Canada

eSports betting vs classic sports betting in North America, a hot topic at Sports Betting & Casino Summit North America

Published

6 years ago

June 12, 2020

All major sports leagues have been postponed and most of the major sports leagues have been cancelled until further notice – more and more countries are banning major events, fewer and fewer sporting events are taking place. But how should sports betting providers react when enthusiastic betting customers, who want to pursue their hobby, no longer have an offer to bet on? What can you do as a provider who wants to remain relevant and maintain a corresponding offer for your players?

The answers are Virtual Sports (betting on virtual sports events) and eSports (betting on competitions in computer games).

Bets on popular online video games such as League of Legends, Dota 2, Starcraft 2 and CS: GO can hardly be ignored on today’s betting market. Especially in the target group of under 30s, eSports are becoming more and more popular and are now being broadcast 24 hours a day via channels such as Twitch. The worldwide turnover on eSports betting amounts to more than USD 1.8 billion, a figure that is all the more impressive considering the comparatively small fan base. But eSports are steadily gaining more fans, on the one hand due to an aging target group and on the other hand due to an increasing awareness.

The top players themselves, who are comparable in their professionalism and skill to professional soccer or tennis players, are now activating more fans than the Superbowl, for example. The Intel Extreme Masters eSports tournament in Katowice, Poland welcomed more than 173,000 spectators on site and 46 million online in 2019. With prize pools of up to USD 100 million (Fortnite World Cup 2019), player salaries are in no way inferior to those of many professional footballers.

Just like with traditional sports, bets are placed on individual teams and players in eSports. Due to the large number of different types of eSports, the resulting number of betting markets is enormous – the simplest and most suitable betting type for beginners, of course, remains the bet on the overall winner of the game.

The offer of eSports betting is growing steadily – and since it is already common in eSports to play without an audience (most of the season matches are held in small studios), eSports events are a great alternative to the sports events that are currently being canceled.

Depending on the legislature of the respective target market, eSports can complement their offer and are becoming increasingly important. Particularly during the current crisis, interest in eSPorts is likely to experience a rapid increase.

The top industry companies have all confirmed their interest to join the Sports Betting & Casino Summit North America (Virtual Conference), which will open its virtual doors between 23-24 June.

The virtual seats are limited, so hurry and register now to secure your seat(s)! REGISTER HERE

And among the many topics, we are putting together a special panel discussion which is titled “ESPORTS BETTING VS CLASSIC SPORTS BETTING IN NORTH AMERICA”

The panel discussion will be joined by leading experts such as J Moses (Investor & Board Advisor of Bet.Works), Grant Johnson (CEO at Esports Entertainment Group), David McDowell (Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder at FSB) and Mark Robson (Co-Founder at Champion Sports). The discussion will be moderated by Marek Suchar (Head of Partnerships at Oddin.gg).

J Moses

Investor, Advisor at Bet.Works

I have nearly 40 years of experience in sports, entertainment, technology, betting & games as a CEO, Founder, Investor, Advisor, Producer & a Director for public & private businesses around the world.

Currently I am hyper focused on the confluence of Technology, Games, eSports, Sports, Betting and Entertainment. I serve as a Director at Take-Two Interactive (Nasdaq: TTWO), publisher of Rock Star, 2K & Private Division Games. I’m also an investor & Board Advisor of Bet.Works (sports betting), ReadyUp (eSports team building), Prize Payments Pro (eSports), and SimulMedia.

After Princeton, I had the dream job of working at ABC Sports where I worked on sporting events around the world, including 4 Olympic Games. I spent 2 years as Special Assist to Roone Arldege, President of ABC News & Sports.

Read full bio here!

Grant Johnson

CEO at Esports Entertainment Group

Grant Johnson, B.A., Chairman and CEO, Esports Entertainment Group

Grant has served as Chairman and CEO of Esports Entertainment Group since 2015, where he oversaw the Company from its’ inception as an esports wagering company long before most of the world knew of the existence of esports, to a successful NASDAQ IPO and $8.4M raise in April 2020.

His experience in online gambling came from 1996 to 1999 where has Vice President of Vancouver based Starnet Communications International, Inc. a recognized leader in the Internet gambling industry. As Vice President of Business Development, Mr. Johnson led Starnet’s sales team and was a driving force behind Starnet’s leading market position in the B2B sector of the Internet gambling industry.

Mr. Johnson was instrumental in the business development activities at Starnet and was directly involved in establishing many of Starnet’s strategic industry partnerships. A subsidiary of Starnet, World Gaming, still exists today.

Read full bio here!

David McDowell

Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder at FSB

David is the co-founder and CEO of FSB. FSB was established in 2007 with the vision to build the industry’s first highly automated sports betting platform driven by live data. The company has become established as a leading B2B solutions supplier best known for its live sports betting technology and as a pioneer of delivering fully managed trading services.

Read full bio here!

