Canada

NGCB: Procedures for Reopening after Temporary Closure Due to COVID-19

Published

6 years ago

June 30, 2020

On April 21, 2020, the Nevada Gaming Control Board (“Board”) issued a Policy Memorandum related to Procedures for Reopening after Temporary Closure Due to COVID-19. The Board is providing the following additional information to licensees regarding reopening procedures.

1. Internal Audit Procedures: On May 29, 2020, the Board issued Addendum 1 to the April 21, 2020 Policy Memorandum. This addendum granted a waiver to allow certain internal audit procedures, required pursuant to Regulation 6.090(15), for calendar year 2020 to only be performed if a licensee operates an applicable gaming or entertainment area for three consecutive full months or more during 2020. The Board is extending this waiver to allow licensees with calendar business years to reduce the required procedures for table games and slots from a semi-annual requirement to an annual requirement for calendar year 2020. This reduction would include completion of the MICS Compliance – General Walk-through – All Procedures Checklist for both table games and slots.

2. Branch Office Visits: The Internal Audit Compliance Checklist – Branch Offices Walk-Through Procedures requires that “branch offices and/or independent agents that either took possession of more than $500,000 (cash or non-cash) in deposits or collected, in total, more than $500,000 (cash or non-cash) on credit instruments during the previous fiscal year, or more than $500,000 in the fiscal year to date are visited and compliance reviewed at least every other year. Branch offices not meeting the aforementioned $500,000 criteria are visited and compliance reviewed at least once every five years.” Any branch office and/or independent agents that are scheduled to be visited in 2020, based on the preceding criteria, may either be 1) “visited” through video conferencing and online document inspection, or 2) deferred until 2021.

3. In-House Progressive Payoffs: For progressive payoff schedules that were removed from the floor due to the Governor’s Declaration of Emergency – Directive 002 dated March 18, 2020, the time period to either put a progressive payoff schedule back on the casino floor or to distribute the entire incremental amount, pursuant to Regulation 5.110(5), is being extended to October 1, 2020.

4. Extended Business Closures: Pursuant to NGC Regulation 9.010(2), a licensee that ceases gaming “for a period exceeding 1 month” must either surrender their gaming license or obtain authorization from the Board to remain closed for “longer periods.” However, under current gaming regulations, any such authorization “will not permit closing for an entire calendar quarter.”

Generally, the Board will interpret Regulation 9 to contemplate closures that are within the control of the gaming licensee. Accordingly, the Board will not include periods of mandatory closure when determining the applicability of NGC Regulation 9.010(2). Therefore, the Board will calculate the “period exceeding 1 month” to commence June 4, 2020, the date that gaming licensees were permitted to reopen. Thus, a licensee that has not resumed gaming on or before July 6, 2020 must either surrender their license or request authorization from the Board to remain closed for a longer period. To request an extended closure, a licensee must submit the request to [email protected] by July 6, 2020. Any questions concerning this matter should be directed to the Board’s Tax and License Division at (775) 684-7770.

affiliate marketing

SEOBROTHERS’ Aleksandra Drigo flags higher barriers for affiliates in regulated Alberta

Published

2 days ago

July 6, 2026

Wladimir P.

seobrothers’-aleksandra-drigo-flags-higher-barriers-for-affiliates-in-regulated-alberta

SEOBROTHERS Chief of Business Development Aleksandra Drigo says Alberta’s move toward a regulated online gambling market is likely to raise the cost and complexity of affiliate acquisition, reshaping competition for SEO-led publishers. Drigo shared the view in an exclusive interview with SiGMA News focused on Canada’s affiliate landscape.

Drigo said regulation can bring more transparency, but also higher compliance demands and tougher economics for smaller players. “Many affiliates, especially independent SEO players, may decide not to enter fully regulated markets and instead focus on regions with more predictable economics and lower regulatory pressure,” she said.

She added that regulated markets typically advantage well-funded affiliate groups with the ability to invest in legal and compliance support and tracking infrastructure. “Regulated markets tend to favour larger players. Big affiliate companies have the resources for legal support, compliance teams, advanced tracking infrastructure, and long-term investment without expecting fast ROI.”

On partner selection, Drigo said affiliates are increasingly weighing operators on operational quality and regulatory readiness, not just commercial terms. “We pay close attention to how consistent an operator is in terms of reporting, responsible gaming policies, speed of communication, and local regulations compliance. Reputation risks affect both sides. If an operator lacks transparency or fails to follow compliance standards, it directly impacts the affiliate business as well.”

Drigo also pointed to communication and access to performance data as major friction points in operator-affiliate relationships. “Financial disagreements can usually be resolved quickly if there is trust and clear communication between both sides. Whereas, when affiliates do not receive timely information, face unclear reporting, or get no explanation for performance changes, tensions escalate very quickly. In regulated markets, communication and transparency become just as important as the financial terms themselves.”

