Canada
Hawthorne Race Course And PointsBet Open Closest Sportsbook To Downtown Chicago For Fans To Watch-And-Wager, Bet-And-Go

Hawthorne Race Course and PointsBet have partnered together to open Illinois’ newest retail sportsbook and the closest in-person sports betting destination to downtown Chicago. PointsBet, a premium global sportsbook operator, debuted its mobile app and digital sports betting product in Illinois at the start of the NFL season. The brick and mortar sportsbook at Hawthorne is the first of four Chicagoland locations that the companies will open as Illinois partners, and is a precursor to the premium PointsBet Sportsbook that will be a part of Hawthorne’s historic $400 million casino development, scheduled to open in late 2021 (pending final regulatory approval).
“The next year is going to be action-packed for Hawthorne as we prepare to redevelop the race track into a fully operational casino and premier gaming entertainment destination,” said Tim Carey, president and CEO of Hawthorne Race Course. “And that action starts now with the opening of our new PointsBet Sportsbook. We partnered with PointsBet because they have the best technology and are truly innovative, but also because they put customer service at the forefront, which is critical to our long-term success particularly for the on-site experience.”
The PointsBet Sportsbook at Hawthorne was designed for the new realities of on-site entertainment, featuring a “bet-and-go” lobby with six self-service kiosks as well as a modular “watch-and-wager” sportsbook with ample space for social distancing. The sportsbook has over 60 HD TVs, 20 self-service kiosks, a 3-person betting concierge counter inclusive of a dedicated high denomination wager desk, and a VIP lounge with reserved seating.
“PointsBet has been successful in making a name for itself by offering a personalized mobile sports betting experience with unrivaled speed and ease of use, as well as the most bet types across every game,” said Johnny Aitken, CEO of PointsBet USA. “At the heart of that effort is our passion for live sports and entertainment, and our desire to always put the bettor first. While most stadiums across the country are currently closed to fans, our sportsbook is a place for sports lovers to engage together and share that game day excitement in a safe and responsible manner. We, together with our partner Hawthorne Race Course, are thrilled to provide the Illinois consumer with exactly what they’ve been craving.”
Jeff Walik, Mayor of the Village of Stickney, wherein Hawthorne is located; and Illinois State Representative Bobby Rita, who was the chief architect of the gaming expansion bill that legalized Illinois sports betting and permitted casino-style gaming at race tracks, placed the ceremonial first wagers. In honor of Hawthorne’s 130 years in business, Walik bet $130 on the Chicago Cubs Run Line vs the Marlins today, while Rita placed a $130 Chicago parlay on the Cubs and White Sox to win today. Any winnings from the wagers will be donated to the Racing Industry Charitable Foundation, which provides health and social services to families in the Illinois horse racing industry.
The PointsBet Sportsbook at Hawthorne is just 10 miles from downtown Chicago, and is the first sportsbook to open on the southwest side of the City. Thoroughbred racing returns to Hawthorne on Friday, October 2nd with weekend racing through the end of the year. The interim sportsbook and racing clubhouse will host wagering while the new Hawthorne Casino is in development, which will feature slots, table games and a state-of-the-art PointsBet Sportsbook, in addition to restaurants, bars and an entirely new grandstand and clubhouse for racing fans. Three more PointsBet Sportsbooks will open at Club Hawthorne off-track betting bars in coming weeks in suburban Crestwood, Oakbrook and Prospect Heights.
PointsBet recently joined forces with the Chicago Bears, designating PointsBet as the famed franchise’s first ever sports betting partner. As a nod to Illinois sports fans, PointsBet is offering the best price in market for all Chicago Bears games this season across both the pregame spreadline and moneyline bet types. The operator also recently announced a partnership with Chicago Bears legend, Devin Hester, highlighting the symbiotic element of Hester’s world-class speed on the field and PointsBet’s unmatched speed and ease of use off it, thanks to PointsBet owning their technology end-to-end and placing an emphasis on an in-house development approach.
As the official, exclusive sports betting partner of NBC Sports, PointsBet will utilize the media giant’s premium television and digital assets to promote the PointsBet brand across Illinois. As part of the agreement, NBC Sports provides PointsBet with year-round, multi-platform media and marketing opportunities across its unmatched portfolio of events, including exclusive multiplatform gameday integrations across NBC Sports Chicago, regional broadcast home to the Chicago Blackhawks, Bulls, and White Sox. PointsBet’s full Spanish-language functionality will reach Hispanic sports fans via Telemundo Deportes and Telemundo broadcast stations.
SOURCE PointsBet
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BCLC
BCLC Reminds Public to be Cautious of Illegal Online Casino Scams

