Canada

“We’re thrilled with our partnership with Delaware North” – Exclusive interview with GAMING1 CBDO Victor Araneda

Published

3 years ago

September 10, 2021

GAMING1 recently embarked upon a joint venture with Delaware North, a global hospitality company with a portfolio of regional casinos, allowing GAMING1 to deliver solutions to operators in North America.

The provider’s Chief Business Development Officer, Victor Araneda, took us through the ins and outs of the deal as well as its next steps in the US and LatAm’s growing potential.

With GAMING1’s recent deal you’ve now debuted in North America! Congratulations – can you tell us about the deal?

Thank you! We’re thrilled with our exclusive partnership with Delaware North, and it has, in all respects they are the ideal partner for us. They share our land-based DNA, operate in multiple jurisdictions, understand the challenge of maintaining a relationship with the communities we serve and the importance that reputation has for our patrons. Our groups share the same philosophy in terms of business with being both family-owned and having built the businesses through long-term partnerships. This is at the core of our B2B division and something we all take pride in and look forward to expanding through our joint venture, Gamewise.

In terms of the next few months – give us a snapshot of how rollout will look and how you’ll be executing your plans for the US?

It’s a uniquely exciting time to be operating sports betting and iGaming in the US and it’s easy to get distracted with some of the seismic shifts we are seeing in the market. That said, our group has significant experience with similar dynamics in other markets, so our plans remain unchanged. Our rollout will focus on those states where our partners are active and operational. Creating a fully omnichannel experience and enhancing the relationships we have with our land-based partners is the core of our technology as we’ve demonstrated in counties like Belgium, Portugal and France.

What potential does GAMING1 see stateside and how much further expansion should we expect to see on the continent?

We understand that every state is different, and the individual legislations reflect this. The competitive environment will be different depending on the make-up of each opportunity and this will influence how we position our product and brand. In terms of potential, both GAMING1 and Delaware North have been champions of iGaming and believe more states will follow in the steps of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Michigan in adding this vertical. We are also closely monitoring the opportunity in Canada which is part of our scope with Gamewise.

Moving further south to LatAm, GAMING1 has been active for quite a while in Colombia via your Zamba joint venture – what can you tell us about your operations there?

Zamba was the third operation to be licensed in Colombia and was the first operation outside the European Union for GAMING1. We’ve grown in leaps and bounds since 2018 and today boast the best casino product in the country. While our land-based casino partners faced very difficult times during the pandemic, we are now rolling out our most ambitious marketing plan yet and look forward to the continued growth in that market.

You were the first to take live casino online in the Colombian market with Evolution – how much potential do you see for this vertical in LatAm?

We were proud to be the first to bring live casino to Colombia which is a testament to the long-term relationship we have with Evolution Gaming. The result has been as predictable as the rest of this answer will be. The product bridges the major gap that exists in emerging markets, so it seems to be tailor-made for the region. Our results in Colombia have been extraordinary and we expect this trend to continue in other markets.

Aside from Live Casino, which other verticals do you see as key in LatAm and how is GAMING1 personalising its delivery for regional audiences?

The cutting edge of eSports will dominate the conversation very soon, especially in markets like Brazil. In terms of slots, we are working to address the glaring lack of local games. GAMING1 has also put a lot of effort into improving our loyalty program in order to cater to local tastes and this is proving to be the right decision.

Further afield, and looking at the likes of Argentina, Peru and Chile – where do you see potential for LatAm growth given your extensive experience?

These are three markets with untapped potential that have been slowed down by a lack of legislative goodwill. I’m happy for Argentina finally being able to transition Buenos Aires into a solid framework. Peru has a working model, but the bill MINCETUR has been eager to pass for years is by far superior to the current model. Chile, on the other hand, has been a complete disappointment. The most connected and tech-savvy country in the region has stalled. They could have protected their land-based operators and benefitted from the increased tax, but instead they are simply letting illegal operators run rampant.

Last but not least – any parting thoughts to share with our readers on the development of the Americas for the rest of the year?

Keep an eye out for more iGaming/mobile casino to come to more states in the US and expect GAMING1 to be present in all of them.

Canada

Play’n GO announces partnership with Canadian operator Loto-Québec

Published

2 days ago

May 16, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

play’n-go-announces-partnership-with-canadian-operator-loto-quebec

Play’n GO, the world’s leading casino entertainment provider, has today announced a partnership with Canadian operator Loto-Québec, launching the Swedish gaming giant’s games into another Canadian province.

