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SPORTS WAGERING IN IOWA SLIDES FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE MONTH

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Iowa’s sports betting volume dropped slightly in May and remained well below the market’s peak reached in March. The modest downtick in wagering to less than $115 million is a fresh reminder that it likely won’t be until football season before Iowa’s sports betting industry sees significant growth again, according to analysts from PlayIA, which tracks the state’s regulated online gaming and sports betting market.

“There is no avoiding a summer slowdown, but Iowa’s sportsbooks are in a remarkably better position than this time last year when there was still so much uncertainty,” said Jessica Welman, analyst for PlayIA.com. “Sportsbooks will continue to be innovative this summer in an effort to keep bettors engaged with the remaining NBA season, baseball, and other sports, including the Olympics. Contrast that to last summer when most were in survival mode.”

Bettors placed $114.9 million in wagers at Iowa sportsbooks in May, according to official data released Thursday. That is down 2.9% from the $118.4 million in bets generated in April, and well short of the record $161.4 million in wagers in March. Betting fell to $3.7 million per day over the 31 days in May from $3.9 million over the 30 days in April.

Net operator revenue reached $6.1 million in May, down from $7.7 million in April. That resulted in $414,175 in tax revenue.

This is the second consecutive month-over-month decline for Iowa, which isn’t a surprise. In April, all but one U.S. legal sports betting jurisdiction reported a month-over-month decline, including all of the nation’s 10 largest markets. Of those, only Nevada (-29.1%) and Michigan (-30.5%) experienced a larger dip from March to April than Iowa’s 26.7% decline.

“Iowa is more driven by college athletics than the majority of the largest markets in the U.S., so the end of college basketball season was bound to have an outsized effect,” said Dustin Gouker, analyst for PlayIA.com. “But a surge by the Cubs and White Sox in May was a big help for sportsbooks. If both teams can remain relevant this summer, it should really be a boost ahead of football season.”

$99.9 million in bets were made online in May, representing 87% of the state’s overall handle. That is down from 88.3% of the state’s handle in April. Retail betting accounted for the remaining $15.0 million, up from $13.8 million in April.

William Hill, which partners with six Iowa casinos — Prairie Meadows, Horseshoe Casino Council Bluffs, Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo, Isle of Capri Bettendorf, Lakeside, and Harrah’s Council Bluffs — led the market again with $37.6 million in wagers, including $35.3 million in online wagers. William Hill’s combined retail and online handle was down from $39.1 million in April and produced $1.1 million in net receipts. 

Wild Rose, which includes DraftKings and BetRivers, was second with $33.8 million in online and retail wagering. That is down from $34.6 million in April. $33.5 million of those bets were made online. Wild Rose led the market with $1.4 million in net receipts.

Fueled by FanDuel and BetMGM, Diamond Jo took in $27.6 million in combined wagers, which included $24.3 million in online wagering. The combined bets led to a market-leading $2.5 million in net receipts.

“New operators will be pushing to launch ahead of football season, which will shake up the market a bit,” Welman said. “But for the moment, it appears the market leaders in Iowa are entrenched.”

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

About the PlayUSA.com Network:
The PlayUSA.com Network is a leading source for news, analysis, and research related to the market for regulated online gaming in the United States. With a presence in over a dozen states, PlayUSA and its state-focused branches, including PlayIA.com, produce daily original reporting, publish in-depth research, and offer player advocacy tools related to the advancement of safe, licensed, and legal online gaming options for consumers.

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Xsolla Brings Creator Strategy and Game Commerce Expertise to Toronto’s Leading Industry Events

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Xsolla, a global video game commerce company, is participating in two leading co-located industry events, XP Game Summit Toronto and Xsolla Connect Toronto, on May 21-22, in Toronto. Xsolla will engage with partners, creators, and industry leaders across both events, focusing on the evolving gaming ecosystem.

At XP Game Summit Toronto, Xsolla will showcase its Web Shop solution, a direct-to-consumer (D2C) platform that helps developers build and scale their own storefronts outside traditional app stores. The Web Shop ecosystem integrates storefronts, LiveOps tools, and player engagement features, enabling studios to strengthen player relationships while increasing revenue and operational control.

Xsolla will also highlight its global payments infrastructure, which supports more than 1000+ payment methods across 200+ geographies. Designed to optimize conversion and deliver localized checkout experiences, Xsolla Payments enables developers to reach players worldwide while adapting to regional preferences and regulatory environments.

Additionally, Xsolla will showcase how they are connecting developers with premium entertainment-based intellectual property (IP). By simplifying licensing and partnership opportunities, Xsolla Agency helps studios enhance player acquisition, drive engagement through LiveOps, and unlock new monetization pathways.

