Canada

PlayIllinois.com: Sportsbooks suffer first month-over-month decline, but gain ground on nation’s top markets

Published

5 years ago

April 12, 2021

Illinois sportsbooks posted a month-over-month decline in betting volume for the first time since launching in late July, continuing what was a national trend in February. But the state still managed to narrowly surpass Pennsylvania to place third among U.S. states for the month. More concerning for what has been a booming industry in Illinois, though, is the return of in-person registration, which could stymie online sports betting growth for as long as it is in place, according to PlayIllinois, which provides news and analysis of the state’s gaming industry.

“Passing Pennsylvania should be momentous but it is almost certainly going to be short-lived, as the decision to return to in-person registration will likely mean the end of growth for the Illinois sports betting industry,” said Jessica Welman, analyst for PlayIllinois.com. “Open registration has been a key component in making Illinois one of the largest sports betting markets in the country. Forcing people to physically appear in a retail sportsbook is a counterproductive measure, which should be apparent whenever Illinois April data is released.”

With open registration still in place in February, Illinois retail and online sportsbooks attracted $509.8 million in wagers, according to official data released Friday. That is down 12.3% from the record $581.6 million in January, an expected dip with fewer days during the month and only one NFL game to bet. That game, the Super Bowl, drew $45.6 million in bets, though some of those bets were accepted prior to February.

Bettors placed $18.2 million per day in the 28 days of February, which was down slightly from $18.8 million per day in January. Illinois’ relatively modest pullback made it the third-largest U.S. market in terms of money wagered, gaining ground on leaders New Jersey ($743 million) and Nevada ($554.1 million), while topping Pennsylvania ($509.5 million) for the first time.

February’s handle also produced $30.3 million in operator revenue, down 38.7% from the record $49.4 million in January. But the month’s win produced $35.4 million in taxable revenue, which yielded $5.3 million in taxes for the state and another $541,832 in local taxes.

“February’s results in Illinois actually compare well to the other major markets in the U.S., showing that the state had yet to reach its ceiling,” said Joe Boozell, analyst for PlayIllinois.com. “Even with the return of in-person registration, operators have set a good foundation of bettors that will sustain the industry, even as the rules stunt the market’s growth.”

For the first time in months, retail sportsbooks were open for a full month, attracting $19.6 million in bets. But online betting still drove 96.2%, or $490.2 million, of the state’s handle. That is down from 98.9%, or $575.2 million, in online betting in January.

DraftKings/Casino Queen remained the market leader by accepting $199.8 million in online and retail wagers in February, which was down from the operator’s $244.2 million handle in January but still represented 39.2% of the state’s total handle. $196.5 million of February’s bets came online.

FanDuel/Par-A-Dice Casino was second with its $158.9 million handle, $158.4 million of which came online. The operator’s overall handle was down from $173.5 million in January. BetRivers/Rivers Casino was third with $86.9 million in online betting and $96.4 million overall, down from $112.7 million in January.

The market has also gotten more competitive, most notably from the March 11 launch of Penn National’s Barstool-branded app, which is partnering with Hollywood Casinos. But Barstool’s launch came just weeks before the end of open registration, hamstringing what has been a popular operator in both Pennsylvania and Michigan.

“Barstool had just three weeks to build a customer base in an open environment, which should put it at a permanent disadvantage against the market leaders,” Welman said. “That said, their brand is popular and should draw significant interest, helping to grow the market. It could be the last hurrah, of sorts, as new operators might be deterred by in-person registration.”

In February, Super Bowl betting drove more action than any other single event, of course. But the NBA and college basketball continued to be a popular bet, drawing $256.7 million, or 50.4% of the state’s total handle, even as college basketball betting is slowed by the ban on wagers on in-state college teams. And bettors placed $45.3 million on tennis, a surprising surge for what is a fringe betting sport in much of the U.S.

“Illinois has grown in ways that are typical of most major markets, with an overwhelming preference for major U.S. sports and driven less by single events,” Boozell said. “But tennis’ popularity shows that the state is unique in some ways, too. We will now see how operators adapt to the state’s regulatory decisions, which have created challenges that sportsbooks will have to overcome to grow in the future.”

For more information and analysis on regulated sports betting in Illinois, visit PlayIllinois.com/news.

BGaming

CasinoCanada launches free social slot tournament

Published

1 day ago

May 15, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

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

Published

2 days ago

May 15, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

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

Published

2 days ago

May 15, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

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.