Already active in another Canadian province , this partnership sees Play’n GO’s content available in the province of Québec exclusively with Loto-Québec, a state-owned corporation, where online players now have access to titles such as Tome of Madness.

Magnus Olsson, Chief Commercial Officer, Play’n GO said: “At Play’n GO, we have always been clear in our vision to be active in every regulated market in the world, and this partnership with Loto-Québec is the next step on that journey.

“Our past success in Canada gives us confidence that players in Québec will enjoy the best Play’n GO content, and we look forward to many years of success with Loto-Québec in the province.”

Stéphane Martel, Head of Product and Innovation at Loto-Québec added: “As the sole iGaming operator in Québec, we pride ourselves on offering titles that truly add value to our platform, lotoquebec.com. We are happy to bring Play’n GO games to our players.”

Canada

Court Decision Upholds iGaming Ontario’s Model

Published

3 days ago

May 15, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

court-decision-upholds-igaming-ontario’s-model

iGaming Ontario has welcomed the decision of the Ontario Superior Court, which found that iGaming Ontario’s model is consistent with the Criminal Code and that iGaming Ontario is conducting and managing igaming in the province.

“We have always been confident in our model and are pleased that the court has ruled in our favour, and that Ontarians can continue to play with confidence in our regulated igaming market,” said Martha Otton, Executive Director of iGaming Ontario.

“Ontario’s model meets the requirements and contributes to the public good by protecting players, their data and their funds, while helping to fund priority public services in Ontario, and bringing well-paid, high-tech jobs and economic development to Ontario,” Otton added.

In dismissing the application brought forward by the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK), the Superior Court found that iGaming Ontario is the “operating mind” behind Ontario’s competitive igaming market in accordance with the conduct and manage requirements of the Criminal Code.

iGaming Ontario will continue to conduct and manage igaming as it has since the launch of the regulated market on April 4, 2022.

Bragg Gaming Group

Bragg Gaming Appoints Renowned iGaming Executive Neill Whyte as Chief Commercial Officer

Published

1 week ago

May 10, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

bragg-gaming-appoints-renowned-igaming-executive-neill-whyte-as-chief-commercial-officer

Bragg Gaming Group, a global iGaming technology and content provider, announced that Neill Whyte has been appointed as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), effective 1st May 2024, establishing a new global commercial structure at the Company and bolstering its leadership team.

Whyte brings over 18 years of experience in the iGaming sector, most recently in the role of Chief Commercial Officer at Digital Gaming Corporation’s (DGC), B2B iGaming Division. After joining DGC in early 2020, he was responsible for the commercially successful launch and growth of its content distribution business in the US.

Prior to joining DGC, Whyte held multiple positions in the gaming industry including as Head of Business Development at Isle of Man-based iGaming specialist Apricot Investments, as Board Member at Swedish iGaming product and Lottery content distributor Genera Networks, and in various senior roles over eleven years at leading iGaming content supplier Microgaming, including as Head of Product Channels.

In his new role with Bragg, Whyte will be tasked with leading the Company’s global commercial teams to drive growth across all of the Company’s product verticals which include proprietary online casino content from its Atomic Slot Lab, Indigo Magic and Wild Streak Gaming studios, exclusive content from content partners, HUB a leading casino content aggregation platform, Fuze player engagement, as well as its award-winning player account management (PAM) platform and turnkey solutions.

Matevž Mazij, Chief Executive Officer at Bragg, said: “I am very pleased to be announcing today the appointment of Neill Whyte as Chief Commercial Officer at Bragg. His iGaming product and market knowledge, together with his record in driving growth from developing successful and mutually beneficial commercial partnerships are exceptional.

“As we leverage our broad content and product portfolio to grow in existing and new markets, including in the United States, Canada, Latin America and Europe, Neill’s unique combination of knowledge, skills and experience in this sector are a perfect fit for our ambitions at Bragg.”

Neill Whyte, Chief Commercial Officer at Bragg, said: “It’s an honor to join Matevž and the wider teams at Bragg already in place across North America, Europe and in India. I have been impressed with the depth and quality of the content, product and technology offerings at Bragg, and its ability to rapidly adapt, certify and deploy this content and technology in newly regulated markets is a distinct advantage.

“We also have a huge opportunity to grow our footprint with our existing customers in markets in which we are already established. Our content and product roadmaps are second to none, and I’m planning to get on the road in the coming weeks and months to meet the team and our customers and to start building for the next stage of mutual growth. I can’t wait to get going.”