Connect with us

Canada

GAMBLESS H1 UPDATE

Published

on

 

Below a brief overview of the most significant updates during the first half of 2022.

Summary:

  • App Downloads: Growth of American Userbase
  • Resources: Gambless – Mindspa Health integration
  • Validation: Research and Studies
  • Trends: Digital Health Attitude

 

Growth of American Userbase

Gambless continues to be problem gamblers’ go-to mobile app for support also in 2022. The app ranks #1 for “gambling addiction” and related searches on Google Play in most countries, including the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Italy, and many others. Hence, it is able to capture most of the user-led organic demand for help – even without referrals from other organizations.

In recent months, Gambless has seen an increase of downloads from the United States. Last year, U.S. based problem gamblers registered on the app were 28% of all English speakers, however, their share jumped to 35% in 2022. The main cause for this growth might be the increased popularity and continued legalization of online gambling in the States; those who gamble online are more prone to searching for digital support tools.

Gambless continued to ask its users where they gamble or used to gamble most frequently, and the operators that make the top the lists in 2022 so far are: DraftKings (US), Ladbrokes Coral (UK), and Snai (Italy).

 

Mindspa Health Integration

Taking a mental health test is one of the quickest and easiest ways to determine whether someone is experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition. This is particularly relevant for a condition characterized by low awareness and a strong stigma attached to it, such as gambling addiction.

Striving to further increase its reach, Gambless has now achieved higher integration with Mindspa Health. That means that from now on, Mindspa users will be able to take – among other tests – also a ‘Problem Gambling’ self-assessment, after which they will be redirected to Gambless resources if deemed at risk. With over 1 million registered users and hundreds of thousands monthly readers on its blogs and social media, Mindspa has been ranked among the top 5 mental health apps in Europe by Apple in 2021.

This integration will ensure greater awareness on the topic, while contributing to our mission of tackling gambling addiction with a holistic mental health approach.

 

Health Care Trends & Research

It is paramount that digital support tools are built to the highest standards. Thanks to the appreciative emails and messages we receive regularly from users, here at Gambless we are cognizant of the tremendous impact these resources can have on the most vulnerable individuals.

Digital health is particularly important for highly stigmatized conditions, such as addictive disorders and pathological gambling, and it will play an even greater role in the future. In the UK, 62% of people surveyed by independent organisation ORCHA agreed that it’s vital to consider new ways to manage our health, including using high-quality health apps. Moreover, 83% of people who have used a health app said they found it helpful in improving their health and wellbeing.

In the past months, Gambless and Mindspa have been the subjects of several studies and research papers. A review of Gambless was included in the paper: “Gambling digital tools: Promising practices & future opportunities” by the Canadian Responsible Gambling Council. While the chatbot feature from Mindspa (available also on Gambless) was reviewed in two research papers: “A review of mobile chatbot apps for anxiety and depression and their self-care features” and “Health-focused conversational agents in person-centered care: a review of apps”. Both papers highlighted promising results regarding the acceptability of healthbots for mental health, with Mindspa receiving the highest rating (4.9/5) among the studied apps.

 

Final Notes

Lastly, as of July 2022 Gambless therapeutic courses are no longer free (all the other app features remain free). This decision was not taken lightly, and those who take a self-assessment test and are deemed at risk of gambling addiction will still be able to access our ‘Problem Gambling’ programs at a discount price, now set at a symbolic $9.99 –which is 1¢ lower than the minimum deposit amount on the average gambling site.

The change comes after 2 years during which access codes to our therapeutic courses were distributed for free to thousands of individuals in need, despite a lack of interest in our efforts shown by regulators, operators and grant-making organisations.

Powered by WPeMatico

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Caesars Entertainment Windsor Limited

OLG and Caesars Sign Long-term Operating Agreement for Windsor Casino

Published

on

olg-and-caesars-sign-long-term-operating-agreement-for-windsor-casino

 

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) and Caesars Entertainment Windsor Limited (Caesars) announced that they have entered into a Casino Operating and Services Agreement (COSA) for the Windsor casino.

Under the new, close to 20-year agreement, Caesars continues day-to-day operations of the Windsor casino, ensuring its exciting brand of gaming entertainment remains part of the Windsor skyline.

“This is a great day for OLG, our partners at Caesars and the City of Windsor. The agreement we’ve signed will see our partnership with Caesars continue for many years to come. It’s a partnership that has benefitted the community and local economy in countless ways and we’re thrilled to continue our contribution together,” said OLG’s President and CEO, Duncan Hannay.

