Canada
Chicago Fire FC Becomes First MLS Club to Launch Gambling Awareness Sessions with EPIC Risk Management and Entain Foundation US
Fire to Deliver Player Education Sessions as Part of Club’s Performance, Advisory, and Support Services (P.A.S.S.) Program
Chicago Fire FC, entering into their 24th season in Major League Soccer, have become the first football club in the United States to deliver problem gambling and gaming awareness sessions to teams throughout their organization through a partnership with EPIC Risk Management and Entain Foundation US, Entain plc’s unique non-profit subsidiary that is dedicated to promoting responsible gambling and sports integrity.
Epic Risk Management will lead sessions with the Chicago Fire’s U-13’s through U-19’s, plus the first team. Each session will be appropriately tailored for the varied audience and age groups through the Club’s roster, covering issues such as problem gaming, disordered gambling and sports betting integrity.
Delivery of these sessions will begin in May and continue throughout 2021, aiming to provide continued support across Chicago Fire’s P.A.S.S. program. Due to COVID-19, sessions will take place via videoconference and move to in-person sessions when safely allowed.
“We know that young athletes are at greater risk of being effected by problematic gaming and gambling, and we recognize the need to take a proactive approach to educating our players and parents on these risks,” says Brian Roberts, Director of Performance, Advisory and Support Services (P.A.S.S.) at Chicago Fire FC. “The real-life stories that EPIC Risk Management use in their educational sessions brings focus to gambling in a way that will have a true impact and will provide our Academy players with the understanding needed to make informed decisions. We are excited to work with an organization open to customizing an approach to educating our Academy players.”
“We are delighted to be able to work closely with Chicago Fire and their Performance, Advisory, and Support Services (PASS) staff to customize our program to integrate into their existing PASS Education,” says John Millington, VP of US Operations at EPIC Risk Management. “Our collaboration with the Entain Foundation US represents a key strategic piece of our prevention pillar. It is essential that professional sports teams and leagues recognize a collective responsibility to educate their players, staff, and their fan base, and we are delighted Chicago Fire have proactively embraced the importance of integrating this market leading education into their existing programs. I hope many more teams will follow their lead.”
Martin Lycka, Entain plc’s Senior Vice President for American Regulatory Affairs and Responsible Gambling, and trustee of the Entain Foundation US, noted, “This new partnership among Chicago Fire FC, EPIC Risk Management and the Entain Foundation US is another important milestone in promoting player protection and responsible gambling—a top priority of our Foundation. I am proud to affiliate our Foundation in the US with these two outstanding partners.”
To date, EPIC Risk Management and the Entain Foundation US have launched collaborations with the NFLPA Professional Athletes Foundation, colleges across the U.S., and the Division on Addiction at Cambridge Health Alliance, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital, on research into elite athletes’ relationships with problematic gambling behavior.
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Alberta
EveryMatrix gets conditional AGLC approval ahead of Alberta iGaming launch
EveryMatrix has received conditional licensing approval from the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) to offer its iGaming technology in Alberta.
The approval allows the supplier to provide casino and sports platform technologies to licensed operators in the province, which is expected to launch a regulated iGaming market in July. Alberta would become Canada’s second regulated iGaming territory after Ontario.
At launch, EveryMatrix said it will offer titles from its in-house studio Fantasma Games and aggregated content, with plans to expand its portfolio over time.
The company said the Alberta approval adds to its North American licensing footprint, which includes Ontario (since 2022) and US states New Jersey, Michigan, West Virginia, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. EveryMatrix also said it has signed agreements to deliver platform and in-house gaming content in Alberta.
Rani Axon, Market Manager, North America, EveryMatrix, said: “Entering Alberta marks an exciting step for the Group as we expand further into one of North America’s most attractive regulated markets. This approval shows the strength of our compliance team and our readiness to meet regulatory requirements in any market.”
The post EveryMatrix gets conditional AGLC approval ahead of Alberta iGaming launch appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
AGLC
EveryMatrix secures licensing approval in Alberta Canada
EveryMatrix has received conditional licensing approval from the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) to offer its iGaming technology in the Canadian province, marking another step in the company’s expansion across North America.
The approval enables the Group to provide its award-winning casino and sports platform technologies to licensed operators in Alberta, soon to become Canada’s second regulated iGaming territory following Ontario.
Alberta’s regulated iGaming market is expected to launch in July this year, opening the door for licensed operators to enter the province under its new framework.
At launch EveryMatrix will offer premium titles from its in-house studio, Fantasma Games, as well as aggregated content with further opportunities to expand its portfolio.
The approval further strengthens EveryMatrix’s position as a tier-1 provider in North America, where it already holds licences in multiple North American jurisdictions, including Ontario since 2022, New Jersey, Michigan, West Virginia, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.
With a population of approximately five million, high digital adoption, and one of the strongest GDP per capita profiles in North America, Alberta is a high-potential iGaming jurisdiction.
EveryMatrix has already secured commercial opportunities in the province, with agreements in place to deliver both platform and in-house gaming content.
Rani Axon, Market Manager, North America, EveryMatrix, said: “Entering Alberta marks an exciting step for the Group as we expand further into one of North America’s most attractive regulated markets. This approval shows the strength of our compliance team and our readiness to meet regulatory requirements in any market.”
The post EveryMatrix secures licensing approval in Alberta Canada appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
BetGuard
iGaming Ontario Launches BetGuard Self-exclusion Tool
iGaming Ontario has launched BetGuard, a tool that enables individuals aged 19 and older to voluntarily opt out of all Ontario regulated online gaming platforms through one online portal. By opting out through BetGuard.ca, players are prevented from accessing their existing accounts, creating new accounts, or receive marketing communications from any regulated igaming site in Ontario. This launch supports the government’s commitment to protecting players through strong and responsible gaming safeguards.
“BetGuard is designed with one simple principle in mind: if you need take a break from the entire regulated igaming market, you can. Player choice is key to the sustainability of our market, and that includes the choice to opt out,” said iGaming Ontario President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Hillier.
BetGuard benefits:
• Offers a dedicated website where anyone 19 years of age and older can opt out of online gaming in a few minutes without the need to visit individual igaming websites.
• Incorporates all igaming websites in Ontario’s regulated market, including OLG’s.
• Allows Ontarians to choose to opt out of online gambling for a term of 6 months, 1 year, 5 years or a custom term.
• Informs operators not to send direct marketing to individuals who have opted out.
• Offers a dedicated customer care line.
The launch of BetGuard reflects a shared commitment across government, industry and the responsible gaming community to provide Ontarians with an igaming market that has robust safeguards the unregulated market does not.
Ontario’s open and competitive igaming market has generated $262 million in 2025-26 in revenue that has been re-invested back into the province. The Government of Ontario has also invested over $421 million since 2018 in initiatives such as gambling-related public education and awareness programs, responsible gaming support, campaigns, and research.
The post iGaming Ontario Launches BetGuard Self-exclusion Tool appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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