Canada
PlayIndiana.com: Sportsbooks reach $250 million plateau for first time
Indiana sportsbooks continued their torrid pace in November — surpassing $250 million in wagers in a month for the first time — as local bettors continued to put money on the state’s NFL and college football teams, according to analysts from PlayIndiana.
“Indiana has largely managed to shrug off increased competition from its neighbors, which is a good sign for the future of the state’s industry,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for PlayIndiana.com. “A lot has gone right in recent months to get Indiana to this new high point, but considering the challenges, it has been an impressive string of months.”
Buoyed by continued interest in the Indianapolis Colts, as well as particular interest in Notre Dame and Indiana football, sportsbooks accepted $251.4 million in bets in November, according to official reporting released Thursday. That marks the third consecutive month Indiana sportsbooks have set a state record for monthly handle, topping $230.9 million hit in October.
Wagering in November produced a record $25.3 million in adjusted gross revenue for the state’s operators, up 20% from the record $21.1 million set in October, and yielded $2.4 million in state taxes. Year over year, Indiana’s handle grew 70.7% from $147.3 million in November 2019 while gross revenue jumped 172.4% from $9.3 million.
Indiana reclaimed its position in October as the fifth-largest market in the U.S., ahead of Colorado, but behind New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. And November’s results should be enough to stay in that position.
“I think some of the worries that Indiana would slip as its neighbors legalized sports betting are calming,” said Jessica Welman, analyst for PlayIndiana.com. “The market in the Hoosier State is proving to be quite dynamic.”
One way the Hoosier State has been able to improve is a boost in local football interest. Notre Dame and Indiana University are both among college football’s elite, and the Colts continue their drive toward the NFL playoffs. The result is a swell of football bets, hitting $113.5 million in November, a rise of 33.9% from $84.7 million in October and up 96.5% from $57.7 million in November 2019. With only a sliver of college basketball season to drive interest, basketball was a distant second with $17.7 million in November bets.
“There really isn’t any substitute in sports betting for a local team doing well, and Indiana is enjoying three at once,” Gouker said. “And with both college and NBA basketball returning, a sport that enjoys particular interest in Indiana compared with most other legal jurisdictions, December really sets up to be another jump forward.”
Online betting generated 85%, or $213.7 million, of November’s handle, increasing the share of all bets from 83.6% in October. DraftKings/Ameristar Casino continued its dominance of the digital market, increasing its bets to $95.2 million in November from $90.5 million in October. Those bets produced $7 million in gross receipts, down from $8.6 million in October.
DraftKings was followed by:
- FanDuel/Blue Chip Casino ($64.2 million handle, up from $63.6 million; $7.7 million in gross receipts, up from $7.1 million.
- BetMGM/Belterra ($25.3 million handle, up from $20.1 million; $2.2 million win, up from $1.8 million)
- BetRivers/French Lick Resort ($10.3 million handle, up from $7.8 million; $660,365 win, up from $632,752)
- PointsBet/Hollywood Lawrenceburg ($9.9 million handle, up from $7.1 million; $794,517 win, down from $862,865)
- William Hill/Tropicana Evansville ($4 million handle, up from $149,897; $685,922 win, up from $65,406)
- TheScore/Ameristar ($2.2 million handle, up from $1.5 million; $45,530 win, down from $123,494)
- Unibet/Horseshoe Hammond ($1.8 million handle, even with October; -$7,008 win, down from $188,558)
- Caesars/Horseshoe Hammond ($564,046 handle, up from $403,136; $67,095 win, up from $31,182)
- BetAmerica/Rising Star Casino ($144,130 handle, down from $189,108; $11,005 win, up from -$10,016)
Retail sportsbooks took in $37.7 million in November wagers, down slightly from $37.9 million in October. The emergence of Illinois’ online sportsbooks has been felt most in Indiana’s retail market. Once dominated by sportsbooks nearest Chicago, retail sportsbooks were led in November by Hollywood Lawrenceburg, nearest Cincinnati. Hollywood Lawrenceburg’s $11.6 million handle in November was more than the combined handle of state No. 2 Ameristar Casino ($6.3 million) and No. 3 Horseshoe Hammond ($4.9 million).
“Chicago is still an important market for sportsbooks near the border, but the combination of Illinois’ sports-betting expansion and the pandemic has challenged the retail market,” Welman said. “As a whole, though, growth in online betting has more than made up for any slowdown in the retail market. And Indiana made last-minute protocol changes to keep casinos open while properties in surrounding states shut down, which has helped the industry.”
About the PlayUSA.com Network:
The PlayUSA.com Network is a leading source for news, analysis, and research related to the market for regulated online gaming in the United States. With a presence in over a dozen states, PlayUSA.com and its state-focused branches produce daily original reporting, publish in-depth research, and offer player advocacy tools related to the advancement of safe, licensed, and legal online gaming options for consumers. Based in Las Vegas, the PlayUSA Network is independently owned and operated, with no affiliations to any casino — commercial, tribal, online, or otherwise.
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Berkley Egenes
Xsolla Brings Creator Strategy and Game Commerce Expertise to Toronto’s Leading Industry Events
Xsolla, a global video game commerce company, is participating in two leading co-located industry events, XP Game Summit Toronto and Xsolla Connect Toronto, on May 21-22, in Toronto. Xsolla will engage with partners, creators, and industry leaders across both events, focusing on the evolving gaming ecosystem.
At XP Game Summit Toronto, Xsolla will showcase its Web Shop solution, a direct-to-consumer (D2C) platform that helps developers build and scale their own storefronts outside traditional app stores. The Web Shop ecosystem integrates storefronts, LiveOps tools, and player engagement features, enabling studios to strengthen player relationships while increasing revenue and operational control.
