Canada

Sports Betting Boom: CEO’s of Penn National, FansUnite, Score Media and i3 Interactive Seize New Market Opportunities as Legalization Expands

Published

5 years ago

February 24, 2021

Wall Street Reporter, the trusted name in financial news since 1843, has published reports on the latest comments and insights from leaders at: Penn National Gaming, i3 Interactive , FansUnite, and Score Media and Gaming.

Online betting markets are booming. With the recent success of New Jersey generating over $1 billion in taxable income per month, more states hungry for tax revenues are opening up to sports betting and gaming. Canada is now expected to open the market for sports betting with the passing of Bill C-218. Wall Street Reporter highlights the latest comments from industry thought leaders:

Penn National Gaming CEO Jay Snowden “Incredibly Optimistic About Barstool Sportsbooks Upside”

“…Highlights from the fourth quarter include the continued momentum we’re seeing for our Barstool Sports book app in Pennsylvania, strong retention, CRM efforts and creative promotions.. have led to an increased handle and market share. And most importantly, highlight our unique and unmatched approach to efficient customer acquisition…On January 22nd, we introduced our Barstool Sportsbook Mobile app in Michigan to very strong demand…Our next launch state will be in Illinois, where we plan to go live prior to March madness, pending regulatory approval. From there, we’ll continue to roll out in new states every three to five weeks or so until we’re operational in 10 or more states by the end of 2021….”

“…Looking forward, we’re anticipating an exciting new year as we continue to introduce Barstool-branded retail and mobile sports books across our portfolio, including brand-new builds at our two properties opening in Pennsylvania during the second half of ’21…We have already seen very strong results from our retail sportsbooks, with our Indiana properties seeing meaningful increases in both gaming and non-gaming revenues following their rebranding at Barstool Sportsbooks. We are incredibly optimistic about the opportunities to unlock further upside as we introduce additional Barstool Sportsbook and sportsbars across the portfolio.”

In a recent interview at Wall Street Reporter’s NEXT SUPER STOCK livestream, i3 Interactive CEO Chris Neville, shares his company’s ambitious global strategy, with a unique focus on India. As a pioneer of online gaming with almost 20 years experience, Neville see’s a strong parallel between the poker boom of the early 2000’s and the Indian market today.

India is one of the fastest growing online gaming markets in the world. With a growing population, especially the middle class, a burgeoning economy, the fastest internet adoption in the world, and with 65% of the population under the age of 35, India is the perfect storm for skill based online gaming.

i3 Interactive sees India as the perfect launchpad for it’s global betting business, with relatively low customer acquisition costs, less competition, and blue sky upside potential. By partnering with Indian social influencers such Bollywood celebrities and cricket stars, i3 Interactive reaches their 150 million followers in India. I3 is also expanding into new untapped global gaming markets such Canada which is about to legalize sports betting.

FansUnite “Positioned for Exponential Revenue Growth in iGaming, E-Sports, Online Sports Betting”

In a recent presentation at Wall Street Reporter’s NEXT SUPER STOCK livestream, FansUnite (OTC: FUNFF) (CSE: FANS) CEO Scott Burton explained how the company’s latest distribution deal with a online casino games aggregator, sets the stage for exponential revenue growth opportunities. In the next 12 months, FUNFF plans to expand its current line from three games to twelve – while adding multiple aggregators for each game – reaching millions of new online casino customers worldwide. With each game generating as much as $500,000 in revenue per month for FUNFF – per online casino – and the potential to be in hundreds of online casinos – these numbers can quickly add up.

February 10 – FUNFF engages the services of Ifrah Law PLLC, a prominent U.S. gaming law firm to collaborate with OneComply Inc. in assisting FansUnite with their U.S. licensing strategy. In response to the interest that FansUnite has received from U.S. gambling and casino operators for their sports betting and iGaming solutions, a founding member of Ifrah Law, Jeff Ifrah, will provide counsel to FansUnite on their rapid expansion strategy across the different U.S. jurisdictions beginning with New Jersey.

January 11 – FUNFF closes an oversubscribed C$13.4 million private placement driven by strong investor demand. “The successful closing of this upsized financing provides further validation that the global gambling market is seeing a resurgence in demand from investors,” said Scott Burton, CEO of FansUnite. “As we now look to advance our operations globally, we believe this additional capital will allow us to explore strategic initiatives and execute on our vision of becoming a globally recognized iGaming leader.”

