the annual SBC Summit North America. It’s one of two major conferences organized this spring by SBC, which will co-host with the Canadian Gaming Association the June 18-20 Canadian Gaming Summit at the Metro Toronto Convention Center.  Gambling industry veteran Sue Schneider, the VP of Growth and Strategy for SBC’s North American business, was our guest on this edition of the Gaming News Canada Show. Schneider, who was inducted into the Sports Betting Hall of Fame during the 2022 North America summit, teed up next week’s rendezvous in Secaucus, provided some helpful hints to first-time attendees and gave her perspective on the evolution of the SBC events, and the industry itself over a quarter of a century. We also asked what attendees of the Canadian Gaming Summit can expect next month in SBC’s second year of co-hosting the conference. One of the most-passionate advocates for women working in the industry, Schneider also spoke about the progress that’s been made, including the creation of companies such as Ontario-regulated online gaming business Betty, and Betting Ladies, and the need to continue those efforts. She also weighed in on the current state of the gambling industry in the U.S. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was a homecoming of sorts when Will Hill joined the Canadian Lottery Coalition as its executive director.  Hill, who spent 11 years with OLG, these days represents a collaboration of the Alberta Lottery and Gaming Corporation, the Atlantic Lottery Corporation, BCLC, Loto-Québec, the Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Corporation, and the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority. On the latest episode of the Gaming News Canada Show, he addressed the coalition’s advocacy for legal gambling across Canada and the work that’s been done in trying to limit gambling advertising by regulated operators in Ontario within the province’s borders. And, we asked him about the apparent road to regulation that’s happening in Alberta. The former journalist and Toronto Blue Jays employee also teed up a panel discussion at the Canadian Gaming Summit in June which is scheduled to include crown corporation leaders Kandice Machado (AGLC), Pat Davis (BCLC), Patrick Daigle (ALC) and Jean-Francois Bergeron (Loto-Québec). Hill also provided some thoughts on the current state of the gambling industry in North America, including a decline in casino visitors in some U.S. states. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As sports betting and gaming continue to evolve, along with almost everything else, in the digital space, so do the methods of payments for people placing a sports wager and/or playing online poker, casino and slots. On this episode of the Gaming News Canada Show, Paysafe executive Greg Kirstein was our guest. Kirstein, who joined Paysafe in the summer of 2013 and is currently the general manager, iGaming for the company’s North American business, discussed the business’s work with the lottery and gaming corporations in Ontario and Quebec, and regulated operators in Ontari-ari-ari-o. He also got into the expanding inventory of online payment products. And, of course, we asked the Montreal-based Kirstein about the potential for expanding regulated gambling into other provinces across our home and native land. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week’s suspension of Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter by the NBA for violations of the league’s gambling policy poured more fuel on the fire on the relationships between professional sports leagues and sports betting companies operating in legal gambling jurisdictions across the United States and Canada.Doug Smith, who’s been covering the Toronto Raptors since Day 1 for the Toronto Star, appeared on this episode of the Gaming News Canada Show with Legal Sports Report gambling biz journalist (and former NBA beat writer) Mike Mazzeo. Smith spoke about the conversations he’s had with Raptors players about the new world of online sports wagering, and the ties that bind leagues and betting operators while Mazzeo weighed in on the measures being taken by all stakeholders in the fight against match-fixing and other potential betting scandals in pro sports. Daniel Umfleet, the founder and CEO of Kindbridge Behavioral Health, then joined the show from Southampton, England to weigh in on the Porter ban. Kindbridge’s partners include NASCAR, Entain, BetMGM, DraftKings, U.S. Integrity and Sportradar, and Umfleet answered our questions about the roles companies in different sectors of the sports wagering landscape play in preventing situations such as Porter’s, and the pressures faced by today’s athletes – current, former and those who are trying to prepare for life after playing. He also got into the evolution of responsible gambling programs in the U.S., which traditionally have been based on bricks-and-mortar sportsbooks and casinos to deal with the still-newish world of online gambling. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some 24 hours before iGaming Ontario released its fourth-quarter and 2023-24 year-end market performance report, Canadian Gaming Association president and CEO Paul Burns made his return to the Gaming News Canada Show for somewhat of a rapid-round episode. Burns provided a plethora of perspectives on a number of topics, including the two-year anniversary of regulated gambling in Ontari-ari-ari-o and what’s next, what may lie ahead for regulated sports betting and igaming in other Canadian provinces, the work that’s been done in our home and native land on responsible gambling, and the role that Canada plays internationally in the gambling space. We also asked Burns about preparations between the CGA and SBC for the annual Canadian Gaming Summit in Toronto, taking place June 18-20. And, there was also some girls/women’s hockey talk as the CGA’s head honcho walks away from the bench after a lengthy coaching tenure in the Leaside Wildcats organization. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Brianne Doura-Schawohl joined the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling in the fall of 2013, the overturning of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in the United States was five years away and amending the Criminal Code of Canada to pave the way for legal single-event sports betting was eight years away. Since then, Doura-Schawohl has gone on to become a leading voice on responsible gambling and problem gambling in senior leadership roles with the National Council on Problem Gambling, and EPIC Risk Management. In her current role as CEO of Doura-Schawohl Consulting LLC, she’s working with stakeholders across the regulated gambling industry to address the growing concern around problem gambling. On the latest episode of the Gaming News Canada Show, Doura-Schawohl discussed the impact that the fast-moving mobile/online gambling industry in the U.S. is having on people, the influence of gambling advertising and famous brand ambassadors on players, concerns about increased gambling activity among college students, the need for more research into problem gambling, and the responsibility that stakeholders across the industry have to make gambling safer. Doura-Schawohl, who doesn't shy away from advocating for more tangible action on RG, also provided more than a few words of praise to RG efforts in Ontario and across the rest of Canada by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario – when creating the province’s regulated sports betting and igaming marketplace – the Responsible Gambling Council and BCLC with its GameSense self-exclusion program that is being used by operators in the U.S. