Canada
COVID-19 Causes 79% Year-Over-Year Drop in Q2 Commercial Casino Gaming Revenue
Record Start to 2020 Provides Strong Foundation for Gaming’s Recovery
U.S. commercial gaming revenue for the second quarter of 2020 totaled $2.30 billion, a steep 78.8 percent year-over-year contraction, according to the American Gaming Association’s (AGA) new Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker.
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. gaming industry saw revenue decline in nearly every reported vertical compared to Q2 2019.
“COVID-19 has undoubtedly posed the most difficult economic challenge the gaming industry has ever faced,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “Yet, gaming’s record popularity prior to COVID-19, as well our resilience in the midst of such adversity, is evidence of the industry’s foundation for continued success as we emerge from the pandemic.”
Contrary to recent revenue declines, commercial casinos demonstrated strong consumer demand in 2020 when open for business. Before all 989 U.S. brick-and-mortar casinos closed their doors in March, combined commercial gaming revenue for January and February was up 10.4 percent year-over-year. Following the return of casino gaming in Q2, several states have reported a year-over-year uptick in average daily GGR per open casino despite operating with limited capacity, game availability, and amenities. This includes South Dakota (+42.5%), Ohio (+19.3%), and Indiana (+7.4%).
While April and May both experienced year-over-year GGR declines north of 90 percent, June saw nearly 300 commercial casinos reopen throughout the month and, as a result, revenue was nearly four times greater than the previous two months combined. More than 85 percent of U.S. casinos are now open, including nearly 9 in 10 commercial casinos, all of which have implemented stringent, regulator-approved health and safety plans. “The gaming industry has been a leader in implementing rigorous, innovative protocols that have allowed the vast majority of our properties to reopen and stay open,” continued Miller. “With business returning to casino floors and sportsbooks seeing increased action, the gaming industry is steadily charting a responsible path to recovery that prioritizes health and safety, supports the communities where we operate, and offers first-class entertainment.”
Sports betting experienced a sharp decline in GGR in the second quarter due to the shutdown of sports activity, but is still up slightly (4.1%) in the first half of 2020 as a result of a record start to the year and increased legal options.
iGaming, the only gaming vertical to experience year-over-year growth in Q2 2020, marked the first full quarter generating more revenue than sports betting in the post-PASPA era. Online casino gaming is only legal in six states: Delaware, Pennsylvania, Nevada (poker only), New Jersey, Michigan (not live), and West Virginia.
AGA’s reporting on the financial performance of the U.S. commercial casino industry will continue on a quarterly basis as the association tracks the industry’s economic recovery. Monthly updates will be available on AmericanGaming.org.
Background About the Report
AGA’s Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker provides state-by-state and cumulative insight into the U.S. commercial gaming industry’s financial performance based on state revenue reports. The first issue highlights second quarter results, ending June 30 (Q2 2020), and year-to-date comparisons.
About the AGA
The American Gaming Association (AGA) is the premier national trade group representing the $261 billion U.S. casino industry, which supports 1.8 million jobs nationwide. AGA members include commercial and tribal casino operators, gaming suppliers, and other entities affiliated with the gaming industry. It is the mission of the AGA to achieve sound policies and regulations consistent with casino gaming’s modern appeal and vast economic contributions.
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Canada
NorthStar Gaming Enhances the Customer Experience with Strategic Product Innovations
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NorthStar Gaming Holdings Inc. announced a series of enhancements to its NorthStar Bets online betting platform. The latest product innovations are crafted to elevate and consistently surpass the expectations of NorthStar Bets customers, reinforcing the Companyās position as the definitive premium choice in the gaming industry.
āWe are excited to roll out a broad range of product enhancements to our customers. Innovation has always been a core value for NorthStar as we seek to maintain a best-of-breed platform that evolves alongside changing preferences and emerging technologies. We focus on upgrades that will differentiate us in the marketplace, simplify the customer experience, and reinforce our premium positioning,ā said Michael Moskowitz, Chair and CEO of NorthStar.
NorthStarās product innovation strategy can be summarized by two complementary propositions. āIncrementally Betterā refers to ongoing, often small-scale improvements aimed at optimizing such attributes as reliability, trust, speed, simplicity, and performance. āFundamentally Differentā means targeting efforts on features or offerings that are highly valued, drive customer loyalty, and set NorthStar apart from competitors.
Product enhancements recently introduced by NorthStar include the following:
ā¢ Strengthened Casino section. A new streamlined navigation simplifies the user experience, while NorthStarās selection of games and titles has doubled since the start of 2024.
ā¢ NorthStar Elite Blackjack. A bespoke branded table crafted to exceed the exacting standards of VIP players, embodying the premium experience that defines NorthStar Bets.
ā¢ Sports Insights 2.0. Overhaul of industry-leading sports content vertical with new features, statistics, design, and user experience, launched on NorthStarBets.ca.