December 16 – FUNFF gains first-mover advantage into the U.S. E-Sports betting market, as it’s long-term partner GameCo joins US Bookmaking and Sky Ute Casino to establish the first dedicated esports sportsbook in the United States. FUNFF wholly-owned subsidiary Askott Entertainment will supply its iGaming platform, Chameleon, as part of a fully integrated esports betting solution. Through GameCo’s partnership with Sky Ute Casino and US Bookmaking, FansUnite will be the first iGaming solutions provider to receive significant exposure in the U.S. esports betting market.

Score Media and Gaming CEO John Levy: “Enormous Opportunity For Sports Betting in Canada”

“…we’re starting to unlock the potential of theScore and theScore Bet, showcasing the value of a fully integrated media and gaming business. As our gaming operations in the U.S. expand, we are simultaneously preparing for what is an enormous opportunity on the horizon in Canada, with the anticipated creation of a fully legalized and regulated sports betting and iGaming market…theScore’s popularity in Canada is unmatched in the mobile sports space, and we are eager to deliver theScore Bet to our fans in our home territory.

“… We estimate a market potential for online gaming in Canada at between US$3.8 billion and $5.4 billion in annual gross gaming revenue based on historical data, extrapolated from the legal online gaming markets in the U.S. and globally. It is now clear that there is cross party support and strong momentum to amend Canada’s outdated federal laws and enable legal sports betting market to flourish.theScore is Canada’s leading mobile sports brand, with millions of loyal app users across this country. And we’re in a great position to capitalize on the expansion of online gaming. We’re hard at work preparing for this sizeable opportunity and look forward to seeing legislation progress in 2021…”

Canada

IGSA Welcomes New Partner Members: Focal Research and RGC Canada

Published

4 days ago

April 9, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

igsa-welcomes-new-partner-members:-focal-research-and-rgc-canada

As part of a new responsible gaming initiative, the International Gaming Standards Association (IGSA) has welcomed two new Partner Members, Focal Research Consultants and The Responsible Gambling Council, both from Canada.

IGSA President Mark Pace said: “IGSA is excited to welcome our new partners in Responsible Gaming. We are looking to work with organizations that are truly dedicated to doing good in the RG space. There is a lot of time, energy and money being spent in this area and we want to leverage the incredible work being done in an effort to amplify its positive effect.”

Tracy Schrans, Co-Founder and President of Focal Research, said: “We are pleased to partner with IGSA on this important initiative. Drawing on over three decades of applied research, responsible gambling evaluation, and player protection, we look forward to collaborating with IGSA members to advance practical evidence-based industry standards for keeping players safe.”

“Advancing industry standards for player protection depends on collaboration across the full ecosystem. With deep expertise in standards development, applied research, and harm prevention, RGC is pleased to work alongside IGSA members to develop practical, implementable standards that strengthen player protection in meaningful ways,” said Sarah McCarthy, CEO of the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC).

The post IGSA Welcomes New Partner Members: Focal Research and RGC Canada appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Boris Gartner

LALIGA Announces Multi-year Partnership with Polymarket

Published

4 days ago

April 9, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

laliga-announces-multi-year-partnership-with-polymarket

LALIGA North America has announced a multi-year partnership with Polymarket, the world’s largest prediction market, becoming the first European soccer league to do so.

As the Official and Exclusive Prediction Market Partner of LALIGA in the US and Canada, Polymarket will offer LALIGA fans the ability to engage with Spain’s premier soccer league and its stars at an unprecedented level.

“Soccer’s growth, especially in North America, is spearheaded by young, diverse and multicultural audiences who consume the game across multiple screens, so it’s our goal to continue to engage these demographics in new and unique ways. It’s imperative we go beyond traditional engagement efforts in order to bring these audiences closer to the beautiful game than ever before, and we couldn’t think of a better partner than Polymarket to achieve that,” said Boris Gartner, Relevent CEO & Partner.

For LALIGA North America, the partnership with Polymarket is a testament to the long-term investment and growth in the region as a result of the 20-year joint venture between LALIGA and Relevent launched in 2018. Polymarket joins a robust roster of regional partners including Walmart, Lowe’s, McDonald’s, Verizon, Remitly, and Panini, among others.

