Canada

With the return of major sports, Colorado is beginning to show its market potential

Published

4 years ago

August 27, 2020

With the return of major sports, Colorado is beginning to show its market potential as nation’s fifth-largest, according to PlayColorado analysts

(LAS VEGAS) — Colorado’s sportsbooks got an injection of life with the return of baseball and the NBA in July, nearly attracting as much in wagers as the industry’s first two months combined and firmly establishing itself as a Top 5 U.S. market. And with new operators coming online and a packed August sports schedule, the Centennial State’s sports betting industry is beginning to realize its potential, according to PlayColorado analysts.

“It only took a few days of basketball and baseball games in July to show the demand that is out there in Colorado for sports betting,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for PlayColorado. “In just three months, Colorado has established itself as the fifth-largest sports betting market in the U.S, and the number of sportsbook operators in the state is growing rapidly. And with a robust August schedule that includes playoff runs by the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche, the short-term outlook for the state is excellent.”

Online and retail sportsbooks combined to generate $59.2 million in wagers, up 55.2% from $38.1 million in June, according to official reporting released Wednesday. July’s handle resulted in $2.4 million in net betting proceeds — up 11.4% from $2.2 million in June — producing $241,867 in state taxes. Limited to online betting on fringe sports through June, Colorado’s sportsbooks had combined to take in $63.8 million in wagers, yielding $3.1 million in net proceeds, during the industry’s first two months.

Colorado’s July handle was the fifth largest among legal U.S. jurisdictions, closely trailing No. 4 Indiana, which generated $70.9 million in July.

Table tennis had generated $15.7 million in bets in the first two months, by far the favorite sport among bettors in the state. That changed in July when baseball attracted $9.2 million in bets and soccer took in another $7.6 million. With just a few days of NBA games, basketball attracted $3.2 million in bets. Meanwhile, interest in table tennis waned, yet still yielded $5.1 million in wagers.

The addition of hockey in August, and the looming NFL season, only adds to the sudden bounty of sports.

“The success of the sports betting industry in keeping bettors engaged with fringe sports like table tennis cannot be understated, but there isn’t any substitute for football, basketball, baseball, and hockey,” Gouker said. “As robust as August looks right now, though, the future remains tenuous. College football will likely not be played this fall in Colorado, though perhaps elsewhere in the U.S. And the NFL is still working out its plans. So while the news is good, sports betting is still at the mercy of the pandemic.”

Even with the opening of Colorado’s first retail sportsbooks, online sports betting accounted for $58.6 million, or 99%, of the state’s July handle. Regardless, it appears sports bettors will have a growing array of choices to place bets. Circa Sports, DraftKings’ retail sportsbook, BetWildwood, Ameristar’s retail sportsbook, and William Hill’s retail sportsbook all opened in July. ELITE Sportsbook launched online and in the Red Dolly Casino on Aug. 12, and PointsBet will launch soon with deals already in place with the Nuggets and Avalanche.

“Reasonable operator fees, a relatively large population base, an abundance of sports fans, and a generally operator-friendly regulatory framework have all made the Colorado market attractive in the eyes of major U.S. and European operators,” Gouker said. “And unlike a state like New Jersey that already had a mature gaming industry when sportsbooks first launched, Colorado is a relatively open market. In many ways, it’s ideal for operators of all kinds to enter.”

For more information and analysis on regulated sports betting in Colorado, visit PlayColorado.com/news.

Canada

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

Published

4 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

5 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.”