Canada
FTN Network Leverages Strong Q1 2023 Growth to Close $500k Bridge Round from Techstars Sports Accelerator
FTN Network, a data company specializing in delivering affordable, customizable, extraordinarily detailed and accurate data for betting, season-long fantasy and daily fantasy announced the closing of its $500,000 Bridge Round, which oversubscribed; with the help of Techstars, a global accelerator for technology startups. FTN was selected to participate in the Techstars Sports Accelerator Powered by Indy program in Indianapolis in April 2022. FTN is now actively raising a $3–5 million seed round to help expedite and scale the company, building on its robust early growth in traffic, subscription revenues and social media engagement.
More specifically:
- Q1 2023 traffic was up 54% (year-over-year) across the FTN network of sites.
- Q1 2023 subscription revenue was up 34% (year-over-year) across the FTN network of sites.
- FTN YouTube views are up 32% (year-over-year) and overall subscribers are up 31% (year-over-year).
- FTN Podcast Network downloads are up 25% (year-over-year).
“Our goal and mission with FTN was to create a fantasy and sports betting data company that allowed any user — from those with a limited budget to a top-of-the-line sportsbook — the flexibility to use our data and tools in ways that fit their specific needs. We never wanted to box our customers into a rigid system. Our exemplary year-over-year results are proof that our vision is filling a great need in the market,” said Kevin Adams, CEO of FTN Network.
“The closing of our bridge round from the Techstars Accelerator is going to help us invest in areas of our business where we’re seeing strong engagement, create new strategic partnerships with providers, tech companies and sportsbooks, and expand our talent pool with new developers and advisors to continue scaling and building one of the most innovative sites in the industry,” Kevin Adams added.
In recent months, FTN has signed strategic partnerships with companies such as Sorare, Bettle and Prediction Strike, and rolled out two significant new tools which are gaining popularity with users and achieving significant traction in Google search results. First, its Same Game Parlay Tool on FTNBets.com takes APIs from the six largest US sportsbooks and compares a user’s same game parlay line with FTN Data projections to create “True Odds.” This allows the user to stay away from bad payouts and shop for the best odds. Second is their Player Prop Tool, which shows the best player prop bets available using their FTN Data projections to calculate win%, edge and expected value while offering the best line on the market to place that bet. This allows users to leverage FTN Data to make the most educated player prop bets as possible.
“As we look toward our next round of funding, our sights are focused on scaling our existing products and services, and integrating the NBA and PGA into FTN Data, all while expanding into the business-to-business (B2B) market with FTN Data. By investing in more charters (people watching games and collecting data in real time) we’ll have the ability to push our data to clients quicker, creating an opportunity for our users to make smarter and faster decisions. We at FTN are relentless in our approach to innovation and our goal of providing the most customizable data sets and products for each customer or corporation,” said Stefano Vaccarino, FTN’s Chief Marketing Officer.
Powered by WPeMatico
Internet Gaming Operator by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).
This significant milestone authorizes absolutebet to offer regulated iGaming services in Ontario’s legal market under the oversight of AGCO and iGaming Ontario (iGO).
The registration marks a key step in absolutebet’s mission to bring a trusted, responsible, and innovative online casino experience to Ontario players. absolutebet is committed to operating with integrity and transparency, meeting all provincial standards for player protection, responsible gambling, anti-money laundering, and game integrity.
“Securing AGCO registration is more than a milestone—it’s the start of absolutebet’s journey in one of the most exciting regulated markets in the world,” said Chen Truman, Founder of absolutebet. “We are building a brand that will grow with the Ontario community and set the stage for future expansion.”
On the regulatory milestone, Krisztina Kalla, Legal & Regulatory Compliance Advisor of absolutebet, commented: “I’m incredibly proud to see all the hard work behind this license pay off. Securing AGCO registration has taken months of preparation and close collaboration with regulators and partners. I am very happy to see the result of that work, and even more excited as we move into the launch phase and open up the absolutebet community to Ontario players in a fun and responsible way.”
