Canada

The US continues to sweeten the pot

Published

5 years ago

May 24, 2021

Dmitry Starostenkov, CEO at EvenBet Gaming examines online poker’s prospects stateside

The US has always been associated with manifest destiny, embarking on new regions and making the most of what is there. It seems fitting then that legalised online poker is finding its way across the country, adjusting to different forms of regulation in various states.

Poker is deeply entrenched within American culture, being as symbolic to the country as Mah-jong is for China or Rummy in India. Even so, the US has been without any legitimate means to enjoy the game online for 10 years and there is a real hunger for it now. Despite all this, the estimated number of Americans regularly playing poker in all its forms still reaches 10 million.

As different states become regulated in one guise or another, the game is finally beginning to find its place on people’s computer and smartphone screens. New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware are the most obvious states for an operator to approach from a regulatory point of view. There is also West Virginia, Michigan and Pennsylvania, which are regulating online poker and are likely to join the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement.

Unfortunately, high liquidity is always crucial for the game to be interesting for players and with such prohibitive legislation in the majority of states, the game is not going to be as strong as it could be. This is possibly the biggest obstacle operators will face. However, even in these circumstances major operators like PokerStars are already able to get as much as 500 daily active players in one state, and this number is extremely promising.

That being said, differentiation can always help in standing out from the crowd and that is more important than ever when competing against the industry’s big brands. With poker being synonymous with US gambling, differentiating an offering should not be too great of a challenge. Building a strong and reputable offering, including a balanced tournament schedule are key factors for acquiring players and keeping them engaged.

Obviously, many of these issues could be solved with national gambling regulation, but that is unlikely to be a possibility, certainly not in the next two or three years. In fact, the US is so diverse with respect to state legislation that a national gambling regulation of any kind may simply not be feasible on any timeline.

The current federal government policy is to keep online gaming regulation at the states’ level, so the best outcome we can hope for now is that more states will introduce poker regulation and join the multi-state agreement. However, operators should keep in mind that they will still need to go through licensing in each state separately.

These issues pale in comparison to the sheer potential of the states, however. There is not a country in the world that can compete with the US for the technological infrastructure needed to roll out online poker at scale. The vast majority of US citizens own some form of smartphone. As well as that, for various reasons, desktop gaming is still hugely appealing to customers in the states. As a result of this, I expect that the mobile share will grow, but at a much slower pace than in Asia or South America.

Of course, all this development is promising, but player safety still needs to be a priority. With the current compliance and regulation policies, poker customers in the US are going to be well protected if they play at the legal operators’ websites. The main risk factor that we can foresee is the growth of scam websites passing themselves off as licensed operators. As online gaming gains momentum, monitoring all such activity becomes far more difficult, so players should be careful.

Responsibly enjoying poker, whether offline or online, has always been a special pastime in the US. That explains the initial online poker boom that started in the US and why operators flourish in every state where online poker becomes regulated. Without wanting to sound too optimistic, I hope to see this happening a lot more.

Canada

St8 launches in Ontario through partnership with Tonybet

Published

13 hours ago

February 20, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

st8-launches-in-ontario-through-partnership-with-tonybet

Casino games aggregator and full-service technology provider, St8 has officially gone live in Ontario’s regulated market through a new partnership with international brand Tonybet.

Through the partnership, Tonybet gains access to St8’s casino games aggregation platform, offering a wide range of premium titles from leading providers through a single API, alongside bonusing and promotional tools, compliance and licensing solutions, advanced reporting and data capabilities.

Built as a single scalable platform, St8’s products are designed to help operators launch and grow across regulated markets with fast, flexible technology solutions while maintaining full compliance.

The agreement marks a further step in St8’s global growth strategy as the company continues to expand its presence across regulated jurisdictions.

Vladimir Negine, CEO at St8, said: “Going live in Ontario is an important milestone for St8 and reflects our continued commitment to growth in regulated markets. Since receiving our Ontario licence, we have focused on building strong local partnerships and delivering a platform that combines scalability, speed and compliance.

“As a respected international brand, Tonybet shares our commitment to building reliable solutions for regulated markets, and we look forward to working closely together as we continue to expand our presence in regulated jurisdictions worldwide.”

Kiryl Liudvikevich, Head of Product at Tonybet, added: “As we expand our presence in Ontario, it is important for us to work with technology partners that support continued growth while meeting the highest regulatory standards.

“St8’s platform gives us the flexibility to integrate a wide range of content and tools through a single connection, helping us scale smoothly while maintaining a strong focus on player experience.”

St8 continues to lead the way as a partner of choice for regulated markets. In addition to its Ontario licence, the company holds licences in key regulated jurisdictions like the United Kingdom, Sweden and Romania, among others.

The post St8 launches in Ontario through partnership with Tonybet appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Canada

Rivalry Corp. Announces Significant Reduction in Operations and Evaluation of Strategic Alternatives

Published

4 days ago

February 17, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

rivalry-corp.-announces-significant-reduction-in-operations-and-evaluation-of-strategic-alternatives

Rivalry Corp. announced that its Board of Directors has approved a significant reduction in operating activity as the Company evaluates strategic alternatives in respect of its assets and operations.

The Company is engaged in discussions with third parties regarding potential transactions. However, in light of recent performance volatility, the Board has determined to materially reduce the scale of operations while assessing whether a strategic transaction or other alternative can be advanced.

Effective immediately, the Company is implementing substantial cost reductions, including a significant workforce reduction and reduced operating expenditures. The Company has paused player activity on its platform and is facilitating player withdrawals in the ordinary course.

The Company is assessing a range of potential alternatives, which may include asset-level transactions, corporate transactions, restructuring initiatives or other strategic outcomes.

Given the Company’s reduced operating scale and the ongoing evaluation process, there can be no assurance that any strategic alternative will be completed or that operations will continue in their current form.

The post Rivalry Corp. Announces Significant Reduction in Operations and Evaluation of Strategic Alternatives appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Alex Malchenko

Evoplay Strengthens Canadian Presence with BetMGM Partnership

Published

1 week ago

February 13, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

evoplay-strengthens-canadian-presence-with-betmgm-partnership

Evoplay is celebrating another milestone in its regulated-market journey with a new launch in Ontario, teaming up with BetMGM to bring its games to one of Canada’s most dynamic and competitive jurisdictions.

The rollout introduces 18 Evoplay titles to BetMGM Casino in Ontario, carefully selected to deliver long-term engagement and appeal to a wide range of player preferences. The first wave includes proven performers such as:

• Hot Triple Sevens

• Hot Volcano

• Gold of Sirens Bonus Buy

• Inner Fire Bonus Buy.

These are games that have already demonstrated strong results across multiple regulated markets.

This launch marks another confident step in Evoplay’s Canadian expansion, reinforcing the company’s commitment to aligning its content with local market requirements, player expectations, and regulatory standards.

Alex Malchenko, Head of Sales at Evoplay, said: Ontario continues to set a high standard for regulated online casinos, making it a market where the right partnerships truly matter. Collaborating with BetMGM allows us to expand our reach with a portfolio that has already performed strongly across multiple areas and territories.

Oliver Bartlett, VP of Gaming at BetMGM, said: “Partnering with Evoplay adds a strong selection of proven, high-performing titles to our growing portfolio in Ontario.”

The post Evoplay Strengthens Canadian Presence with BetMGM Partnership appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.