Canada
Pros Or Newbies – Who’s Playing Live Poker at Online Casinos?

If you’re wondering who gambles online, the short answer is – almost everyone. It’s estimated that more than 4.2 billion people gamble on the internet at least once a year. Most of them do it by either playing online casino games like slots or roulette or by placing sports wagers.
Surprisingly, there’s also a significant community that plays live poker games over the internet. Many place the number at more than 100 million active players in the world. What’s interesting is that their number keeps on growing exponentially. This could mean that a significant number of players are only making baby steps in online poker, which raises the question of whether there are more pro-poker players or beginners.
How Experienced are Online Poker Players?
Who plays online poker more – pros or beginners? The answer is both. However, the two categories don’t cross their paths on internet poker platforms too often.
The thing is that pros are usually willing to play online poker at higher stakes. After all, they have money that they earned from playing poker professionally. Therefore, they tend to play against other high-rolling poker pros.
Poker newbies, on the other hand, usually start slowly, playing low-stakes games. That seems to be the right thing to do, at least for those who don’t want to risk losing all they got in just a few hands.
Another reason why newcomers are advised to start with low stakes is that this will enable them to get better at poker. This way, they get a chance to play poker for a long time against different types of opponents, gaining valuable experience along the way.
Play Poker Games Live In Different Languages
A study by researchers from the University of Hamburg a few years ago revealed that nearly one-quarter of all online poker players are from the United States. It’s no surprise, considering that this game’s birthplace is America. The growth of online casinos, on the other hand, has significantly contributed to the global increase in the number of poker players.
Poker at online casinos is not only tailored to newcomers, but it is also available in more languages. Initially, live poker games could only be played on English-language platforms, but as online gambling became more popular in other parts of the world, operators began to offer live dealers in additional languages. This includes some languages spoken in countries where gambling is banned. One of the best examples is the Middle East.
Poker is one of the most popular game categories at Arabic-Casinos.org, and an increasing number of visitors from the region are looking for casinos that offer live poker in Arabic. As a result, online casino operators and game developers have recognized the market’s potential and are offering more products and services aimed at the Arabic market.
Gender Aspect of Online Poker
In the United States, 95% of all professional poker players are men, compared to just 5% of female poker players. Further, if you take a look at The Hendon Mob All Time Money List, there’s just one woman in the top 100. The lady in question is Vanessa Selbst, whose $11,906,247 in earnings make her the #79 most successful poker players in the world.
It’s a bit of a different situation when it comes to amateur poker players. Although no one can say for certain how many female players are playing live poker over the internet, it’s likely that their number isn’t small. The reason why there’s no data that could tell us the exact number of women playing online poker is that many gambling sites don’t require you to reveal your gender in order to be able to play.
What’s the Thrill Behind Playing Live Poker?
The main advantage of online poker is that you can play it wherever you might be. You don’t have to go to a casino – you can do it from the comfort of your home, but also on the go, playing it on your smartphone.
Another great thing about it is that the internet allows you to play poker against people from around the world. That said, you can always find some opponents ready to play with you for real money, even if it’s the middle of the night in your part of the world.
Conveniently, online live poker enables you to play whenever you want, wherever you might be, and against whomever you want.
Over the years, poker has become an integral part of American culture, with numerous movies and songs being inspired by the game. Just think of Lady Gaga’s breakthrough hit “Poker Face” and you’ll see what we mean.
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Canada
Bragg Gaming Group Enteres into New Financing Agreement with Bank of Montreal

