Canada
Game Consoles Conquer Hearts, Minds (and Wallets)
New research shows 51% of console gamers play every day – up from 39% in 2019
New data from Hub Entertainment Research shows that gaming consoles play a central role in the entertainment lives of many consumers.
Highlights from Hub’s “Game Consoles 2021: Respawned and Leveled Up” study:
1) Game consoles are occupying more time. A third (36%) of respondents play console games, about the same as in 2019 (33%). But the engagement among those who do play is much higher.
More than half of all console gamers (51%) play every day, up from just 39% two years ago
42% of console gamers who play at least once a week (weekly gamers) say they are playing their console more this year than last, vs. only 32% who said the same thing in 2019
Game sessions are about 20 percent longer: in 2021 weekly console gamers estimate their average session is about 110 minutes, up from about 90 minutes in 2019
2) Ownership of multiple game consoles is up. The share of all 13-74s who play console games is about the same in 2021 (36%) as in 2019 (33%). But the density of ownership is significantly higher. In 2019, only a quarter of console gamers owned both a PlayStation and an Xbox. But in 2021, more than a third (34%) of respondents say they own both.
3) The pandemic drove game purchases online.
39% of weekly console gamers say they buy digital copies of console games at least a few times per month (up from just 25% in 2019)
A similar 38% regularly download DLC or expansion packs for games they already own (up from 22% in 2019)
And half (53%) of console gamers said they spent more on gaming this year than last, vs. slightly more than a third who said the same thing in 2019
4) COVID also made gaming critical to maintaining relationships. In 2021, more respondents mentioned communication or connection with friends as a reason for gaming than in 2019. In fact, almost half of weekly console gamers (45%) have at least one in-game friend that they’ve never met in real life.
5) The impact of in-game advertising has grown along with engagement. 7 in 10 (70%) regular console gamers play titles with branded in-game content (up from 61% in 2019). Among those exposed to in-game advertising,
Almost half (44%) said they prefer in-game advertising to regular commercials
And in game ads are not just tolerable – three quarters (72%) say that branded DLC actually makes the game more fun to play
“Video games represent serious competition for the time and attention of many Americans, and young men in particular,” said David Tice, senior consultant to Hub and co-author of the study. “Offering desired integrations into games, and in some cases unique exposures such as VR, gives marketers a real opportunity to ‘power up’ when they try to reach young consumers.”
“The amount of entertainment content continues to grow, but there are still only 24 hours in a day,” said Jon Giegengack, Founder and Principal at Hub. “Gaming is winning a larger share of that disposable time on the strength of the games themselves. But even more so on the central role gaming has taken in social interaction and communication – habits formed during the pandemic, but that will persist long after.”
Hub’s “Game Consoles 2021: Respawned and Leveled Up” report is a survey of 2,619 US consumers age 13 to 74. Interviews were conducted in September 2021. A free excerpt of the findings is available on Hub’s website. This report is part of Hub’s Entertainment + Technology Tracker syndicated report series.
Hub Entertainment Research measures the influence of technology on the way people find, choose, and consume entertainment content: TV and digital video, movies, gaming, music and social media. Our syndicated studies have tracked the most important trends in entertainment providers, devices, and technologies since 2013.
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BGaming
CasinoCanada launches free social slot tournament
CasinoCanada.com launches a new social tournament system built around free-to-enter slot competitions, combining daily, weekly, and monthly events with leaderboards, bonus prizes, and exclusive merchandise.
The tournaments are powered entirely by BGaming slots, marking the first industry collaboration between an affiliate brand and BGaming focused specifically on social tournament engagement.
Participation in all tournaments is free for registered users of legal gambling age.
Players compete across rotating tournaments featuring a changing lineup of BGaming titles, including hit titles Aztec Magic Bonanza, Bonanza Billion, and Elvis Frog, among others.
Prizes include various bonuses and free spins from CasinoCanada partner casinos.
Selected special tournaments also feature exclusive BGaming merchandise prizes.
Tournament performance is reflected in public leaderboards, adding a competitive and community-driven layer to the CasinoCanada experience.
While social slot tournaments have become increasingly common in iGaming, many existing formats are built around the same providers and similar tournament structures.
CasinoCanada’s approach focuses on free participation, rotating BGaming content, partner casino bonus rewards, merchandise prizes, and recurring competition.
Eugene Ravdin, Head of PR at CasinoCanada, said: “The affiliate industry is moving beyond static review pages and traditional bonus listings. Community features, recurring engagement formats, and social competition are becoming increasingly important for long-term audience retention.
