International Game Technology PLC announced that its new Powerbucks Blackjack game is now available to online players in multiple jurisdictions in Canada. The theme links to IGT’s Powerbucks omnichannel wide-area progressive (WAP) jackpot prize pool, Canada’s largest jackpot connecting land-based, online and mobile games.

“IGT is excited to build on its omnichannel jackpot leadership in Canada and the success of our Powerbucks portfolio by delivering a new evolution of one of the most popular casino card games. Designed to deliver the ultimate gaming experience, IGT’s Powerbucks Blackjack offers players the opportunity to win life-changing jackpots and provides operators with another compelling content option to help drive strong performance results,” said David Flinn, IGT SVP Canada, EMEA, and LATAM Gaming Sales.

Bringing a player-favorite card game to a new level, IGT’s Powerbucks Blackjack offers a state-of-the-art user interface with vibrant animations, language localization, and a sleek design for an engaging experience.

Launched in 2016, IGT Powerbucks slots is the world’s first omnichannel WAP game that links the jackpot prize pool between gaming machines found in land-based casinos with digital-based games in Canada. Since their debut, Powerbucks slots have paid over 50 jackpots of 1 million dollars or more across the country.

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• Bruce Caughill, Managing Director, Canada, Rush Street Interactive
• Peter Czegledy, Partner, Aird & Berlis LLP
• Neil Erlick, Chief Corporate Development Officer, Nuvei
• Charmaine Hogan, Head of Regulatory Affairs, Playtech
• Dale Hooper, General Manager Canada, FanDuel
• Chuck Keeling, EVP, SH Engagement, Community and Social Responsibility, Great Canadian Entertainment
• David Lucchese, Executive Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Everi
• Adrianne McGrath, Vice President, Business Development, Konami Gaming
• Terry McInally, Chief Compliance Officer & Chief Information Officer, Gateway Casinos
• Niaz Nejad, Managing Director, Americas – Gaming, Light & Wonder
• Bob Parente, SVP Chief Revenue Officer, Gaming, Light & Wonder
• Derek Ramm, Global Head, Advisory Services, Kinectify
• Lindsay Slader, SVP Compliance, GeoComply
• Richard Taylor, President, MGE Entertainment – Fallsview
• Scott Vanderwel, Chief Executive Officer Canada, PointsBet Canada

As expected at the end of the first quarter, Loto-Québec had an excellent second-quarter performance. Therefore, halfway through fiscal 2024–25, the corporation is in an excellent position with better results over the same period last year and still in line with its forecasts. It is thus on its way to reaching its net income target for the current year.

For the second quarter, which ran from June 25 to September 30, 2024, Loto-Québec posted total revenues of $814.2M (+16.1%) and a net income of $421.6M (+18.5%). Overall, for the period from April 1 to September 30, 2024, its total revenues reached $1.504B (+6.5%) and its net income was $771.3M (+4.7%). It is worth noting that lottery winners have received nearly $720M in prizes since the current fiscal year began.

Quotes from the President and CEO

“If we’re in such a good position halfway through the fiscal year, it’s thanks to the work done across all our sectors over the last few months. We obtained excellent results despite the economic context, reinforcing our confidence that we’ll reach our net income annual target. Remember that 100% of our profits are reinvested in the community,” said Jean-François Bergeron.

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“Responsible commercialization has remained a priority in everything we offer. We’ve created an enhanced program—Wise Play—to consolidate our actions in this field. We proudly launched it in mid-September, along with a campaign raising people’s awareness of the importance of setting limits. Among other things, through this program, we can present a unified message so that a game remains a game.”

Cumulative Results by Sector

For the period from April 1 to September 30, 2024

• Lottery product sector revenues amounted to $474.2M.

• Casino and gaming hall sector revenues were $608.9M. This sector is once again on the way to a record year.

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• Gaming establishment sector revenues totalled $432.5M.

Quarterly Highlights and Social Contributions

For the period from June 25 to September 30, 2024, the lottery crowned 28 new millionaires, bringing the total of new millionaires since the beginning of the fiscal year to 50.

On September 10, Lotto Max became more generous than ever. Its maximum jackpot increased from $70M to $80M—no Canadian lottery had ever awarded such an amount. A few days later, the record $80M jackpot was won in the September 17 draw, and one of the two winning selections had been purchased in Québec. An Outaouais resident took home half the jackpot with a play he bought online.

The Loto-Québec responsible gambling website had a makeover as part of the launch of the enhanced Wise Play program. It presents content such as information to help players better understand the notions of chance and odds, valuable tips to manage their gambling, and ways of getting help if needed. The website can be reached at wiseplay.ca.

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The Collection Loto-Québec is proudly celebrating its 45 years this fall. To mark the occasion, some thirty of its works were showcased at the end of September in the Voir bleu exhibition, which was entirely curated in-house and shown in the Collection’s new exhibition space at the corporation’s head office.

Loto-Québec was honoured to be a presenting partner at the celebrations surrounding the 150th anniversary of Parc Jean-Drapeau, home to the Casino de Montréal for over 30 years. The iconic park hosts several major events, some of which are part of the Rendez-vous Loto-Québec.