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In March, Basketball Forever announced the completion of a $4 million funding round led by Yolo Investments. Gambling industry veterans Paris Smith, Seth Young and Friends of Gaming News Canada Benjie Cherniak and Chris Grove were among the folks putting some dollars – and their faith in the digital sports media company. The successful round of fundraising, explained chief strategy officer Nick Kelland, was the result of pounding the pavement – including the halls of The Venetian during last fall’s Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas. Kelland was our special guest on the latest episode of the Gaming News Canada Show to answer our enquiries about BF’s journey through the worlds of startups, social media, sports media/content, fantasy sports, free-to-play gaming, and sports wagering. Kelland also explained the company’s success in attracting millions of hoops aficionados from Down Under, in the U.S., Canada and other parts of the planet. And, of course, we asked about the Caitlin Clark effect on the growing popularity of women’s basketball with the betting public. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The regulated sports betting and igaming industry in Ontario recently turned the page on its second year of existence and begins Year 3 amidst gambling controversies involving the biggest star in Major League Baseball and a Toronto Raptors player, angst around sports betting advertising that won’t go away, concern on how serious stakeholders across the business of wagering and gaming are when it comes to problem gambling, and illegal operators still having a prominent place across North America. Scott Vanderwel, the chief executive officer of PointsBet Canada, returned to the Gaming News Canada Show to discuss those topics, while also discussing the recent closing of the acquisition of PointsBet USA by Fanatics, PointsBet Canada’s newish partnership with Strive Gaming to enhance its online gaming offering, the impact of University of Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark on the business of sports betting, and the successes and lessons learned by operators, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and iGaming Ontario is a highly competitive marketplace. Vanderwel was also joined by Nic Sulsky for a conversation on the breaking news this morning (Tuesday) that Sulsky is leaving his chief commercial officer position with PointsBet Canada to become a partner and CEO of the newly formed The Curling Group. Sportsnet announced this morning that The Curling Group will take over ownership and operations of the 12-year-old Grand Slam of Curling series. Sulsky told us the story of how The Curling Group was created, the opportunities for continuing to grow the sport globally, PointsBet Canada’s early . . . er. . . gamble on curling, and he also provided his thoughts on the industry he’s leaving. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The second anniversary of Ontario’s regulated sports betting and igaming industry lands April 4th, and in the midst of investigations involving MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani and Jontay Porter of the Toronto Raptors around sports betting. Meanwhile, the debate continues around gambling advertising, sportsbooks placing limits on bettors, and problem gambling. Also, the state of New York just had its second most successful week in sports betting handle from legal operators since the launch of its regulated marketplace in January 2022. And the regulated sports betting business in North Carolina has launched with a bang riding the March Madness wave. The latest episode of the Gaming News Canada Show brings together a media roundtable with SBC Americas editor-in-chief Jessica Welman, the managing editor of Catena Media’s Play Canada, Play Michigan and Play Pennsylvania websites, Dave Briggs, and Geoff Zochodne, the gambling industry beat writer for Covers.com. The trio of journalists joined Steve McAllister to discuss the good, bad and ugly that is the current state of gambling across North America. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fourteen years ago, Justin Park was an analyst with a pharmaceutical/biotech management consulting firm in New York. These days, Park is the chief executive officer of Betty, which launched 14 months ago its online casino and “casual mobile gaming” business in Ontario’s regulated igaming industry. The startups veteran was our guest on the latest episode of the Gaming News Canada Show, joining us from the Big Apple. Park spoke about the creation of Betty, why Ontario is the company’s first foray into regulated igaming, its success so far competing against the big players in the province, his laser focus on the future opportunities in other Canadian provinces, and the focus on women as customers, and employees. Park also provided some words of wisdom for startups in the gambling industry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael Zitney, the director of content and brand for Sports Interaction, and Kevin Kennedy – who holds the same title for Homestand – were our guests on the latest episode of the Gaming News Canada Show. Zitney and Kennedy discussed the Sports Interaction/Homestand partnership and the creation of The Locker Room – a live show available on the sportsbook’s app during the past NFL season and during other major sports events. Sports Interaction’s content/brand lead also answered our questions about the business’s integration into Hockey Night in Canada this NHL season and tailoring its advertising and marketing strategy around the new standards put into place by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario to restrict the use of athletes. Kennedy spoke about the attraction – and evolution - of live events for sports fans post-COVID pandemic, and the ongoing efforts to inform and entertain fans and fans who wager on sporting events. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.