In addition to showcasing its product offerings and solutions, Xsolla will also present a featured panel session titled “Building the Creator Pipeline: How Smart Partnerships Are Scaling Influencer Marketing”. The panel will include John Nguyen, Regional Vice President, Canada, at Xsolla; Scott Christian, Studio Director & Founder of Hilltop Games; Gem Johnson, CEO at Corvian Marketing; and Corina (Newby) Diaz, Marketing and Social Media Director at Mighty Yell. They will share practical insights on building sustainable creator ecosystems, leveraging strategic partnerships, and driving measurable impact through influencer marketing initiatives.

In addition to the company’s participation in XP Game Summit Toronto, Xsolla will host Xsolla Connect Toronto, further expanding opportunities for meaningful engagement between developers and publishers through curated programming and networking experiences. Xsolla Connects are designed to give local communities the opportunity to engage, collaborate, and integrate with Xsolla’s industry leaders in an open and transparent environment and through conversations.

“Toronto continues to emerge as a key hub for gaming innovation and collaboration in North America. We’re excited to participate in XP Game Summit and host the Xsolla Connect to connect with the community while sharing insights on how creators and partnerships are helping to build the future of game growth,” said Berkley Egenes, Chief Marketing & Growth Officer at Xsolla.

“Toronto has built itself into a major Canadian video game hub. We are glad to contribute to the continued growth of the local industry as well as Ontario’s Game Industry as a whole. What makes it special is the combination of deep technical talent, global creative diversity, and a production ecosystem that truly scales. That’s why gatherings like XP Game Summit and Xsolla Connect matter so much: they bring that energy together, and we’re excited to be part of it and help showcase what this community can do,” said John Nguyen, Regional Vice President, Canada at Xsolla.

The post Xsolla Brings Creator Strategy and Game Commerce Expertise to Toronto’s Leading Industry Events appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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St8 extends Wazdan content distribution into Ontario

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St8 has extended its partnership with slot supplier Wazdan into Ontario, adding the supplier’s content to St8’s aggregation platform for operators in the Canadian province.

Under the agreement, St8 has integrated a selection of Wazdan slot titles for Ontario operators, including Mighty Fish™: Blue Marlin, 36 Coins™, Mighty Wild™: Panther Grand Diamond Edition and Mighty Wild™: Gorilla. The roll-out also includes Wazdan mechanics such as Cash to Infinity™, Sticky to Infinity™ and Hold the Jackpot™.

David Fall, Business Development Manager at St8, said: “Our partnership with Wazdan has already delivered impressive results, and extending the collaboration into Ontario is an exciting next step for both companies.

“Wazdan consistently develops high-performing content backed by innovative engagement features, and we are pleased to further strengthen our offering for operators in one of North America’s most important regulated regions.”

Andrzej Hyla, Chief Commercial Officer at Wazdan, said: “This collaboration into Ontario with St8 is another milestone for Wazdan as we continue to build our presence across regulated North American markets.

“Wazdan goes above and beyond for our partners by delivering intuitive products that focus on the quality of the user’s experience, and St8’s platform provides an excellent route for our content to reach more operators and players. It has been a very rewarding process so far, and we look forward to building on this momentum together.”

The post St8 extends Wazdan content distribution into Ontario appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Andrzej Hyla Chief Commercial Officer at Wazdan

St8 extends Wazdan partnership into Ontario

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Casino games aggregator and full-service technology provider St8 has expanded its partnership with Wazdan into Ontario, further strengthening its premium content offering in one of North America’s leading regulated markets.

Through the extended agreement, St8 has integrated a selection of Wazdan’s top-performing slot titles for operators in Ontario, including Mighty Fish™: Blue Marlin, 36 Coins™, Mighty Wild™: Panther Grand Diamond Edition and Mighty Wild™: Gorilla. The partnership also brings Wazdan’s renowned engagement-driven mechanics to the market, including Cash to Infinity™, Sticky to Infinity™ and Hold the Jackpot™.

Wazdan has built a strong reputation through its combination of high-performing games, innovative mechanics and player engagement features. Its focus on creating memorable gameplay experiences aligns closely with St8’s approach to delivering premium content through a seamless aggregation platform.

The Ontario expansion marks the latest step in the ongoing collaboration between the two companies as St8 continues to evolve its content portfolio and support operators with games that deliver strong performance across competitive markets.

David Fall, Business Development Manager at St8, said: “Our partnership with Wazdan has already delivered impressive results, and extending the collaboration into Ontario is an exciting next step for both companies.

“Wazdan consistently develops high-performing content backed by innovative engagement features, and we are pleased to further strengthen our offering for operators in one of North America’s most important regulated regions.”

Andrzej Hyla, Chief Commercial Officer at Wazdan, said: “This collaboration into Ontario with St8 is another milestone for Wazdan as we continue to build our presence across regulated North American markets.

“Wazdan goes above and beyond for our partners by delivering intuitive products that focus on the quality of the user’s experience, and St8’s platform provides an excellent route for our content to reach more operators and players. It has been a very rewarding process so far, and we look forward to building on this momentum together.”

The post St8 extends Wazdan partnership into Ontario appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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