Looking ahead, Drigo said affiliates targeting regulated North American markets will need stronger localisation, trusted brands and more diversified traffic strategies as search behaviour changes. “With AI and online search ecosystem changes already transforming the SEO landscape, affiliates need to become much more flexible and technology-driven than before. And compliance-friendly SEO strategies and diversification beyond traditional search traffic are becoming increasingly important.”

The post SEOBROTHERS’ Aleksandra Drigo flags higher barriers for affiliates in regulated Alberta appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Affiliate Industry

SiGMA exclusive: Aleksandra Drigo on traffic shifts, transparency, and the future of SEO affiliates

Published

2 days ago

July 6, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

sigma-exclusive:-aleksandra-drigo-on-traffic-shifts,-transparency,-and-the-future-of-seo-affiliates

In an exclusive interview for the SiGMA News, Aleksandra Drigo, Chief of Business Development at SEOBROTHERS, shared her perspective on the future of affiliate marketing in Canada.

She discussed how Alberta’s upcoming market launch could reshape competition, why transparency has become a cornerstone of operator-affiliate partnerships, how compliance is changing the way affiliates choose partners, and why localisation, trusted brands, and data-driven decision-making will define the next generation of SEO affiliates.

Regulation will reshape Alberta’s affiliate landscape

As Alberta prepares to regulate its online gambling market, affiliates are entering a more challenging environment. While regulation brings greater transparency, it also increases compliance demands, acquisition costs, and competition – particularly from larger, well-funded companies.

“Many affiliates, especially independent SEO players, may decide not to enter fully regulated markets and instead focus on regions with more predictable economics and lower regulatory pressure,” Aleksandra said.

Bigger brands gain the advantage

According to Drigo, regulated markets naturally favour established affiliate businesses, whereas smaller publishers face much higher barriers to entry despite niche opportunities still existing.

“Regulated markets tend to favour larger players. Big affiliate companies have the resources for legal support, compliance teams, advanced tracking infrastructure, and long-term investment without expecting fast ROI.”

Compliance is now a deciding factor

Operator selection is no longer based solely on commercial terms. Affiliates increasingly assess partners by their transparency, reporting quality, responsible gaming standards, responsiveness, and ability to meet local regulatory requirements.

“We pay close attention to how consistent an operator is in terms of reporting, responsible gaming policies, speed of communication, and local regulations compliance. Reputation risks affect both sides. If an operator lacks transparency or fails to follow compliance standards, it directly impacts the affiliate business as well.”

Communication matters more than financial disputes

Drigo believes that most partnership conflicts arise not from payment issues, but from poor communication and limited access to performance data.

“Financial disagreements can usually be resolved quickly if there is trust and clear communication between both sides. Whereas, when affiliates do not receive timely information, face unclear reporting, or get no explanation for performance changes, tensions escalate very quickly. In regulated markets, communication and transparency become just as important as the financial terms themselves.”

The future belongs to trusted brands and localisation

Looking ahead, Drigo expects meticulous localisation, brand authority, first-party audiences, and community-driven products to define success in regulated North American markets. As AI reshapes search, affiliates will need stronger technology, diversified traffic sources, and compliance-friendly SEO strategies to remain competitive.

“With AI and online search ecosystem changes already transforming the SEO landscape, affiliates need to become much more flexible and technology-driven than before. And compliance-friendly SEO strategies and diversification beyond traditional search traffic are becoming increasingly important.”

The post SiGMA exclusive: Aleksandra Drigo on traffic shifts, transparency, and the future of SEO affiliates appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Canada

St8 expands Octoplay aggregation deal to Ontario and the UK

Published

6 days ago

July 2, 2026

Wladimir P.

st8-expands-octoplay-aggregation-deal-to-ontario-and-the-uk

St8 has extended its content partnership with Octoplay into Ontario and the UK, expanding distribution of Octoplay’s casino games in two regulated markets. The companies announced the move on 2 July, 2026.

Under the expanded agreement, St8 will make Octoplay’s full portfolio available to operators in both jurisdictions through St8’s single API integration.

David Fall, Business Development Manager at St8, said:

“Expanding our partnership with Octoplay into Ontario and the UK is another important milestone as we continue to strengthen our aggregation platform with premium content from leading suppliers.

“Octoplay has built an excellent reputation for developing engaging, high-performing games, and we’re delighted to extend this collaboration into two highly strategic regulated markets. This agreement enables our operator partners to access even more quality content through a single integration while supporting their growth in competitive jurisdictions.”

Ralitsa Georgieva, CEO at Octoplay added:

“We’re pleased to expand our partnership with St8 into Ontario and the UK, making our full portfolio available to even more operators through its aggregation platform. St8 has established itself as a trusted technology partner for regulated markets, and we look forward to building on our successful collaboration together.”

The post St8 expands Octoplay aggregation deal to Ontario and the UK appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.