Canada

Getting ready for Ontario! Exclusive Canada interview with Evoplay

Published

2 years ago

August 3, 2022

As one of the industry’s most innovative gaming studios gets ready for North America, we sat down with Evoplay’s superstar CCO, Vladimir Malakchi to talk through their exciting plans for the continent, and why Ontario can be one of the industry’s most exciting new opportunities for 2022 and beyond.

With Ontario set to be one of 2022’s biggest opportunities in North America – what is Evoplay looking to bring to the table in Canada?

Canada’s gambling industry is currently developing at a faster rate than Europe’s various regulated markets, with player preferences also changing at a rapid rate. We communicate with operators who are already live in the country, and they confirm that Canadians are in search of innovation and engaging forms of entertainment, which aligns with our direction in terms of product development.

It is well known that Canadians are enthusiastic gamblers, with around 75% of all Canadians happy to give casual gaming a try as entertainment. These activities tend to be associated mainly with scratch cards and sports betting, as they tend to deliver the maximum level of anticipation and built excitement around each win. For this reason, roughly 36% of Canada’s gaming demographic prefers scratch cards, while only 22% choose casino entertainment.

This is where our pioneering portfolio comes into play, meeting the interests of a vast selection of Canadian players with our sports-themed titles and instant games. We have already prepared a superb football pack that will undoubtedly hit the spot, while our team has continued to work on eye-catching betting mechanics to fulfil the requirements of even the most seasoned bettors.

Talk us through Evoplay’s take on the Canadian slot scene – how much does it differ to the land-based heritage of the US?

At its root, the land-based scene stands at odds with the majority of markets. Canada’s iGaming industry originated from a rich culture of brick-and-mortar casinos, but its notably high-tech-oriented population has influenced the development of online gaming in the region considerably.

With Canadian players interested in cutting-edge technologies, they are more demanding of high-quality gamification, graphics, and entertainment than the average player. Since Evoplay has always been known for its innovative approach to game design in all types of games, we know where we stand with the audience and are aware of where we need to be to keep them engaged.

How do you see Evoplay’s extensive experience entertaining players in Europe and LatAm adapting to the Canadian market?

We always align with data when entering any new market, following the same protocol with Canada as we would going live in any other region. We are aware of its most common trends, though a deeper insight into players’ preferences will only be possible through partnering with operators that serve the Canadian market. Such insight will allow us to see a clearer picture of how we can adapt our products to make them even more attractive to Canadian audiences.

How fast do you see the Ontario market liberalising itself for players and operators? How can games studios differentiate themselves in what will be a highly competitive market?

With around 40% of the country’s population situated in the city, Ontario is a market with fantastic potential. According to the surveys, its GGR will be approximately $1.25 billion this year, with the tendency to rise to $1.84 billion in 2023 and $2.54 billion in 2026.

Like many other countries, Canada has various restrictions surrounding advertising and responsible gambling which are unlikely to be lifted anytime soon, but it still leaves a lot of capacity for industry development.

The launch of Canada’s iGaming market in April unleashed the floodgates, with many providers flapping to be one of the first to cast the line in this highly advantageous province. However, speaking from experience, less than half of them will have long-term stints in the market. In the meantime, we will continue to deliver state-of-the-art products that resonate strongly with players of all demographics.

Last but not least – vision 2024: what’s Evoplay’s plans for going live in both the US and Canada within the next two years?

Both markets arrive with their list of challenges surrounding legal issues, but we are now at the stage of active dialogue and laying the groundwork, and if one thing is for sure, it is that our products are extremely attractive to players in region.

As game developers go, we are very unique. The vast majority of providers can’t deliver the same level of quality and entertainment as us, and certainly not in the same timeframe that we are able to, which is extremely important for such a demanding demographic of player. I’m sure they’ll be a big part of our plans for many years ahead!

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.”