Canada
PlayIllinois.com: $580 million January at Illinois sportsbooks marks the beginning of a year of growth
Illinois became the fourth U.S. state to take in more than $500 million in sports bets in a single month — nearly reaching $600 million in January — reaching the milestone even as retail sportsbooks remained closed for much of the month. But as rapid as the ascension of Illinois’s sports betting market has been, the state will need new sportsbook operators to come online to help raise the market’s ceiling, according to PlayIllinois, which offers news and analysis of the state’s gaming industry.
“No state has come close to reaching $500 million in handle in such a short time frame after launching, and to reach that mark with just five online operators and retail casinos closed for much of January is even more impressive,” said Jessica Welman, analyst for PlayIllinois.com. “Multiple factors had to come together to make that happen. The next step for the market is to get more operators online, which will help expand the pool of bettors.”
Illinois online operators attracted $581.6 million in bets in January, 98.9%, or $575.2 million, of which came online, according to official data released Wednesday. January’s handle was up 18.3% from $491.7 million in December, the fourth most among legal U.S. markets, behind only New Jersey ($958.7 million), Nevada ($646.5 million), and Pennsylvania ($615.3 million) during that month.
January’s bets pushed Illinois past $2 billion in lifetime handle, but more importantly, it generated a record $49.4 million in operator revenue, up 106.8% from $23.9 million in December. The win yielded $7.2 million in taxes for the state and another $479,052 in local taxes.
January is just the opening month in a year that could bring in more than $6 billion in wagers and $450 million in operator revenue, according to PlayIllinois projections. But that assumes continued maturity, including the addition of new operators.
To that end, Illinois will get a boost with the addition of Penn National’s Barstool-branded app, which is scheduled to launch on Friday and has made waves in Pennsylvania since launching there in September.
“Seeing an impactful operator such as Barstool launch is a reminder that Illinois still has so much more room to grow,” said Joe Boozell, analyst for PlayIllinois.com. “A few uncertainties could slow the market, including the potential return of in-person registration. But January’s results are more evidence that 2021 will almost certainly mark a sizable leap forward for the state’s sports betting market.”
January’s results were helped by football wagering, including on the Chicago Bears’ brief playoff appearance. Football brought in $158.3 million bets, or 27.2% of the state’s handle. But with the NBA enjoying its first full month in January, basketball drew in $229.7 million, 39.5% of the state’s total handle.
With the state’s ban on betting on in-state college teams, sportsbooks did miss out on the opportunity to capitalize on the college basketball success of Illinois and Loyola Chicago, both of which have been among the nation’s best teams for much of the year. But legislation is currently proposed that could remove the ban, which would allow bettors to place wagers on local teams.
“In every legal market local teams, particularly those that are playing well, are crucial in fueling bettor engagement with sportsbooks,” Welman said. “Illinois isn’t alone in barring betting on in-state college teams, but it does artificially suppress wagering.”
DraftKings/Casino Queen took in 42% of the state market share with its $244.2 million combined handle in January, which was up from $195.4 million in December. That included $243.5 million in online bets. FanDuel/Par-A-Dice Casino was No. 2 in January with $173.5 million, including $173.3 million online. Overall handle was up from $144.5 million overall. BetRivers/Rivers Casino was No. 3 with $109 million in online betting and $112.7 million overall, up from $111.2 million in December.
Many retail sportsbooks reopened on Jan. 15, when pandemic related closures were lifted. Still, sportsbooks managed to attract $6.3 million in in-person bets.
“Having retail sportsbooks reopen was an important step for the state industry, even if sportsbooks weren’t as busy as they would’ve been during an ordinary year,” Boozell said. “With the retail market back in business, and the roster of online sportsbook operators growing, the coming months should offer a more trustworthy gauge of where Illinois is as a market.”
For more information and analysis on regulated sports betting in Illinois, visit PlayIllinois.com/news.
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BGaming
CasinoCanada launches free social slot tournament
CasinoCanada.com launches a new social tournament system built around free-to-enter slot competitions, combining daily, weekly, and monthly events with leaderboards, bonus prizes, and exclusive merchandise.
The tournaments are powered entirely by BGaming slots, marking the first industry collaboration between an affiliate brand and BGaming focused specifically on social tournament engagement.
Participation in all tournaments is free for registered users of legal gambling age.
Players compete across rotating tournaments featuring a changing lineup of BGaming titles, including hit titles Aztec Magic Bonanza, Bonanza Billion, and Elvis Frog, among others.
Prizes include various bonuses and free spins from CasinoCanada partner casinos.
Selected special tournaments also feature exclusive BGaming merchandise prizes.
Tournament performance is reflected in public leaderboards, adding a competitive and community-driven layer to the CasinoCanada experience.