ā¢ Enhanced Sportsbook.
a. Dynamic Navigation:āÆThe latest innovation introduces a feature that streamlines navigation, quickly guiding users to top sports and events, minimizing the steps required to place a bet.
b. Personalized Prop Bets:āÆAn advanced AI-driven algorithm analyzes individual betting patterns to generate customized prop bets that are tailored to each customerās betting history.
c. Intelligent Parlay Suggestions:āÆThis intuitive functionality also appears on the bet slip, where companion bets are offered to enhance single bets, enabling customers to effortlessly create logical parlays at the point of the bet decision.
āTodayās announcement offers a preview of the innovation fueling our 2024 strategy. Our product team is executing an ambitious roadmap that balances incremental advancements with groundbreaking features, all meticulously crafted to elevate the attributes our customers value most-reliability, performance, and simplicity,ā said Dean MacNeil, VP of Product & Managed Services at NorthStar.
āAs a premium brand, we strategically harness innovation to amplify our appeal to high-value customers, solidifying our distinct advantage in the industry. By consistently enhancing the customer experience, we reaffirm our commitment to delivering a premium service that drives strong customer satisfaction and earns their loyalty.ā
British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC)
IGT Launches its Second Omnichannel Wide Area Progressive Game in Canada, Money Mania Slots
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International Game Technology PLC announced that it recently launched its second omnichannel Wide Area Progressive (WAP) game for Canada, Money Mania slots. The game is currently available on British Columbia Lottery Corporationās (BCLC) PlayNow.com site and at 22 BCLC-governed casinos throughout British Columbia. IGT is the only supplier in the world to offer omnichannel jackpot games with shared jackpot liquidity across the land-based, online and mobile versions of the games.
āWe know our players love the excitement that the Powerbucks games offer, so BCLC is thrilled to launch IGTās Money Mania ā another title that draws upon the same opportunity for cross-channel jackpots. Both BCLC and IGT are passionate about bringing innovative games to players and fueling responsible growth in the industry. We also recognize that BCLC is in a unique position with our ability to offer cross-channel experiences for players. Whether players choose to play Money Mania at the casino or online, weāre confident this is another game theyāll love,ā said Dan Beebe, BCLC Chief Operating Officer.
IGTās Money Mania is a proven multi-level progressive (MLP) game that features player-favorite game mechanics and multiple base-game themes. The game includes a $100,000 top-level āMoney Jackpotā and a fast-growing, fast-hitting second-level WAP jackpot ā āMania Jackpotā. With a jackpot-reset value of $4000, the gameās āMania Jackpotā is designed to hit frequently, especially with land-based, online and mobile gameplay all simultaneously feeding the jackpot meter.
āIGTās Money Mania omnichannel WAP game is designed to frequently deliver mid-to-large-size jackpots, drive cross-channel gameplay and engage BCLC players online and in casinos. Like Powerbucks, IGTās Money Mania is at the forefront of jackpot innovation and supports IGTās commitment to and leadership in omnichannel content and innovation,ā said David Flinn, IGT SVP Sales, Canada, South and Central America.
BCLC was the first gaming operator in the world to offer an omnichannel jackpot game when it partnered with IGT for the 2016 launch of Powerbucks slots. Since then, IGTās Powerbucks has remained one of the top-performing games in Canada and has minted more than 50 millionaires across the country.
BCLC
BCLC Launches PROLINE Sportsbook at B.C. Retail Locations
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BCLC has launched PROLINE ā a first-of-its-kind digital retail sportsbook ā across all B.C. lottery terminals.
PROLINE offers the most popular sports-betting options previously available on BCLCās Sports Action, as well as other new offerings. In addition to Toto, Oddset 2-outcome, Oddset 3-outcome, money line, point spread, totals and props, single-event betting and dynamic odds will be offered for the first time at retail locations.
āThis is an exciting evolution for BCLC and for sports bettors across the province. PROLINE offers an updated and innovative sports betting experience and is the pivotal next step for BCLC in offering exciting new sports products to our valued players,ā Dan Beebe, Chief Operating Officer at BCLC, said.
To play, players will have to download the new BCLC PROLINE app on their phone, create their digital bet slips in the app and receive an app-generated QR code, which they can bring to any lottery retail location to scan and receive a printed ticket. As added flexibility, players can also create their PROLINE bets on their laptops or tablets through the PROLINE website.
BCLC is also planning for other new sports-betting experiences in the months ahead, which will include enhanced betting experiences at B.C. bars and pubs and exciting new offerings at B.C. casinos around the province.
BCLC is the official sports betting partner of the Vancouver Canucks, Abbotsford Canucks, Vancouver Warriors, BC Lions and the 11th Grey Cup, which takes place at Vancouverās BC Place on November 17.
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