The Windsor casino is the final gaming site in Ontario to transition to OLG’s Land-based Gaming modernization model.

In May 2025, Stan Cho, Ontario’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming and OLG announced that Caesars had been selected as the operator through a competitive procurement process, with the expected transition to the new agreement with Caesars in early 2026.

“We are proud to continue bringing the iconic Caesars brand to life here in Windsor. For more than three decades, this Resort has been a cornerstone of the region’s tourism economy, and for the past 18 years it has proudly carried the Caesars name. We look forward to building on that legacy by delivering the world‑class hospitality, entertainment, and service our guests expect from Caesars,” said Anthony Carano, President and Chief Operating Officer of Caesars Entertainment.

Under the new agreement, OLG will continue to make Municipality Contribution Agreement (MCA) payments to the City of Windsor. Since 1994, OLG has provided more than $138 million in MCA payments to the city as a gaming host community. Additionally, Caesars must maintain current casino employment levels for a period of no less than 18 months. Unionized employees will be governed by the terms of their collective agreement.

Through its Land-based Gaming modernization, OLG has been transferring day-to-day operations of casinos to private sector service providers who are investing in Ontario communities. To date, OLG’s land-based gaming service providers have invested more than $2.9 billion in communities across the province, which both encourages local economic growth and helps OLG increase its contribution to the Province of Ontario.

OLG promotes safer gambling and empowers players to make informed decisions at every step of their play. PlaySmart provides tools and information that help players stay in control and enjoy games on their terms.

The post OLG and Caesars Sign Long-term Operating Agreement for Windsor Casino appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Continue Reading

Bragg Gaming Group

Bragg Strengthens Executive Team for Enhanced Content Strategy, North American Growth, and AI-First Transformation

Published

on

bragg-strengthens-executive-team-for-enhanced-content-strategy,-north-american-growth,-and-ai-first-transformation

 

Bragg Gaming Group has announced the appointment of Morten Tonnesen as its new Chief Operating Officer and the promotion of Garrick Morris to the position of Executive Vice President of Global Content, US and Canada.

These immediate management changes emphasize Bragg’s strategic focus on aggressively scaling and expanding the high-margin content business globally, especially throughout the US and Canada. This global content business demonstrated significant growth, increasing by 76% in Q4-2025 compared to Q4-2024 and achieving 69% growth for the full year 2025 compared to 2024. This growth is supported by the acceleration of the “Bragg AI Brain” initiative and the company’s future presence in key emerging markets, such as Historical and Live Racing and Prediction markets. The organizational realignment represents the necessary final steps following the structural cost changes announced in January 2026.

Matevž Mazij, CEO of Bragg Gaming Group, said: “I’m thrilled to welcome Morten to Bragg and congratulate Garrick on his promotion. Both leaders are highly qualified, bringing extensive iGaming expertise that will be vital as we embark on our next chapter: becoming a global B2B leader in Content, Engagement, and Infrastructure and what we believe will be iGaming’s ‘AI-First’ company. Our cutting-edge tech stack has moved beyond the investment phase and is now a proven cash generator engineered for horizontal scaling.

“We believe their contributions will strengthen our ability to deliver operational leverage, meet our goals to streamline internal processes, enhance overall efficiency across our organization, and advance us further along the path toward EBITDA growth and net profitability. Importantly, with Morten streamlining operations and Garrick focused on U.S. and Global content expansion, we also believe that we are uniquely positioned to provide the robust iGaming ecosystems required by leading players in the evolving Historical and Live Racing and Prediction markets. We believe Bragg will stand out as the sole B2B provider operating at the convergence of iGaming, Sports, and Predictions.”

As Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Tonnesen’s mandate includes driving operational leverage and implementing Bragg’s ambitious artificial intelligence (AI) transformation. The goal of this transformation is to establish Bragg as an AI-First company by 2027. This transition is supported by specific 2027 objectives: ensuring AI-Enhanced Products are standard in over 90% of new launches and integrating AI into more than three-quarters of Bragg’s operational workflows.

Mr. Tonnesen brings over 17 years of progressive leadership experience in the iGaming, sports betting and technology sectors. He is recognized for his expertise in scaling complex businesses, driving cost efficiencies and operational excellence, and successfully executing high-impact initiatives to expand into new markets and achieve profitable growth. Before joining Bragg, Mr. Tonnesen served as Chief Growth Officer at Xtremepush, a leading provider of AI-powered CRM and loyalty marketing. Prior to his role at Xtremepush, which he joined in 2024, he was Chief Commercial Officer at Shape Games, an award-winning digital B2B platform and service provider for the iGaming industry, which was subsequently sold to Kambi. Earlier in his career, he co-founded and successfully exited the sports betting operator BetWarrior, now a major player in LatAm. He also spent six years in various roles at PokerStars. Mr. Tonnesen holds a Bachelor of Science in General Economics and a Master of Science in Strategy, Management, and Organisation from Copenhagen Business School.

