Canada

PlayColorado.com: With $230 million in November, sportsbooks set record for seventh straight month

Published

3 years ago

December 23, 2020

Colorado sportsbooks etched another entry into the record book, becoming the sixth state to surpass $225 million in handle in a single month even as the NBA and NHL remained dormant, according to PlayColorado.

“With five games in November, the Broncos gave a boost to sportsbooks,” said Dustin Gouker, analyst for PlayColorado.com. “Almost every legal jurisdiction in the U.S. has been growing this fall. But a common theme among them all is that a local NFL team can really make a significant difference in a month’s handle, and that is particularly true in Colorado.”

Colorado’s online and retail sportsbooks took in $231.2 million in November wagers, according to data released Tuesday by the Colorado Department of Revenue’s Division of Gaming. That was up 9.7% from the previous record of $210.7 million set in October, marking the seventh consecutive month that the state has posted a record handle.

The record wagering generated record revenue, too. Operators took in $18.4 million in gross gaming revenue, up 5.5% from $17.4 million in October. Colorado sportsbooks have now produced $58.7 million in gross revenue since launching, and $35.8 million of that has come in the last two months.

Net sports betting proceeds dipped slightly to $9 million, down from $9.6 million in October. November’s proceeds yielded $793,820 in state taxes

“The unusual circumstances that Colorado’s industry launched made for an uneven start in terms of tax revenue, but sports betting is becoming more reliable,” said Ian St. Clair, analyst for PlayColorado.com. “The industry’s growth should continue to pay dividends for the state. The timing is good, obviously, as rarely has that tax revenue been more needed.”

Again, nearly all of November’s wagers were made digitally. Online sportsbooks attracted $226.8 million, or 98.1% of the month’s handle. That is up from $206.4 million, or 98%, of October’s wagers.

The NFL was overwhelmingly the most popular bet, drawing in $88.4 million in wagers, up from $68 million in October. Spurred by the Colorado Buffaloes’ undefeated start to the season, bettors placed $22.2 million on college football, up from $16.5 million in October.

But during a month when the NBA and NHL would typically be popular bets, table tennis continued to be a significant draw, taking in $12.4 million in bets, up from $9.3 million.

“Colorado’s market in most ways follows similar patterns to what we see in other states, so if a local team like the Buffs does well, then sportsbooks do well,” St. Clair said. “The continued interest in Russian table tennis is unique to Colorado, though, and can best be explained by the fact that Colorado launched sports betting in May when traditional American sports were all shut down. That gave oxygen to certain international sports, particularly table tennis, that would have never gotten attention otherwise.”

November’s wagers will likely place Colorado sixth in the U.S., behind New Jersey, presumably Nevada (which will release November data later this month), Pennsylvania, presumably Illinois (data expected to be released in January), and No. 5 Indiana, which produced a state record $251.4 million in November.

“After surprisingly falling behind Indiana in October, Colorado managed to regain its pace,” Gouker said. “Indiana and Colorado are so similar in terms of population, makeup of the local sports landscape, and a balanced regulatory framework, that the two should remain close for the foreseeable future.”

Canada

Play’n GO announces partnership with Canadian operator Loto-Québec

Published

19 hours ago

May 16, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

play’n-go-announces-partnership-with-canadian-operator-loto-quebec

Play’n GO, the world’s leading casino entertainment provider, has today announced a partnership with Canadian operator Loto-Québec, launching the Swedish gaming giant’s games into another Canadian province.

Already active in another Canadian province , this partnership sees Play’n GO’s content available in the province of Québec exclusively with Loto-Québec, a state-owned corporation, where online players now have access to titles such as Tome of Madness.

Magnus Olsson, Chief Commercial Officer, Play’n GO said: “At Play’n GO, we have always been clear in our vision to be active in every regulated market in the world, and this partnership with Loto-Québec is the next step on that journey.

“Our past success in Canada gives us confidence that players in Québec will enjoy the best Play’n GO content, and we look forward to many years of success with Loto-Québec in the province.”

