Canada
Spreadex signs two-year renewal for North American racing with XB Net
Leading spread-betting firm extends its distribution deal for premium pictures, betting data and odds ahead of Triple Crown weekend
XB Net, the leading provider of premium content for US horse and greyhound racing, has announced the two-year extension of its ongoing partnership with sports spreads and fixed-odds betting firm, Spreadex.
The deal sees the St Albans-based operator renew the rights on XB Net’s wealth of live pictures, data and betting services across an unrivalled network of over 50 North American tracks, allowing Spreadex to flexibly load its daily timetable with a deep well of fast-settling betting opportunities that are proven to drive digital dwell-time and diversify revenues.
Spreadex’s popular daily markets will continue to feature aggregated performance markets, race-by-race index spreads and binary fixed-odds markets. While XB Net’s end-to-end solution opens up many of the world’s most prestigious horse races, including this weekend’s Belmont Stakes, the Preakness Stakes, the Pegasus World Cup and the Breeders’ Cup, alongside a suite of storied dog tracks in Florida.
Saturday night’s Belmont Stakes raises the curtain on a U.S. Triple Crown rescheduled in the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic. A stellar card, kicking off at Belmont Park just hours after the final race at Royal Ascot, reaches its climax with the Belmont Stakes (22:42 BST) where the undefeated Tiz The Law has captured the betting market and local fan attention at the famous New York track. Winner of the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park, Tiz The Law has already booked his spot at the Kentucky Derby on 5th September, with the Preakness, the final jewel in the Triple Crown and another XB Net flagship race now set for 3rd October.
XB Net is the pacesetter for live North American racing content, managing international rights, data, odds and live broadcast and video streaming on behalf of its growing global portfolio of partners. Harnessing low-latency feeds from more than 2,500 meetings, showcasing over 25,000 races per year, North American racing is converting untapped audiences as global operators plug the gaps on an interrupted calendar of live sport.
Simon Fraser, Senior Vice President of International at XB Net, said: “It’s a real validation of our team’s hard work that a name as respected as Spreadex has renewed our full package of pictures, data and content rights. North American racing has been one of very few top-class sports which has been able to maintain a robust timetable and a high bar for top-notch, rapid-cycle content that can be used to fill the void across any slot or time zone.
“Although high-class horse racing has happily returned to the UK, those viewers and bettors who were drawn to North American racing during the lockdown have largely been retained which is very encouraging. This weekend’s Belmont Stakes in New York, whose undercard is also screened live on Sky Sports, can again prove the point by picking up the bit from the final day of Royal Ascot on Saturday evening. Maybe the Queen and Queens aren’t so far removed after all!”
Shaun Howells, Sports Room Manager at Spreadex, added: “We’re thrilled to be renewing these distribution rights in our ongoing alliance with XB Net, whose one-stop shop for betting services has opened our customers’ eyes to the excitement and accessibility of stateside racing, creating extra revenue streams in the process. With many of our clients located in the UK, there are natural leisure-time synergies to be had with North American racing, We’re delighted to see that levels for engagement and retention have improved as a result.”
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Canada
RESPWNED partners with LOTUS 8 to bring GIRLGAMER festival to Winnipeg in 2026
RESPWNED and LOTUS 8 have signed a partnership to launch the GIRLGAMER Winnipeg Festival in 2026, marking the GIRLGAMER Esports Festival brand’s expansion into Canada.
RESPWNED manages the GIRLGAMER Esports Festival brand, while LOTUS 8 is a Canada-based company focused on event development and partnerships. The companies said they will jointly develop and deliver the Winnipeg event, combining global esports IP management, event production, commercial partnerships, and local execution.
“This partnership represents an exciting milestone for GIRLGAMER as we continue to expand globally and bring our platform to new audiences,” said Tiago Fernandes, Managing Partner at RESPWNED. “Canada is a dynamic and fast-growing Esports market, and we are proud to collaborate with LOTUS 8 to deliver a meaningful and impactful event experience.”
Steven Vuong, representing LOTUS 8, added: “We are thrilled to partner with RESPWNED to bring the GIRLGAMER Festival to Canada. This collaboration reflects a shared vision of building inclusive, high-quality esports experiences while creating strong commercial and community value. Together, we are laying the foundation for a standout event in 2026.”
The GIRLGAMER Winnipeg Festival is planned as a family-oriented event with business networking, brand activations, and community programming, and is expected to include international and local talent. Additional details, including dates, venue, and participating partners, will be announced in the coming months.