Bragg Gaming Group, a leading global B2B iGaming content and technology provider, announced it has entered into a new financing agreement with the Bank of Montreal (BMO), a leading North American financial institution, pursuant to which BMO has made available to the Company certain credit facilities in a maximum aggregate amount of up to US$6.0 million to support its ongoing working capital and general corporate requirements (the BMO Facilities).
In connection with the closing of the BMO Facilities, Bragg has successfully repaid in full the outstanding promissory note with entities controlled by Doug Fallon (the Prior Note Indebtedness). The new BMO Facilities replace the Prior Note Indebtedness, signalling a significant step in the Company’s financial strategy to partner with a major commercial bank to support its growth.
“We are very pleased to establish this new relationship with the Bank of Montreal, a recognized leader in financial services. This new credit facility strengthens our balance sheet and provides us with a flexible capital structure to execute our strategic plan. The ability to secure financing from a major North American bank underscores the confidence in our business and our long-term growth prospects. We look forward to a long and successful partnership with BMO,” said Robbie Bressler, CFO of Bragg Gaming Group.
The BMO Facilities are secured by, amongst other things, a first-ranking security interest over all of the assets of the Company and certain of its key operating subsidiaries, and are uncommitted and are repayable upon the earlier of (i) demand by BMO, (ii) the occurrence of certain insolvency events, and (iii) on the one-year anniversary of the closing date, unless a one-year extension is granted at BMO’s discretion.
The agreement includes customary legal and financial covenants, including a requirement for the Company to maintain a Total Funded Debt to EBITDA ratio not exceeding 2.50:1.00, and a Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio of not less than 1.25:1.00. These financial covenants are to be tested on a consolidated basis at the end of each fiscal quarter.
The Company currently expects to draw on the BMO Facilities in Canadian dollars, which would result in estimated borrowing costs of 6.9%–7.9% for Prime-based loans or 5.9%–6.9% for CORRA-based loans, depending on the period of the draw and the Company’s leverage ratio. Standby fees on the unused portion of the revolving facility will range from 0.75% to 1.75% per annum, depending on leverage.
Management believes that based on the terms of the BMO Facilities, the Company’s borrowing costs on an annualized basis will be less than half of its Prior Note Debt.
Matevž Mazij, CEO of Bragg Gaming Group, said: “Securing this BMO facility represents a critical milestone in our strategic plan to strengthen Bragg’s financial foundation and accelerate value creation for our shareholders. With our cybersecurity incident contained and our borrowing costs cut by more than half, we are laser-focused on executing our strategic shift toward higher-quality earnings. The Company is prioritizing margin and cash generation over lower-margin revenue, and synergies realized post-quarter end to become a leaner operation. We’ve already realized EUR 2 million in annualized synergies and are on track to achieve our 20% Adjusted EBITDA margin target for the second half of 2025.
“Our recent leadership additions in AI and innovation, combined with our expanding partnerships with operators like Fanatics and Hard Rock Digital, position us to pursue highly accretive growth opportunities methodically. The Company remains focused on growing the business in a sustainable and margin-accretive manner, with strong momentum in the proprietary content and technology pipeline positioning Bragg for long-term profitable growth.
“We understand the importance of delivering results for our shareholders, and our board and management team are fully aligned and committed to executing the strategic initiatives that will drive value. With improved financial flexibility, a strengthened operational foundation, and clear milestones ahead, we believe we have the right strategy and team in place to unlock Bragg’s full potential. We remain committed to maximizing shareholder value as we build sustainable, profitable growth and ensure our strong operational performance translates into appropriate market valuation.”
Cyber Breach Update
The Company has also provided an update on its previously announced cybersecurity incident initially detected on August 16, 2025.
Immediately following detection, Bragg took appropriate steps to mitigate any potential impact of the breach. With the assistance of independent cybersecurity experts, the Company has followed industry best practices and considers that the incident is now resolved.
There continues to be no indication that any personal information was affected and the breach has had no impact on the ability of the Company to continue its operations. Bragg has also provided assurances to its customers regarding the security of its game titles. The Company has experienced no negative impact on its revenue or profitability and does not expect that the cost of responding to the incident will have a material financial impact on the Company.
The Company has already applied knowledge gathered from the investigation of the event to enhance its cyber security defenses.
The post Bragg Gaming Group Enteres into New Financing Agreement with Bank of Montreal appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Betty
Thunderkick commits to growth in Ontario with Betty partnership

Independent slots studio Thunderkick has agreed a deal with Ontario-based operator Betty to supply the rapidly growing online casino with a diverse collection of globally popular titles.
Betty, an official partner of sporting franchises Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors, has risen to prominence since its 2022 establishment, when it was built following the consultation of 300 casino players to create the optimal iGaming environment.
Distinguishing itself from North American competitors by catering specifically to slot enthusiasts rather than sports bettors, the operator has curated a portfolio of 2,800 games, hand-picked to deliver customers maximum entertainment value.
Thunderkick’s content is the latest to be integrated into Betty’s online casino, and the agreement will see a selection of its most popular titles, including The Wildos 2, Midas Golden Touch 3, and Esqueleto Explosivo 3, made available to a greater number of Ontarian players.
Thunderkick marked its debut in the Canadian province in Q2 of 2024, and has since partnered with a network of leading operators to improve its market position. The collaboration with Betty will further amplify its visibility in a key jurisdiction as the provider looks to reinforce its reputation as a global slot developer.
Svante Sahlström, CCO at Thunderkick, said: “It’s our mission at Thunderkick to go deeper, not wider, in 2025. That means forging meaningful, lasting relationships in target markets as opposed to securing as many commercial deals as possible.
“Since entering Ontario over 12 months ago, we have worked tirelessly to enhance our presence in the province, and working with leading brands such as Betty allows us to bring our unique games to a deeper pool of Canadian players.”
Paraskeva Smirnova, Casino Operations Manager at Betty, added: “Betty’s USP has always been our drive to build a slot portfolio with the very best titles from the industry’s most creative suppliers.
“Thunderkick’s passion for slot development is there for all to see, and the introduction of its games to our casino further elevates the consumer experience.”
The post Thunderkick commits to growth in Ontario with Betty partnership appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
BCLC
Save the Date: BCLC’s New Horizons in Safer Gambling Conference Returns November 2026

BCLC is pleased to announce the return of the New Horizons in Safer Gambling Conference, taking place November 2–4, 2026, at the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver.
This global event brings leading voices in research, policy and industry together to explore innovative approaches to safer gambling. Attendees can expect two days of forward-thinking dialogue, evidence-based insights and collaborative solutions to help shape the future of player health.
Sponsorship Opportunities Now Available
New to the 2026 conference, BCLC is excited to offer sponsorship opportunities to organizations that share BCLC’s passion for safer gambling. Benefits of sponsoring New Horizons 2026 include industry visibility, leadership recognition and meaningful engagement with a global audience. To learn more about sponsorship, please e-mail [email protected].
Registration and program details will be released later this fall.
The post Save the Date: BCLC’s New Horizons in Safer Gambling Conference Returns November 2026 appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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