Canada
Companies Strive to Sate the Worldwide Appeal for Creative Sports Betting Options
Casinos and gambling have been large markets for many years, but sports betting has been a slow-growing segment; until recently. In large part, the slow growth of sports betting in years past is attributed to numerous legal restrictions across most states, as well as a lack of access due to insufficient technological infrastructure.
Now, the sports betting market is changing and growing rapidly. It started with the landmark Supreme Court ruling in 2018, in which the Court struck down the ban on sports betting. As a result, all states got the option to pursue the legalization of sports betting. Overall, as the legal infrastructure becomes more friendly toward sports betting, specifically in the online space, many companies in the gambling industry are beginning to invest in a wider variety of sports betting options.
According to a report by the Associated Press, companies like DraftKings are making serious strides in developing easy-to-use systems available to the public through partnerships with sports leagues.
Recently, the advancement of sports betting in Illinois took place, vastly expanding the mobile wagering options available to the state’s 12.7 million residents. Furthermore, data from Odds.com, which is published by Forbes, showed that Illinois is poised to generate upwards of USD 73 Million in taxable revenue if the estimates of a USD 488 Million annual market come to fruition. The 15% tax levied on gaming revenue could see this number rapidly increase once measures to allow online and mobile offerings are put in place.
FansUnite Entertainment announced breaking news that “their acquisition of McBookie Ltd (McBookie) has emerged from the Coronavirus Pandemic with a strong set of results.
The Scottish-based sportsbook operator was purchased by FansUnite in March 2020 and has delivered a Year over Year increase in Gross Gaming Revenue over the Q2 period of 131%. The majority of that has been delivered by the casino where YOY turnover in Q2 was up 59% from $2.4M CAD to $3.9M CAD, resulting in a gross margin increase of 191%.
“Since acquiring McBookie we have been consistently impressed with their ability to navigate uncertain environments and the global pandemic this past few months has been no exception. During Q2, the team showed an impressive 59% increase in casino betting. Further, the launch of a virtual sports offering in March was timely, delivering turnover in excess of $500,000 CAD and, together with the strong performance of the casino, has compensated for the lack of betting opportunities for customers in traditional sports,” Darius Eghdami, Chairman and CEO of FansUnite Entertainment, said.
With the return of some sports such as the English Premier League, McBookie also grew sportsbook turnover in June by 45% YOY.
“Perhaps the most pleasing aspect of the figures was the way the sportsbook bounced back in June. McBookie is now in a very good position to deliver strong growth once the full complement of sports return in the fall,” Eghdami added.
“We have used the period of the pandemic to work closely with the FansUnite team to improve our operational and marketing techniques and are now in a really good place to drive the business forward when the Scottish football season is set to return on August 1,” Paul Petrie, Founder and Director of McBookie, said.
Century Casinos reported back in April that its Colorado subsidiaries received approval for three Sports Betting Master Licenses. The licenses were awarded during a special meeting of the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission held on 2 April 2020. In addition, the Commission awarded Circa Sports Colorado LLC, the Company’s partner for one of its Master Licenses, with a temporary Internet Sports Betting Operator License. The Commission is moving forward with licensing and will meet the May 1, 2020, legislative launch date deadline. Due to the impact of the pandemic on the sports betting industry, the Company is uncertain of the timeline that the Circa | Sports TM mobile sports betting app will launch.
Boyd Gaming Corporation and FanDuel Group announced last year the debut of FanDuel Sportsbooks at four Boyd Gaming properties: Blue Chip Casino Hotel and Spa in Michigan City, Indiana; Diamond Jo Casino in Dubuque, Iowa; Diamond Jo Casino in Northwood, Iowa; and Belterra Casino Resort in Florence, Indiana. The openings follow the successful debut of the FanDuel Sportsbook at Boyd Gaming’s Valley Forge Casino Resort in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, in March, as well as the companies’ launch of mobile sports betting across the state of Pennsylvania in July. In the coming months, the two companies also plan to introduce mobile sports products under the FanDuel brand in both Iowa and Indiana, pending the receipt of required regulatory approvals.
