Canada

Vancouver Entrepreneur launches a whole new path for Bingo

Published

6 years ago

July 27, 2020

Stephen “The Maestro” Kaplan, loves Bingo. He has discovered a wealth of possibilities for Bingo related entertainment and is launching two Bingo related products this summer:

A Maze’n Bingo (the board game) and
Pass or Play (The Game Show)

Kaplan says this will impact the whole gaming industry from Bingo to Casino, and from Lottery to Online.

Throw in a little TV into the mix and BOOM: Bingo Entertainment Empire!

A Maze’n Bingo is a Board Game that he says turns Bingo into a game of strategy. Pass or play is a Bingo Game Show that has five contestants involved in a very unique elimination game based on a Bingo draw. Both games are fully audience interactive.

The Board Game is in the process of two major undertakings for this summer:

A Kickstarter campaign currently underway to raise funds to market, manufacture and distribute, and

A Fundraising Tournament on August 23 (with qualifying games in the two weeks prior). This event will be a socially-distant compliant, exclusive event to the benefit of Make-A-Wish Canada. It will showcase and document the capabilities of this board game as low cost, fundraising games for non-profit and charitable organizations. It will be held at the Golden Parrots Restaurant and Pub in Coquitlam BC. During the Grand Finale’ the 4 finalists will compete on a giant outdoor game board and will be the pawns. A second half of that day’s event will be the debut of Kaplan’s Bingo Game Show; Pass or Play. The domain is up and includes a countdown clock to that day. Although they are both based on Bingo, both games are played entirely different.

From Golden Parrots Restaurant and Pub:

The Golden Parrots Pub is a family owned business who is active in the support of its community along with various charities and organizations. It is our honour to support our long-time friend Stephen Kaplan, a.k.a. “The Maestro” and host the location to launch. “A Maze’n BINGO” which is a take on a classic game with a fun and unique modern twist all the while supporting deserving children and families through Make-A-Wish Canada.

From Make-A-Wish Canada.

“Make-A-Wish Canada (unified with Children’s Wish Foundation October 1, 2019) creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Currently, we are granting some amazing wishes to deserving kids, and we are preparing to grant wishes at an unprecedented pace when it is safe to do so and your support is more important than ever. We are so grateful to our community supporters like Stephen. Eight years ago we invited Maestro to volunteer for an event and he has generously supported our fundraisers ever since. We thank him for raising funds benefiting Make-A-Wish and helping us grant wishes.” – Laura Ullock, Resource Development Manager, Make-A-Wish Canada, BC & Yukon Chapter.”

Canada

St8 expands Octoplay aggregation deal to Ontario and the UK

Published

3 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.

Canada

St8 extends Octoplay partnership into Ontario and the UK

Published

3 days ago

July 2, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

st8-extends-octoplay-partnership-into-ontario-and-the-uk

Casino games aggregator and full-service technology provider St8 has expanded its partnership with Octoplay into Ontario and the UK, further strengthening its premium content offering across two of the industry’s most important regulated markets.

Through the extended agreement, St8 will make Octoplay’s full portfolio of casino games available to operators in both jurisdictions, providing partners with seamless access to the supplier’s high-quality content through its single API integration.

The expansion builds on the successful relationship between the two companies and reflects St8’s continued commitment to providing operators with access to leading game providers across regulated markets. By broadening the availability of Octoplay’s portfolio, St8 further enhances the depth and diversity of content available to its operator network.

Octoplay has quickly established itself as one of the industry’s most innovative and fastest growing game studios, recognised for delivering engaging titles that combine premium gameplay with strong player appeal which are now available across 17 jurisdictions. The supplier’s focus on quality and performance aligns closely with St8’s mission to simplify content aggregation while helping operators deliver exceptional gaming experiences.

The latest agreement reinforces St8’s strategy of expanding its premium content portfolio while helping operators simplify integration, accelerate market entry and deliver engaging gaming experiences across multiple regulated jurisdictions.

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.

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 extends Octoplay partnership into Ontario and the UK appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

AGCO

AGCO Fines Great Canadian Entertainment $120,000 for Using Unauthorised Gaming System Software at Four Casinos

Published

3 days ago

July 2, 2026

Wladimir P.

agco-fines-great-canadian-entertainment-$120,000-for-using-unauthorised-gaming-system-software-at-four-casinos

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has ordered monetary penalties totalling $120,000 against Great Canadian Entertainment (GCE) for using unauthorided gaming system software at multiple Ontario casino sites, a serious compliance failure that bypassed requirements designed to protect the integrity of casino gaming.

Gaming equipment and systems are central to casino operations. They process payments and wagers, support slot-game play and help maintain controls that protect the integrity, safety and security of the gaming environment. When these systems are used or operated without required testing, monitoring and approval, it weakens safeguards designed to detect and prevent unlawful conduct, including money laundering, and can undermine public confidence in Ontario’s regulated casino sector.

The AGCO reviewed 40 instances in which revoked or unapproved bill validator software had been installed across four casino sites between February 20 and March 15, 2025. Bill validators are components within gaming machines that accept and process cash and help support anti-money laundering controls.

The AGCO’s Standards for Gaming require gaming equipment and software to be tested and approved before being deployed in casinos. Bill validators verify the authenticity and value of cash inserted into electronic gaming machines and are an important safeguard. That is why these systems must undergo rigorous testing and approval to confirm they operate as intended, perform critical functions reliably and are authorised before being introduced into a live casino environment.

Casino operators are responsible for ensuring that changes to gaming systems are properly reviewed, tested and authorised before implementation. Using unapproved software in a live casino environment is a serious compliance failure.

A casino operator served with an Order of Monetary Penalty has the right to appeal the Registrar’s action within 15 days to the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT), an adjudicative body that is part of Tribunals Ontario and independent of the AGCO.

“The AGCO requires casino operators to protect the integrity of their gaming systems by making sure they are independently tested, approved and operating as intended. When unauthorised software is used in a live casino environment, it bypasses critical safeguards that are meant to uphold the integrity of gaming and the public’s confidence in the system. The AGCO will continue to hold all casino operators accountable for meeting Ontario’s high standards of gaming system integrity,” said Dr. Karin Schnarr, Registrar and Chief Executive Officer at AGCO.

The post AGCO Fines Great Canadian Entertainment $120,000 for Using Unauthorised Gaming System Software at Four Casinos appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.