The post RESPWNED partners with LOTUS 8 to bring GIRLGAMER festival to Winnipeg in 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Canada
RESPWNED and LOTUS 8 to launch GIRLGAMER Winnipeg Festival in 2026
RESPWNED, the company that manages the GIRLGAMER Esports Festival brand, and LOTUS 8, a Canada-based company focused on event development and partnerships, today announced their partnership to the launch of the GIRLGAMER Winnipeg Festival.
The strategic partnership marks a significant step in expanding the GIRLGAMER Esports Festival brand into Canada.
This brings its globally recognized platform for competitive gaming, inclusivity, and industry engagement to a new market.
The GIRLGAMER Winnipeg Festival is envisioned as a family-oriented event, with business networking, brand activations, and community-driven experiences.
Under the terms of the agreement, RESPWNED and LOTUS 8 will work collaboratively to develop and deliver the event, combining their respective expertise in global esports IP management, event production, commercial partnerships, and local market execution.
“This partnership represents an exciting milestone for GIRLGAMER as we continue to expand globally and bring our platform to new audiences,” said Tiago Fernandes, Managing Partner at RESPWNED.
“Canada is a dynamic and fast-growing Esports market, and we are proud to collaborate with LOTUS 8 to deliver a meaningful and impactful event experience.”
Steven Vuong, representing LOTUS 8, added: “We are thrilled to partner with RESPWNED to bring the GIRLGAMER Festival to Canada.
This collaboration reflects a shared vision of building inclusive, high-quality esports experiences while creating strong commercial and community value.
Together, we are laying the foundation for a standout event in 2026.”
The GIRLGAMER Winnipeg Festival will feature a combination of international and local talent, brand partnerships, and programming designed to foster diversity, inclusion, and innovation within the gaming and esports ecosystem.
Further details, including dates, venue, and participating partners, will be announced in the coming months.
RESPWNED LTD
RESPWNED is a United Kingdom-based company specializing in esports IP management, event production, and industry consultancy.
The company manages the GIRLGAMER Esports Festival brand, a global platform dedicated to creating opportunities and visibility for women in gaming and esports.
LOTUS 8
LOTUS 8 is a Canada-based premier esports organization based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Dedicated to building championship-calibre teams across North America, they are at the forefront of innovation in competitive gaming.
As pioneers in the industry, they have developed the Performance Mindset Mindfulness, a system designed to support mental health in esports.
This holistic approach blends mental wellness practices, meditation, nutrition, fitness, and proper sleep hygiene into their competitive strategy.
The post RESPWNED and LOTUS 8 to launch GIRLGAMER Winnipeg Festival in 2026 appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Canada
Analysis flags World Cup 2026 stress test for Canada’s patchwork betting rules
Canada’s provincial gambling model is likely to face a major stress test during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to new research published by CasinoCanada.com. The analysis argues the tournament will highlight uneven betting access and channelisation across provinces as Canada co-hosts the event.
The research draws on provincial regulatory reporting, iGaming Ontario’s annual figures and data from Blask’s 2025 iGaming Landscape Report. It says Ontario’s open market—described as having nearly 50 licensed operators—has reached an 83.7% channelisation rate, meaning most online bettors are using regulated platforms.
Outside Ontario, CasinoCanada.com estimates significantly higher offshore leakage, including 93% in Saskatchewan, 88% in Alberta and Manitoba, and about 49% retention in British Columbia despite the long-running PlayNow provincial platform. The report frames those gaps as a competitiveness issue for regulated offerings.
CasinoCanada.com also highlights timing risk in Alberta’s transition to a competitive market. The Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) registration deadline for operators is 13 July 2026—after the World Cup reaches the quarter-final stage—raising the likelihood that peak tournament betting volume continues to flow through unregulated operators, the report says.
Eugene Ravdin, Head of PR for CasinoCanada, said: “The 2026 World Cup is not just a commercial opportunity for the Canadian market – it’s a live stress test for how the country regulates gambling. Ontario has built something that works, and the numbers show it. However, for most Canadians outside that market, the tournament is going to arrive at a system that was never designed for this level of demand.
“The offshore leakage figures are not abstract. They represent real bettors choosing unregulated platforms because the regulated alternative isn’t competitive enough. The World Cup will make that gap very visible, very quickly.”
The post Analysis flags World Cup 2026 stress test for Canada’s patchwork betting rules appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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