Canada
The lowdown on March Madness
With this year’s college spectacular set to break new betting handle records in the United States, Checkd Group’s Callum Broxton takes an overview of the scene.
With sports betting legislation accelerating since last year’s tournament, what sort of betting volumes can we expect from March Madness 2022?
Callum Broxton: A total of $4.6b was wagered in March 2021, comfortably surpassing all projections. In 2022, with the combination of gambling becoming more mainstream alongside three major gambling states in Arizona, Louisiana, New York going live, there’s no doubt the $5bn barrier will be broken – it’s really a case of how close to a total handle of $10bn it will be.
Which types of bets are most popular with March Madness and why? Do you envisage any changes in betting behaviour for this year’s event?
CB: Simplicity wins out during March Madness. Team-focused betting will take centre stage with spreads and moneyline dominating. The beauty of the tournament and the reason it’s universally popular is that it’s simple. It’s all about the teams and who will progress to the next round. While player props have huge popularity in the pro leagues, they don’t resonate as much with college bettors; the players at college level aren’t nationwide stars (with some notable exceptions) and the books don’t offer anywhere near the range of player-centric market choices. By 2023 we may well see big changes in this respect with names, image and likenesses (NIL) deals allowing players to grow, establish and monetize their own brands and as more states go live there will be a much larger in-state fanbase where the college players are stars.
What role can a sports betting supplier play in protecting the integrity of collegiate sports and identifying irregular betting patterns?
CB: It’s interesting to observe the different approaches to betting on college sports, with Oregon outlawing it completely and some states, such as New Jersey, not allowing wagers on in-state teams. The NIL deal, though, could well be huge here. Players now have a long-overdue and legitimate way to make money during their time in college which, in theory at least, reduces the threat of match fixing or points shaving scandals as seen in the past, with the lure of a payday from such schemes now drastically reduced. The Arizona State points shaving scandal in 1994 was identified by Vegas sportsbooks. If they were able to spot irregular patterns back then, sportsbooks in 2022 should spot any irregularities almost instantly with their dedicated teams and immense software capabilities.
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affiliate marketing
SEOBROTHERS’ Aleksandra Drigo flags higher barriers for affiliates in regulated Alberta
SEOBROTHERS Chief of Business Development Aleksandra Drigo says Alberta’s move toward a regulated online gambling market is likely to raise the cost and complexity of affiliate acquisition, reshaping competition for SEO-led publishers. Drigo shared the view in an exclusive interview with SiGMA News focused on Canada’s affiliate landscape.
Drigo said regulation can bring more transparency, but also higher compliance demands and tougher economics for smaller players. “Many affiliates, especially independent SEO players, may decide not to enter fully regulated markets and instead focus on regions with more predictable economics and lower regulatory pressure,” she said.
She added that regulated markets typically advantage well-funded affiliate groups with the ability to invest in legal and compliance support and tracking infrastructure. “Regulated markets tend to favour larger players. Big affiliate companies have the resources for legal support, compliance teams, advanced tracking infrastructure, and long-term investment without expecting fast ROI.”
On partner selection, Drigo said affiliates are increasingly weighing operators on operational quality and regulatory readiness, not just commercial terms. “We pay close attention to how consistent an operator is in terms of reporting, responsible gaming policies, speed of communication, and local regulations compliance. Reputation risks affect both sides. If an operator lacks transparency or fails to follow compliance standards, it directly impacts the affiliate business as well.”
Drigo also pointed to communication and access to performance data as major friction points in operator-affiliate relationships. “Financial disagreements can usually be resolved quickly if there is trust and clear communication between both sides. Whereas, when affiliates do not receive timely information, face unclear reporting, or get no explanation for performance changes, tensions escalate very quickly. In regulated markets, communication and transparency become just as important as the financial terms themselves.”
Looking ahead, Drigo said affiliates targeting regulated North American markets will need stronger localisation, trusted brands and more diversified traffic strategies as search behaviour changes. “With AI and online search ecosystem changes already transforming the SEO landscape, affiliates need to become much more flexible and technology-driven than before. And compliance-friendly SEO strategies and diversification beyond traditional search traffic are becoming increasingly important.”