Mark Robson

Co-Founder of Champion Sports

Mark Robson is the co-founder of Champion Sports, an innovative sports betting platform licensed by the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission. Over the last 15 years, Mark has held a number of high-profile positions within the iGaming industry, including the Head of eGaming for the Department of Economic Development on the Isle of Man.

Read full bio here!

Marek Suchar

Head of Partnerships at Odding.gg

Marek Suchar, Head of Partnerships at Odding.gg started his career in financial services where he held senior and managerial roles in various areas including business development and sales. His passion for esports brought him to the industry, specifically to the betting vertical. Leveraging the newest technologies at Oddin, Marek aims to significantly improve the engagement within esports betting and build partnerships that will shape the future of esports and esports betting.

Read full bio here!

Do not miss this unique opportunity to attend a virtual conference that gathers all North American gaming industry experts for 2 days of discussions and networking. Register your seat now!

Canada

St8 expands Octoplay aggregation deal to Ontario and the UK

Published

3 days ago

July 2, 2026

Wladimir P.

st8-expands-octoplay-aggregation-deal-to-ontario-and-the-uk

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.

Canada

St8 extends Octoplay partnership into Ontario and the UK

Published

3 days ago

July 2, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

st8-extends-octoplay-partnership-into-ontario-and-the-uk

Casino games aggregator and full-service technology provider St8 has expanded its partnership with Octoplay into Ontario and the UK, further strengthening its premium content offering across two of the industry’s most important regulated markets.

Through the extended agreement, St8 will make Octoplay’s full portfolio of casino games available to operators in both jurisdictions, providing partners with seamless access to the supplier’s high-quality content through its single API integration.

The expansion builds on the successful relationship between the two companies and reflects St8’s continued commitment to providing operators with access to leading game providers across regulated markets. By broadening the availability of Octoplay’s portfolio, St8 further enhances the depth and diversity of content available to its operator network.

Octoplay has quickly established itself as one of the industry’s most innovative and fastest growing game studios, recognised for delivering engaging titles that combine premium gameplay with strong player appeal which are now available across 17 jurisdictions. The supplier’s focus on quality and performance aligns closely with St8’s mission to simplify content aggregation while helping operators deliver exceptional gaming experiences.

The latest agreement reinforces St8’s strategy of expanding its premium content portfolio while helping operators simplify integration, accelerate market entry and deliver engaging gaming experiences across multiple regulated jurisdictions.

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.

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 extends Octoplay partnership into Ontario and the UK appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

AGCO

AGCO Fines Great Canadian Entertainment $120,000 for Using Unauthorised Gaming System Software at Four Casinos

Published

3 days ago

July 2, 2026

Wladimir P.

agco-fines-great-canadian-entertainment-$120,000-for-using-unauthorised-gaming-system-software-at-four-casinos

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has ordered monetary penalties totalling $120,000 against Great Canadian Entertainment (GCE) for using unauthorided gaming system software at multiple Ontario casino sites, a serious compliance failure that bypassed requirements designed to protect the integrity of casino gaming.

Gaming equipment and systems are central to casino operations. They process payments and wagers, support slot-game play and help maintain controls that protect the integrity, safety and security of the gaming environment. When these systems are used or operated without required testing, monitoring and approval, it weakens safeguards designed to detect and prevent unlawful conduct, including money laundering, and can undermine public confidence in Ontario’s regulated casino sector.

The AGCO reviewed 40 instances in which revoked or unapproved bill validator software had been installed across four casino sites between February 20 and March 15, 2025. Bill validators are components within gaming machines that accept and process cash and help support anti-money laundering controls.

The AGCO’s Standards for Gaming require gaming equipment and software to be tested and approved before being deployed in casinos. Bill validators verify the authenticity and value of cash inserted into electronic gaming machines and are an important safeguard. That is why these systems must undergo rigorous testing and approval to confirm they operate as intended, perform critical functions reliably and are authorised before being introduced into a live casino environment.

Casino operators are responsible for ensuring that changes to gaming systems are properly reviewed, tested and authorised before implementation. Using unapproved software in a live casino environment is a serious compliance failure.

A casino operator served with an Order of Monetary Penalty has the right to appeal the Registrar’s action within 15 days to the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT), an adjudicative body that is part of Tribunals Ontario and independent of the AGCO.

“The AGCO requires casino operators to protect the integrity of their gaming systems by making sure they are independently tested, approved and operating as intended. When unauthorised software is used in a live casino environment, it bypasses critical safeguards that are meant to uphold the integrity of gaming and the public’s confidence in the system. The AGCO will continue to hold all casino operators accountable for meeting Ontario’s high standards of gaming system integrity,” said Dr. Karin Schnarr, Registrar and Chief Executive Officer at AGCO.

The post AGCO Fines Great Canadian Entertainment $120,000 for Using Unauthorised Gaming System Software at Four Casinos appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.