Stéphane Martel, Head of Product and Innovation at Loto-Québec added: “As the sole iGaming operator in Québec, we pride ourselves on offering titles that truly add value to our platform, lotoquebec.com. We are happy to bring Play’n GO games to our players.”

Canada

Court Decision Upholds iGaming Ontario’s Model

Published

2 days ago

May 15, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

court-decision-upholds-igaming-ontario’s-model

iGaming Ontario has welcomed the decision of the Ontario Superior Court, which found that iGaming Ontario’s model is consistent with the Criminal Code and that iGaming Ontario is conducting and managing igaming in the province.

“We have always been confident in our model and are pleased that the court has ruled in our favour, and that Ontarians can continue to play with confidence in our regulated igaming market,” said Martha Otton, Executive Director of iGaming Ontario.

“Ontario’s model meets the requirements and contributes to the public good by protecting players, their data and their funds, while helping to fund priority public services in Ontario, and bringing well-paid, high-tech jobs and economic development to Ontario,” Otton added.

In dismissing the application brought forward by the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK), the Superior Court found that iGaming Ontario is the “operating mind” behind Ontario’s competitive igaming market in accordance with the conduct and manage requirements of the Criminal Code.

iGaming Ontario will continue to conduct and manage igaming as it has since the launch of the regulated market on April 4, 2022.

Bragg Gaming Group

Bragg Gaming Appoints Renowned iGaming Executive Neill Whyte as Chief Commercial Officer

Published

7 days ago

May 10, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

bragg-gaming-appoints-renowned-igaming-executive-neill-whyte-as-chief-commercial-officer

Bragg Gaming Group, a global iGaming technology and content provider, announced that Neill Whyte has been appointed as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), effective 1st May 2024, establishing a new global commercial structure at the Company and bolstering its leadership team.

Whyte brings over 18 years of experience in the iGaming sector, most recently in the role of Chief Commercial Officer at Digital Gaming Corporation’s (DGC), B2B iGaming Division. After joining DGC in early 2020, he was responsible for the commercially successful launch and growth of its content distribution business in the US.

Prior to joining DGC, Whyte held multiple positions in the gaming industry including as Head of Business Development at Isle of Man-based iGaming specialist Apricot Investments, as Board Member at Swedish iGaming product and Lottery content distributor Genera Networks, and in various senior roles over eleven years at leading iGaming content supplier Microgaming, including as Head of Product Channels.

In his new role with Bragg, Whyte will be tasked with leading the Company’s global commercial teams to drive growth across all of the Company’s product verticals which include proprietary online casino content from its Atomic Slot Lab, Indigo Magic and Wild Streak Gaming studios, exclusive content from content partners, HUB a leading casino content aggregation platform, Fuze player engagement, as well as its award-winning player account management (PAM) platform and turnkey solutions.

Matevž Mazij, Chief Executive Officer at Bragg, said: “I am very pleased to be announcing today the appointment of Neill Whyte as Chief Commercial Officer at Bragg. His iGaming product and market knowledge, together with his record in driving growth from developing successful and mutually beneficial commercial partnerships are exceptional.

“As we leverage our broad content and product portfolio to grow in existing and new markets, including in the United States, Canada, Latin America and Europe, Neill’s unique combination of knowledge, skills and experience in this sector are a perfect fit for our ambitions at Bragg.”

Neill Whyte, Chief Commercial Officer at Bragg, said: “It’s an honor to join Matevž and the wider teams at Bragg already in place across North America, Europe and in India. I have been impressed with the depth and quality of the content, product and technology offerings at Bragg, and its ability to rapidly adapt, certify and deploy this content and technology in newly regulated markets is a distinct advantage.

“We also have a huge opportunity to grow our footprint with our existing customers in markets in which we are already established. Our content and product roadmaps are second to none, and I’m planning to get on the road in the coming weeks and months to meet the team and our customers and to start building for the next stage of mutual growth. I can’t wait to get going.”