While social slot tournaments have become increasingly common in iGaming, many existing formats are built around the same providers and similar tournament structures.
CasinoCanada’s approach focuses on free participation, rotating BGaming content, partner casino bonus rewards, merchandise prizes, and recurring competition.
Eugene Ravdin, Head of PR at CasinoCanada, said: “The affiliate industry is moving beyond static review pages and traditional bonus listings. Community features, recurring engagement formats, and social competition are becoming increasingly important for long-term audience retention.
“Our goal is to create something more interactive and community-driven while also giving more visibility to BGaming’s slot portfolio through a format that players can engage with on a daily basis.”
Kate Puteiko, CMO at BGaming, said: “Players and the community have always been the beating heart of everything we do here at BGaming.
Online play no longer has to be a solitary activity, and tournaments like this are an excellent way to connect players and enhance everyone’s experience.
CasinoCanada shares this vision, and this collaboration is a natural extension of that.
We are excited to see our games front and centre of these tournaments and for players to begin creating memorable moments competing with them.”
CasinoCanada plans to introduce additional community features in the future, including gamification systems and forum functionality designed to expand user interaction around the tournament ecosystem.
The tournaments are now live at: https://casinocanada.com/tournaments/
The post CasinoCanada launches free social slot tournament appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Betnova
Delasport Accelerates Canadian Growth
Delasport continues to strengthen its position in the Canadian regulated market, now powering three live brands in Ontario while preparing for further expansion into Alberta as the province moves toward opening its regulated online gaming market.
Delasport’s technology is currently live in Ontario with TitanPlay.ca, Maverick Games, and Betnova.ca. The company provides a combination of full turnkey platform solutions of Casino, Sport, Player Account Management and Managed Services as well as its high-performance Sportsbook iFrame technology. This enables operators to launch quickly while delivering a premium user experience tailored to the Canadian audience.
With Ontario continuing to establish itself as one of North America’s most competitive regulated markets, Delasport’s growing local presence reflects the company’s long-term commitment to Canada and its confidence in the market’s continued evolution.
“Ontario is a strategically important market for us, and it has already proven to be a strong success story. Seeing multiple brands successfully operating on our technology and services demonstrates the strength of our platform in acquiring and retaining players in Ontario. We’re excited to continue this momentum as we prepare for Alberta,” said Oren Cohen Shwartz, CEO of Delasport.
As part of its next phase of Canadian growth, Delasport has officially applied for Alberta’s upcoming B2B licensing framework and is already preparing to go live with a partner operator once the market opens.
The company’s Canadian momentum is further supported by its mobile-first approach. TitanPlay’s iOS application is already available on the Apple App Store for users in Ontario, delivering a seamless casino and sportsbook experience powered by Delasport technology.
Delasport’s platform in Canada includes a wide range of personalization and engagement tools designed to enhance user retention and entertainment value.
The company has continued to position itself as one of the industry’s leading providers in regulated markets worldwide, with a strong focus on scalable technology, localization, compliance, and player-centric innovation.
The post Delasport Accelerates Canadian Growth appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Canada
Responsible Gambling Council Urges Financial Institutions to Strengthen Protections Against Gambling Harm
The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) has urged Canada’s financial sector to take a proactive role in mitigating gambling-related financial harm. A new whitepaper released highlights how banks and credit unions are uniquely positioned to protect the financial well-being of their customers.
The whitepaper, Opportunities for Impact: The Role of Financial Institutions in Mitigating Gambling-Related Harm, argues that financial institutions have a unique duty of care. Financial institutions have direct access to gambling transaction data that reveals early warning signs of financial vulnerability. These indicators include rapidly shrinking savings and an increased reliance on overdrafts or credit.
“The rapid expansion of regulated gambling in Canada requires an evolved response from our financial systems. By adopting tools already proven in other jurisdictions, Canadian banks can become leaders in protecting customer financial health,” said Tracy Parker, SVP, Accreditation, Advisory & Insights at RGC.
Jurisdictions like the UK and Australia have already recognized the powerful role financial institutions play. Banks such as Monzo and Starling in the UK were the first to offer voluntary gambling blocks to their customers. Similarly, the National Australia Bank provides dedicated support pages and links to financial counseling.
RGC recommends that Canadian financial institutions implement several key strategies:
• Improving the accuracy of Merchant Category Codes to better track gambling spend.
• Offering voluntary transaction blocks and self-defined monthly spend limits.
• Providing targeted messaging and support resources within digital banking platforms.
Beyond retail banking, RGC highlights the importance of commercial relationships. Financial institutions can influence industry practices by setting high harm prevention expectations for gambling operators. Integrating these considerations into due diligence processes helps mitigate reputational and regulatory risks.
The post Responsible Gambling Council Urges Financial Institutions to Strengthen Protections Against Gambling Harm appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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