Canada
NeoPollard Interactive and New Hampshire Lottery Prevail Against U.S. Government Appeal in iLottery Case
NeoPollard Interactive LLC, jointly owned by Pollard Banknote Limited and NeoGames S.A., is thrilled with the decision rendered by the First Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals on January 20, 2021 that unequivocally reconfirmed that the federal Wire Act is limited to sports betting and, therefore, does not pertain to state-run lotteries. This decision confirms the ruling of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire in 2019 that was appealed by the U.S. Federal Department of Justice. Overall, this decision is important for the U.S. lottery industry as a whole by alleviating concerns related to the legality of traditional retail or online lottery sales (also known as “iLottery”) which rely on the transmission of lottery data over the Internet.
The Wire Act subjects to criminal liability any person who “knowingly uses a wire communication facility for the transmission in interstate or foreign commerce of bets or wagers or information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers on any sporting event or contest, or for the transmission of a wire communication which entitles the recipient to receive money or credit as a result of bets or wagers, or for information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers.” In 2011, the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel (“OLC”) concluded that the Wire Act only applied to sports betting. Following that opinion, many lotteries began to offer non-sports gaming products over the Internet, reasonably relying on the OLC’s conclusions that their activities were lawful.
In January 2019, the OLC reversed that prior decision and released a new opinion concluding that the Wire Act extended beyond the sports-betting context to criminalize interstate transmissions of all bets or wagers—thereby overturning the conclusions of the 2011 opinion and threatening to shut down the burgeoning iLottery industry.
Working alongside the New Hampshire Lottery Commission (“New Hampshire Lottery”), NeoPollard Interactive and Pollard Banknote, the New Hampshire Lottery’s iLottery providers, immediately sought a declaratory judgment in federal court that the OLC’s new Wire Act interpretation was based on an incorrect reading of the statute. In June 2019, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire confirmed that the federal Wire Act applies only to sports-betting activities. The OLC appealed that decision.
In this latest judgement, the First Circuit affirmed the District Court’s June 2019 decision thus restoring the 2011 interpretation that limited the Wire Act to sports betting. By upholding the 2011 interpretation that the Wire Act applies only to bets or wagers on a sporting event or contest, this ruling safeguards the New Hampshire Lottery, NeoPollard Interactive and Pollard Banknote, specifically, and all other iLottery operators, generally, from the threat of unlawful prosecution.
In addition, and equally importantly for other state lotteries, any concerns about the pooling of bets or the transmission of wagers in connection with national and regional multi-state games such as Powerball® and Mega Millions, whether through traditional retail or online channels, have been completely eliminated.
“We are very happy with the recent judgement confirming, yet again, the 2011 interpretation of the Wire Act,” said Liz Siver, General Manager, NeoPollard Interactive. “This is a great success for the Lottery industry generally, and iLottery specifically, as it ensures that the sale of both iLottery games and national and regional multi-state games can continue to be strong contributors to lottery sales and the good causes that U.S. lotteries support. In terms of iLottery, we know first-hand the positive effect that these operations have had, not only on state resources, but on player experience as well. The current worldwide pandemic has amplified the importance of this new channel. We look forward to continuing to provide state-of-the-art iLottery products and strategies to lotteries with an increasing array of products within the digital landscape.”
SOURCE NeoPollard Interactive
Powered by WPeMatico
Internet Gaming Operator by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).
This significant milestone authorizes absolutebet to offer regulated iGaming services in Ontario’s legal market under the oversight of AGCO and iGaming Ontario (iGO).
The registration marks a key step in absolutebet’s mission to bring a trusted, responsible, and innovative online casino experience to Ontario players. absolutebet is committed to operating with integrity and transparency, meeting all provincial standards for player protection, responsible gambling, anti-money laundering, and game integrity.
“Securing AGCO registration is more than a milestone—it’s the start of absolutebet’s journey in one of the most exciting regulated markets in the world,” said Chen Truman, Founder of absolutebet. “We are building a brand that will grow with the Ontario community and set the stage for future expansion.”