The post SEOBROTHERS’ Aleksandra Drigo flags higher barriers for affiliates in regulated Alberta appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Affiliate Industry
SiGMA exclusive: Aleksandra Drigo on traffic shifts, transparency, and the future of SEO affiliates
In an exclusive interview for the SiGMA News, Aleksandra Drigo, Chief of Business Development at SEOBROTHERS, shared her perspective on the future of affiliate marketing in Canada.
She discussed how Alberta’s upcoming market launch could reshape competition, why transparency has become a cornerstone of operator-affiliate partnerships, how compliance is changing the way affiliates choose partners, and why localisation, trusted brands, and data-driven decision-making will define the next generation of SEO affiliates.
Regulation will reshape Alberta’s affiliate landscape
As Alberta prepares to regulate its online gambling market, affiliates are entering a more challenging environment. While regulation brings greater transparency, it also increases compliance demands, acquisition costs, and competition – particularly from larger, well-funded companies.
“Many affiliates, especially independent SEO players, may decide not to enter fully regulated markets and instead focus on regions with more predictable economics and lower regulatory pressure,” Aleksandra said.
Bigger brands gain the advantage
According to Drigo, regulated markets naturally favour established affiliate businesses, whereas smaller publishers face much higher barriers to entry despite niche opportunities still existing.
“Regulated markets tend to favour larger players. Big affiliate companies have the resources for legal support, compliance teams, advanced tracking infrastructure, and long-term investment without expecting fast ROI.”
Compliance is now a deciding factor
Operator selection is no longer based solely on commercial terms. Affiliates increasingly assess partners by their transparency, reporting quality, responsible gaming standards, responsiveness, and ability to meet local regulatory requirements.
“We pay close attention to how consistent an operator is in terms of reporting, responsible gaming policies, speed of communication, and local regulations compliance. Reputation risks affect both sides. If an operator lacks transparency or fails to follow compliance standards, it directly impacts the affiliate business as well.”
Communication matters more than financial disputes
Drigo believes that most partnership conflicts arise not from payment issues, but from poor communication and limited access to performance data.
“Financial disagreements can usually be resolved quickly if there is trust and clear communication between both sides. Whereas, when affiliates do not receive timely information, face unclear reporting, or get no explanation for performance changes, tensions escalate very quickly. In regulated markets, communication and transparency become just as important as the financial terms themselves.”
The future belongs to trusted brands and localisation
Looking ahead, Drigo expects meticulous localisation, brand authority, first-party audiences, and community-driven products to define success in regulated North American markets. As AI reshapes search, affiliates will need stronger technology, diversified traffic sources, and compliance-friendly SEO strategies to remain competitive.
“With AI and online search ecosystem changes already transforming the SEO landscape, affiliates need to become much more flexible and technology-driven than before. And compliance-friendly SEO strategies and diversification beyond traditional search traffic are becoming increasingly important.”
The post SiGMA exclusive: Aleksandra Drigo on traffic shifts, transparency, and the future of SEO affiliates appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
St8 has extended its content partnership with Octoplay into Ontario and the UK, expanding distribution of Octoplay’s casino games in two regulated markets. The companies announced the move on 2 July, 2026.
Under the expanded agreement, St8 will make Octoplay’s full portfolio available to operators in both jurisdictions through St8’s single API integration.
David Fall, Business Development Manager at St8, said:
“Expanding our partnership with Octoplay into Ontario and the UK is another important milestone as we continue to strengthen our aggregation platform with premium content from leading suppliers.
“Octoplay has built an excellent reputation for developing engaging, high-performing games, and we’re delighted to extend this collaboration into two highly strategic regulated markets. This agreement enables our operator partners to access even more quality content through a single integration while supporting their growth in competitive jurisdictions.”
Ralitsa Georgieva, CEO at Octoplay added:
“We’re pleased to expand our partnership with St8 into Ontario and the UK, making our full portfolio available to even more operators through its aggregation platform. St8 has established itself as a trusted technology partner for regulated markets, and we look forward to building on our successful collaboration together.”
The post St8 expands Octoplay aggregation deal to Ontario and the UK appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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