“Together, Boyd Gaming and FanDuel Group continue to successfully capitalize on the historic opportunity afforded by the legalization and expansion of sports betting in new states across the country. The FanDuel Sportsbook is off to a great start in Pennsylvania, contributing to solid growth in visitation and profitability at our Valley Forge Casino Resort near Philadelphia. We are confident our partners at FanDuel will deliver excellent results in Iowa and Indiana as well, further expanding Boyd Gaming’s customer base and enhancing our long-term competitive appeal,” Keith Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of Boyd Gaming, said.
Esports Entertainment Group announced last week that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire LHE Enterprises Ltd, the holding company of online sportsbook and casino operator Argyll Entertainment AG and its operating subsidiaries. Closing of the acquisition is expected to occur on or before July 31, 2020.
“Reaching a definitive agreement to complete our first acquisition as a NASDAQ company is a major milestone. Argyll CEO Stuart Tilly and CFO Dan Marks already joined our senior leadership team in June as Corporate Secretary and Chief Financial Officer, respectively. They are a great addition to our organization and will help us build on Argyll’s base of more than 100,000 registered users, placing us in a great position to grow revenue moving forward,” Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group, said.
Scientific Games Corporation and gaming operator Caesars Entertainment have extended their existing digital sports betting partnership in preparation for the relaunch of the 2020/21 major league sports seasons. The move comes following recent mobile sports wagering launches in Pennsylvania and Indiana and the launch of online casino gaming in Pennsylvania.
“We’re delighted with our partnership with Caesars Entertainment. We’re working side by side, supporting their excellent teams and playing an important role in delivering digital casino and sports betting products to their players across multiple states. Caesars has always been a market leader, well known for delivering superior player experiences in the traditional gaming space. Our scalable technology, complemented with a U.S. player centric experience, enables Caesars to deliver on their service legacy by offering exceptional betting and digital gaming experiences that reach new audiences across key markets,” Jordan Levin, Group CEO, Digital for Scientific Games, said.
Source: FinancialBuzz.com
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Law enforcement in Alberta continues to search for the last suspect in a sophisticated fraud operation that targeted ATMs in Edmonton-area casinos and resulted in over CAD 1 million ($720,487) in losses throughout Western Canada.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has confirmed that Hisham Ismaeel, 28, remains at large with a province-wide warrant for his arrest. He faces charges of fraud exceeding $5000 and possessing proceeds of crime. Police have already arrested four other men linked to the scheme. Investigators describe the operation as a well-planned effort to exploit financial systems and clean dirty money.
The accused, Elliot Miao, 42, Van Bau Ta, 39, Hassan Jaafar Haydar Ahmad, 37, and Dennis Jones, 42, showed up in the Alberta Court of Justice last week. They face charges from fraud and money laundering to owning criminal property. Miao also has a narcotics trafficking charge after police found cocaine when they searched with warrants.
Investigators claim the group made coordinated withdrawals at several casino ATMs, timing their transactions to avoid getting caught. This action messed up ATM networks in the area and showed flaws in the systems that banks and casinos use to stop misuse.
The RCMP Federal Policing Northwest Region led an investigation that involved six search warrants in Edmonton. The Edmonton Police Service, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC), and several banks supported this effort. Officials said the case shows how teamwork between public agencies and the private sector plays a key role in combating modern financial crime.
AGLC representatives pointed out that casino operators in the province must follow strict reporting and surveillance rules under Canada’s anti-money laundering laws. The specific casinos affected remain unnamed, but the Edmonton region has seven licensed facilities. AGLC said its policies helped spot problems and backed the RCMP’s investigation.
Compliance experts say this fraud shows how criminals change their methods to take advantage of weak spots in reporting limits and transaction checks. They claim that casinos, which deal with lots of cash, are still easy targets unless they keep improving their detection systems and teach their front-line workers to notice coordinated actions like several big withdrawals happening one after another.