On the regulatory milestone, Krisztina Kalla, Legal & Regulatory Compliance Advisor of absolutebet, commented: “I’m incredibly proud to see all the hard work behind this license pay off. Securing AGCO registration has taken months of preparation and close collaboration with regulators and partners. I am very happy to see the result of that work, and even more excited as we move into the launch phase and open up the absolutebet community to Ontario players in a fun and responsible way.”
Ontario is recognized as one of the most competitive and fast-growing regulated iGaming markets in North America. With AGCO registration secured, absolutebet will move forward with the final stages of its iGO onboarding process in preparation for launch.
The post absolutebet Secures AGCO Registration as an Internet Gaming Operator in Ontario appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Alex Malchenko Head of Sales at Evoplay
Evoplay strengthens Ontario presence in partnership with Caesars Entertainment
Evoplay, the award-winning game development studio, has partnered with Caesars Entertainment to expand its footprint in the Canadian market, following its initial entry earlier this year. The partnership integrates 20 of the studio’s top-performing titles onto Caesars Palace Online Casino, Horseshoe Online Casino and Caesars Sportsbook & Casino in Ontario, including fan-favourites such as Hot Triple Sevens, Triple Chili, and The Greatest Catch Bonus Buy.
Having announced its official entrance into Ontario in March, the collaboration with Caesars marks a significant step in Evoplay’s local strategy. Further standout releases, such as Inner Fire Bonus Buy and Hot Volcano, also launched as part of the initial package, with additional player favourites, including Fruit Nova and Ice Mania.
The collaboration underlines Evoplay’s commitment to working with leading operators to deliver high-quality content tailored to regional audiences.
Alex Malchenko, Head of Sales at Evoplay, said: “Launching with Caesars in Ontario marks a key milestone in our North American strategy.
“It reflects both the strength of our portfolio and our commitment to providing innovative, high-performing content to operators of the highest caliber.”
Ricardo Cornejo Rivas, Vice President of Online Gaming at Caesars Digital, said: “Evoplay brings a fresh and dynamic approach to online gaming, which we’re excited to offer to our players in Ontario. This portfolio of standout titles adds to our growing content library and furthering our ongoing goal of delivering top-tier entertainment experiences to our players.”
The post Evoplay strengthens Ontario presence in partnership with Caesars Entertainment appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
The iGaming Ontario Board of Directors has announced Joseph Hillier as the organization’s new President and Chief Executive Officer, effective September 8, 2025. Joseph’s depth in the Ontario igaming market combined with successful public and private sector careers make him the ideal President and CEO at this critical point in iGaming Ontario’s growth.
Joseph was most recently Chief Strategy Officer and Corporate Secretary at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), where he delivered significant strategic and regulatory initiatives across the province’s alcohol, cannabis, gaming, and horse racing sectors. Prior to the AGCO, he served as Chief of Staff to Ontario Attorney General Hon. Doug Downey and led the development, launch and implementation of Canada’s first private sector-driven igaming market and the creation of iGaming Ontario. Joseph also spent more than a decade working in the financial and legal services sectors.
The Board expressed its sincere thanks to David Smith for serving as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer since Martha Otton’s retirement.
The post iGaming Ontario Appoints Joseph Hillier as its New President and CEO appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
-
eSports4 days agoTEAM VITALITY AND HUMMEL LAUNCH ALTERNATE JERSEY AND EXCLUSIVE APPAREL COLLECTION
-
Africa6 days agoQTech Games wins Best Innovation of the Year at the 2025 SBWA+ Eventus Awards
-
Conferences in Europe6 days ago
EGT Digital and EGT to rock the show at SiGMA Euro-Med 2025
-
Colombia6 days ago
Spintec Strengthens its Partnership with Merkur in Colombia and Peru
-
Blanka Homor Sales Director at Playson5 days ago
Playson strengthens Ontario foothold with Casino Time integration
-
Latest News5 days ago
Octoplay advances on its European growth strategy by partnering with Evoke Group in the UK and Denmark
-
Baltics5 days ago
CT Interactive Expands its Certified Game Portfolio in Latvia
-
Balkans5 days ago
CT Gaming Secures Certification for its Latest Multigame – Diamond King 5