Xsolla will also highlight its global payments infrastructure, which supports more than 1000+ payment methods across 200+ geographies. Designed to optimize conversion and deliver localized checkout experiences, Xsolla Payments enables developers to reach players worldwide while adapting to regional preferences and regulatory environments.
Additionally, Xsolla will showcase how they are connecting developers with premium entertainment-based intellectual property (IP). By simplifying licensing and partnership opportunities, Xsolla Agency helps studios enhance player acquisition, drive engagement through LiveOps, and unlock new monetization pathways.
In addition to showcasing its product offerings and solutions, Xsolla will also present a featured panel session titled “Building the Creator Pipeline: How Smart Partnerships Are Scaling Influencer Marketing”. The panel will include John Nguyen, Regional Vice President, Canada, at Xsolla; Scott Christian, Studio Director & Founder of Hilltop Games; Gem Johnson, CEO at Corvian Marketing; and Corina (Newby) Diaz, Marketing and Social Media Director at Mighty Yell. They will share practical insights on building sustainable creator ecosystems, leveraging strategic partnerships, and driving measurable impact through influencer marketing initiatives.
In addition to the company’s participation in XP Game Summit Toronto, Xsolla will host Xsolla Connect Toronto, further expanding opportunities for meaningful engagement between developers and publishers through curated programming and networking experiences. Xsolla Connects are designed to give local communities the opportunity to engage, collaborate, and integrate with Xsolla’s industry leaders in an open and transparent environment and through conversations.
“Toronto continues to emerge as a key hub for gaming innovation and collaboration in North America. We’re excited to participate in XP Game Summit and host the Xsolla Connect to connect with the community while sharing insights on how creators and partnerships are helping to build the future of game growth,” said Berkley Egenes, Chief Marketing & Growth Officer at Xsolla.
“Toronto has built itself into a major Canadian video game hub. We are glad to contribute to the continued growth of the local industry as well as Ontario’s Game Industry as a whole. What makes it special is the combination of deep technical talent, global creative diversity, and a production ecosystem that truly scales. That’s why gatherings like XP Game Summit and Xsolla Connect matter so much: they bring that energy together, and we’re excited to be part of it and help showcase what this community can do,” said John Nguyen, Regional Vice President, Canada at Xsolla.
The post Xsolla Brings Creator Strategy and Game Commerce Expertise to Toronto’s Leading Industry Events appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Canada
St8 extends Wazdan content distribution into Ontario
St8 has extended its partnership with slot supplier Wazdan into Ontario, adding the supplier’s content to St8’s aggregation platform for operators in the Canadian province.
Under the agreement, St8 has integrated a selection of Wazdan slot titles for Ontario operators, including Mighty Fish
: Blue Marlin, 36 Coins
, Mighty Wild
: Panther Grand Diamond Edition and Mighty Wild
: Gorilla. The roll-out also includes Wazdan mechanics such as Cash to Infinity
, Sticky to Infinity
and Hold the Jackpot
.
David Fall, Business Development Manager at St8, said: “Our partnership with Wazdan has already delivered impressive results, and extending the collaboration into Ontario is an exciting next step for both companies.
“Wazdan consistently develops high-performing content backed by innovative engagement features, and we are pleased to further strengthen our offering for operators in one of North America’s most important regulated regions.”
Andrzej Hyla, Chief Commercial Officer at Wazdan, said: “This collaboration into Ontario with St8 is another milestone for Wazdan as we continue to build our presence across regulated North American markets.
“Wazdan goes above and beyond for our partners by delivering intuitive products that focus on the quality of the user’s experience, and St8’s platform provides an excellent route for our content to reach more operators and players. It has been a very rewarding process so far, and we look forward to building on this momentum together.”
The post St8 extends Wazdan content distribution into Ontario appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Andrzej Hyla Chief Commercial Officer at Wazdan
St8 extends Wazdan partnership into Ontario
Casino games aggregator and full-service technology provider St8 has expanded its partnership with Wazdan into Ontario, further strengthening its premium content offering in one of North America’s leading regulated markets.
Through the extended agreement, St8 has integrated a selection of Wazdan’s top-performing slot titles for operators in Ontario, including Mighty Fish
: Blue Marlin, 36 Coins
, Mighty Wild
: Panther Grand Diamond Edition and Mighty Wild
: Gorilla. The partnership also brings Wazdan’s renowned engagement-driven mechanics to the market, including Cash to Infinity
, Sticky to Infinity
and Hold the Jackpot
.
Wazdan has built a strong reputation through its combination of high-performing games, innovative mechanics and player engagement features. Its focus on creating memorable gameplay experiences aligns closely with St8’s approach to delivering premium content through a seamless aggregation platform.
The Ontario expansion marks the latest step in the ongoing collaboration between the two companies as St8 continues to evolve its content portfolio and support operators with games that deliver strong performance across competitive markets.
David Fall, Business Development Manager at St8, said: “Our partnership with Wazdan has already delivered impressive results, and extending the collaboration into Ontario is an exciting next step for both companies.
“Wazdan consistently develops high-performing content backed by innovative engagement features, and we are pleased to further strengthen our offering for operators in one of North America’s most important regulated regions.”
Andrzej Hyla, Chief Commercial Officer at Wazdan, said: “This collaboration into Ontario with St8 is another milestone for Wazdan as we continue to build our presence across regulated North American markets.
“Wazdan goes above and beyond for our partners by delivering intuitive products that focus on the quality of the user’s experience, and St8’s platform provides an excellent route for our content to reach more operators and players. It has been a very rewarding process so far, and we look forward to building on this momentum together.”
The post St8 extends Wazdan partnership into Ontario appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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