For now, the case highlights both the money and crime aspects of casino-related fraud. Besides the million-dollar losses, finding drugs during the raids points to a bigger criminal operation where financial crimes and drug dealing overlap.
The post Casino ATM Scam in Edmonton Reveals Money Laundering and Drug Links appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Bragg Gaming Group, a leading online gaming technology provider, has confirmed a major cybersecurity incident that compromised its internal IT infrastructure in the early hours of Saturday, August 16, 2025.
The company detected unauthorized intrusion attempts that successfully breached its internal network, triggering an immediate and comprehensive incident response.
Key Takeaways
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Bragg Gaming Group experienced a cybersecurity breach involving access to internal IT systems.
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No customer personal data or payment information appears to have been compromised.
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The company has enacted full containment and investigation protocols.
Details of the Breach
According to a preliminary forensic analysis by Bragg’s internal security team, the attack was a targeted breach aimed at the company’s internal computer environment. While the exact method of intrusion is still under investigation, early indicators suggest a sophisticated exploit of internal network vulnerabilities.
Fortunately, the company’s customer-facing systems, including sensitive user data and financial information, appear to have been unaffected. Bragg’s existing encryption protocols and access control systems successfully prevented the attackers from accessing customer information.
Immediate Response Measures
In response to the breach, Bragg launched a multi-tiered containment strategy, including:
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Network Segmentation to isolate affected systems
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Enhanced Monitoring of data flows across its Remote Games Server (RGS) platform
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Security Audits of critical infrastructure, including the Bragg Hub and PAM systems
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Engagement of Independent Cybersecurity Experts to assist in incident analysis and system hardening
Bragg’s Security Operations Center has also elevated its alert level, initiating 24/7 monitoring across all server clusters and network endpoints. In addition, company-wide penetration testing is now underway to proactively identify any residual vulnerabilities.
Business Continuity Maintained
Despite the severity of the breach, Bragg reports that its operations remain unaffected. All gaming services, including iCasino and sportsbook offerings across regulated markets, continue to function without disruption.
“While this incident is deeply concerning, we are confident in the rapid and thorough response initiated by our team,” a company spokesperson stated. “We remain committed to protecting our infrastructure, our partners, and most importantly, our players.”
Looking Ahead
As part of its response, Bragg has also launched mandatory security awareness training for all employees to reinforce best practices and prevent future incidents.
Cybersecurity analysts will continue working with Bragg to determine the full scope of the attack, improve system resilience, and maintain the trust of its users and stakeholders.
Bragg’s handling of the incident highlights both the evolving nature of cybersecurity threats and the importance of robust, responsive defense systems in the digital gaming sector.
Source: cybersecuritynews.com
The post Bragg Confirms Cyber Attack – Hackers Access Internal IT Systems appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has updated several lottery policies to remove the cap on seller commission for Paper Raffles and Media Bingo, along with removing the prohibition on Catch the Ace paper lotteries, to align with other charitable lottery products.
Licensed charities may now negotiate commissions directly with sellers and determine commissions, provided they are reasonable and tied to the cost of service provided by the seller.
These updates further the AGCO’s commitment to adopt an outcomes-based regulatory approach and reduce burden for the charitable gaming sector. Local charitable organizations will have greater flexibility to make decisions that best serve their fundraising objectives.
Important Reminders
• Charities must still receive approval for other expenses incurred under their licence and retain receipts for seller commission paid.
• Licensing authorities will not require documentation to be submitted as part of the application process, however, charities are still subject to audit to determine compliance.
• Charities are reminded of their legal requirement to meet their obligations under the Criminal Code and with respect to conducting and managing a charitable gaming scheme.
• As with all licensed charitable lottery events, charities must take the necessary steps to ensure that they are conducting and managing the lottery event within Ontario.
For charitable gaming-related inquiries, email an AGCO Eligibility Officer at [email protected] or call AGCO Customer Service at 1-800-522-2876, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The post AGCO Removes Cap on Seller Commission for Charitable Lottery Products appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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