Mr. Tonnesen said: “It has been captivating to watch the scale, scope and speed with which Bragg is already building the Bragg AI Brain and, thereby, transforming itself into an AI-first company. With Bragg navigating a combination of increasingly complex regulatory compliance requirements and recent tax headwinds in the Netherlands and other regions, exciting new emerging market opportunities in the U.S. and elsewhere, and potential consolidation in the overall global iGaming and Prediction markets, my near-term focus will be squarely on helping steer the Bragg AI Brain toward protecting the Company’s cash runway and driving its EBITDA growth.”

Mr. Morris first joined Bragg as Senior Vice President Commercial for the U.S. & Canada in 2024. In an iGaming management career spanning more than 15 years, before joining Bragg, he served as Chief Operating Officer at Digital Gaming Corporation, Operations Manager at Microgaming, and IT Platforms Manager at Derivco. Mr. Morris has a Bachelor of Economics from Stellenbosch University.

Mr. Morris said: “Since I first joined Bragg in May 2024, we have significantly expanded our U.S. content footprint through the launch of our newest games, Remote Gaming Server technology, and Player Account Management platform. I look forward to working with the team to help further accelerate growth, including via our planned strategic entrance into the Historical and Live Racing, and Prediction markets segments, with the aim of enhancing value for our shareholders.”

The post Bragg Strengthens Executive Team for Enhanced Content Strategy, North American Growth, and AI-First Transformation appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Continue Reading

Canada

Wazdan’s North American Growth Accelerates Following FanDuel Alliance

Published

on

wazdan’s-north-american-growth-accelerates-following-fanduel-alliance

Wazdan, the player-centric developer, has further strengthened its notable North American presence by forming a partnership with FanDuel, a top iGaming company in the area.

The deal represents a crucial milestone in Wazdan’s continuous global growth, as FanDuel introduces two feature-packed games at the same time in Ontario and Michigan, enabled by Light & Wonder’s aggregation platform.

In Ontario, gamers can experience Mighty Fish: Blue Marlin and 36 Coins, two games that highlight Wazdan’s distinctive blend of familiar themes and performance-focused mechanics. In Michigan, 12 Bells and Hot Slot: 777 Crown will offer players captivating gameplay designs centered on clarity, rhythm, and extensive features.

After the initial launch, FanDuel’s famous iGaming platform, FanDuel Casino, will have its collection expanded by a wide array of new slot games, each meticulously selected to include various Wazdan features that enhance player engagement like Cash Infinity™, Hold the Jackpot, and Sticky to Infinity™, all aimed at increasing entertainment and providing tangible growth for operators.

The newest expansion capitalizes on Wazdan’s progress in North America, succeeding in Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and previous entries into West Virginia.

Radka Bacheva, Head of Sales at Wazdan, said: “Partnering with FanDuel represents a major milestone in Wazdan’s North American growth strategy and underlines the strong demand for our engagement-driven portfolio across regulated markets.

“FanDuel’s reach and reputation make them an ideal partner, and launching simultaneously in Ontario and Michigan is a powerful way to introduce our games to new audiences. We are confident that our feature-rich titles and proven mechanics will resonate strongly with players and deliver tangible value for FanDuel as we continue to scale our presence across the region.”

The post Wazdan’s North American Growth Accelerates Following FanDuel Alliance appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Latest news

Trending

Get it on Google Play

Fresh slot games releases by the top brands of the industry. We provide you with the latest news straight from the entertainment industries.

The platform also hosts industry-relevant webinars, and provides detailed reports, making it a one-stop resource for anyone seeking information about operators, suppliers, regulators, and professional services in the European gaming market. The portal's primary goal is to keep its extensive reader base updated on the latest happenings, trends, and developments within the gaming and gambling sector, with an emphasis on the European market while also covering pertinent global news. It's an indispensable resource for gaming professionals, operators, and enthusiasts alike.

Contact us: [email protected]

Editorial / PR Submissions: [email protected]

Copyright © 2015 - 2024 - Recent Slot Releases is part of HIPTHER Agency. Registered in Romania under Proshirt SRL, Company number: 2134306, EU VAT ID: RO21343605. Office address: Blvd. 1 Decembrie 1918 nr.5, Targu Mures, Romania