BCLC has reminded the public to be cautious of a series of social media scams that imitate B.C. casinos and trick individuals into providing their financial details on illegitimate websites.
Highly deceptive, these scams share fraudulent posts and advertisements exploiting the logos, names, and exterior images of local B.C. casinos, and may claim to offer players exclusive bonuses and promotions if they register with their website or mobile application. BCLC warns that none of these sites are associated with casinos in B.C. or BCLC.
PlayNow.com is the only online gambling website permitted to operate in B.C. BCLC’s official apps are BCLC Lotto!, PlayNow Poker BC, and PlayNow BC Sportsbook. All BCLC-operated social media accounts, such as BCLC, PlayNow BC, PlayNow Sports, Lotto BC and Casinos BC, are verified with a checkmark.
While BCLC and its casino partners continue to work on having the posts removed, British Columbians should stay vigilant when it comes to these predatory and sophisticated scams.
To protect themselves, individuals are encouraged to:
• Be on alert when a website or app asks for personal or financial information. BCLC’s verified websites and apps will never ask for your social insurance number (SIN), banking information or credit card details online to claim a prize from a B.C. casino.
• Carefully check the URL and domain of the website to verify its legitimacy. Often, scammers will use a similar URL and domain to legitimate websites with a minor spelling difference.
• Always verify the company and its services are real before providing any personal information.
• Look out for other red flags, such as the suggestion of fees or taxes to be paid on a prize. There are no fees or taxes on prizes won in Canada.
If individuals feel unsure about an account, post or advertisement claiming to represent a B.C. casino, they can contact BCLC directly by calling the Customer Support Centre at 1-866-815-0222, or using the live chat resource on corporate.bclc.com or PlayNow.com.
The post BCLC Reminds Public to be Cautious of Illegal Online Casino Scams appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Betty
Wyzia Renews Canadian Partnership With Betty

Wyzia, the pioneering Canadian online payment solutions provider for regulated markets, is celebrating the renewal of its highly successful ongoing partnership with Betty, Ontario’s premier online slots casino.
This partnership, which began in 2023, is key to Wyzia’s expansion across North America. It supports players of Betty, an online casino catering to female players whose business is supported by Wyzia’s innovative, secure, and robust payment management solutions.
Wyzia is at the forefront of Canada’s fintech landscape, pioneering seamless online payment solutions for regulated markets. Its innovative platform connects merchants directly to all Canadian financial institutions, simplifying transactions and empowering businesses with reliable, efficient financial tools.
“We’re thrilled to celebrate a year of working with Betty with the renewal of our agreement,” said Guy Fietz, Group CEO at Wyzia. “Our collaboration has not only expanded our reach but enhanced the payment experience for Betty’s growing community of players.
“We look forward to continuing this successful collaboration and driving further innovation in the online gaming industry.”
Betty is the only platform created specifically for Ontario slot players. In 2024, Betty has enjoyed unprecedented growth, with a tenfold increase in net revenue since January and over 1000% growth in active players across Ontario.
By fostering a fun, safe, and supportive environment, Betty has harnessed the power of the female gaming audience to create a unique online casino experience. Betty focuses on transparency, community-based play, and gamification of the traditional slot experience.
This player-focused model has allowed Betty to stand out from other services, resulting in phenomenal growth and the ability to retain female players at a rate three times higher than their male counterparts.
Additionally, Betty automatically processes 99% of withdrawals, so players quickly receive their funds, a crucial benefit for online slot players.
“Our partnership with Wyzia has been instrumental in providing our players with a seamless, fast, and secure payment experience,” said Chavdar Dimitrov, Founder and CEO at Betty. “We are excited about the growth we’ve achieved together and are committed to delivering even better services to our community in the future.”
The post Wyzia Renews Canadian Partnership With Betty appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Bragg Gaming Group
Bragg Gaming Enters into Online Casino Content Agreement with Canadian Operator Loto-Québec

Bragg Gaming Group has announced that it has entered into an online casino content agreement with Canadian operator Loto-Québec, the only 100% legal and local casino site in the province of Québec. The agreement marks the expansion of Bragg into its second Canadian province, following Bragg’s prior entry into Ontario in March 2022.
Pursuant to the agreement, Loto-Québec will benefit from access to exclusive content, including titles from Bragg’s in-house proprietary content development studios, a roster which includes Atomic Slot Lab and Indigo Magic, through Bragg Gaming’s Remote Games Server (RGS) technology, delivered via the Bragg HUB platform.
In addition, Loto-Québec players will also be able to access on lotoquebec.com titles from multiple content partners under the Powered By Bragg program, including King Show Games, Bluberi, Incredible Technologies and Sega Sammy Creation.
All content delivered on the Bragg HUB comes with the company’s Fuze promotional tools as standard which offer player engagement features on games such as free rounds, jackpots, tournaments, and quests.
The agreement with Loto-Québec’s online casino supports Bragg Gaming’s strategic goals by accelerating the growth of utilization of Bragg’s exclusive and proprietary content, and the diversification of revenue through expansion into North American markets.
Garrick Morris, Senior Vice President, Commercial, US and Canada at Bragg Gaming Group said: “It’s fantastic to see Bragg’s content expand into our second Canadian province. Loto-Québec is a strategic partner, and we are excited to see our proprietary games as well as exclusive content from our partners live and available to Loto-Québec players. We look forward to developing our relationship as a key supplier to Loto-Québec as we continue the roll-out with regular new game releases planned.
“We’ve enjoyed strong growth in North America over the past 12 months and I am pleased to further support this momentum with this successful launch in Québec. I would like to thank the Loto-Québec and Bragg teams for making this happen.”
François Hardy, Senior Director of Product and Innovation at Loto-Québec, said: “At Loto-Québec, we are always looking for new and exciting ways to entertain our players. Bragg perfectly aligns with this vision, enabling us to provide a refreshing and dynamic experience to our players.”
The post Bragg Gaming Enters into Online Casino Content Agreement with Canadian Operator Loto-Québec appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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