“Our goal is to create something more interactive and community-driven while also giving more visibility to BGaming’s slot portfolio through a format that players can engage with on a daily basis.”
Kate Puteiko, CMO at BGaming, said: “Players and the community have always been the beating heart of everything we do here at BGaming.
Online play no longer has to be a solitary activity, and tournaments like this are an excellent way to connect players and enhance everyone’s experience.
CasinoCanada shares this vision, and this collaboration is a natural extension of that.
We are excited to see our games front and centre of these tournaments and for players to begin creating memorable moments competing with them.”
CasinoCanada plans to introduce additional community features in the future, including gamification systems and forum functionality designed to expand user interaction around the tournament ecosystem.
The tournaments are now live at: https://casinocanada.com/tournaments/
The post CasinoCanada launches free social slot tournament appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Betnova
Delasport Accelerates Canadian Growth
Delasport continues to strengthen its position in the Canadian regulated market, now powering three live brands in Ontario while preparing for further expansion into Alberta as the province moves toward opening its regulated online gaming market.
Delasport’s technology is currently live in Ontario with TitanPlay.ca, Maverick Games, and Betnova.ca. The company provides a combination of full turnkey platform solutions of Casino, Sport, Player Account Management and Managed Services as well as its high-performance Sportsbook iFrame technology. This enables operators to launch quickly while delivering a premium user experience tailored to the Canadian audience.
With Ontario continuing to establish itself as one of North America’s most competitive regulated markets, Delasport’s growing local presence reflects the company’s long-term commitment to Canada and its confidence in the market’s continued evolution.
“Ontario is a strategically important market for us, and it has already proven to be a strong success story. Seeing multiple brands successfully operating on our technology and services demonstrates the strength of our platform in acquiring and retaining players in Ontario. We’re excited to continue this momentum as we prepare for Alberta,” said Oren Cohen Shwartz, CEO of Delasport.
As part of its next phase of Canadian growth, Delasport has officially applied for Alberta’s upcoming B2B licensing framework and is already preparing to go live with a partner operator once the market opens.
The company’s Canadian momentum is further supported by its mobile-first approach. TitanPlay’s iOS application is already available on the Apple App Store for users in Ontario, delivering a seamless casino and sportsbook experience powered by Delasport technology.
Delasport’s platform in Canada includes a wide range of personalization and engagement tools designed to enhance user retention and entertainment value.
The company has continued to position itself as one of the industry’s leading providers in regulated markets worldwide, with a strong focus on scalable technology, localization, compliance, and player-centric innovation.
The post Delasport Accelerates Canadian Growth appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Canada
Responsible Gambling Council Urges Financial Institutions to Strengthen Protections Against Gambling Harm
The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) has urged Canada’s financial sector to take a proactive role in mitigating gambling-related financial harm. A new whitepaper released highlights how banks and credit unions are uniquely positioned to protect the financial well-being of their customers.
The whitepaper, Opportunities for Impact: The Role of Financial Institutions in Mitigating Gambling-Related Harm, argues that financial institutions have a unique duty of care. Financial institutions have direct access to gambling transaction data that reveals early warning signs of financial vulnerability. These indicators include rapidly shrinking savings and an increased reliance on overdrafts or credit.
“The rapid expansion of regulated gambling in Canada requires an evolved response from our financial systems. By adopting tools already proven in other jurisdictions, Canadian banks can become leaders in protecting customer financial health,” said Tracy Parker, SVP, Accreditation, Advisory & Insights at RGC.
Jurisdictions like the UK and Australia have already recognized the powerful role financial institutions play. Banks such as Monzo and Starling in the UK were the first to offer voluntary gambling blocks to their customers. Similarly, the National Australia Bank provides dedicated support pages and links to financial counseling.
RGC recommends that Canadian financial institutions implement several key strategies:
• Improving the accuracy of Merchant Category Codes to better track gambling spend.
• Offering voluntary transaction blocks and self-defined monthly spend limits.
• Providing targeted messaging and support resources within digital banking platforms.
Beyond retail banking, RGC highlights the importance of commercial relationships. Financial institutions can influence industry practices by setting high harm prevention expectations for gambling operators. Integrating these considerations into due diligence processes helps mitigate reputational and regulatory risks.
The post Responsible Gambling Council Urges Financial Institutions to Strengthen Protections Against Gambling Harm appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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