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The US continues to sweeten the pot

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Canada

NorthStar Gaming Reports First Quarter 2024 Results

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NorthStar Gaming Holdings Inc. released its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2024. All dollar figures are quoted in Canadian dollars.

“In the first quarter we continued our pattern of strong year-over-year growth, highlighted by record total wagers. Our premium customer experience and growing brand awareness are propelling higher player retention, strengthened loyalty and increased player values. These positive trends enable us to spend our marketing dollars more efficiently, contributing to improved operating leverage as the business scales,” Michael Moskowitz, Chair and CEO of NorthStar, said.

Financial highlights for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024:

  • Revenue, including managed services fees, net of bonuses, promotional costs and free bets, was $5.9 million in Q1 2024, an increase of 63% over $3.6 million in Q1 2023.
  • Total Wagers1 at Northstarbets.ca were $218.0 million in Q1 2024, an increase of 56% compared to $140.2 million in Q1 2023.
  • Gross Gaming Revenue at NorthStarbets.ca was $7.0 million in Q1 2024, an increase of 59% over $4.4 million in Q1 2023.
  • Gross Margin was $2.2 million in Q1 2024, an increase of 91% over $1.2 million in Q1 2023, and represented approximately 37% of revenue compared to 32% of revenue in Q1 2023.

Recent Operating Highlights:

  • Notable year-over-year improvements in key performance indicators (KPIs) included a 42% increase in active players, a 9% decline in cost per acquisition of a customer (CPA), and a 54% increase in estimated 12-month player values.
  • Renewed the strategic marketing agreement with Playtech Software Limited, which will contribute services valued at up to $4 million through to October 31, 2024, designed to accelerate player acquisition in Ontario.
  • Secured $3 million of short-term financing to fund the Company’s continued growth through an unsecured promissory note to Playtech plc dated April 25, 2024 repayable in one year, or earlier upon completion by the Company of additional financing transactions.
  • Recently celebrated the second anniversary of the NorthStar Bets platform, which launched in Ontario on May 9, 2022. Northstarbets.ca has generated more than $1 billion in total wagers1 in its first two years of operations.
  • Ongoing roll-out of enhancements to the Company’s “Sports Insights 2.0” content vertical, an initiative announced in February 2024, with recent additions including player injury reports from industry leader RotoWire and a revised content strategy placing a greater emphasis on casino.
  • Launched the VIP Elite program to help secure the loyalty and satisfaction of our most active players.
  • Introduced branded studios for select live dealer games, prominently showcasing the NorthStar Bets brand and reinforcing the Company’s positioning as a premium offering.
  • Continued to strengthen the Casino vertical, which has surpassed 650 games covering all major categories and curated from leading vendors worldwide.

“March was the strongest month of Q1, and we have maintained that momentum into the second quarter. Our team is making regular improvements to our service offering, such as the recent launch of a VIP Elite strategy aimed at the most active players who drive a meaningful share of our results. We have some exciting demand creation activities planned for the coming months along with further innovations to our platform and content. We remain focused on unlocking value for our stakeholders and are excited about the opportunities ahead of us in 2024,” Mr. Moskowitz said.

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Swintt games approved for release in Ontario

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In-demand software provider receives AGCO approval to operate in the regulated province, bringing full suite of games to Canadian players for the very first time

Swintt, the EGR award-winning software provider famed for its classically-themed Premium releases and state-of-the-art Select slots, has announced it has received permission to operate in Ontario, meaning its full suite of games will now available to AGCO-licensed platforms.

Having unveiled ambitious plans to expand into further regulated markets at the start of 2024, Swintt’s portfolio is now certified in eleven countries including Malta, Germany and the Netherlands, but this latest approval represents the company’s maiden entry into North America.

This means that not only will Ontarian players now be able to enjoy popular SwinttGames releases like the fan favourite slot Aloha Spirit XtraLockTM, but also newer upcoming games from Elysium Studios – Driven by Swintt.

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The product of Swintt’s acquisition of Elysium Studios earlier this year, the collaboration has resulted in a new line-up of releases being added to the software provider’s roster, with these games combing immersive themes and features with the very latest in slot design and graphics.

Tipsy Charms, the first game in the Elysium Studios – Driven by Swintt line-up, has already launched to great effect – and with the Mesopotamian-themed adventure, Law of Gilgamesh, scheduled for May 30th, there’s plenty for Ontarian players to look forward to in the coming weeks.

With all this and more on the horizon for the province in the second half of 2024, everyone at Swintt is excited about entering the regulated Canadian market for the first time and the company has high hopes that the approval will further underline its credentials as a leading global provider.

David Mann, Chief Executive Officer at Swintt, said: “Swintt is delighted to have received AGCO approval for its games in Ontario and we’re very excited to now have the chance to take this new and dynamic market by storm. Being certified to launch in Ontario is definitely a huge step for the company that will enable us to showcase our brand to new audiences on the global stage.”

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Rivalry to Report First Quarter 2024 Results on May 30

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Rivalry Corp. (the “Company” or “Rivalry”) (TSXV: RVLY) (OTCQX: RVLCF) (FSE: 9VK), the leading sportsbook and iGaming operator for Gen Z, today announced details of its planned release of first quarter 2024 financial results.

The Company expects to file its Q1 2024 results the morning of Thursday, May 30, 2024 prior to the commencement of TSXV trading. Management plans to host an investor conference call that same day at 10:00 am EDT to discuss the results.

Conference Call Details
Timing: Thursday, May 30, 2024 at 10:00 am EDT
Dial-in: 1-800-717-1738 (toll free) or (+1) 289-514-5100 (local or international calls)
Webcast: A live webcast can be accessed from the Events section of the Company’s website at rivalrycorp.com
A replay of the webcast will be archived on the Company’s website for one year.

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