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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Aaron LaBerge
PENN Entertainment Launches Stand-alone iCasino App, theScore Casino, in Ontario

PENN Entertainment announced that it has launched theScore Casino, a new stand-alone iCasino app in Ontario. The dedicated online casino experience leverages the popular theScore brand, which has been a mainstay in the Ontario market for decades. Now available on Android, iOS, and desktop, customers can login using their existing theScore Bet credentials, allowing for a seamless experience across online gaming platforms.
theScore Casino operates on the same cutting-edge proprietary technology platform as PENN’s online Hollywood Casino, which launched as a standalone product in the US in December. The product was recently ranked by Eilers & Krejcik as the #2 overall iCasino product in the US.
theScore Casino, also available within theScore Bet app, offers a variety of online slots, table games, and live dealer content, including original titles from PENN Game Studios, the company’s in-house game development studio. theScore Casino also includes bespoke live dealer tables and exclusive games such as Blue Jays Blackjack, an original title leveraging theScore Bet’s partnership with the Toronto Blue Jays.
“We’re excited to introduce our dedicated iCasino product in Ontario under the well-known and trusted theScore brand. We’ve built a strong online gaming foothold in the Ontario market and are primed to deliver an even better casino experience with our proven stand-alone app. Our customer-friendly platform features more than 1200 games, dozens of original titles and intuitive game play that distinguishes our product and positions us for even greater success,” said Aaron LaBerge, Chief Technology Officer and Head of Interactive at PENN Entertainment.
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Canada
ELK Studios Expands Partnership with SkillOnNet to Ontario Market

PlayOJO, SlotsMagic and SpinGenie to carry ELK Studios’ games in Ontario
Global entertainment brand SkillOnNet and innovative Swedish game creator Elk Studios have cemented their longstanding partnership with the launch of ELK’s groundbreaking portfolio in the Ontario market.
ELK Studios is responsible for some of the industry’s most innovative and engaging online casino games. Now, players at SkillOnNet’s Ontario-licensed casinos, PlayOJO, SlotsMagic and SpinGenie, will be able to experience the feature-packed delights of hit titles like Nitropolis, Tinkerbot and Pirot, as well as new release Orbitfall, and the studio’s signature X-iter and CollectR mechanics.
The expansion marks a milestone for ELK Studios as it continues to grow its footprint in regulated markets worldwide. SkillOnNet recently successfully launched the studio’s portfolio in the Spanish and Mexican markets through its Spanish-language brands and expects the studio’s games to make a similarly immediate impact with Ontario players.
Ontario has become a hugely important growth market since the province launched regulated online gaming in 2022. It was worth $2.4 billion in 2024, with $63 billion in wagering, the lion’s share coming from online casinos.
Jani Kontturi, Head of Games at SkillOnNet said: “ELK Studios is known for its high-quality games that blend unique storytelling and humour with high levels of engagement and playability, which is why we’re delighted to introduce them to Ontario. We believe they will perform successfully, as they have in other markets around the world.”
Vaida Cirtautaite, CCO at ELK Studios said: “SkillOnNet has been an invaluable partner in our growth journey, and we are thrilled to expand our collaboration into Ontario. We’re excited to bring our innovative games to a new wave of players in this dynamic market.”
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AGCO
Playnetic granted Ontario supplier license

Global B2B iGaming content provider secures first Canadian market entry following the successful submission and approval of its gaming-related supplier application
Playnetic, the in-demand global B2B iGaming content provider known for its quality games, reliable delivery and outstanding customer service, has announced the approval of its gaming-related supplier application by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).
With the AGCO licensing process being recognised in the industry for its rigorous standards and thorough due diligence, the new certification confirms Playnetic was able to meet the high levels of integrity and regulatory compliance needed to legally distribute its content within the province.
As a result of the approval, Playnetic has now secured its first Canadian market entry and will be able to provide its library of innovative games to licensed operators in the Ontario region – with this starting point paving the way for further expansion into other regulated provinces in future.
Given signs of change emerging within the Canadian market and Alberta making progress toward a regulated online model – likely drawing from Ontario’s framework – this license positions Playnetic strongly to expand its footprint in the country and further solidifies the company’s ambitious growth plans.
In the meantime, Playnetic has already begun making groundwork with key operators in the Ontario region and is looking forward to going live with some exciting brands over the coming months. The company will also be attending SBC’s Canadian Gaming Summit from June 17-19, where both existing and new potential partners alike are welcome to stop by and meet the team.
Dan Phillips, Chief Executive Officer at Playnetic, said: “Acquiring AGCO approval for our gaming-related supplier application is undoubtedly a big step for Playnetic. The new license not only secures our first Canadian market entry, but also reaffirms Playnetic’s position as a trusted provider in iGaming and underlines our commitment to compliance and operational excellence.”
Julian Borg-Barthet, Chief Commercial Officer at Playnetic, said: “We’re very excited to now be in a position to offer our library of innovative gaming content in Ontario, and the groundwork to do that with some of the region’s biggest licensed operators is already underway. Over time, we’re confident this license will also help us expand further into current markets and emerging regulated provinces, such as Alberta.”
The post Playnetic granted Ontario supplier license appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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