The multi-year partnership with Polymarket includes premium broadcast visibility, fan-focused digital and social programming, and exclusive fan experiences such as VIP match hospitality and virtual meet-and-greets with LALIGA legends. Polymarket will also receive exclusive rights to use LALIGA and club intellectual property in connection with LALIGA matches.

Through this partnership, LALIGA and Polymarket will collaborate to establish a responsible and transparent framework that promotes innovative fan participation while upholding the highest standards of sporting integrity, leveraging Polymarket’s recently announced next-generation sports integrity platform launched in partnership with Palantir Technologies and TWG AI.

“Our goal is to give fans a more expressive way to follow the game, where opinions on players, matches, and season outcomes can be reflected in real time. Partnering with LALIGA brings that level of interaction to one of the most passionate global fanbases and introduces a new, more dynamic way for North American audiences to engage with the league,” said Shayne Coplan, Founder and CEO of Polymarket.

Polymarket has rapidly established itself as the prediction market partner of choice for major sports leagues, having announced partnerships with MLB, NHL, UFC, and MLS, which includes serving as the exclusive and official prediction market for MLS Cup, MLS All-Star, and Leagues Cup.

The post LALIGA Announces Multi-year Partnership with Polymarket appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Bede Gaming

OLG Launches Innovative New React Native Mobile App with Bede Gaming

Published

6 days ago

April 7, 2026

Wladimir P.

olg-launches-innovative-new-react-native-mobile-app-with-bede-gaming

Bede Gaming is proud to continue its partnership with Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corporation (OLG), which is now delivering an enhanced experience to its OLG.ca mobile customers across the province after successfully transitioning to the Bede Gaming React Native App.

The upgraded app, built for fast and seamless omnichannel performance, provides an exceptional player experience that leverages a data-efficient design model.

With over 1 million monthly app users, the lightweight network delivery and core functionality of Bede’s technical solution ensures an accessible and high-quality player experience across devices, even during peak traffic periods.

Structured with a flexible foundation for future development, ongoing app enhancements will now be delivered quickly and consistently across device types. In addition, the new app uses one build for all devices, making it much more operationally efficient and cost effective, and far easier for the Ontario operator to implement and manage future changes.

The new agile solution is also highly scalable and customisable, offering the flexibility to build a bespoke mobile set-up that’s truly brand-tailored and easily self-managed by operator admins. With direct connection into Bede’s full platform capabilities, engaging in-house product suite, and catalogue of third-party integrations, the new app eliminates the need for additional integration steps, significantly improves speed to market, and enables a fast response to changing player behaviours and trends.

Given online gambling is regulated on a province-to-province basis in Canada, the new app will also help OLG continue to provide a responsible and compliant iGaming service through geolocation technology powered by mkodo’s GeoLocs product, leveraging robust location management tools to ensure a seamless and fully regulated experience for players across Ontario.

Following the transition to Bede’s React Native App, OLG has reported a smooth and successful launch, with a carefully planned rollout and no impact to the customer experience.

Dave Pridmore, Chief Gaming Officer at OLG, said: “We’re delighted with how quickly and efficiently the transition to Bede’s React Native app has been – and the fact there’s been no disruption for our existing OLG.ca players speaks volumes about the impressive teamwork shown on both sides. The intuitive experience built and well-considered support are representative of the high quality of work we’ve come to expect from our partners at Bede Gaming.

“As OLG continues to prioritise our players’ experiences and expectations, we look forward to implementing even more market-leading enhancements throughout our ongoing digital growth.”

Further phases of strategic enhancements applied to the app’s user journey will deliver continual user improvements, supporting a more streamlined customer experience that encourages returning traffic.

With increasing demand across the industry for seamless omnichannel gaming experiences, having this degree of personalisation, accessibility and smooth user journeys offers an increasingly significant role in player retention.

“The successful roll-out of our React Native App is testament to Bede’s continued commitment to our partnership with OLG and further proof of the passion we have for providing operational efficiencies to their team,” said Andrew Humphreys, Chief Product Engineering Officer at Bede Gaming. “I’m excited about the additional competitive value that our Bede App will be able to offer; our flexible and cost-efficient solution will empower OLG to expand their outreach and capabilities in the mobile-first market.”

The post OLG Launches Innovative New React Native Mobile App with Bede Gaming appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.