Ontario is recognized as one of the most competitive and fast-growing regulated iGaming markets in North America. With AGCO registration secured, absolutebet will move forward with the final stages of its iGO onboarding process in preparation for launch.
The post absolutebet Secures AGCO Registration as an Internet Gaming Operator in Ontario appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Alex Malchenko Head of Sales at Evoplay
Evoplay strengthens Ontario presence in partnership with Caesars Entertainment
Evoplay, the award-winning game development studio, has partnered with Caesars Entertainment to expand its footprint in the Canadian market, following its initial entry earlier this year. The partnership integrates 20 of the studio’s top-performing titles onto Caesars Palace Online Casino, Horseshoe Online Casino and Caesars Sportsbook & Casino in Ontario, including fan-favourites such as Hot Triple Sevens, Triple Chili, and The Greatest Catch Bonus Buy.
Having announced its official entrance into Ontario in March, the collaboration with Caesars marks a significant step in Evoplay’s local strategy. Further standout releases, such as Inner Fire Bonus Buy and Hot Volcano, also launched as part of the initial package, with additional player favourites, including Fruit Nova and Ice Mania.
The collaboration underlines Evoplay’s commitment to working with leading operators to deliver high-quality content tailored to regional audiences.
Alex Malchenko, Head of Sales at Evoplay, said: “Launching with Caesars in Ontario marks a key milestone in our North American strategy.
“It reflects both the strength of our portfolio and our commitment to providing innovative, high-performing content to operators of the highest caliber.”
Ricardo Cornejo Rivas, Vice President of Online Gaming at Caesars Digital, said: “Evoplay brings a fresh and dynamic approach to online gaming, which we’re excited to offer to our players in Ontario. This portfolio of standout titles adds to our growing content library and furthering our ongoing goal of delivering top-tier entertainment experiences to our players.”
The post Evoplay strengthens Ontario presence in partnership with Caesars Entertainment appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
The iGaming Ontario Board of Directors has announced Joseph Hillier as the organization’s new President and Chief Executive Officer, effective September 8, 2025. Joseph’s depth in the Ontario igaming market combined with successful public and private sector careers make him the ideal President and CEO at this critical point in iGaming Ontario’s growth.
Joseph was most recently Chief Strategy Officer and Corporate Secretary at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), where he delivered significant strategic and regulatory initiatives across the province’s alcohol, cannabis, gaming, and horse racing sectors. Prior to the AGCO, he served as Chief of Staff to Ontario Attorney General Hon. Doug Downey and led the development, launch and implementation of Canada’s first private sector-driven igaming market and the creation of iGaming Ontario. Joseph also spent more than a decade working in the financial and legal services sectors.
The Board expressed its sincere thanks to David Smith for serving as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer since Martha Otton’s retirement.
The post iGaming Ontario Appoints Joseph Hillier as its New President and CEO appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
-
eSports4 days agoTEAM VITALITY AND HUMMEL LAUNCH ALTERNATE JERSEY AND EXCLUSIVE APPAREL COLLECTION
-
Africa7 days agoQTech Games wins Best Innovation of the Year at the 2025 SBWA+ Eventus Awards
-
Conferences in Europe7 days ago
EGT Digital and EGT to rock the show at SiGMA Euro-Med 2025
-
Colombia6 days ago
Spintec Strengthens its Partnership with Merkur in Colombia and Peru
-
Blanka Homor Sales Director at Playson6 days ago
Playson strengthens Ontario foothold with Casino Time integration
-
Latest News6 days ago
Octoplay advances on its European growth strategy by partnering with Evoke Group in the UK and Denmark
-
Baltics6 days ago
CT Interactive Expands its Certified Game Portfolio in Latvia
-
Balkans6 days ago
CT Gaming Secures Certification for its Latest Multigame – Diamond King 5
